The Godly Mans Picture, Chapter 9 – Chapter 10
CHAP. IX.
Motives to persevere in Godliness.
THat I may excite Christians to persevere in the profession of Godliness, I shall propose these four considerations.
1 It is the glory and Crown of a Christian, to be gray-headed in godliness, Act. 21. 16. Mnason of Cyprus, an old Disciple: What an honour is it to see a Christians garments red with blood, yet his conscience pu…e white, and his graces green and flourishing?
2 How do sinners persevere in their sins, they are setled on their lees, Zeph. 1. 12. The judgements of God will not deter or remove them; they say to their sin, as Ruth to Naomi, Ruth 1. 16. Where thou goest, I will go, the Lord do so to me, and more, if ought but death part thee and me; so nothing shall part between men and their sins; Oh! what a shame is it, that the wicked should be fixed in evil, and we unfixed in good? that they should be more constant in the Devils service than we are in Christs.
3 Our perseverance in godliness, may be a means to confirm others; Cyprians hearers followed him to the place of his suffering, and seeing his stedfastness in the faith,…iamur …ul cum …cto Escopo, in …ss. Cypr. cryed out, Let us also dye with our holy Pastor, Phil. 4. 14. Many of the Brethren waxing confident by my Bonds, are much more bold to speak the Word. St. Paul's zeal and constancy, did animate the beholders; his Prison-chain made converts in Neroes Court; and two of those Converts were afterwards Martyrs, as History relates.
4 Wee shall lose nothing by our perseverance in Godliness: There are eight glorious Promises which God hath intailed upon the persevering Saints.
The first is Rev. 2. 10. Be thou constant to the death, and I will give thee a Crown of*Tria amplectitur corona, …uae beatitudini apprime conve…iunt, nimirum tranquilitatem, …uia corona dat praemium post …ertamen; deinde plenit…dinem, quia corona habet perfectam figuram, utpote circularem; & denique sublimitatem, quandoquidem corona est summi honoris …signe. Brond. life. Christian, thou mayest lose the breath of life, but not the Crown of life.
The second promise is Revel. 2. 7. To him that … vercometh will I give to eat of the tree of life. This Tree of life is the Lord Jesus. This tree infuseth life, and prevents*Lignum vitae ea virtute est praeditum, ut animi vires roboret, nec senium obrepere unquam patiatur, Alchazar. death; in the day we eat of this tree, our eyes shall indeed be opened to see God.
The third promise is Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna,Vincere, est peccatum & mundum fide calcare & veritatem nunquam deserere. Muscul. and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. This Promise consists of three branches.
1 I will give to eat of the hidden Manna, This is mysterious, it signifies the love of God; which is Manna, for its sweetness, and hidden for its rarity.
2 I will give him a white stone; Alb… lap… not ar… dicitur qui probatur.that is absolution, it may be called a precious stone saith Hierom.
3 And in the stone a new name; That is, Adoption, he shall be reputed an Heir of Heaven, and no man can know it, saving he who hath the privy seal of the spirit to assure him of it.
The fourth promise is, Rev. 3. 5. he that overcometh the same shall bee cloathed in white raiment, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his Angels. The persevering Saint shall bee cloathed in White; This is an Emblem of joy,*Festos Albatus celebret. Horat Eccles. 9. 8. He shall put off his mourning, and be cloathed in the white robe of glory; and I will not blot his name out of the book of life: God will blot a Believers sins out, but he will not blot his name out; the Book of Gods Decree hath no Errataes in it. But I will confess his Name; he who hath owned Christ on earth, and worn his colours, when it was death to wear them, Christ will not bee ashamed of him, but will confess his Name before his Father, and the holy Angels. Oh what a comfort and honor will it be to have a good look from Christ at the last day; nay, to have Christ own us, by Name, and say, these were they who stood up for my truth, and kept their garments pure, in a defiling age; These shall walk with mee in white, for they are worthy.
The fifth promise is, Rev. 3. 12. Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God, and he shall goe no more out, and I will write upon him the Name of my God, and the Name of the City of my God. Here are many excellent things couched in this Promise; I will make him a Pillar in the Temple of my God; The Hypocrite is calamus, a Reed shaken with the wind, but the conquering Saint shall be columna, a glorious Pillar; a Pillar for strength, and a Pillar in the Temple, for sanctity; and he shall go no more out; I understand this of a glorified state, Hee shall go no more out; that is, after he hath overcome, hee shall go no more out to the Wars; hee shall never have sin or temptation more to conflict with, no more noyse of Drum, or Cannon shall bee heard, but the Believer having won the field, hee shall now stay at home, and divide the spoil. And I will write upon him the Name of my God. That is, he shall bee openly acknowledged for my Childe; as the Son bears his Fathers Name. How honourable must that Saint bee who hath Gods own Name written upon him! And I will write upon him, the Name of the City of my God. That is, he shall be enrolled as a Denison or Citizen of the Ierusalem above, hee shall bee made free of the Angelical society.
The sixth promise is, Rev. 2. 26. He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: this may have a double mystery, either it may be understood of the Saints dwelling upon earth; they shall have power over the nations; their zeal and patience shall over-power the adversaries of*Necesse est ut Veritati cedat mendacium, Piis impii. truth, Act. 6. 10. or principally, it may be understood of the Saints triumphing in heaven, they shall have power …ver the nations; they shall share with Christ in some of his power; they shall joyn with him in judging the world at the last day; 1 Cor. 6. 2. Know ye not, that the Saints shall judge the world?
The seventh promise is, Rev. 3. 21. To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me upon my throne.
1 Here is first the Saints dignity, they shall sit upon the throne.
2 Their safety, they shall sit with Christ; Christ holds them fast, and none shall pluck them out of his throne; the Saints may be turned out of their houses, but they cannot be turned out of Christs throne; men may as well pluck a star out of the sky, as a Saint out of the throne.
The eighth promise is, Rev. 2. 28. I will give him the morning-starre: Though the Saints may be sullied with reproach in this life, they may be termed factious and disloyal; St. Paul himself suffered trouble (in the opinion of some) as an evil doer, 2 Tim. 2. 9. yet God will bring forth the Saints righteousness, as the light, and they shall shine as the Morning-star, which is brighter then the rest,Rev. 22. 16 I will give him the morning-star.— This morning star is meant of Christ, as if Christ had said, I will give the persevering Saint, some of my beauty, I will put some of my splendid raies upon him, he shall have the next degree of glory to me, as the mornning Star is next the Sun.
O what soul-ravishing promises are here! who would not persevere in godliness? he that is not wrought upon by these promises, is either a stone or a bruite.
CHAP. X.
The third Vse referring to the Godly.
Use 3. LEt me in the next place direct my self to those,Vse 3. who have a real work of godliness upon their hearts, and I would speak to them by way of,
1 Caution.
2 Counsel.
3 Comfort.
1 By way of Caution, that they do not blur these Characters of grace in their souls; though Gods children cannot quite deface their graces, yet they may disfigure them; too much carnal liberty, may weaken their evidences, and so dim their lustre, that they cannot bee read: These Characters of the godly are precious things, the gold and christal cannot be compared with them. O keep them fair written in your hearts! and they will be so many living comforts in a dying hour; it will not affright a Christian, to have all the signs of death in his body, when he can see all the signs of grace in his soul, he will say as Simeon, Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.
2 By way of Counsel, you who are inriched with the treasures of godliness, bless God for it: This flower doth not grow in natures garden; when you had listed your selves under the Devil, and taken pay on his side, fighting against your own happiness, that then God should come with converting grace, and put forth a foreign, a loving and gentle violence, causing you to espouse his quarrel against Satan; when you had lain many years soaking in wickedness, as if you had been par-boild for Hell, that then God should lay you a steeping in Christs blood, and breathe holiness into your heart, O what cause have you to write your selves eternal debtors to free grace. Hee denies God to be the Authour of his Grace, who doth not give him the praise of it;*Negat beneficium, qui beneficium non honorat. Tertul. O acknowledge the love of God; admire distinguishing mercy, set the Crown of your praise upon the head of free grace. If wee are to bee thankful for the fruits of the earth, much more for …he fruits of the Spirit; it is well there is an eternity coming, when the Saints shall triumph in God, and make his praise glorious.
3 Let me speak to the godly by way of Comfort; you that have but the least dram of godliness in sincerity, let me give you two rich Consolations.
1 That Jesus Christ will not discourage the weakest Grace,1 Consolation. but will cherish and preserve it to Eternity: Grace which is but newly budded, shall by the beams of the Sun of Righteousness bee concocted and ripened into Glory: This I shall speak more fully to in the next.