The Power of Godliness, Book 2 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. All Sinne is to be loathed and forsaken; Not for a time onelyonly, but for ever; Not in Judgment and Affection onelyonly, but in Practice also. The Ʋse that the People of God are to make of their slips and failings; and the gaine that they may get thereby. It is not enough onelyonly to abstain from evil, but we must be alwaies ready prepared for the doing of good. Encouragements to the doing of good; with the benefits thereof. And Comforts against all discouragements in the waies of well-doing.
Question, WHat are the Parts of a godly Life?
Psal. 34.14. & 37.27. Isa. 1.16, 17. Act 26 …8. Tit. 2.11, 12. Eph. 4.22, 23, 24. Prov. 3.7. 1 Pet. 3.10, 11. Virtu… est, vitium fugere: & sapientia prima stu…titiā caruisse Hor. lib. Ep. 1. Epist. 1. Psal 97.10. Prov. 1.3.A. They are two: First, Abstinence from all sinne. Secondly, Exercise of all good, with all the powers of the whole man. For a godly life standeth in the right disposition and free imploiment of every faculty of soul and body according to the will of God, turning from sinne, and pursuing that which is good.
Q. Is it not sufficient to loath some sinnes, though we love others?
A. All ungodliness and not some part or kinde onelyonly, is renounced of him who will soundly profess to live godly: for they who trust in God, and have addressed their heart to walke with him, are out of love and favour with the whole course of iniquity, which was their onelyonly delight and pleasure before. God will not be served with a divided heart, he will have all or none. The Husband requires entire love, and will not accept of parted affection. Nor can a man soundly and in truth loath any sinne, if he love one. Out of indulgence to naturall inclination or corrupt affection, the prodigal person may abhorre covetousness, and the covetous man condemn prodigallity, the furious hate fearfulness, and the fearfull detest rashness: But out of conscience for the Lord, in obedience to his will, no sinne is cast off, where any one is harboured. The Lord hath taught, that we must not lie, slander, swear vainly, defraud or covet, as well as that we must not steale, commit adultery, or defile our hands with blood: and they that are taught of God as the truth is in Jesus, do so judge, and therefore disclaim the one and the other. As pure water and filthy cannot come from one Fountain: so neither doth the heart reformed send forth good and evil,Jam. 3.…. love light and darkness, affect sinne and holiness: for that were to do contraries. Look, as a man in prison or banishment hardly dieted, feedeth greedily on scraps or parings, and thinketh himself well, if he may fill his belly with them; but set at liberty and living with his Father and Friends, where he findeth variety and plenty, he cannot fall to his old fare, nor finde sweetness in such unsavory offals: even so it is with him that hath besotted himself with the deceitfull pleasures of sinne, and is bound with the chaines of Satan, if once he come to see the misery of his present estate, and to have a taste of the liberties and priviledges of a Christian life, he casteth out that former draffe as vomit, and by no meanes will be brought to take pleasure in it any more. And without question, great is the benefit of this change, greater then all the Princes in the world are able to bestow upon us. For this will not suffer us to hunt after variety of sinfull pleasures, but rather with Moses, to renounce them, when we might have our fill of them; and count it a greater happiness to suffer affliction with the godly, then to flourish in wealth and honour with the wicked. This will not suffer us with Cain to hate our Brethren for their good works:1 Joh. 3.12. nor with Saul to be grieved for the reputation and graces of the Servants of God; nor with Ammon to pine away with unlawfull love: nor with Ahab to be sick for the Vineyard of our neighbour; nor with Haman to fret at the advancement of our enemies.Eccl. 7.3. hil. 1.23. 2 Cor. 5.3. This will not suffer the remembrance of death to be bitter unto us, but rather make us desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ.
Q. Is it sufficient to forsake all sinne for a time, or in a good moode onelyonly?
A. No: but we must renounce and strive against all sinne,1 Cor. 5.8. and that with great advisedness. To cast off sinne for a time, in a good mood, by constraint, for company sake, for fear of shame and punishment, or hope of profit or worldly preferment, is little worth: such as of conscience renounce sinne, they do in all earnestness,Phil. 4.24. Esa. 30.22. Neh. …0.29. Hos. 14 8. …sal 106.3. D…ut. 19 9. Jer. 31.19. Psal. 119 31, 32. upon sober deliberation cast it away as a ragged Garment, they be at utter defiance with it, and abjure it for ever: saying with Ephraim, What have I to do with Idols; [which yet before had been his glory,] I am ashamed and blush, because I beare the reproach of my youth. But this purpose and resolution is not builded upon their own strength, as though they had ability to performe such a weighty Vow: but after due consideration, what cause they have so to do, how infinitly they are bound to God to discharge it, by faith they relie upon him for grace to be made fit and able to do what they have promised.
Q. Doth it suffice that we disallow sinne in Judgment, or hate it in affection?
A. No; but we must forego it in practice also. We must inwardly detest it, and outwardly abstaine from it. It is the profession of David, Psal. 1…9.104.101.128. vers. Prov 14.16. & 16.17. Psal. 119.3.I hate every false way, I have refrained my feet from every false way. The wise man feareth and departeth from evill. It is the note of a righteous man, He will do none iniquity. Indeed it must be granted, that power to depart from sinne with willingness, is not obtained without much striving, and that it will cost many prayers to weaken corruption, and to hold rebellion under, with much sighing and sorrowing, to see what unlikelihoods there are of subduing such unruly passions, through our manifold weaknesses. But what then? Is it much, if so great a work require our watching thereto and dilligence, when God is pleased that it be bestowed that way, and without it no common work will go forward? Or is that any just cause of discouragement to us, to take paines for great profit, when we are sure of it before we go about it?
Q. Do Gods servants alwaies prevaile in striving against evil, and obtaine that which they seek thereby?
A. As God often helpeth them, that they do overcome; so they are oft overcome themselves of their affections, against which they strive. Which slips or defects they neither passe over lightly without regard, nor be dismaied at and dejected above measure. They are taught, that they stand by grace, not by their own goodness, and live by faith, not by feeling, though that be a comfortable thing: therefore they cast not away their hope, though corruption prevaile for a time. But on the other side they consider, that their sinne displeaseth God, which raiseth godly sorrow, and draweth them to take better view of their own frailty, ignorance, and negligence, and confess the same to God, and take shame to themselves. Thus the godly are neither careless of their course, nor dismaied at their foiles; they cast not away their confidence, nor give place to security: but be incouraged to hope for pardon, and made circumspect to look to their waies with more diligence for the time to come.
Q. Do Gods Children then gaine by their falls?
A. Through the mercy of God they gaine very much. For First, Such slips are very necessary to pull down our pride, and to give us experience of our own frailty, idleness, vanity, as also of Gods gracious working in us, and tender love over us, which otherwise we should not have had. Secondly, By this meanes, that which through ignorance and weakness of faith, they feared would have separated them from God, doth fasten them more nearly to him, and the sorrow which they conceive for a time, is turned into sound rejoycing. The malice of Satan in this case, may fitly be compared to the malice of a certain Souldier mentioned in Stories, who thrusting his enemy into the Body, with full purpose to have killed him, did thereby lance the Ulcer which no Physician was able to cure, and let out the corruption, that would have cost him his life.
Q. Is it enough to abstaine from evill?
Amos 5.15. Psal. 1.1, 2. Isa. 59.4. Jer. 5.28. Ma…. 3.18. Eccl. 9.2. Exod 5.3. 1 Cor. 11.29.30. Num. 9.13. Luk. 23.30. 1 Sam. 15.8.11.26. Exo. 4.24, 25. Luc. 16.19, 20, 21. Ma…. 25.40.41 Jam. 1.27. Tit. 2.11, …2. Esa. 1.16. 1 Pet. 2.1, 2. Job 2.2, 8. Luk. 1 5. Act 10.2, 3. Judg. 5.23. & ….5. Deut. 27.26. G…l 3.10. Esa. 61.3. Psa…. 80.8, 14. …sal. 52 8. Jam. 3.12. Jer. 2.21. …a. 5.1. …a… 91.13, 14.A. No: but we must stand prepared and readily disposed to do good as opportunity is offered. As well the omission of necessary duties, as the commission of evils and enormities, may make a man stand guilty of sinne in Gods sight, and bring Gods wrath down upon persons and people. Not serving of God, and not sacrificing is a sinne, as well as prophane service: yea, not sacrificing, as well as the prophanation of a Sacrament or Sacrifice, may bring pestilence upon a people. He that observeth not the Passover in his due time, or that humbleth not his soul at the solemn time of Fast, that soul shall be cut off from among his People. It was the not slaying of Agag, that lost Saul his Crown; and the not circumcising of Moses his first borne, that had like to have cost Moses his life. And not the robbing onelyonly, but the not relieving and compassionating of the poor, was the rich man his ruine, and shall be sufficient matter to condemn many at the last day. It is not the omission of evil onelyonly, but the practice of Piety, Charity, Justice and Equity that God requireth of thee. We are taught of God, to deny ungodliness, and to live soberly: We are exhorted, to forsake sinne, and to embrace holiness; to lay aside maliciousness and sinne, and as new borne Babes, to desire the sincere milke of the Word. When a good man is described, usually the Scripture saith of him; He escheweth evil, and feareth the Lord. Not onelyonly they that take part with the enemies of God, but such as come not to helpe the Lord against the Mighty, are subject to the curse of Meroz. For there are affirmative as well as negative Precepts: yea, as every affirmative includeth a negative, so every negative hath an affirmative infolded in it: and there is a curse imposed as a Penalty, as well on the breach of the one, as on the breach of the other: and the one is as well broken by the omission of that that therein is enjoyned, as the other by the practice of that that therein is inhibited. Again, Christian men are in the Word of God compared unto Trees: and those not such as by nature and kinde are unfruitfull, and beare no Fruit, or bad Fruit; but such as by nature are fruitfull, and beare good, sweet, ripe Fruit, as Vines, Olives, Figgs, generous or Noble Vines, Olives planted in a fat Soyle, and such like. Now in such Trees, barrennss or unfruitfulness alone, is cause sufficient to set them apart for fewell. And therefore not the wild Vine onelyonly, that beares sower Grapes, or the empty Vine that beares Fruit to it self, but the barren Vine, Esa. 5.4. Hos. 10.1. Ezek. 15.2, 3, 4. Luk. 13 6, 7. Mat. 3.10. & 7.19. Heb. 6.7, 8.and the fruitless Fig-Tree, and every Tree that either beareth not, or beareth not good Fruit, is adjudged to the Fire. Moreover, Christians are the Lords Husbandry, which he continually watereth and dresseth with his Word and Spirit, of whom he expecteth good Fruit meet for him, by whom they are husbanded. What man would be at cost and paines to manure, till and sow barren ground, that yeelded no increase? The earth that bringeth not forth good Fruit is rejected, and nigh unto cursing. Barrenness alone is cause sufficient, why the ground should be cast forth and laid wast of the Husband-man: and better acceptance we cannot expect of God, if we continue barren and voide of Fruit. To these may be added, that the Faithfull are Branches of Christ, the true and living Vine:Joh. 15.1, 2. But every Branch that beareth not Fruit in him, is cut off and cast away. Will any man suffer a fruitless Tree to grow in his Orchard, and trouble the ground?Joh. 15.3, 5. Sure we are, the Branches that abide in Christ must bring forth increase of Fruit. The Trees that are planted upon the Bankes of the Rivers of Life, do bring forth new Fruit in their Moneths, never consuming Fruites, Ezek. 47.12. Apoc. 22.1, 2. Psal. 1.3. Jer. 17.8.even twelve manner of Fruites, twelve times a year. Lastly, Not to do well is to do evil, not to relieve is to kill, not to give is to rob. This is evident by the speech of our Saviour to the Scribes and Pharisees; Is it lawful to do good on the Sabboth daies, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? Mar. 3.4.However men may conceive that he is a good man that doth no evil; it is most certainly and undoubtedly true on the other side, that he is an evil man that doth no good, and he that doth not good, doth evil. Wherefore let us be exhorted and incited to a diligent practice of those good duties that God requireth of us; and not content our selves with a bare forbearance of evil, but to apply our selves to a carefull and conscionable performance of all such religious Offices, as our callings either generall or speciall, publique or private exact of us. For would any of us endure idleness or slothfulness in our servants, though never so honest or innocent otherwise? But we are Gods servants, and no more will he endure the like in us, then we would in them. And therefore not onelyonly the riotous and wastfull Steward, Luk. 16.1, 2. Mat. 25, 30.that imbezled his Masters goods, but the idle and thriftless Servant also, that imployed not his Masters money, shall be bound hand and foot, and cast out into utter darkness to his everlasting destruction.
Q. What Encouragements have we to do good?
A. The Benefits of fruitfulness are so many strong Motives hereunto. First, it brings speciall glory to God. Herein is my Father glorified, Ioh 15.…. Ioh. 15.8. Col. 1.6.that ye beare much Fruit. Secondly, It is a sure testimony that we are the Disciples of Christ, and have soundly received the Word which bringeth forth Fruit in them that believe. Thirdly, It is the ground work of true prosperity.Psal. 1.3. Ier. 17.8. Ioh. 15.16. The Tree that beareth Fruit in his season, shall ever prosper. Fourthly, He that is fruitfull in good works, is sure to speed well when he hath any suite to God. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth Fruit, and that your Fruit should remaine: that whatsoever ye shall aske of the Father in my Name, he may give it you. Fifthly, The fruitfull shall be enriched with Gods graces, and the comforts of the Spirit. The Earth that yeeldeth Herbes and Fruites meet for him by whom it is husbanded, receiveth blessing of God. The Branch that beareth Fruit shall be purged, Ioh. 15.2. Ier. 17.10. 1 Cor. 15.58. Heb. 6.10.that it may bring forth more Fruit. Sixthly, Good works are better riches then all all earthly treasures: for they shall be rewarded in Heaven. God will give to every man according to the Fruit of his waies.
Q. But the godly that endeavour to do good works, expose themselves to many dangers, disgraces, and sorrows in this world?
A. If they seem to lie open to tribulations, reproaches and griefes amongst men, they have God to be their buckler and defence, their rock and salvation, their glory, foreign Psal. 3.3. & 28.2. Tsinnach is a Shield or Buckler, broad in the higher part to cover t… heart, and in the lower, sharp like… a Sword b…use the body is lesser, and that it might not hinder running. Psal. 5.1. Psal. 35.2. Psal. 91 4. Psal. 8 35. Deut. 33.29. …sal. 7.10. …sal 18.30. Prov. 30 5. …sal. 33.20. …sal 89 18. Psal. 119.11… Gen 15.1. …sal. 59.11. Psal. 89.18. Psa…. 84.9. v. 1…. P…al. 15.9, 10, 11. Psal. 28.7. Psal. 46.11. Psal. 37 39. Psal. 62.2, 6, 7. Psal. 59.9. Psal. 144.1, 2. Psal. 71.3, 7. & 91.1, 2 Psal. 61.2, 3.4. Psal 46.7. 1 …sal. 9.9. & 32.6, 7. Deut. 32.4. Psal. 118.14, 15. Psal. 62.7. Psal. 3.3. Psal. 27.1, 2. Psal. …21.4, 5.and the lifter up of their head. God is a good mans Shield of protection, his piked Buckler of defence that cannot be pierced, his Shield that. compasseth him about, and covereth him all over, and that for ever. Thou Lord wilt bless the righteous: with favour wilt thou compass him as with a Shield. His truth shall be thy Shield and Buckler. Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the Shield of thy helpe! My Buckler is upon God, who saveth the upright in heart. He is a Buckler to all them that trust in him. Our soul waiteth upon the Lord; he is our helpe and our Shield. The Lord is our Shield, and the holy One of Israel is our King. Thou art my hiding place and my Shield: I hope in thy Word. Fear not Abraham, I am thy Shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Scatter them by thy power, and bring them down, O Lord, our Shield. The Lord is our defence, or Shield, and the holy One of Israel is our King, in whose favour our horn shall be exalted. Behold, O God our Shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. For the Lord is a Sunne and Shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their helpe and their Shield. All which places confirme, that God is the Protector of them that put confidence in him, and fly unto him for help. And to the same purpose he is said to be their Defence, their Salvation, their sure Refuge, and high Tower that cannot be approached unto. The God of Jacob is our Refuge. He onelyonly is my Rock and Salvation: he is my Defence or high Place, I shall not greatly be moved. Because of his strength will I waite upon thee: for God is my Defence Blessed be the Lord my strength or Rock, which teacheth my hands to warre, and my fingers to fight. My Goodness, and my Fortress, my high Tower and my Deliverer, my Shield, and he in whom I trust, who subdueth my people under me. The state of the godly is not naked and destitute as men imagine, but well fortified and surely fenced; for the Lord stands betwixt them and all dangers, till he be pierced (which is impossible) they cannot be hurt. As he is the Protection of a good man, so is he their glory, not onelyonly the matter of their glorying, but the maintainer of their credit and reputation, their dignity and worth. In God is my salvation and my glory. For he will honour them that honour him. And is the lifter up of their heads; if they be in heaviness he will restore comfort unto them; if in disgrace, he will exalt them to honour. What should the godly fear, that have such a Protector and Defender, against whom no power of man can prevaile? whose wisdome is unsearchable, power unressistable, and goodness unmeasurable. They walk in safety, and sleep securely, that have God for their Keeper. No evil can reach them that lie under the shadow of the Lords Wings.
Q. Is it sufficient that a man do some good works outwardly?
1 Chro. 28.8.A. No: but we must seek and keep the Commandements of God with the whole man, and all powers of soul and body continually. For God is the Former, Preserver, Glorifier of soul and body, and is to be honoured in soul and body, according to their severall faculties, from whence the Operations do arise.