The Profit of Godliness, Sermon 1
Serm. 1. Preached at Walfall. Nov 3. 1661.
CHAP. I.
THe Apostle by experience, and Prophetical foresight, knowing how prone men were, and would be in all ages to hearken to vain Opinions, and cunningly devised Fables, tending to draw men from the exercise of true Godliness, to an imaginary, devised and superstitious way of religious Worship, doth in the verse foregoing admonish Timothy, and in small Ministers and people to beware of such doctrines and practices; verse 7. Refuse prophane and old wives fables, and exercise thy self rather to Godliness. As who should say, When thou hearest or reades… such doctrines and opinions, shun them reject them; for though they may have a great shew of devotion, yet they are bu… fables; yea they are prophane, and of no more worth than old wives fables are. Some understand by fables, Jewish traditions whereof the Jewish Talmud is yet full, an… which he foretells, that even Christian would imbrace in after-ages; others understand by fables, the doctrines of Hereticks; for such he speaks of, verse 3. for bidding to marry, and commanding to abstai… from meats, which are to this day the doctrines of the Romish Church. Now th… only ready way to shun these fables, is t… give up our selves to the constant exercis… of true commanded Godlinesse; shu… these fables, and exercise thy se… to Godliness; make it thy work, an… one thing necessary, to study the doctrin… and practice which is according to Godliness.
Now my Text is the reason why every Christian should refuse all corrupt doctrines and practices in Religion, and addict themselves to the only exercise of true Religion; Because bodily exercise profiteth little, But Godliness is profitable unto all things.
In this verse three things lie obvious to your observation.
1. A proposition.] Bodily exercise profiteth little.
2. A double opposition
Of things.
Of effects.
1. Of things.] Godliness is opposed to bodily exercise.
2. The effect of Godliness is opposed to the effect of bodily exercise: The Apostle faith, Bodily exercise profiteth little: but Godliness is profitable unto all things.
3. The reason is expressed; because it hath the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
CHAP. II.
I Shall explain these words, then mend a point to your observation.
Quest. 1 What is meant by bodily exercise?
Resp. 1 It is not meant of bodily labour in our Mechanick Callings, neither is it t… be understood of bodily exercises of pleasure, as running, riding, wrestling, hunting, shooting, to which men addict themse…ves for he…lth and pleasure. The Apostle treats not (as an Artificer or Physician) of matters which concern our health, o… worldly commerce; but as a Divine, o… things in which the power, truth and lif… of Godliness consisteth.
2. By bodily exercises are understoo… all those actions and external practices, it which men place Religion, as abstinenc… from mea…s, marriage, watching, fasting wearing sackcloth, lying on the ground likewise all devout acts that men do, whic… have a great shew of piety, and are much commended by Papists to this day; tha… man that leads an austere life, that fasteth much, that abstaineth from meats and drinks, that observeth dayes, and Canonical hours, and in a Monkish manner renounceth the world, is eminently godly among the P…p…sts, he is reputed as an Angel dropt down from Heaven.
But this austere discipline, the Apostle, in contempt, calleth Bodily exercises.
1. Because the body, and not the soul is the subject of them.
2. Because the body is only tamed, but the soul is not bettered by them: the body is kept down, the soul is still loose, prophane, and unsanctified. It is worth our observing, what the Apostle calleth such devotion, vers. 7. he calleth them prophane fables; in vers. 1. he calls them doctrines of Devils. All doctrines of abstinence from meats, and forbidding marriage, commanding and enjoyning these bodily exercises, are doctrines not of God, but of Devils; there is no religion nor holiness in them, though they seem very religious; there is no Godliness in them, though they seem very godly: for the Apostle, in my text, doth oppose Godliness to these devout bodily exercises, plainly noting that they are not Godliness.
Quest. 1 What is meant by profiting little?
Resp. 1 It is as much as if the Apostle had said; these bodily exercises may and do a little benefit your body, by suppressing the vigorous stirrings of your lusts, it may restrain the acts of sin; for men pamper their lusts, when they pamper their bodies; men nourish their lusts, in nourishing their bodies with meats and drinks, and some ease; this is some profit in this bodily exercise: but yet it is but little.
1. Because it tameth the body without sanctifying the heart.
2. It is little, because it is but for a little time.
3. It is but little, because it pleaseth men; but it is not acceptable unto God without inward holiness.
4. It is but little, because it is but usefu… only for the taming of concupiscence; it is not profitable for all things.
5. It is but little, because it is as good as nothing; it amounts to little, even to just nothing.
Quest. 3 What is meant by Godliness?
Resp. 1 Godliness is taken for the doctrine of Godliness, 1 Timothy 3.16. Grea… is the mystery of Godliness; that is, the doctrine of Godliness, which vers. 9. he calls the mystery of Faith.
2. For the external duties of Godliness toward God, 1 Tim. 2.2. In all Godliness and Honesty: We lead a life in all Godliness when we give God his due; and in Honesty, when we give man his due: and among those, the duties which we perform to Parents and Kindred, is in a more special manner called Godliness, 1 Tim. 5.4. Let them learn to shew Godliness to their own house: which text, if well considered, will plainly evince, that Godliness is very rare, where the profession of Godliness is eminent: how few are there who make conscience of doing duties to Parents and Kindred which nature bindeth us to perform?
3. Godliness is taken for the whole Christian duty of religion, doctrine, and practice and worship, 2 Pet. 3.11. seeing all these things perish;foreign. What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness? In the Greek it is in the plural number, in all holy Conversations and Godlilinesses; and so it is taken in this place. The Greek word in the Text is foreign, which properly denoteth the spiritual worship of God prescribed in his word.
It is called Godliness;
1. Because it is of God.
2. Because it is according to the word and mind of God.
3. Because it tendeth to the glory of God: I shall anon shew what Godlinesse is in several particulars.
Quest. 4 What is meant by profitable?
Resp. 1 Profitable is taken first for that which is good, Luk. 5.39.
2. For that which is helpful to obtain any good we would have.
3. For that which is not only a means to further us, but the immediate and proper effect is profit.
4. For that which is of necessity needful, and without which we cannot well be. In all these respects Godliness is profitable unto all things.
1. There is nothing so good and wholesome as Godliness.
2. There is no means so useful and helpful to obtain the best of goods, as Godliness.
3. The immediate and proper eff…ct of Godliness, is our profit and eternal good.
4. There is nothing more needful than Godliness. It is better for a man not to be, than to be without Godliness: it is better for a man never to be born, than to be born, and not to be godly: Men can do better without meat, drink, apparel, riches, houses, lands, than without Godliness: he that ends his daies in ungodliness, is an eternally undone man; if he gets the whole world, and not Godliness, be reaps no profit.
Godliness is profitable to all things, that is, to all intents and purposes; it is profitable for every thing whatsoever.
CHAP. III.
HEnce in the first place we may observe;
Obser. 1 That Godliness is very beneficial to a man in every thing. He that hath Godliness, hath all things; he wants nothing that is requisite to make a man happy. Be godly, and you have riches, honours enough: it is principium, medium, Calvin in loc.& finis Christianae vitae, it is the beginning of Christianity, it is the middle, it is the end, it is the All of a Christian, saith Calvin upon the place. Godliness is great gain, 1 Tim. 6 6. It is great honours, great riches, it is a great purchase; no man in the world makes such a profitable bargain as godly men; no men in the world drive such a trade as they, Prov. 3.13, 14, 15, 16. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom: It is not, Happy is the man that findeth riches and honours, but that findeth Godliness: Happy is the man that getteth understanding; it is not, Happy is the man that getteth wealth and honour, but the true knowledge of God, vers. 13. The Merchandise of it is better than the Merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold; that is, …liness is a richer commodity than gold or silver: Wordlings look upon such as gain gold and silver in great abundance, as the only rich men; but he that gaineth Godliness, gaineth the greatest profit. Vers. 14. Silver, Gold, Rubies, and all precious stones, yea whatsoever is desirable in the world, is not comparable to Godliness: all the things a man can desire are not comparable to Godliness: what great, what precious things may not a man desire to have! let him desire what he can, let him desire that all the waters in the Sea were turned into wine and oyl, and it should be his; let him desire that all the stones in the street and fields were turned into Diamonds; let him desire all the Mines of gold and silver in the whole world; yet these vast desires, were they turned into realities, were not comparable to Godliness. Vers. 15. Length of dayes are on wisdom's right hand, and in her left hand riches and honour, Vers. 16. Here you see it is profitable for life, for riches, for honours: it is equivalent to these, and infinitely better than all these.
This doctrine is a Paradox to the world; flesh and blood hath not faith to believe it: therefore it is observable, what the Apostle saith in the words following my Text, This is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation; whether the world will believe this saying, that Godliness is profitable to all things, or not believe it▪ yet saith the Apostle, It is a most faithful, true, infallible saying, and deserv… all credit. The day of death and judgment is coming, wherein all the world shall put their seal to this truth, that Godliness is profitable to all things: the gain of the whole world is not comparable to that of Godliness; at death and judgment one mite of grace will be worth all the world.
CHAP. IV.
SECT. 1.
IN prosecution of the point I must shew,
1. What is Godl ness.
2. That it is beneficial and profitable to to all things.
3. The reasons why it is so.
1. What is Godliness.
It is of absolute concernment to know what is true Godliness, to which Heaven and Earth is promised, that so our hopes of erernal life may not make us ashamed at the last: there are many who lay claim to the promises of Heaven, that have no more right to them or Heaven, than the foolish Virgins, presuming that they were godly, and claimed to Heaven, but were with shame thrust down from Heaven-gates into Hell among the ungodly.
There is a fourfold Godliness; three sorts are supposed and esteemed by men to be Godliness, but are not; there is but one true real substantial Godliness.
1. There is a civil Godliness, which is nothing else but a civil, moral and ingenious deportment of a man's self among and before men, consisting of the negative part of Godliness; as to be no drunkard, no swearer, no adulterer, no unjust person; such was the Godliness of the Pharisees: God, I thank thee, I am not as yonder Publican is; this among the generality of men is reputed very Godliness; but alas! it cometh as short of the glory of true Godliness, as the light of a Candle cometh of the glory of the Sun: if this were Godliness, then there may be as true Godliness among Pagans and Infidels, who know nothing of God and Christ, as among Christians: Yea, many Heathens have been very eminent for civil righteousness, and a moral conversation, even to the shame of many Christians. Do but think what manner of persons the foolish Virgins were; you may conclude that civil righteousness is not Godliness; for they were such, yet they had neither promise nor possession of the life to come, which they should have had, if civil and moral righteousness be true Godliness; yet though this be not Godliness, yet civility shall so far profit them, as that their torment in Hell shall be less than the torment of others.
2. There is an humane, voluntary, devised Godliness, which in my Text is called Bodily exercise; and is nothing else but a rigid discipline of the body, with much fasting and abstinence from some meats for certain dayes and weeks together, eating of Herbs, lying on the ground, separating themselves from worldly business, and civil society of men, living in Wildernesses, Cells, Monasteries, and austerity of life, which God commandeth not, and therefore approveth not of. Yet this strictness of life, this neglecting of the body (as the Apostle termeth it) is highly magnified by Papists, as if it were a divine and Angelical Godliness: but this is not Godliness; for St. Paul doth here oppose Godliness to this bodily exercise; and it is obvious to any observing eye, that none are greater enemies to the power of Godliness then such devout persons. Such was the Godliness of the Pharisees, who placed worship and religion in washing hands before meat, in washing pots and cups, in fasting twice a week, in wearing heavy mortars on their heads, and tying thorns to their heels. Men may please themselves with these or the like devised devotions, but God abhors them; all that can be said for such wayes is that of the Apostle, Colos. 2.23, they have a shew of wisdom, of humility, of devotion, of Godliness, as bright brass harh a shew of gold, but it is not; and as painted flowers have a shew of flowers, but are not.
3. There is an Hypocritical Godliness, which is (as St. Paul saith, 2. Tim. 3.5.) the form of Godliness; the whole external shape of it; it hath all the outward patts of it, it wanteth nothing but the power of it; As a dead man hath all the outward parts of a man, there is not a member wanting, but only he hath no life, no soul in him; so an Hypocrite hath all the visible parts of Godliness, in respect of duty, and in respect of grace, he prayeth, he heareth the word, he fasteth, he receiveth the Sacraments, he liveth unblameably before men; he hath all grace in appearance; seeming faith, love, temperance, sobriety, zeal, obedience; but there is no power nor life in him; this (like bodily exercise) profits him a little, it gaineth the name and credit of religion to him, he is commended and applauded, he hath the praise of men; this is all the profit Hypocrisie bringeth; but the hypocrite hath no promises made to him, but the dreadful threatnings of woe, death, and damnation to come.
4. There is a true substantial Godliness, which God commandeth, approveth, and delighteth in, to which he hath made all promises of heaven and earth. What this Godliness is, I must now shew, and wherein it doth consist.
SECT. 2.
TRue Godliness consisteth in these particulars.
1. In a principle of grace within: he that is truly godly, is a partaker of the Divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. born of God, 1 Joh. 3.9. the seed of God is in him: sanctified in soul and in spirit, 1 Thes. 5.23. Godliness is from God, it is a Divine property, it is the image of God, it cometh from Heaven, and makes us like unto God; if thy heart be not sanctified, if the d…vine nature and the seed of God be not in thee, there is no Godliness in thee; all thy works of righteousness, and all thy religious duties are not Godliness; they are but shews and semblances of Godliness: The spirit of Grace must be in thee as a root, before thou canst bring forth the fruits of the spirit; thy person must be made Godly, before thy life or thy profession can be Godliness; Oportet aliquid intus esse; there must be Godliness within, before there can be Godliness without: Thistles cannot bring forth grapes; oh therefore look and pray, that thy heart may be changed, renewed, that the seed of God be in it.
2. True Godliness is a giving to God his whole worship according to his word;Pietas est Dei Reverentia cum amore conjuncta, quam beneficiorum ejus notitia conciliat, Calvin Instit. lib. 1. cap. 2. Pietas est sancta Dei veneratio & obtemperatio legibus illius. Noel in Catech. be that is Godly, doth not only give God the outward acts of worship, but giveth him internal worship; he serveth God with his body and with his spirit; he draws nigh with his mouth and with his heart; He doth not only pray, hear, read the word, meditate, and receive Sacraments, which are the external acts of worship; but he doth also love God above all things, and fear God above all, and delight in God above above all things, and trust in God, and depend and live on God; The word which the Apostle useth in my Text is foreign, which signifies giving to God spiritual worship according to his word; these are the worshippers which God seeks for and delighteth in: outward worship without inward, is ungodliness; is hypocrisie, it is mocking God; it is a compassing God about with lyes: this is that which distinguisheth the godly from the ungodly and hypocrities; for wicked men and hypocrites worship God externally and give him all external worship, but deny him the internal worship; they pray and hear the word (things good in themselves) but do not love nor fear God, not delight in him, nor in his presence; it is the Godly man that doth All.
3. True Godliness appeareth in the judgement, will and affections of men.
1. In the judgement: a man truly Godly esteemeth the ways of God as th… most excellent ways. No sword like to Goliaths: no way like to the ways of the Lord: and that not in general (for s… hypocrites …llightned may do) but in particular as to himself, he approveth of God ways as the best ways for him to walk in and therefore makes choice of them for th… wayes wherein he will walk: The profan… man chooseth the evil wayes of sin, th… civil man chooseth the way of outwar… morality; but the godly man chuseth th… holy strict ways of God to walk in. have chosen the way of truth, Psal 119.30 I have chosen thy precepts, ver. 173.
2. In the bent and resolution of th… will. As for me and my house we will ser… the Lord, said Joshua: let others make what resolution they please, this is the peremptory resolution of a Godly man.
3. In his affections; his sorrow is Godly. Godly sorrow worketh repentance: there is a sorrow that is not Godly, as the sorrow of Ahab, of Judas: the holy mans fear is Godly; he serveth God with reverence and Godly fear, Heb. 12.28. there is a fear that is not Godly; Sinners in Sion are afraid. His love is also Godly, and his delight is Godly: Godliness is upon all his affections: it is called Godly fear and sorrow, &c. because it is from God, and according to God, and for God; it is ultimately terminated in God.
4. True Godliness appeareth in the conversation: the general course of a Godly mans life is according to the word of God: what sins he seeth are forbidden, he refuseth: what duties are commanded, he is willing to do, 2 Tim. 3.12. All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus: you see here, there is a Godly life: it is said in Christ Jesus, noting that Godliness consisteth in conjuction to Christ, communion with him, and imitation of him, 2 Pet. 3.11. What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and Godliness?
A Godly conversation notes two things.
1. Ʋniversality: a Godly man abstaineth from every gross sin; he is so every duty, I have respect unto all thy commandments, saith David, Psal. 119.6. h… respecteth all as well as one: an habitua… neglect of one known duty marreth all th… pretended Godliness: St. Luke describin… the Godliness of Zacharias and Elizabeth saith, that they walked in all the comman… ments and ordinances of God blameless Luk. 1.6. Observe, they had respect to a commandments and to all ordinance To walk in one ordinance, and not in th… other, is not Godliness; to walk in som… commandments precisely, and not in other is ungodly hypocrisie: fides est copulativ… ebedientia est copulativa: faith and obed… ence are copulative.
2. It appeareth in the constancy of o… conversation; hence it is compared to walk, because it is a constant progress; is a race, because it must be run to t… end: it is not a few good acts, when co… science stirreth, or as other occasions urg… us: it is not for a day, nor for a long… space, but it is for continuance: it is course that lasteth as long as life lasteth it is not like a candle which is lighted and then blown out, put in and put out again, but Godliness is like the Sun and Stars that constantly shine: and how ever things and times go, and in what place and company soever, Godliness will appear; a true Godly man in all changes is Godly, in prosperity, in adversity, in all states and conditions he is Godly; Job in his prosperous estate feared God, and in his poor estate blessed God.
5. True Godliness makes a man ready to do good to all: he that is truly Godly, is after Gods example, pious, kind, gracious and merciful to others; as he receiveth mercy, grace and kindness from God, so he imparts it to o…hers; he would have all like himself;foreign. the Hebrew word [Chesed] which the LXX. translate Holy, signifieth a kind benign man: Solomon describeth a good man by this property, that he is merciful to his beast, much more then to men, most of all to them that be of the houshold of faith.
6. Godliness makes a man to act all for Gods glory: he doth all in sincerity, ayming at no other end, than that God may be glorified by him; nothings stirs him up more to glorifie God than Godliness; were there no Heaven to crown him, no Hell to affright him, yet he would serve God, because God is glorified by his service; finis denominat opus; things take their names from the end for which they are, and act; when men make gain their end, we call them worldly men; when they make honours their end, we call them ambitious; so when they make God their end, they are rightly called godly men as rivers come from the Sea, and run into the Sea; so Godliness cometh from God and terminateth in God.