honour him but as we would honor the holiest man in the world nay the highest Angel in Heaven is nothing and as great derogation to his glory as to give his glory to them for to give the honour due unto God to a creature and to give that that is due unto a creature unto God are equally vitious butlet us deal freely and openly with our own souls Do we do so much as that which if we did no more we were guilty of that great sin of the Heathens which the Apostle in the forenamed place doth condemne do we honour God as much as we do honour an Angel or an holy man let us but ask our own consciences and they wil tell us Would we do that in the presence of either of them as we do in the presence of God nay of a child that is come to that understanding to distinguish between good and evill Secondly By these words we are enjoyned that our words actions gestures and all our carriages should be such as may be sutable and fit to raise up those high thoughts of God in others as we our selves have for instance in prayer we ought not only our selves to admire and adore our good and glorious God but so to lift him up and hold forth his excellencies by our very expressions pronounciations and gestures that they may be such as not only may be sutable to our inward admirings of him but fit to beget the same thoughts in all that hearus our loves should be like a flame that takes hold of all that comes near it Thirdly We should as much as in us lies do all our actions and speak all our words with an actuall intention by them to edifie others to cause them to glorifie the Lord Now how far we come short of this we may even be confounded with shame to speak of it The second place that sets down Christian perfection is Phil. 3. 20. We should have our conversation in Heaven we should think with our selves how we should live when we come thither or how those live that are there or one would live that should come from thence to live on earth again how feelingly would they speak of God how fervently would they praise him how would their songs of praise be all flames of love how are they continually taken up with thoughts of admiration of the excellencies of God of the love of God let us not dally with our selves or God but consider with our selves whether we live in any measure sutable to such a life But to proceed let us consider another place Eph. 3. 19. To say of such an one that he is a godly man the holy Spirit of God is in him that he is ful of the Holy Ghost that he is filled with all the fulness of God if one went upon such relations and expressions to see him of whom they were spoken doubtlesse one should come with great expectations to meet with one that was wholly taken up with thoughts of God and if one spake any thing to him of God doubtless one would expect that he should speak wonderful things of God with so much admiration such zeal such love with such feelings that his very word would be able to enflame our hearts with love of God but if when one came to see such an one he should entertain one with vain and idle jests with discourses of the world and spend the whole day generally in recreations and somtime when he hath nothing else to do go and spend half an hour in reading or in praying and when he comes from those duties Iron wil be red hot if it be put into the fire for any time speak as savourly and with as much delight of the vanities of the world as if he had spent his time not in prayer but in admiring and gazing upon the beauty of the creature and if one should speak to him somthing of God he should answer one overly would ye not think in your own souls is this that holy man you spoke of is he that man that was full of God But to proceed a little further 2 Cor. 3. 18 the Apostle says of himself and of Christians in his days that they were transformed into the Image of God that is lived the life of God such a life as Christ lived when he was here on earth nay the grace of God in them was in such an high degree that it might be rather called glory then grace they lived as if they were of the Church triumphant in respect of holinesse though of the Church militant in respect of afflictions their grace was of such an high degree that it was more like glory as was said before then grace yet they did not content themselves with that neither but made a progresse from glory to glory Dear Brethren are our Saviours words but winde and can we imagine that the lives of those that take upon them the names of Christians are any whit sutable to these expressions many times have I thought of that saying of Erasmus That since men could not bring the world to Christianity they have brought Christianity to the world and those expressions and precepts that have been too strict to give us liberty to follow the vanities of the world we have found out vain distinctions and expositions of the places to make them signifie no more then we do and to quiet our consciences that they being deceived and laid a sleep we might not be troubled with their clamours Our Saviour says That for every idle word we must give an account at the last day Mat. 12. 36. The words are so plain that it wil ask one a great deal of labour to find out such an exposition as might not be a continuall accuser of us in all companies in all discourses our Saviours example is the best exposition of this precept we do not read in all the Scripture one word that he spake but was some way or other to edification and yet how loose are wee in our discourses as if there were no such place of Scripture in the whole Bible as these words surely our time would be better spent in praying to God for strength against our corruptions then in studying to finde out excuses and intricate expositions of plaine places to justifie them But you will say that it is true these are excellent things if one could live so it were a blessed life but alas who can doe it I answer First If thou sayst thou canst not live thus I ask thee how dost thou know didst thou ever try what might be done in this case didst thou ever make it thy businesse It may be thou hast had some perfunctory and carelesse desires some cold prayers and faint endeavours but didst thou ever set thy self to it didst thou ever spend as much time so many thoughts with as much earnestnesse to get acquaintance with God as men in the world doe in their trades to get a little
humane reason or wisdome without the love of God being in us how could it prove whether wee did love GOD or no if wee could finde out the fallacy of that deceit without love 2. In the 2d of Thessal 2. 10 11. God will send strong delusions that those which love not the truth be they never so learned shall not be able to know it for if so be it were said they should professe lyes it might be that they knew the truth though they professed the contrary but it is said they beleeved lyes Our saviour gives this reason why hee would manifest himselfe to his Disciples and not to the world viz. because the world did not love him John 14. 22 23. For none will unbosome himselfe unto an Enemy nor mayst thou think to master God by thy Learning and know him whether he will or no for God must manifest himselfe or else thou canst never know him and he will not manifest himselfe to thee except thou love him though thou beest never so learned or great a Politician Mat. 11. 25. For you must understand it is not a speculative knowledge but a knowledge of acquaintance So in that sense is that saying of our Saviour verified Matth. 7. 23. And this knowledge of God is not got by study but by prayer and meditation by an inward strict communion with God and the friends of God the Saints but especially with Christ the Son of God for he is the expresse image of God the Father c. Can we be acquainted with a man whether he will or no nor can we be throughly acquainted with a wise holy man that is we cannot know his wisdome and holinesse without much observing and pondering his words and actions nor can we much observe and be acquainted with any with whom wee do not dwell and have private Conference Thou mayst know God to discourse of him and to write learned tracts yet if thou art not acquainted with God at the last day God will not know thee Therefore be much with God and to that purpose I have one humble and earnest request to you though I need not be very earnest to obtaine so small one it is that you would spend an hour every day in prayer meditation and searching out the inward spirituall corruptions of your owne heart and an impartiall examining what interest you have in Christ and such like spirituall exercises do not you say How can you prove that we are bound to spend one hour every day For 1. Suppose God when you goe to prayers should answer you so How can you prove that I am bound to give you such a mercy Thou mayst cause God to carry himselfe as froward by this froward answer for it is said With the froward he will shew frowardnesse 2. How wilt thou spend eternity in the admirings adoreings and praysings of God if an hour spent so is now so irksome to thee how shall it then be thine Heaven if it be now thine hell 3. Is it a friendly answer If a friend should come to desire a courtesie of you do you so answer him how can you prove that I am bound to do it 4. Consider This is the question of a slave to ask What must I do but the question of a friend and a child is What may I doe to please my Father or my friend 5. Keepe this answer untill the World or the Flesh come unto thee give this answer to those thine enemies and not to thy God 6. Dost thou stand out Shall the great and holy God be ready and willing to meet thee and have communion with thee as often and as long as thou pleasest and shalt thou refuse It should be his part one would think to be hard to be intreatted not thine Shall he account it his riches to bestow mercies on thee and thou account it thy trouble to receive them 7. Do but doe that which thou art bound to do viz. Love God with all thy soul with all thy minde and with all thy strength and then thou wilt ask not Why so much but Why no more And indeed when once thou hast found the sweetnesse and profit thouthy self wilt not onely continue but increase these holy duties and that is the reason why I propose no more time because I suppose this being spiritually spent more will follow of it self David wisheth us to taste and see how gracious the Lord is not because he would not have us feed on him but because if wee once taste how good he is hee supposeth it needless to wish us to feed on him 8. if thy friend comes to visit thee thou wilt afford him an hour with thanks he comes in his own name but I come unto thee in my fathers desiring thee to afford God as much if thou deniest that saying of our Saviour belongs unto thee John 5. 43. I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not if another come in his owne name him ye will receive To conclude I desire to speak one word more as to humane Learning which I account of singular use for the understandiug of the word of God and have doted on it as much as any and love it still as much as I dare for I account the love of it dangerous the use of it very advantageous and could I set down how far I have gone in it with the same spirit that Saint Paul doth set down Phil. 3. his excellencies in leg all priviledges and righteousnesse I would but I account it safer for me to be thought wholly ignorant then to venture priding my self of that small knowledge I have yet thus much I conceive of humane Learning that besides the incertainty of it there are many inconveniences incident to it 1. Our thoughts are wholly taken up with it when wee are studying of it which are not necessarily so in other employments for one may buy and sell and yet have our mindes often upon GOD even in the very midst of those employments 2. Men generally judge of the truths and wayes of Gods Worship according to that way of Learning wherein they excell Those who excell in the Fathers and Church Histories are subject to admit of the Truths and Wayes of GOD's Worship because they are attested and warranted by them Those who most excell in Phylosophy and Schoole Divinity they make Reason the touchstone to try even Gospell truths by yet I doe much esteem of these Egyptian Jewells so wee make not an Idoll of them and fall downe and worship them 3. And lastly I finde it as hard a thing to deny humane Learning as to get it Moses is much to be admired who being brought up in all the Learning of the Egyptians yet preached so plainely as you may see in Deuteronomy and Paul who preached so very plaine that his adversaries objected it against him Consider what is said and the Lord give you understanding in all things Your Servant in the Lord THOMAS WHITE A
not wanting to our selves and to God for he is not wanting unto us we might live many days without doing or speaking any thing that materially is a sin I do assuredly know that no one thought word or action but in some respect or other is sinful either the ground is not spirituall or not so spirituall the end is not heavenly or not so heavenly we do not purely aim at the glory of God nor purely do it out of obedience to God and in the name of Christ c. as wee should therfore I do not say we can live one minute without sinning against God but one may live many hours and dayes without doing such actions which materially and in their own nature are sins as now for those which are accounted grosse sinnes in the world and are so as adultery murder theft blasphemy swearing it may be some of Gods people live their whole life without actually committing any one of them What is meant by that that is said of Zachary and Elizabeth that they lived blamelesse Luke 1. 6. And what is meant by that of St Paul 1 Cor. 4. 4. That he knew nothing by himself well certainly those that love not to keep a strict communion with God and love not the truth may finde excuses enough to bolster themselves up in their carelesse walke nay let them take heed least they so provoke the Lord that he sends them strong delusions to beleeve lies It may be they will plead the infirmities and falls of the Saints Noahs drunkennesse Davids adultery Peters deniall and so encourage themselves in their owne wickednesse surely these failings of the Saints are set downe as sands and rocks to avoyd not as our Compasse whereby we should steer our course 't is true if after prayers and strivings against those sins through the strength of our corruptions we fall into some sin we may take comfort from the infirmity and failings of the Saints but before our fall what use have we of such failings but onely rocks as I have said comforts they may be after but not encouragements before otherwise our spots are not the spots of Gods people 2. Consid. The second consideration is that no art science or trade whatsoever is attained without some yeares being Apprentice or studying of it and can we imagine that we can attain to any measure of perfection in Religion without spending either time or thoughts about it but making it a thing meerly by the bie The unreasonablenesse of this conceit appears the more if we consider that wee have no such impediments to hinder us from the attainment of excelencies in Trades Arts and Sciences nay those things that are hinderances in the attainment of holinesse do further us in the attainment of such kind of excellencies to be an excellent workman in any trade or to be an excellent Physician neither the world nor our corruptions nor Satan are against it the World generally doth promote and imploy such persons when they have an occasion to use any one of any trade or calling they use the skilfullest and so they are an encouragement to them and for our corruptions they do not hinder but rather further for wee pride our selves generally in such kind of excellencies and if the World nor the Flesh be not certainly Satan is not against them neither but against holinesse they are all enemies Now if we should see a man rowing having both wind and tide with him and should row with all his might and yet with much adoe come to such a place by night and the next day being to row back again against winde and tide should take no pains at all but lie sleeping in the boat as if the streame that was against him should carry him back of it self wee should much wonder at such a mans folly Much more then may we wonder when men shall spend so much pains so many thoughts to get an estate and in things concerning God and eternity should carry themselves as if they were either not worth having or as if holinesse like weeds should grow of it self 3. Consid. The third Consideration is That there is no pain nor trouble in it's self in Religion nor no true pleasure nor profit in sin or what pleasure or pain soever there is in them it is so short and so small that it deserves not the name of either Do but truly and seriously consider what pain or trouble is there in spending an hour in reading meditating or praying I speak to the most disadvantage for indeed one should rather say what wonderfull delight there is in a strict and constant communion with God in such duties but let it be supposed it be troublesome the trouble is nothing but the comfort and the benefit is exceeding great when thou hast spent a day in humbling thy soul before God I pray next day is it any pain or trouble to you in respect of them it is as the way of a Serpent upon a stone there is nothing of the trouble that did accompany those holy duties doth remain when they are ended but the comfort and profit of them thou maist meet withall twenty years hence and so for sin the pleasure of it is momentany but the guilt and sting of it is eternall the poor empty pleasures of sinne what are they while they do continue but sure I am they are bitternesse at the last To have a guilty conscience and a wounded spirit but one hour in any extremity as poor souls in desertion or despair have hath so much horrour in it that doubtlesse whosoever hath had any experience in such things would not edure them for all the pleasures in the world for Methusalems age But alas we look not afar off consider neither the end of holinesse nor of sin nay to speak the truth we consider not the essentiall excellency of the one nor filthinesse of the other 4. Consid. Fourthly Consider that there is not the least sin nor the least holy thought that shall vanish into aire or into nothing for if God shal call us to account for every idle thought or word shall not every holy thought or word through his mercy tend to our good also The wicked do treasure up wrath against the day of wrath as a man that should cast in every day many pieces of silver and gold into a room for twenty years together or more when he should come to look in that room at the twenty years end he would finde many a piece which he had forgotten so it is with one that treasures up sin when the book of conscience shall be opened at the last day and the baggs wherein God sealed up his sins as Job speaks how many sins will he meet withall that he never thought of untill that day not one of them shall be lost that ever he cast in so surely it will be with thee that treasurest up prayers and holy thoughts God doth as safely seale up them as he doth
rule that such a thing is right because men generally speak against it certainly our desires and endeavours to please men is one of the greatest snares in the world for generally we live so that we enslave our selves and lose not only our Christian but our naturall liberty for men but indeed if it was no more but our outward liberty it was nothing but we wound our consciences and offend our God which is worth more then a thousand Heavens Cautions 1. Caut. First Take heed of the perfunctory performance of holy duties for many mischiefs come by them First They puffe up not edifie if thou powrest out thy soule before God in prayer feelingly spiritually and faithfully thou never departest without some spirituall profit but if thou dost it carnally and formally thy prayers are but wind and they puffe thee up for thy carnall heart would plead these carnall performances to thy conscience and make thee beleeve because thou hast many pieces of this counterfeit coyne that thou art rich and wantest nothing though thou art poor and blind and naked and miserable for thy duties have not the right stamp having neither the image nor superscription of God upon them being neither performed for the glory of God nor by the Spirit of God nor in the name of Christ and between carnall and spirituall duties this is the difference that we usually pride our selves in the one and are humble by the other Secondly Which followes upon the former we shall grow weary in time of performing carnal duties for needs must we be weary of these things from which we get no profit nor strength when duties are dry brests unto us it is no marvel if we are weary of drawing them by spirituall duties we get strength and such prayers do enable us to pray more but carnall prayers tire us Thirdly Consider the same time is spent in the one as in the other whether thou hearest or prayest with zeal and attention or without it takes up the same time in the Publick Congregatition though not the same profit Fourthly Consider that you spoyle both by mixing the thoughts of worldly businesse with spirituall duties for thy outward performance of the duty keeps thy thoughts of businesse from coming to maturity and the thoughts of worldly things keep thy prayers from doing thee any good so that they spoil one another I mean of those wandering thoughts that we let lie in our duties for those that are resisted and removed and mourned for do somwhat hinder but not putrifie the duty for as the Wise man saith That dead flyes cause the oyntment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour if one takes out a fly as soon as it is come into it so much of the oyntment that sticks about the fly is lost but the rest remains sweet and pure as it was before so wandering thoughts spoyle something of our prayers though they be resisted and removed they make a little hole in our prayer by taking up that time which should have beene fill'd up with better thoughts but if they continue they eat up the fat of those sacrifices and make the sweet odours of our prayers noisome But to conclude this Caution if we were but in any measure sensible of the Majesty of him to whom and the necessity of those things for which we pray to instance in that duty for they are our life and of the necessity of having them from God we need no other motives to deterre us from perfunctory performances 2. Caut. Secondly Take heed of worldly company for whosoever delights in that will find that he never comes out of it but worse then he comes into it for when one goes into such a company among whom there is nothing spoken of God of Christ or of the Spirit of the Word of God and of spirituall experiences where there is no spirituall duty performed except one be exceeding carefull to sequester ones mind from their discourses and keepe a stricct communion with God in the secrets of our hearts our graces if they were strong would grow weak and our corruptions though they were weak would grow strong and that spirituall advantage which you have got by many prayers you will find will be lost in a little time spent in such company except their discourses be as dry brests unto you and as Meshech and Kedar were unto David they must either be a grief or sin unto them except in some cases as in case of businesse thy particular calling or charity if thou comest as a Physician either of their bodies or of their souls then thou not only mayst but oughtest to come unto them in such cases our Saviour did frequently eat with Publicans and sinners not out of any love he had to their worldly conversation but to their conversion and this must be taken as a rule He that knows not how to be alone knows not how to be in company with profit 3 Caut. Thirdly Take heed of idleness for as the Wise man says Seest thou one wise in his own eyes there is more hope of a foole then of him For to make such a man wise there are two things to be done First You must bring him to that that he may know himself to be ignorant and then you must teach him wisdom wheras he that is ignorant and knows himself to be so needs only the last so he that is in any honest employment Satan hath two works to do to make him sin First He must get him to leave off what he is doing and then perswade him to the evill that he tempts him to as a bowle that is running must be first stopped before it can be made to run the contrary way whereas the bowle that â—ies still may without stopping be cast what way one pleases a bird that is flying one can hardly take any aime at as one may at that which sits stil so Satan cannot levell his temptations so at a busie as at an idle man but I shall not prosecute this common place of idlenesse but my main designe is to give you caution against spirituall idlenesse for that which is not taken notice enough of that is not avoidied nor mourned for enough is that we think that we are not idle if we are busied in worldly imployments if we are selling of wares in our shops or riding of a journey or busied in some such imployment of our particular calling The man thresheth and plowes all day and thinks that he is free from idlenesse but we should know that if our thoughts are not imployed upon spirituall things when they may it is the worst idleness of all and very few worldly businesses there are that stand in need of the continuall intentions of our thoughts upon them for it is rather our love of the world that fixeth our thoughts upon worldly matters while we are imployed about them then because they might not be done without halfe that intention of mind doubtlesse there
and of things he delights not in and for his advise in spirituall matters it must needs be very imperfect for thousand cases may happen of which books speak nothing and having no other way to understand them and direct thee he will be at a losse as one that travels by a Map and hath no other way to guide himselfe he will meet with many turnings that put him to a non-plus which way to take whereas he that hath often travelled that way is a farr safer guide the truth is we have no knowledge of God or no saving knowledge of him but what is by experience To conclude therefore if thou wilt choose a spiritual friend choose such an one as magnifies Christ and the spirit of God and his teachings and the word of God and inward mortifications above outward and that is an experienced wise and humble Christian and thou shalt get a world of good by the converse of such an one for in doubts his wisdom and experience wil direct thee in thy distresses hee will comfort thee when thou art spiritually cold his example and carriage in the performance of holy duties his discourses of heavenly things and the flames of his love wil set thee on fire 3. Adv The third is diurnal examination every night strictly to examine what thou hast done that day we read of God himselfe that every day he looked over his works surely God hath no need to examine his works but it is writ for our instruction and doubtlesse the benefit and necessity of this examination are very great First We should find out our sins before they come to be customary when they are but a day old and before they have taken root in us and so they will easily be pull'd up and by faith repentance prayer and resolutions against them we shall easily get the victory over them and through the help of God who makes us more then conquerours it is very likely by the blessing of God if David had not neglected the examining of his soul that day when he defiled Bathsheba he would have discovered that abomination and he would never have gone fo farre as to have added bloud and the rest of his abominations to his uncleannesse and he would have watered hâ—s couch with his teares which he had defiled with his adultery The second advantage is that we shall never lie in any sin unrepented of and there be many other inconveniences besides bringing it to a custome that come by sin lying on our souls unrepented of for it deads our prayers cools our love hardens our heart makes us that we cannot come to God with that joy with that freedome of spirit as when one hath done ones friend an injury one is loth to see him The third advantage is by dividing this great work of giving up our account and making all even betwixt God and our selves the work will be very easie which if we shall not doe it but at our death or only yearly it would be exceeding difficult and almost impossible as if some Merchant who had very great trading should ballast his accounts of debts receipts of disbursements c. but once in seven years it would be an intollerable burden besides many things would be forgotten whereas it being done daily his accounts are perfected with more ease and fewer defaults The fourth advantage is that at thy death thou wilt have a world of comfort by taking this course for besides thou art eased of that burthen of having all the accounts of thy life to make up then thou hast a clear way to answer Satan when he shall lay to thy charge any sins of thy former life for if he shall accuse thee and say do'st not thou remember that such a year and such a day thou didst commit such a sin thou mayest answer him and say it is true that such a day I did commit such a sin but then that very night I mourned for it and went not to bed before I had my pardon sealed with the bloud of Christ to my soul and when Satan shall not be able to lay to thy charge any debt of which thou hast not had an accquittance nor any sin for which thou hast not had a pardon from the Lord such fiery darts will have no power to wound thee and this examination thou mayest make thus Consider all the severall hours of the day and how thou hast spent them when thou didst first awake what didst thou think of when thou wert asleep and thoughtest not of thy selfe God thought on thee and thou wert safe under the shadow of his wings When I awake thou art with me sayes David was not God with David when he was asleep yes surely for his being with him when he was awake shewed that he was there before for it is not said When I awake thou comest to me but art with me Well but what are thy thoughts when thou first wakest are they of God or of the World Thou shalt much discover the temper of thy heart by this those that are our very familiar acquaintance we suffer them to come into our chamber before we are up surely God is a stranger to thee if thou thinkest not of him nor seekest him on thy bed then as the Apostle sayes If the first fruits are holy the whole lump is holy so generally as thy first thoughts are such art thou all the day after in the morning thou sayest it will be foule weather sayes our Saviour for the skie is red and lowring so we may say of the day in respect of spirituall matters if thy morning thoughts be red and lowring it will be foule weather in thy soule that day and when thou readest over thy diary thou shalt finde that those dayes when that thy waking and morning thoughts were full of God that all the duties of that day whether of thy generall or particulat calling were full of God also Well what didst thou think of afterwards didst thou keep thy thoughts close to God untill thy morning exercise didst thou dresse thy soul as thou didst dresse thy body Well after that what didst thou doe such an hour and such and hour c Or to help thee in this duty something more examine at night thy works words thoughts what they were every houre of the day For thy works consider what thy religious works the works of thy particular calling and thy recreations were For thy prayers hast thou not oomitted thy seven times a day if thou hast attained with David to that number or how often soever thy set times are hast thou not omitted them for I dare not discourage any one in observing set times as if that could not be don lawfully Wel how hast thou prayed hast thou performed that duty as a task or as a means hast thou bound up thy devotion to such a number of times of going to God or hast thou given God those prayers as a composition or as the rent of
the day that thou mayest do with the rest and spend the rest in vanity as thou pleasest Or didst thou not much rather perform that duty of prayer as an act of communion with God for the present and as an help for communion with God for the future Didst thou not by thy prayers intend and desire of the Lord power and strength not to depart from him What were thy prayers were they faithfull fervent reverent humble What returns of thy prayers hast thou had this day Hast thou endeavoured to obtain those mercies and graces that thou prayedst for Thou mockest God to pray for those things thou endeavourest not for and thou mockest thy self to endeavour for those things thou prayest not for For thy Meditation and reading the Word of God how hast thou performed them What power have they had upon thy heart this day Hast thou been more faithfull humble charitable c What resolutions didst thou make and how hast thou kept them c. Concerning thy reading the Scriptures and meditation most of the things which are spoken concerning Prayer may be applyed to these also as Didst thou meditate and read as a task or as a means and so of the rest Concerning the works of thy particular calling have they not justled out the works of thy generall calling hast thou not unnecessarily omitted thy set times for spirituall duties or have not thy thoughts been taken up too much with them hast thou not left off thy communion with God God may be with thee in thy shop as well as in thy Closet Againe if thou art a tradesman hast thou not took advantage of the necessity of the seller and bought too cheape and of the ignorance of the buyer and sold two dear hast thou not sold thy conscience with thy wares Concerning thy recreations have they not been unlawfull recreations in respect of the kinde hast thou not made a sport of sin making that a recreation which should be thy grief making that thy delight which should make a Christian weep have not thy recreations been unlawfull in respect of time have they not been unseasonable hast thou not used recreations when thou shouldest have put on sackcloth not being sensible of the afflictions of Joseph or have not thy recreations taken up too much time hast thou not made a vocation of recreation the best way is by prayer and by frequent communion with God to attain to that spirituall frame of soul that thou mayest go to God as David speaks Psalm 43. ver. 4. to make God thy exceeding joy so shall thy great businesse and designe that thou hast in the whole world be turned into a recreation and thou shalt need no other but thou shalt be as those that are in heaven it shall be thy eternall businesse and delight to admire and praise God What have thy words been thou must give an account at the last day for every idle word how many hast thou spoken this day Where when and with whom hast thou discoursed and what hath thy discourse been of Have thy words been to edification Remember what the Apostle says That we must avoyd foolish talking and jesting which is not convenient Hast thou not this day slandered or spoken ill of thy neighbour if thou hast besides thy humbling thy selfe before God and asking pardon of him make some recompence to thy neighbour and put up as many prayers to God for him as thou hast spoken evill words of him For thy thoughts what have they been Have not vain thoughts lodged in thee The fountain of all sinne are our thoughts if thou keepest them close to God all the rest will follow thy words and thy conversation will be spirituall also Hast thou not had a thousand thoughts of God this day if thou hast not thou hast lost that which is irrevocable for though thou hast a thousand thoughts of God the next day thy losse this day is not thereby recovered for thy having a thousand thoughts of God this day doth not hinder thee from having a thousand thoughts next day but rather further thee the more thoughts thou hast of God the more thou mayst have and for thy thoughts of God what have they been have they been fervent as well as frequent have thy thoughts of God been worthy of God or have not thy thoughts of God been such that thou shouldest have had of the world and thoughts of the world such as thou shouldest have had of God 4. Adv. The fourth is Meditation a duty of so great concernment so much profit that nothing but experience can make one know the benefit of it and the man of the greattest devotion and of the heavenlyest affections that we read of in all the Bible though indeed for matter of revelations it may be something more is spoken of others then of him I mean David was exceedingly versed in Meditation and doth speak very much of it concerning his own practise and commending it to others you know very well that he sets it down as the only or at least the chief exercise of the blessed man to meditate in the word of God day and night he delights in the word of God and therefore meditates in it and meditates in it and therfore delights in it One that walks in a garden sees the beauty and may smell sweetnesse of the flowers growing there but it is the Bee that gathers honey out of them to read and study the Scriptures hath a great deal of sweetnesse in it but it is meditating on the Scriptures that brings the sweetest and lastingest benefit the end of study is knowledge but the end of meditation is also holy affection and practice Now that which I advise and direct in this particular is to know how to read and meditate on the holy Scriptures to our greatest spirituall comfort and advantage and there are many Advises to this purpose First Take the Bible open it and read it with the same attention reverence and resolution to follow it as if Christ living on the earth either by reason of sicknesse or some other occasion not being able to go to him thy self thou shouldst send some speciall friend with thy humble desires to Christ to advise thee what to beleeve and do and Christ should send a Letter to thee by that friend How exceedingly wouldst thou prize that Letter how wouldest thou rejoyce and long to read it how strictly wouldest thou observe every syllable Goe take the Bible open it and do likewise Wee do not read that ever Christ writ any thing with his own hand save that which he wrote upon the ground John 8. and what that was wee know not And what might be the reason might not one if not the chiefest reason be lest we should dolize that place of Scripture and despise the rest in comparison of that it is not the hand but the spirit of Christ that gives authority to Scripture we have strange opinions of the bodily presence
are many disseminata vacua in all imployments of the world which might and ought to be filled up with spirituall thoughts and as it is with Bees though they gather honey from a flower they leave it as fragrant and as fresh as they found it so we gathering and mixing spirituall thoughts with and from our worldly businesse we hinder it not at all for as a vessel that is full of sand will hold almost as much water as if there were no sand in it so when we are full of imployments we may hold a thousand holy thoughts and as a ship can hardly be so fild with chests or other lading but there will be so many corners unfild up wherein Diamonds of such great value might be put in that they would be more worth then all the lading of the Ship so those thoughts of God and spirituall things which we might have in the midst of our other employments may be of farre greater value then they Fourthly Take heed of perfunctory and careless resisting of temptations but what thou dost in that particular as in spirituall things do it with all thy might for to think and weakly to resolve against sin will not hinder but aggravate thine offence and it is one of the Divels policies to let a man alone to thinke of severall Motives and make some faint resolutions against any sin when hee sees that hee hath him fast enough for he knows that the more Motives and Resolutions wee sin against the more wee are hardened and GOD is provoked And as it is with a Town that is besieged they will willingly let so many of their enemies in as they know they are able to master so Satan when hee sees that the Motives and Resolutions that enter into the soul are too weak hee willingly suffers them to enter for perfunctory performance of duties and feeble resisting of temptations are equally dangerous if the later be not the worst by the former we get no spirituall good and by the later we overcome no spirituall evill 5. Caut. Take heed of making others sin either by scandall or being a temptation to them by example or provocation it is a good way when one hath to deal with a passionate man not onely to prepare our selves for the Combate by prayer and resolutions and keeping a strong guard upon our hearts that we may not be overcome with passion howsoever he shall use us either in word or in deed but to take special care and to use all means to keep him from passion for there is a wretched joy that our hearts are subject to take in the sins of others thinking them to be a foil to our innocency to have others very passionate when we are very meek there is a secret delight that the heart is prone to take but it proceeds from a desperate pride in us who desire to have our excellencies made manifest though with the dishonour of God and damnation of our brother but there is a great deal of hel in it and charity rejoyceth not in ill 1 Cor. 13. 6. Caut. Take heed of studying high speculative points whatsoever for when our thoughts are exceedingly intent in finding out truths all the fire is in the top of the chimney and none is left upon the hearth generally high speculations leave the heart cold without devotion for generally there is a great deal of curiosity and pride in such studies for commonly we desire to be accounted knowing men in searching into whys and how 's of Gods works and truths as why God made the tree of knowledg of good and evill and how there can be three persons and but one God therefore in all reading joyn prayer whether it be in the reading of humane or divine things and take speciall care that the love of God go not out nor grow cold in you That which I have heard of one is a good practice that whatsoever book he was reading every leafe that he turned over he would look what was become of his heart and of God and would not begin till he had sent up some prayers to the Lord for direction Advises 1. Adv. First Concerning writing many wayes thou art to employ that for thy advantage First Write down all those spiritual passages out of Sermons books discourses wherin thou hast found most relish and spirituall profit Secondly Keep a Register of all the mercies that God hath bestowed upon thee whether it be temporall or spiritual but especially thy spirituall experiences and his manifestations of his love if ever the terrors of the Almighty was upon thee the wayes of Gods providence in supporting thee and how and when and in what manner he delivered thee And so for the discoveries of his love and concerning the mercies God hath bestowed upon thee how and whether and when he answers your prayers as also all the speciall ways of Gods providence to other spirituall persons in temporalls or spirituals and when thou findest thy heart dull and cold in love or weak in faith these experiences of Gods goodnesse to thy selfe and others will be an excellent means to enflame and strengthen thee Lastly Keepe a Diurnall of thy life in respect of the spirituall passages of every day set downe whether thou didst awake with God or whether the world had the first fruits of thy thoughts and how thou didst performe spirituall duties whether with relish fervency or delights or otherwise mark and set down when thy heart made any default intermitting its communion with God and all the severall sins that thou canst take notice of that thou hast committed that day and what mercies thou hast received and when there is any mercy that thou prayest for some marke should be set untill thou hast an answer of that prayer from God and that day the Lord gives thee that answer make a reference from that day to the day of praying for that mercy 2. Adv. Secondly Choose some spirituall friend one or more to whom thou mayst wholly unbosome thy self in all spiritual matters but a great deal of caution need to be had in this particular he need to be one of a 1000 that thou choosest thus thou needest have a grâ—at deal of Experince of his spirituall wisedome humility and experience of the ways of God for be he never so learned though he understand all mysteries and all knowledge though he hath never such excellent gifts of edification yet if he be not an experienced Christian thou wilt little benefit either by his society or counsell for when he speaks of spirituall and experimentall truths and the discourses of such truths are the very life of the communion of Saints I say that his discourses concerning such matters be he never so learned if he be not experienced in them will be without life or relish he will seldom speak of such things but when he does it it will be with so much heaviness that thou mayst cleerly perceive he doth speak but by rote
place of Scripture are obvious in another Secondly Because when the braine is much imployed the heart lyes dead without affections Thirdly Because that time thou spendest in finding out curious observations may be farre more profitably spent in working thy heart to holy affections and resolutions from some other truth that will presently occur from the words Lastly It shewes that there is not so great spirituall hunger after righteousness as there should be for hungry men do not use to stand and pick bones when they have meat enough to eat Seventhly When thou hast raised any observation from the words then thou art to put one of these three questions to thy selfe Do I thus Is it thus with me and believe I thus One or two or all of these will belong to every Text some to all and all to some as Luke 12. 32. Fear not little flock it is your Fathers good will to give you the Kingdom Do I thus that is for the first branch Fear not do I fear Then Is it thus with me am I little in mine own eyes am I one of Christ's flock am I one of that small number that shall be saved Lastly Do I believe this that God will give the Kingdom of Heaven to such Eighthly If thou doest find that thou art doest or believest as the Word requires give God the praise humbly acknowledging that it is not thy doing at all either that thou art or doest or believest what thou shouldest and if thou findest that thou pridest thy selfe in stead of being thankfull as if they were from thy selfe or that by any of them as thine act thou mayest be justified then doe but think in how many other things thou failest and how even in these very particulars if thou considerest either the measure manner ground and end thou shalt find them all to be defective and thy best righteousnesse not onely to be ragged but filthy too Ninthly If thou findest that either it is not with thee or that thou dost not or beleevest not as the Word requires then First Humble thy self before the Lord and desire pardon and help for the future Secondly Seriously consider what is the reason if it be that thou beleevest not why thou art not established in that truth say to thy self O my soul God can neither be deceived nor deceive and that this is his word that we now read and meditate on is more certain then any reason that can possibly be brought against it consider that generally the howe 's and whyes of Gods truths and works are the things that stumble us as how can there be three persons and yet but one God and why should God hate Esau and love Jacob in those cases say to thy selfe that for the whys and howe 's of Gods word and truths it is curiosity and pride to enquire of them except God does reveal them and we ought to mortifie our desire of knowing them as that of our Saviour takes place in this case Blessed are they that beleeve and see not Thirdly Think with thy self if thou canst remember any other place or places that confirms the truth that thou doubts of Fourthly Know that that which thou art mainly to enquire of is of the meaning of the Word of God not of the truth of it for we are seriously to consider whether such a place holds forth such a point not it appearing to be the plaine meaning of the Text whether it be true or no if it be a thing that thou doest not which thou shouldst do or doest which thou shouldst not do then seriously consider what are the reasons and grounds of thy disobedience and thou shalt find them to be either the pleasure profit or honour of the world and say alas O my soul can we be so deceived as to be put off with vanities such as by experience we have known to be vanities and by faith much more Shall we leave an Heaven of joys the God of mercies shall we leave Christ who hath so loved us that he left all even the bosome of his Father and emptied himself of all his glory and filled himselfe with our misery shall we leave all these for these vanities which we must leave and will leave us Consider the impediments that hinder thee from doing thy duty consider the temptations and occasions of thy sin consider the means and motives to avoyd it remove the impediments avoyd the occasions use the means and think of the motives to do that which the Lord commandeth but thou must neither think to find out these nor to use the means or avoyd the occasions c. without imploring humbly and earnestly the direction and assistance of the Spirit of God to assist and direct thee in the premisses for you must know that you must find out and use spirituall Motives or else thy very avoyding of sin is sin when it is done upon carnall grounds or sinfull motives Tenthly When thou hast finished all thy Meditations First Thou art to entreat the Lord that hee would work all these truths upon thy heart and fasten them as a nail in a sure place that his Word may not be a dry brest unto thee nor thou a barren wildernesse unto it Secondly Thou art to blesse God for any spirituall frame of heart that is either wrought or discovered in thee by this Exercise Lastly Chuse some speciall truth or point in which thou are either most defective or wherein thou hast found most relish which thou hast most occasion to make use of that day and keep it by thee to think of and do as those that walk in a garden of fragrant flowers if one may have leave generally hee takes some along with him to smell to the rest of the day do thou binde up some spirituall truths out of thy Meditation and do likewise Last Adv. The last great Advice and that which must serve for an Antidote lest all the other Cautions and Advices being observed they should be turned into poyson to us is that we should often meditate and never be satisfied in our souls until we come to a cleer Gospel experimental knowledg of Christ without which indeed we are not worthy of the name of Christians for are wee not call'd Christians from the very name And doubtles if we have not a right knowledg of Christ we shall make up a Christ to our selves of our prayers and fastings and almes and repentance and woe be to that soul that at the last day shall have nothing to trust to but his graces and duties which will accuse him in stead of pleading his cause and two things especially we should endeavour to know of Christ first the excellency of the person and mysteries of Christ Secondly the love of Christ First For the excellency of his person though to say he was both God and man is indeed to include all yet some few things I shall speak to manifest this point First That all his people do receive