The Case and Cure of a Deserted Soul, Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII. Fifth meanes, keeping in Gods way.
FIfthly, take this direction: Direct. 5. Keep in Gods way.Keep your ſelves in Gods way, elſe you cannot expect his help. Thou meeteſt him that rejoyceth and worketh righteouſneſſe, thoſe that remember thee in thy wayes. Eſay 64.5.
Here are two things to be carefully obſerved.
1 That the things which we undertake be good, that we may pray as David, Let that we do be good.Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my foot ſteps ſlip not. Pſal. 17.5. For in an evill action to aske his aide is to provoke him, it is an high indignity, it is to draw the great God into a curſed confederacy with ſinfull man againſt himſelfe.
2 The things muſt be ſuch as we are called unto; What we are called to.for if out of raſhneſſe and folly, or pride and vain glory, we thruſt our ſelves into actions, or difficulties without warrant or command, we may miſſe our aime, if we think to be carried through with a divine hand.
Queſt. Queſt. How a man may know whe… he is called to ſuch or ſuch a work.
Anſw. 1. Anſ. 1 Some actions are tyed and appropriated to an office, as adminiſtration of Sacraments to a Miniſter, exec… tion of Juſtice to a magiſtrate, &c. Concerning this take theſe rules.
1 Ordinarily no man is called to the work of an office which is not called to the office; therefore Saul and Vzziah ſinned: Samuel told Saul when he being a King had medled with the worke of the Prieſt in offering ſacrifice; That he had done fooliſhly, and kept not the Commandement of the Lord his God. 1 Sam. 13.13. And when Vzziah went into the Temple to burne incenſe upon the Altar of incenſe, Azariah with his brethren withſtood him, and ſaid unto him, it appertaineth not unto thee Vzziah to burn incenſe unto the Lord, but to the Prieſts that are conſecrated to burne incenſe, goe out of the Sanctuary for thou haſt treſpaſſed, neither ſhall it be for thine honour from the Lord God. 2 Chron. 26.16, 17, 18.
2 No man is called to the office, in whom is not fitneſſe, and ability for it, theſe things at the leaſt are requiſite.
3 No man is called to any act of office, but according to commiſsion and order annexed to his office, as for the Magiſtrate to execute judgement without hearing the cauſe, &c. So long then as I keep my ſelfe in my ſtation, and do the work that belongs particularly to mee in my place, I may comfortably expect the good hand of God, and with chearfulneſſe I ought to walk in my way, and not to afflict my ſoule, with feares and cares; God that hateth preſumption in meh thruſting themſelves into things too great and weighty, doth require alacrity in thoſe whō he cals to his ſervice; when he put Ioſuah into that great office of being a leader to his people Iſrael through the wilderneſſe, he promiſeth to be with him, and often preſſeth this; Only be thou ſtrong and very couragious. Joſh. 1.5, 6, 7, 9. What ſhould I ſpeak of Moſes, Gideon, David, Ieremiah, Paul and others, in whom you have ſo many patternes of Gods goodneſſe, not leaving his ſervants in that way which he ſets them to walk in.
Anſw. 2. Anſ. 2 Some things belong to me… as partakers of the heavenly calling, as all acts of piety and charity; yet in theſe take this rule:
A man is not ſo called to theſe as that all are to be done by any one, at any time, in any meaſure, in any manner, but we muſt wiſely know how to order out wayes with diſcretion, for it is note. nough to do good, but we muſt doe all according to patterne, in due ſeaſon, and in due order, for a good work may bee marred in the handling, when we walk not by rule, as when a man neglects his calling and is unſeaſonably in conference, hearing, faſting, praying, he cannot upon juſt ground expect Gods aſſiſting preſence, and bleſſing in his way, and ſo on the contrary.
Anſw. 3. Sometimes a man is above ordinary courſe called to ſome worke; and here we finde the calling of a man to be of God. 1. When he hath a particular word dQuilege privàta ducitur, publica non conſtringitur. apud Epiſc. Sarisb. de juſtitia operum. c. 42.; ſo Abraham had a particular charge to leave his Countrey and to ſlay his ſon in Sacrifice; So Peter alſo had a particular word to walk upon the water, and God failed them not. 2. A ſtrong bent and inclination of heart, ſo Paul was bound in his ſpirit to Ieruſalem, though dangers waited for him, Acts 20.22. ſo it is judged of Ehud in killing Eglon; of Phyneas in ſlaying Zimri and Cosbi. 3. When God fits not onelyonly with a diſpoſition, but with a ſpirit for the worke, as when he called Saul to the Kingdome, he gave him another ſpirit. 4. When he gives peace of heart in their way, and beares them out againſt all accuſations from within or without, ſo Paul and Silas had this teſtimony of their calling to their worke, a ſpirit of glory reſting upon them.
Queſt. Queſt. But evill men have ſometimes a great fluſh of ſpirit, courage, ability, peace and confidence, have they this of God?
Anſw. 1. Anſ. 1 God may employ even wicked men, and may for the ſervice of himſelfe and of his Church, fill their ſailes with a full gale of great gifts, and carry them on with a ſtrong hand, ſo he helped Cyrus, He ſaith of Cyrus, hee is my Shepheard, and ſhall performe all my pleaſure. Eſay 44.28. and, Thus ſaith the Lord to Cyrus, whoſe right hand I have holden or ſtrengthned, &c. Eſay 45.1.
2 There is a naturall ſtrength which may doe much, ſome have a naturall vigour and confidence, which enables them to do and ſuffer much.
3 Mens luſts and ſinfull ends and reſpects may adde activity and vigour to their ſpirits in good actionseViſ. Hug. Grot. de verit relig. Chriſt. l. 2., Iehu was zealous, but that flame of zeale was inkindled by the love of the kingdome; and many others do much, but it is by the ſtrength of their ſelf-love, and politique ends.
4 There is a diabolicall power of that Prince of the ayre, who worketh in the children of diſobedience, which makes his zelots as God hath hisfPertinacia haeretica eſt obduratio voluntatis ipſorum, & obligatio diabolica, qua eos trahit quò vult & ſicut vult, & ut furioſi, caſuſtinent ex inſania cordium quae vix ſanitas ſuſtineret. Guilielm. Pariſienſ. de tentat. & reſiſt. Vid. eundem de virtutib. cap. 21., as Pharaohs Magitians wrought like unto Moſes, ſo Satan transformes himſelfe often into an Angel of light, and in a way of ſeeming piety, and devout zeale makes many to be valiant Champions. But there is this difference of that common aſſiſtance of the ſpirit of God to evill men, and of the ſtrength from nature, luſts, or Satan, from that which the holy Spirit gives to the godly in their wayes.
1 That which is from naturall temper, luſts, or Satan, is often found in an evill cauſe, as Sauls Zeale before he was called of Chriſt, was madneſſe againſt the truth.
2 Only the ſpirit of holineſſe works by love to God, others for other ends.
3 Only the ſpirit of holineſſe makes more holy by all aſſiſtance which it affordeth, this only wins the heart, ſo that the more God is with him in his way, the more he loves him, and loves to ſerve him, and ſo hath this evidence that it is from God, becauſe it tends to him; ſo Davids heart was ſilled with love when God appeared for him. Bleſſed be the Lord, becauſe he hath heard the voice of my ſupplication, the Lord is my ſtrength and my ſhield, my heart truſted in him, and I am helped, therefore my heart greatly rejoyceth, and with my ſong will I praiſe him. Pſal. 28.6, 7.
Let this ſuffice in this digreſsion for briefe anſwer of theſe queſtions, now let us returne to the direction; be ſure you keep in Gods way, for you cannot finde God but in his own way, when the ark… and pillar of fire (the word) moves before you, walke after it, and then yo… ſhall finde God pouring in himſelfe, and girding your Ioynes with ſtrength … Waite on the Lord and be of good courage, and he ſhall ſtreng then thine heart, waite, I ſay, on the Lord. Pſal. 27.14. Feare thou not, for I am with thee, be not diſmaid, for I am thy God, I will ſtrengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteouſneſſe, I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, ſaying unto thee feare not, I will help thee feare not thou worm Iacob, and ye men of Iſrael, I will help thee ſaith the Lord, and thy redeemer the holy one of Iſrael. Eſay 41.10, 13, 14. It is a precious promiſe, a man may ſay and ſigh in himſelfe, alaſſe the worke is great, and I am weak, but God ſaith, I will ſtrengthen thee and help thee; and if the difficulty be too great for thee, yet it is not too great for me. But a man may ſay, alas, they that war againſt me are many and great, and I cannot ſtand before them, I finde mighty luſts, ſtrong diſputes, ſtrong tentations, but ſee what God ſaith, ver. 11, 12. They that ſtrive with thee ſhall periſh, they that war againſt thee ſhall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought; they may come againſt thee, but thou ſhalt be above them, they ſhall vaniſh, they are no more then a ſhadow. But a man may ſay, I finde my heart ſhaking at the ſight of theſe ſons of Anah, and I am ready to ſay in my ſelfe, I ſhall one day fall by the hands of Saul: to this God anſwereth. 1. by a repulſion of feare in a word of encouragoment, Feare not nor be diſmaid, which he repeates again and again. 2. by …teration of the promiſe, I will help, I will help, I will ſtrengthen thee, I will hold thy right hand: as if he ſaid, I will ſurely do it. 3. by calling in his attributes as witneſſes and aſſurances, I am Iehovah, one that is, and will give being to all my words, I am the holy one, one that cannot deceive you. 4. by pleading his relation and affection, I am thy God, I am Iehovah thy God, thy Redeemer; as if he had ſaid, I have given my ſelfe to you, and have undertaken to ſave you, and therefore feare not; though thou art but a worme Iacob, yet will I uphold thee; oh then that we could now in our way rejoyce, and ſay as the Prophet, The Lord Iehovah will help me, therefore ſhall I not be confounded. Eſay 50.7.