The Christian Mans Calling, Treatise · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. What Godlineſs is.
FOr the firſt, what Religion is. The derivation of the word, will ſomewhat help to the explication of the thing, the Latin word Religio from which our Engliſh word comes, C…er. …b. 2. de … d…r. …h. …on. …. lib. 1. de relig. cap. 13.Some derive a Relegendo, becauſe men by ſerious reading come to be Religious, grace ſometimes findeth a paſſage through the ſight into the ſoul. The eye (as in Auſtin and Junius) hath affected the heart, Zanchy derives it a Religendo, or rather a re-eligendo from choſing again, or a ſecond time, becauſe a Religious perſon chuſeth God for his chiefeſt good and portion. His firſt choice was carnal of the fleſh and the creature but his ſecond choice is ſpiritual of God and Chriſt, and this choice is Religion. Auſtin and Lactantius (to whom I rather incline) derive it a Religando from binding or knitting, Aug. Tom. 1. lib. de vera relig. Lact. lib. 4. Divin. inflit. c. 18.becauſe it is the great bond to joyn and tie God and man together. As the parts of the body are knit to the head, by the nerves and ſinews, ſo man is knit to God by Religion. Sin and irreligion ſeparate God and man aſunder, your iniquities have ſeparated between you and your God, Iſa. 59.2. Godlineſs and Religion unite God and man together, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they ſhall be my people. 2 Cor. 6.16: Atheiſm is a departing or going away from God, Eph. 4.18. Heb. 3.12. Religion is a coming or returning unto God, Heb. 10.22. Jer. 3.1. The great miſery of man by his fall, is this, He is far from God; And the great felicity of man by favour, is this, He draweth nigh to God, Pſa. 73.2. ult. Jam. 4.8. Irreligion is a turning their backs upon God, but Religion is a ſeeking the face of God, and a following hard after him, Pſa. 2.3. Pſa. 27.8. Pſa. 63.8. By ungodlineſs men wander and deviate from God, by godlineſs men Worſhip, and are devoted to God, Pſa. 119.150 and 38. verſes.
The Grecians call it foreign, Beza thinks, Beza in Col. 2.18from Orpheus a Thracian, who firſt taught the Myſteries of Religion among his Countrymen. Ab foreign hene vel recte & foreign colo.The word in the Text is foreign, which in a Word ſignifieth right or ſtraight worſhip, according to which I ſhall deſcribe it thus.
Godlineſs is a Worſhipping the true God in heart and life, according to his revealed Will.
In this deſcription of Godlineſs I ſhall obſerve four parts. Firſt, The Act, it is a Worſhip. Secondly, The Object of this Act, the true God. Thirdly, The Extent of this Worſhip, in heart and life. Fourthly, The Rule, according to his revealed Will.
Firſt, Cultus religioſus eſt obſequium ſupremum illi ſoli debitum qui eſt principium & autor tam creatio is quam beatificationis noſtrae Daven. Determ.For the Act, Godlineſs is a Worſhip; Worſhip comprehends all that reſpect which man oweth and giveth to his Maker, it is that ſervice and honour, that fealty and homage, which the creature oweth and tendereth to the fountain of his being and happineſs; it is the Tribute which we pay to the King of Kings, whereby we acknowledge his Soveraignty over us, and our dependance on him. Cultus corporis & cultus conſcientiae.Give unto the Lord the Honour due unto his Name, Worſhip the Lord in the beauty of holineſs, Pſa. 29.2. To Worſhip God is to give him the Glory which is due to him; It is a ſetting the Crown of Glory on Gods Head, to render him due honour, is true Holineſs; To deny this is Atheiſme and Irreligion. All that inward reverence and reſpect, and all that outward obedience and Service to God, which the word injoyneth, is included in this one word Worſhip.
This Worſhipping God, is either external or internal, God is to be worſhipped with the body, Joſhua fell on his face and Worſhipped, Joſh. 5.14. Moſes bowed his head and Worſhipped, Exod. 4.32. Jeſus lifted up his eyes to Heaven and Prayed, Joh. 17.1. David lifted up his hands to God, Pſa. 63.4. The bodies of Saints ſhall be glorified with God hereafter, and the bodies of Saints muſt glorifie God here, Phil. 3.21. Rom. 12.1.
Inward worſhip is ſometimes ſet forth by loving God, Jam. 2.5. ſometimes by truſting him, Pſa. 16.1. ſometimes by delighting in him, Pſa. 37.3. ſometimes by ſorrow for offending him, Pſa. 51.3. becauſe this Worſhip of God (as one peice of gold containeth many peices of ſilver) comprehendeth all of them. All the graces are but ſo many links of this golden chain. As all the members of the natural body are knit together, and walk always in company, ſo all the parts of the new man are joyned together, and never go but as the Iſraelites out of Egypt, with their whole train; If there be one Wheel miſſing in a Watch, the end of the whole is ſpoiled; if one grace ſhould be wanting in a Saint, he would be unſainted. There is a concatenation of graces, as well as of moral vertues. Thoſe that Worſhip God give him their hotteſt love, their higheſt joy, their deepeſt ſorrow, their ſtrongeſt faith, and their greateſt fear, as Abraham gave Iſaac, he gives God all.
What Moſes cals fearing God, Deut. 6.13. our Saviour quoting, calls Worſhipping God (Mat. 4.9, 10.) by a Synecdoche, becauſe the former is both a part and a ſign of the latter. As when the guard are watching at the Court gate, or on the ſtairs, and examining thoſe that go in, its a ſign the King is within, ſo when the fear of God ſtands at the door of the heart, to examine all that go in, leaſt the Traytor Sin ſhould ſteal in ſlily, its a ſign that God is within, that he ſits upon the Throne of the ſoul and is worſhipped there.
Secondly, The Object, the true God. All Religion without the knowledge of the true God, is a meer notion, a very empty nothing, Divine Worſhip is one of the chiefeſt jewels of Gods Crown, Cove ne qu…cquam vel mente agnoſcas vel corpore colas ut Deum, praet r me Ienovam Deum iuum. Calv. in 1. mand.which he will by no means part with, God alone is the Object of the godly mans worſhip, Exod. 20.2. His hope is in God, Pſa. 39.7. his dependance is on God, Pſa. 62.8. His dread is of God, Pſa. 119.122. His love is to God, Pſ. 18.1. God is the onelyonly object of his prayers, Pſal. 5.3. and 44 20. and of God alone are all his praiſes, Pſal: 103.1. God alone is to be worſhipped, becauſe he alone is worthy of worſhip; Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power, for thou haſt created all things, Rev. 4.11.
To hold any thing in opinion, or to have any thing in affection for God which is not God, is Idolatry; to worſhip either men, as the Samaritans did Antiochus Epiphanes, (ſtiling him the mighty God) or the hoſt of Heaven, as the Ammonites; or the Devil, as the Indians; or the Belly, as the Glutton; or Riches, as the Covetous; or the Croſs, as the Papiſt, is unholineſs.
There is a civil worſhip due to men, Gen. 48.11. but ſacred worſhip is due onelyonly to God; and he is a jealous God, who will not give his glory to ſtrangers, nor his praiſe to images.
The Heathen worſhipped ſeveral gods, the Aſſyrians worſhipped Belus; the Tyrians, Baal; the Athenians, Diana; the Samians, Juno; the Lemnians, Vulcan; the Moabites, Chemoſh; the Syrians Rimmon; the E Kronites, Baalzebub; the Babylonians, Bell; thoſe Infidels, as one obſerveth well had their Deos mortuos, Idols; mortales men; mortiferos Luſts: therefore its conſiderable that when the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of the Gentiles, during the time of their unregeneracy, whilſt they ſerved falſe gods, he ſaith, they lived without God, Eph. 2.12. Falſe gods are no Gods; an Idol is nothing. 1 Cor. 4.8.
Thirdly, The extent, In heart and life: Godlineſs is the worſhipping God in the inward motions of the heart, and the outward actions of the life; where the ſpring of the affections is clear, and the ſtream of the converſation runs clear, there is true godlineſs, the Egyptians of all fruits would make choice of the Peach to conſecrate to their goddeſs, and they gave this reaſon for it, becauſe the fruit thereof reſembleth an heart, and the leaf a tongue. As they gave heart and tongue to the falſe god, we muſt to the true God. Heart-godlineſs pleaſeth God beſt, but Life godlineſs honours him moſt; the conjunction of both make a compleat Chriſtian. In a godly mans heart, though ſome ſin be left, yet no ſin is liked; in his life, though ſin may remain, yet no ſin reigns: His heart is ſuitable to Gods Nature, and his life is anſwerable to Gods Law; and thence he is fitly denominated a Godly man.
In heart, Hypocriſie is a practical Blaſphemy; I know the blaſphemy of them that ſay they are Jews and are not. Gods eye taketh moſt notice of the jewel of ſpiritual devotion; the eyes of men, of the cabinet of outward adoration. My ſon give me thy heart, ſaith God, Pro. 33.26. The Heart is the King in the little world, Man; which giveth Laws both to the inward powers, and outward parts, and reigneth and ruleth over them at pleaſure.
The life of Godlineſs lyeth much more in the heart then in the life; and the Saints character is from their inward carriage towards God, they worſhip God in the Spirit, Phil. 3.3. A great French Peer is called le bon Chreſtien, the good Chriſtian, becauſe they ſay it is never rotten at the core; God is a Spirit, and he will be worſhipped in ſpirit and in truth, Joh. 4.24. In truth, that is ſcripturally, oppoſite to the inventions of mens heads: In Spirit, that is ſincerely, oppoſite to the diſſimulation of mens hearts. The deeper the belly of the Lute is the pleaſanter the ſound; the deeper our worſhip comes from the heart, the more delightful it is in Gods ears.
And Life godlineſs, as it ſets God on the Throne of the conſcience, ſo it walks with God in the converſation. Though the ſpiritual (as the natural) life begin at the heart, yet it doth not end there, but proceeds to the hands; the ſame water appeareth in the Bucket which is in the Well. As when the heart is like a dunghil full of filth, it ſends forth a noiſom and unſavoury ſtench in the life; ſo when the heart is like a box of musk, it perfumes and ſents the tongue, and eyes, and ears, and hands, and whatſoever is near it with holineſs: Worſhip is called the name of God, Pſ. 29. and worſhipping, a praiſing him, 2 Chron. 7.3. Becauſe as a man by his name, ſo God by his worſhip is known in the world; and thoſe that worſhip him in their practices, do before the eyes of the world give him praiſe.
Fourthly, The Rule, according to his revealed will Every part of Divine Worſhip, muſt have a Divine Precept. As the firſt Command teacheth us what God is to be worſhipped, ſo the ſecond Command teacheth in what way he will be worſhipped. The Tabernacle and all the inſtruments thereof, yea the very ſnuffers and aſh-pans were to be made exactly according to the pattern in the mount, Exod. 25.40. Heb. 8.5. Typifying that all the exerciſe of worſhip uſed by the Church, whether in Doctrine or Diſcipline, muſt be conformed to the written Word, Gal. 1.8. Our Religion muſt be not onelyonly rational but regular; our worſhip muſt be both univerſal and canonical, foreign, Gal. 6.16. As many as walk according to this canon, or rule, peace be unto them. The Saints ſervice muſt be Word-ſervice, foreign, Ro. 12.1. ſo the word is rendred by our Tranſlators, 1 Pet. 2.2. foreign, the ſincere milk of the Word. The inſtitutions of Chriſt, not the inventions of men are the rule of worſhip. Our work is not to make Laws for our ſelves or others, but to keep the Laws which the great Prophet of his Church hath taught us: that coyn of worſhip which is currant amongſt us muſt be ſtampt by God himſelf. Traditioni humanae nomen religionis applicant, ut religio appelletur, cum ſit ſacrilegium quia quod contra authorear eſt ſacrilega mente in ventum eſt Amb. in Col. 2.We are to be governed as the point in the compaſs, not by the various winds (the practices of former ages, or the faſhions of the preſent generation which are mutable and uncertain) but by the conſtant heavens. Our devotion muſt be regulated exactly according to the Standard of the Word. It is Idolatry to worſhip a falſe god, or the true God in a falſe manner.
Men indeed are no ſooner pluckt out of the pit of Atheiſm, Nihiladeo offen dit hominum mentes ut ſim plicitas divinorum operum, Tertul.but they preſently climb the high places of ſuperstition, delighting to go from one extream to another. As a gay ſuit of apparel, ſo the ſervice of God in a gaudy dreſs, is moſt taking with carnal eyes. I have read of a Popiſh Lady in Paris, that when ſhe ſaw a glorious proceſſion to one of their Saints, cryed out, Oh how fine is our Religion beyond, that of the Huguenots, they have a mean and beggarly religion, but ours is full of bravery and ſolemnity. But as Heraulds ſay of a coat of Arms, The ſecond commandment bindes to the true worſhip of the true God, which is only as himſelf commandeth and by the means, rites and ſervices which he ordaineth. Ainſw Arrowſ. againſt Idols cap. 1.if it be full of gays and devices it ſpeaks a mean deſcent; ſo truly that manner of worſhip which is mingled with mens inventions, ſpeaks its deſcent to be mean; namely, from man. To the Law and to the Teſtimonies, if they ſpeak not according to this, it is becauſe there is no light in them, Iſa. 8.20.
Such may ſerve God with more pomp then others, but I am confident they ſerve him to leſs. profit then others, In vain do they worſhip me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, Matth. 15.9. their worſhip is in Gods account no worſhip, they who made Temples, Altars and Ceremonies of their own heads, thought that they had remembred God, but he tells them plainly that they had forgotten him, Hoſ. 8.11, 13, 14. Men manifeſt abundance of arrogancy in undertaking to preſcribe newer and neater ways of worſhip then God himſelf, as if they excelled his Majeſty in wiſdom; but little do they think how exceedingly by ſuch practices they provoke him to fury, Will-worſhipEzek. 8.3, 4, 5, per tot. Ezek. 43.8. In their ſetting of their threſholds by my threſholds, and their poſts by my poſts, they have even defiled my holy name by the abominations which they have committed; wherefore I have conſumed them in mine anger, So Ezek. 6.9. 2 Chron. 7.20.