and such mercies as we want c. according as we shall see occasion and either use the ground-work and substance of those our usual prayers with such amplifications as we shall judge meetest or for that time in stead of them use such other prayers as we shall find best to suit with our temper and occasions for the preparation of which prayers directions will hereafter be given In the mean time for better understanding and comprehending the precepts given as also for the supply of such who may haply be scarce able to frame to themselves such a form it may not be amiss to subjoyn one for morning and another for evening framed according to the former rules Chap. IX A Form of Prayer made according to the former accommodation which may be used in our morning Privacy THe Christian then having read and meditated as before directed let him reverently kneel down lifting up his hands and eyes but most surely his heart to Heaven say O Almighty and most Blessed God Lord of heaven and earth who makest the outgoings both of morning and evening and by whose good hand upon me thy creature I am awaked out of my last nights sleep and being risen here present my self before thee I humbly bow to thee my knees and therewith my heart and soul and desire with all that is within me to adore thy blessed Majesty But most unworthy and of my self most unsufficient am I to perform unto thee any worship or service What is dust and ashes and such am I if I were innocent to take upon it to speak unto the Lord But I O God am a guilty wretch one whom i◠becommeth to stand a farre and shame covering my face to cry Vnclean Vnclean My soul is naturally overrun with lusts as with an universal Leprofie there is no free part of me My childhood and youth have not onely been vanity but sin I have done nothing else therein but fulfilled the desires of my flesh and mind My corruptions have onely grown with me and my sins since become so much the more sinful by how much the more knowledge I have had of thy will and strength and engagements to have performed it To this very day as indeed I ever have done I daily break thy holy Laws in thought word and actions by choosing what thou hast forbidden and neglecting what thou hast commanded ** * Here confess any particular or fresh sin committed or duty neglected which in thy examination of thy self thou hast found In all my ways I most miserably transgress My very a sleep it self O Lord is not innocent Nor is it thus onely in the common and more ordinary actions of my life Those few good deeds which I do have many not onely †Remember in the use of these or any such words to reflect in thy thoughts upon any particulars which thy conscience tels thee they may fitly represent to God touching thee infirmities but sins in them and I have need to repent of my very righteousness of my †*** I therefore so desire to do and am here come before thee as thou hast commanded me to confess my sin unto thee with hopes according to thy promise that I shall find mercy I have O God confessed to thee as I am able Now Mercy Mercy let me find with thee through Christ Jesus my Saviour Remember that atonement which he made by the bloud of his Cross In those streames throughly wash away my filth By those Wounds let me be healed and by his Death let me atttain a blessed immortality * * Particularly let me obtain the pardon of * And send down thine holy Spirit abundantly into mine heart which may renew me throughout according to thine Image healing all the naughty inclinations of my soul and begetting in me an hearty love unto holiness and a constant fear of thee my God that I may have respect unto all thy Commandments and walk before thee all my dayes with a perfect heart Quicken me also by the same thy good Spirit to give all diligence in every duty and especially in ** that I may grow in grace and in thy favour and daily come nearer unto salvation and thee And forasmuch as I my self am unstable as water preserve me by thy power through Faith that I fall not from my integrity nor depart wickedly from thee my God Especially keep thy servant from his iniquity or his iniquites of *** and make me most watchful against all those * Here thou maist have many private and proper reslexions and so generally wheresoever the same mark is set occasions and wiles of sin by which I have been formerly insnared My outward condition during all the dayes of my pilgrimage here on earth do thou order to thy glory and my own good and if it may be thy holy Will grant that it may be so far quiet and prosperous as that I may serve thee chearfully and without distraction Be gracious also O Lord unto thine Holy Church and to this Church especially Watch over us daily for good and be pleased to bless and preserve the Kings Majesty his Queen and all the Royall Family Grant that all Magistrates may be faithful both to thee and to their Prince and Country in their trust and that all Ministers of what degree soever may be sober watchful servent and successful in thy work Let the whole Nation and especially this neighbourhood grow in the true knowledge and fear of thee Visit with thy grace and blessing all my †Relations my †Friends and †Benefactors Forgive and reconcile both to thy self and me all mine †enemies Comfort relieve and in thine own good time deliver all thy servants †who are in any distress inward or outward and sanctifie both to them and me all thy dealings causing all things in the end to work together for good according to thine infinite Power and Wisdome whereby thou over-rulest all events For which thy gracious administration of the whole course of nature and the multitude of blessings appertaining both to this life and that which is to come which thy providence incessantly heapes upon all mankind and particularly upon me thy most undeserving servant for ever blessed be thy holy Name Especially may Heaven and Earth ever praise thee for the redemption of the world by thy Son and the knowledge of thee through him revealed in thy Word and the mighty workings of thy Spirit thereby And be thou pleased to accept of that praise which thy servant hereby returnes thee as great as he can for them all and particularly for this last nights refreshings together with the comfortable restoring him to the enjoyment of day Grant me thy special Grace that I may spend my time to thy Glory and may be all the day long in thy fear Keep me that I fall into no sin nor run into any danger And accept thou this my morning service and to gather me who here devote my self to
keep all his life as a perpetual Sabbatism Hebr. 4. 10. or holy rest unto God it must needs be an argument of a very profane worldly and unchristian spirit not to afford God this day free from sensual pleasures and worldly cares or labours Wherefore I say the keeping holy of the Lords day I put out of all question and would have no man flatter himself that he is a devout Christian who useth either by idleness or pleasures or unnecessary worldly business to profane what the Church and being that the Church hath done it by good warrant and power transmitted to her by Christ God himself hath allowed Profanation I call it for if the spending it to holy purposes be to sanctifie it then the spending it contrarily upon ordinary or unworthy practices is to profane it And if we may not give that which is holy unto dogs it is then surely most intolerable to take that time which by divine Law ought to be holy unto God and give it to his enemies the devil this world and our own lusts which we do when we spend the Lords day either in idleness pleasures or needless worldly matters Works of charity or mercy are acts of holiness and works of necessity so far forth as they are works of necessity are acts of mercy and consequently the doing of either of these that is works of Charity or Necessity when due occasion calls me thereto is rather sanctifying than unhallowing the Lords day especially if I do them out of duty towards God and in his fear and for this I have his warrant who tels Mat. 9. 13. me that he better accepts Mercy than Sacrifice Chap. VII Of Preparation for the Lords day A preparatory Prayer thereto SEeing then that the Lords day is to be kept holy that is to be spent in the worship and service of God for which it is set apart it concerns me to consider how I may spend it in a way most complying with this its design or intendment And I shall easily upon the very consideration of the nature of Gods worship be convinced that it is in a manner impossible for me duely to sanctifie it if I come unto it hot and wreaking from my worldly business For being I am to worship God in spirit and in truth with all my mind soul and strength and in a word with my whole man evident it is that I am unable so to do while my heart yet remains unemptied of the world and being unfit to worship God I am not while so in a due state to sanctifie this day Wherefore the right sanctification of the Lords day is to begin with Preparation And it is a right wholsome institution that upon the Evening before it there should be Prayers in every Parish Church which is grown now too much into disuse by reason onely that I can imagine of the degeneracy of the age If there be such custome kept up in my Parish I would not but upon necessity be absent from those preparatory prayers At which though I should be supposed to have been present yet would I not content my self therewith but whether I have been imployed publickly in preparations or not in my course of devotion on Saturday night take so much more time than I do ordinarily as might serve for some preparatory Meditations and Prayers The least which I can do to this purpose in my Meditations is First To examine whether there be not some sin or sad miscarriage of the week past which lies unrepented of and so may blast my next daies performances And if any there be secondly to consider of it more particularly its aggravations its nature whether it be not such an one part of the Repentance for which must be Reconciliation Restitution or somewhat like and accordingly to apply my self to what I in my conscience and in the fear of God do judge due repentance Thirdly to endeavour the emptying my head of worldly at least distracting cares to bid them be gone now till a day for them return And lastly so to contrive as neer as I can all my affairs for the next day that both I and my family may have as little avocations or matters to call away our minds from holy duties as may be This by way of Meditation My Prayers must be suitable to my condition If any such sin as before mentioned be found that must be confessed bewailed and pardon craved together with grace for the future against it which may be done by putting in the mention of that sin in the proper space left for such purpose But besides this it will be necessary to add some particular petitions for due preparation or disposition of heart for the duties of the next day First for a quiet setled and composed mind so that I may attend with all my soul my holy concerns or business Secondly for enlivened affections that I may not be dull and heartless but of a tender and melting spirit Thirdly for a pliable ductile yielding and easie mind that I may mix the word with faith and render the obedience of faith Lastly because both my own and the Congregations benefit and edification much depends upon the Ministers due and affectionate discharge of his office it is therefore fit I forget not him but commend him to the assistance of the Spirit To which purpose the following prayer may be either inserted in some fit place towards the end of my prayers or added to them O Lord from whom the preparations of the heart are The day now approacheth which being holy unto thee I am to spend in thy more solemn worship Many sins there are by me not duely repented of which may justly bring upon me a curse instead of a blessing Especially my * Here insert the mention of such particular sinnes which thou hast found thy self guilty of c. may make my very prayers an abomination to thee But accept thou I beseech thee of this my confession of them and at least desired sorrow for them Turn my heart from them for the future and through the bloud of my Saviour so remove the guilt of them that they may not hinder good things from me Let the effusions of thy grace both upon me and all the Congregations of thy people be plentifull Let my heart be fixed and none either vain or worldly thoughts lodge within me this night Quicken me by thy Holy Spirit that I may draw neer unto thee with a true heart and be fervent in Spirit in thy service and with a good and honest heart receiving thy word may understand and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience and unto perfection Remember thou thy servants who are to dispense thy Mysteries unto thy people and especially him upon whose teaching I am to wait Pardon their sins and frailties Open their mouths guide their minds and tongues that they may deliver thy truths in the demonstration of thy Spirit and let thy work so prosper
in their hands that both themselves and others may be built up in our most holy faith to the perfecting thy Church and the eternal glory of thy name thereby through our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus Amen Chap. VIII Of the true manner of sanctifying the Lords day Sect. 1. Generally before I go to Church NOw as to my Closet duties upon this day least the sole consideration of them should breed any neglect forgetfulness or disturbance of the duties to be performed in the family and in the publick assembly it will be most expedient to consider the whole duties of that day both publick private and secret and set down each in their natural order First then as upon no day we suppose our Christian to be slothfull so least of all upon the Lords day but to be up in a convenient season both himself and if any are under his charge to see that they are so to A convenient season I call that which every mans health and occasions being considered will agree therewith and leave time sufficient for the discharge of the duties of the day And supposing the publick service to begin generally about nine of the clock between six and seven will be a good hour and all things being well ordered may consist very well with most mens health and occasions And of this time which passeth between my rising and going to Church if an hour and the odd parts be divided between the devotions of the family and the closet so that half an hour be spent in the one and the other half with the odd time in my closet it may do very well and the common occasions of most houses being considered so much time may be allowed If so much cannot be afforded to this work yet let some and what day soever I spend with double prayers I mean prayer in my closet and prayer in my family yet this day let me omit neither It is a bad omen to begin the sanctification of the Lords day by the breach of my ordinary course of devotion and an argument it is likely to be but negligently sanctified by me Besides many in my family may perhaps make no other preparation for the worship of God than what they make by joyning in the family-devotions it will be therefore the more necessary to make sure of thus much Sect. 2. Of secret devotion in the Closet before going to Church NOw my private devotions will be for the main the same this day as others Only in my Meditations it is to be remembred that I examine my self touching my preparations for the solemn worship of God that day and if any thing in my preparatory devotion be wanting any sin unconfessed unrepented of c. in these my morning devotions let that be done And how compleat soever I may conceive my preparations to have been yet let me not in my prayers in private that morning forget to send up some petitions for preparing and assisting grace to the end I may more spiritually go through the duties of the day for the doing of which I cannot Chap. 7. now want directions after a preparatory prayer already considered upon And these my closet devotions it will be necessary be first performed for that they will very well fit me to perform my devotions in my family with more fervency Sect. 3. Of Private devotion in the family before going to Church A digression touching what our devotion in the family is alwaies to consist of THese therefore being done and it being now somewhat above half an hour till the time we usually go to Church I am to call all my family except in extraordinary cases of sickness c. together to prayer at which time all of them who that day can go to Church which should be as many as may be should appeare dressed as they are to go that so after the family devotions performed within a very short space we might all together resort to the publick place of Gods worship Now if question be made what the devotions of the family are to consist of the answer is they cannot well consist of more or less than these two parts Reading and Prayer By Reading here I understand chiefly the reading of the Word of God and that it is the duty of the head of the family either himself to read or cause by some other to be read the holy Scriptures in the hearing of the family none can question who considers those frequent Commands to the ancient people of God to teach their children the Law of God and his judgments and dealings Deut. 4. 9. c. with them Now how they can be taught those things by their parents from whom they never hear of them cannot be understood nor will any reasonable person think thefe commands fulfilled by the meer teaching their children the Belief Lords prayer and ten Commandements though this must be most sure to be done for we find of old they were to acquaint their children of Gods wonderful works in delivering them out of the Land of Egypt And in like manner we Christians to teach our children Gods Miracles of grace in freeing us by his Son out of the bondage of sin which how it can be better done than as God hath thought fit to teach it to the world to wit by the Holy Scriptures none will easily find out Now for the method to be observed in reading the Scriptures in our family that which was above commended for use in the Closet may haply be most proper And if I so order it that I read the same portion of Scripture in my family and in my closet it may be much for my edification the double reading it will set it deeper both in my memory and in my understanding But then least I read faster and more in my family than in my closet and for other reasons it will be necessary that either my Closet devotions go before my Family devotions or that at least I so contrive my readings that what I last read in my Closet I the next time read in my Family Instead of Meditation which was one part of my Closet devotion if in my family I use to examine my people what they have learnt or observed out of what hath been read and where none takes notice of what is mainly observable there suggest it to them it may not be amiss provided it be done soberly without a long deal of prate and medling with curious matters and without vain-glory The Prayers which I use in my family except upon some very eminent occasions may best be the Prayers of the Church These are easie and best understandable and the use of them in our families will sit the plainest people in our family to use them with more devotion and understanding in the publick Notwithstanding I confess my judgment in this case to be that the Injunction of them doth not in strictness reach to private families but there is a liberty leâ—st
about my business remembring not onely how displeasing it is to God but how unprofitable to my self to draw near unto him with my body onely and honour him with my lips when my soul is afar off Whatsoever I hear of the Word read or preached I must remember all along to apply unto my self not carping at or censuring the Preacher but taking all in the best sense Possibly it may be long of my sins he did no better or so ill nor looking so much how it concerns others as my own particular state and manners And if there be any thing which more nearly toucheth and concerneth me that let me be sure by some means or other to keep or set home upon my memory perhaps there may be some place of Scripture cited to confirm explain or illustrate it let me note that place and the being able to find it may in case I am forgetful bring the matter to my remembrance The exercises of divine worship being all ended I am with the same reverence to depart the Church with which I entred it not rudely hastily and disorderly as the common manner of the multitude is courteously saluting any of my neighbours which I have occasion to salute and that with inward love and good will remembring that the ancient Christians had such an usage at their Assemblies as the Kiss of Charity it is but Christian therefore for me to use a charitable and chearful Salutation of any of my Christian neighbours Sect. 6. Of due behaviour between the Moruing and Evening Service My return with my family home should be with the same gravity and care with which was my passage to the Church my talk rather of what I heard or learnt than of any worldly matter except necessary occasions enforce the contrary And being come home one of my first businesses should be to step aside into my Closet if possibly I can and there according as I have found my my self affected to apply my self unto God If I have been awakened to any duty raised to any hopes of Gods favour strengthened in any of my holy resolutions informed of any thing touching which I was ignorant or the like there briefly to bless God for it if I have been dull and improfitable there to bewail it both which may be done after this or some such sort I Bless thee O Lord my God for the comforts of thy House for thy awakenings of me to my duty for any softenings of my heart and sense of thy love or hopes of injoying thee hereafter Not unto me O Lord not unto me who am a vain hard-hearted sinful wretch of my self but to thy holy Name be the praise Now encrease I beseech thee this thy goodness to me and confirm me in thy Grace evermore Let me grow in the knowledge fear and love of thee and any impressions thereof which I have this day received suffer me not to loose but enable me to bring forth fruit unto perfection to the glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ my blessed Lord and Mediatour Amen If this prayer may not suit with my condition it may be presumed that as I have knowledge enough to see it doth not so I have abilities enough in some tolerable way to represent and bewail before God my barrenness heedlesness worldliness carnality and whatever other great distempers I find in my soul which accordingly I ought briefly to do And this being done let me recollect my self and view over in my mind those severals which I have that day learned or been affected with for this will further imprint them upon my memory Less than a quarter of an hour may suffice hereto and though haply sometimes I may see occasion to allow more yet so much sure I may afford at all times Having thus fastened upon my spirit my spiritual gains I now depart to my company for the necessary refreshment of my body which this day was not appointed to abridge me of Let me therefore be chearful and eating my meat in singleness of heart rejoyce before my God but let not my joy by any means be wanton idle vain or intemperate Of the rest of the time which passeth between the publick duties of the day the imployment ought to be sacred at least wholesome and such which may not indispose me for the remaining part of the daies work and hereof much care is to be had First As to my discourse touching which if it be the Apostles Precept at all times to be observed that our speech be alway with grace seasoned Col. 4. 6. with salt certainly more specially ought it to be such on this day And though it cannot be accounted absolutely sinful to converse about secular matters of concernment if occasion so require yet 1. To be wholly taken up with these cannot but argue a greater care of this world than sense of Christianity if so be there be any truth in that speech of him who is infallible Out of the abundance of the heart the Mat. 74. 34. mouth speaketh And 2. To be needlesly meddling with such affairs or idly busying our selves about other mens actions and concernes which are the ordinary subject of mens discourses after dinner on the Lords day is at the best but a mixture of worldliness and vanity and it is made the character of naughty men that their tongues walk through Psal 73. the earth Secondly As to my actions care too is to be taken It is not questionless unlawful upon due occasion that is on account of mine own or others necessity or considerable conveniency to put mine hands to an ordinary action as is evident Luk. 13. 9 5. from our Saviours both doctrine and practice But as abovesaid of discourse so now of business to be needlesly imployed in worldly matters and ordinary work cannot but be some kind of profanation of the day as being contrary to its sanctification that is the spending it to other uses and ends than those for which it was set apart And albeit in this case no certain perpetual rule is to be set the conditions of men being various but each mans Christian discretion and piety ought to mete out to himself what he in his own conscience and in the fear of God considering his occasions judgeth fit in which we are not one to judge another notwithstanding I cannot think that man takes such care of himself as he ought or is duly cautious of indisposing his heart for his duty who can constantly suffer all this time between Morning and Evening service to pass over with him without any thing of devotion either in his privacy or family or just as the same time passeth over every day This I say cannot be to sanctifie the day because not to separate it from common and to use it to distinct ends Soon therefore after dinner ended amongst all the family it is meet that I call the younger sort and set them to the learning their Carechisme and as to
but the recompence of it with many signal blessings recorded in Scripture which recompence God doth not use to give to will-worship Thus we find Anna commended for her continuing in the Temple day and night serving God with Fastings and Prayers And it Luke 2. 36. is observable that fasting is there reckoned as one part of her serving God That blessed vision which led Cornelius to the knowledge of Act. 10. Christ was vouchsafed to him upon a day when he had fasted till about the ninth hour which is with us three a clock and then too we find him not at meat but prayer All which cannot but enforce that though it be not alwaies and indispensibly a duty as is Faith Repentance Charity and such others yet is it as far a duty as any thing can be that is not required absolutely and for it self and that therefore whensoever there is occasion for it and no Christian can be long without due occasions requiring it it is to be performed and being so if it should be performed in manner of a free will offering or oftner than in strictness the Christian might seem to have need of it yet if it be done as it should be it is likely to be acceptable to God But this makes it seasonable to enquire how often a Christian is to fast Chap. IV. How often a Christian is to fast IN answer whereunto it must be said that no certain or constant rule as to all persons can or may be given herein nor will the times of fasting be the same to all some men having more need others less if not need yet opportunity We are assured by the ends to which it serves that many mens particular conditions which haply leave them none other means to mortifie the flesh but this make it a duty very necessary for them to be much in On the other side those who ever feed sparingly and temperately and have an evener constitution less inclined to carnality and inordinate affections than have other men seem to have least need of this taming discipline And those whose labours are daily and hard and whose life is servile many times neither have so much need nor so much opportunity of fasting as have those whose life is easier Yet forasmuch as it is according to what hath been above insinuated a piece of Afflicting a mans soul and so a necessary piece of contrition and repentance which hath commonly somewhat of indignation against a mans self in it there is none who can think himself wholy dispensed with for it or to have no need at all of it But I say every mans conscience and Christian discretion must in the fear of God set to himself the rule how often he is to fast for that every one best knows his own needs and it would be very sinful in some not to use more strict and oftner fastings than others and some on the contrary must be very injurious to themselves should they use so much fasting as others if they duely consider their leisure and condition cannot but think themselves in duty bound to This is the sum of what in general may be positively determined as to all Yet it is worthy our consideration and may be a guide to particular persons to remember First that it is a practice of very great antiquity to fast twice a week and was in use as is evident before our Saviours daies and by him not censured in the Pharisee upon any other account than because he was proud and conceited of it using to reflect upon it in oftentation of his own holiness and scorn of others And it is a very worthy note of St. Chrysostomes that we should onely avoid the Pharisees pride but not neglect his performances as on the other side forsake the Publicans sins but retain his humility I here is also a constitution which although perhaps it pretend to more authority and antiquity than it ought yet must be acknowledged to be ancient and not unreasonable that we should fast Wednesdaies and Fridaies because on the one the Lord was betrayed and on the other crucified and it is beyond controversie Constitute a Clem. Roman collect Lib 5. Cap. 14. that the primitive Christians used to have their solemn assemblies upon those daies not much less constant than upon the Lords daies Secondly that if this course be not alwaies to be used which yet I know not what should hinder except a man want leisure yet at certain seasons as in Lent and Ember weeks the commands and custom of the Church will engage me to as much as this amounts to if not to more And he to whom the commands of our present and continued practice of the Catholick Church in devotionals signifie nothing is surely a man of a strange humourous sanctity Lastly It is out of question that there is no Christian can walk strictly and keep a good conscience towards God and man who hath not Dr. Hâ—mmons Pract. Catech Lio 2. Sect 3. his solemn set daies for the performing that great and weighty duty of humiliation in calling himself to an account for all his waies and confessing his sins more particularly before God and those daies should not be too slow in their returns that is too seldom least his soul should be too deep in arrears that is least there should be such a long score of his sins unrepented of that he think it an infinite and endless work to repent of them and so be loath to come to account at all It is very reasonable therefore for every man and woman of any tolerable leisure to set apart one day in a week for this purpose or if the whole day or any other part of it may not be spared from the business of his calling yet the dinner time that day may be borrowed from eating and thus more usefully imployed without disturbance to the affairs or injury to the health of any ordinary person I do not say that this day ought alwaies to be one and the same it may be one week one day and the next another according as my occasions will best bear nay even after I have appointed it upon unexpected events it may undoubtedly be altered without sin but wholy neglected it cannot be without a sinful omission except upon some urgent or more than ordinary business Chap. V. Of the Preparatory acts for Private Fasting daies THe worship of God is ever best celebrated when some kind of preparation is made for it It will be meet therefore that somewhat I do by way of preparation for my private fasts And one piece of Preparation as well for these daies as for the Lords day it self though indeed somewhat remote or afarre off it will be to be diligent other daies in my calling and well to husband both my time and estate For if he who hath not by his six daies labour made such provision for himself and his as that he may be without care of providing upon
the seventh day will scarce rest that seventh day unto God without distraction as seems to be suggested to us by those words Six daies shalt thou labour being put into the fourth Commandement much less will he be able to allow himself constantly more time in a week than a seventh day comes to to wit some part of every day and a considerable part besides of one of the six daies which is to be his fast to the service of God I would therefore have every man not to incumber himself in this world more than he needs must We should learn to know when we have enough and allow our selves some part of our time to enjoy as well as all to get But this is preparation very far off The first act of more immediate preparation for these my fasting daies will be prudently to contrive upon foresight and consideration of my weeks business what day or daies they are in which I can best spare time for this work and those daies or that day will be the fittest to be pitched upon in which I may the most freely converse with God without the disturbance which much business necessarily brings Besides the time spent in my ordinacy course of devotions which are not upon my fasts to be omitted under pretence of making amends for them or running them up into my penitentiary performances I cannot upon those daies when I allow least allow less than two hours and upwards to the peculiar work of my fasts So much time therefore at the least I say I must resolve such a day to devote Which being resolved upon it will be sit as a second act of my more immediate preparation in the devotions of the evening before to spend a petition or two in my prayers to God that he would by his gracious Spirit prepare me for the work which I intend the next day softning my heart and giving me to understand my errours that I may duely â—â—ment them and truly amend them which petitions I may easily see a fit place to insert in my prayers And the day being come unto my morning devotions it will be expedient to add some such short prayer as this which follows O Lord who sees the purposes of all hearts and hast been privy to the intentions of thy servant touching calling himself this day to an account of his waies and humbling himself before thee for all his transgressions Be thou in mercy present to me by the preventings and assistance of thy grace that I may with a true heart and contrite spirit perform what I intend Grant that no worldly cares or business may so take off my mind from thee but that I may be able forthwith to return and without distraction to employ my whole soul in my designed devotions to the glory of thy Name my own amendment and comfort here and everlasting blessedness hereafter in and through thy Son Jesus Christ my Lord Amen And lastly my morning devotions being thus finished untill the time come that I have resolved to retire I must endeavour to converse and behave my self in my ordinary affairs so warily as that nothing may discompose disorder or disturb me no worldly design too much possess my thoughts according as above I have prayed Chap. VI. The order of Humiliation or Renitentiary Devotions Sect. 1. The entrance unto the work THat time being now come which I appointed to spend with God in my Closet I must religiously observe mine appointment For albeit the resolve was onely private and never proceeded without my own breast or closet yet hath God taken notice of it and it stands on record in his omniscience and by breaking these my private and as happily I may judge less material resolutions I shall soon learn to break my word and vows too in other matters both with God and man Coming therefore at my time appointed into my Closet I reverently kneel down before God and having the sense of his presence and all-seeing eye upon mine heart humbly begin in some such short prayer as is this which follows I Am come O Lord into thy presence upon work which no one hath more need to do than my self to consider my wayes and repent of my sins and turn to thee But I have an hard heart not apt to relent and dry eyes such at least which seldom shed tears for my sins O that thou would'st bow the Heavens and come down and melt my soul that it might kindly flow forth before thee in godly sorrow which might work repentance not to be repented of Open mine eyes and help me to see into mine heart Bâ—ing my sins to my remembrance and set them in order before me that an holy shame and confusion may cover my face for them and thou beholding my contrition maist accept it and both pardon me and assist me hereafter by thy grace that I may live more godlily righteously and soberly in this present world and attain unto blessedness with thy self in the world to come through the merits of Christ Jesus my Lord and Saviour Amen Sect. 2. Of Reading so as to fit my self for self-examination SOme such supplication being with aâ—l my heart made unto God I may haply find it not to be alwayes the best course forthwiâ—h to fall upon the examinaâ—ion of my self For for this I shall be the fitter when awakened and made more attentive to my self by some other exercise It may be proper therefore to spend and hour in the reading some honest practical Book which treateth severally of those duties which we owe both to God others and our selves to wit upon that particular Book which knowing to be very good I have chosen and singled out to my self to read and practice such as are the never enough commended Doctor Hammond's Practical Catechisme or if that seem to any too difficult that excellent Book The whole Duty â—f Man And in reading hereof I must endeavour to read First with understanding so that it is not so much the repeating to my self the words as considering and digesting the substance of them which I must account reading of them I must therefore read and study the Book as Schollars do their Books and if there be any material thing which I do not understand mark it so that I may inform my self by advising with some more able person than my self Secondly I must read all with application to my self remembring that all this concerns me and endeavouring to see how it concerns me whether I perform the duty I read of as I should or how I neglect it c. By this means taking upon every of my fasting dayes a part my Book will in convenient season be read over which when it is it must not be thrown aside but read through again and again with the same diligence till I am perfect in it Nor ought the third or fourth reading of a good profitable and practical Treatise to be tedious or unpleasant to me for that Christian duties
ever take heed what matters here we do I would not choose this as a place of my vainer discourse or freer hours as some do who are ever severest in company and allow themselves liberty in private or amongst their confidents whom if they can but get into such a place where neither mens eye nor ear can reach them as the closet for the main is supposed to be their company shall be vain and srolick to as high a degree almost as any mens I take it and I am greatly deceived if I mistake it for a certain argument that the serious belief of a God and of the World to come is much wanting in his heart who dare be naught idle or sinfully merry if he can but get out of mans sight and cognizance PART II. Treating of Daily Closet-Duties Chap. I. That if I am a person of leisure I ought daily twice in the day to retire into my Closet for devotions sake It followeth now to be considered of my more solemn retirement or entrance into my Closet Now that I account a solemn recourse thither when my businesse there is purely devotion And such recourse is either ordinary or more speciall My ordinary retirement into my Closet should be daily and that if my condition will conveniently admit as most mens may twice a day oftener I may as at noon seldomer I well cannot I am bound thereto upon the same grounds upon which I am bound to pray twice a day and the sum of them is that the command saith Pray continually the meaning of which we cannot but take to be 1 either pray alwaies when you may for other duties that is so much time as thou canst spare from the work of thy calling and due care of thy body and other offices of Charity and Piety spend in that duty of prayer or else 2. parallel to that of the continual burnt Offering which was called Continual because ever continued in its course twice a day Keep a continuall course of prayer morning and evening And this the practices of the Saints in Scripture which we may look upon as Exemplâ—fications of that forenamed command to wit the Practice of David praying Evening Morning and at Noon of Psal 55. 7. Dan. 6. Daniel as many times and none that we read of less than twice cannot but enforce upon us as the least which can be our duty in this case If any think they are excused from private prayer twice a day by their praying twice a day with the Family of which they are a part They are to understand that there is no particular strict command touching the nature of our daily devotions prescribing them to be either publick or private or both but that it is most just and equitable that God should have a liberal part of our time as well as of our estates Dr. Ham Pract. Catech. Lib. 3. sect 2. that therefore if our condition be such that besides the time which we spend in prayer with the Family which no one who would have God to bless his Family can think he may neglect we have convenient leisure from other necessary matters it cannot be better bestowed than in our Closet and upon our Soules And it will questionlesse be a piece of very sinfull vanity to trifle it away and omit what it might so well have been imployed upon According as in matter of my estate if after sufficient necessaries and conveniences provided for my self and Family there do yet remain in my hand a portion of what God hath given me I cannot but look upon it as my duty to supply therewith the necessities of those who want and as my sin for me idly to squander it away which might have fild so many hungry bellies or cloathed so many naked or ragged backs Further God having in joyned me the duty of prayer but left the particular frequency of it after the nature of other freewill offerings to my Christian discretion I ought not to be therefore the more heedless but rather because I know my sacrifice will be ever accepted how often soever brought with an honest heart out of an holy ambition of pleasing God and sending up an odour of a sweet savour unto heaven to bring it as often as I can And surely twice a day I may present even my private devotions If I be single and in my own power there is no question but I may If I be the Master or Mistris of a Family there is little question of it If I be a servant or one who works for my living there is indeed somewhat the more question for that not only I may be straightned in time but want the conveniency of privacy But yet even in this case what hinders but that being I cannot do so well as I would I may do so well as I can to wit rising one piece of an hour ordinarily sooner or lying down so much latter fall down upon my knees by my self at my beds side and privately poure out my confessions and prayers before God And what if my fellow servant be with me Why should I be ashamed to do before him what he cannot but acknowledg he also ought to do shall I not one day much more blush and be confounded at the omission of my duty before Men and Angels and God himself than here at the performance of it And which shame rather to be chosen That before God all Men Angels Devils than this before one or two That which is eternall or this which after I have once or twice despised I shall be troubled with no more Begin to do so and after the first or second time thou wilt never be ashamed of it I assure thee at least thou wilt never repent This then should be my ordinary retirement twice a day Our more special retirement ought to be upon Lords daies Holy-daies and our own private Fast-daies each of which will come hereafter to be considered In the mean time our daily retirement and devotions must be proceeded with Chap. II. Considerations to perswade to daily devotion and prayer in private ANd to the end I may be sure to keep such course as beforesaid let me sit down and seriously weigh First the concernment importance and vast moment of those things which by prayer I am to seek and may obtain above the other upon which most of my time is spent What is it of worldly goods which will not pass away at least as to me and my injoyment of it with my self I dying all dyes with me my estate my honours my friends and all such are no more comfortable to me when death once appears but haply a torment being that they are all now to be left It is therefore but to the end of my threescore years and ten if I should live so long or thereabouts that these can be good at all And of these my threescore years and ten which it is a thousand to one whether ever I reach how
consult Chap. III. Of the substance of every dayes private devotion To persons of leisure Reading Meditation and Prayer THe private devotion of every day will be different to particular persons according as their conditions differ from such who are servants or lead a servile life I mean all those who get their living by their daily labour whose abilities of mind are therefore meaner and and whose privacy more difficult from such I say no more than this may seem to be expected that both in the morning being risen and at night being about to lye down they in the fear of God fall down before him and pray unto him touching which directions will a non follow From those whose way of life being more liberal their abilities and opportunities are greater more may seem justly to be looked for according to that rule To whom Luk 12. 48. much is given from them shall much be required Speaking therefore to to such who have estates and leisure and so may have opportune privacy â—â—suppose their daily private devotion cannot be compleat except consisting of Reading Meditation and Prayer Touching private Prayer it hath been before spoken and nothing now can by such whom the present consultation concerneth be said for the dispensing with it being it is even their duty who are of meaner qualily and capacity and therefore much more theirs who are of greater Touching Reading and Meditation if any suspicion arise it will easily be removed by those commands which enjoyn us that we Search diligently the Scriptures that John 5. 39 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coloss 3. 16. the word of God dwell plentifully inus and by such Characters of righteous persons as that they are such whose delight is in the Law of the Lord and who meditate therein day and night And certainly such commands Psai 1. being capable to be intended or remitted I mean being to be construed with some regard and according to that general rule aforementioned to whom much is given from him much shall be required cannot but be interpreted to require greater and more diligent Searching that is more of Reading and Meditating upon Scripture from those who have greater opportunity and ability to do it than they do from others who are meaner in both Of such an one therefore who hath not time every day or if he haply have yet cannot read it may be thought he dischargeth his duty of searching the Scripture if in a way proportionable to his ability he endeavour to acquaint himself with Scripture to wit by a diligent attention to it and inquiring of it ashe hath conveniency when it is read on preached But of such an one who can read and hath time to meditate on what he reads and whom it may be it concerns to instruct others in the knowledg of Scripture as being over them of such an one I say being that more is required than of the other it cannot in reason be thought that he hath done his duty by bare attention unto Scripture read except he himself read and meditate therein And he will very hardly we may not fear to say not at all approve himself to be a Godly man if he behave not himself as Godly men did of old that is if he delight not in the Law of the Lord and therein daily meditate If I should doubt therefore whether it be strictly my duty day and night morning and evening to read the Scriptures and meditate I cannot doubt for I see plain evidence for it that it is a Godly mans Character one part of his practice as he is a Godly man to road and meditate if therefore intend to be a Godly man it must be my care and practice too Wherefore of these three Reading Meditation and Prayer seeing that none may be well omitted at least not ordinarily neglected it is requisite more particular consideration be had Chap. IIII. Of Reading the Holy Scripture The most edifying method and manner of Reading it consulted of BY Reading here I understand reading the sole word of God and this as it should constantly for the main at least if not ever have a place in my daily devotions in private so therein me-thinks will most conveniently take place in the beginning of them on this wise Being entered into my Closet for my devotions sake it becomes me first in all humility and out of the fear of God not out of custome to fall down before him and in short according to former direction to beg his blessing upon me and presence with me there presenting my self to worship before his majesty To which purpose the Form * Part. 1. Chap. 3. already delivered may be proper either for use or further direction according as I shall see sit This being done forthwith let me apply my self to the reading soine portion of the word according to my prefixed course And what course shall that be Modesty would presently answer The same which the wisdome of the Church hath prescribed for publick use And the truth is the Church consulting herein as she ought the edification of the people this order hath in this point the advantage of all other that it will lead us to read over all the most usefull parts of Scripture and those most frequently to wit the New Testament excepting onely some Chapters of the Revelation three times a year the Psalmes once a month the Old Testament excepting onely the two books of Chroni les which are for the most part extant in the Kings and Samuel and some other Chapters of other books cheifly relating to the Jewish state once in a year But then if we consider its complyance with our present designe it hath these two exceptions lying against it First that the portions of Scripture by that order to be read daily are greater than what every mans or most mens conveniency will afford time to read and meditate upon as it is supposed at present best for a devout Christian to do And then Secondly that by this means a considerable part of the Old Testament and some part of the New will be left out which parts are not questionless without their use though comparitively not so necessary for the publick commonalty as the other And to the Churches prescription it may be said that it was never the Churches intention to prescribe this order for mens Closets in private where she can neither take notice of their observing nor neglecting it but onely for publick edification and uniformity This order therefore being taken not to be so proper for our present purpose the next which will offer it self will be the natural order of the books in which they lye Now this though not liable to the exceptions which we found against the former being that nothing then will be omitted nor the Reader over burdened with too great a portion being he is left to himself yet hath this inconveniency that it will detain the observer of it a great while in those
it Men rejected what their reason would have guided them to choose And this being that I was led thereto by considering the drift of the words and find now that the words will to my best judgment very well bear I conceive may probably be the meaning of this place But here it may be very necessary to admonish especially ordinary people that they proceed not too far upon their own judgments in interpreting darker places of Scripture of which this haply may seem one We have only in what we have said shewn the best way which can be taken for the finding out the sense of Scripture But if so be that using this method I particularly could not have found out so much touching the sense of this Scripture as hath been above declared yet had not either my reading or my meditation been fruitless I could very well and very profitably have rested in this that I observed these verses to testifie to me that Christ is God and by him all things were made and that from him came life and all the light which in life men have And thus much by observation a plain person might have found from hence But usually plain persons will do best not to trust the strength of their own reason which commonly is none of the best judge of consequences and dependances but rather get to themselves such helps as above directed to and follow their wholsome guidance Well having found out as I conceive thus much of the meaning of this Scripture if there be any thing else I doubt of in that part of it which remains I proceed to consider it carrying still in my mind the scope of the whole and thus much as I have learnt of the sense of the former part The substance of the remaining part seems to me thus much That when it pleased the Word to be made flesh that is the Son of God to take upon him our nature and in that nature to dwel John the Baptist was sent for a witness to testifie that this was the true true light to the end that men might believe And to as many of mankind as did believe upon and receive this light this light himself being the eternal and natural Son of God gave the priviledge right or power to become through him the Sons of God being now born unto a new viz a godly life by their receiving him Now here it may be as I look through the particular verses are one or two things more of moment which doubt of and touching which I will consult the best helps I have or otherwise consider with as much attention and modesty as I can First in what sense should Christ be termed the true light This considering of I remember that before there was mention of a certain light which all men did partake from the Word as created by him to wit their Reason and this light though it shone in them yet as the first man did not follow its shine so the rest did reject his guidance and the darkness received or comprehended it not But now it is said that the Word that is Christ made flesh is the true light both which considering together the import of all seems to be this That whereas the natural light of reason being not comprehended but rather overcome by the darkness of mans corrupt nature was insufficient of it self to lead man unto his salvation or true happiness and being sophisticated by the same corruption had led him to seek happiness in many false and by paths Jesus Christ came into the world to bring to light the true way to happiness and so was the true light From whence also I begin to see somewhat into the second passage which I doubted of to wit what should be the meaning of that as many as received him For considering how the Evangelist in the verses immediately foregoing speaks of Christ to wit as the true light I easily see that to receive him is to embrace him as the light and so to apply my self to those holy waies which he hath discovered alone to lead unto happiness Which also the following words further intimate them that believe in his name that is them who by their imbracing the discovery which he hath made and doing accordingly do manifest that they are perswaded he is the true light which thing they do not as they are born by the will of man of flesh and bloud for the darkness comprehendeth not the light but as begotten or created over again by God hereto So then now I conceive I understand the Gospel for this day and all the most concerning particulars in it The substance of it therefore I recollect after this my search to the end it may sink the deeper into me and I be the better verst hereafter in this Scripture And that is this That Christ being eternally God was also with God with whom he ever was the Creator of all things and particularly of man that man in his creation received a certain light viz his reason which he opposed and overcome rather than followed that therefore it pleased Christ to be made man and coming into the world to discover the true way to happiness unto degenerate man and as many of mankind who embraced this discovery and manifested their belief of Christs being the true light by their receiving him as such he restored into the blessed state of being the Sons of God as Adam was before his fall And Luke 3. 38. of all this John the Baptist was sent before to be a witness that by his testimony men might be prepared to believe in this true light Thus much then I am improved in point of knowledge But is there nothing which may be further useful to me as to practicals No promise of mercy No threat of punishment to any Nothing to quicken me to my duty There is surely First that is a remarkable expression As many as received him to thâ—m he gave power to become the sons of God I cannot expect ever to be by my incarnate Lord made a Son of God and Heir with him in the Kingdome of his Father except I receive him as the true light except I look for happiness by the method by him delivered a holy Christian practice according to his Gospel I see therefore hence the necessity of heing conformable to all the Commands of the Gospel He is salvation to none to whom he is not light If therefore I am not faithful meek charitable holy c. as the Gospel directs salvation it self will not save me Further both the Epistle and Gospel put me in mind of what the day celebrates the incarnation of our Saviour at least his visible Incarnation for to the eye he was not incarnate till born The Word was made flesh and so himself spake unto us and by himself be purged our sins The Word who was that The Son of God the brightness of his Fathers glory the express Image of his Person he
the Elder if I suspect any of them to be apt to trifle away their time let them be kept in my presence and if all of them be able let them read by course somewhat out of the Scripture or some plain and honest book if all be not then such as can Sect. 7. Of resorting to Evening service WHen it is now almost time to resort to Evening service let all be called together to the end that all may orderly repair with me to the publick Assembly And it may not be amiss but right edifying if some one person read a Psalm suitable to the present undertaking of going to worship God such as is the lxxxiv or the cxix one or two parts of it being taken at a time as occasion or time shall serve to which reading all ought reverently to attend And this being done let the same rules and directions which were given touching going to Church in the Morning be observed in the Evening and all as before â—esort to the publick worship Which if they do I and my family are now a second time attentively and reverently placed before God in his House of Prayer where my carriage ought to be the same as is before directed to And surely unless I and my house appear thus the second time before God I cannot account my self duly to sanctifie the Lords day I have done it onely by halfes The Church was never in a settled condition but it had the Evening as well as Morning sacrifice Vespers as well as Martins If therefore any thing should so sall out that I or mine are hindred from the second part of the publick duties of the day it ought to be my grief and sorrow Psal 42. 4. Sect. 8. Of the duties after return from Evening service MY departure from the Church and my retirement as soon as I come home for about a quarter of an hour or as I see occasion should be after the same sort as in the former part of the day Which being done it will be expedient to come amongst my people and see that all things are wisely ordered that so sometime before night the Devotions of the family may be performed In the mean time both I my self and as many of the family as can be spared from necessary services are free to our private devotions Onely if there are any triflers let them and the younger sort be dealt with as after dinner that is kept where the people most commonly sit reading and attending to the Word of God at least for some certain space Let them not spend their time as they do ordinarily for the Lords day should look with another face than common dayes all the day long This care being taken of my self and family I see not but my Christian liberty permits me any honest refreshment such as may be walking forth in my garden in the fields or open air Onely let me observe these cautions 1. That my walk be some such as Isaac's Evening walk was that my Meditations be Gen. 24. 63. good Unquestionably I shall not find the fields an unfit place for good thoughts There are many in the world whom the very breathing the free air the beholding the glorious light of Heaven the passing clouds the verdant earth and smiling face of all things transports into a rapture of devotion affects very much with the admiration of the Creator of all things makes too long for the time when either they shall ascend above them all or see them pass away and dwell ever with their God beholding his face without any such interpositions And with much advantage may a man spend an hour thus mixing often prayers or ejaculations with these his thoughts 2. Another caution I should observe is That I return so early as that neither my Devotions in my Closet nor in my family may be omitted And truly most convenient will it be that my own private devotions which being that I look on my self bound to on other dayes I cannot this day omit be performed before that supper which I take for then shall I be freshest then will what I have learnt that day be better in my memory than after the diversions which my supper and company may cause Besides that the performance of them will have fixed and prepared my spirit against any such diversions and for the performance of devotion in the family Now as to what I am this evening to perform in my Closet it is the same for the most part as at other times My course of reading must be the same onely if so be that I see fit the portion which I read larger My Meditations besides what is every dayes task upon what I read may take in a view of my carriage that day an enquiry what I have learnt a considering it so as to affect my self with it and a setting down a resolution to endeavour in all my waies a practice of it My prayers may take in some new Confessions of my unprofitableness hardheartedness unsetledness petitions for pardon memory to retain and grace to perform what I have learned Thanksgivings for any quicknings of heart resolution of holiness any instruction or improvement of my Christian knowledge c all suitable to what in my Meditations I have found mine oslate to be for the inserting or putting in of which I shall easily find in my usual prayers fit places My Closet devotions being thus performed time it will now be for me and my family to take what Evening meale we use which being done in some convenient time before we go to bed which ought not for many reasons to be too late if I am a pious Christian I cannot but look upon my self bound to shut up the day in my family with some such devotions as I begun it with Touching which some directions have been already given as to Reading and Prayer and it is onely to be added that I am to make some enquiry severally into those who are under my charge touching their improvements that day to help out and instruct the ignorant to rebuke and that sharply the negligent and heedless to encourage the careful as my Christian discretion shall see meet the properest place for which will be either before the prayers begin or just after the reading of the Scriptures so that the family may be dismissed and the day ended with prayers PART IV. Of my most solemn Retirement into my Closet for the Humiliation of my self Chap. I. An Account of what is to be treated particularly in this part MY most solemn retirement into my Closet and that for which the place is most principally designed is upon such daies or times which I set apart to humble my self for my sin before God by Fasting and Prayer and Mourning and all acts of Contrition And truly if the ordinary Fasting daies of the Church were duly by all observed all that our present design would seem to call for were to deliver the manner of their private
commonly void of thy fear in all my wayes I owe very much unto my own vitious conversation unto my giving my self up to walk in my own wayes unto my choosing vanity and addicting my self thereto unto my either total neglect or slighty discharge of thy worship Impossible in a manner it is that any one who lives as I have done should have a better heart than I have And at this rate O Lord have I ever lived My childhood the innocentest part of my life was a state of necessary ignorance of thee yet even herein how soon did the accursed fruits of inborn lusts begin to shew themselves My youth what was it but a vain and brutish a mad and sensual age As to that small notice which therein I had of thy will and nature how little credit did I give unto it and how ineffectual was it upon me either to the quickening me to my duty or restraining me from any wickedness But as to my riper years O Lord I know not what to say I should in truth sit down astonished before thee but that I want a due sense of my sinfulnesse Mine iniquities are gone over my head That they are greater than I can bear is little they are greater than I can comprehend or number Nay if I should let pass my sins of ignorance of infirmity of heedlesness and inadvertency by which notwithstanding I seriously acknowledge my self times without number to have dishonoured and provoked thee If I should insist only upon my knowing presumptious and wilful sins even these O Lord it were impossible for me to reckon up For besides that vast number of them which I cannot call to mind all which notwithstanding are upon record before thee what a black and tedious Catalogue of them have I here open or which I can spread before thee How many wilful neglects yea even contempts of my duty How many resolute perpetrations of horrid crimes such which I now am ashamed even to think of yet did not then blush to commit sins the heinousness whereof being considered if I could do nothing else but mourn over them all my dayes though I should weep as my Saviour sweat in bloud under unknown agonies I could not but account my self impenitent Nay had I onely that one sin of ** so often by me repeated to bewail what sorrow could suffice for its due lamentation Here are to be mentioned thy chiefest and most frequent sin or sins But if I add hereunto my ** my ** c. what reason have I were my fasts confessions prayers and teares a thousand fold to what they are or can be to sit down and lament my notorious impenitence And besides this weight of guilt which the heinous nature of my sins themselves load me with what a sad additional pressure do their dismal aggravations bring What circumstance almost can there be that makes sin grievous which I may not find in most of mine It is but an ordinary aggravation of my sins that they have been committed against knowledge that I have held thy truth in unrighteousnesse and being convinced of my duty have both neglected it and done contrary unto it †The very instant dictates of conscience protesting against the sins which I have been about to commit the smitings of mine own heart not onely after and before but amidst the very commission of them have not restrained my head-strong will †Nay O Lord hath not the voice of thy Spirit joyned with the voice of my Conscience and the united perswasions of both striven with me but all in vain †Have I not known that if I would resist through thy grace I should overcome And might I not through the same grace have resisted if I would †Have not I at the very same time thought of thy wrath and eternal flames belonging to those who do such things and yet this in vain too And besides the vow of my Baptisme which I have owned and acknowledged my self to stand bound by Ah! Lord have I not made many a particular vow against those very sins which after as a Dog to his vomit I have returned to And †those vows brought to thy Table and sealed in the Bloud of thy Son Have not I tasted thy mercies encouraging mine obedience and on the contrary sometimes wrung out almost the drâ—gs of thy wrath in punishment of my backslidings Further hast not thou many a time hindred me in my prosecution of these sins and by some interposing providence dulled the temptation which I lay under towards them †When yet I have proved so far a Divel to my self as to retrieve the temptation and over-bearing the voice of my conscience the resistance of thy Spirit breaking through all engagements to obedience which either thou or my self have laid upon me yea and the very hindrances and lets which have been put in my way against those sins I have returned to the attempts and practices of them Ah Lord what can such a sinner be fit for but destruction And yet after this sort how long have I lived sinning And how have I hardened my heart against all those means which thou hast used for my betterment Besides How many of these my sins have been committed openly and in the sight of the Sun to the dishonour of thee and to the scandal of others who beholding my practices have blasphemed at least been provoked to blaspheme and speak evil of Christianity All this O Lord is but my old wickedness I have later and †therefore if possible some of them more grievous sins to confess unto thee It is but such or such a time or day that I ** Here mention later falls Ah! how can I lift up my face or look towards thee my so oft offended God! And yet notwithstanding all this I have not yet done O Lord. For besides these sins of mine own what a multitude of the sins of other men do I stand accessary unto and guilty of How many for ought I know have I undone by my example What a multitude is there for whose profaneness and unbelief being occasioned by the scandal against Religion which my looseness hath possest them with I am to answer for †Some there are whom I have more directly and nearly corrupted And how many more may they have corrupted who haply had not been in that case corrupt themselves had not I propagated such sins to them Ah! wretched man that I am who have not been so far innocent as to be wicked alone and destroy no more than my self And now O Lord after I have confessed thus much notwithstanding all which I have confessed and much more which I am not able to express nor so much as my self to know what an hard unbroken and stupid heart have I The truth is the multitude and grievousness of my sins is such as is enough to make me impenitent and desperate upon the meer sight of them †I may well doubt whether it be
observation that is the particular duties to be on them performed But forasmuch as most men keep them ordinarily no otherwise than by a little change of diet taking perhaps fish c. for flesh and feeding neither more sparingly nor much less deliciously than they do on other daies and so make them indeed no fasting daies we must consider both of the Setting apart of daies for private fasting and of their Observation when set apart But first of all it will be necessary to spend a few thoughts upon the nature and ends of Fasting Chap. II. Of the Nature and Ends of Fasting BY Fasting here is meant the Religious abstaining from our lawfull food Lawful food at present we will account that which according to the common practice of sober and discreet persons of our rank and quality is neither too much nor too dainty for us For we may account a man intemperate in his feeding as well by being too delicate and fine and eating constantly on things which are fit chiefly for persons above his degree as by eating overmuch Now not all abstaining from this my lawful food is that Fasting which is here intended for I may abstain for my healths sake or through business or by some accidents upon necessity and all it may very well be without sin and yet not fast as fasting signifies a duty or an act acceptable to God but it must be a Religious abstaining which I can duely call Fasting as at present that name is used Now it will be best discerned to be Religious by the ends which I design to my self therein and by my imployment of my self upon such my Fasting daies First as to the ends and designs See Dr. Hammon Pract. Catech. Lib. 3. Sect. 4. of him who abstaines or fasts religiously The chiefe of them are 1 Devotion or the performance of religious exercises when I fast that I may have more leisure and be fresher for Reading Meditation and Prayer 2. Mortification when I fast to tame my flesh to keep under and beat down my body that it may be in due obedience to the commands of God and reason 3. Liberality when I fast to deal my bread unto the hungry and either deprive my self or feed more slenderly that I may have the more wherewith to relieve others 4. Sympathising with the sufferings of others when I fast out of a fellow feeling of the afflictions of Gods people commiserating their condition and through an abundance of charity desiring as it were to partake with them in their sufferings 5. Exercising my self to the obedience of Christs commands when I fast out of self denial and when I both would and could eat by fasting as by one particular act of obedience to that generall command of denying my self exercise my self unto godliness 6. Diverting or removing Gods wrath and expressing my sorrow and humiliation for sin when Gods wrath either resting upon my country or friends or self or hanging over any of our heads I fast and deprecate it and beg pardon of all those evils which have brought us into such misery and danger 7. An holy revenge or punishment of my self when having repented of some sin for which I am 2 Cor. 7. 11. holily angry with my self I choose thus to punish and chastise my self for my former it may be luxury wantonness or the like When I say out of any of these intentions or with these designs I abstain from my lawful meat I then fast in the sense that fasting â—is now taken for this is thus far Religiously to abstain and no doubt but such abstaining is acceptable unto God if all be as right as my intentions that is if suitable performances or devotions be added touching which rules will anon be considered when the nature of fasting is a little further looked into and it is evident that it is a duty and no such needless matter as men usually seem to take it for if we may judge of what they think by what they do Chap. III. That Fasting is a Christian Duty NOw that none either suspicion touching its necessity or excuse for its neglect may be left it will be expedient to consider what Evidence may be brought that Fasting is a Christian duty And 1. Indeed there needeth little more to be urged for the proving it a duty besides the recollection and summing up those excellent ends to which it serves and conduceth No doubt but to humble my self for my sins to pray earnestly for pardon and for the turning away of Gods wrath are duties No doubt but to keep under my body and make it subject to relieve the poor to sympathize with the afflictions of Joseph are duties now to all these is fasting a meanes and of some of them besides an expression No doubt but to deny my self and to take upon my self an holy revenge for my former extravagancies are duties Now of these is Fasting a part It may therefore hence sufficiently be concluded a duty 2. A further evidence of the same I take it to be that Fasting is Mat. 62 6 15. compared by our Saviour in that Sermon of his upon the Mount which delivers to us the sum of the Christian law or rule of Evangelical duties ranked with Prayer and Almes giving which are undoubted duties and rescued from the Pharisaical abuses of it the true manner of it being insinuated Insomuch that it may be justly demanded how comes it to stand in the Christian law to what end needed its practice to be vindicated from corruption and asserted as it is by Christ to its purity if it were not a Christian duty Besides 3. We find God in its season calling for it of old by his prophet Joel Sanctifie a Fast call an Assembly which place though it intend a publick Fast yet it is evident our Saviour Joel 2. 15 in St. Matthew spoke of those private Fasts which every one is by him supposed to consecrate unto God Who knows not that the Afflicting of the soul touching which we meet with so many commands and such frequent mention in the old Testament doth mainly intend fasting And as to the new Testament further yet though our Saviour once tell us the season for his Disciples fasting was not then come while the Bridegroom was with them Mat. 9. 15 yet at the same time he tells us its season would not be long too and then they should fast 4. Again the constant sense of the world and of all the Saints of God in all ages amongst whom by how much soever any have been more zealous by so much the more hath he been in the exercise of fasting is an argument no whit contemptible of its being a duty Not onely the Saints under the Law fasted and the pharisee too twice a week but the devout Christians have ever been to us ensamples hereof And 5. Which sets it off with more advantage we find not onely the commendation of them for this practice
are not new but have been and alwayes will be the same and multitude of books do but confound plain heads All wise men know that to make a mans self master of one good book is better than to have slightly read an hundred which were not either throughly understood or digested To keep therefore thus to one good Book which may instruct me of the sum of my Christian duty till I have fully made it mine own is my most edisying course Sect. 3 Of Self-examination and the view of our life THis my Exercise of reading being over it will be seasonable now to fall to the examination of my self touching my sins And here I shall find a very good help of the former work of reading especially after some considerable use of it when I am once come to know my several duties for certain it is No man can see what he hath done amiss what he hath left undone which two heads of Omission and Commission contain under them all actual sins till he seeth what he should have done Now this duty of Self-examination a man may be supposed either to be a stranger in and little to have practised or else to have been much in it and to be throughly verst in his heart and life He who is a stranger to it hath unquestionably more work to do than the other That he may therefore do his business throughly he must begin with those very first years which he can remember and trace sin from his insancy through his youth to his riper and present years He must see what Devil first entred him I mean what sins first seized him how they have grown up and continued with him but this will be too long a work for an hour or two Such a person therefore had need to set apart whole dayes for this purpose till he hath a little recovered himself and set his accounts straiter with God Yet must he not while he is enquiring after unknown or forgotten sins neglect to repent of his fresher and known transgressions If therefore so it is that for the present he cannot recollect himself and make a diligent search into the whole course of his life yet must he confess and bewail what he knows of himself and together acknowledge how much he is in arrears which he hath forgotten or at present doth not see and for all humbly beg mercy But this not so as wholly to put off surther enquiry but having this Fast examined himself touching so many years or moneths according as his life finds his thoughts work upon his next Fast proceed farther and so on the next still farther till he come home to his present age Now in this sifting of my life if I can it will be very useful to me and much further a distinct Repentance to use my Pen and through each year set down my sins By this means I shall be able much better to consider them and so both know more of my self and of the deceitful wayes which sin hath to gain upon me And because as I owe to God Confession and repentance of my sins so I owe also acknowledgment and thanks for his Mercies therefore in this enquiry it will be necessary to observe Gods remarkable Mercies and deliverances to me recording these also year by year as my sins Thus will the sight of his Mercies aggravate my sins and encrease my repentance and the sight of my sins parallel with his mercies commend his goodness and inhance my thankfulness both which are singular benefits And because even afflictions have their use and are to be accounted for if therefore I find any considerable adversity or cross with which God hath exercised me this also is to be registred as the former If it did me good I owe to God thanks for it if not I owe repentance for being incorrigible Being thus come to my present time it will become me not to run in arrears again but every â—ast day still to make my accounts even and to that purpose to take care as aforesaid that these my Fasts be not too seldome Supposing therefore that I am a person who have so far practised self examination as that I have formerly taken account of all my life That which I shall have chiefly to enquire into upon each return of these my fasting dayes will be First What new sins or commissions I have been guilty of since my last day of accounting Secondly What neglects especially if I have formerly made any vows or new engagements to God how I have observed or slighted them Thirdly In what posture or temper my heart hath continued and at present is whether soft tender penitent and in awe of God or whether dull careless insensible or otherwise out of order and prone to its old lusts Lastly How the providences of God have carried towards me sithence what mercies received what afflictions sent upon me and what hath been my carriage answerably And whatever I find more remarkable let it be registred in mine Accomptal so I call that paper book in which I use to keep account of my life and spiritual state whereof as is abovesaid I shall find singular advantage in my succeeding time Sect. 4. Of the endeavour of godly sorrow How to work our selves to it SIn is not such a thing the knowledge of which is desirable for it self but onely in order to somewhat else which it is apt to beget to wit Godly sorrow and Repentance My sins therefore being thus known I am to set my self about the sorrowing for them and repenting of them And to godly sorrow the readiest course will be more fully to fix my thoughts upon the sins of which in my examination of my self I have found my self guilty to look upon them so as that mine eye may affect my heart my attent consideration of them may move and grieve me as it ought To this purpose I am to consider particularly First the foulness of my particular sins in themselves and in their own nature how vile they make me how unable I should be to look men in the face if they knew all these unworthy acts by me which I do of my self and God far better than my self how vile therefore must they needs render me in his holy Eye Secondly The several Aggravations which they admit the chief of which and those which are aptest to affect me I may take to be those which follow 1. Against how great light and how clear knowledge of Gods will I have sinned I knew such and such actions to be sinful when yet I ventured upon them 2. Against how many checks of conscience I committed them Did not my own heart at that very instant smite me telling me of the wrath of God and eternal flames belonging to those who do such things 3. Against how many engagements and obligations to the contrary have I sinned 1. My own vows and covenant both in baptisme and since 2. Gods mercies and forbearance which should