the most vnlikely contemptible meanes for our good seeing the Lord made vs of such 3 Neither to seeke after great matters in the world seeing our originall was so meane 4 Neither to set vp our hearts in this life but rather to prepare to death seeing to the earth we must 5 Comforting our selues that our misery in this life is not eternall seeing we are of the earth 6 And seeing this corruption must put on incorruption therefore learne we to follow hard after the marke if by any meanes we may attaine to the resurrection of the dead looking by faith a farre off for the changing of these vile bodies And comforting our selues in our better part that the soule is immortall and therefore labouring to haue our conuersation in heauen and to be made meete for that glorious inheritance Thirdly that man was made a liuing soule immediatly breathed from the Lord eternally to liue with him This teacheth 1 That the soule is immediatly subiect vnto God ought onely to bee bound by him principally must depend on his blessed will 2 That it must be exercised in heauenly things agreeable to the nature and end thereof 3 That it is subiect to eternall punishment for sinne and therefore ought to saue it selfe from that fearefull vengeance Matth. 3. 4 That eternall hapinesse is due thereto for wel-doing and therefore should not faint nor be weary thereof 5 That as the creation is immediate from God though the body be from man so also is the Recreation and Renuing of the soule immediatly from his meere mercy in Christ without any help or concurrence from man 6 And therefore we are not to rest in any naturall faculties of the soule as if they were sufficient to saluation or could further thereto but rather discerne wee wisely That the wisedome of the flesh is enmity against God 7 And so let vs deny our selues that we may be found in Christ not hauing our owne righteousnesse Phil. 3.8.9 Yet so 8 As that seeing we haue free-will in naturall and morall actions concerning the outward act though not for the truth or manner or end of well-doing therefore do we what is ours in entertaining the meanes of saluation As come wee to the word and though we cannot discerne it naturally neither propose the right end therein least if wee forsake God in not doing so farre as wee may he may iustly forsake vs in denying a blessing to the means that so our condemnation may be iust and inexcusable 9 That the soule was breathed into the nostrels not into the eares or mouth or eyes this argueth the imbecillity and frailty of our life as if it depended on our nostrels Esay 2 22. Thus of the matter Fourthly consider we the manner of our creation and therein the Excellencie and ends thereof For the manner we were created in Gods Image not that either wee were made of the Essence of God or that God must bee like to vs hauing humane shape although if we respect the second person in Trinity it might wel be that as he was to take flesh in the fulnesse of time so euen at the present when man was made hee assumed extraordinarily an human forme and so also after that forme and Archetype made man But we were created after the Image of God in holinesse and righteousnesse that is The soule being breathed into the body from the Lord was indued with diuine and heauenly qualities As 1 Immortality 2 Excellent light of reason and vnderstanding acknowledging God and his will discerning the nature and essence of things 3 True righteousnesse of the minde and heart and all the faculties thereof in which was inflamed true loue and feare and confidence in God 4 Most absolute consent of the will obeying the iudgement of right and reason from compulsion bondage and misery 5 Excellent strength and vigor of body free from all infirmitie diseases troubles death And 6 Admirable glory and maiesty 7 Destinated to eternall life in heauen 8 Which should haue propagated an immortall kinde according to the Image of God 9 Yet all this mutably 1 That so if Man had ouercome the Tempter his glory had beene the greater 2 That way might bee made hereby to the reuelation of the eternall mercy of God to his elect in Iesus Christ as also of his Iustice in the condemnation of the wicked for the refusall of the Messiah and in him of their saluation And hence ariseth the excellency of Man 1 By the consideration of his creation especially that in respect of the mutability thereof hee was to be interessed in the Messiah so to be restored preserued by him vnto saluation Hence also arise the ends of mans creation 1 To aduance the goodnesse and bounty of the Lord in ordaining saluation for him by his sonne 2 That the Lord hereby might haue the onely glory of all his mercies 3 That Man might haue the dominion ouer all the Creatures 4 That also he might bee as it were a sweet Companion with the Lord in eternall glory and happinesse And 5 That hee might bee made meete hereunto by the knowledge of his Creator and Redeemer Ioh. 17. And by spirituall and bodily worship according to his knowledge 1. Cor. 6. Whence we may learne 1 To admire and conceiue worthily of this loue of God in making vs thus like vnto himselfe and so to expresse our loue vnto him in striuing to bee like vnto him 1. Ioh. 4. 2 To magnifie his admirable wisedome in making our estate such as in regard of our free-will to be subiect to change and so to rest content with the will of God in things more contrary to nature and vnlikely for our God seeing the Lord out of this mutable estate raised so much good euen to aduance his holy sonne Iesus and in him to renue and establish our formerly mutable condition 3 And seeing the Lord did ordaine this condition to be therefore mutable that so man being left to himselfe might bee the chooser and author of his owne fall therefore learne we to iustifie God and to condemne our selues that so we may not be iudged of the Lord. Lastly seeing the Lord as hee ordained the fall of man mutable so hee ordained a Redeemer before the fall to recouer the same Therefore let this comfort vs in all our troubles whether vpon vs or expected that vndoubtedly we may expect a good issue therein seeing we were first apointed to glory so to deliuerance from thē and so appoynted to afflictions to make vs sit for glory And we are here taught to loue the person of man as bearing Gods Image though we may hate the sinne Thus of the Creation CHAP. IX Of the fall of Man WHerein man continued not as being left to himselfe and so fell away from God in obeying the suggestion of the Serpent and so fell away from his former estate of Innocencie and happinesse through disobedience of the Commandement plunged himselfe and
hardnesse of heart 7 And so to fearfull terrors and soundings of spirit The benefite of this part of the Girdle is 1 It procures and maintaines true inward ioy 2. Cor. 1.12 2 Hereby wee haue alwayes boldnesse before God 1. Iohn 3.20 to obtaine good things at his hands Heb. 10. 3 And are enabled and furnished against all the reproches and euils of men Pro. 18. 4 By this wee are alwayes certaine of the things we do and the acceptance of them in the sight of God Psa. 51.6 5 Hereby we are comforted in the greatest Buffetings of Satan and our cowardly and vnbeleeuing hearts 1. Ioh. 3.21 6 We attaine to extraordinary sweetnesse and ioy in the Holy Ghost 1. Pet. 1.8 Rom. 5.1.2 7 And led along in most cheerfull manner throughout all difficulties to the receiuing of the reward Heb. 11.26 8 we encrease in sanctification and holinesse 1. Tim. 1.18.19 9 We put to confusion the pride and practises of our enemies 1. Sam. 26.21 10 we receiue hereby a pledge of eternall life and haue our conuersation in heauen Rom. 8.16 Phil. 3.20 A third part of this sincerity consists in the will which discouers it selfe 1 By cheerfulnesse in well-doing not by compulsion but of a willing minde 1. Cor. 9. 1. Pet. 5. 2 Subiecting it owne will to the will of God in all things 3 And so yeelding it daily to the information of the word and binding it thereto 4 Aiming at the full accomplishment of Gods will in earth as it is in heauen Mat. 6. 5 Not consulting with flesh and blood in heauenly things 6 Nor proposing our owne glory in the performance thereof 7 Complaining daily of the rebellions thereof And so 8 Resisting sin and the occasions thereof Psa. 119.104 9 Yeelding to sinne with griefe Rom. 7.15 10 Rising by repentance out of the same Prou. 28.14 The state and measure hereof is 1 That it is not free to good or euill but freed to doe good Phil. 2.13 2 And therefore of it selfe can will no good thing 3 Yet so freed to good as that it is in bondage to sinne Rom. 7.18 4 And therefore while we are about any good euill is present with vs and we are led captiue thereto Yet so in bondage as that it striues against that slauery and gets daily ground thereof Rom. 7.25 Eph. 2.3 The benefit hereof is 1 To enable vs to doe good Rom. 7.18 2 To comfort vs in our outward failings 2 Cor. 8.12 Rom. 7.19 3 To discerne of our state in sanctification Ephes. 2.3 1. Cor. 12.2 4 To keepe our iudgments sincere and vpright 1. Tim. 6.5 5 To kindle and order our affections in the seruice of God And this is a fourth part of this Girdle euen the well ordering of our affections 1. Thess. 5.23 Rom. 7.24 And this is discerned 1 By a right mouing of them to their proper obiects Rom. 7.22.25 2 By their contentment in the same 3 That what is in the iudgment we haue also in the affection 4 In that wee can more ioy or grieue for spiritual causes then for carnall Psa. 4. Psa. 119. 5 That they tend to the crucifying of the flesh and building forward of the New man Coloss. 3.1 6 That we labour more for affection then for knowledge 7 Make wee them as little knowne in company as may be Genes 45. especially if the company and occasion be ordinary and ciuill 8 Suspect wee our owne affection when the case concerneth vs. 9 And that our affections can send and encourage vs to spirituall duties 10 That indeed by them we are wholly emptied in our selues in respect of God 2. Cor. 5.16 Gen. 5.22 Rom. 12.1 Helpes hereunto are 1 Knowledge of the right obiect Mark 3.5 2 Cor. 7. 2 Weaning and abating them from the false 1. Ioh. 2.15 3 Triall of our selues in the practise of some one of our afflictions Deut. 6.5 4 Conscience to vse them in all their seuerall times and measure Eccles. 3.1 Rom. 12.16 The benefit hereof is 1 We shall attaine hereby a gracious conquest ouer our most vnruly thoughts Eph. 4.25 2 Wee shall finde much sweete peace and contentment in our Christian callings 3 We shall be more ready prest to good actions 2. Cor. 7. 4 And saued from many noysome tentations which otherwise would assault vs. 2. Ephes. 4.26 Ioh. 19.12 5 We shall haue gracious fellowship with God Col. 3.1 6 And be better enabled to the conuersion of our brethren Ioh. 21.15 A fift part of this girdle is the sincerity of the Tongue As 1 Being the sterne of the shippe and the certaine Image of the minde Iam. 3.5 2 In the well-gouerning whereof is the triall of sincerity Psal. 34. note of perfection Iam. 1. Iam. 3 3 The misgouernment whereof is confusion to the owner Prou. 18.7.21 and others 4 By keeping the same we auoyd trouble Pro. 21.23 5 And make the world serue our turne And it is discerned 1 In holy speech Eccles. 3.7 2 In wise and seasonable silence Concerning fit and warrantable speech we are to obserue 1 Preparation to speech 2 The matter of it 3 The manner thereof 4 The end of the same We shall be prepared to speech 1 By praier to God to guide our tongue and that because First the Lord is Ruler of it Prou. 16.1 Secondly by an holy consideration of these things 1 That we are to speake in his presence Psal. 33.15 2 That there is no liberty for idle talke Math. 12.36 3 That all speech must tend to edification Ephes. 4.29 4 What the matter is we meane to speake of 5 That what is once out cannot be recalled 6 That we must giue an account for euery idle word And thus we shall be prepared to speake Now The matter of our speech concernes either Persons or Things The persons 1 Almighty God and his workes 2 Our neighbour and what concernes him 3 Our owne persons and occasions In our speech concerning our blessed God wee are to obserue these Rules 1 That we take not the names of Gods Maiesty in our mouthes but vpon most serious and waighty occasions Exod. 20. 2 That in the occasion we finde our hearts liuely affected with a true knowledge and holy reuerence of God before whom wee speake and before wee vse his great and fearfull name least otherwise though the cause be waighty yet we take it in vaine 3 That wee finde our selues comforted and established in our faith by taking of this great and glorious name as beeing hereby drawne neerer vnto God and setled more constantly in our loue to his Maiesty To this end vse not the name of God without some addition of his attributes as the Liuing Lord the Glorious God My God c. Ephes 1.3 4 Yea that it may appeare that wee haue not onely knowledge of the Deity but also experience of his nature and properties we are to giue him such attributes as concerne the
blessings we haue receiued from God to prouoke vs to thankesgiuing without which our prayers are ineffectuall Eph. 6. c. 8 Here it is requisite that wee also quicken our hearts by Reading and Meditating twice or oftner in the day on some part of the Scriptures either as 1 Taking the Scripture in order before vs. Nehemiah 8. Act. 13 Or else 2 Vpon extraordinarie occasions making choyce of fit Scriptures 9 Bewaile wee seriously our neglect of closet prayer and condemne wee our selues for our lippe-labour and customarie deuotions our wearisomnesse in well-doing our contentment with little feelings 10 Renue wee our vowes for more often and conscionable performance hereof 11 Rest we especially vpon the continuall intercession of our blessed Aduocate Iesus Christ who continually maketh intercession for vs and is now both praying for vs and ready to present our prayers to the Throne of grace and to couer all the infirmities and failings of them 12 Stirre we vp the blessed Spirit as before which may helpe vs with sighes and grones vnspeakeable Rom. 8. 13 And be wee well aduised of the particular thing wee desire that it may be fit for God to giue vs and vs to aske for the present occasion Mat. 6. Iam. 4.2 Beeing thus prepared we must powre out our praiers as before Auoyding here especially 1 Constraint and Cerimoniousnesse 2 Customarinesse praying rather for the times sake then for Gods glory Psal. 119.108 3 Conceit of the wel-doing hereof in regard of the thing done 4 Pride and ostentation in the opinion of our wel-doing Matth. 6. 5 Lip-labour and idle repetition of words 6 Confusion and disorder praying for earthly things before heauenly Math. 6.33 7 Carnalnesse when wee pray more for earth then heauen 8 Hypocrisie doing it to be seene of men Math. 6. 9 Vncharitablenesse praying for reuenge c. of priuate wrongs Eccle. 10.20 Iam. 4.7 10 Wearisomnesse and dulnesse Gal. 6. Exod. 15. 11 Hastinesse and rashnesse as if we would faine haue done 12 Presumption begging such things as are not seasonable Luke 9.54 or beseeme vs not 13 Impietie praying for indulgence in sin or indenting with God and limiting him to our wil to helpe vs at such a time or in such a manner Act. 1. Dan· 4. 14 Infidelity when wee pray without the assurance of the acceptance of our persons which is the cause of all Popish deuotion Iam. 1.6 Obseruing well 1 That as well for the least blessing as for the greatest we sue to God in prayer and so be thankefull vnto him lest otherwise wee deny God the giuer and so hinder our receiuing 2 That wee measure not the prayer by the outward successe because an euill prayer may bee heard in anger Ose. 13. and a good deferred in mercy Yea a good prayer though in much weakenesse may bee granted in loue Mat 6. to keepe vs from despaire and yet a more strong and feruent prayer may bee denied in greater loue both to humble vs that we put not confidence in the meanes and to encourage vs to constancie therein assuring our selues that the issue of our praiers shall be gracious 3 That in the greatest feeling of Gods mercy wee pray against tentations Math. 16. 4 That we especially commend vnto God the afflicted state of the Church and desire our welfare in the prosperity thereof Psa. 122.6 Psa. 126. 5 That we redouble our sighes and prayers not suffering any repulse Psa. 119.164 Mat. 15. Gen. 32 Gen. 18. c. Eph. 6. 6 That wee highly esteeme of the thing wee pray for Mathew 5.6 7 That we finde as much comfort in abiding long at prayer as at hearing the word 8 That we be as ready to praise God for his mercies receiued as to sue for the obtaining of them Psal. 116. Luk. 17.12.18 9 That wee rebuke our selues in our prayers and relye onely vpon Christ. Further triall hereof that wee haue the spirit of prayer 1 If we especially aime at Gods glory in doing his will 2 That wee especially are affected not with bodily but sinfull wants 3 That vppon good euidences and from infallible grounds wee presse the Lord to bee mercifull vnto vs. 4 That wee can single out our speciall wants 5 And find our zeale encreased in the continuance of prayer 6 And yet can so submit to Gods will as by faith to assure our soules that the Lord will answer and so quiet our soules in acceptance of our God and vndoubted expectation of that which shall turne to most good The benefit hereof is manifold 1 We renue our right in the day 1. Tim. 4.4 2 Wee arme our selues against tentations Ephes. 6.14.15 3 Wee are ready for any good that shall bee offered vs as consolation of the sicke conference c. 4 We are prest to doe all things in the sight of God 5 And so verie much fitted and furthered to set vpon our callings CHAP. IIII. Of callings and following thereof ANd this is the next maine occurrent that fals out in the day euen to following our Callings And here obserue First that to walke in a set calling for the common good is the ordinance of God imposed on euery Christian. 2. Thess. 3.12 Gen. 3.19 Ephes. 4.28 And that 1 To communicate Gods prouidence in the gouernement of the world 2 To maintaine a comely order in the administration thereof 3 To imploy such varietie of gifts as God bestoweth on men aright 4 To maintaine humane societies in the bond of peace 5 To auoyd idlenesse and curiositie 6 To preuent errors and distractions in religion 7 To fit vs to the ends of Gods prouidence 8 That God may be glorified in ordering such infinite variety of callings both for the common each priuate good and that especially for the life to come And this serueth 1 To teach vs to trye our callings by this That they haue their warrant from the word of God and that wee bee fitted thereto and so to reiect the contrarie 2 To sanctifie our callings by bounding them in the Lord Ephesians 6.1 because they are preserued by the same meanes by which they were ordained 3 To labour in our callings especially to approue our selues vnto God Nehem. 13. 4 To looke for the recompence of our labours especially from the Lord. 2. Timoth. 4. Psalm 127. Esay 48.1.2 5 To condemne such as vnfit for humane society that will liue in no calling Secondly learne we That howsoeuer callings be the ordinance of God yet in these dayes we are to expect them 1 By the ministery of men And 2 By our industry fitting vs thereto 3 Submitting our selues herein to the rule of the word And that because 1 Extraordinary callings belonged to the infancy of the Church times of extremity c 2 We haue a sure word better then any such extraordinary reuelations Heb. 1. 2. Pet. 1. 3 The prouidence of God is subordinate to meanes 4 God hath ordained this labor to humble vs