A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

§. Sect. 2 Of adhering to God, what it is, and the necessity of it.

But of this knowledge of God, which is the main ground of a godly life, we have before spoken; and now it remaineth that we speak of the having of God in our hearts and affections, wills and resolutions. Of which we will entreat first generally, and then more specially. The general duty which compriseth all the particulars, is, that knowing and acknowledging the Lord to be in himself the chief Goodness, and infinite in all perfection, and our most gracious and loving Father in Jesus Christ, we do adhere and cleave unto him with all our souls and wills, hearts and affections, resolving to consecrate our selves wholly to his worship, and with the uttermost of our endeavour to please him in all things, by conforming our lives in all holy obedience unto his revealed will, leaving and forsaking whatsoever he condemneth as evil, and embracing and practicing all that he commandeth as good. And this the Lord requireth in the first place of all those who serve him. Thou shalt fear the ¹Lord thy God, him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave. And again, Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his Commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him and cleave unto him. So Barnabas exhorteth the new Converts of Antioch, that with full purpose of ²heart they would cleave unto the Lord. And the Apostle persuadeth not to the bare practice of good duties, but that we cleave unto that which is good. Which holy resolution was in David, who purposed in his heart that ³his mouth should not transgress; and fully resolved, that if the Lord would teach him the way of his statutes, he would keep them with his whole heart and