A Short Treatise Containing the Principal Grounds of Christian Religion, Catechism · Question 206 – Question 213
Q. What other priuiledges doth God afford vntounto them?
A. They are 5 kept wPſal. 32. 10. Act. 16. 25.from, comforted in, and deliuered out xProu. 11. 8.of many troubles, taught to yLam. 3. 27. Phil. 4. 12.vſe all eſtates aright 6, preſerued zLuk. 1. 6.from 7 ſoule offences, enabled 8 to aPſal. 37. 23, 24.riſe againe, if they bEph. 2. 10.fall, inſtructed to 9 liue godly, and hauehave cLuk. 8. 15.poſſeſſion 10 of the word.
Expoſ. 5. The godly ſhunne the ſinnes which others followe with greedineſſe, Gen. 39. 9. and 42. 18. Neh. 5. 15. Iob 31. 1. order their affaires with godly wiſedome, Act. 23. 6. and 22. 26. and 18. 11. with 19. 37. and foreſee the euill to come and hide themſelues, Prou. 22. 3. and 26. 12. therfore they are preſerued from many troubles that others fall into: and yet for want of care and watchfulneſſe, they often drawe no ſmall greife vponupon their heads, from which they might be free, if they would carefully ſubdue their paſſions, and looke vntounto their waies. Can. 5. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 2. Sam. 11. 2. 3. Pſa. 51. 8.
6. In proſperitie the godly are taught to edifie themſelues, Act. 9. 31. to walke in meekeneſſe, lowlineſſe, feare, and comfort of the Lord, doing good, Iob 14. 15. …1. 24. in aduerſitie, to be humble, patient, pray, 1. Pet. 5. 6. Iob 1. 21. Pſal. 39. 9. and 30. 7, 8. growe out of louelove with this world, 2. Cor. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. prize the Lords fauour, Pſal. 73. 26. 28. cleaue cloſe vntounto God, examine their hearts, and reforme their wayes, Lam. 3. 40. Zeph. 2. 1. Eſ. 27. 9. In their callings to take triall of their wiſedome, faith, ſinceritie, louelove of righteouſneſſe, and patience, and ſo to goe about the ſame mith hearts affecting the things that be aboue. Pſa. 112. 5. Gen. 31. 38, 39, 40. Gal. 5. 22. Gen. 17. 1, 2. Zach. 8. 16. Luk. 21. 19.
7. If the godly be ouertaken with ſome reproachfull euil, Gen. 9. 21. and 19. 33. it is not ordinarie, Rom. 8. 1. 2. Cor. 5. 7. but for a time, Pſ. 37. 34. when they hauehave caſt off their armour, and neglect their watch, 2. Sam. 11. 1. 2. Mat. 26. 40. 41. the Lord ſuffring them to fall, to let them ſee their weakenes, correct their careleſnes, cure in them pride of heart, and contempt of others, and ordering their ſlips for the glorie of his great name, the comfort of the weake, and the good of the partie fallen, after that by repentance he is riſen againe.
8. The righteous may fall, but the Lord will not ſuffer them to periſh, Ioh. 10. 28. Chriſt hath praied for them, Ioh. 17. 20. Luk. 22. 32. the immortall ſeede abideth in them, 1. Ioh. 3. 9. the ſpirit of God doth quicken them, Rom. 8. 2. 11. ſo that afterward they take heart and courage againe to ſight againſt ſinne and Sathan; therefore they can neuer be vtterly vanquiſhed, though for a time they be throwne downe. 2. Cor. 4. 8. 9.
9. If the faithfull ſeeke vntounto the Lord, he wil teach them with delight and comfort to liue godly in all places, and callings, Prou. 2. 3. 4. 9. Eſa. 30. 21. but yet they ſhal finde the fleſh rebelling againſt the Spirit, Gal. 5. 17. Pſal. 42. 5. 11. that they might not truſt to themſelues, but in the Lord, Prou. 3. 5, 6. no longer liue, then finde need to pray, Lord ſtrengthen me, 1. Theſſ. 5. 17. be thankfull to God for the mercies they hauehave receiued, Pſal. 54. 6, 7. not triumph before the victorie, nor walke in ſecuritie, as though they had no enemie, 1. Pet. 5. 8, 9. and that by how much the fight is more painfull, ſharp, & difficult, by ſo much the victory ſhould be the more delightfull, ſweet, & glorious. Rom. 16. 20. Reu. 12. 10.
10. The word of God is poſſeſſed when it is receiued truly as our owne, is kept and laide vp ſafely, as a treaſure in our minds and hearts, ſo that we hauehave it in readines, for our direction and comfort, and doth rule ouer vsus with an holy and vniuerſall ſoueraigntie. Luk. 2. 51. Col. 3. 16, 17. Pſal. 119. 111. 112. 33. 34.
Q. Doe all the godly, or any at all times inioy all theſe priuiledges?
A. No: ſome are ignorant of them, not beleeuing, or at leaſt faintly beeleeuing that there are ſuch; others are careleſſe, who prize not, and ſo take not paines for theſe things as they ought.
Q. What other hinderances doe depriue Chriſtians of theſe priuiledges?
A. dIam. 4. 1, 2, 3.Inordinate paſſions, as feare, anger, ſelfe-louelove, pride, louelove of pleaſure, cares of the world, and earthly incumberances, and inconſtancie in good duties; temptations alſo to diſtruſt, doe keepe vnderunder many.
Q. How ſhould a man bridle and reforme theſe vnruly paſſions?
A. Let him highly eſteeme a Chriſtian life, pray earneſtly, ſet himſelfe moſt againſt the corruptions that be ſtrongeſt in him, ſhun the occaſions of ſinne, hide the ePſalm. 119. 51.commandement in his heart, and applie f1. Ioh. 5. 4.the death of Chriſt for the killing of corruption.
Q. How may a man ouercome his temptations to diſtruſt?
A. He muſt not giuegive credit gMat. 4. 3, 4.to Satans ſuggeſtions againſt Gods truth: but conſider of Gods hMatth. 8. 2. Eſa. 40. 28.11 power iPſal. 51., goodnes, kIer. 31. 3.vnchangeablenes, former lPſal. 77. 11.mercies, and free mRom. 5. 8, 9.grace in giuing vsus his ſonne 12: ſo that weakenes, vnworthines, want of feeling comfort, ſhould not diſmay him,
11. God is in power all-ſufficient, ſo that he can helpe vsus, Eph. 3. 20. and in louelove euerlaſting, Io. 13. 1. 2. Theſſ. 2. 16. Ier. 31. 3. ſeeing then he hath once loued vsus, we may be aſſured that he will neuer leaue vsus. Ph. 4. 19.
Expoſ. 12. God giues Chriſt to them that are loſt in themſelues, Eſa. 61. 1. 2. Matth. 8. 12, 13. and the weak as well as the ſtrong are partakers of his merits, 1. Ioh. 2. 1. ſtrength of grace in vsus, and ſoundnes of a Chriſtian conuerſation, is not the roote of comfort; neither ſhould weaknes, and vnworthines in vsus breed doubting of our ſaluation, Heb. 10. 22. The ground of all comfort is, that God of his free grace hath giuen his Sonne to vsus miſerable ſinners, euen to as many as beleeue in him, 1. Io. 2. 2. and Io. 3. 16. & the weake faith doth lay hold vponupon Chriſt as truely, though not ſo comfortably, as the ſtrong doth. 1. Io. 2. 12. 13. 14.
Q. What elſe muſt be done?
A. Conſider what promiſes the Lord hath made, to nMatth. 19. 18. Luk. 22. 32.keepe and vphold vsus, what o1. Ioh. 3. 23.incouragements he hath giuen vsus to beleeue 13, and how acceptable a thing it is pMatth. 8. 10. and 15. 28. Rom. 4. 20.that we ſhould ſo doe.
Expoſ. 13. God commandeth, perſwadeth, intreateth the thirſtie and burdened to beleeue, hath bound himſelfe by couenant vntounto them, Eſa. 43. 25. ſealed it by the Sacraments, and confirmed the ſame by oath, Gen. 22. 16. 17. Pſal. 105. 9. Luk. 1. 73. And the deeper our miſerie is, the more we glorifie his name by reſting vponupon him for ſuccour, Pſa. 22. 1. Rom. 4. 18. 20.
Q. What other things is to be learned for the ouercomming of theſe temptations?
A. We muſt iudge our ſelues qPſal. 119. 11. Pſal. 13. 1.not by preſent 14 feeling, or by our owne rPſal. 51. 10.decerning the fruits of grace, but by that which we ſPſal. 77. 11.hauehave felt, and the t2. Cor. 2. 10. 11.fruits of grace which appeare to others.
Expoſ. 14. A man may hauehave faith that feeles not comfort and grace, that ſees not the fruits of grace, Pſal. 22. 1. and 77. 8. 9. The ſoule is ſometimes ſicke, Ezek. 34. 4. 16. Cant. 3. 5. and ſometimes in a ſwound, Cant. 5. 6. ſometimes we iudge amiſſe of our eſtate, Pſal. 116. 10. 11. and 77. 10. obſeruing what motions we hauehave to euill, but not how we reſiſt them, ſuppoſing we hauehave no grace, becauſe we hauehave not what grace we deſire, or becauſe we find not our ſelues at all times alike affected, and comforted, or elſe we want what others hauehave, or we conceit them to hauehave; whereas God giues not all graces to one man, nor to all in the ſame meaſure, Eph. 4. 7. Zach. 12. 8. And alſo it is the propertie of men in affliction, to admire ſmal things in others, and deny great and many graces in themſelues. Likewiſe the vaſtnes of deſire cauſeth that which is much in compariſon to ſeeme nothing. Sathan works vponupon the timorous diſpoſirion of ſome▪ and perſwades them that they hauehave fearefully conſented to thoſe ſuggeſtions which they alwaies abhorred, and in which they neuer tooke delight: or that they wilfully offend, when ſome ſinneful motions ariſe in their hearts, to which they doe not conſent, but which they reſiſt, praying to God for forgiueneſſe and aſſiſtance; & becauſe we in temptations want one grace which accompanies faith, to wit, ioy, Io. 8. 56. 1. Pet. 1. 8. we conclude that we hauehave no faith at all, whereas faith and ioy bee not inſeperable companion, Iob. 13. 15. Heb. 11. 1. Pſal. 77. 2, 3. the violence of tcmptation hindring the ſenſe of merciemercy, when God doth not withhold comfort; for which cauſes we muſt not ouermuch truſt our ſelues, or credit our feeling, but giuegive credit, to the teſtimonie of the godly and faithful..
Q. What may be a further helpe beſide?
A. It is good to uPſal. 4. 4.examine our 15 hearts, and vſe the aduiſe w1. Theſſ. 5. 14.of others: but we muſt know withal, that groning after and xMatth. 11. 28.labouring to reſt our wearied ſoules vponupon the promiſes of grace, being neuer ſatisfied vntil our doubtfulnes be remooued, will bring a good ende.
Expoſ. 15. God with-holdeth or withdraweth comfort ſometimes, by reaſon of ſome ſecret ſinne not yet repented of, or ſuffereth Sathan to buffet vsus that we might more ſeriouſly repent of ſome corruption, Iob. 40. 3, 4, 5, 6. with 42. 6. 2. Cor. 12. 7. And hereby the Lord doth correct our not przing comfort at high rate, Cant. 5. 3, 4, 5. our forgetfulnes to praiſe him for it: we ought therefore wiſely to take triall of our waies, neither ſparing any ſinne, nor cenſuring that to be ſinne, which is iuſt and lawfull, not making light account of any ſinne, nor yet calling our repentance into queſtion, becauſe ſome things hauehave been amiſſe, or we hauehave not attained to perfection.
End of the text · John Ball, A Short Treatise Containing the Principal Grounds of Christian Religion (1617)