erant in montibus illis Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Much talking many words * Eccles. 5.2 Solomon gives Item against it especially in all speech passing twixt God and us Let thy words be few pithy as thou wilt but few fit for the matter thou prayest for and such as befits the Majesty of that God whom thou prayest unto And if a man consider the use that speech hath in prayer I meane private prayer it is not to * Matth. 6.32 informe the Lord of our wants for he knows what we need before we aske and professeth his audience of * Rom. 8.26 Exod. 14.15 sighes and groans But first to expresse our affections by that instrument which God hath given us for that end to wit our Tongue Psal 35.28 See Psal 5.1 2 3. Secondly Then to kindle our affections that when we hear from our selves the sound of our misery or wants or blessing by the redounding thereof upon our minds our affections may be doubled whereto if few as well as many words suffice quorsum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to what purpose is the use of many The point in hand is tender and must warily be dealt withall yet give leave to minde you what I observe in perusing the Psalmes the chief pattern I know extant for Devotion is Psal 5.1 2 3. there are First Words Secondly Meditation to guide them Thirdly Crying to shew the Earnestnesse of Affection one tearm he there useth is borrowed from Warr I will direct order my prayer as Curiously as men do their battell where no man must be out of rank nor hear a word out of his order Truely * Aug. ep 121. Austine Aliud est sermo multus aliud diuturnus affectus there is difference between much speech and much affection our Saviour spent whole nights in prayer and we must never think our prayer long while our affection keeps up in vigour Multum loqui est in orando rem necessariam superfluis agere verbis multum autem precari est ad eum quem precamur diuturna piacordis excitatione pulsare In a word as a man may not beat upon and blunt his affection with babling when he feels it languish so while he feels it in vigour he may not over-soon break off his prayer Vse 1 They have a kinde of devotion in the Church of Rome which they number amongst their most meritorious and satisfactory works It is this to pray by the Bead by the Tale so many Ave-Maries Pater-nosters in a strange tongue which they understand not and he is counted the devoutest man who spends most houres in prayer in the interim neglecting all other offices of Religion or speciall calling for my part rumpatur pereat let him burst and perish that opposeth Devotion especially this part of it that is spent in prayer But first Is there no place for Meditation for * Eccles 5.1 Hearing Secondly Is this to pray to blatter we know not what in a strange tongue How do they in praying attain the end of ends which is saith Austin not to inform God but First To minde our selves of what we ask Secondly To excite affection Thirdly And why so many words so much babling As if the Lord we serve were asleep as Elias speaks of Baal or as if fewer words with more affection did not better please him Eccles 5.2 Secondly It shews us the great grace of God Vse 2 and his propense favour to us who with so little ado is ready at a call when he sees the season fit to hear us I deny not but he sometimes deferres but it is First To prove our faith Secondly To humble us the more under conscience of our own indignity Thirdly To set better price of the blessing asked Fourthly That he may whet affection Fiftly He means to double the blessing as we do our devotion but certainly when he sees us fitted to receive presently he grants what we pray for Thirdly If I should prescribe a form of private Vse 3 devotion I should preferre the custome of Aegyptian Churches mentioned by Austin Let them be frequent pithy passionate but yet consider whom you have to deal withall few words but pithy and affectionate such as beseem such a Majestie to be called upon withall The issue remains He helped me But before he comes to expresse the issue he seems a little to interrupt himself and to breathe out into celebration of the grace and mercy of God which he had experimented in his deliverance As touching the sense of the words by Graciousnesse of God we conceive that property of his nature inclining him above our merits without our merits against our merits to do good unto us see Psal 111.4 and 86.15 Exod. 33.19 Righteousnesse or Justice that inclines him to give to every one what belongs unto him If any ask how justice appeared in his deliverance this is the answer First There is Iustitia dicti as well as facti Justice of word and promise as well as of fact and deed 1 Ioh. 1.9 Heb. 6.10 Secondly They put upon God a threefold Justice according to a fourfold person he sustains First That whereby he doth what is meet for him that is good that is naturally good to do for his creatures from this Justice issues his loving kindnesse see Psal 36.6 7. and 40.10 Secondly Paternum Fatherly justice so it is equall and just he should protect his children Psal 103.13 hear their prayers Matth. 7.11 c. Thirdly Judiciary if you think here meant It is just Justice requires it of God himself to vindicate the innocent from their oppressours and to give them testimony of innocencie Object But who is so innocent Answ None indeed simply so and in respect of God yet in respect of men for particular faults see Psa 7.3 4. and 18.19 20 21. Our God that is the God whom we serve taking it contradistinct to idols as Psal 115.3 Is mercifull the word signifies tenderly mercifull such an one as whose bowels yern upon our miseries so propense is he to releeve them by old Zacharie they are called * Luke 1.78 Bowels of mercy But in this passion of devotion two things he commends to every devout soul in any experiment he hath had of any attribute of God The first is Observation noticing and observing those attributes of God which have manifested themselves in the blessings reached unto us or in any his operations towards the sonnes of men see Psal 107.43 who so is wise will observe these things Iehu no great good man yet had his observation of the truth of God spoken by his Prophets 2 Kings 10.10 Know now that no word of the Lord shall fall to the ground confer 2 Kings 9.36 Saint Paul 1 Tim. 1.15 he is in a long commemoration of Gods grace towards him in his conversion in the midst of it he breaks out to this point of observation Certainly it is a truth Jesus Christ came into the world to
in knowledge and observation as to know to whether attribute to ascribe whether blessing As in a body perfectly mixt there are all elements yet still one predominant so in all the works of God towards the sonnes of men Mercy and Truth Righteousnesse and Peace Wisdome and Power have their concourse yet so as some one or other have their predominance Let our wisdome be such in observing that we may not let passe that speciall attribute without speciall celebration so doth David here and Saint Paul also in like sort 2 Cor. 1.3 stileth the Lord on like observation Father of mercies and God of all comfort As for example In pardon of sinne there is Wisdome there is Justice c. but the predominant is Mercy Secondly In crowning of our services there is eminent Grace and Bounty Thirdly In supporting in temptations there is Power c. VERSE VI. The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me IN this Verse we have First A conclusion Secondly The proofe of it In the conclusion again three things First The blessing Preservavation Secondly The Authour of it the Lord. Thirdly The persons capable and their qualification the Simple Preservation conceive their safeguarding from evill from mischief as 2 Tim. 4.18 Simplicity in Scripture often hears ill as bad as folly so Prov. 1.22 How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and Prov. 7.7 Among the simple ones there was a young man void of understanding and again Prov. 9.4 Who so is simple let him turn in hither and so the word after the Genuine Etymon imports A silly man one that with any perswasion is lead or mislead to any thing as Pro. 14.15 Here he stiles them so whom else he calls plain men and harmlesse * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.15 Saint Paul calls such men perfect see also Rom. 16.19 and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 14.20 They are such as honestly keep the plain way of Gods Commandments without those slights or creeks of carnall policie for which men are in the world esteemed wise see Gen. 25.27 Iacob called a plain man Simple or foolish he calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they are generally so esteemed amongst the wise of the world not that they are so silly as they are esteemed for if the Lord can judge of wisdome and folly the onely fool is the Athiest and profane person Psal 14.1 the onely wise man in the world is the plain down-right Christian Deut. 4.6 who keeps himself precisely in all states to that plain honest course the Lord hath prescribed him And to such simple ones Gods fools who in their misery and affliction keep them onely to the means of deliverance and comfort which the Lord hath prescribed them belongs this blessing of preservation and safeguarding from mischief or destruction so Salomon Prov. 16.17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evill the benefit is He that keepeth his way preserveth his soul see also Prov. 19.16 23. exemplification see in Asa 2 Chron. 14.9 10 11 12. and 16.7 8 9. read the excellent speech of Hanani the Seer Reason if ye ask none can better be given then this That it gives unto the Lord glory of wisdome more then all the turning of devices amongst the wicked How pleaseth it the Lord to see himself magnified amongst his children to see them deny themselves their own wisdome and policie and to relie simply on him And where have you seen any person or state leaving the direct broad way which the Lord hath prescribed ever prosperous It was in the eye of reason a notable policie that Ieroboam used to prevent the revolt of Israel to the house of David see 1 Kings 12.26 27 28. but it became a sinne to the house of Ieroboam to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth 1 Kings 13.34 This may learn us to bewail the wisdome of some states in the world and to wish they were more simple I mean in Davids sense to keep Gods high way to make hiâ— statutes of our counsell though Moab and Ammon be confederate together these devices without God shall be unprosperous though hand joyn in hand yet shall not the wicked go unpunished But for our own particular Let us count it our best wisdome to cleave close to our God to walk in his ways to this belongs promise of Gods protection Psal 91.11 Excellently David Psal 5. compassed about with so many adversaries ver 8. Lead me O Lord in thy righteousnesse because of mine enemies make thy way straight before me this do hereby thou shalt be safe Psal 37. These Caveats remember First It being a temporall blessing is to be understood with limits ordinary to such favours As first With exception of the Crosse Secondly Reservation of power to the promiser to chasten particular delinquencies Secondly Though perhaps we suffer losse yet life given for a prey Ier. 45.5 Thirdly Manner of preservation divers First By sustaining 2 Cor. 12.9 Secondly By taking us from evill Isa 57.1 Thirdly Or by deliverance out of evill by giving issue 1 Corin. 10.13 2 Pet. 2.9 See Annotat. ad 2 Thes 2.16 pag. 210. Edit 1627. The proofe follows I was brought low and he helped me Where we have two things considerable First The ground of proofe chosen to make it good and that is experience Secondly The sufficiencie of the proofe The ground of proofe is experience or example which if any thing most swayes as most running into sense so is God pleased graciously to exemplifie his promises for the confirmation of our faith And this generally observe there is not a promise of God in any kinde but we have seen or may see it daily exemplified that if for his bare word we beleeve not yet for his works sake we may beleeve him Sure it is true In dayes of famine we shall be fed Psal 37. so we are sure was the family of Iacob so was Elias so the widow of Saâ—epkath Surely it is true God will deliver his out of temptation though his wrath come upon the whole world of the ungodly 2 Pet. 2.9 so was Noah so was Lot delivered c. Sure it is true In pestilence we shall be preserved except either we our selves hinder it or except God means us some greater good in it Israelites were so Exod. 12. Certainly it is a truth God will not leave the righteous nor their seed except perhaps they degenerate Kept he not so his mercies to David It is undoubtedly true God shall bring the innocencie of the righteous to light and make it as the noon-day Psal 37. Was it not so in Ioseph In a word Ye cannot name the promise of this life or of that to come which God hath made to his Church but he hath plentifully exemplified according to the purport and tenour and intention of the promiser God shall certainly binde up the broken in heart he shall
send me hence Saint Austin Da quod jubes jube quod vis Reasons why it should be so are First It is all the Lord requires of us Deut. 10.12 Secondly It is the Condition of continuing them wherefore when either we grow slack in our acknowledgement or divert our selves to other Authours God is pleased to remove them from us Rom. 1.21 Gentiles cared not to keep God in their acknowledgment therefore Gods gives them over to their own hearts lusts Hos 2.8 9. She knew not that it was I that gave her her corn and wine and oyl c. therefore I will take away my corn in the time thereof Thirdly Adde hereunto that hereto is linked the increase of Gods favours 2 Sam. 12.8 If that had been too little I would have given thee more Oh that there were such hearts in us How would the Lord delight still to do us good marvellous have his favours been in the preservation and deliverances of our State yet what hath it bred but increase of our rebellions Should not the Lord be avenged on such a nation as this It is amongst others a notable presage of our approaching calamity that we have so turned his grace into wantonnesse and as Saint Paul speaks abused his long suffering and bountifulnesse to occasion of hardnesse of heart Rom. 2.5 See then and examine how Gods favours work upon thee It is something not to be despised amongst the testimonies of a gracious disposition to be wrought to acknowledgement and dutifull tendring of our selves unto God you shall never or seldome see that disposition in the unregenerate but the more they apprehend or taste the favours of God the more indulgent they grow to their own lusts Whether it be First That they apprehend not Gods good in them as they in the * Zeph. 1.12 Prophet He will do neither good nor evill Secondly Or whether they think him to work after the necessity of his Nature in loading them with his benefits Thirdly Or whether they think them merited by their own formality and lip-outward-performances Fourthly Or whether they misapprehend the Nature of God making him an Idoll made all of mercy and goodnesse though Saint Paul command to behold the * Rom. 11.22 severity as well as the bounty of God But let such mindes be farre from Gods people Certainly it suits not with grace is not in the ordinary course of it compatible with it Hos 3.5 They shall fear the Lord and his goodnesse and because there is mercy with him Therefore they will fear him Psal 130.4 Thus ye shall discern it in your selves or others excepting the common interruptions that accompany humane infirmity First Every new favour brings accesse to the measure of serviceablenesse to God That which Ichu speaks of Baal Ahab served Baal a little I will serve him much more 2 Kings 10. they much more truly say of their God therefore see the greatest Favourites have been most serviceable Moses more then Aaron or Miriam Num. 12. Saint Paul more then all the Apostles 1 Cor. 15.10 The woman in the Gospel loves much because many sinnes have been forgiven Luke 7. The means to frame our hearts thereto are First Observation and due record of Gods speciall favours to us they are * Lam. 3.23 renewed with every morning if we had the wisdome to keep a Diary of them a daily Register Experto credite they would warm our languishing affections Secondly There is a holy Reminiscentia calling to minde of ancient favours such especially as in times of our ignorance and vanity God bestowed on us even when we knew not God served lusts and divers pleasures how many his loving kindnesses did we experiment David thus fetcheth it Ab ovo Thou art my God even from my youth and on thee have I been cast even since my mothers womb see Saint Austin in his Confessions Thirdly Next see how little we have merited at Gods hand as * Gen. 32.10 Iacob I am lesse then all thy goodnesse and trueth which thou hast shewen me Fourthly How contrary our merits have been as Saint Paul amplifies it Eph. 2. Tit. 3. 1 Tim. 1.15 16. Fiftly How we have requited the Lord Deut. 32.6 since we have received mercy from him Sixtly How notwithstanding our slender retailings God still is pleased to crown us with mercy and loving kindnesse Seventhly How in our best performances we come short of our duties Isa 64.6 Rom. 7.18 so that all we can say is this we would do good yet evill is present Eighthly See how many are behinde us in the favours of God we enjoy He hath not dealt so with other nations Psal 147.20 And my servant Moses is not so Num. 12. Follows now the matter of the Protestation in which observe we the manner of utterance in two things First Rhetoricall Apostrophe Secondly Ingemination expressing either vehemencie of affection or ardour and heat of affection Secondly The grounds of service two First Filius ancillae see Psal 86.16 Secondly Thou hast broken my bonds see Nah. 1.13 Thirdly The expression of it ver 17. I will sacrifice praise We also have causes the same to subscribe and professe our selves the servants of God yea more by many then David here alledgeth for he instanceth in Temporall favours onely First We also are filii ancillae sonnes of his handmaid First Borne children of the Church Secondly Many of us having had Christian education under Christian Parents Certainly these much increase our obligation It is no small favour of God to be borne in the Church of God no slender tie to his service that accrues from our imitation by Baptisme thereunto if ye consider Turks Pagans Infidells what can you say of them but as Saint Paul of Ephesians Chap. 2. They are without God without Christ without hope aliens from the covenants of promise from the common wealth of Israel They do not-derogate from Gods mercy who say That without Gods extraordinary mercy they perish all in their sins die under guilt of eternall damnation Reasons First No name given under heaven whereby we can be saved but onely the * Act 4.12 Name of Iesus Secondly No means to partake him but the knowledge and faith of him The * Isa 53.11 Knowledge of my righteous servant shall justifie many Thirdly No means to know him ordinary but the * Rom. 10.14 Word Nor Creatures nor any Naturall notice can reveale him 1. Cor. 1.21 Secondly If we look back to ancient Times where was a feed of Election the Lord was pleased extraordinarily to grant means of Vocation so to Naaâ—an he sends him to the Prophet so to the Eunuch he sends him to Hierusalem and Philip to him Act. 8. Secondly If we consider other Assemblies of men that boast themselves to be orthodox Churches of God and are not so will the Blessing farther appear False and erronious faith in Fundamentalibus is as perilous as flat Infidelity for example To beleeve that there
for God and desire to do good to his Church willingly suffering the respit of their own glorious reward to the end they might though on hardest tearms bring glory to God and do him service in the land of the living Therefore this reason themselves give alwayes First For that they saw the one half then of them which also was made to be an instrument of Gods service to lie brute and senslesse in the grave Secondly For that they desired to benefit the generation then living and to propagate Gods praise to succeeding posterities Psal 71.18 Isa 38.19 20. See also Psal 30. and 88. and 6. and 115. Beloved Remarkable is Gods providence to me in casting me without any thought or choice of man upon a Text presenting to my memorie even according to the time this great mercy of God to my soul delivering my soul from the pit of corruption that I might yet live to do him service in the land of the living Worthy were my tongue to cleave to the roof of my mouth my right hand for ever to forget her cunning if I should now forget or passe over with silence the great love God hath shewen to my soul in delivering it from the pit of corruption O Lord enlarge my heart to praise thee At Bristoll Even upon this day according to the time of life this time twelve moneths was I in the jaws of death none that beheld me saw so much as the least hope of life my soul had not the least commerce with the body so farre as I know Much about this hour God was pleased graciously to look upon me to shew me some glimpse of his mercy some beginnings of life some hope that I should walk before him in the land of the living and hitherto by Gods mercy I live performing him weak but hearty service in his Church Lord what is man that thou so visitest him Who am I the least of all Saints the chief of all sinners on whom thou thus magnifiest thy mercie What is that service poor I have done What that service thou reservest me to do O Lord be pleased to reveal it unto me to make me worthy by thy grace chearfully to perform it Da quod jubes jube quod vis for thou hast redeemed my soul from hell my life from death thou hast continued abilities and opportunity to do thee service to walk before thee in the land of the living Blessed be thy glorious Name O Father of mercies and God of all consolation blessed be thy Name for ever and ever and let all thy people say Amen Secondly Correct that errour of your judgements wherein I know you please your selves many of you ignorantly as if it were a matter of grace more then ordinary to pray for death untimely in respect of the tearm of nature This hold for a Rule I dare say it is certain While God gives ability to do him service or opportunity or hath use of us in meanest service be it but as David to declare Gods righteousnesse to the generation present as Hezekiah the father to the childe to shew Gods truth Isa 38.19 so long ought we to desire to live we sinne in wishing our premature death And well weigh it and tell me whether such desires upon what ground soever argue not rather self-love more love of our selves then of our God when God hath use of our service on earth to wish our selves out of the world Who can shew me any Saint of God in old or new Testament who ever made prayer to God or approved himself in the desire of death when God had use of him here in the land of the living without apparant fault Elias * 1 Kings 19.4 14. he indeed in a passion prayes unto God for death and his reason mark which should have been a reason rather to move him to pray for preservation of life because now there was so great use of his service for the benefit of the Church That of Iob and Ier. 3. and Ier. 20. are apparantly passionate wishes of flesh and blood arising from discontent at their crosses which I think no gracious man allows in himself or another And make what pretences you will I dare undertake to evidence the prayers the desires are sinfull to wish death as long as there is ability or opportunity to do God any service upon earth or use of service upon earth First That of * Iob 6. Iob upon this ground I have not yet denied the words of the holy One seems fair neither can I blame his fear of his own infirmity but yet there was faithlesnesse in the wish for hath not God promised to support 1 Cor. 10.13 Secondly That of imperfection of grace and sinnes by defect in the service of God is as plausible as any thing to legitimate the desire yet it proceeds from a false ground It is false that the longer we live the more we sinne if we be Gods the longer we live the lesse we sinne sinne is mortified daily and we bring forth * Psal 92.14 more fruit in our age Thirdly That of evills to come from which to be taken away aforehand is promised as a favour Isa 58.1 and 2 Kings 22.20 yet warrants not the wish This let us be assured of First Simply if we speak Proroguing of life to the utmost tearm of nature is the blessing untimely death simply considered is the judgement That it turns to a blessing is by accident it is a blessing by accident Secondly I do not think but Iermiâ—hs blessing was in the fruit as great as Iosiahs for though Iosiah saw not the evill yet Ieremiah endured the evill with patience in the mean time did service to God in sustaining his Church Iâ—siah went before Ieremiah to heaven Ieremiah had more glory in his time In a word Some God takes away from evills to come in mercy and favour they are such as he sees likely to be overcome of the evills in that respect he shews them favour others he reserves to taste the evills to give testimony to his truth To them this is a favour yea and simply the greater favour Is the question which is rather to be desired Answ Simply if we speak Prerogation of life for that is natively the blessing Secondly For the comparison it is to be meâ—sured by the quality and state of the persons Hath God use of their service upon earth First They ought to preferre Gods glory before their own salvation Secondly They shall be assured God will give issue with the temptation 1 Corinth 10.13 Thirdly Neither loose they ought in the measure of their reward as according to pleasures in sin so much torment so according to pains in this life is the measure of our glory If you will ask me how we shall know whether God hath use of our service upon earth Surely The question is obscure and curious to be measured onely by continuance of abilities opportunities or calling from God
Me thinks he would teach us to draw any other with our selves whatsoever he be though it be by the belly to glorifie the Name of God and I assure you I am of his minde and dare avouch it pleasing to God if Saint Paul could say when Christ was * Phil. 1.18 preached whether by pretense or in sincerity I know not but that we may say so God be pleased whether for a little countrey or a great one and if I be not deceived this is the reason Saint Paul urgeth on us to do good to all Gal. 6.10 and our * Matth. 5.16 Saviour Let men see our good works that if nothing else yet the taste of our table-chear may draw them to God surely me thinks whether by the belly or by the back we draw them to God so they be drawn it is not materiall God drew the Magicians of Persia by a * Matth. 2.2 starre fitting the means to their humour Christ his Disciples fishers by promising a fishing of better value and if we keep our selves to the humour of the people while the means are good and the intention honest what harm is it our Saviour fits parables to this end I shall seem a fool in speaking my minde yet I assure you I speak Gods truth and no man can on sound ground contradict me These outward curtesies that are common and publique I should advise Gods people to shew as much if not more to Aliens then to those who professe themselves Gods people My Reasons are First The slighting of them occasions blasphemy of the holy Name of God as if we preached no Doctrine of humanity understand relieving of naturall necessities is a work of humanity not onely of Christian duty Secondly Respect to them occasions their liking of our Religion the Faith that we professe so that without the Word they are wonne by our * 1 Pet. 3.1 conversation Understand This is a naturall notice Deus est beneficus bonus creaturis out of which Principle Heathens can judge whether our Religion be of God for true Religion fashions to the Nature of the God we serve We love I know not how enclosures of our favours to them who are actually the sonnes of God Saint Paul allows them to be prefer'd but if I mistake not he means in private not in publique or common Gal. 6.10 I am sure our God we serve loads with his * Matth. 5.45 temporall blessings the worst men and I know not how we can erre in imitating him VERSE XI.V. I will pay my Vowes unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people A Second Branch of Resolution I will pay my vows Wherein are three things observable First The Act. Secondly The Matter Thirdly The Circumstances What is a Vow Generally a solemn promise made unto God with intention of obliging our selves to performance There is First Propositum Settled and firm * Act. 11.23 1 Cor. 7.37 purpose of heart 1 Cor. 7.37 which place Papists ill traduce to a vow for though a vow presuppose such purpose yet doth not purpose make up the whole nature of a vow Secondly Promissum a promise which adds to Propositum obligation of the Promiser and may be either to men or God when it is made to man truth is violated if performance follow not when to God not truth onely but piety is violated Religion binding to performance and of this nature is Votum Thirdly Iuramentum when to the promise an oath is added for confirmation the Promiser obliging himself to God under the penalty of a losse to performance now whether the thing promised be intended to men or God the oath binds Fourthly There is Votum wherein is a promise and that made to God for vowes and prayers have all the same Objectum cui because they are both Actus Religionis so differs it from a promise generally taken which may be made to men To which if you adde the other two First Solemnity Secondly And intention to binde our selves to performance ye have the full and perfect nature of a vow Kindes are diversly distinguished First By their matter some are Moraliter Pia as when the duties are Morally prescribed precepted here the vow increaseth the obligation examples we have Gen. 28. The Lord shall be my God see also Psal 119. and Psal 56.12 Thy vows are upon me O God I will render praises unto thee If any ask to what use such vows served Answ They are vertuous preventions of inconstancie in morall duties Secondly Monitours and excitements to more carefull observation Thus it fares with us often our necessity or perill oft wrings from us purpose and promises of more strict obedience the storm over-blown we are oft forgetfull of duty as Pharaoh as Israel the pious meditation of a sound obligation by voluntary vow laid upon our selves layes on us a necessity of performance whiles we think every omission of duty becomes a double sinne unto us First By breach of precept Secondly Of Vow Secondly There are vows Moraliter Impia such that of those good fellows Act. 23. who bound themselves by a vow by a cursing to eat nothing till they had slain Paul such frequent amongst Papists confirmed not onely by oathes but with the solemnest receiving of the Sacrament to murder Princes c. In which performances is double sinne First Factum impium A wicked fact done Secondly Abuse of so solemn an Act of Piety to Impiety Thirdly In the old Testament were another sort of vows of duties ceremoniall as of Peace-offerings Thanks-offerings of the severall things they enjoyed Levit. 27. which the people either in perills or otherwise of voluntary devotion vowed unto God see Psal 132. with these in the New Testament we have nothing to do Fourthly Yet something we have a little answerable thereto which may lawfully and conveniently become matter of our vows such I mean as are made De Diophoris or of circūstances in things that are De gonere bororum as to give Calvins instance Suppose a man should observe himself troubled with vain pride in using costly or curious apparell and to prevent this vanity should by vow binde himself to abstain from such attire or if by the use of some delicious diet he should finde himself infested with motions of luxury Nihilo satius fecerit then by vow to binde himself to abstinence and to put this knife to his throat as Solomons phrase is if he be a man given to appetite Like is to be thought of the vow of alms or consecrations to be made to maintenance of works of piety or charity though no necessity to vow yet lawfull and in some respect obligatory and binding Other distinctions of vowes there are many amongst Divines First Absolute made peremptorily without any condition expresse or tacite an example whereof see Psal 101. Secondly Conditionate which binde onely upon supposition Thirdly Temporary vows wherein a man bindes himself for a time or times to
according to our gracious abilities by way of thankfulnesse we tender unto him so Peter 1 Pet. 2.5 Acceptable to God through Iesus Christ As First The ordering of our conversation aright Psal 50.23 When we so live as God in us may be glorified Mat. 5.16 Secondly When in our Callings particular we seek the advancement of Gods glory as Paul 2 Cor. 5.14 15. Thirdly Speciall occasions oft fall out when it becomes our lot to stand up for the support of Gods glory perhaps with hazard of state or life as in Hesters case Host 4.16 If I perish I perish These God interprets and accepts as thankfull rendrings and retaliations to his bounty Wherein how answerable we have been to the favours God hath bestowed upon us and their measures if I should hold my peace the stones would speak What Nation under the Sunne hath been able to compare with us in all favours that God hath done us as the Lord speaks to * Deut. 3. Israel and considering the measures and continuance of the blessings we have been as peerles in ingraditude turning the grace of God into wantonnesse increasing our rebellions as God hath his blessings upon us I could wish we could see the prefermēts we have had above many our neighbours in the measure of the means of salvation and the continuance of them the issues whereof except in point of knowledge and that but in a few hath been no great increase of our obedience but that in justice and charity and mercy many ignorants have gone before us Do we thus requite the Lord This let us rest assured of generally for our kingdome The Lord who hath made his mercies marvellous towards us will make his plagues as wonderfull that we may be a by-word Deut. 28. And at the last day it will be true of us that Christ speaks of unthankfull cities Mat. 11. The state of heathen shall be more tollerable then ours The Stile here given to Thanksgiving It is a Sacrifice Metaphorically ye must understand and by Allusion so called because all those Sacrifices offered in the old Leviticall Law did type out this same thanksgiving all Ceremonies of the old Testament as Gratian tells us having in them to be considered both superficies and Moralis intelligentia as the thing which should succeed in room or stead thereof in which respect our * Rom 12.1 bodies our * Phil 4.18 goods our thanks are called Sacrifices The fruit of our lips Heb. 13.15 Hos 14.2 Or else secondly Because in esteem with God more then al sacrifices of bullocks or rams as Psal 50.8 9. which also perhaps makes David chuse it as the speciall evidence expressing his serviceablenesse to God Lo here then the excellencie of thankfulnesse farre above all sacrifices or other services we perform unto God see Psa 50.23 He honoureth me comparatively understand it more then he who brings the fat of rams or ten thousand rivers of oyl Mic. 6. Lord that we could set our selves to it sure it is the service of heaven wherein Angels and * See Isa 6. Apoc. 6. Saints are imployed and they who rightly perform it as Saint Paul speaks Phil. 3.20 Have already their conversation in heaven At this time especially it is necessary when we come to receive the pledges of Gods love and goodnesse in our Redemption whereupon the whole action hath the name of Eucharist and in which respect the Fathers called it a sacrifice and the Table from which they offered it in a spirituall sense an Altar wherefore the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was by them also stiled Sacramentum Altaris These are helps available thereto First See our portion or sharing in the blessing that we may be able to say as Paul every of us Christ loved * Gal. 2.20 me and gave himself for me it is lip-labour that without this is performed in respect of Redemption Thus discern it First Redeemed from vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 Secondly Setting our selves apart to serve God in righteousnesse and true holinesse Luke 1.74 Thirdly Zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 wherein we may bring glory to God Fourthly Permitting our Redeemer to dispose of us to his glory whether by life or death out of this ground That we are not our own 1 Cor. 6.20 Second particular wherein David meant to expresse his service to God is Invocation Calling upon him onely in case of necessity That this is an honour and service due to God Scriptures are evident insomuch that Tropically it is put for the whole service of God as 1 Cor. 1.2 and 2 Tim. 2.19 And consider what honour it gives him you will easily acknowledge it First Thereby we acknowledge him to be Giver of all good things see Iam. 1.17 and that but from him we can expect nothing that is good Secondly Of power in that therein we acknowledge him able to do above all that we can ask or think Ephes 3.20 Thirdly Of love to man no lesse then fatherly Matth. 7.11 wherein the Lord so glories that he hath given it a speciall Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3.4 Fourthly Of mercie and compassion wherein the Lord so glories as in no one of his Attributes see 2 Cor. 1.3 The Father of mercie◠and God of all consolation Fiftly Of Dominion and Lordship absolute and independant for whilest we pray God for all we have need of what do we but acknowledge him to have in himself absolute power to give or not to give farther then by his promise he hath pleased to make himself our debtour Sixtly Of his truth supposing his Pactum his Covenant and promise that he hath passed to us wherefore also ye see it often acknowledged as inducement to grant see Neh. 1. Dan. 9. All this shews abundantly that it is a service due to God To all these might be added also that hereby God is himself acknowledged as the alone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Knower of the heart Now whether in propriety and incommunicably is now grown matter of question Conceive thus whether no creature Saint nor Angel may participate with him in it in any degree Thus farre goes consent That nor Saint nor Angel may be prayed unto as Authours or Givers either of * Psal 84.11 grace or glory because the things we need exceed the power of all creatures to give To which also the Papists themselves adde consent of the whole Church that nor Saint nor Angel is to be invocated as Authour of the blessings How then are they interessed in this honour Answ As mediatours of impetration or obtaining the good things we have need of and yet not as principall Intercessors but as such as by Christ and his intercession commend our suits unto God Wherein you must understand they palliate onely that horrible Idolatry they practise in Invocation of Saints for whoso looketh to the forme of their prayers shall finde that they pray to them as Lords of the gifts Secondly That they send them not to