and delightful Communion with God to exercise thy Graces in this holy Duty and to feel thy Heart warm'd and inflam'd and thy Soul refresh'd and repair'd before thou departest out of God's Presence To [e] Oratio clavis diei sera nâ—ctis begin and end with God every Day to be with the Lord first and last to call upon God Morning and Evening In the Morning to praise him for the Mercies of the Night past to ask Wisdome of God to order our Conversation aright to beg his Favour Presence Guidance Spirit Grace and Strength his Protection of us his * Psal 90 17. Beauty on glorious Blessing upon us and his establishing and [f] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag Aur. Cam. prospering the Works both of our Heads and Hands the whole Day following And in the Evening to bless and praise God for the Mercies and Favours of the Day past to confess our Faults and Failings in it and so to lie down with no heavy Guilt of any unrepented Sin lying upon us To pray for the hPardon and Healing of the Miscarriages of that Day and to commit our selves and ours to the Divine Keeping the Night following beseeching God to prevent any sinful Dreams which might proceed from the Corruption of our Natures and Constitutions Hearts and Imaginations Conversations and Actions and to spiritualize and sanctify our Thoughts and Cogitations in the vacant Spaces and broken Hours of our Sleep To keep and maintain the set Times of personal secret Closet-Prayer and the stated Times of Oeconomical Houshold Family-Prayer this is a well-spending so much of our Time as is employed in that Duty and this is the right and ready way to redeem and improve every Day to the Honour and Glory of God and to our own and others Profit and Benefit Satisfaction and Comfort This is a likely hopeful good way to prevent or remove Miscarriages in our selves and Disorders in our Families to keep every Member of our Family in their Station and Duty to season them all with a religious Fear and high Respect to God and his Waies and to train and bring up Children and Servants to a competent Ability to express their Desires in Prayer to God for themselves and others to teach our Servants with * Gen. 24.12 Eliezar Abraham's good oand faithful Servant to follow their earthly Master's Business with hearty Prayers to their heavenly Master for a Blessing upon it Be careful and diligent wise and prudent to redeem Time for Prayer that you may redeem Time by Prayer Find Time sufficient to work this Work of God and so to workout your own Salvation as well as to follow the Works and Businesses of your particular Callings to attend and wait upon God in Prayer as well as to wait upon your Customers and to attend your secular Occasions and Concerns Let not worldly Cares and civil or domestick Affairs hinder and divert thee from due Performance of Prayer in thy Family and in thy private Closet Though David had the Care of the Kingly Government upon him yet his usual Course and Practice was to pray to God †Psal 55.17 Evening and Morning and at Noon yea ‖ 119.154 seven times a day did he praise God as he himselfe professes If he did not exactly and punctually observe so many Hours but a certain Number is put here for an uncertain yet the meaning must be that he did it very often Love sweetned the Duty to him and caused him to praise God * Ps 71.14 more and more to be nover weary of praising him here as knowing that it would be his sole Employment to praise him hereafter for evermore Though Daniel was deeply engag'd in Publick Business and State Affairs yet he took not any Occasion from these to neglect his daily Duty and wonted Service to his God He kept his former Course and Order for every day and constantly †Dan. 6.10 three Times a Day he kneeled upon his Knees and prayed and gave thanks before his God though he knew he hazarded his high Preferment and endanger'd his very Life by it So Cornelius a Centurion taken up with many Martial Occasions yet suffer'd not himself to be taken off from his Devotion thereby but ‖ Acts 10.2 prayed to God alway He did not do it only by fits but daily and constantly observ'd his usual Seasons It is reported of the famous [g] In the Serm. preached at his Fun. at the end of his Sermons p. 21. Bp. Andrews that though he had many weighty Employments as Bishop of Winchester and Privy Counsellor yet his Life was a Life of Prayer and a great part of five Hours every day did he spend in Prayer and Devotion to God The holy and excellent [h] His Life written by Dr. Bernard p. 58. Bp. Vsher had Prayer in his Family four times a day In the Morning at six in the Evening at eight and before Dinner and Supper in the Chappel at each of which he was alwaies present [i] His Life written by Mr. Clark Mr. William Whately Minister of Banbury had much Work lying upon him continually catechising and preaching twice every Lord's-day and a weekly Lecture besides well studying and usually penning his Sermons at large and yet his constant Practice was besides Family-Prayer twice a day and sometimes catechizing to pray also with his Wife and alone both Morning and Evening And with what shew of Reason can any of you excuse your selves Have you Time to eat and drink and sleep and not only to labour and works but to play and sport Leisure to recreate your selves and visit your Friends and take your pleasure a Spare-Hour to spend in discourse and it may be to waste in empty and idle talk with another Have you Time to do nothing Time to do Evil and have you no Time to serve and worship God in your Families no Time for religious Retirements and hidden Repairs to God in your privy Chambers and secret Closets Have you so many Sins and Wants Corruptions and Temptations and can no Time be spared and set apart to seek God for the Pardon of your Sins and the Supply of all your spiritual Wants and to pray to him for Strength and Power to mortify the Corruptious with which you are infested and to resist the Temptations with which you are assaulted 2. We should moreover betake our selves to solemn continued Prayer when we have Place and Space for such a Duty upon the Emergency of any weighty important Business or on any special extraordinary occurrent and urgent Occasion to beg of God the prudent Conduct of our Affairs Success in and a Blessing upon our lawful and honest Undertakings Strength to go through Trials Afflictions and Temptations Freedom and Deliverance from Evils and Sufferings felt or feared or to return God thanks for the receit of his Mercies in any such particulars and to engage our selves to walk answerably and to
hearing two Sermons usually every Lord's-Day and yet let your receiving the holy Communion twice or thrice a Year at most suffice your Souls and satisfy your Consciences Have you been swift to hear some thousands of Sermons in your time and yet so slow some of you as not once to receive this holy Sacrament in the many Years of your whole Lives though so very many of the Sermons preach'd to you urg'd and press'd you with due Preparation to receive the Communion Know ye not that the Sacrament has in sundry respects the advantage of a Sermon for in the Sacrament there is a Sermon to the Eye as well as to the Ear. Preaching alone cannot possibly so clearly and lively set forth the Evil of Sin and the Love of Christ to you as the visible Representation of the Crucifixion and bloody Death of Christ made in this Sacrament by the breaking of the Bread and pouring out of the Wine before you is apt to do Besides that The Sacrament calls you to a more solemn previous Examination of your selves than a Sermon does and requires you publickly to renew your whole Covenant with God and Christ whereas a Sermon ordinarily engages you to some one or few particular Duties only And the Sacrament is a Seal and Confirmation of the Covenant on God's part of all the great and precious Promises made in Christ to penitent Believers as well as a Ratification of the Covenant on your part Again The Sacrament has a singular Virtue and Efficacy to join and unite you more nearly and closely to Christ your Head and to knit and cement you more firmly and strongly one to another in Christian Love And is moreover a powerful Instrument and effectual Means of conveying spiritual Strength from Christ and Grace sufficient to enable you to perform the Covenant made and repeated by you and to practise the Precepts explicated and inculcated in the very many profitable Sermons preached to you 5. You that are Parents and Masters of Families in the Fear of God set up the Duties and maintain the Exercises of Christ's Religion in your Families Let Prayer and Reading the sacred Scripture and a course of Catechizing be things they are used to and well acquainted with Resolve with Joshua * Jos 24.15 As for me and my House we will serve the Lord. And vow deliberately with holy David †Ps 119.2 I will walk within my House with a perfect Heart Walk so closely and constantly with God and be so faithfully obedient to him that your Children may fare the better for your Covenant interest in him and relation to him Train bleed and ‖ Eph. 6.4 bring up your Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Teach them to know fear love and serve God with Abraham * Gen. 18.19 command your Children your Houshold that they keep the Way of the Lord This will be a means to propagate Religion to Posterity Suffer not your Children to have their Heads and Humours but labour betimes to break them of their Wills lest by their Stubbornness and Disobedience they break your very Hearts at last Adonijah was a Person unlikely ever to come to good when his Father was so indulgent to him as †1 Kings 1.6 not to displease him at any time in saying Why hast thou done so Follow the Direction which St. Austin gives to teach Men to do the Works of Abraham [p] Omnis qui trucidat sitiorum voluptates tale sacrificium offert Deo quale Abraham Aug. Kill sinful Pleasures says he and slay youthful Lusts in your Children by this means you will offer such a Sacrifice to God as Abraham did Let this Thought often arise in your Minds that the young Plants that stand in the little Nourseries of your private Families will according to your care or neglect of them grow up to be good and useful or vicious and noxious Members in Church and State and so the [q] Gratum est quod patriae civem populoque dedisti Si facit ut patriae sit idontus Juv. sat 14. Publick will be profited or prejudiced by your well or ill ordering the Dispositions and Manners of those that belong unto your charge Restrain and regulate the rude and loose manners both of your Children and Servants Labour to instil good Principles into them and to render all your seasonable Instructions prosperous and profitable by your good Examples [r] Velocius citius not Corrumpunt vitiorum exempla domistica magnis Cùm subsant animos autoribus Id. ib. Domestical Examples are very notably leading and drawing and wonderfully powerful and influential Your Children and Servants they have their Maintenance from you Dependance upon you and are much inferiour to you and so are apt to eye and imitate you and ready to conform themselves to you You that are Parents is it not enough that you have conveyed and communicated a corrupt Nature to your Children but will you proceed to deprave them further by your ill Examples and to draw forth the Corruption of their Nature into manifold actual Miscarriages and Transgressions Will you make your Children as far as ever lies in your power the Children of the Devil You that are Masters will you make your Servants the Servants of Sin and bind them Apprentices to the very Devil Will you dare any longer to (s) Nil dictu foedum visÃque hac lime ia tangat Intra quae puer est Maxima debetur puero reverentia Illud non agitas ut sanctam filius omni Aspiciat sine labe domum vitiâ—que carentem Id. ib. corrupt and debauch your Children and Seavants by your frequent Drunkenness common Swearing vain and loose Talking Profanation of the Lord's-Day Atheistical ungodly Living Let Governours of Families charge themselves to give better Examples 6. Yea let every one of you study to be Exemplary in every relation and capacity in every carriage and deportment both within the private Family and before all the Neighbourhood round about you Let this consideration discourage and deter you from being ill-exemplary that if at last you should go to Hell your selves your own Damnation will receive aggravation from the Damnation of others who have been Sinners and Sufferers through your ill Examples Which may be the reason why * Luke 16.28 Dives desired to keep his Brethren out of the place of Torment Nay St. Austin goes a great deal higher in those very notable Words of his which deserve to be pondred in your most serious Thoughts (u) Quantiscunque exemplum malae conversationis etiamsi non eum illi sequantur aliquis praebuerit pro tantis se malis rationem noverit redditurum Aug. serm 163. de Tempore If thou hast given an ill Example says he thou shalt one Day give an account for so many wicked Persons as thou hast shown an ill Example to though they have not followed thy ill Example For it is no thank to
hearty Thankfulness to Christ for it your Obedience to your Lord who does not only vouchsafe it as a Priviledge but command it as a Duty Do this in Remembrance of me Perform this easie sweet Command of thy dying Lord and Saviour who has freed and delivered thee by his Death from the heavy Yoke and grievous Bondage of Jewish Sacrifices and Observances O let our Hearts at such a Time be broken and bleed at the Remembrance of our Sins which brake Christ's Body and shed his Blood Behold in the Sacrifice and bloody Death of Christ represented in this Sacrament the odiousness and baseness of your own Sins and resolve to be the Death of that which was the Death of Christ and rather to die than willingly to do that for which Christ died Abhorr the Thoughts of wilfully choosing so great an Evil as once brought so great a Punishment upon so great a Person as the holy Jesus the well-beloved Son of God Consider seriously upon this Occasion that if God would not spare Christ when he who knew no Sin was by voluntary charitable Assumption of our Guilt to answer for our Sins to be sure then he will not spare us if we wilfully run on in Sin and obstinately allow our selves therein notwithstanding so convincing a Demonstration of his sin-hating Holiness and vindicative Justice Upon due Meditation draw this Conclusion which is the excellent Reasoning of the [p] Facilis est collectio si Deus ne resipiscentibus quidem peccata remittere voluit nisi Christo in poenas succedente multò minùs inultos sinet contumaces Grot. de Satisfact Christi learned Grotius that if God would not pardon the Sins no not of penitent Persons unless Christ did substitute himself in their Room and stand in their Stead to bear the Punishment much less will he suffer unreclaimable Rebels and contumacious Sinners to go unpunished When Christ is set forth in this Sacrament crucified before your Eies think how he intended and aimed at our Mortification and Sanctification in his Death and Passion * Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works †Pet. 2.4 Who his own self bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree that we being dead to Sin should live unto Righteousness Let us yield that Christ should have his End in his Death and never allow our selves to live in Sin which will render us uncapable of receiving the Benefit of Christ's Death Think how the Unholiness of our Lives is a greater wrong to Christ than the Jews being the very Death of him because as the [q] D. Jackson Vol. 3. p. 343 344 345. learned Dr. Jackson notes it is more against the Will and Liking and good Pleasure of our Saviour whose Will was regulated by Reason and was a constant Rule of Goodness for though a painful shameful Death and that inflicted by his own People went much against his human Will yet he chose rather to die and to suffer the most afflictive Circumstances of Death for us than to suffer us to live and die in our Sins and in the Servitude and Power of Satan Shall we pretend when we approach to the Table of our Lord affectionately to remember a loving dying Saviour and to desire to have his Memory continued and transmitted to Posterity and yet so much forget him upon the return of any Temptation as to repeat that which was the Death of him Shall we weep at the Sacrament and seem to be hugely troubled for those Sins which were the Cause of Christ's Sorrows and yet go about again to destroy and to crucify Christ afresh Shall we commemorate at the Lord's Supper our wonderful Redemption by the precious Blood of Christ and when we have done shall we do the Devil more work and service than the Lord Christ O what a Reproach is this to Christ and what a Sport to the Devil that they that pretend to remember Christ's Dying for them should not find in their hearts to live to him [q] Ego pro istis quos mecum vides nec alapas accepi nec flagella sustinui nec crucem pertuli nec sanguinem fudi nec familiam meam pretio passionis cruoris redemi sed nec regnum illis coeleste promitto nec ad paradisum restitutâ immortalitate denuò revoco Tuos tales Christe demonstra vix tui meis pereuntibus adaequantur qui à te divinis mercedibus praemiis coelestibus honorantur Cypr. de Opere Eleemosynis p. 220. St. Cyprian brings in the Devil boasting and bragging against our Saviour and insulting over us silly and sinful Wretches in this manner I have endured no Buffetings nor born Smitings with the Palms of Men's Hands I have suffer'd no Scourgings nor under-gon the Cross for any of these nor have I redeem'd my Family with the Price of my Passion and Blood-shedding yet shew me O Christ so many so busy so painful so dutiful Servants of thine as I am able to shew thee every where of mine Bring forth if thou canst such a Number of Persons who devote themselves and give their Labours Estates and Time to thee as I can easily produce of those who do all this to me When thou professest to remember that Christ died for thee O die to that for which he died Offer thy self to him and lay out thy self for him who once offered himself for us and in the Sacrament offers himself to us Think no Duty too much for him For Shame for Shame do not serve any longer a bloody Murtherer instead of a blessed Saviour and merciful Redeemer Let our Thoughts and Meditations dwell upon the Demonstration given us in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper of Christ's exceeding incomparable Love to Mankind See there how contrary the sweet and kind Nature of Christ is to the cruel and execrable Nature of the old Tyrant the Devil For as the learned [r] His Mystery of Godliness p. 133 245. Dr. More very well observes whereas the Devil who by unjust Vsurpation had got the Government of the World into his own hands tyrannizing with the greatest Cruelty and Scorn that can be imagined over Mankind thirsted after humane Blood and in most Parts of the World required the Sacrificing of Men which could not arise from any thing else but a salvage Pride and Despight against us This new gracious Prince of God's own appointing Christ Jesus was so far from requiring any such villainous Homage that himself became at once one grand and all sufficient Sacrifice for us to expiate the Sins of all Mankind and so to reconcile the World to God Shall not all this disengage us from Sin and Satan and win and gain us over to Christ And let Christ's Death make thee study to do something answerable to the dearest Love of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has
Play-house canst thou look that God with a Blessing should go with thee When thou art hunting after unjust Gain and hotly pursuing it all the Day long or using unlawful and indirect Courses to provide for thy self or Family canst thou expect that God should command a Blessing upon it Would the intemperate lustful covetous unrighteous Person proceed according to this Direction he would soon desist from his vicious Courses and unwarrantable Practices As the [i] Lukin's Pract. of Godliness p. 35. poor Man when he had stollen a Lamb to satisfy the hungry Bellies of his Family and having dressed it came of course to crave a Blessing upon it he was so disturb'd and troubled about it that he could find no Rest and Quiet in his Mind till he went and confess'd his Fault and promiss'd to make Satisfaction for the wrong he had done The Sixth Direction We must be sure to give our selves to Prayer as a special Way in which and principal Means and Help by which we may redeem and improve our Time a right And here 1. Be careful to keep up set and stated Times of ordinary Prayer 2. Be ready to betake thy self to Prayer upon special extraordinary emergent Occasions 3. Vse thy self to frequent sudden ejaculatory Prayers to God These three Particulars give the proper Sense and Meaning of those Scriptures * Eph. 6 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praying alwaies in all Time or Opportunity as the Word is †1 Thess 5.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pray without ceasing ‖ Heb. 13.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pray continually 1. If we would well redeem the Time we must keep and observe our daily set and stated Times of earnest fervent Prayer to God and solemn serious Supplication Thus it is our Duty to pray continually not to employ the Whole of our Time in Prayer as of old the Euchites dream'd but to pray continually in the same Sense as [a] Ames de Conse cas l. 4. c. 14. q. 5. Mephibosheth was commanded to eat Bread at David's Table (*) 2 Sam. 9.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. continually that is not to cram and load himself with Meat and Drink day and night but to refresh himself there at the set and customary Hours of Dinner and Supper 'T is a general Duty incumbent on us to * Luke 1.75 serve God all the Daies of our Life and therefore with the Worship and Service of Prayer in particular which may be conveniently performed daily We are directed in the Lord's Prayer to pray every Day for our †Mat. 6.11 daily Bread and therefore we ought more earnestly to ‖ Verse 33. seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness every Day (*) Exod. 29.38 39. The Morning and Evening Sacrifice strictly [b] Matutino hoc vespertino sacrisicio agnoscitur Deus noctis diei Creator Grot. in loc Bis de die sacrisicium illud volunt repeti Deus ut populus assiduè in memoria future per Christum reconciliatiouis se exerceret Voluit Deus hoc victimae genus bis de die pom ante oculos ut populus reputaret sibi opus esse identidem reconciliari Deo reaâ—â—s ac damnationis suae admonitus à principio usque ad finem diet ad ejus misericordiam confugeret Rivetus in locum enjoyned under the Law to be publickly celebrated every Day is a plain Pattern and apparent Direction for double Devotion every Day for the legal Sacrifice as also the Incense joyned with it was a Type of Prayer Psal 144.2 Heb. 13.15 The Jews had their (†) Acts 3.1 10.2 3. set Hours of Prayer Our blessed Saviour has not only given us a plain Precept for (‖) Mat. 6.6 Closet-Prayer but has afforded us his own Example to lead us to the Performance of solitary secret Prayer both Morning and sEvening [*] Mark 1 35. St. Mark Informs us that in the Morning rising up a great while before Day or in the first Twilight he went out and departed into a solitary Place and there prayed And [†] Mat. 14.23 St. Mathew acquaints us that when he had sent the Multitudes away he went up into a Mountain apart to pray and when the Evening was come he was there alone * Col. 4.1 2. Masters of Servants as such are required and charged by the Apostle to continue in Prayer and to watch in the same with Thanksgiving Which Words considering the Context which is wholly taken up in setling and setting forth the Christian Oeconomy may well be interpreted and understood of performing daily Family-Prayer [c] Dr. Arrowsm Tact. Sacr. p. 247 248. Let Governours of Families who assume and exercise a kind of Kingly Authority in their own Families understand and consider that their Master in Heaven expects that they should execute the Offices and act the Parts of so many Priests in their own Families by offering before them the Sacrifices of Prayers and Praises to God day by day There are daily Personal and Family Sins to be confess'd and pray'd against daily Personal and Family Wants to be spread before God in order to a Supply thereof Personal and Family Mercies daily received and duely to be acknowledg'd every Day Morning and Evening We generally find that they that have any shew of Religion are very observant of stated Times of Devotion so are the Papists and so are the Mahometans Nay the very Heathen guided by the dim Light of Nature have approved and recommended this Practice Hesiod in particular gives this as a necessary Rule [d] 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the utmost of your Power perform your sacred Offices to the immortal Gods both when you go to Bed at Night and when the Morning-Light appears that they may bear a propitious Mind and carry a kind and loving Heart toward you And it is not unworthy of some remark that the Precepts of continuing in Prayer and redeeming the Time are so * Col 4.2 3 5. nearly and closely joined together in Scripture To pretermit and neglect to lay aside and cast off fixed determined Times and certain appointed Seasons of Prayer would be to lose our Time and quickly to lose our Religion too If you will not admit so much of the Form you are not likely to maintain the Power of Godliness If you reckon you have no call to pray but only when you find and feel a present inward strong Impulse and secret powerful Inclination to it you take a course to chase and drive away the Spirit from you and to deprive your selves of the holy and spiritual the sweet and seasonable Motions of it When the usual Times of Duty return pray though thou hast no present sensible Motion to perform it and pray till thou findest God's good Spirit sweetly and powerfully moving upon thee and working in thee enlivening and enlarging thy Heart in Prayer and enabling thee to enjoy some singular sensible joyful
Violation of your Baptismal Vow You promis'd at your Baptism that you would obediently keep God's holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the Days of your Lives But how apparently do you break this part of your Vow by living in a long continued course of Disobedience to this so reasonable Command of Christ Yea this unchristian Practice of yours is by interpretation a kind of Renunciation of your Baptismal Covenant entred into in your Infancy you do in a manner openly disown and disavow it when you will not yield at Years of Discretion to renew and confirm it though often minded of it frequently required and called upon in the Name of Christ to do it in the Use and Celebration of this Sacrament And by being so utterly averse and unwilling to bind your selves by this means to Christ and to ratify and strengthen your Covenant with him you seem to quit your Part in Christ and to disclaim all Interest and Propriety in the precious Benefits purchased by his Blood and Death and to be guilty of the basest Ingratitude and greatest Unkindness imaginable in refusing to remember in a solemn manner your Blessed Saviour who has so lovingly remembred you and been with so much charge and cost so great a Benefactor to you and in unworthily undervaluing the inestimable Benefits of his Death and Passion sealed and exhibited in the right Use of this Sacrament When Christ has said in plain terms Do this will you in effect dare to say We will not do this we will break a known Law and will not regard the Authority of Christ Will you persist in such Omission as you cannot justify but are forc'd if reason'd with to condemn your selves for Can you be so weak and short in your reasoning as to think you reserve to your selves a freedom and liberty to sin for the present without any great Danger to you by absenting your selves from the Sacrament which would closely tie and straitly bind you up to a stricter way and more exact course of Life never considering that by your relation to God and dependance upon him by your early Covenant made in Baptism by all your hearing or reading the Word of God and by every Prayer you have in all your Life put up to God you are already strongly obliged to all that Duty which the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper would further engage you to perform Will you put off this Sacrament from Time to Time and satisfy your selves at present that you purpose to prepare and receive hereafter why this is just as foolish and absurd as to resolve that when you have very greedily swallowed much more Poison then you will take the benefit of an Antidote that when you have stuffed your selves with trash and fill'd your selves with abundant crudities and by so doing weakned and destroyed your Appetite or by long Fasting quite lost your Stomach then you will hasten to a Feast That when you have further despised the Riches of Divine Goodness and Grace made more light of Christ and of his pretious Blood and Benefits and grieved his Spirit by longer Deâ—ays and Non-improvement of Gospel-seasons and golden Opportunities then you will seek Reconciliation to God Union to and Communion with Christ Purgation from Sin by the Blood of Christ and the Consolation of the Spirit of Christ You may delude your selves with Intentions and Resolutions to remember Christ in the Sacrament at some convenient Season hereafter but if you neglect and closer it now you may lose your Senses and Memory before ye have another Occasion offer'd you of remembring Christ in this Sacrament You may die and depart and Christ may come to you in particular Judgment before you can enjoy another Opportunity of 〈◊〉 to the Table and Supper of your Lord We may tell of your Death and shew to others where you lie low in your Graves before the Times comes that you should shew forth your Lord's Death in the celebration of the holy Communion And ifyou should communicate upon a Death-bed the Sacrament so late sought and receiv'd is very unlikely to assure Heaven to you when you die when it was never desired and used by you as a necessary Means of helping you to Holiness and so of leading you on to Happiness all your Life long Let not humble honest-hearted Christians debar and deprive themselves of this Ordinance by over-looking or mis-judging their own Qualifications But finding that they regard no Iniquity in their Hearts and feeling in themselves vehement Longings and earnest Breathings after Christ and continual Hungrings and Thirstings after Righteousness let them own with thankfulness any measure of Grace discernible in themselves and not deny to themselves what Christ so freely affords and offers them but when invited to this Spiritual Feast draw near with Faith and take this holy Sacrament to their Comfort and use it as a means of supplying their spiritual wants and needs Come yea frequently come to the Lord's Table The Sacrament of Baptism is the Symbol and Seal of our Regeneration or New Birth and therefore it is to be received but once But the holy Communion is the Symbol and Seal of our spiritual Nutrition and therefore in reason we are to receive it often When Christ appointed that this should be done in remembrance of him can you think he intended only a single or seldom remembrance Did not Christ himself in giving that Command and enacting that Law intimate insinuate and suppose a reiterated frequent remembrance of himself when he said * 1 Cor. 11.25 26. as oft as ye drink it the Apostle subjoining as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup Will he then accept and take it kindly at your hand if ye do it so seldom as is next to a total Omission of it Did the Primitive Christians communicate every day or at least every Lord's-Day and can you content your selves to live many Weeks Months and Years without it Did you but know and understand consider and meditate of your own spiritual great necessities Wants Weaknesses and of the certain considerable Advantages of a frequent Participation of the holy Communion you would quickly find a Law within your selves to bind and oblige you a strong Argument and Impellent within your own Breasts a pressing powerful Motive in your own Bosoms to draw you to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper you would as soon forget to take your daily Bread as neglect to receive this blessed Sacrament upon any good Occasion and fit Opportunity offer'd to you Among all your Cares take special care to feed and nourish to strengthen and comfort to cleanse and save your Souls Among all your Employments find some leisure to remember your Saviour to meet with your dearest Lord and to receive the seasonable plentiful rich * Phil. 1.19 Supplies of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Will you pretend to value a Sermon and yet unworthily slight the Sacrament seem to make conscience of
though the Apostles preached and celebrated the Lord's Supper on other Dates of the Week yet why are the4se Things mentioned as done on that Day particularly and remarkably unless it were for some singular Eminency of this above any other Day and because they were bound to do those Duties on this Day more than on any other And the Apostle gave express Order that †1 Cor. 16. 1 2. the Collection for the Saints a Work especially fit for a Sabbath-Day should be made particularly on the first Day that is [d] Beza in loc every first Day of the Week which was the fore-ordain'd and customary Day of the Christian religious Church Assemblies Vpon or [e] Bp. of VV. Opuse Speech against Mr. Trask p. 73. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the VVord is used Mark 15.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sense is against the Feast against the first Day of the Week every Person was to lay apart what God should move and encline him to offer The Preparation and Separation of it was to be at home every Week but the Collation and Contribution to be in the Publick Congregation every Lord's Day For [f] Hammond's Par. it was not reasonable for any to come to the Lord * Exod. 23.15 Deut. 16.16 empty upon the Day of the most solemn Christian Assembly And this Day was appointed for the Oblation of their Alms because of the inestimable Benefits and infinite good Things we this Day had bestowed upon us And the Church of Christ has constantly observ'd this high Day ever since the Apostles Daies and spent it in Reading Exhortation Praier Sacraments [g] Si die Solis laetitiae indulgemus alia longe ratione quà m religione Solis secundo loco ab eis sumus qui diem Saturni otto victus â—ecernunt exorbitantes ipsi à Judaico more quem ignorant Tertul. Apol. c. 16 The Primitive Christians were suspected to worship the Sun because they used to celebrate the Sunday It was an [h] Bp. of VV. Speech in the Star-Chamber Opusc p. 74. usual Question put of old by the Heathen to the Christians before ever they offer'd to torture and martyr them Num Dominicum servasti Did you keep the Lord's Day To which they answer'd Christianus sum intermittere non possum I am a Christian and dare not omit or give over the Observation of it This is a Day in which God is to be solemnly worshipped and served and Christ to be pbulickly magnified and glorified A special Season to be laid hold on a particular Opportunity to be improved for our Soul's Good This is a special Day of Grace in which as I may say the Mint is going and in which we may take our Stamp of Holinefs [i] VVhole duty of man Partit 2. sect 18. This is the gainfullest the joyfullest Day of the Week a Day of Harvest wherein we are to lay up in store for the whole Week nay for our whole Lives This is a Market-day for our Souls in which we may trade for Eternity This is a Day in which we may hear and understand the Things that belong unto our Peace Pious and pathetical is that of the divine and holy Mr. Herbert Sunday O Day most calm most bright The Week were dark but for thy Light Thy Torch doth show the way Sundaies They are the fruitful Beds and Borders In God's rich Garden that is bare Which parts their Ranks and Orders On Sunday Heaven's Gate stands ope Blessings are plentiful and rife More plentiful than Hope This is a Day in which the most precious Commodities that ever the World saw or heard of are set forth in which the Riches and Treasures of the Gospel are opened Christ himself offered his Merit and Spirit tendred Pardon and Grace Light and Life Strength and Comfort held out and exhibited This is a Day in which no Pandora's Box is opened but in which the Cabinet of God's Jewels is unlocked and his precious Gifts and Graces dispensed This is a Day in which a spiritual Mart a divine Fair is publickly kept in which with the wise Virgins we may buy Oil for our Lamps buy spiritual Eye-salve to anoint our Eyes that we may see as our Saviour counsels excellently buy the Truth as the wise Man advises us and be perswaded so well to like it as never to sell or part with it buy Wine and Milk and Bread to fill and satisfy our empty hungry and thirsty Souls buy white Rainment that we may be clothed and that the Shame of our Nakedness may not appear buy the Christian 's compleat Armour that we may be furnished for our Warfare and well provided against the Assaults of our Spiritual Enemies buy Gold tried in the Fire that we may be rich yea in which we may buy the Pearl of Price in which we may receive and lay hold on Christ and all his Benefits and embrace and apply the great and precious Promises of the Gospel This is a Day in which the Word of God's Grace is opened and applyed and the holy Sacraments the Seals of the Covenant frequently administred in which we have the Priviledg of hearing God speaking unto Sinners and wooing and beseeching Rebels to be reconciled and in which we may enjoy the glorious Liberty of speaking our selves to God with an holy Boldness at the Throne of Grace and pouring out with one Accord our Supplications and Souls in Praier to him This is a Day of solemn Rest from servile Offices and worldly Works A Time of drawing nigh to God and of meeting the Lord in his own Ordinances of joining with the Saints and Servants of God in the Worship of God in Praiers to God and the Praises of him of having Communion and Fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ through the blessed Spirit and of enjoying a kind of Heaven here upon Earth The Lord's Day you see is a special Season of Grace and Mercy O let 's be spiritually thrifty of this Opportunity Let 's not live as if we were of the same Mind with the modern carnal Jews who think as the learned [k] Tempore Sabbati matutino non tam citò quà m solent alias cubitu surgentes in lucem multam voluptatis certè magis quà m Sabbati debitè colendi causâ stertunt Quantò enim voluptatis isti plus percipiunt tantò se devotrùs Sabbatum colere statuunt Buxtorf Synag Judaic c. 11. initio Buxtorf tells us that sleeping excessively on their Sabbath is a great Honour dòne to God Let 's not content our selves with an idle Rest Let our Rest be the Rest [l] Lawson's Theo-Pol p. 179. of Men and not of Beasts and the Rest of holy Men as holy Let 's not only cease from secular Works but exercise our rational and spiritual Faculties in heavenly and divine Employments and set our selves to Works of Piety Charity and Mercy Let us redeem this Time out of the Hands of
the Devil the World and our own carnal cozening corrupt Hearts Do not offer to work the Works of your Calling the Works of the Flesh the Works of the Devil on the Lord's Day Take heed of serving the Devil more upon the Lord's Day than on any other Day than on all the Days of the Week besides Let not the Lord's Day be leisure for the Devil as if the first Day of the Week were Daemoniacus potiùs quà m Dominicus the Devil 's and not the Lord's Day Let not any Temptations or Delusions of Satan keep and detain us from the publick Ordinance divert our Attention at it and hinder our Spiritual Benefit by it Let not any Recreations and sensual Pleasures upon this Day especially hinder the Performance or family-Family-Duties and private religious Exercises Let not vain Thoughts this Day lodge within us and justle out heavenly Meditations Let not worldly impertinent Discourses upon this Day shut out more profitable Christian Conferences The Lord's Day it is the most considerable Advantage the most notable Opportunity that is afforded us and the best Price that is put into our Hands all the Week long You have several Market-daies in the Week for civil Affairs and worldly interests but you have this one only for spiritual and eternal Interests and Advantages O do not neglect so great Salvation as is this Day offered and tendred to you Having such an excellent Price in your Hands O be not such Fools as not to make a good and a right Use of it [m] Mr. Valentine Marshal in his Preface before Capel's Remains Mr. Richard Capel pressing the strict Observation of the Lord's Day would usually say that we should go to sleep that Night with Meat in our Mouths as it were The Lord's-day being our best Opportunity if we mis-spend that we cannot be said to redeem the Time Now that we may redeem the Lord's-day to good Effects and useful Purposes let us not be wanting to put our selves in a sit Preparation for the due Observation of it not only by previous Meditation of the Day and the Duties of it but by ordering aright the constant Course of our Conversation and labouring for habitual Sanctification Let us every Day live as those that expect to have Communion with God the next Lord's-day Let us act so regularly all the Week that nothing may be done by us which may breed any strangeness between God and us and hinder our delightful Converse with him on his own Day that on that sacred separated Day we may not bring the fresh Guilt of any gross and wilful Sin along with us which may make us blush and be ashamed to come into his Presence Let us walk so circumspectly every Day that upon the Return of his own Day we may meet him with a pure and clear Conscience with clean Hands and clean Hearts and may be made joyful in his House of Praier That we may keep the Lord's-day holy let us strive and study to live holily all the Week and be so provident and diligent as to finish and dispatch in the six Daies all kinds of secular Works and common Employments that no Sin committed on the one hand nor any Business of our Calling omitted on the other may disturb and slacken our Attention distract and discompose us in the Exercise of our Devotion but that we may cheerfully and fruitfully spend the Lord's-day in the Lord's Work Let us every Day carry our selves so spiritually and perform our Closet and Family religious Duties so conscionably and constantly that we may be the fitter and readier to spend this choice select Day in the solemn Worship and Service of God and may go through the several Duties of it with less Tediousness and more Delight Let us be with God some part of every Day that so we may grow into Acquaintance with him and may taste the Sweetness and experience the Gainfulness of Communion with him and long for the return of the Lord's-day that we may meet and enjoy him in the publick Ordinances and have Opportunity of larger and freer Converse with him Let us pray to God every Day that so by using our selves to the Duty we may be the better disposed to join in Praier with the Congregation on the Lord's-day Let us read the Bible every Day and daily do whatever we know to be our Duty and this will make us more apt to hear and the better prepared to receive the Word that is preached on the Lord's-day And when the Lord's-day comes let us get up as early as may be that so we may have the more Time before us to work the Work of God in And take some Pains to prepare our selves in private for our better Attendance upon the publick Ordinances and timely [n] Quisquis incolit civitatem in qua extat Synagoga inibi non precatur cum coetis publico is est qui meritò dicitur malus vicinus Dictum Maimonidis resort to the Place of publick Meeting Follow the Counsel of holy Mr. Herbert [o] The Church-porch p. 14. Sundaies observe think when the Bells do chime 'T is Angel's Musick therefore come not late God then deals Blessings if a King did so Who would not haste nay give to see the Show O be drest Stay not for th' other Pin why thou hast lost A Joy for it worth Worlds Thus Hell doth jest Away thy Blessings and extreamly flout thee Thy Clothes being fast but thy Soul loose about thee And when thou art come into the Church watch over thy Behaviour there make thy self all Reverence and Fear Open thy Ears but shut thy Eies to all distracting Objects [n] The Church-Porch p. 15. Who marks in Church-time others Symmetry Makes all their Beauty his Deformity As the same Divine Poet pathetically expresses it Let God and Angels see your most devout Behaviour and serious Composure the whole Time of Praier And give all diligent close Attention to the Word of god read and preach'd Do not carp and catch jest and jear at the Preacher's Language or Expression Do not shew by your vain and prophane Carriage your ridiculous Gestures and unseemly Actions your Laughing and Whispering Toying and Talking that you slight and contemn the [o] God calleth Preaching folly Do not grudg to pick out Treasures from an earthen Pot. The Church-Porch p. 15. Foolishness of Preaching And when on the Lord's-day the Lord's Table is richly furnish'd with a spiritual Banquet make not needless and frivolous Excuses to absent your selves from this Marriage-feast If any croud in that have not a Wedding-Garment let not this make you stay out that have one Lose not your Portion of this heavenly Food because of others impreparation Though others eat and drink their own Damnation let your Faith feed on Christ to your own Salvation By your frequent receiving of this Sacrament shew your real Sense of your own need of it your high prizing and valuation of it your
Will you make them labour for you six Daies together and will not you cause them to serve God one Day in seven Be at least as much concern'd in Case of neglect of God's Service as you are at any Time when your own Work and Family-business is neglected Do it for God's sake Shew that you love the Honour of God and not only respect your own Commodity and look to your own Advantage Do it for your Servant's sake Make it their Business to do God Service that they may be approved and rewarded by him Yea do it for your own sake Make your Servants God's faithful Servants that so they may prove more faithful to you and that God may bless them in your Service and that your Work may thrive and succeed in their Hands On this Day especially call thy Family thy whole Family to Family-duties prepare them for and hasten them to the publick Ordinances It is reported of [w] M. Clark in his Life Dr. Chaderton the first Master of Emmanuel-Colledg that he was married three and fifty Years and yet in all that Time he never kept any of his Servants from the Church to dress his Meat saying that he desired as much to have his Servants know God as himself And it was the Custome of the Reverend and pious [x] See his Life among Mr. Clark's Lives of ten Em. Div. Dr. Gouge to forbear providing of Suppers the Eve before that Servants might not be occasioned thereby to sit uplate neither would he suffer any [y] Die Dominicâ ut in festis licet etiam ciborum lautiorem apparatum habere quamvit in eis parandis ne majora impediantur servorum animae detrimentum non necessarium iucurrant summopere curandum est Baxter Meth. Th. part 3. c. 14. p. 172. Servant to stay at home for dressing any Meat upon the Lord's-day for the Entertainment of Friends whether they were mean or great few or many Take your Family to Church along with you and when you return home again examine catechize inform instruct them recapitulate the Sermon read the Scripture and good Books to them whet practical profitable necessary saving Truths on them sing Psalms among them and pray most heartily and affectionately with and for them And you that are Servants who have little leisure most of you on other Daies and who live too many of you in such profane and ungodly Families where you hear not so much as one Praier put up to God nor one Line of the Word of God read nor one serious Word spoken of God all the Week long what reason have you carefully to redeem the Lord's-day to redeem it in publick by devoutly attending to the Prayers that are made and the Word that is both read and preacht in the publick Congregation And to redeem it in private by taking all possible Occasions to retire and go aside by your selves to consider in secret the needs of your Souls to examine your Hearts and States to review your Lives and Actions to humble your selves in Confession of Sin and to pour out your Souls in Prayer for Pardon and Grace to read the Bible and some instructive practical Writings of the most judicious experimental Divines apt to inform your Judgments and to work and prevail upon your Affections to set your selves to meditate of God to draw out and engage your Hearts to God rather than to lavish out and throw away those precious Hours in foolish Talk and frothy Discourse or in gadding abroad and walking idly in the Fields and recreating your Bodies rather than your Souls and in thrusting God and turning Religion wholly out of your Minds and Hearts and nourishing your selves in Ignorance of God and Unacquaintance with him and in Encreasing the Atheism of your Hearts and Lives and hardening your own and others Hearts through the Ensnarements of the World and the Deceitfulness of Sin But it may be you will say you are hard wrought all the Week long and you have reason to take your ease and pleasure and to rest and recreate your tired Bodies one Day in seven that so you may endure your Labour and go through all your Work the better I answer that your very Cessation in any measure from your wonted Labour is an ease and relief to your weary Bodies and that the very change of your Work and Occupation from secular servile Employment to spiritual divine Worship and Service and the Diversion of your Minds from worldly Businesses to the Offices and Exercises of Religion if you would but acquaint your selves with them and use your selves to them would be delightful and refreshing to you And the Peace and Quiet Joy and Comfort of a good Conscience in the faithful Discharge of your Duty to God and a tender Care of your immortal Souls would strengthen and hearten you to bear all the Burthen of the hardest Labours of your domestick Ministeries in consideration that your heavenly Father Lord and Master will accept and reward your Works of Piety and bless and prosper the Works of your Hands in the Houshold-businesses and Family-employments incumbent on you and belonging to you Rather break your Sleep to rise the earlier than lose the Opportunities of that Day Or chuse to leave and live out of those Families in the which you are forced to live without God are debarr'd from his Service and can have no Liberty allowed you to mind God and your Souls on a Day that was purposely ordained and appointed for your spiritual Proficiency and Improvement Let the Poor of this World redeem this Day by taking this Opportunity to labour spiritually for the Meat which perisheth not but endureth to everlasting Life and by hearing the Gospel preach'd in this Season to them to become rich in Faith rich in Grace to know and to partake of the Grace and Favour the Love and Kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ who though he was rich yet for our sakes became poor that we through his Poverty might be made rich You that are poor and mean and low in the World and who cannot take so much Time as others to worship and enjoy God on the Week-Daies see that you well improve this Day Now you are released from secular Businesses and common Services and your Bodies rest from their hard Labours be sure that you spiritually busie and holily employ your selves in the Service of God Let me likewise charge them that are rich in this World to redeem this choicest Part of their Time and in it to endeavour to be rich toward God rich in God to lay up for themselves a Treasure in Heaven to obtain the true certain durable Riches which when they fail will never leave them but when they remove will bear them company into the other World And here let me hint to you of the Gentry what [z] Fuller's Church-Hist B. 11. p. 146. Dr. Paul Michlewait once urged and pressed in a Sermon at the Temple that Gentle-folk of all
People are obliged to a strict observation of the Lord's-day The Gentry in comparison rest all the Week long their Cheeks are not moistened with Sweat their Hands are not hardened with hard Labour they are not tired and wearied out with pains-taking They who take their Pleasure and recreate themselves every Day in the Week have nothing to plead for Recreations on the Lord's-day Though for my own part I should be far from indulging a Liberty to any to take such Recreations as hinder the Devotions due to any part of the Lord's-day and are Impediments to the Sanctification of it aright Let all industriously redeem the Lord's-day And take we heed we redeem it not by halves but let 's religiously observe and covetously redeem the whole Lord's-day We are bound in justice to God to do it because God has set a Day not a Piece of a Day apart for himself and requires this Portion and Tribute of Time to be paied to him who has graciously given us all our Time We should be as much yea more afraid to steal God's Time than Mens Goods Do not only observe the former Part of the Day repairing to the Church or Chappel in the Morning but commonly and customarily absenting your selves and growing quite weary of any such Duty in the After-noon for God has allotted and appointed a seventh Part of our Time for his own Worship and Service but if you keep only one half of the Lord's-day you give God but a fourteenth Part of your Time Nay of one Day in seven I fear too many spare him no more than that Time only which their Morning-Attendance takes up in publick on the Lord's-day And here I appeal to their own Reason whether it be a meet and fit Thing that rational Persons created by God and redeemed by his Son should afford to the Worship and Service of God and Christ and the great concerns of their immortal Souls but two Hours at most of the whole Lord's-day and it may be no more of the whole Week and shall spend those Hours in a formal customary cold and heartless Worship of an infinitely holy and just Deity the tremendous impartial Judg of Angels and Men. Grudg not to give God one whole Day in seven who largely and liberally grants and allows six whole Daies in seven to you and who designs a greater Benefit and Advantage to you by your Observation of this one Day than possibly can accrue to you by the carefullest and painfullest worldly Improvement of all the rest O believe and consider that the taking out of this one Day and setting it apart for such an excellent Service and high Employment as you are called to in it is certainly the greatest Gift of all How can you be loth to spend one Day in seven in Familiarity with Heaven in communion with your Maker and Fellowship with your Saviour Let us all call the Christian Sabbath the Lord's-day a Delight take as much Contentment and Satisfaction in doing on this Day the Exercises of Religion as Men usually take in doing the Works of their ordinary Calling take as much Pleasure in God's Service as others take in Sin and Vanity Let us spend the Lord's-day as becomes those who profess that they love God better and delight in him more than in any Thing in the World Spend it as they that are glad of so honourable and profitable and pleasurable an Employment as the publick and private Worshiping of God Let us go to the House of God with Joy Let the Church on the Lord's-day be a Banquetting-house and not a Prison to us Do but bring your selves to spend the Lord's-day with Delight and then you will keep it to the End of it The Jews were bound to keep a whole Day holy in a grateful Memory of the lesser Benefits of the Creation and their Deliverance out of Aegypt And shall not we solemnly observe the whole Lord's-day in a thankful Remembrance of greater Blessings not only of the Goodness of God in our Creation but of his Grace and Mercy in our Redemption and Deliverance from Hell and Death eternal We have greater Engagements to do it than they not only greater Motives but greater [a] See Mr. Cawdrey's Sabbathum redivivum p. 563 564. Means too We have greater Variety of publick Exercises on the Lord's-day than they had on their Sabbath We have more Scripture to reade in private than they had We have the Old and New Testament many Expositors upon them many good Practical Theological Tractates written We have more Knowledg afforded us than they had more Grace offer'd us to do the Duties incumbent on us Now we that have more Means and Helps how can we offer to put God off with less Duty and smaller Service and shorter Performance Nay the very Heathens guided by the Light of Nature held it reasonable that the Daies consecrated to their Gods should be devoutly and totally observed with Rest and Sanctity [b] Saturn l. 1. c. 7. Macrobius tells us that on their holy Daies the People came together to spend the whole Day in learning Fables to be conferred upon and will you that call your selves Christians refuse to come together on the Lord's-day to spend one Hour in the Morning another in the After-noon in learning the Mysteries of the Gospel and in receiving saving Instructions out of the Word of God You that give your Bodies two Meals every Day will you feed your Souls but once on the Lord's-day Give me leave to deal with you in the winning Words of that sweet Singer of our Israel Speaking of the Lord's-day saies he [a] Church-porch p. 14. Twice on the Day his due in understood For all the Week thy Food so oft he gave thee Thy cheer is mended bate not of the Food Because 't is better and perhaps may save thee Thwart not th' Almighty God O be not cross Fast when thou wilt but then 't is gain not loss Consider that your own and your Families spiritual Necessities do require and call for a most strict Observation of the whole Lord's-day and a faithful Improvement of all the Helps and Advantages of it The Works of your Callings and your worldly Occasions and Employments do in a manner take up six Daies of the Week and you have but one whole Day in seven to provide for the Needs of your immortal Souls Now the Necessities of your Souls are far greater than those of your Bodies your spiritual eternal Estate is of nearer and higher Concern than your outward and temporal Estate And will you not labour then to improve every Hour and endeavour to redeem every Minute of this one Day Do but seriously think with your selves how much work you have to do in this one Day and then tell me whether in reason and Prudence you can spare any Part of it yea or no. What have you to do for God for your selves What for your Families for your Children and Servants How
those strong Waters are fullest of Spirits which are first drawn and our Hearts not so entangled and encumbred with the Things of the World In the Morning we are clearest and sittest for any thing and therefore to be sure sittest for God and the Worship of God freest and freshest for holy Duties spiritual Services and religious Exercises The Morning is as much a Friend to the Graces as to the Muses As the Morning is a special Time for Study so for Duty As it is the best studying Time so it is the best praying Time The People of God have ever accounted the Morning the fittest Season for Devotion And therefore we find that holy [k] Job 1.5 See Mr. Caryl on the place Job rose up early in the Morning and offer'd Burnt-offerings Thus did Job continually Not only in the Morning but early in the Morning in the very Beginning or first of the Morning We read how God commanded that * Exod. 23.19 the first of the first Fruits of the Land should be brought into the House of the hLord So here Job gave God not only the first Fruits of the Day but the earliest Time in the Morning which is the first of the first Fruits of the Day the Morning of the Morning as I may so speak So David chooseth the Morning-season †Psal 5.3 My Voice shalt thou hear in the Morning O Lord in the Morning will I direct my Praier unto thee It is a good Thing to ‖ Psal 92.2 shew forth thy loving-kindness in the Morning (*) Psal 119.147 I prevented the drawning of the Morning and cried And again (†) Psal 139 18. When I wake I am still with thee saies he He gave God the first of his fixed and settled Thoughts Is is recorded of our blessed Saviour that he (‖) Mark i. 35. rose up in the Morning a great while before Day to go into a solitary Place to pray And 't is said of the Apostles that they [*] Acts 5.21 entred into the Temple early in the Morning So we should enter into our Closets early in the Morning and make it our first business and employment to converse with God and commune with our own Hearts to betake our selves to Praier and to [l] Who reade a Chapter when they rise Shall ne'er be troubled with ill Eyes Herbert's Poem-charms and Knots Reading of the Scripture and to give our selves to Meditation And surely as a [m] Dr. Jackson V 3. p. 92. great Divine saies excellently If Men would give some divine Precepts or Sentences full possession of their Morning Thoughts these would serve as so many Armed Men to keep out the Suggestions of the Devil the World and the Flesh from entring into their Hearts [n] Et ni Posces ante diem librum cum lumine si non Inten les animum studiis rebus honestis Invidia vel amore vigil torquebere Horat. Ep. l. 1. ep 2. The filling our Minds and possessing our Hearts with serious holy Thoughts in the first place as soon as ever we wake in the Morning is an excellent Means to prevent those frothy vain Thoughts which are apt to arise in empty Hearts As you know the taking a good Draught in the Morning is the way to keep out the Wind which would offend and troubled an empty Stomach When we first open our Eyes in a Morning as a [o] Dr. Tho. Guodwin of the Van. of Thoughts p. 32. worthy Doctor does well illustrate this matter many Vanities and Businesses stand like earnest Suiters or as diligent Clients at Lawyers Doors waiting to speak with our Thoughts and ready to press and croud in upon us but let us speak with God first and he will say something to our Hearts will fix and settle them for all Day The Morning is a special Opportunity to be carefully redeemed and the rather to be redeemed because by redeeming the Morning we are likely to redeem the whole Day following If a Watch or Clock be wound up well in the Morning 't will go right and keep true all the Day after So tho winding up of our Hearts by devout Meditation in the Morning will be a means of our regular Proceeding to the Close and End of the Day following If we awake with God in the Morning we are likely to walk with God all the Day long Our doing God service in the Morning will stand us in stead all the Day after will engage and oblige us dispose and encline us to keep a Decorum all the Day and to do nothing unworthy of our Morning's Work The serious Consideration of the Goodness and loving Kindness of God towards us his Watchfulness over us Protection Preservation Refreshment of us the very Night past will make us study to render suitably to such a Mercy and to live to him all the Day who gives us as it were a new Life every Morning Our labouring to get our Minds and Hearts early and throughly poslest in the Morning with quick and lively Apprehensions and powerful deep Impressions of the glorious divine Attributes and Perfections of God's Greatness Holiness Justice Omniscience Omnipresence will keep us close to God and our Duty all the Day Our being with God in the first place as soon as we are up every Morning this will season our Hearts spiritualize our Affections aw our Consciences and be a means to regulate our Actions and to sanctify our Employments Carriages and Converses the whole Day following Whereas if we neglect God in the Morning God may justly leave us to our selves all the Day after If we venture to go into the World before we have first goâ—â— to God we rashly rush into Danger because we take not God along with us whose Presence Guidance Grace and Strength is our only Safety and great Security against the Malignity and Evil of the World If we don't in the Morning and Beginning of the Day implore the divine Presence and Assistance and beg God's Providence over us Direction of us and Blessing upon us If we seek not God before we seek the World before we seek our selves we are likely to do nothing but mis-carry in every Thing all the Day We are apt to be caught in every Snare to be overborn by every Corruption and overcome by every Temptation and therefore be sure to redeem the Morning-Season The fourth Particular Opportunity to be redeemed 4. The Society and Company of the most Religious and Godly is another Special Opportunity to be presently laid fast hold on and faithfully made good Use of You have here an occasion of doing good by your serious and savoury Speeches Honest Hearts will presently close with them receive and embrace them entertain and accept them and not slight and reject them scoff and mock at them Further You have here an occasion of receiving good from other's suitable and seasonable Discourses you may be edified by their Gifts profited by their Graces quickned
dismal Voice Serve nequam * Mat. 25.19 26 30. thou wicked and slothful Servant and shall find and feel a Retribution accordingly 'T will surely then be said concerning him * Mat. 25. 19 26 30. Cast the unprofitable Servant into outer Darkness there shall be Wecping and Gnashing of Teeth O let 's not put that evil Day far from us but let that Voice be alwaies ringing in our Ears which was ever sounding in [g] Quoties diem tillum considero toto corpore contremisco sive entm comedo sive bibo sive aliqutd facio semper videtur mihi tuba illa terrtilis sonare in auribus meis Surgite mortus ventte ad judicium Hieron St. Jerom's Arise ye Dead and come to Judgment Our Time must be strictly reckon'd for and therefore we should thriftily husband if possible every Minute of it The sixth and last Additional Reason Sixthly and lastly We should be sure to redeem the Time Because this Time is all we can redeem and upon this short Moment of Time depends long Eternity We shall never have any more Time or Space to redeem either in this or in another World 1. As we cannot live this same Life over again so when once we die and leave this World we shall never return to this Earth again to converse in Flesh with Men any more nor be suffer'd to live another Life here in this World to mend and correct what we did amiss heretofore * Job 14.14 If a Man die shall he live again says Job Some understand this Interrogation as flat denial an absolute Negation He shall live a natural Life on Earth no more †Job 7.9 10. As the Cloud is consumed and vanisheth away So he that goeth down to the Grave shall come up no more He shall return no more to his House neither shall his Place know him any more ‖ Job 26.22 Job 10. 21. When a few Years are come then I shall go the Way whence I shall not return 2. And as we shall have no new Time in this So no Space will be given or granted us for Repentance and Purgation of our Souls nor will any Offer of Mercy be made us in the other World No new Covenant will ever there be tendred to us no Ambassadours of Peace be sent to beseech us to pray us there n Christ's stead to be reconcil'd to God God will then be irreconcilable Sin unpardonable and unremovable Heaven unattainable and lost Souls uncurable and irrecoverable If we do not do our best here we shall have no other Game to play nor Part to and in any other Region or Mansion We shall not be [h] Quoad animae separatae statum nun itâ—rum sit Viator neque in probationis stain posita ad foe scitatein â—ahue acquirendam sed in statu ponitur hnals resurrections mutationibus expectatis Baxter Methodus Theologiae Christianae part 4. cap. 4. Probationers in the other World We shall not be suffered to begin there upon a new Score [i] In quo quemque invenerit suus novissimus dies in hoc eum compiehendet munds novissmas dies Quoniam qualis in die isto qutsque moritur talis in die illo judicabitur August Epist 80. Qualis exieris de hac vita talis redder is illi vitae August in Psal 36. Our Souls at Death will enter into a sixed unchangeable State and continue for ever such as they went out of this World The very same Frame and Temper Qualities and Assectious as we carry with us out of this Life we shall keep and retain in the next Such good Dispositions as were begun here will indeed beintended and perfected in Heaven And such ill Dispositions as took place and got Root here will be strongly setled and fully confirm'd in the damn'd hereafter But the [k] See Dr. Tillotson 1. vol pag. 29â— Dr. More 's Mystery of Godliness pag. 441. Dr. Dowler's Design of Christianity pag. 122. main State of any either good or bad will never be varied or altered in the other World As the Tree falls so it lies As Time leaves us so Eternity will find and continue us God will never trie us more with Opportunities and Helps of Conversion and Reformation with the Means of Grace and Life in another Place and State And therefore let 's now improve Providences and Ordinances Aids and Assistances as those that shall never hereafter meet with such Advantages and do all the Duties and Offices of Religion as those that are going to that World where there is no room for such Performances no place for Confession Praier Repentance and Amendment of Life in order to the Pardon of our Sins and Salvation of our Souls no occasion of running wrestling striving watching fighting any more in order to obtaining of a Prize and receiving of a Crown All that is now left undone must be undone for ever This is the only Space allotted us and Opportunity afforded us wherein to build and prepare our Ark to get Oil sufficient into our Vessels and to provide a competent Measure or Portion of Manna We can only gather the spiritual Manna in the six Daies of this Temporal Life there is no finding no getting of it on the Sabbath of Eternity As we must do all our worldly Business before the weekly Sabbath comes So we must quite finish our spiritual Business in the working Daies of the Life present for there is no working on the eternal Sabbath when once this earthly Lise is ended Then we must labour and work preparatory Work no longer but receive from our great Lord and Master the Reward or Punishment of our former Works The Life to come it is no Seed Time but only a Time of Harvest We must reap in the future State the Fruit of our own present Doings whether good or bad As we do use the Time of this Life so shall we be used treated and dealt with in the other Life We shall certainly fare happily or miserably to all Eternity according to our Carriage and Behaviour here According to our Choice and Election Affection and Action in this World will be our everlasting Lot in the World to come So that the right Improving or Misimproving the well or ill spending and husbanding of our Time is of infinite Consequence and Concernment to us Let us therefore in this Time of Life get all Things ready that are necessary to a joyful Entrance into eternal Life Let our Work and Business in Preparation for an endless Happiness be dispatch'd and done before we go hence and be no more seen * Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever our Hand findeth to do let us do it with our Might for there is no Work nor Device nor Knowledg nor Wisdome in the Grave whither we are going There is no Hope or Expectation of working out our Salvation in an after State and Condition If this Work be not effected before this mortal Life is ended it can never be done
of it but fail in the Principle and Manner of the Duty and never look to the [g] The end of all Exercises of Piety and Devotion is more and mine to dispose our Hearts to the Love and our Wills to the Obedience of our blessed Creatour and Redeemer And busying our selves in any of them without this Design may well be counted in the Number of the fruitless and unaccountable Actions of our Lives Thus to do is prodigally to waste and mis-spend our Time as the Jews were upbraided by one of their Adversaries with doing upon the account of their Sabbath saying They they lost one Day in seven Dr. Fowler 's Design of Christianity pag. 186. End of the Duty have no real Design and hearty Intention to please and glorify God thereby and to gain and encrease in true Holiness of Heart and Life If you act not out of a Principle of Love and inward Life and Liking but only out of some external respect If you perform your Services not out of a filial ingenuous Disposition but merely out of a Slavish Fear of being beaten or of losing the Wages you expect for your Work If you use only a careless and supine Devotion If you matter not at all how little you do for God or what is the Frame of your Minds and Hearts in what you do If you give way to vain Thoughts in holy Duties If you be not intent in your religious Services but instead of using the World as if you used it not you use good Duties as if you did not use them observe the Lord's-Day as if you observ'd it not confess and repent as if you did no such thing hear as if you heard not and pray as if you prayed not If you pray only out of Custom and do not mind and well consider what you say nor are affected with what you speak nor desire what you ask If you pray and reade and hear only because you are brought up so to do and have taken up such a Practice or because you would satisfy natural Conscience and have the good Opinion and Word of all in your Families and be commended by your Neighbours for religious Persons and do not pray to this necessary End that so you may enjoy Communion with God and get and obtain Pardon and Grace and Strength from God nor reade the Scripture and good Books and hear the Word preached that so you may know your Duty in Order to the Practice and Performance of it all the Time that is thus spent in Duty is in a manner Time lost and mis-spent in so doing you lose your Duties and you lose your Time too But especially if any shall dare to do nothing but whisper and talk and laugh to mock and jeer at the Word and the Minister of it to be undecent and rude and profane in their Carriage and Behaviour in a Christian Assembly in the Time of Divine Worship in the [i] Vae mihi quia ibi pecco ubi peccata emendare debeo Bernard de interior Domo c. 33. Presence of the great God and in the Sight of the holy * 1 Cor. 11.10 Angels This is to lose the Time of publick Duty if it be to be lost at all This is to lose the Time of Duty with a Witness And so I have done with the third Vse namely of Reproof and Rebuke to several Sorts of Persons who are guilty of the Loss the lamentable Loss of their precious Time and unvaluable Opportunities CHAP. VI. The fourth and last Vse is of Exhortation to Magistrates Ministers the People in general Six quickening Motives to press the Duty of Redemption of Time 1. Consider how notably Jesus Christ redeem'd the Time when he was here in the World 1. He redeem'd the Time to save us 2. He redeem'd the Time to be an Example to us 2. Consider further that as Christ did once redeem the Time to save us So the Devil does daily redeem the Time to destroy us 3. Consider how very notably many of the Saints and Servants of God have improved and redeemed their Time 4. Consider that it is an Act of spiritual Wisdom to rodeem the Time and mere Madness and gross Folly not to redeem the Time 5. Consider that if now thou losest and squanderest away thy Time thou wilt at last be forced thy self to condemn thy foolish Neghgence and to justify the Care and Diligence of others that were wiser for their own Souls then thy self 6. Consider that do what we can to redeem our Time we shall never repent at last of any Care we have had to redeem it but shall certainly blame and find fault with our selves for being so careless of our Time so negligent of good Opportunities as we have been Serious considerative Christians do blame themselves for their Loss of Time even in their Life-time but they are especially sensible of it and exceedingly ashamed of themselves for it at their Death THe fourth and last use shall be of Exhortation to put you upon the Duty of Redeeming Time Let Magistrates vigorously redeem the Time in the faithful Execution and impartial Administration of governing Justice and in being active and zealous bold and couragious in the Cause of God and Goodness * Rem 13.3 in being a Terrour to Evil and not to good Works and in acting for the †i Pet. 2.14 Punishment of Evil-doers and for the Praise of them that do well in repressing Vice and checking Profaneness and daily dashing Sin out of Countenance and in countenancing and encouraging nourishing and cherishing Sobriety and Temperance Vertue and Godliness Holiness and Religion Let Ministers industriously redeem the Time in ‖ Acts 20.27 not shunning to declare to the People all the Counsel of God in urging Truths upon their own Hearts and pressing and enforcing them upon others Souls in labouring abundantly in the Lord's Vineyard in (*) Verse 28. taking heed unto themselves and (†) 1 Tim. 4.16 to their Doctrine and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them Over-seers in feeding the Church of God with the wholsome Food of sound Words in (‖) Heb. 13.17 watching for Souls as they that must give Account in [*] Acts 20.31 daily warning Sinners with Tears in perswading Men with Earnestness and Importunity as those that well [†] 2 Cor. 5.11 know the Terrour of the Lord in endeavouring to [‖] 1 Tim. 4.16 save themselves and them that hear them to () Jude 23. save some with Fear pulling them out of the Fire in taking all possible Care lest they [] 1 Cor. 9.26 beat the Air and * Gal. 2.2 Phil. 2.16 run in vain and labour in vain left their Peoples †Ezek. 3.18 Blood be required at their Hands and lest when they have preached to others they themselves should become * 1 Cor. 9.27 Cast-aways in discharging their Duty so painfully and faithfully that though
lib. p. 1690. When Dr. Cranmer was made Arch-Bishop of Canterbury he evermore gave himself to continual Study not breaking the order that in the University he commonly used that is by five of the clock in the Morning he was at his Book and spent his Time in Study and Prayer till nine of the clock By reason of other private Studies and by means of useful proper Employments he was never idle no Hour of the Day was spent in vain by him but was so bestowed as tended to the Glory of God the Service of his Prince or the Commodity of the Church The excellent Bp. Juel read much and wrote much besides his publick Employments Scarce any Year in all the Time of his Bishoprick passed wherein he published not some famous Work or other At nine a clock at Night he used to call all his Servants to an Account how they had spent that Day and after Prayer to admonish them accordingly Then he returned to his Study where often he sate till after Midnight * Dr. Humphr in the Life of Bp. Jewel When he was very weak a Gentleman meeting him as he was riding to preach at Lacock in Wiltshire earnestly desired him to return home for his health's sake telling him that it was better the People should want one Sermon than be altogether deprived of such a Preacher To whom he replied [u] Oportet Episcopum concionantem mori That it best became a Bishop to dy Preaching alluding to that of Vespasian [a] Oportet Imperatorem stantem mori It becomes an Emperour to dy standing and thinking upon his Master's Saying * Mat 24.46 Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing And presently after that very [b] On Gal. 5 16. Walk in the Spirit Sermon by reason of his Sickness encreasing upon him he was forced to take his Bed from which he never came off till his Soul quitted his frail Body and was translated to everlasting Glory He said in his last Sickness That seeing God had not granted his Desire to glorify him by sacrificing his Life for the Defence of his Truth yet he rejoiced that his Body was exhausted and worn away in the Labours of his holy Calling It was the Motto of the pious and painful Mr. Perkins that which he used to write in the Frontispiece of all his Books Minister verbi es hoc age Thou art a Minister of God's Word mind thy Work and attend thy Business It was also the Motto of [c] His Life among Mr. Clark's Lives of 10 Eminent Divines Mr. Samuel Crook Impendam expendar I will spend and be spent It was moreover the Motto of [d] Bp. Usher's Life written by Dr. Bernard p. 52. Bp. Vsher's Episcopal Seal when he was Bishop of Meath which he continued in the Seal of his Primacy also Vae mihi si non euangelizavero Wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel All which they severally answer'd and made good in an eminent and very exemplary Manner The learned and religious Dr. John Rainolds was so very careful to redeem the Time that when the Heads of the Houses in Oxford came to visit him in his last Sickness which he had contracted merely by excessive Pains in his Study whereby he brought his Body to be a very Sceleton and earnestly perswaded him that he would not [v] Perdere substa etiam propter accidentia lose the Substance for the Accidents not lose his Life for Learning He smiling answered with those excellent Words of the Prince of Satyrists [w] Nec propter vitam vivendi perdere causas Juv. sat 8. That to save his Life he would not lose the Ends of living I may well apply to [e] Reade the Lives of Mr. Joseph Allein and Mr. John Janeway these Worthies those words of A Kempis [x] Dati sunt in exemplum omnibus Religiosis plus provocare nos debent ad bene prosiâ—tendum quà m tepidorum numerus ad relaxandum T. a Kempis l. 1. c. 18 n. 4. These are given for an Example to all pious Persons and should be more powerful to provoke us to profit well than a number of lazy lukewarm Persons to draw us to Slackness and Remisness Let us follow these fair and bright Exemplars in the main of their tendency to teach us to live serviceably to God and usefully and profitably to our selves and others We have hitherto been ingentium Exemplorum parvi Imitatores to use Salvian's Expression small Imitators of great Examples O how short do we come of many of the eminent Saints and faithful Servants of God who redeemed their Time and served their Generation by the Will of God in former Ages Yea may not our own personal Knowledg and particular Observation of the Labour and Diligence Improvement and Growth of other Christians put our selves to the blush Many that have liv'd in the same Times and Places in the same Parishes and Families with our selves Many that have sate under the same Ordinances enjoyed no better Means received no greater Helps than our selves have yet surpassed and excell'd us in the gracious Frame of their Hearts out-strip'd and out-shined us in the Holiness and Exemplariness of their Lives To what a pitch are others gotten to what an height have they arriv'd and attain'd What right apprehensions have they gotten of the Nature of God and Undertaking of Christ for the promoting of Holiness What a good Understanding of the Word of God What Insight into the various Providences of God What warm and good Affections suited to true Notions of Things How have they proceeded in Knowledg grown in Grace profited in Experience increased in Strength abounded in Comfort What Power have they gotten over their Corruptions what Strength against Temptations What Government of their Senses What Command of their Passions What Freedom and Enlargement and Delight in Duties How useful are they in their Places How serviceable to God and their Generations What Evidence have they gotten of the Goodness of their State of the Truth and Sincerity of their Love to God and of the special Love and Favour of God to them What good grounds for their Hopes of Heaven and Happiness How sit are they to live How ready and prepared to dy How meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Alas how far do we fall short of them and come behind them What Fools have we been when others have been wise for their own Souls When others shine as Lights and as bright Stars in the World are not we as dark as a Coal or as dim as a Glow-worm Are not we who are planted in the same Soil dressed and cultivated with the same Hand watered with the same River of God wetted with the same heavenly Dew and refreshed with the same Droppings of the Sanctuary yet notwithstanding as barren and as unfruitful as may be when others of our Neighbours
assisted him [l] In his Life centracted and translated out of French by Mr. Edward Stern Fellow of P. Hall in Cambridg among Mr. Clark's Lives p. 74. fol. I have a great Account to make having received much and profited little So the painful and pious Dr. Robert Harris when a Friend told him in his Sickness Sir you may take much comfort in your Labours you have done much good His Answer was [m] In his Life written by Mr. W. Durham p. 55 56. Oh! I am an unprofitable Servant I have not done any thing for God as I ought Loss of Time sits heavy upon my Spirit Work work apace Assure your selves nothing will more trouble you when you come to dy than that you have done no more for God who has done so much for you Yea the Reverend and holy Bp. Vsher a most laborious and sedulous Servant of God a Prodigy of Industry a Person that never was known to lose an Hour by was ever employed in his Master's Business either praying preaching studying writing reading or hearing others reade to him either resolving of Doubts or exhorting instructing giving good wholsome and holy Counsel to such as came to visit him yet as [n] Pag. 110. Dr. Bernard relates in his Life the very last Words that ever he was heard to utter in praying for Forgiveness of Sins were these But Lord in special forgive my Sins of Omission If the choicest Saints on Earth the faithfullest Servants of God in the World who have surpassed and transcended us by many Degrees do close and end their Lives with an humble Confession and earnest Petition for Forgiveness and Pardon of their Sins of Omission Surely then we have reason to conclude that we our selves do what we can shall repent at last of doing too little and not repent and complain of having done too much And if those that have well redeem'd their Time complain especially at the Hour of Death that they have lost too much of it What a case then will the careless negligent World be in when their sleepy Consciences shall be roused and awakened and they be hastened and hurried out of this world and their Souls and Bodies shall be just a parting and they shall look behind them upon an idle loose and lazy Life and look before them upon a dreadful horrible terrible Judgment I have done with the Motives to press you to the Duty In the next place I shall give you some Directions which may be so many Means to help you to regain the Time and redeem the Opportunity Take these twelve following CHAP. VII Direction 1. If ever we would redeem the Time we must endeavour to be throughly convinc'd of the great value and real worth of Time In respect of the Price paid for it In regard of the use and end to which it serves Considering what precious Thoughts the more improved Heathens had of Time And what damned Spirits and dying Persons who have not made their Peace with God think of Time Direct 2. If we would well redeem the Time we must often examine our selves and call our selves to a serious strict Account for the spending of our Time This was the Precept of Pythagoras and Cicero and the Practice of Sextius Seneca and Titus Vespasian Direct 3. That we may rightly redeem our Time let Conscience have some Authority with us and procure some reverence from us Stand much in aw of thy own Conscience which will either acquit and absolve thee or surely judg and condemn thee Direct 4. If ever we would redeem the Time we must live and act and do every thing as in the sight and presence and under the eye and inspection of God The apprehension of God's all-seeing all-searching Eye will be of excellent Vse and Advantage to us at 4 times especially 1. Actually consider that God sees you when you ordinarily visit one another and at any time feast and make merry together 2. When Buying or Selling remember you are manifest in God's Sight that God stands by and sees your dealings 3. Consider this in your secret Retirements and in your private Families 4. Whenever we come to the publick Worship of God let us seriously consider that we stand in his Presence and are in his eye Direct 5. That we may wisely redeem the Time let 's be sure to propound a good end to our selves in all our Actions and do nothing deliberately but what we can safely and freely warrantably and comfortably ask God's Assistance in and Blessing upon when we go about it Direct 6. We must be sure to give our selves to Prayer as a special way in which and principal means and help by which we may redeem and improve our Time aright And here 1. Be careful to keep up set and stated times of Prayer of secret Prayer and Family-Prayer 2. Be ready to betake thy self to Prayer upon special extraordinary emergent Occasions 3. Vse thy self to frequent suddain ejaculatory Prayers to God This is the Priviledg of Ejaculation that it is a gaining of Time for the Exercise of Religion without any prejudice or hindrance to your Calling Direct 7. We must set our selves to the frequent diligent reading and serious studying of the sacred Scriptures For 1. This is a gaining and making advantage of all that Time past which the Scripture gives us the History and Account of 2. Our reading the holy Books of Scripture is a well improving the present time that is imployed in this religious Duty for 't is an honouring of God and a means of attaining divine Knowledg heavenly Grace and spiritual Comfort 3. It is moreover a means and help to the right redeeming of our Time for the future Direct 8. If we would effectually redeem the Time we must give our selves to frequent and serious Meditation Set some Time apart for this Duty Think of the 4 last things especially 1. Of Death of the Day of thy own particular Death and of the Time of the General Dissolution of this World 2. Of the Day of Judgment 3. Of the Joys of Heaven 4. Of the Torments of Hell Direct 9. If you would redeem the Time you must labour to spiritualize even your ordinary worldly Employments and must take care that your natural as well as civil Actions partake of Religion Direct 10. if we would wisely redeem the Time we must make a good Choice of our Friends and Acquaintance and a good Improvement of our Company and Society with them Direct 11. We must remember and consider perform and answer our solemn Sacramental Vows and Sick-bed-Promises and Resolutions Direct 12. Lastly If we would redeem the Time we must not give way to any Delay but strengthen and settle our Resolution against any farther procrastination The First Direction IF ever we would redeem the Time we must endeavour to be throughly convinced of the great Value and real Worth of Time Consider 1. How precious Time is in respect of the Price paid for it That
is the sincere Milk and strong Meat by which you may grow and be daily nourished the Wine with which you may be refreshed when weak the Physick with which you may be cured when sickâ— the Sword of the Spirit with which you may defend your selves when assaulted and resist and repel your spiritual Enemies Will you not readily and gladly repair to the Precepts which counsel you in all your Doubts and quicken you in all your Deadness and get and keep a spiritual Acquâ—lâ—tance with those exceeding great and precious Pronâ—â—ses that strengthen and stay relieve and refresh support and comfort you in all your Sorrow and Afflictions Troubles and Trials Dejection and Heart-breakings Disquietments and Discouragements Me-thinks a Man should never take up the Bible when he reads in private but with the greatest Comfort and Joy that can be and should say within himself Here 's that which very plainly proposeth the most excellent End and withal the most proper and sure Means to reach and attain it which clearly holds forth a sufficient Rule of Faith and Life which plentifully affords me most admirable Precepts and most select exact Patterns of exercising Graces and performing Duties most rare Exemplars of strong believing and holy Living Here 's that which contains the grand Charter of all my Spiritual and Heavenly Priviledges Here 's that that keeps me from Horrour and Despair notwithstanding all my Sin and Guilt Here 's that that teaches me how to live and that makes me able to think of Death without sinking and dying at the Thoughts of it Here 's that that makes me hold my Head above Water in the blackest Hour and saddest Condition that can befal me Love and delight in the Scriptures chiefly and especially for their Sanctity and Purity because they reveal and discover the holy Nature and Law of God the Necessity and Beauty of Holiness the Evil and Folly and Danger of Sin and are apt to win and draw us off from Sin and to bring us to a real universal Conformity to the Will of God and to a Participation of the Divine Nature an happy Participation of God's Holiness And apply thy self to the daily reading and diligent studying of the holy Scriptures with a sincere Desire to [b] This is the thankful Glass that mends the Lookers Eyes this is the VVell that washes what it shews Herb. Poem H. Script be made really holy in Heart and Life by them to be transform'd and renewed assimilated and made like to God by them to be conformed to Scripture-Precepts and Examples and to gain a Frame of Heart and a Conversation and Course of Life every way becoming the Gospel of Christ Whenever thou takest the Bible into thy Hand to reade a Chapter or any Portion of Scripture lift up thy Heart to God and say Now let me be made * Jo. 15.3 clean through the Word which thou shalt speak unto me Now let me be †17.17 sanctified through thy Word of Truth and Holiness Now let me gain some Degree of Grace and make some Improvement and Proficiency in Holiness by thy holy Word by this sacred Writ Allot and allow and ordinarily employ some Portion of Time every day for reading and considering the holy Scriptures If we don't in a manner task our selves usually to observe some certain set Times for this Use and Purpose our slothful Hearts will easily admit yea catch at any trifling Excuse to put by the Performance of this Duty and by Degrees we shall be drawn to an habitual Neglect of it We should therefore charge and enjoin our selves not to dispense with our stated Hours but upon very necessary and just Occasions and in such Cases be very careful that what we were forc'd to omit at such a Time we faithfully and honestly endeavour to supply and make up another It is convenient to reade commonly if it may be some portion of Scripture every Morning and every Evening [c] Luxin's Introduct to the holy Script p. 28. A worthy Divine well observes that our reading some Scripture in the Morning will be a good Antidote against the Infection of those Corruptions which we live amongst and is apt to fortify us against the Temptations of the ensuing Day as those who live where there is any Contagion do usually drink something in the Morning to prevent Infection And our reading Scripture in the Evening will be a means to compose our Minds and furnish us with matter of Meditation for the Night-season as Cattel feed towards the Evening that they may have something to ruminate or chew over again when they lie down to take their Rest That nothing may prove an Hindrance and impediment in this Employment 1. Redeem the Time from unnecessary wordly Businesses Nay let no ordinary Occasions of your Calling make you generally careless and negligent of the sacred Scriptures Do not idly pretend want of Leisure to reade the weightiest Matters in the World things of greatest Importance and nearest Concernment to your immortal Souls They that enjoy much Leisure from worldly Assairs God expects that such should employ and bestow more of their Time in this spiritual Exercise Yet they that have fullest Business and fewect Spare-hours cannot wholly be exempted from this Duty 'T is very remarkable that the * Deut. 17.18 19 20. King himself was expresly commanded to write him a Copy of the Law in a Book to write out the Book of Deuteronomy which is a Compendium of the Law yea to write out the whole Pentateuch saies [d] Totum Pentateuchum tenebatur describere primùm ut Israel ta quivis deinde iterum ut Rex ut sciret in privatis in publicis negotiis Legem sibi sequendam Sic legere eam debebat sibi peivatim in Templo audiente populo ut sciret populus neminem à lege excipi Grot. in loc Grotius to write it with his own Hand saies Philo that the divine Precepts might be the better imprinted and fastened in his Mind It was to be with him and he was to reade therein all the Daies of his Life notwithstanding the Multiplicity and Greatness of the Affairs of his Kingly Office 2. Redeem the Time from fruitless Pleasures from Play-Books Romances Fansyful Poems feigned Stories common Histories witty or elegant Speeches Never suffer these or the like to fill your Hands to entertain your Eyes to please your Phansies to get into your Hearts so as to keep the sacred Scriptures and divine Oracles out of your Hands and Hearts Alexander would find Time to reade Homer even in the Camp and chose to lay up Homer's Poems in a most precious Casket taken out of the Spoils of Darius And the Emperour Aelius Verus was so in love with Ovid de arte amandi as to reade it in his Bed and to lay it under his Pillow when he went to sleep But these were utterly ignorant of the Scriptures O let not us Christians have
fit to meet their Persons and to enjoy their holy Company and happy Society in the heavenly Glory hereafter 6. And lastly Love and delight to enlarge thy Thoughts in the frequent Meditation of the Vninterruption Perpetuity and Eternity of this blessed State To sit down and consider that thou hast the Promise of eternal Life eternal Salvation eternal Glory a continuing City an everlasting Habitation a House eternal in the Heavens an Inheritance incorruptible an everlasting Kingdom a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away That if thou art a righteous Person thou shalt be ever with the Lord and as a Son abide in thy heavenly Father's House for ever and reign in the Kingdom of thy Father for ever and ever that thou shalt be a Pillar in the Temple of thy God and go no more out That if once thou entrest in thou canst never pass out of that State of Bliss that the Eternity of thy Felicity will be the Compleatment of thy Happiness That there will be no fear of ever losing or relinquishing thy pleasant Possession That to admit any such Thought would be a lessening and diminishing a souring and imbittering the Joys and Delights of that blessed State and a kind of Hell even in Heaven it self That therefore in Heaven thou shalt surely live an immortal Life of endless Love and continual Joy and perpetual Praise This Meditation will sweetly constrain thee to labour earnestly to become meet to enjoy a Perpetuity and Eternity of perfect and consummate heavenly Felicity 'T will make thee mindful to lay the Foundation of Life eternal in thy self here in this World to pass from Death to Life even in this Life to get the Seed of eternal Life here Grace the Seed of Glory to get eternal Life initial that thou maiest be sit for eternal Life perfectional To obtain the good Beginnings of Life everlasting as an earnest in this Life of that which is to follow and a good Preparation for Life everlasting to be conferred in the World to come To begin by Grace to live here that thou maiest be fit to live eternally in Glory hereafter And this Meditation will engage thee to give God here thy whole remaining Time that thou maiest be fit to enjoy his blessed Eternity To be careful that there be no voluntary Intercision or Interruption of thy Obedience To endeavour to serve God in Holiness and Righteousness before him * Luke 1.75 all the Daies of thy Life without any wilful departing backsliding withdrawing declining or moral discontinuance of thy holy and religious walking with him by gross Neglect of what thou oughtest to do or by doing the contrary to thy Duty This will incline thee to deal with God as thou wouldst that he should deal with thee and move thee to say thus to thy self Would I have God give me Admission into Heaven and afford me only a Taste of Happiness and then presently put an end to those transporting ravishing Joys and ere long annihilate me or at least turn me quite out of Paradise and for ever deprive me of that joyful blissful State and Place and thrust me into far a meaner and lower Condition Would I be well contented with this If not why then let me not only enter into God's Service but continue therein to my Life's End If I expect a perfect perpetual Happiness from God is it sit and reasonable that I should give God a broken imperfect flitting inconstant Obedience Would I have God's Goodness last for ever then let not my Goodness be as a * Hos 6.4 Morning-cloud and go away as the early Dew Let not me be off and on with God Let not me serve him by Fits and Starts but let my Heart stand alwaies bent for God and let me perform a constant Course of Obedience to him Let me not only enter into the Race and run for a Spurt and then sit down or start aside and fly out of the Way but let me here hold out to the End or I shall be unfit for an endless Felicity in another and better World The Consideration of all that has been spoken both in general and particular of the glorious Happiness of Heaven will be of further Use and Advantage to thee as to the Redemption of thy Time in several respects for 1. 'T will hearten and encourage thee to do and suffer any thing for God 2. 'T will help and enable thee to answer and oppose the fair and furious Temptations of Satan 3. To live in an holy Contempt of this present World and in the serious real visible Exercise of constant heavenly-mindedness 4. And lastly To live in delightful fore-thoughts and fore-tastes of the Glory to come 1. The foregoing Meditations of a perfect heavenly glorious Reward will quicken and strengthen hearten and encourage thee to do and suffer any thing for God 1. The serious frequent Consideration of a perfect State of heavenly Glory will ammate and encourage thee to lay out thy self to the utmost for God and to act vigorously in the performance of thy Daty in this State of Probation in which thou art placed in this lower World All the forementioned Particulars of this Reward will be so many Cords to bind thee to thy Duty and as so many Magnctical Hocks to draw thee to Obedience Thou wilt up and be doing upon this Consideration that there is enough to be gotten by well doing Thou wiâ—t * Col. 3.23 24. heartily serve the Lord Christ that Christ that died for thee of whom thou knowest thou shalt receive the Reward of the Inheritance who hath promised a Reward to the Gift of a †Mat. 10.42 Cup of cold Water only and therefore will undoubtedly give a great Reward to a constant course of sincere Obedience Thou wilt besorward to do any thing * Col. 1.5 for the Hope that is laid up for thee in Heaven considering that all thy good Duties and faithful Performances shall be †1 Pet. 1.7 found unto Praise and Honour and Glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ The deep Thoughts of the heavenly Glory will render the Duties of Religion easy to thee The Meditation of an everlasting heavenly Rest will facilitate the Yoke and lighten the Burden of Christ to thee The Greatness of thy Reward will lessen and take off the Difficulty of thy Labour Thou wilt surely think no Task no Duty no Diligence no Care no Cost no Pains too much to get to Heaven which at last will fully make amends for all Thou wilt strive to do thy best in all thou doest because as Apelles said of his great Care in drawing a very curious Picture Pingo Aeternitati I limn for Eternity so whatever thou doest thou doest for Glory Honour Immortality a blessed Eternity If by the Eternity of thy Felicity were meant only an Aevum of very long Duration yet it would seem a weighty Motive to any considering rational Man to engage him to Godliness and Christianity and
one another's sinning and to promote the Work of Grace and Holiness in one another's Hearts Take Occasion to warm not so much one another's Houses as one another's Hearts Visit one another in the Evening meet together and confer one with another at leisure hours and on daies of Recreation * Mal. 3.16 Speak often one to another concerning the things that belong to the Peace of one another's Souls and concern the Conditiion of the Church of Christ Build up †Jude 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one another on your most holy Faith ‖ 1 Thess 5.11 Comfort your selves together and edify one another (*) Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another daily while it is called To day Let your Exhortation be mutual and reciprocal frequent and continual seasonable and speedy lest any of you be hardened through the Deceitfulness of Sin Take the first Opportunity of dealing with thy Friend as the case and need of his Soul requires lest Death remove him unexpectedly out of the reach of thy Charity to all Eternity Consider with thy self that should thy Companion live longer yet he may continue in the omission of some Duty because you only purpose to put him upon it Or he may go on in the commission of some Sin grow more and more in Love with it and fall more under the Power of it because you have only some thought and intention to turn him from it Support preserve and keep one another from falling and in the Spirit of Meekness raise and recover (†) Gal. 6.1 restore and (‖) Jam 5.19 convert one another when overtaken and fallen in any degree and measure either into Sin or Errour * Le◠19 17. Hate not your Friend or Brother in your Heart in any wise rebuke your Neighbour and never suffer Sin upon him when you find him offending against God or Man And * Mat. 18.15 if a Friend or Brother shall plainly trespass against thee go and tell him his Fault between thee and him alone not seeming to reproach him by chiding and reprehending him in publick nor offering to back-bite him by talking privately to others against him †Col. 3.16 Rom. 15 14. Teach and admonish one another and let it appear that you practise your own Precepts and take your selves the Counsel you give to others Follow Tertullian's excellent Advice [p] Oportet constantiam commenend proprtie conversationis autheritate dertgere ne icta faciis aesictent thus crubescant Tert. de patientia initio strengthen your friendly Admonition and Exhortation with the Authority of your own Conversation that your want of Deeds may not make you blush at your own Words and let me add that your Friend and Companion may not neglect and reject your Sayings because he knows too well your Doings As oftentimes you thrust away the good Light of a Candle for the ill savour which the stinking Tallow yields Let none have reason to retort and say ‖ Luke 4.23 Physician heal thy self (*) Rom. 2 21. Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy self What Mr. Herbert speaks of Ministers may be sitly accommodated to the Exhortations and Admonitions of Christian Friends [q] The Windows Doctrine and Life Colours and Light in one When they combine and mingle bring A strong Regard and Aw but Speech alone Doth vanish like a flaring thing And in the Ear not Conscience ring (†) Heb 10 24. Consider one another to provoke unto Love and to good Works or to [r] Dr. Ham of frat Admon or Correp p. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sharpen or provoke in one another Charity and good or laudable Works You are apt to forget and prone to neglect your selves you have need enough of one anothers spiritual Care and Help 't is necessary that others should watch and observe incite and assist you be at some trouble and take some pains with you your own and others Consideration and Provocation of you is little enough to stir and move you Ponder and [s] Dr. Hum. Par. in loc weigh all Advantages that you can have one upon another to excite and extimulate to engage and quicken one another to the Exercise of Charity and all Actions of Piety whensoever you find any thing of fainting or growing cold in one another Search and enquire into one anothers spiritual Estates mind and study the Cases and Conditions of one anothers Souls the Causes and Cures of one another spiritual Distempers Be very solicitous for one anothers present and future Good carefully consult the spiritual Prosperity and eternal Welfare of one another Consider one another to provoke one another not to Sin and Wickedness to Vanity and Folly to uncertain Opinions to Faction and Division to Siding and Party-taking not to that which is highly provoking but exceeding well-plealing to God not to Wrath but to Love not to Evil but to Good Works Consider and provoke one another not as the Devil considers and provokes Men by his Temptations but as God considers and provokes Men who watches over us continually prevents us daily with his Grace strengthens us against Temptations affords us his Counsel instils many good Motions into our Minds and often incites and stirs us up to the Duties incumbent on us And as Christ consider'd and provoked Sinners when he was here on Earth to Faith and Repentance good Works and Obedience who went about doing Good doing good to Mens Souls as well as Bodies who freely convers'd with them frequently instructed them affectionately exhorted them powerfully press'd them plainly reprov'd them was grieved for the Hardness of their Hearts lamented and wept over their Impenitency and Insidelity Consider thy Companion at such a season when it is most likely that he may consider what you say to him Provoke him to Good when in all probability it may do most good Remember to consider and provoke one another in a serious manner Never offer to utter a few cold dull dead Words between Jest and Earnest but earnestly perswade and pathetically expostulate one with another and let one another plainly see that every Application does arise and proceed from Love and Compassion and that it is the Desire of your Souls to save one another's Souls Let your Words be as * Eccl. 12.1 Goads as the Wise Man speaks to prick one another forward in the way of Religion Instead of detaining one another unnecessarily from the Publick Assembly stir up one another with an holy Zeal and say one to another in the Words of the Prophet * Zech. 8.21 Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts I will go also Be not Quench-coals but as live Coals begetting Heat in those that are next you Let Christian Acquaintance use their utmost Endeavours to bring one another more acquainted with God and with their own spiritual States and Conditions Let Christian Neighbours study
†Isa 49.5 Israel be not gathered though the straying and stragling Sheep be not reclaimed and brought home to God yet they may be glorious in the Eyes of the Lord and their God may be their Strength That the may be ‖ Acts 20.26 pure from the Blood of all Men and may (*) Verse 24. finish their Course with Joy and be able to say as the most laborious and indefatigable Apostle St. Paul expressed himself with an Heart full of Comfort when the Time of his Departure was at hand (†) 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have fought a good Fight as a faithful Souldier I have finish'd my Course as a strenuous Runner I have kept the Faith as a trusty Depositary Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judg shall give me at that Day Yea let People in general give all serious constant Diligence to redeem the Time and to make their Calling and Election sure Believing and considering that we were not sent into this World to eat and drink and sleep and sport and play to take our Pas-time and Recreation and to enjoy a little short carnal Mirth some sensual sinful Pleasure or worldly Profit or earthly Honour for a season but to live in the constant Exercise of Reason and Vertue and true Goodness To study the Nature and Attributes the Mind and Will the Word and Works the Laws and Waies of God To (‖) Rev. 14.12 keep the Commandments of God and the Faith of Jesus To worship and serve our Creator Redeemer Sanctisier and Comforter To prepare and provide for Eternity and to do good to all while we have Opportunity And here to proceed particularly I shall I. Propound some Motives to quicken you And then II. I shall give you some Directions to help you to gain the Time and redeem the Opportunity To press you to the Duty besides the several Reasons of the Doctrine which are also so many Motives to the Duty I shall farther lay you down a six-fold Motive The first Motive First consider how notably Christ redeem'd the Time when he was here in the World * Mat 3.15 It becometh us to fulfil and Righteousness says he * †Luke 2.49 Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's Business ‖ John 9.4 I must work the Works of him that sent me while it is Day the Night cometh when no Man can work 1. He redeemed the Time to save us 2. To be an Example to us 1. He redeemed the Time to save us His whole Life to his very Death yea his Life and Death were nothing else but a continual Course of doing and suffering for our Salvation Did Christ spend his Time his Labour his Blood to save us and shall we be backward to spend our Daies our Pains our Strength to serve him Did Christ redeem the Time to accomplish and work out our Redemption and shall not we redeem the Time to secure and work out our own Salvation 2. Christ redeem'd the Time to be an Example to us Not an idle Word ever came out of his Mouth He speake as never Man spake and did as never Man did He was serious and favory holy and heavenly in his private Converses and took all Occasions to spiritualize his Discourses He redeemed Time for secret Prayer He * Acts 10.38 went about doing good He neglected his bodily Food to gain an Occasion of spiritual Converse and to feed a Soul He professeth it was †John 4.34 his Meat to do the Will of him that sent him and to finish his Work ‖ Psal 40.8 his Delight to do the Will of God This he did (*) 1 Pet. 2.21 leaveing us an Example that we should follow his Steps an eminent Example to be transcribed and copied out by us that we likewise should redeem the Time in Imitation of him and Conformity to him Now where are the Men that seriously consider Thus thus Jesus Christ liv'd in the World and are ready to say within themselves I will do nothing but what I would do if Jesus Christ were by I would act now as if I followed Christ at the Heels How very many have liv'd already the full Age of our blessed Saviour nay how many have doubled our Saviour's Age and yet how few have liv'd after the manner of the Life of Christ one Day or Hour or in conformity to our Pattern and Exemplar in any Measure done the Will and wrought the Work of our heavenly Father I may very fitly here take up the Words of a Religious Person [a] Bene ver ecundari potes inspectà vitâ Jesu Christi quia necdum magis illi te conformare studuisti licet diu in via Dei faisti A Rempis l. 1. c. 25. n. 6. Thou maiest well blush to behold the Life of Jesus Christ because as yet thou hast studied no more to conform thy self to him though thou hast been long in the Way of God Let us hence forward daily eye the Life of Christ as that which is an Example to us in all our Actions and Motions in the World in the midst of all the Passions to which we are subject and Temptations to which we are exposed Let 's frequently reflect upon our selves and seriously say Did Christ live thus In all our Actings and Undertakings let 's say continually Would Christ do thus If not how dare I who profess my self a Christian venture upon it If Christ were now upon the Earth would he be wasteful and prodigal of his Hours would he be loose and wanton vain and profane in his Life would Christ swear and curse or by any means be tempted to Perjury or false Testimony would he be drunk himself and delight to make others drunk would Christ scoff and mock at Religion and Holiness and jear and deride the strictest Professors and Practisers of it would he that once wept over Jerusalem be now jovial and merry when publick Misery and common Calamity hangs over he Heads of a People laden with Iniquity could he find in his Heart to laugh and sport over a tottering sinking fainting dying Nation Take care * 1 John 2.6 to walk even as Christ walked Aim and endeavour †1 John 4.17 to be in the World as he was in the World When you rise in the Morning resolve thus with thy self I will this Day study to behave my self as Christ did I will labour to exercise those Vertues and to act those Graces which Jesus Christ when he was here on Earth was eminent in and exemplary for I will this Day strive to be as meek and humble as free from pride and passion malice and revenge as clear from covetousness and earthly-mindedness discontent and impatience as Christ himself was To be as watchful against the World and the Devil as resolv'd against Temptation as sober and temperate as just and righteous as kind and merciful as useful and