§. Sect. 2 Of adhering to God, what it is, and the ne∣cessity of it.
But of this knowledge of God, which is the maine ground of a godly life, wee haue before spoken; and now it remaineth that wee speake of the hauing of God in our hearts and affections, wills and resolutions. Of which we will intreate first generally, and then more specially. The gene∣rall duty which compriseth all the particulars, is, that knowing and ac∣knowledging the Lord to be in himselfe the chiefe Goodnesse, and infi∣nite in all perfection, and our most gracious and louing Father in Iesus Christ, we doe adhere and cleaue vnto him with all our soules and wills, hearts and affections, resoluing to consecrate our selues wholy to his wor∣ship, and with the vttermost of our indeuour to please him in all things, by conforming our liues in all holy obedience vnto his reuealed will, lea∣uing and forsaking whatsoeuer he condemneth as euill, and imbracing and practizing all that he commandeth as good. And this the Lord re∣quireth in the first place of all those who serue him. Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God, him shalt thou serue, and to him shalt thou cleaue. And againe, Yee shall walke after the Lord your God, and feare him, and keepe his Comman∣dements, and obey his voice, and yee shall serue him and cleaue vnto him. So Barnabas exhorteth the new Conuerts of Antioch, that with full purpose of heart they would cleaue vnto the Lord. And the Apostle perswadeth not to the bare practice of good duties, but that wee cleaue vnto that which is good. Which holy resolution was in Dauid, who purposed in his heart that his mouth should not transgresse; and fully resolued, that if the Lord would teach him the way of his statutes, he would keepe them with his whole heart and vnto the end. The which resolution is necessary vnto all those who intend to leade a godly life, wherein there are so many lets, difficulties and dis∣couragements, that if wee be not fully resolued to passe by, or ouercome them, wee shall eyther not beginne, or soone giue ouer to proceede in the Christian course. And therefore our holy desires to please God in all things, must be armed and confirmed with strong resolutions, that we will do our vttermost indeuour to attaine vnto our desires; or else they will be but like those idle and vain desires of the sluggards, of which Salomon spea∣keth, who desire and haue nothing, because they are but bare wishers, neuer purposing to take any paines for the satisfying of their desires. Neither can such be said to serue God with their whole hearts, but with a part only; For as Philosophy teacheth vs, there are two faculties in the heart of man; the one called concupiscible, which desireth and imbraceth that good which reason discouereth, the other the irascible faculty, which being displeased with those lets and oppositions that hinder the fruition of the good desired, armeth vs with resolution to set vpon and ouercome them. And with both these we must serue God, cleauing vnto him and his