- A godly man is thorow-paced in Religion,1he obeys every Command of God, Act. 13. 22. I have found David a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will. In the Greek […] all my wills. A godly man labours to walk according to the full bredth and latitude of Gods Law. Every Command hath the same stamp of Divine Authority upon it, and he who is godly, will obey one Command as well as another, Psal. 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect to all thy Commandments. A godly man goes through all the Body of Religion, as the Sun through all the Signs of the Zodiack. He that is to play upon a ten-stringed Instrument, must strike upon every string, or he spoils all the Musick. The ten Commandments may be compared to a ten-stringed Instrument, we must obey every Commandment, strike upon every string, or we can make no sweet Musick in Religion: True obedience is filial; it is fit the Childe should obey the Parent in all just and sober commands: Gods Laws are like the Curtains of the Tabernacle, which were looped together; they are like a Chain of Gold, where all the links are coupled: A conscientious man will not willingly break one Link of this Chain; if one Command be violated, the whole Chain is broken, Iam. 2. 10. Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, yet offend in one point, is guilty of all. A voluntary breach of one of Gods Laws, involves a man in the guilt, and exposeth him to the curse of the whole Law: True obedience is intire and uniform: A good heart, like the Needle, points that way which the Load-stone draws.
This is a grand difference between a Childe of God and an hypocrite; the hypocrite doth pick and chuse in Religion; some duties he will perform which are more facil, and do gratifie his pride or interest, but other duties he makes no reckoning of, Mat. 23. 23. Ye pay tithe of Mint and Annis, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law, Iudgment, Mercy, and Faith. To sweat in some duties of Religion, and freeze in other, is the symptom of a distempered Christian. Iehu was zealous in destroying the Idolatry of Baal, but let the golden Calves of Jeroboam stand, 2 Kin. 10. 30. This shows men are not good in truth, when they are good by halves. If your servant should do some of your work you set him about, and leave the rest undone, how would you like that? The Lord saith, Walk before me, and be perfect, Gen. 17. 1. How are our hearts perfect with God, when we prevaricate with him? Some things we will do, and other things we leave undone; he is good, who is good universally. —Pater adsum, impera quid vis. (Plautus)—
There are ten duties God calls for, which a godly man will conscientiously perform; and indeed these Duties may serve as so many other Characters and Touch-stones to try our godliness by.
1 A godly man will be often calling his heart to account;2 he takes the candle of the word, and searcheth his inward parts, Psa. 77. 6. I commune with my own heart, and my spirit made diligent search: a gracious soul searcheth whether there be any duty omitted, any sin cherished; he examines his evidences for heaven; as hee will not take his gold upon trust, so neither his grace; he is a spiritual Merchant, hee casts up the estate of his soul, to see what he is worth; he sets his house in order; often reckonings keep God and conscience friends; a carnal person cannot abide this heart-work, he is ignorant how the affairs go in […] soul; he is like a man, who is well acquainted in forraign parts, but a stranger in his own country. —ut nemo insese tentat descendere, nemo?
2 A godly man is much in closet-prayer, he keeps his hours for private devotion; Iacob when he was left alone, wrestled with God, Gen. 32. 24. So when a gracious heart is alone, it wrestles in prayer, and will not leave God till it hath a blessing; a devout Christian exerciseth eyes of faith, and knees of prayer.
Hypocrites, who have nothing of religion, besides the frontispiece, love to bee seen. Christ hath Characterized them, Mat. 6. 5. They love to pray in the corners of the streets, that they may be3 seen: The hypocrite is devout in the Temple; there all will gaze on him; but he is a stranger to secret communion with God; he is in the Church a Saint, but in his closet an Atheist; a good Christian holds secret intelligence with heaven: —ille dolet verè, qui sine teste dolet.