The Power of Godliness, Book 1 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. The tenth Property of a godly life, viz. Dilligence, or Constancy. What things are therein employed. Reasons to shew the necessity thereof: The advantage and benefit of Dilligence and Constancy. The danger of sloth and inconstancy, together with the course to be taken for the remedy thereof.
Q. WHat is the last Property of a godly life?Deut. 4.9. Heb. 12.15. Prov. 27.17. Deu. 11.22. 2 …et. 1.5. Phil. 2.12. 2 Pet. 1.10. Iam. 1.25.
A. It must be dilligent and constant. Let the fear of the Lord be in thy heart continually, or all the day long: which implieth a dilligent care to please him in all things, with constancy and continuance. Give all dilligence to joyne with your Faith Vertue. He that looketh into the perfect Law of liberty, and abideth therein, shall be blessed. If ye continue in my Word, then are ye my Disciples indeed, Joh. 8.3. Be steadfast and unmoveable, alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord, Col. 1.23.1 Cor. 15.58. For the life of a Believer is a continuall proceeding in godliness, a setled course in repentance, a constant walking with God;Labou… is Vertues Progress. and not an idle and uncertain stumbling upon some good actions, whiles a great part of his life is neglected, and not looked after. The Lords service is not like the disordered attendance of many unreformed Gentlemen, who look for nothing of their Servants but to waite at dinner and on horsback, giving them leave at other times to runne whither they will: but it may be resembled to a well-governed family, where all are appointed their Office and place, in one thing after another to be well occupied, and kept from idleness;Luk. 17.7. so that the end of one work is the beginning of another; and yet all without toyle and tediousness. For so hath God provided, that his Servants may be merry at their work,Deut. 12.7. Mat. 11 30. Deut. 12.…8. yea, whatsoever they shall put their hand unto: and the more duties they do (redeeming the time from idleness and unprofitableness) the merrier.
Q What things are implied herein?
A. 1. It notes a watchfull and constant care to nourish all good desires and holy endeavours, after they be once planted in us. Dilligence is the Daughter of Prudence, and in doing any thing maketh us prevent all incident hinderances to that we would effect. Thus we take Physick cum custodia, we will not go into the ayr, nor do ought, nor use diet which should be a let to the working of it.Heb. 12.14. 2. It imports care and readiness to take all occasions and opportunities of doing good, and shunning evil; not onelyonly that which is grosly evil, but common idleness and unprofitableness,Eph. 5.15, 16. Rom. 16.19. & 12.11. that so they might bring forth much fruit in their season. Dilligence is a Task-master or Surveyor to other vertues in their works: it doth see to this that every circumstance be done to the full as is fitting for the purpose which we intend; it is never absent from us in doing any thing, which our judgement duely esteemeth, and our will is well affected unto: it will not let slip an occasion that offers it self, or can be redeemed with labour or foresight.1 Tim. 5.10. Josh. 22.5. 3. Dilligence hath respect to every good work. If a Master give many things in charge to his Servant, he thinks it not well that one be done and the rest neglected. 4. It requires a continuall proceeding and going forward from one good duty to another, and that while life doth last, without weariness, wavering,Job 23.11, 12. slackness, or starting aside in respect of discouragement, lets, &c. It is none of the meanest Rules for the maintenance of our souls health, to keep alwaies an appetite to some new duty,Mat. 24.13. when we have performed the old. He that abideth to the end, he shall be saved. 5. It is requisite not onelyonly that we keep our hearts and lives in the same good estate, whereunto by dilligence we have already brought them: but also wax more fruitfull, and have our hearts more enlarged, that we may finish our course with joy,Rev. 2.9. and our latter daies be better then our former.
Jer. 48.10. Josh 22.5. Nomen cordis pro ipsa mente atque intelligentia, vel voluntate hominis positam est: animae vero, pro eâ ani mi parte, qua corporis perturbationibus concitari imprimis solet. Mas. in Josh. 22.5.Q. What Reasons may shew the necessity of this Dilligence and Constancy?
A. 1. No duty is well performed without them. Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently. 2. Christianity is a Trade, wherein men go from one work to another, and use great dilligence if they look to thrive. Nay, the work of a Christian is great, and of divers sorts, that he hath no time to be careless or remiss without extream loss and hinderance. He hath many sinnes to weed out, and labour against, and therefore is not heedlesly to marre all his work in an houre, that he hath well followed sundry daies. He hath also many duties to look unto, towards God, his neighbour, and himselfe: wherein it shall be found requisite for him to be carefull, after the doing of one, to go to another: and not to admit any thing against the peace of his conscience, no not in his recreations, nor in his weightiest worldly dealings, feastings, company, &c. but to see the Ʋnity of the Spirit kept in the band of Peace. 3. By nature we are dull and backward to whatsoever is good, apt and forward to all kinde of evil: therefore if we would have grace to get up and grow, we must strive with utmost endeavour. Be not slothfull, but strive through faith and patience to inherit the Promises, Heb. 6.12. He who doth row against the streame, must ply his Oare, or he will go down the streame: so it is here, we must hold hard, and stand fast, for we go against the streame of corrupt nature, so farre as we go in grace. 4. In what business should a man be dilligent, if not in the work of God? Wherein will a man be constant, if not in the pursuit of his own salvation? I forget the things that are behind, and reach forth unto those things that are before; I press towards the marke, Phil. 3.13, 14. 5. The Lord will not accept of such as slipt aside, and follow him by starts:Num. 32.11. Iosh. 14.8. Numb. 4.24. his servants must wholly cleave unto him; as Caleb saith of himself, That he wholly followed the Lord God; that is, he did not onelyonly live holily and godly in private, but did also procure the glory of God and the salvation of his Brethren, by what meanes he could, even to the last act of life; and faithfully, attentively, with courage, diligence, and constancy did execute the charge that God laid upon him. Nor doth any course though cheerfully undertaken deserve commendation, if either by idleness, or carnall fear or levity, we stand before we come to the marke. 6. All found Christians have taken Davids Oath. I have sworne, and will performe it, Psal. 119.106. Psal. 119.33.that I will keep thy righteous Judgments: How long? even unto the end; all and every day of our life. And without this resolution it is in vaine once to think of entring into Covenant with the Lord: for this he requireth of his people, that they shall stick unto his Commandements for ever.Deut. 11.1. & 19.9. Psal. 1.9.4. Deut. 28.1. Thou shalt keep all these Commandements to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the Lord thy God, and to walk even in his waies.
Q. What are the benefits of Dilligence and constancy?
A. This dilligence and constancy, in whatsoever they be used, they bring great things to pass, whether it be in any Trade, or in the searching out of things obscure and hard to be found out, even where onelyonly the light of reason is followed: and who doubteth then, but that in holy duties wherein men are guided by the Spirit of God, most excellent effects are brought forth by them? First, Hereby we weane our selves, our hearts and minds from much draffe and worldly lusts, which would, if they might finde lodging in the soul, much annoy us: and are much more readily disposed unto duty, then such as will not embrace them; who being contented with any uncertain and deceiveable perswasion of Gods favour, and refusing to be holden within such narrow bounds and straights of this holy and Christian counsell, break out oftentimes to their trouble, danger, and discredit, when the other are quiet and merry. Labour is irkesome to such as runne after pleasure: easie to them that follow it with constancy. Secondly, The hand of the dilligent makes rich, and the soul of the industrious shall be satisfied with the fruit of his labours. Surely he that goeth forward by dilligence and constancy in the course of piety, he shall grow plentifully in grace, and be replenished with abundant consolation. The success of worldly travels are subject to casualty and hazard: but we have the firme Promise of God,2 Pet. 1.8, 9, 10. which never failes: use what thou hast received, and thou shalt have in abundance. Thirdly, The fruit of such a course is both an happy end here, as it is written; Marke the end of the upright and just, for the end of that man is peace; Psal. 37.37. 2 Tim. 4.8. Prov. 23.18.and happiness for ever after; as Paul saith, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, and kept the faith: from henceforth is laid no for me the Crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day; and not to me onelyonly, but to all that love his appearing.
Q. What is the danger of sloth and inconstancy?
A. They that do not dilligently and constantly buckle themselves to one good work or another, shall never finde that sweet fruit of their lives which otherwise they might and should: but by their negligence and inconstancy shall by little and little plunge themselves into such deep unsetledness, out of which it will not be easie for them to recover. Joynts often removed out of their places, are seldome setled, ever painefull. To them that love liberty to the flesh, the yoke of Christ is very tedious, as constant labour is to him that delighteth in roving or ranging up and down. Besides, he seldome thrives that shifteth to many Trades, stickes to none; that travelleth many Countries, planteth not himself in any. An inconstant and fickle Christian never groweth to any pitch or substance in grace, but doth ever remaine bare and needy. The sluggard, and so the inconstant shifter, shall be clothed with rags. Lastly, As Gamesters pay dear for their pastimes many times, so doth the negligent Christian for his stolen liberty. He that in feeding respecteth more the delight of his Palate, then the continuance of his health, must look to feele the knawings, gripes and pangs of sickness: so fareth it with them, that to satisfie their lusts, neglect the peace of a good conscience. The pleasure of carnall liberty is recompensed with loss of inward peace, which is not easily regained in a long time.
Q What course must be taken to remedy sloth and inconstancy?
A. First, We must finde our selves guilty. The Traveller will not return, till he see himself out of the way. Amendment presupposeth sight of what is amiss. There needs not much paines to prove us faulty, if we shall but consider what liberty we have given to our thoughts, how indulgent we have been to our lusts, what opportunities we have omitted, how we have fallen from our good purposes, how dull we are to good, superficiall to holy dutyes, and vaine in our speeches. What daies have we wasted in idleness? How oft do we let loose our hearts to range up and down in vanities, after we have spent some part of the morning or afternoon in reading the Scripture, Prayer or such like good exercise? Secondly, the heart must be wrought to shame and sorrow for our idleness and inconstancy. How can I think of my sloth and fickleness in Gods service, and not be ashamed? If my Servant have loitered his day over, and not done my work, he blusheth, and is afraid to come before me: and shall I not change countenance, and be moved, that I have been so unprofitable in the works of God? If I neglect opportunities for earthly affairs, I am disquieted in my self, and condemne my oversight: and shall I not grieve, that I have let pass the gracious seasons of doing good to my soul? O the unthankfulness whereof I stand guilty before God: how could I answer it, if he should call me to account! Or how should I confess it to begge pardon without grief and sorrow! Ah, poor soul, what comfort can I take in my vaine thoughts, foolish delights, slight performance of good duties, and carnal case that I so much affected! It hath robbed my soul of grace, my heart of comfort, my life of sweetness: and nothing is left of all that vanity, but remorse and shame. Lord I am confounded in my self, to think of my great reckonings, and what slender account I can give unto thee! Thirdly, We must quicken our selves to more dilligence and constancy. Princes require exact dilligence in their followers; if they send upon a message, they look it should be done with expedition to the full, and an answer returned at the time appointed: how attent, industrious, and constant should I be in the service of the great King and Lord of Hosts! Our affection to God should be most intire, our bond to him is strongest, his work is most honourable, his pay incomparably the greatest: all which do call for all possible dilligence at our hands. The Pismire gathers in Summer; the covetous seeks wealth early and late; the ambitious hunteth for honour with all his might; the naturall man regardeth the things that pertaine to this life naturall: and shall I not follow after the true Riches, Honour, and Life, that exceeds the rest beyond comparison, with the swiftest speed and motion untill I do possesse it? To be carefull of things temporall, careless of things eternall, what greater madness? To prevent earthly danger with the hazard of the true Treasure, what more extreme folly? To please men with dilligence, and to displease God through remisness, is to be penny wise and Pound foolish. It is enough and too much that I have negligently husbanded my time and stock of grace, as though nothing had been sufficient for the world, every thing too much for Heaven: for the time to come I will set upon a wiser course, and with all constant assiduity address my selfe to do the will of God in all things. Fourthly, we must fly to God by hearty Prayer, entreating him to confirme and stablish this purpose in us for evermore. Lord my resolution to walke in thy Laws, is wholly grounded upon thy assistance, without which I can neither think, will, nor do any thing that is truly good and acceptable in thy sight. Give me, I pray thee, an heart to keep thy Commandements alwaies. Thou art the God of Peace, subdue mine affections that rebell against thy Spirit, and sanctifie me throughout, that I may wholly yeeld my selfe to thy good pleasure all the daies of my life.