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HItherto of the first sort of generall Rules: The second sort concerne the manner of well-doing:* 1.1 There are diuers things in the generall, which are to be obserued of the godly Christian in all good du∣ties,
which hee ought to haue perfect in his memo∣ry, and such as hee might bring with him at all times to forme his heart in re∣spect of them, to beget in him that holy manner of carrying himselfe, which is requisite vnto the accep∣tation of the good things he employeth himselfe in: and the rather should hee bee moued to the care of learning and expressing of these things, because the matter of good duties may be done by wicked men, as they were by the Pharises, and yet all abo∣mination to the Lord: That
therefore hee may not lose what he worketh, hee must striue in euery good acti∣on to expresse these nine things following in the manner of his behauiour.
The first thing required in the manner of euery ho∣ly duty,* 1.2 is Zeale: It is not enough that hee doe the dutie, but hee must do it affectionately, bringing with him the stirring of the desires of his heart answe∣rable, and agreeable to the duty he would performe: Zeale hath in it two distinct things, willingnesse and feruencie; It must not seeme euill to him to do Gods
worke, and in doing it, he must lift vp his heart, so as he performe it with all his might, and with all his soule; and this hee doth, when either hee brings a heart delighting in good workes, or when hee iud∣geth himselfe for what deadnesse, or distraction, or vnwillingnesse he findes in himselfe: He is accoun∣ted zealous, when he striues for it, and lifts vp his soule against the impediments which burthen him: This zeale is necessary; Christ died to redeeme a people vn∣to himselfe, not onely that would do good works, but
that would be zealous of good workes, Tit. 2. 14.
2 The second thing re∣quired in the manner of good duties,* 1.3 is sincerity, all his actions must bee done in the sincerity of his heart. The life of a Chris∣tian is like a continuall Passe-ouer; Now this Feast hee must keepe alwaies with the vnleauened bread of sin∣cerity, 1. Cor. 5. 8.
Now this sinceritie hee must shew diuers waies, as,
1 By the truth of his heart,* 1.4 as it stands oppo∣sed to hypocrisie; he must not talke of well-doing, or seeme to do it, but he must
doe it indeed.
2 By his respect to all Gods commandements,* 1.5 when he can say with Dauid, I esteeme all thy precepts, con∣cerning all things to be right, and I hate euery false way. He that is truly sincere, ac∣counteth that euery word of God is good, and de∣sires to yeeld obedience in all things. Hee hath not his reseruations, or excep∣tions: He doth not with Herod giue himselfe liber∣ty to lie in the wilfull breach of one commande∣ment, resting satisfied to haue reformed himselfe in other things. As he would
haue God to forgiue him all his sinnes, so his heart de∣sires to forsake all sinne, and so hee desires also to do e∣uery part of Gods worke.
3. By propounding the glory of God,* 1.6 as the chiefe end of all his actions: His praise must not be of men, nor must hee doe good duties for carnall ends, 1. Cor. 10. 31.
4. By obeying without ex∣postulating,* 1.7 though God giue no apparant reason of his commandement. Thus Abraham shewed his since∣rity, when God bade him goe out of his owne coun∣try, though hee knew not
whither hee should goe, Hebr. 11. 8. This is to o∣bey simply, because God hath commanded it.
5 By obeying absent as well as present,* 1.8 in all compa∣nies as well as one. This prai∣sed the sincerity of the O∣bedience of the Philippi∣ans, Phil. 2. 12.
Thus of sincerity, which is the second thing requi∣red in the manner of well∣doing.
3. The third thing is Constancy:* 1.9 He is blessed that doth righteousnesse alwaies. Doing righteousnesse will not serue the turne, but it must be at all times, Psalm.
106. 3. Our righteousnesse must not be like the morning dew. It is not sufficient to doe good by fits; wee are no day laborers, but Gods hired seruants: Hee that is righteous, must bee righteous still, Rom. 6 19. Reuel. 22. 11. There must be continuance in well-doing, Rom. 2. 7, 8.
Now to bee constant in well-doing,* 1.10 is to doe good duties,
1. Without wearinesse:* 1.11 It is required as a thing ne∣cessary to the manner of well-doing, that we be not weary of it, and that wee faint not, Gal. 6. 9. This we must striue for by prayer.
2. Without discourage∣ment:* 1.12 wee must lift vp the hands that hang downe, and the feeble knees, and make straight steppes to our feete. How much hinderance to well-doing, discourage∣ment is, may appeare by the similitude: feeble knees will dispatch but a little space of the iourney, and hands that hang down, are not fit for worke: great is the hinderance comes to many by their discourage∣ments and aptnesse there∣unto, which ariseth vsually from pride, & the dregs of worldly sorrow, and ought much to be resisted by true
Christians, Hebr. 12. 12, 13. Iosh. 1. 6, 7.
3. Without impediment:* 1.13 That is, notwithstanding all the impediments may be cast in the way; Iudge∣ment should runne downe as waters, and righteous¦nesse as a flowing streame: wee should ouercome all difficulties: you cannot stop the flowing streame, though you cast in great logs or stones, yea though you would goe about to damme it vp; and such should be the resolution of a godly Christian, Amos 3. 24.
4. Without wauering or
vncertainty.* 1.14 It is vncer∣taine running the Apostle implyedly forbids, 1. Cor. 9. 25. Our life is like a race: Now in a race it is not e∣nough that a man runne now and then, though he runne fiercely for the time: He must not trifle & looke behinde, and stand still at his pleasure, and then run againe, but he must be al∣waies running: so ought it to be with vs in the race of godlinesse. It will not serue the turne to bee good by fits, and to bee forward in good things onely at some times, and then be careles, and off the hookes, as wee
say, at other times.
5. Without declining or going backe.* 1.15 Iob comforts himselfe against the asper∣sion of hypocrifie by this, that his foot had held on his steps, and Gods waies he had kept, and not declined, nor had hee gone backe from Gods Commandements, Iob 23. 11, 12. Though hee had not made such Progresse as he desired, yet this was his comfort, he had not backe∣slided by Apostasie.
And thus of the third thing also required in the manner of well-doing, which is Constancy.
4.* 1.16 The fourth thing
required is feare: thus Pro. 28. 14. The man is blessed that feareth alwaies. And 1. Pet. 1. 17. & 3. 2. Our con∣uersation must be with feare: This feare excludes rude∣nesse, carelesnesse, concei∣tednesse, pride, & the like, & includes Reuerence, aw∣full regard of Gods holi∣nesse, or holy presence (whom wee should set al∣waies before vs) and the feare of the deceitfulnesse of sinne, and our own cor∣rupt dispositions, and the care to auoyd all occasi∣ons of offending God or men.
The fift thing is simplici∣ty.* 1.17
This is so necessary, as the Apostle mistrusted most the subtilty of the Diuel, in beguiling Christi∣ans of this simplicity, which they had in Iesus Christ, 2. Cor. 11. 3.
Now this simplicity containes in it distinctly diuers things.
1.* 1.18 A resting in those forms of holinesse and happinesse which God hath prescribed, when a man desires no more to make him happy, then what God hath offe∣red and giuen in Iesus Christ, 2. Corin. 11. 3. and when he accounts nothing to defile him, but what
God hath forbidden, and nothing needfull to bee done by him, but what God hath in his Word re∣quired.
2. A Doue-like innocen∣cy,* 1.19 and harmlesnesse, when the Christian shewes a de∣sire to bee iniurious to no man, but rather to seek the good of others, as well as his owne, 1. Cor. 10. 24.
3. An ignorance of the depths of Sathan,* 1.20 and the methods of sinne, when hee is not cunning in sinning, out simple concerning euill, no way desirous to get sub∣till excuses, or arguments ••o defend himselfe in euill,
Romanes. 16. 19.
4.* 1.21 A loue of goodnesse for it selfe, and hatred of sinne, as it is sinne.
5.* 1.22 Meekenesse of wise∣dome, I am. 3. 13. which is shewed three wayes. 1. By lowlinesse of minde, when a man is not conceited, or wise in himselfe, but re∣taines a sence of his owne vnfitnesse, and vnworthi∣nesse, Iob 37. 24. 2. By si∣lence from his owne prai∣ses, Prou. 27. 2. 3. By auoi∣ding vain ianglings, which arise out of Enuy, or con∣tempt of others.
6.* 1.23 The preseruing of him∣selfe in the feare of God, not∣withstanding
the prosperi∣ty of euill doers, not enuy∣ing the wicked, that hath successe in his way, Prou. 23. 27.
The sixt thing required in the manner of well-do∣ing,* 1.24 is Circumspection, Eph. 5. 15.
Now he walketh circum∣spectly or exactly:
1. That makes consci∣ence to obserue the les∣ser commandement as well as the greater, Mat. 5. 19.
2. That abstains from the very appearance of euill, 1. Thes. 5. 22.
3. That with discretiō
lookes to the circum∣stances of things to bee done, as time, place, per∣sons, order, and the like: that doth not onely doe good, but is wise to doe good, Romanes 16. 19.
4. That liues with∣out rebuke, and is vn∣spotted of the world, Phil. 2. 15. I am. 1. vlt. that is not guilty of any scan∣dall, and giues no iust cause to the wicked to blaspheme, but prouides for things honest in the sight of all men, 2. Cor. 8. 21.
5. That will not doe euil, though good might
come of it, Rom. 3.
The seuenth thing requi∣red in the manner of well-doing,* 1.25 is growth & increase: Wee must not onely get grace and knowledge, and doe good, but wee must grow in the grace and know∣ledge of Iesus Christ, 2. Pet. 3. 18.* 1.26 & this growth should haue in it distinctly three things:
1.* 1.27 Abounding in good workes, or a more fre∣quent practice of all sorts of duties, that wee haue opportunity and power to practise, 1. Cor. 15. 58. Col. 1. 10.
2.* 1.28 The perfecting of ho∣linesse,
2. Cor. 7. 1. or the ripening of our gifts, & finishing of the good things we begin, not lea∣uing off till we haue ac∣complished them in some good measure and manner.
3.* 1.29 Progresse, so as our workes bee more at last, then at first.
And all this we should striue for, both thth so our profiting might ap∣peare, 1. Tim. 4. 15. and we may be fit to be an ex∣ample to others,* 1.30 1. Th. 1. 7.
The eighth thing requi∣red in the manner of well-doing,* 1.31 is Faith: wee must
walke by faith in all our ac∣tions, 2. Cor. 5. 7. Now faith is employed partly in ta∣king notice of Gods will, as the warrant of our acti∣ons, and partly in ouer∣comming the difficulties of well-doing, making vs hold out, though wee bee scorned, or disgraced, or opposed in the world, and raising vp our hearts to be∣leeue Gods assistance, not∣withstanding our owne weaknesses, & partly in tru∣sting God for the successe, beleeuing Gods promises.
The ninth & last thing required in the manner of wel-doing,* 1.32 is Moderation.
This rule is expressed in these words,* 1.33 Eccles. 7. 16. Be not iust ouer-much, ney∣ther bee thou wicked ouer∣much: Now for the sense of these words, wee must know in the negatiue, that this place is most pro∣phanely alleadged by such as produce it as a reproofe of strictnesse of life, and the refusall of the excesses of the time.
There are many things said to giue a sence of those words.
1. Some referre these words to Iustice, eyther Distributiue, or Commu∣tatiue, and that eyther in
the case of a priuate per∣son, or of a Magistrate. A priuate man must neyther stand too much vpon his right, nor yet suffer his in∣nocency to be too much wronged. A Magistrate must not be too seuere in a selfe-conceited Iustice, nor yet too remisse in sparing or fauouring wickednes.
2. Some thinke it re∣straines curiosity and care∣lesnes, as if the sence were, Be not curious to pry or search into secret things, that are not reuealed: for hee that will bee searching into Gods maiesty, may be oppressed by his glory: nor
yet be so carelesse, as not to take notice of the truth re∣uealed.
3. Some thus exceed not by too much precise∣nesse on the right hand, or by too much prophanenes on the left hand. On the right hand they goe out, that bring in workes of su∣pererogation, and such as worship God after the pre∣cepts of men, and such as tye mens consciences to obserue or auoid things without warrant of Scrip∣ture, and such as say they haue no sin, and need not the grace of God.
4. Lastly, the fittest in∣terpretation
is theirs, that expound the words in this sense, Be not iust ouer-much, that is, think not too high∣ly of thy selfe in any thing thou doest well, nor yet be wicked ouer-much, that is, account not too vilely of thy selfe, denying Gods gifts in thee, and refusing the iust comforts thou shouldest take to thy selfe; aggrauate not against thy owne soule thy weakenesse aboue reason and measure.
There are 9. things to be still remē bred, which cō∣cerne the manner of wel-doing
1. Zeale, with con∣tinual wil∣lingnesse and fer∣uencie.
2. Sinceri∣ty, which hath in it 5. things.
1. Truth.
2. Respect to al Gods comman∣dements.
3. Right end.
4. Obedi∣ence with∣out expo∣stulation.
5. Obedi∣ence in all places.
The third thing re∣quired in the māner of well-doing, is Constācy.
And he is constant, that doth good duties,
1. Without wearines.
2. Without discou∣ragement.
3. Notwithstan∣ding im∣pedimēts.
4. With∣out wa∣uering.
5. Without declining.
4. Feare.
Simplicity
Which is, 1. To rest vpon the Word for the formes of holines & happinesse.
2. To bee harmlesse.
3. To bee simple cō∣cerning euill.
4. To loue goodnesse for it selfe
5. To bee meeke & lowly∣minded.
6. Feare God, and not enuy the wicked
The sixt is circum∣spection, which hath fiue things in it.
The 7. is, growth or increase.
Which hath three things in it.
1. Aboun∣ding in goodnes.
2. Perfect∣ing of ho∣linesse.
3. Progress
2. Tim. 4. 12.
8. Faith.
The last is moderatiō
The place in Eccl. 7. 16. ex∣pounded.