A Guide to Godliness, Book 6 · Chapter 10
CAP. X.
Of thoſe manifold impediments of a godly life, which ariſe from our ſinnefull and corrupt hearts and affections.
§. Sect. 1 The firſt impediment is an heart hardned through the deceitfulneſſe of ſinne.
ANd thus hauehave I ſhewed, how we may remooue thoſe impediments of a godly life, which ariſe from the corruption of the intellectuall faculties. Thoſe which reſpect the heart and affections, are many and dangerous. The firſt is, when our hearts are hardened through the deceitfulneſſe of ſinne, and ſo habituated and accuſtomed to euill courſes, that it is death to vsus, if we indeuour to forſake them, and to ſerue God in the duties of a godly life. Of this wee hauehave many warnings in the Scriptures, as being a moſt dangerous rocke, vponupon which many hauehave ſuffred ſhipwracke: To day if you will heare his voyce, harden not your hearts. Pſal. 95. 7, 8.And, Take heed, brethren, leſt there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeliefe, in departing from the liuing God. But exhort one another dayly, while it is Heb. 3. 12, 13.called to day, leſt any of you be hardened through the deceitfulneſſe of ſinne. Which impediment if we would remooue, let vsus withſtand ſinne in the firſt motions of it, and if at any time we be ouertaken, let vsus carefully take heed, that wee doe not lie in ſinne, but riſe againe ſpeedily by vnfained repentance. Let vsus beware that wee doe not often fall into the ſame ſinnes, after wee hauehave repented of them; ſeeing by many acts, wee come at laſt to an habit and cuſtome. Or if this cuſtome hath already preuailed, and is now come to hauehave in it the ſtrength of a Law, and to be (as it were) a ſecond nature, let vsus not ſuffer it any longer to continue inuiolable, but bend all our power and ſtrength to diſanull and breake it. Neither let our corrupt nature pleade preſcription for ſinne, or the neglect of holy duties, as though becauſe we hauehave long done that which God forbiddeth, or not done that which he hath commanded, therefore we muſt be borne with, if we doe ſo ſtill; ſeeing this is no excuſe at all, but rather the greateſt aggrauation of our ſinnefulneſſe and negligence. For though they might be ſomewhat excuſed, if they were done but once or twice, they are altogether intolerable when they grow common and cuſtomable. And therefore our long liuing in ſinne, and in the neglect of Chriſtian duties, ſhould be ſo far from excuſing our continuing in theſe courſes, that it ought to be a ſtrong motiue to double our diligence in redeeming this loſt time, as the Apoſtle exhorteth. And this reaſon the Eph. …. 16. 1. Pet. 4. 2, 3.Apoſtle Peter alſo vſeth to perſwade vsus, that we ſhould no longer liue the reſt of our time in the fleſh, according to the luſts of men, but according to the will of God, becauſe the time paſt of our liues may ſuffice vsus to hauehave wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in laſciutouſneſſe, luſts, exceſſe of wine, reuellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries. Now the meanes whereby wee may be enabled to breake off this cuſtome in ſinning, and to performe the contrary duties of a godly life, is, to labour to hauehave our hearts poſſeſſed and fraughted with Gods feare, partly in reſpect of his Iudgements denounced againſt ſin, & partly in reſpect of his mercies and manifold bleſſings, promiſed to all that ſerue and pleaſe him. For nothing doth more powerfully ouer-maſter this tyrannicall cuſtome, then the true feare of God; euen as the want thereof is the chiefe cauſe of falling into, and continuing in ſinne. And ſecondly, our beſt courſe is to ſet our ſelues with a firme reſolution to breake off, and diſcontinue our cuſtome in ſinning, and to performe the contrary duties of a godly life, ſeeing many acts of wel-doing will at laſt bring vsus to an habit and cuſtome, and make them eaſie and familiar, which at the firſt entrance ſeemed difficult and almoſt impoſſible. The like impediment vntounto all Chriſtian duties, ariſeth from ſecurity and hardneſſe of heart, which taking away all ſenſe and feeling, both of Gods mercies and Iudgements, and putting away the euill day farre from vsus, doth make vsus alſo therewith to put off the day of repentance, to neglect all holy and religious duties, and to goe on ſecurely in our former euill courſes. Of the remouing of which impediment I will not here ſpeake, becauſe I hauehave handled it at large in my Treatiſe of carnall ſecurity, and hardneſſe of heart.
§. Sect. 2 Of the ſecond impediment reſpecting the heart, which is … the world.
The ſecond impediment of a godly life, reſpecting the heart, is worldly concupiſcence, and immoderate and exceſſiue louelove of the world and earthly things, and chiefely of honours, riches and pleaſures, and that carking care which ariſeth from it, for the getting or keeping of them. Concerning the former. As the louelove of God and the louelove of the world will not harbour together in the ſame heart, becauſe 1. Joh. 2. 15. Jam. 4. 4.the amity and friendſhip of the one, is enmity againſt the other, as the Apoſtles Iohn and Iames teach vsus; ſo neither can we performe faithfull ſeruice to them both, being Maſters which ſtand in flat oppoſition one to Math. 6. 24.the other, as our Sauiour hath told vsus. In which regard, Demas is ſaid to 2. Tim. 4. 10.hauehave forſaken the Apoſtle Paul, and with him, his Maſter Chriſt and his truth, aſſoone as he begun to louelove this preſent world. For when men hauehave once fixed their hearts vponupon earthly vanities, all their cogitations are ſo taken vp with them, that they hauehave no leiſure to thinke vponupon any Chriſtian duties; and ſo wholly are they beſotted with the louelove of this painted ſtrumpet, that they thinke all time loſt, which is not ſpent in winning and gaining her. So that when Chriſt inuiteth them vntounto his Marriage Supper, to feaſt them with ſpirituall delicacies, that Gods graces may bee ſo Luk. 14. 16, 17.ſtrengthened in them, as that they may bee inabled to ſerue him in all Chriſtian duties, they preſently pretend excuſes, and will not come. For Joh. 12. 42, 43.the remouing of which impediment, wee muſt vſe all good meanes to weane our hearts from the louelove of the world, that wee may contemne it as vaine and worthleſſe, in compariſon of ſpirituall grace, and heauenly glory. To which purpoſe we muſt conſider, that the worlds proſperity which we dote ſo much vponupon, will, being thus abuſed, become a notable tentation to draw vsus into all manner of ſinne, to our perdition and deſtruction; according to that of the wiſe Salomon; The proſperity of fooles Prou. 1. 32. Mark. 8. 36.ſhall deſtroy them: And, What will it profit vsus to gaine the whole world, and loſe our owne ſoules? as our Sauiour ſpeaketh. Let vsus conſider, that theſe worldly things are momentany and mutable, hardly gotten, and ſoone loſt; vncertaine in the purſuit, whether after all our labour we ſhall obtaine them or no, and no more certaine in the poſſeſſion, ſeeing they may eueryevery day be taken from vsus, or we from them. Let vsus conſider, that they are vaine, and ſatisfie not, but the more we drinke, the more we thirſt; the more we abound, the more we want; and that they bring not any ſound contentment to their owners, but labour in getting, care in keeping, and feare in loſing them. That they doe not at all profit vsus for the aſſuring of thoſe things which are chiefly to be deſired, nor at thoſe times when wee ſhall ſtand in moſt need of helpe and comfort; namely, at the houre of death, and day of Iudgement. Yea, if we immoderately dote on them, they will become exceeding hurtfull and pernicious, being thoſe thornes which will choke in vsus the ſeed of Gods Word, from which all ſauing graces Math. 13. 22.doe ſpring; thoſe ſnares of the diuell, which intangle vsus to our perdition; thoſe heauie burthens, which hinder vsus in our iourney towards our heauenly 1. Tim. 6. 9, 10.home, and Cammell-like bunches, which will keepe vsus from entring into that ſtraight and narrow gate.
§. Sect. 3 The third impediment ariſing from worldly cares.
The cares alſo of this world are a great impediment to a godly life. For firſt, they hinder vsus from performing religious duties, as we ſee in the Math. 22. 5. Luk. 14. 18. and 9 59, 61. Luk. 10. 40.example of thoſe, who being inuited to the Marriage Supper of the Kings Son, refuſed to come; and of thoſe, who being called to be Chriſts Diſciples, were ſo taken vp with the care of their worldly buſineſſe, that they could finde no preſent leiſure to follow Chriſt. Yea of Martha her ſelfe, who though ſhe were a good woman, yet was ſo cumbred with care, in prouiding for Chriſts entertainment, that ſhe could finde no time to heare his heauenly Sermons, and enuied her ſiſter, for performing this high and holy duty. Or if we ſet our ſelues to performe any ſeruice vntounto God, theſe cares interpoſe themſelues, and diſtract vsus with worldly and wandring thoughts, ſo as we cannot performe it with any fruit and benefit: as we ſee in the Parable of the Sower, where he that receiued ſeed among thornes, is (as our Sauiour expoundeth it) he that heareth the Word, and the Math. 13. 22.cares of this world, and the deceitfulneſſe of riches choke the Word, and hee becommeth Luk. 8. 14.vnfruitfull. In which regard, our Sauiour giueth vntounto vsus a ſpeciall caueat (whereby we may be fitted for his comming) that wee ſhould take heed to our ſelues, leſt at any time our hearts be ouercharged with ſurfetting and drunkenneſſe, and the cares of this life, and ſo that day come vponupon vsus at vnawares. For as the one ſurchargeth the ſtomake, and maketh vsus vnfit for any bodily imployment, ſo the other oppreſſe and intoxicate the mind and heart (as it were) with a kind of ſpirituall gluttony and drunkenneſſe, that they become altogether vnprofitable for any religious exerciſe. Now the meanes to remoue this impediment are firſt, to contemne theſe worldly things, as being of ſmall value, in compariſon of ſauing grace, and heauenly glory: For what we can deſpiſe, we will not purſue with ouer-much care. Secondly, let vsus learne to liue the life of faith, and not reſting vponupon our owne prouiſion, caſt our ſelues vponupon Gods all-ſufficient prouidence, and neuer-failing promiſes, who will aſſuredly prouide for vsus, if we wholly depend vponupon him. And this meanes and motiue the Scriptures offer vntounto vsus, to preſerue vsus from couetouſneſſe and carking care, according to that of the Pſalmiſt, Commit thy way vntounto the Lord, truſt alſo in him, and Pſal. 37. 5.he ſhall bring it to paſſe. And that counſell of the Wiſe man; Commit thy Prou. 16. 3.workes vntounto the Lord, and thy thoughts ſhall be eſtabliſhed. So the Apoſtle; Let your conuerſation be without couetouſneſſe, and bee content with ſuch things Heb. 13. 5.as ye hauehave; for he hath ſaid, I will not leaue thee, nor forſake thee. And the Apoſtle Peter; Caſt all your care vponupon him, for he careth for you. But moſt excellently 1. Pet. 5. 7.doth our Sauiour Chriſt, with many ſtrong arguments, arme vsus againſt this carking care: Take no thought (ſaith he) for your life, what you Math. 6. 25, 26, &c.ſhall eate, or what you ſhall drinke, nor yet for your body, what ye ſhall put on. Firſt, becauſe he that hath giuen vsus that which is the greater and better, he will not, if we depend vponupon him, deny vntounto vsus that which is leſſe and worſe. Is not the life more then meate? and the body then rayment? Secondly, becauſe he who is ſo gracious, bountifull, and prouident, as to prouide for the Fowles of the ayre, and the Lillies of the field, without their care and paines, will much more prouide for his children that rely vponupon him, and with their reaſonable paines and moderate care, doe ſerue his prouidence. Thirdly, becauſe this carking care is bootleſſe and vnprofitable, ſeeing God, according as it ſeemeth beſt to his infinite wiſedome, hath allotted vntounto eueryevery one a ſtint and proportion in their eſtate, as well as in their bodily ſtature, vntounto which they ſhall come, and not exceed it. And therefore as no man can adde one cubit to his ſtature of body, though he take neuer ſo much care and paines; ſo alſo it is alike impoſſible hereby to adde one mite vntounto that dimenſion of our eſtate, which God by his wiſe and powerfull prouidence hath allotted vntounto vsus. Fourthly, becauſe this immoderate care is more fit for Infidels, who reſt wholly vponupon themſelues and their owne meanes, then for Chriſtians, who acknowledge God, moſt wiſe, and all-ſufficient, to bee their Father; ſeeing he is omniſcient, and taketh notice of all our wants, and omnipotent, and moſt gracious and bountifull, and therefore moſt able and willing to ſupply them. Fifthly, becauſe the beſt meanes to be aſſured of all earthly bleſſings, in ſuch a proportion as is moſt fit for Gods glory, and our ſaluation, is aboue, and before all things, to ſeeke Gods Kingdome and righteouſneſſe, becauſe we hauehave his infallible promiſe, that if we ſo doe, other things ſhall be added vntounto vsus, as it were ſmall aduantages to this maine bargaine. The which Salomon found verified in his owne experience; who being put to 1. King. 3. 9, 10, 12, 13.his choyce, and preferring wiſedome, before riches, honour, and long life, did not onelyonly obtaine it at Gods hands, but all theſe things likewiſe for which he made no ſuit. Laſtly, becauſe it is extreme folly to anticipate future cares and troubles before they come, no not thoſe of the next day, ſeeing when they come, they will bring griefe and vexation enough, though we doe not preuent them before they happen, and ſo redouble our ſorrowes. Neither in truth can we tell whether thoſe things whereof wee take care, will befall vsus or no; and therefore what folly is it to vndergoe certaine trouble and care about vncertainties? or if they ſhall happen, we may hauehave wit to foreſee them, but no power to preuent them; and therefore to vexe our ſelues before they come, is to bee miſerable before the time.