A Guide to Godliness, Book 6 · Chapter 19
CAP. XIX.
Their obiection anſwered, who excuſe their neglect of Religious duties, vnderunder pretence that the times and places wherein they liue, are full of corruption.
§. Sect. 1 That the corruption of the times is a ſtrong tentation to withdraw vsus from godlineſſe.
MAny other are the obiections, which the fleſh maketh to hinder vsus from the profeſſion of piety, and the practice of it in the duties of a godly life. And firſt, it is ready to obiect, that the times and places in which we liue, and the perſons with whom we dayly conuerſe, are ſo corrupt and ſinfull, that it is almoſt impoſſible we ſhould liue ſo ſtrictly, as it were otherwiſe to be wiſhed, and not be tainted and infected with the common corruptions. For the occaſions of ſinning are ſo ordinarie and manifold, the prouocations preſſed vponupon vsus by wicked worldlings ſo ſtrong and forcible, the euill examples which are dayly before our eyes, ſo hurtfull and pernitious, as powerfully drawing vsus to imitation; the neglect and contempt of ſincerity and piety, and the practice of it in the duties of a godly life, ſo vſuall and almoſt vniuerſall, that he who reſolueth to take a different and contrarie courſe, then that which is imbraced and applauded by the multitude, muſt ſeeme to go alone, & to tire and ſpend his ſtrength in vaine, by ſwimming againſt the ſtreame, and rowing (as it were) againſt the winde and tyde: Yea, by liuing innocently, and obſeruing iuſtice and righteouſneſſe in all his dealings, what ſhall he gaine hereby, but expoſe himſelfe to become a prey, as the Prophet ſpeaketh? Beſides, Eſa. 59. 15.with what great diſcouragements ſhall the godly meete in ſuch times and places? How are they wondred at and purſued like Owles by little birds? How ſhall they bee croſſed in all their preferments, though they deſerue neuer ſo well, becauſe they doe not follow the current of the times; and make conſcience of taking thoſe corrupt courſes, and vſing thoſe vnlawfull meanes whereby others riſe? How ſhall they bee maligned and reproched, oppoſed and perſecuted, if they refuſe to run on with others into the ſame exceſſe of riot? To which I anſwere, that it cannot be denyed, but that theſe are ſtrong tentations, and great diſcouragements which hinder many from the profeſſion of Religion, and the practice of it in Chriſtian duties. The which our Sauiour himſelfe implyeth, where hee ſaith, that becauſe in the latter times iniquity ſhall abound, the louelove of many ſhall waxe cold; Matth. 24. 12.And the Apoſtle likewiſe, where he calleth the laſt dayes perilous times 2. Tim. 3. 1.in regard of thoſe manifold & enormious ſins which ſhould then raigne. For as it is a difficult thing in a generall plague, when men draw in dayly the infected ayre, to continue ſound and healthy; ſo is it no leſſe hard in the common corruption of life and manners, to continue in our integrity and holineſſe of conuerſation. But yet howſoeuer hypocrites and time-ſeruers ſtumble and fall at this ſtone of offence, for want of Chriſtian reſolution, and becauſe they louelove the things of this preſent life, better then ſpirituall grace or heauenly glory, yet the faithfull muſt not be daunted and diſmayed with theſe diſcouragements, ſeeing our Sauiour hath fore-warned them to expect no other, and ſo forearmed them againſt they come. Yea, he hath prouided cordials of comfort againſt theſe cold qualmes of earthly calamities, and as he hath foretold the worlds rage and malice againſt vsus, ſo he hath put courage into vsus, by aſſuring vsus that he hath ouercome the World. As hee hath taught vsus that the way is narrow, & the gate ſtraight that leadeth to happines, Ioh. 6. 33. Acts 14. 22.and that by many tribulations we muſt enter into the Kingdome of heauen: ſo hee hath done it not to this end, that we ſhould ſtraine courteſie, and pretend excuſes of difficulty, but to arme our reſolution, and to make vsus ſtriue to goe in this way, and to enter into this gate, becauſe if wee cannot deny the world and our ſelues alſo, we cannot be his Diſciples, nor euer raigne with him, vnleſſe wee are alſo willing to ſuffer with 2. Tim. 2. 12.him. Againe, the Lord hath giuen vsus expreſſe charge, that we ſhould not regard a multitude to follow them in euill; that wee ſhould ſaue our ſelues Exod. 23. 1.from this vntoward generation; that when we ſee the vnfruitful works of darkneſſe, Abs 2. 40.we ſhould not thereby take occaſion to hauehave fellowſhip with them, Ephe. 5. 11, 15.but rather reproue them, that when our waies are layd full of the ſnares of ſinne, wee looke the better to our footing, and walke ſo much the more circumſpectly, not vſing the euilneſſe of the dayes, as an inducement vntounto ſinne, but rather of redeeming the time, by doubling our Verſe 16.diligence in all Chriſtian duties. And as thoſe who liue in infectious places, doe not (if they be wiſe) grow careleſſe and deſperate, but vſe rather their beſt preſeruatiues to keepe out the peſtilent ayre, and the beſt dyet they can to keepe them in health: ſo muſt we vſe the like care for our ſoules in the like caſe. Which if we neglect to doe, wee ſhall euidently declare, that what ſhew ſoeuer wee make to the contrary, the times and wee are well agreed, and that there is not much leſſe corruption within vsus, then we ſee without vsus, ſo that vnleſſe God ſhould change our hearts, we would not by the change of the place and company be much changed.
§. Sect. 2 That though it be hard to fleſh & blood to liue religiouſly in corrupt times, yet it is poſſible, yea eaſie to the regenerate.
It is indeede, in reſpect of fleſh and blood, an hard thing, and almoſt impoſſible, to liue as Lambes among Wolues, and to retayne the ſweetneſſe of innocency, when like that Riuer which hiſtories ſpeake of, wee run thorow a ſalt ſea of worldly wickedneſſe: but what is impoſſible to nature, is poſſible to grace, and much more to the God of all grace and goodneſſe, who hath promiſed to aſſiſt and to eſtabliſh vsus in eueryevery good worke, when once wee are thorowly reſolued to vndertake it. And this appeareth in the examples of the faithfull in all ages, who though they hauehave neceſſarily liued amongſt the wicked, and thereby hauehave bin endangered to all the former tentations and incumbrances, that hauehave not beene drawne hereby to follow the times, and to imitate the examples of wicked men, but hauehave continued conſtant in their holy profeſſion, and religious practice of all the duties of piety and righteouſneſſe. Thus Enoch walked with God, and Noah continued in his vprightneſſe, though almoſt all the world followed their owne ſinfull luſts, and liued in all wickednes and ſenſuality. So Lot in Sodom, Abraham, Iſaac and Iacob amongſt the Canaanites, Ioſeph, Dauid, Nehemiah, Obadiah, Mordecay, Heſter and Daniel, retayned their ſincerity and integrity, though they liued in the wicked and profane courts of Pharaoh, Saul, Artaxerxes, Ahab, Ahaſuerus and Nebuchadnezar. And the Apoſtle ſendeth ſaluations from the Saints that Phil. 4. 22.liued in Nero his houſhold, though like the maſter it abounded with all manner of outragious wickedneſſe. And the reaſon is, becauſe thoſe who are regenerate, hauehave a new nature begun in them, which being ſpirituall & heauenly, cannot ſuffer, or receiue alteration from things which are of an inferiour nature, no more then ſpirituall ſubſtances can ſuffer of corporall, or heauenly bodies, of thoſe that are elementary. And though the fleſh and part vnregenerate lyeth open to the tentations of the deuil and the world, & may eaſily be allured to any ſinne, yet ſo farre foorth as wee are renewed, wee reſiſt them and cannot ſinne, becauſe it is contrary to this ſpirituall nature, and the Spirit of God dwelling in vsus, which is the Author of it, according to that of the Apoſtle Iohn; Whoſoeuer is borne of God, doth not commit 1. Iohn 3. 9.ſinne, for his ſeede remayneth in him, and he cannot ſinne, becauſe he is borne of God. And therefore as the fiſh retaineth his freſhneſſe in the ſalt waters, and the hot baths their warmth, though they be incloſed with the cold earth: ſo the faithfull, ſo farre forth as they are regenerate and renewed, retaine their piety and godlineſſe of conuerſation, euen when they be incompaſſed on all ſides with wicked worldlings, although their ſociety and examples are exceeding dangerous prouocations vntounto all ſinne and wickedneſſe, in reſpect of their fleſh and vnregenerate part; the one being like fire, the other like gunpowder, or ſome combuſtible matter; eſpecially when ſuch familiarity and ſociety is not neceſſary, but of free choyce, ſeeing it is iuſt with God, that thoſe who louelove tentation ſhould fall into it. Otherwiſe, the faithfull may retaine their ſincerity and piety Act. 2. 40.in the middeſt of a froward generation; yea if neceſſity, and not their voluntary election thruſt them into ſuch times and places, they may not only goe on in their Chriſtian courſe, but euen in the moſt euill dayes redeeme the time, by redoubling their diligence in all pious duties of Gods ſeruice, as the Apoſtle implyeth. And this we ſee in the example of the holy Martyrs in the times of perſecution, who hauehave redoubled their zeale and deuotion in Gods ſeruice, when none almoſt did beare them company, but all the world oppoſed againſt them, and did hold in their view a quite 1. King. 18.contrary courſe. Thus Elias his zeale was not cooled and quenched by the idolatry and prophaneſſe of thoſe times, but much intended and increaſed. And Dauid, when he ſaw the euill examples of tranſgreſſors, was Pſal. 119. 139.not drawne hereby to imitate them, but was the more conſumed with his Act. 17. 16.zeale, becauſe they had forgotten Gods Law. Thus Pauls feruency of deuotion was more inflamed, when hee ſaw the ſuperſtition of the Athenians. Ioh. 2. 17.And thus was our Sauiour Chriſt conſumed with zeale of his Fathers glory, when as he ſaw his Temple prophaned, and true Religion neglected and contemned.
§. Sect. 4 A note of difference betweene true zeale and deuotion, and that which is falſe and hypocriticall.
So that heere we may hauehave an vndoubted and infallible ſigne, whereby we may know whether our zeale and deuotion be true and ſincere, or falſe and hypocriticall; for if they be vpright and in truth, they will not be loſt in euill places and times; if they be ſubſtantiall, and (as it were a new nature) and not meere ſhewes and ſhadowes, they will ſtill retaine it, and being of ſuperiour vertue, will ſtriue againſt and ouercome theſe corruptions of the times, which are contrary to them. Whereas if they yeeld vntounto them, and become prophane with the irreligious, neglecting all Chriſtian duties, becauſe they liue with thoſe who doe neglect them; it is hereby manifeſt, that there was neuer any true change in their nature, but onelyonly ſome accidentall alteration for worldly reſpects. Though cold water be made neuer ſo hot, yet the heat of it will ſoone be abated, when it is taken off the fire, and compaſſed about with the cold ayre, and becommeth more cold then it was at the firſt. And though the Iron being heat in the Forge, is much more hot and ſcorching then the fire in other combuſtible matter, yet being put into the water, or caſt vponupon the ground in the cold ayre, it becommeth more cold then either of them; becauſe in this alteration there is no change of nature, but onelyonly of the quality by outward accident. But contrariwiſe, the fire which is naturally hot, and the Bath which is naturally warme, are not cooled by the cold winter ayre which doth incompaſſe them. Yea by this antipariſtaſis and incloſure, their naturall quality being kept in and better compacted, is intended and increaſed, ſo that the fire which but moderately heateth in milde weather, ſcorcheth in cold froſts: and the Bath, which is but temperately warme in ſummer, euen ſmoketh and ſcaldeth with heate in the cold winter, becauſe this heate is naturall, and no aduentitious quality. And ſo the religion and deuotion of hypocrites, being no kindly heate proceeding from a renewed nature, is quickly cooled in the company of the worldly and prophane, and returneth to more then natural coldneſſe; whereas the feruor of true Chriſtian deuotion is not abated, but rather increaſed, when they liue in corrupt times and ſinfull places, becauſe proceeding from a new nature, the inherent vertue and vigour of it, vniting it ſelfe together to withſtand all contrary oppoſition, is better compacted and becommeth more ſtrong and preualent. So that thoſe euill examples which corrupt others, doe but the better arme their reſolution to withſtand them, and make them ſtriue with more earneſtneſſe and deuotion, to fly ſuch ſinnes as they ſee committed, and to put in practice the contrary duties. And as the Oſtrich turneth Iron it ſelfe, which would kill other creatures, into wholeſome nouriſhment; and as ſome beaſts and birds do conuert Spiders, and other poyſons into cordials and and reſtoratiues, which are deadly and pernicious vntounto other liuing things of a different nature: ſo Gods children, which are renewed and regenerate by his holy Spirit, are not onelyonly nouriſhed and ſtrengthened with their ordinary food; as hearing the Word, prayer, holy conferences and good company; but through Gods Spirit aſſiſting them, are able to turne euen Iron ages into good nouriſhment, and the poyſon of euill examples into cordials and preſeruatiues, to ſtrengthen them the more againſt common corruptions and raigning ſinnes. And therefore to excuſe our neglect of Chriſtian duties belonging to a godly life, becauſe we liue in euill places and times, what is it, but to proclaime that we are like vntounto them, and are not yet regenerate by Gods Spirit, nor changed in our natures, but ſtill remaine in the ſtate of corruption, and conſequently lyable to death and condemnation?