Divine considerations treating of those things which are most profitable, most necessary and most perfect in our Christian profession by John Valdesso.

CONSID. IX.

An excellent priviledge of piety.

ALL the good works whereunto we apply our selves in this present life, do appertain either to the Being a Man, or to the being god∣ly and pious.

The Being of a Man draweth us to have compassion one towards another, to help one another, and that, in all those things that apper∣tain to the commodities of this life.

Piety draws us to have confidence in God, to love him, to depend upon him; it draws us to have confidence in Christ, to love him, and to preach him; it draws us to mortification of the affections and appetites▪ that are after the flesh, and it draws us to the despising of all that which the world doth prize, as honours, states, and riches. Now there may be a man altogether estranged from piety, who will not onely exercise himself in all those things, to which the being of a man doth draw him; but also in those things that are proper to piety, enforcing himself also to do those things, and he shall do some of them: And there may be another altogether pious, who shall not onely exercise himself in those things, which are pro∣perly belonging to piety, but also in those things which are proper to the Being of a man, ap∣plying himself unto them, when they offer

themselves unto him. And as the stranger to piety exercising himself in those things, which are properly of piety▪ doth not exercise himself in piety, but in the being of a man, (for his principall intent is his own proper interest, which is proper to the being of a man,) so on the other side, the person, that is altoge∣ther pious, exercising himself in those things, which are proper to the Being of a man, exer∣ciseth himself in piety, because his principall intent is the glory of God, which is proper to piety. And it comes to passe, that one estran∣ged from piety, shall preach Christ, and shall not exercise himself in piety, because his princi∣pall intent will be his own glory and interest: and on the contrary it comes to passe, that a pi∣ous person will do good to one that is without piety, and he shall be exercised in piety, because his principall intent is the glory of God: And although he was not moved to that thing with Christian charity, but with humane merciful∣nesse, neverthelesse he exercised himself in piety.

Whereupon I gather, that the greatest of all others are those priviledges, which they enjoy which have piety, which is obtained by the holy spirit, which is communicated to the faithfull by Jesus Christ our Lord.

I will adde this, that as he who is estran∣ged from piety, is as it were deprived of the

knowledge of the difference of works which is here set down; so also is he deprived of the knowledge that he doth never exercise himself in piety. And that he, who is pious, doth ex∣cellently well understand, when he exerciseth himself in those things which are proper to a man, and when he exerciseth himself in those things which are properly of piety; and this he doth most easily, by his due care and re∣membrance of the works that he hath done, and the grounds whereupon he did them. It is true that these priviledges of piety are in effect Books, which Isaiah saith, God hath prepared for them that love him, that is, for them that should come to know, and to love him, being justified by faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.