will it be for me to finde death about the lips of Christ to fall into Hell with a stumble at the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven How exceedingly am I concerned to set my heart to all the words which I shall hear this day for it is not a vain thing but it is for my life Deut. 32.46 47. Urge thy soul in earnest with these particulars As Elisha stretching himself upon the young dead child at last got life and quickning into it so thou forcing and stretching as it were these things upon thy heart mayst quicken it how dull and dead soever it is Thirdly if thou wouldst prepare thy self for the Word entreat God to bless it to thee The operations of the Spirit must accompany the administration of the Word or it will be ineffectual It is the Spirit that quickneth John 6.63 The fire burneth naturally and the water cooleth naturally but if the fire of the Word ever burn up thy corruptions or the water of the Word refresh thee with real consolations it must not be by its own nature but by a Divine power If thine eye be opened by that eye-salve of Scripture to see Christ in his native beauty or thy self in thy natural deformity God must anoint thine eyes therewith therefore David beggeth this favour at Gods hand Open mine eyes that I may see wonderful things out of thy Law Psal 119.18 As good sight as David had he could not read in Gods Law without Gods light If the door of thine heart be opened by this key to give admission to the King of Glory Gods hand must turn the key The Lord opened the heart of Lydia that she attended to the words of Paul Acts 16. Paul might have preached his heart out before Lydia's heart would have opened to let the Word in if God had not undertaken the work If the Sword of the Word pierce thy soul hack and hew and slay thy most beloved sins those enemies within thee which would not have Christ to reign over thee the arm of the Lord must weild it The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 10.4 Surely that voice of Thunder must come from Heaven which can pluck up the strong trees of thy natural unbelief and senslessness and pull down the high Towers of pride and self If the Word which is called a Seal Rom. 6.17 ever imprint thy Saviours Image on thee to thy Regeneration God must adde weight to the Seal or it will make no stamp He hath of his own will begotten you by the Word of Truth James 1.21 He that made the Watch can make it strike right and he that made the Word can make it strike home even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow Hebr. 4.12 If the Word which is called life John 6.63 quicken thee to thine eternal Salvation God must breathe on thy dry bones and bid thee live I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 It was the Angels troubling the waters which made the Pool of Bethesda medicinal to the diseased people And it is not the water of the Word which can heal thy soul-sicknesses unless the Angel of the Covenant work in it and with it Elijahs mantle could not divide the waters of Jordan but the Lord God of Elijah did it The Preacher may shew thee thy Lesson but God onely can help thee to learn it Reader before thou hearest Remember it is Gods prerogative to open thine ear Mine ear hast thou boared Psal 40.6 There is a thick film in thine ears naturally which hindreth thine hearing thine ears are stopt that Sermons can have no passage Now God alone can with his Seringer dissolve the wax congealed there and break through the skin whereby thou mayest come to hear and live Remember that the seeing eye and the hearing ear the Lord hath made them both Prov. 20.12 Therefore intreat him to open thine eyes that thou mayst see his comely face in the Glass of the word and to open thine ears that thou mayst hear his lovely voice in the word and to open thine heart that thou mayst receive grace from him through the word Say as David Shew me thy way O Lord teach me thy paths Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works Psa 25.4 Psa 119.27 And be not discouraged either at the misteriousness of the word or at thine own dulness for he that made the lock can help thee to a key that will fit all its wards But be sure thou forget not to commend thy Minister to God As thy duty is to beg a door of entrance for thy self so a door of utterance for thy Pastor Withall praying for us that God would open to us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ Col. 4.3 Ephes 6.19 Thy profit by him will be not a little furthered by thy prayer for him He that loves his child will often remember the Nurse that feeds it He that loves his precious soul will often mind the Preacher that prepareth and bringeth its spiritual portion I have known some to praise their Cooks highly when they would prevail with them to dress a Dish curiously for their palates I am sure thy way is to pray for thy Pastor fervently if thou wouldst have him provide such food as may be for thy souls pleasure and profit Starve the Mother and you starve the child in her womb If the Heavens do not favour the Hils with shours they cannot fatten the Valleys with their chalky streams If the Pipes be broke which convey water to our houses from the River we can expect no supply 4. Let thine end in going to hear be to please God and profit thy soul Propound a good endin hearing if thou wouldst have a good end of hearing Some go to Church for nothing like the Athenians the greatest part knew not wherefore they were met together Act. 17. They have as much as they come for They come for nothing and they often go away with nothing Others go to carp and catch at the Preacher as the Herodians went to Christ to entangle him in his talk Mat. 22.15 These go not to hear Gods word but to do the Devils work and he will pay them their wages These flie to the carcass not to defend it but to devour it A third sort go to hear wit and parts neat expressions and an affecting graceful pronounciation like the Jews to hear Ezekiel Lo thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument Ezek. 33.32 These go to hear man not to hear God They hear out of curiositie not out of conscience they desire to have their ears tickled
To thy duty at the Sacrament 3. To thy duty after the Sacrament First To thy duty before the Sacrament and herein my counsel is that thou wouldst prepare thy self solemnly for this Ordinance The Jews had their preparation for their Passover John 19.24 It was the preparation of the Passover Nay they took their Lamb the tenth day of the moneth and did not kill it till the fourteenth Exod. 12.3 and as some of their Writers observe they tied it all the while to their bed posts that in the interim they might prepare themselves for it Our Lord Jesus when he was to eat the Passoever and institute the Supper would have so much as the house in which he would do it prepared before-hand Mark 14.15 The ancient Fathers and primitive Christians used to sit up whole nights at prayer before the Lords Supper which they called their Vigiliae Reader thy care must be to trim thy lamp and make sure of oyl in the vessel now thou art going to meet the Bridegrom Samuel spake to the inhabitants of Bethlehem Sanctifie your selves and come to the Sacrifice so say I to thee Sanctifie thy soul and then come to the Sacrament 1 Sam. 16.9 Joseph prepared himself by shaving himself and changing his raiment before he went unto Pharaoh And wilt not thou prepare thy self by putting thy soul into the holiest posture thou canst when thou art to go in unto the King of Heaven and Earth He that would make a good meal even when he is to feast at anothers cost must prepare his stomack beforehand by moderate fasting or exercise God expecteth that the hands be pure but especially that the heart be prepared The good Lord saith Hezekiah pardon every one that prepareth his heart though it be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary 2 Chro. 30.18 19. the King speaketh of those who came to the Passover with some ceremonial pollution yet had moral purity and his words are to this purpose Lord though several of my people have failed in regard of external purification let it please thee to pardon them if they have minded internal preparation Friend there is no hope of remission without this heart-preparation The Devil himself would not come into an house till it was ready swept and garnished Mat. 12. And dost thou think that Jesus Christ will come into thy heart while it lieth nastily and sluttishly before the filth of sin be swept out and it be garnished with the Graces of his Spirit Surely that room had need be richly hung with the embroidery of the Spirit in which the glorious and blessed Potentate will sup and lodge Where thy expectation is great from a person there thy preparation must be great for him Dost thou not look like Herod to see some miracle done by Jesus some extraordinary thing for thy soul Therefore I say to thee as Joshua spake to the Israelites Sanctifie your selves for to morrow the Lord will do wonders amongst you Josh 3.5 O sanctifie thy self and to morrow on the Sacrament-day the Lord will do wonders for thee he will feast thee at his own Table he will feed thee with his own flesh he will give thee that love which is better then wine he will embrace thee in his arms and kiss thee with the kisses of his mouth he will delight thine eyes with the sight of his beautiful Person ravish thine ears with the sound of his precious promises and rejoyce thine heart with the assurance of his gracious pardon O do but sanctifie thy self and to morrow the Lord will do wonders for thee This preparation consisteth in a serious examination of thy self and a sincere humiliation for thy sins Thy serious examination of thy self must be First Of the Good in thee Secondly Of the Evil done by thee Let a man examine himself and so and no otherwise let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup 1 Cor. 11.28 Examine himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some take it to be a Metaphor of a Goldsmith as he trieth Gold in the fire whether it be pure or no so thy duty is to try thy graces by the fire of the Word whether they be true or not So the word is used 1 Pet. 1.7 Others take it as an allusion to Ministers who are tried whether they are fit for their office or no 1 Tim. 3.10 so thou oughtest to try thy self whether thou art fit for this Ordinance or no. This examination must be First Of the Good in thee Thy duty is to examine thy self in general concerning thy Regeneration or spiritual life The Sacrament is childrens bread and it must not be given to dogs Dogs must be without doors not within snatching the Meat from the Table Men must prove their right to the Purchase before they take Possession He must have an interest in the Covenant of grace who will finger the seal of the Covenant It is high Treason to annex the Kings broad Seal to forged Writings Thy Navel is like a round Goblet which wanteth not liquor thy belly is like an heap of Wheat set about with Lillies Cant 7.2 The words are Christs praise of his spouse for her fruitfulness in bringing Children forth and her faith fulness in bringing them up By the Navel Expositors agree that Baptism is understood by which as children by the Navel the members of the Church are nourished even then when they are so feeble that they cannot feed themselves but their whole sustenance is conveyed to them by others By the belly is meant the Lords Supper Now observe the provision how the Table is furnished and the persons which are to sit at it For the provision Thy belly is like an heap of Wheat Ainsworth on the words observeth that in those times they brought their Corn in and stackt it up in heaps so that as the belly distributeth to every part of the body its proportion of nourishment and as an heap of Wheat satisfieth the hunger of and affordeth strength to a whole Family so doth the Church by this Sacrament bestow on all her children through Christ that food which is needful for health and strength The persons which are to eat of this Wheat set about with lillies They must be Saints and are compared to Lilies First For their innocency they are Lilly-white Secondly for their glory and Nobility Mat. 6.29 Pliny telleth us that Lilies are next to the Rose for Nobility Plin. l. 22. c. 5. Christ is the Rose of Sharon the plant of most renown but his Church is next to him Thirdly for the savour Cant. 4.12 The graces of beleivers are like sweet perfumes and sented as far as Heaven The Lords Supper is a Sacrament not of Regeneration but of sustentation When the Prodigal came to himself then the fatted Calf was killed for him Luk. 15. Men must have natural life before they can eat natural meat and men must have spiritual life before they can eat spiritual meat It was an ancient
obtaineth the crown above all take the shield of faith Other jewels are of great value but this is the fairest sparkling Diamond Among all duties prayer seems to challenge the garland of honour Concerning the work of my hands command ye me This is the Favourite in the Heavenly Court to whom the King of Kings can deny nothing This duty is of such weight that it is frequently put for Gods whole worship Seek ye the Lord seek his strength seek his face evermore Psa 105.4 5. Gods Temple which was the beauty of holiness the habitation of the most high was baptized by God himself with this name My House shall be called of all Nations an house of prayer Isa 56.7 Gods people which are higher then the Kings of the Earth are known to be nobly born by this practice This is the generation of them that seek him that seek thy face O Jacob Psa 24.6 Nay God himself is pleased to wear prayers Livery and to be distinguished by the royal Robes of his relation to this duty O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come Psa 65.1 2. Pearles of a very high price are never set but in gold the choicest mettal The Worship and people of God are more worth then all this World but O how much is God worth yet all these glister gloriously in the ring of prayer There is no duty in my observation which hath so many precepts for it or promises to it as prayer and sure I am there is no duty which giveth more honour to God or receiveth more honour from God then prayer Prayer hath a twofold preheminence above all other duties whatsoever In regard of the universality of its influence and opportunity for its performance The universality of its influence As every sacrifice was to be seasoned with Salt so every undertaking and every affliction of the creature must be sanctified with prayer nay as it sheweth the excellency of gold that it s laid upon silver it self so it speaketh the excellency of prayer that not onely natural and civil but even Religious and spiritual actions are overlaid with prayer We pray not onely before we eat or drink our bodily nourishment but also before we feed on the bread of the Word and the bread in the Sacrament prayer is requisite to make every providence and every ordinance blessed to us Prayer is needful to make our particular callings succesful prayer is the guard to secure the fort royal of the heart prayer is the Porter to keep the door of the lips prayer is the strong Hilt which defendeth the hands prayer perfumes every relation prayer helps us to profit by every condition prayer is the Chymist that turnes all into Gold prayer is the Master workman if that be out of the way the whole Trade stands still or goeth backward What the Key is to the Watch that prayer is to Religion it winds it up and sets it a going It is before other duties in regard of opportunity for its performance A Christian cannot always hear or always read or always communicate but he may pray continually No place no coâ—pany can deprive him of this priviledge If he be on the top of a House with Peter he may pray if he be in the bottom of the Ocean with Jonah he may pray if he be walking in the field with Isaak he may pray when no eye seeth him if he be waiting at table with Nehemiah he may pray when no ear heareth him If he be in the mountains with our Saviour he may pray If he be in the prison with Paul he may pray where-ever he is prayer will help him to find God out Every Saint is Gods Temple And he that carrieth his Iemple about him saith Austin may go to prayer when he pleaseth Indeed to a Christian every house is an house of prayer every closet a chamber of presence and every place he comes to an Altar whereon he may offer the sacrifice of prayer Prayer is an humble lifting up the heart or pouring out the soul to God in the name of Christ It is a crying Abba Father As Scripture is Gods Letter wherein he openeth his mind to man so Prayer is mans Letter wherein he openeth his mind to God It is fitly resembled to Jacobs Ladder the bottom of which was on earth but the top reached to Heaven A thought can fly speedily to the uttermost parts of the earth so can prayer in a moment to the highest heavens One of the Fathers compareth it to a chain one end of which is tied to mans tongue the other end to Gods ear Another Ascensus mentis ad Deum A lifting up the mind to God Paul calls it a making known our requests to God Phil. 4. Jamblicus a prophane writer calleth prayer Rerum divinarum ducem lucem copulam qua homines cum Deo conjunguntur The guide and light of Divine truths the band whereby God and man are joyned together Clavis instarqua Dei penetralia aperiuntur Like a key that openeth Gods secrets Austin calls it Dei sacrificium diaboli flagellum Christiani subsidium A sweet savour to God a terror to the Devil and a shelter to a Christian Bernard calls it Vinculum invincibilis â—he Conqueror of him who is invincible Luther saith It is omnipotent Archimedes made such an engine that saith he Could I but finde where to fasten it I would not doubt but to remove the whole earth with it Such an engine is Prayer By prayer fire hath been quenched waters divided the mouths of Lions stopped iron gates opened the bottles of heaven opened and stopped the course of nature overturned diseases removed health restored sin subdued grace bestowed Kingdoms supported Church enemies scattered the blind restored the dead enlivened devils dispossessed and the blessed God himself conquered The Jews have a proverb Sine stationibus non staret mundus alluding to their standing posture in prayer the World would not stand without prayer When a great fire in Constantinople had fastned on a great part of the City took hold of the Church flamed in at several of the windows the Bishop ran into the Church fell down on his knees and would not rise from prayer till the fire was vanquished And as prayer hath hindred fire so it hath brought down water The Legions of Christians under Aurelius in a time of drought intreated rain of God and prevailed for which they were called The lightening Legion Prayer is the Midwife to bring all those mercies into the world to the Beleever which are conceived in the womb of the Promises It is the Christians messenger which he sends to Heaven for the supply of his necessities and like Jonathans bow it never returneth empty Oftentimes as the Eccho doubleth the voyce so doth the answer the prayer when the soul like Gehezi asketh but one talent God like Naaman forceth two upon it The Lord is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10.12 Prayer is
Arts come from God in making Minerva the Daughter of Jupiter and to have had her generation in his Divine brain but alas the choicest peices of men to the smallest Works of God are but as childrens houses of dirt to the stateliest Courts of Christendom Archites was much extolled for causing a Dove of Wood to hang in the Air being equally poised with its own weight but what is this to the work of God in hanging the earth upon nothing Job 26.7 The earth is the heaviest and lowest Element A little peice of earth held up and let fall will never cease moving till it come to rest upon some solid body and yet behold the great mass of earth with innumerable bodies upon it hangs fast in the midst of the open Air having no visible Pillar nor foundation to rest upon Well might God reckon it to Job among his wondrous works Job 38.4 5 6. Vpon what be the Sockets of it fastened Aristotle himself could not but admire it Archimedes was famous for contriving the motions of the Sun Moon and Stars in his Horology but alass what is this to the glorious heavens themselves which God stretcht out like a Curtain and to the Noble Host of great and glittering bodies keeping their Rank and File and being not onely incredibly swift but also regularly and orderly in their motions The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy work There is so much of God appearing in the Heavens that many have taken them for God and given them divine worship Naturalists tell us that the head of Nilus cannot be found but many sweet springs issuing from it are discovered Though thy finite capacity can never reach fully the fountain and head Gods infinite Being and Excellencies yet thou mayst finde many refreshing streams which flow from it A little River will lead thee to the Ocean Ohow much of the goodness power and wisdom of God appeareth in the work of creation The Rabbies say that in every Apex of the Law there is a Mountain of sense sure I am that in the smallest Creatures there is abundance of the Creatour How doth the Wisdom of God shine forth in the exquisite workmanship variety order subordination and serviceableness of the Creatures one to another that David might well cry out O Lord how marvellous are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all Pontanus Scultet Annal. Chancellour of Saxony propoundeth to be viewed and weighed the most beautiful Arch-work of Heaven resting upon no post but Gods power and yet standing fast for ever The clouds as thin as the liquor contained in them behold saith he how they hang and move though weighty in their burden thy salute us onely or threaten us rather and pass we know not whither How doth his goodness appear in furnishing the World so richly for the supply of his Creatures the earth is full of thy goodness Luther in his Colloquia Meâ—s tells us that God is at more charge every day to maintain Sparrows then all the yearly Revenues of the King of France are worth but especially towards man in making him so excellent a Creature and in making so many excellent creatures for him His power is also evident both in creating such great and noble creatures of nothing he used not the least tool or instrument in making the Heavens and earth and in having them all at his beck and bidding at his call and command the greatest do him homage and the smallest do him service The Sun as strong and swift as he is moving as some write every hour 16000 Miles yet he flies back like a Coward if God speak but the word Josh 10.12 Job 9.5 to 10. He armeth Flies and Lice and what Execution did they do upon the Egyptians Cambden tels us the Armes of the Shagburies in Warwick-shire being Stars Camb. Britain are found engraven in the very stones within their Manor of Shagbury Whether that be true or no I know not but sure I am that the Armes of the Infinite God his eternal power manifold wisdom and matchless goodness are so plainly written on his works in the World in that first volume of Creation that he that runs may read them Solomon tels us God hath set the World in mens hearts namely that the skilfulness of the Workman may be admired in the exactness of his works Eccles 3.11 I might draw thee farther and shew thee but that I would not be so large how these glorious perfections of God are Printed in a larger letter in a fairer character in the second volume the work of Redemption This is the object of Angels admiration and ought to be of thy meditation Truly thy duty is to read God in the first book the book of the creatures and more especially in the second in Jesus Christ upon his own day Thy meditation of Gods works as it will give honour to God so it will not a little further thy spiritual good When David considered the work of creation â—a 8.1 to 4 he falls presently upon exalting God and debasing himself When I consider the Heavens the work of thy hands the Moon and the Stars which thou hast made O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth and thy glory above the Heavens there he sets God up high but then be casts himself downlow What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou dost thus visit him When thine heart is like Wax hardened bring it by meditation to the warm beams of this Sun and they will soften it So when David considered the work of Redemption how doth he magnifie God and vilifie himself What am I and what is my Fathers House that thou hast brought me up hitherto and yet this was a small thing in thine eyes O God for thou hast also spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come 1 Chron. 16.16 17. O Friend as rubbing the Limbs with hot Oyls is a great means to recover them when they are benumb'd so when thy heart is dull and dead on a Lords day if thou wouldst but ply it with the meditation of the infinite love and goodness of God in sending his Son to dye for thy soul it would be a Soveraign means to quicken and revive it Consider also the Word of God which thou hast heard on that day Do thou like Mary ponder it in thine heart Meditation to the word is what fire is to water though water be naturally so cold yet put fire under it and it will make it hot and boyling so though thine heart be cold in regard of affection to the word put but this fire under it and it will boyl with love to it O how love I thy law there is his heat of affection the expression is both by way of interrogation and acclamation shewing the fervency and intension of his love but what was the fire which caused it it is
Fathers writeth that the Primitive Christians were so holy in their talk at their Table that one would have thought they had been at a Sermon Non tam caenam caenant quam disciplinam Tertul. Apologet cap. 39 not at a Supper Plato gives rules for the writing down the Table Talk of men thereby to make them more serious Luthers Colloquia Mensalia Printed in a large Folio do abundantly prove that he was not idle when he was eating but that his Table was his Pulpit where he read many profitable Lectures There is scarce a meeting of ungodly men to eat but the Devil hath his Dish among them Psa 35.16 The Drunkards have a song of David to sugar their Liquor The Gluttons have some Taunts to fling at Saints as Sauce to their meat At Herods Birth-day Banquet one Dish served in was the Baptists head Should not friend God have his dish at thy Table When thou art eating bread let thy meditation and expression be like his who sat at Table with Jesus Christ Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God Luk. 14.15 Consider Gods bounty and mercy in feeding thee and cloathing thee when many hungry bellies and naked backs are abroad in the World how many would be glad of thy scraps when thou hast asked God leave for his creatures thou mayst taste his love in the creatures Mayst thou not gather and conclude if the Streams are so refreshing and satisfying what refreshment and satisfaction is there in the well of living waters If bread be so savoury to an hungry body how sweet how savoury is the bread which came down from heaven to an hungry soul Lord give me evermore that bread Do as the Jews They did eat and delighted themselves in thy great goodness Nehem. 9.21 When thou art feeding thy body delight thy soul in Gods great goodness Thus like Mary when Christ was at meat thou mayst break thy box of precious Ointment and perfume the whole room with its fragrant smell 3. In returning thanks when thou hast eaten Thy duty is to begin thy meales with prayer and to end them with praise Thou canst not give God his due price for mercies but thou mayst give him his due praise Though thou art never able to buy them of him yet thou art able to bless him for them If thou didst Dine at thy Neighbours Table thou wouldst think thy self very unmannerly to turn thy back upon him without any acknowledgment of and thankfulness for his courtesie Every meal thou makest is at Gods cost for shame be so civil as to thank him for his kindness Saints are compared to Doves Isa 60.8 especially for their eyes Thou hast Doves eyes Cant. 5. Now Doves after every grain they peck look upward as it were giving thanks When God opens his hand thou mayst well open thy lips When thou hast eaten and art full Joel 2.26 thou shalt bless the Lord thy God Deut. 8.10 Do not like the fed Hauk forget thy Master or like them that go to the Well as soon as they have fild their Buckets at it turn their backs upon it Why shouldst thou forget God when he remembreth thee When thou shalt have eaten and be full then beware least thou forget God Deut. 6.11 12. Let not thy fulness breed forgetfulness you think him a surly beggar who if he receive but a small peice of bread shall fling away from your doors and give you no thanks The Primitive Christians did break bread from house to house and did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praysing God Some understand it of Sacramental others of Corporal bread Acts 2.46 47. The Lord Jesus was known by his actions or expressions in giving of thanks Luk. 24.31 Nay the Heathen would acknowledge their Dunghil deities in those outward mercies Dan. 5.4 They drank Wine and praysed the gods of Gold and of silver and of brass of iron of wood and of stone Wilt not thou do as much for the true God as they for their false Gods O let him have all thy praise who sendeth in all thy provision God takes it very ill when we do not own and honour him as the Author of our Meat and Drink Because Israel was so prided with her Pronounces Possessives My bread and my water my wool and my flax mine oyl and my drink God turnes them all into privatives For she did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oyl therefore will I return and take away my Corn in the time thereof and my Wine in the season thereof and recover my wool and my flax Hosea 2.5.8 9. Trumpeters love not to sound in those places where they are not answered with a considerable Eccho God delights not to bestow mercies on those persons who will not return him sutable praise those that return things borrowed without thanks must expect the next time they need to be denyed I have read a story in the writings of an eminently pious Minister who was an eye and ear witness of the truth of it of a young man who lying upon his sick bed was always calling for meat but as soon as he saw it was brought to him at the sight of it he shook and trembled dreadfully in every part of his body and so continued till his food was carried away and thus being not able to eat he pined away and before his death acknowledged Gods Justice in that in his health he had received his meat ordinarily without giving God thanks The despisers of Gods benificence have been patterns of his vengeance He hath remembred them in fury who have forgotten his favours Some write of the Jews that in the beginning of their Feasts the Master of the House took a cup of Wine in his hand and began its consecration after this manner Blessed be thou O Lord our God the King of the World Ex P. Fagi in Deut. 8. which createst the fruit of the Vine this they called Bircath hajaiin the blessing of the cup possibly to this David alludeth in Psa 116.13 14. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord after the cup the Master of the House took the bread and consecrated it thus Blessed be thou O Lord our God the King of the World which bringest forth bread out of the Earth this they called Bircath halechem At the end of the Feast the Master called to his Friends Let us bless him who hath fed us with his own and of whose goodness we live and concluded with a large Thanksgiving wherein he blest God First For their present Food Secondly For their deliverance from Egyptian bondage Thirdly For the Covenant of Circumcision Fourthly For the Law given by the Ministry of Moses And then he prayed that God would have mercy On his people Israel Secondly On his own City Jerusalem Thirdly On Sion the Tabernacle of his
world might not be plagued with their posterity Quidam furtive gratias agunt in angulo in aurem non est ista verecundia sed inficiandi genus Senec. de benef lib. 2. cap. 23. The Master of Moral Philosophy upbraideth them sharply that steal favours by private acknowledgements the truth is a publique confession of your kindeness as it is the least since providence hath given me the opportunity so it is next my prayers the greatest requital I am able to make you If my pains have yielded any fruit in these parts those that received it owe the ackowledgement under God to you Though neither of you love to hear your own praise nor did I ever love flattery knowing by too much experience that pride will burn and continue like the Elementary fire of it self without any fuel yet I esteem it my duty to publish some things to the world or example to others The place to which I am presented hath not half a maintenance nor so much as a house belonging to the Minister but the Lord hath given you such compassion to Souls that you have given me both a convenient dwelling and a considerable maintenance besides the Tythes above seventy pound per annum out of your own inheritance that I enjoy through the good hand of my God upon me a competent encouragement and comfortable employment When others refuse to draw out their purses to hungry bodies the gracious God hath enabled you both to draw out your purse and hearts unto starving souls Soul-charity is the highest and noblest charity and such fruit as will much abound to your account at the day of Christ Phil. 4.17 Hereby like wise Merchants you return your riches into the other world by bills of Exchange How much are you both in debted to free Grace Vsually the richest mines are covered with the most barren earth and men who receive much from God very quietly like narrow mouth'd glasses will part with nothing without much stir and reluctancy God hath bestowed on you large hearts as well as large inheritance Many a Vessel hath been sunk with the weight of its burthen Some Mariners out of love to their lading have lost their lives but God hath made you Masters of not as many other servants to a fair Estate It is also your honor that the Ark the worship of the blessed God findeth entertainment in your house Your whole Familie though large have set-meals daily for their inward man as well as for their outward your children and servants are commanded by you to keep the way of the Lord Gen. 18.19 and as if your house were built of Irish Oak which will suffer no Spider near it no iniquity is allowed to dwell in your tabernacle I have with mâ—ch delight observed your care and conscience to have all your Family present at morning and evening duties O 't is a blessed and beautiful sight to behold a little Church in a great house Many great persons think the company of the glorious God too mean for them in their houses Religion waiteth at their doors like a Beggar and cannot obtain the favour to be called in when the Vermine as in the Egyptian Palaces of pride and drunkenness and swearing reside amongst them and crawl in every room of their dwellings The service of the living God which is the greatest freedom they count their bondage and fetters The Society of the Lord Iesus is to them as to the Devils a torment Mat. 8. Alas alas Whether is man fallen that the company of his Maker should be esteemed his dishonor that the Worship of God which is the preferment of Glorious Angels should be judged a disparagement Ah how will their judgements be altered when they come to dye to throw their last casts for Eternity Steph. Gardiner Fox Acts and Monu then as that Popish Prelate said of justification by Faith That it was good Supper Doctrine though not so good to break fast on they will confess that it is good to dye in the Lord they will cry out O let me dye the death of the Righteous and let our latter end be like theirs how lightly soever now they think of living their lives The Persian Messenger though an Heathen could not but observe the worth of Piety in such an hour of extremity â—â—schiles in Traged When the Grecian forces hotly pursued us saith he and we must needs venture over the great water Strymon frozen then but beginning to thaw when a hundred to one we had all dyed for it with mine eyes I saw many of those Gallants whom I and heard before so boldly maintain There was no God every one upon their knees with eyes and hands lifted up begging hard for help and mercy and entreating that the ice might hold till they got over Those Gallants who now proscribe godliness their hearts and houses as if it were onely an humour taken up by some precise persons who will needs be wiser then their neighbours and Galba like scorn at them who fear or think of death when they themselves come to enter the list with the King of Terrors and perceive in earnest that this surly Sergeant Death will not be denied but away they must into the other world and be saved or tormented in flames for ever as they have walked after the Spirit or after the flesh here without question they will change their note sing another tune and say Beatus es Abba Arsenâ— qui semper hanc horam ante ocules habuisti Bibl. Patr. as dying Theophilus did of devout Arsenius Thou art blessed O Arsenius who hadst always this hour before thine eyes Blessed be God ye walk not in the vicious ways of such voluptuous wretches but to the joy of all that know and love you sit like wise Pilots in the hindermost part of the ship dwell in the meditation of your deaths and thence endeavour to steer the vessel of your conversations aright Give me leave Honored Friends out of the unfeigned respect which I bear to you both which if I know my own heart is not so much for the favours received from you though I shall ever acknowledge them but for what of God and godliness I have seen in you to beseech you that as ye have received how ye ought to walk and to please God so ye would abound more and more 1 Thess 4.1 God hath done great things for you and God expecteth great things from you To whom much is given of them much is required Where the Husbandman bestoweth the greatest cost there he looketh for the greatest crop The rents which your Tenants pay are somewhat answerable to the Farms which they enjoy Ye have more obligations to serve God then others and more opportunities for his service and therefore having fairer gales should sail more swiftly then others towards the Haven of Happiness your trading must be suitable to the talents with which ye are entrusted Perfection will be your reward
serve God with more pomp then others but I am confident they serve him to less profit then others In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men Matth. 15.9 their worship is in Gods account no worship they who made Temples Altars and Ceremonies of their own heads thought that they had remembred God but he tells them plainly that they had forgotten him Hos 8.11 13 14. Men manifest abundance of arrogancy in undertaking to prescribe newer and neater ways of worship then God himself as if they excelled his Majesty in wisdom but little do they think how exceedingly by such practices they provoke him to fury Will-worship Ezek. 8.3 4 5 per tot Ezek. 43.8 In their setting of their thresholds by my thresholds and their posts by my posts they have even defiled my holy name by the abominations which they have committed wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger So Ezek. 6.9 2 Chron. 7.20 CHAP. IV. What it is for a man to make Religion his business or to exercise himself to Godliness I Proceed to the second particular promised is to shew what it is for a man to exercise himself to Godliness It implyeth these three things First To give it the precedency in all our actions that which a man maketh his business he will be sure to minde whatsoever he omits A good Husband will serve his shop before his sports and will sometimes offer an handsom warrantable kind of disrespect to his friends that his calling may have his company he will have some excuse or other to avoid diversions and force his way to his trade through all opposition and all because he makes it his business He that makes Religion his business carrieth himself towards his general as this man doth towards his particular calling In his whole life he walks with God and is so mannerly and dutiful as to give God the upper hand all the way He knoweth that his God must be worshipped that his family must be served and that his calling must be followed for Religion doth not nullifie onely rectifie his carriage towards his earthly vocation but each in their order that which is first in regard of excellency is first in regard of his industry He is not so unnatural as to serve his cattle before his children nor so Atheistical as to serve his body and the world before his soul and his Saviour He is so sensible of his infinite ingagements to the blessed God that he allotteth some time every day for his religious duties and he will be sure to pay God home to the utmost of his ability whosoever he compounds with or pays short As he saile along through the tempestuous sea of this world towards his eternal Haven of rest he hath many temporal affairs in his company but he is specially careful that they keep their distance and strike sail through the whole voyage If his worldly-businesses offer like Hagar to justle or quarrel for preheminence with their superior Religion he will if possible chide them into subjection and cause them to submit but rather cast them out then suffer them to usurp Authority over their Mistris He that minds Religion by the by will if other things intervene put it back and be glad of an excuse to wave that company to which he hath no love nay he doth in the whole course of his life prefer his Swine as the Gadarens before his soul set the Servant on Horse-back and suffer the Master to go on foot His voice to Religion is like the Jews to the poor man in vile Rayment stand thou there or fit thou here under my foot-stool and his words to the World are like theirs to the man in goodly apparel Come up hither or sit thou here in a good place James 2.2 3. He doth like Jacob lay the right hand of his care and diligence upon the youngest Son the body and the left hand upon the first born of the soul That which was Esaus curse is esteemed by him as a blessing that the Elder serves the Tounger He is so unwise as to esteem lying vanities before real mercies often so unworthy as to forget God whosoever he remembreth and so uncivil at best as to give God the Worlds leavings and to let the Almighty Creator Dance attendance till he pleaseth to be at leasure If he be in the midst of his devotion he makes an end upon the smallest occasion Plut. and is like the Patriarch who ran from the Altar when he was about his Office to see a Fole new fallen from his beloved Mare But every Saint like Solomon first builds an house for God and then for himself Whoever be displeased or whatever be neglected he will take care that God be worshipped Abrahams Steward when sent to provide a Wife for Isaak though meat were set before him refused to eat till he had done his errand Gen. 24.33 Godliness is the errand about which man is sent into the World now as faithful servants we must prefer our Message before our meat and serve our Master before our selves He that makes godliness his business gives it the first of the day and the first place all the day He gives it the first of the day Jesus Christ was at prayer a great while before day Mark 1.35 Abraham rose up early in the morning to offer Sacrifice Gen. 22.1 So did Job 1. and 5. David cryeth out O God my God early will I seek thee Psa 63.1 In the morning will I direct my prayer to thee and look up Psa 5.3 The Philistines in the morning early offered to their God Dagon The Persian Magi Worshipped the rising Sun with their early hymns The Saint in the morning waits upon Heavens Majesty As soon as he awakes he is with God one of his first works when he riseth is to ask his Heavenly Father Blessing Like the Lark he is up early singing sweetly the praise of his Maker and often with the Nightingale late up at the same pleasant tune He finds the morning a greater friend to the Graces then it can be to the Muses Naturalists tell us that the most orient pearles are generated of the Morning dew Sure I am he hath sweet communion with God in morning duties Reader Let me tell thee if Religion be thine occupation thy business God will hear from thee in the morning one of the first things after thou art up will be to fall down and worship him Thy mind will be most free in the morning and thine affections most lively as those strong waters are fullest of spirits which are first drawn and surely thou canst not think but that God who is the best and chiefest good hath most right to them and is most worthy of them As a godly man gives religion the precedency of the day so he gives it the precedency in the day The Jews some say divide their day into prayer labour and repast and they will not
must like soft showrs sink deep into our affections and command all our actions Ah did but man know what it is to be eternally in Hell fire and what it is to live eternally in Gods Favour he would do any thing were it never so hard to arrive at Heaven The Romans build their Temples round and the rule of Pythagoras was When men worshipped they must turn themselves round Those Heathens had confused notions of Eternity and represented it by round things because such had neither beginning nor end If they by the light of Nature saw a little of it and thence would have their Temples and Worship suitable to it then much more we who have clearer apprehensions by the light of Scripture must have our conversations answerable CHAP. VII The necessity of makiâ—g Religion our business both in regard of the opposition a Christian meets with and the multiplicity of business which lieth upon him THirdly Godliness must be made our principal business our main work because otherwise we shall lose our reward We say As good never a whit as never the better Piety without much pains will redound to little or no profit How foolish is that builder who in setting up an house hath been at much cost and yet loseth all because he will be at no further charge Many lose what they have wrought 2 Joh. 8. Their works because not their business are not perfect and so to small purpose The sloathful roasts not what he took in hunting Prov. 12.27 He was at some labour to catch the Beast but was loath to be at any more in dressing it and so all was lost laboriousness to godliness is as the soul to the body which being separated from it godliness dyeth and quickly becomes unsavoury The reward of Godliness is of infinite worth the end of Holiness as of Hope is the salvation of the soul the eternal and immediate enjoyment of God in Heaven Now who can think to atrain the place of such ravishing pleasures without much pains Iter per angusta ad augusta Things that are most delicate cannot be had without the greatest difficultie they that will enjoy large Diadems must run through many deaths and dangers and use much diligence Nature her self will not bestow her precious treasure without much unwearied labour Dust and Dirt lye common in Streets but the gold and silver mines are buried in the bowels of the earth and they must work hard and dig deep that will come at them Ordinary stones may be had in every quarry but pearls are secret in the bottom of the Sea and they must dive low and hazard their lives that will fetch up the Oysters in which they breed and enjoy them When did we ever find Nature so prodigal of her gifts as to bestow skill and excellency in any art or science without industry and diligence Doth she not force her students to beat their brains to wast their bodies to break their sleep to burn up their strength before she will permit them to pry into her secrets to pick the lock of her curious Cabinet and gain any considerable knowledge of her Wealth and richness And can we think the God of Nature will give men to know him as they are known of him will bestow on them the unspeakable gift the pearl of price the holy of holies such things as eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither mans heart conceive while they lie lazing on the bed of Idleness Heaven is not unfitly compared to an Hill among Heathen to Olympus among Christians to Mount-Sion They that will climb up to it must pant and blow and sweat for it Elijahs Translation to the place of bliss was much more speedy and facile then ordinary We see no pâ—nting heart no trembling hands no quivering lips no ghastly looks to be the forerunners of his passage into Eternal life Where the union is neer and natural there the separation is hard and painful but behold here the Marriage knot betwixt body and soul is not untied Those loving Relations like Husband and Wife ride triumphantly together in a stately Chariot to the Heavenly Court yet even in this rapture God would teach us that the Virgin inheritance must be ravished There appeared a Chariot of fire and horses of fire and Elijah went up by a Whirle-wind into Heaven 2 Kings 2.11 Why a Chariot of fire but to note that Heaven must be stormed and taken by force Fire is the most active inanimate Creature hereby is figured that laborious action is the way to the beatifical vision The Chariot is made of fire the Wheels upon which it runs are a whirlewind Activeness and violence are the onely way to the blessed inheritance Who ever entred into Heaven with ease They that will be knighted must kneel for it they that will wear the Crown must win it A man is not crowned except he strive lawfully that is strenuously 1 Tim 2.25 He that will be saved must work out his salvation and that with fear and trembling Legitime certare est ad pugnam se preparare animose adversarium aggredi Bald. Phil. 2. Christ who first bought the purchase hath already set the price upon which and no other the Sons of men may come to the possession There is indeed a twofold price of a thing a natural price when so much is layd down as is commensurate or proportionable to the thing bought so the price of Heaven was the blood of Christ Heb. 10.19 A pactional price when so much is laid down though inferiour to the commodity upon which the seller is contented that you enjoy the thing desired so labour knocking working is the price of Heaven Isa 55.3 This price is made of mans future felicity and Christ is resolved not to abate the least farthing Strive saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conamini omnibus virib us Extremas summatque vires velut agonizantes exerite quass provita si vincitis pro morte si vincimini luctaturi A Lapid in Loc. to enter in at the straight gate for many will seek to enter in and shall not be able Luk. 13.24 As if he had said there will be many Seekers Many that will both cheapen Heaven by a profession and bid somewhat by performances but they shall miss the place for want of more pains they shall not be able if ye therefore have any love to your souls be not onely seekers but strivers do not onely cheapen and offer a little but come up to the price Put forth all your strength as Wrestlers do that strive for Masteries as ever ye would enjoy those eternal pleasures Men were as good bid nothing as not come up to the sellers price All run in a Race but one receiveth the prize Sicnotat diligentiam celeritatem Cor. A. Lapid So run that ye may obtain 1 Cor. 9.24 They that intend for the Crown do before hand diet themselves breath their bodies and when they run for
revealed Will. I hope thou art satisfied in the weight of the Reasons already delivered what canst thou say why thou shouldst not presently set upon the work Thou hast heard it is the great end of thy being and continuance in this world That it is an employment of the greatest concernment How it is Soul work God-work Eternity-work That it must of necessity be made the main business or otherwise all thy labour will be lost â—anst thou easily break this threefold cord let conscience judge between God and thee whether such a work as this is doth not deserve all thy time and strength thine utmost care and greatest diligence and ten thousand times more then thou canst possibly give it Thou hast also read how fiery and furious Worldlings Formalists Sinners are for their Dalilahs and Minions Oh why art thou so slothful to go in and possess the land Judg. 18.3 Themistocles seeing two Cocks fight Aelianâ— 2 Va. Hâ—st c. 28. when he was going to a battel pointed his Souldiers to them and said Do you see â—onder Combatants how valiantly they deal their blows with what fury they fight and yet they fight not for their Country nor for their Gods nor for the honour of their Ancestors nor for Glory nor Liberty nor Children What courage then my brave Countrymen should this put into our hearts on whose resolution all these depend and by whose valour they subsist So say I to thee Reader Dost thou see yonder Worldling how he rideth runneth toileth moileth sweateth wasteth his strength wrongeth his body makes a very pack-horse of it and will searce allow it time to eat or sleep Dost thou see yonder Superstitious person how zealous he is for the inventions of men laying his Estate Limbs Laberty and Life at the feet of his own Idol 〈◊〉 how like one upon a fiery Steed full of mettle he rides post out of Gods way and from Gods Word Nay dost thou see yonder Sinner what time he spends what miseries he endures what Wealth he wastes how hard he labours to gratifie his Lust And yet these work not for the Blood of Christ nor for the Love of the Father nor for the Graces of the Spirit nor from freedom from the Curse of the Law the slavery of Satan the torments of Hell nor for their Souls nor for their God nor for fulness of joy and the pleasures that are at Gods right hand for evermore What Zeal and Fervency should this put into our hearts Dear Friends and what diligence and industry into our hands when we work and trade for all these and if we make them our business our labour shall not be invain in the Lord. Exercise thy self to Godliness not to Superstition As the Ivy in time eats up the very heart of the Oake it groweth about so doth Formality and Superstition the very heart and life of Religion Let Gods Laws not thy own or others Lusts be the rule whereby thou governest thy heart and life Superstition saith an eminent Divine is to true Holiness Gurnal Christ incomp arm part 2. edit 2. p. 224. what the Concubine is to the true Wife who is sure to draw the Husbands love from her this Brat the Devil hath long put out to nurse to the Romish Church which hath taken a great deal of pains to bring it up for him and no wonder when she is so well paid for its maintenance it having brought her in so much worldly treasure and riches What some observe of Horse hairs that though liveless yet lying nine days under water they turn to Snakes may pertinently be applyed to superstitious Ceremonies which though at first dead or held at most but indifferent yet in continuance of time have quickened and done much mischeif There is a simplicity in the Word and Worship of God which I would intreat thee to look after I fear least your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ 2 Cor. 11.3 not as simplicity is opposed to wisdom but as simplicity is opposed to mixtures Compositions do but diminish and abate the vertue of Simples The more natural and simple the Wine is the more pure it is mixtures do but adulterate it The more simple the Worship of God is I speak of Gospel simplicity and order the more pure it is humane inventions and mixtures may abase it they cannot adorn it Gods Altar under the law must be of earth If thou lift up a tool upon it thou hast polluted it Exod. 20.24 25. Men are apt to think that by lifting up tools on Gods altar they polish it but God himself saith they pollute it When the Church was in her infancy she was drest in the swadling clothes of Ceremonies but since she is grown up God hath provided her other attire To the Jews the Sun of righteousness was behind and therefore the shadow of those Ceremonies was before They were in force and power but to us Gentiles the Sun of righteousness is before and therefore the shadow of ceremonies is behind When Christ came those shadows seemed to say as the Angels to Jacob Let us go for the day breaketh Gen. 32.26 at the death of Christ the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom to acquaint us that the Jewish Ceremonies must then vanish Mat. 27.51 Reader I would not be mistaken I do not advise thee against that order and decency which is commanded in the Worship of God nor against active obedience to authority in things that are circumstantial or not directly nor consequentially forbidden in Scripture but I would counsel thee to beware least like the Dog in the Fable whilst thou art snapping at any shadow thou dost not lose the substance and withal I must tell thee that as when the shadows grow long it s a sign the Sun is declining so when those shadows those even indifferent things increase usually the substance the light of holiness decreaseth When Corn runs out into straw and chaff those that feed on it may well be thin and lean but when it runs into ear and kernel thou mayst expect such as eat of it to be fat and well favourd when Religion runs into Formalities and Ceremonies her followers can never be thriving spiritually they may starve for all the gaudy flowers wherewith the several dishes on her table are decked and set forth it is the power of godliness alone which like wholsom and substantial food will distribute nourishment and strength to the inner man I expect nourishment from bread not from straw or stones because God hath annext his blessing to the former not to the latter I look for spiritual strength from divine institutions not from humane inventions because Gods promise is made to word-worship not to will-worship one would think the sparks of that fire wherewith Aarons Sons were consumed should fly in the faces of men and make them affraid to offer up to the Lord what he commanded them not Lev.
dead yet he speaketh to thee to take heed how thou touchest the Ark. A Prince may be pleased if his Kitchin be but indifferent neat and handsom but he looks that in his Parlour where he gives entertainment to his friend all things should be in Print Where Gods special walk is amongst his Candlesticks and amidst his Myrtle Trees there Godliness must be our special work Holiness becometh thy house O Lord for ever Psa 93. ult Godliness doth always sute the back of a Saint This gracious garment is a glorious ornament to him whatever he is doing or where ever he is going but the apparel doth become him best in his approaches to the holy God No Hangings no Tapestry becomes Gods house so well as Holiness and no place is so proper as the House of God for this costly comely furniture God is more honored or dishonoured in our Religious actions then in all the actions of our lives in them we do directly and immediately pretend his Honor and Service and therefore if we do not walk in them watchfully and intend them seriously the greater is our sin For a trespass committed against holy things the Jews were to bring a Ram to be valued by the shekel of the Sanctuary for a trespass against their brethren a Ram was required but no such valuation expressed whence Origen infers Aliud est peccare in sanctis aliud extra sancta It is one thing to sin in holy things another thing to sin beside them and he urgeth that place in Samuel 1 Sam. 2.25 If a man sin against another man the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him Lev. 5.15 and 6.6 When men are some way off in a Kings eye they will be comely in their carriage but when they come into his Presence-chamber to speak with him they will be most careful Because Saints are always in Gods sight their constant deportment must be pious and seemly I have kept thy precepts for all my ways are before thee Psal 119.68 But because the Ordinances of God are the very face of God and they who worship him therein do solemnly appear before him therefore at such seasons they are bound to be most holy and serious Exod. 23 17. Psal 42.2 The saying of the Sage Orator hath some weight Isocrat ad Demon Worship the gods at all times especially in publick that is in their sacrifices God is very curious how men carry themselves in his Courts and commandeth thee Reader be to eminently pious when thou appearest in his presence Do but observe under the Law how choyce he was about all things relating to his Worship the Tabernacle must be made of the best wood the purest gold the finest linnen and every part and pin of it done exactly according to Gods own precept the persons called to set it up must be rarely gifted and singularly endowed for that very purpose He that offereth sacrifice must be without blemish For whatsoever man he be that hath any blemish he shall not approach a blinde man or a lame man or he that hath any thing superfluous or a flat nose or he that is broken faced or broken handed or crooked backt or a Dwarf or that hath any blemish in his eye or the scurvy or is scabbed no man that hath any blemish of the Sons of Aaron the Priest shall come nigh to offer the Offerings of the Lord made by fire he hath a blemish he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God Levit. 21.17 18 19 20. So the sacrifice also must be perfect without spot If it were blind or broken or maimed had a wen the scurvy or were scabbed Levit. 22.19 21 22 24. It must not be offered it must be a male without blemish of the best of the flocks nay the best of these beasts the fat even all the fat which covereth the Inwards Lev. 3.3 And what is the substance of all these shadows but this That God will be served by holy men in the purest holiest manner that we must be very exact both as to our persons and performances when we are in his presence that he expects the best of living Sacrifices the hearts and spirits of men nay the best of the best all the heart and all the soul and all the strength Prov. 23. Joh. 4.24 Matth. 22.37 O how much is an ordinary slight performance below and unsucable to so great and glorious a Prince Religion is as tender a thing as the apple of thine eye by playing with the eye it may be put out by dallying with duties thou mayst spoil all If the Egyptians did reverence Mercurius Trismegistus so much that they did forbear out of respect to him to pronounce his name rashly what respect shouldst thou bear to Ordinances which are the name of God Exod. 20.24 How fearful shouldst thou be of taking the name of God in vain The blind Heathen were choyce and devout in the service of dumb Idois they served them in white an embleme of purity They thought nothing too good for those false Gods for whom the worst was not bad enough Solon the Athenian Law-giver enacted that none should serve the Gods Obiter or by the by that their sacrifices should be all select and chosen and that the Sacrificers should purifie themselves some days before hand Lycurgus had made a law that no man should be at any great charge in a sacrifice least he should grow weary of Divine service yet when Phidias the famous carver advised the Athenian to make the statute of Minerva of marble rather then Ivery 1. Because it was more durable this reason was approved 2. Because less chargeable at the mention hereof with much rage and wrath they commanded him silence They had an higher respect for those lies and falshoods then many have for the true God Eras praef in adag When they were going to offer sacrifice their Priest cryed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is here Those present answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many and good Were they so choice and chary in the service of their dunghil deities and wilt not thou friend be circumspect and consciencious in the service of the living God did they think nothing costly enough for inanimate creatures and wilt thou offer to the Lord thy God that which cost thee nothing Can thy box of precious oyntment though it be worth never so much be bestowed better then on thy dearest Saviour and can thy care and caution thy love and labour be employed better then in his service Or dost thou think that the false Gods were more affected with their dishonour or more to be feared in their displeasure then the living true God Dost thou not know that he will be sanctified in them that draw nigh to him Lev. 10.3 great persons are impatient of contempts and affronts especially when they are offered to them in their own houses God will sooner overlook thy forgetfulness
the Thames in which all sorts of commodities are brought up for the releif of the Citizens of Zion Some say of Cornucopia that it hath all things necessary for food in it Prayer hath in it all things pertaining to this life and a better It is said of the Pope He can never want money while he can hold a pen His writing of Pardons and Indulgencies filleth his coffers It is more true of the Christian he need never want if he will but pray Prayer is a key to Gods own coffers wherein there are infinite and all sorts of comforts I have no friends said a good woman but I have a prayer and so long as I have a praying heart God will find a pitying heart and a helping hand It is but ask and receive seek and find knock and it shall be opened Matth. 7.7 8. The child presenteth his petition to his Father and at the foot of it there is Fiat quickly written Prayer is like the Spaniards Plate fleet which returns home worth thousands and millions A Courtier will sometimes get more by a petition to his Prince in a morning then some Tradesmen do all their lives A regenerate person being in favour at Court gaineth more by a morning 〈◊〉 then a wicked man though he works hard gets while he liveth I never said to the seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain Some asked but the cure of their bodies when God healed their bodies and souls too he hath forced many an unexpected favour upon an upright fervent prayer Prayer is not onely a Storehouse of mercies but a Fort-royal to defend the soul against miseries as some write of the herb Panaces it is good for all diseases When Satan entred the field against Paul the Apostle held up this shield of prayer to defend himself against his fiery darts For this I besought the Lord thrice 2 Cor. 12.7 Prayer hath stormed and surprised more Cities conquered and routed more Armies then old mens heads or young mens hands then all the policy and power on earth Prayer is like the ring which Queen Elizabeth gave to the Earl of Essex bidding him if he were in any distress send that ring to her and she would help him God commandeth his people if they be in any perplexity to send this ring to him Call upon me in the day of trouble I will hear thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psa 50.15 O what a priviledge dost thou enjoy Reader in having freedom of access to the Throne of Grace The Persian Kings took state upon them and enacted that none should come uncalled upon pain of death But the gates of Heaven as the Aediles at Rome are always open Thou hast liberty night and day of presenting thy petitions in the name of â—hrist to the King of the whole earth and needst not fear so thy prayers be according to Scripture directions so much as a chiding for thy presumption The poets say that Litae Prayers are Jupiters Daughters and always about the Throne If it be esteemed such a favour to have an earthly Princes ear what a favour art thou invested with that hast the ear of the blessed and onely Potentate Elisha offered his courteous Host a great kindness when he asked her wilt thou be spoken for to the King 2 Kings 4.13 Some purchase that liberty as the chief Captain his Roman freedom with a great sum but thou mayst speak to the King of Kings thy self and be welcome and needst not be at the charge of having either Saints or Angels thy mediatours or any of those Heavenly Courtiers to bring thee into the Kings presence The Son of God himself will do it for thee gratis In him we have boldness Ephes 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liberty of speech freedom to speak all thy mind to lay open thy very inwards to God If thou art in doubts about thy spiritual estate and about thy title to the inheritance of the Saints in light thou mayst by prayer go to him who is marvellous in counsel and have his advice for nothing If any disease appear in thy soul which thou fearest may endanger its life at least hinder its peace and health thou mayst by prayer knock up the true Physician at mid-night and prevail with him to hasten to thy help and cure If thou art surrounded with many and bloody Enemies that thou knowest not what to do nor where to go thou mayst by prayer send post to Heaven and thou needst not fear but Christ will meet the Messenger half was and come in timely to thy rescue If thou art bound wiâ—h the bond of iniquity and like Peter watched narrowly night and day nay though thou art encompassed round with the black guard of Hell lest thou shouldst make an escape yet prayer without ceasing would knock off thy chains break open the Prison doors and in spight of all the Legions of Devils that kept thee set thee at liberty If thou art like the Psalmist over-whelmed with sorrow this sighing into Gods eares by prayer will ease thy heart When the Glass of thy soul is so full of those strong spirits fear and grief that it threatneth to burst thou mayst give it vent by prayer to God and there will be no danger Whilst thou art in this valley of teares thou art encompast with Enemies hast many and urgent necessities doubts and dangers but prayer like Moses will go before thee ingage him on thy side that will overcome them all and guide thee all the way through the Wilderness of this World to the very borders of Canaan and never leave thee till thou comest to enter into the place of praiâ—e But Reader the more richly this Vessel of prayer is laden the more careful and skilful must the Pilot be that steers it lest it suffer Ship-wrack Queens that have great heirs in their wombs must be tenderly used lest they miscarry If prayer be so bountiful a friend as thou hast heard thou oughtest to be the more fearful of abusing it Princes who allow firourites their eares yet expect that they should know their distance and ask in such a maâ—â— as they appoint and such things for the matter as will be consistent with their honour to give or else instead of a grant they may meet with a repulse and a sharp reproof Haman though he were so intimate with the King that he had his Hand and Seal at pleasure found by woful experience what it was to abuse the Kings favour by desiring the satisfaction of his own lust in that which was exceedingly to the Kings loss The Incense under the Ceremonial Law was a tipe of prayer Let my prayer come before thee like Incense but if it had not been made exactly both for matter and manner according to Gods own prescription who himself gave special direction about it Exod. 30.34.35 36. as sweet as the Spices were it had been loathsom and unsavoury to him the burning of Incense had been but as the
what fire was his Sacrifice offered O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord defer not for the Lords sake That wine is best which is fullest of these heavenly spirits Winter fruits are sowre and unplesant to men and so are cold petitions to God Dan. 9.13 Reader when thou art praying for pardon how shouldst thou even poure out thy soul Alass when thou considerest if God do not pardon I perish eternally if sin be imputed I am damned how should thy heart cry out Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness after the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out mine iniquities again Wash me from mine iniquities and cleanse me from my sin and again Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities once more Deliver me from blood guiltiness O God thou God of my salvation Psa 51.1 2 11 14. When thou art begging grace and purity with what earnestness shouldst thou pray beleiving how destructive sin is to thy precious soul and how offensive to the jealous just and Almighty God and in what absolute necessity thou standest in of holiness without which thou canst never see God As when the Clock strikes the Wheels within move notably we may hear them run round so when thy tongue is pleading with God for remission of sins and repentance towards God for the Son of God the Spirit of God and thine everlasting Salvation how should thine heart move what work should there be among thine affections to enforce those weighty petitions This fervency is necessary to prepare thy soul for the mercy thou desirest What men get lazily they spend lavishly but that food which a devout woman longeth for she prizeth much and eateth with most delight When one whispered Demostenes in the ear that he was beaten and desired him to plead his cause the Orator would not believe him till at last the man cryed out Now saith he I feel your cause It is the intension of the Spirit which giveth efficacy to our petitions It is not the length of the arm but the strength of it which draweth the bow so as to make the arrow fly fast and far Fervency to prayer is as wings to the Bird by which it mounteth up to heaven The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous prevaileth much James 5.16 When prayers are drivel'd like rhume out of a mans mouth they fall down at his feet The Mother will let the childe alone if it onely whimper and whine a little in the cradle but when it crieth outright then she hasteth to take it up This poor man cryed was not dull and drowsie there is his fervency and the Lord heard him and delivered him out of all his troubles Psal 34.9 here is his prevalency There is no getting to the Indian Mines by the cold Northerz Seas though because it is a shorter cut some have attempted that way but they lost their labour Other duties are a serving God Prayer is a seeking God Now they that seek him early shall finde him Prov. 8.17 A low voice doth not cause a loud eccho neither doth a lazy prayer procure a liberal answer Sleepy requests cause but dreams meer fancied returns Where there is a cushion of ease under the knees and a pillow of idleness under the elbows there is little work to be done When Daniel had been fervent all day at prayer an Angel is sent to him at night with an answer Importunity prevaileth with an unjust Judge much more with a righteous and gracious God Though God be Almighty yet a fervent prayer through his grace hath held his hands Let me alone Exod. 32. Who holdeth the Lord saith Austin Moses earnest cry was the cord which I may speak with reverence fastned Gods hands Prayer is a sword to wound both sin and Satan but fervency is the edge of it doing the execution Zeph. 18.2 Cor. 12. For this I besought the Lord thrice When a man strikes his Enemies with his full strength then the wounds are made The lack of this fervency is the loss of many prayers The lazy petition tires before it comes half way to Heaven indeed it is eaten up as the cold honey of Wasps and Flies of wandring thoughts when fervent prayers like honey boiling over the fire is free from such ill guests An idle prayer like a lazy beggar wandreth and gaddeth up and down and as a rowling stone gathereth no moss The working of the affections in prayer like Davids harp allayeth those Devils which would disturb the Christian in this duty When a man is intent upon the God to whom he prayeth and eager after the mercies for which he prayeth though the World whisper him in the ear he cannot hear though Satan jog him by the elbow he will not heed him But here a caution will be seasonable The fire of thy fervency must be from Heaven not such strange fire as Nadab and Abihu offered to the Lord I mean it must not be the voice of nature an earnest cry for the enjoyment of creatures but the voice of the Spirit an importunate desire for conformity to and communion with the Lord Jesus Christ We read of those that howled upon their beds for corn and wine and oyl Hosea 7.17 Many like children roar are much out of quiet disturb others with the noise they make but it is for clouts for a Babey Who will shew us any good The voice of a Saint must be as of a wise son at full age for the inheritance Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me The Petitioner herein must be very careful he that rides apace had need to be sure that he is in the right way or else the freer his horse is the more he wandreth to his loss The greater the fire is the more watchful we must be that it be kept within the chimney the more earnest our affections are the more we must minde what our petitions be The promises of God must be the foundation of our prayers What he promiseth to give I may pray to receive Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope Psal 119.49 but its dangerous for the building to jet out upon the Kings high-way beyond the foundation this may cause the house to fall or be taken down Because godliness hath the promise of this life I am bound to pray Give me this day my daily bread Temporal good things must be part of the matter of my prayer but because God promiseth these things conditionally so far onely as he seeth fit for his honor and my comfort therefore I must pray for them conditionally The Apish childe that crieth and squeeketh for the knife to be its own carver and will not be satisfied with its Parents feeding it deserveth the rod our prayers both for the matter and the manner must run parallel with Gods promises Prayer is a putting Gods promises into suit but he that sueth a Bond must minde the condition
the mark considereth what the reason was whether he did not shoot too high or too low or too much on the right hand or too much on the left hand takes the same Arrow again onely reformeth his former error and winneth the wager Secondly Working is necessary after prayer as well as Watching Begging and Digging must go together Thy duty is to pray as knowing assuredly that thou canst do nothing of thy self and yet to work as if thou wert to do all by thine own power He that doth not indeavour in a lawful use of those meant which God affordeth him to attain the mercies he needeth and asketh doth tempt not trust God and may expect a rod sooner then releif A good use may be made of that story A Carter having over-thrown his Cart sat in the way crying help Hercules help Hercules was counted by the Heathen a God for his strength O Hercules help At length one appeared to him in Herculus shape with a good Cudgel in his hand and beat him handsomely saying Ah thou silly lazy fellow dost thou call to me for help and sit still thy self arise and set to thy shoulder do thy part and I will do the rest If thou prayest for thy dayly bread be thou diligent in thy calling or else expect a crop out of the Ocean If thou prayest against some particular sins avoid the occasions of those sins If it be against Drunkenness avoid evil company If it be against Pride avoid and discourage such as will flatter thee for otherwise thou dost as he that runneth into the fire and prayeth to God that it may not burn him such a man mocketh God but himself most if thou prayest for Holiness and Grace hear read meditate watch use the means and expect a good issue from God Observe David his prayer was Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keep the door of my lips Psa 141.3 But now because he had committed the main charge of this unruly prisoner his tongue to God desiring him to lock the double doors of his lips and teeth fast upon it and to have a main guard always watching before the doors least it should break through and attempt an escape doth he therefore sleep himself thinking the prisoner was safe enough no he himself would be upon the guard I said I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a a bridle while the wicked is before me Psal 39.1 2. David as he desired God to put a good bit into the mouth of this wanton beast so he would himself keep a strict hand and rein him in A good Wish about prayer wherein all the forementioned particulars are epitomized PRayer is one of my nearest and solemnest approaches to the most high God The Introduction to prayer analyzed and one of my choicest priviledges on this side the place of praise wherein I may go to my God at all times and acquaint him what I ail where it is well where it is ill with my poor soul I wish in general that I may never suffer this key to Gods own treasury to rust for want of use nor to be ineffectual to the opening of the Divine bounty by my unskilfulness in turning it that neither by my unfitness for the duty miscarriage at the duty nor misbehaviour after the duty I may demean my self unworthy of so great a favour so high an honor and so good a Master In particular I wish that I may at least morning and evening before I enter upon this ordinance The antecedents to prayer 1. Meditation Of sins whether in my closet or family make a privy search for those Barabasses which have moved sedition in my soul and murthered my dearest Saviour and that I may have such a sight of them all in their horrid nature and bloody colour that I may arraign them at the Tribunal of God with confusion of face and contrition of heart and may with all possible ardency plead for their execution Of wants I wish that my necessities may ever be in my memory that as the sick childe I may point readily to the place of my pain when ever I go to make my moan to my heavenly Father and that affected with the weight and importance of them I praying feelingly may pray the more fervently I wish that the many and weighty mercies which I unworthy Wretch enjoy Of mercies may be written so firmly in my minde and presented to me before prayer in the various and lively colours of their freeness fulness and seasonableness that I may never steal the custom of thanks from my God which is all he desires for those rich and full vessels which he sendeth me in every day but may pay him this impost of Praise and Glory with all uprightness and alacrity I wish that my Graces may never be like Jonah Quickning of grace asleep when I am to call upon my God but as the Heavenly Host they may be moving in their several places and fighting in their courses against my spiritual Enemies O that like holy Bradford I might never leave confession without sorrow for sin petition without some sense of the worth of mercies nor thanksgiving Laying asâ—â—â— what may hinde prâ—yâ—â— without some solace and joy in God the Author and Fountain of all my happiness I wish that I may draw nigh to God with a pure conscience and before I go to desire the lovely portion of his friends All sin in general give a bill of divorce to all my lusts and at least banish from the bed of my heart those enemies of his which would not have him to reign over me I wish that I may never desire mercy at his hands with the least degree of malice in my heart Anger but may love as Saints because they are Christs seed so sinners and them that hate me for Christs sake and as a special medicine against that poison whatsoever friend I should forget in my prayers I wish I may resolve before hand to remember in particular my Enemies to beg of God that he would pardon sanctifie and save them I wish that my affections may not as Sauls person Worldly thoughts be hid among the stuff of Worldly affairs when I should be busie about the concernment of an eternal crown but that I may leave those servants always at the door behind while I go in to speak to the King of Nations Concomitants of prayer and may all the time of the duty serve and seek the Lord my God without distraction I wish that I may be specially careful to look up to the Master of requests Person must be justified the Lord Jesus Christ First for the justification of my person and then for the acceptation of my prayer and that I may be so enabled with the hand of faith to put on the glorious robes of his perfect righteousness that neither the nakedness
do thou hear and amend Charles the great did set his Crown upon the Bible intimating thereby that his Crown his carriage as a King should be according to the commands of the word O do thou hide this word in thine heart that thou mayst hold it forth to thy companions by the hand of an holy conversation Walk according to this Rule A good Wish about the word wherein the former heads are epitomized THe holy Scriptures being of such authority The Introduction as the hand writing and heart of God himself and so singular a mercy to me that by the guidance of this Star I am directed as the wise men to Jesus Christ I wish in general that I may set an high price upon every part thereof that every peice may be currant with me for his sake whose Image and superscription it beareth O that my carriage before at and after hearing may witness to God and my conscience Preparation for hearing that I esteem the law of his lips above thousands of Gold and Silver In particular I wish that as the Jews when they went to hear the law Preparation for hearing by laying aside evil frames sanctified themselves and washed their cloaths so before I go to read or hear the word I may sanctifie my soul and wash my heart from all superfluity of naughtiness and with meekness receive that ingrafted word which is able to save my soul Prejudice I wish that like Jehoshaphat I may prefer one Micaiah before four hundred false Prophets yet that I may ever make a difference betwixt an evil Ministers Preaching and practice and even when the Minister is full of grace may so distinguish between the treasure and the vessel as not to vallue the Message for the Messengers sake but to bid the workman welcome for the words sake I wish that I may be so sensible of my owninability to profit by this holy ordinance By prayer and of the speakers impotency to Preach home to my conscience that I may cry mightily to my God that he would open my heart to receive the word with all affection and so direct the Arrows which the Preacher taketh out of the quiver of Scripture that they may hit and pierce my dearest corruptions Consideration I desire that the consideration of the words excellency may cause me to prize it highly Of its necessity may make me to improve it diligently and of its efficacy may move me to go to hear as a Prisoner going to a bar to be tryed for my everlasting life or death Good ends in hearing I wish that the weight of the word may sink so deep into my heart that I may never hear Sermons to pick flowers of Oratory or to please my fancy but to receive virtue from Christ for the drying up my issue of sin and that I might cleanse my ways by taking heed thereto according to Gods Word Worldly thoughts laid by That the noise of the World may never hinder me from hearing the voiee of my God At hearing I wish that when I come into the place of worship I may set my self solemnly as before the Judge of quick and dead Seriousness as in Gods presence and as in the presence of the Lord with fear and awe give audience to his word If I were hearkening to an earthly Prince I would be serious O with what reverence should I hear from the blessed and onely Potentate Because without application the word will be unprofitable Application of it I wish that I may never draw a curtain before my own Picture but overlooking others may see my own face in the glass of the law O that by faith I may so take down the hook of the word as to be caught and taken by it Renovation by it My prayer is that the Gospel may come to me not in word onely but in power also that I may go to it as clean paper for any inscription as soft wax for any impression which my God shall be pleased to make upon me O that I might behold the Lord so effectualy in that glass as to be changed into his Image from glory to glory In special I wish that my sins may be placed by me in the front of this spiritual battle as Uriah purposely to be slain and that those smooth stones which are taken out of the silver streams of the Sanctuary may be thrown by so skilful and powerful a hand that they may sink deep into the foreheads of those uncircumcised ones After hearing Petition for a blessing to their death and destruction I wish that after the seed is sown I may beg that the showres of Heavens blessing may accompany it that it may spring up in the fruits of righteousness to the glory of my God and good of my precious soul And because the Gospel is a dish which is not set on every Table Thanksgiving for the Word though free grace bestoweth it on me I wish that I may rise from this spiritual food before I have given thanks to the Master of the feast Practice I desire finally that as I looked like a Saint in hearing I may live like a Saint after I have heard that those blossoms of good purposes which sprouted forth while the Minister was preaching may ripen into practice that whatsoever characters others are known by to be Christians I may be known by this ear mark to be one of Christs sheep even by hearing his voyce so as to follow him wheresoever he goeth Though others like petty Chapmen deal onely in some particular commodities and those such as will serve their own turns I desire that I may deal with the Word by whole-sale and esteem all Gods Precepts concerning all things to be right O that I might order my whole conversation aright and at the last see the salvation of my God! Amen CHAP. XVIII How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in receiving the Lords Supper and 1. Of the Nature of that Ordinance and preparation for it VVHen God had caused his everlasting Decree to fall in labour and had delivered it by giving the world a being and upon infinite consultation had formed Man to be his Vice-Roy over all the works of his hands he embarqued him with all abilities needful for such a voyage in the bottom of the Covenant of Works Adam set forth fully furnished with skill and richly fraught with all the Fortunes Hopes and Happiness of Mankinde but he had scarce lanched out of sight before Satan who knew very well the worth of the prize envying man the Haven of bliss to which he was sailing and envying God who was the owner the honor of such of a venture raised a storm whereby the Vessel through the unfaithfulness of Adam the Pilot ran upon a Rock and miscarried O what a joyful spectacle was that to Satan What a doleful sight to Adam to behold himself and all his posterity
is one thing to take the Supper of the Lord and another thing to taste the Supper of the Lord. Not one of them which were bidden shall taste of my Supper Luk. 14.24 Many croud near a Kings person on some days when he sheweth himself in publique who never injoy his gracious presence Hundreds receive the Elements but few receive the Sacrament If a Beast did but touch the Mount when God solemnly appeared on it it was to dye What then will become of thee if thou shouldst touch the Table of the Lord with a brutish heart If any did eat of the Passoever in his uncleanness he was to be cut off from Israel Exod. 12. which some interpret of a violent death by the hand of the Magistrate Others of a cutting off from the priviledges of Gods people on earth and their possession in Heaven Surely it is as dangerous to eat the Supper in thy pollution as the Passoever It is evil to dally with the Jealous God in any duty but worst of all in this where the great affection of the Father in giving his Son and the grievous Passions of Christ to satisfie Gods justice for sin the most serious things which mans heart can conceive are represented Melancthon telleth a story of a Tragedy which was acted of the death of Christ but it proved a Tragedy indeed at last for he that acted Christs part on the Cross being wounded to death by one that should have thrust his sword through a bladder of blood fell down and with his fall killed one acting a womans part and lamenting under the Cross His brother who was first slain slew the murtherer for which himself was hanged by order of Justice Cyprian speaketh of an ancient woman who had denied the Faith and yet ventured to this Heavenly Feast but it proved her bane for as soon as she had received the Elements she fell down dead O 't is sad jesting with the Sufferings and Ordinances of Christ Friend let others wo be thy warning Take example by others lest God make thee an example to others I shall lay down two motives to quicken thee to a serious preparation for this Ordinance 1. Consider Christs diligent inspection The Lord Jesus will take special notice what respect thou hast for his Body and Blood And when the King came in to see his guests he saw there a man which had not on a Wedding-garment Mat. 22.11 12 13. Jesus Christ observeth all his wedding guests whether they come with the Wedding-garment or no. Though there was but one yet he could not lie hid and escape in the crowd the King quickly spied him The King of Saints taketh exact notice in what manner thou comest to his Supper whether thou examinest thy Regeneration and provest thy self to be one of the family before thou offerest to eat of their food whether thou carriest the Gold of thy Graces to the Touchstone of the Scripture and triest their truth before thou tenderest them to him for currant coyn He observeth with what sense of thy misery thou runnest for refuge to the spring of mercy He knoweth whether when thou art going to this Heavenly Feast thou hast the mouth of Faith with what resolution against sin for time to come thou goest for pardon of sins past He seeth whether thou goest to this Gospel-Ordinance in a Gospel-order if not both thy preparation for the Sacrament and thy carriage at it and after it are eye-services to Jesus Christ How holy therefore should thou be in them Wouldst thou trample upon the picture of thy dear Friend or of thy lawful Soveraign before their faces Wilt thou tread under foot the infinitely precious blood of the Son of God as if it were the blood of a Malefactor or of a Dog and that while he himself standeth by and looketh on Canst thou Friend finde in thine heart to offer such an abominable affront to thy best Friend and that before his face Truly if thou art not faithful in thy preparation for it thou dost all this Think with thy self I am now to sit down at the Table of the Lord amongst his own children I know beforehand that the King will come in to see his Guests even that King who is too just to be bribed too great to be slighted too wise to be deceived and too good to be forfeited O my soul what solemn provision wilt thou make for so sacred a presence If in any time of thy life thou wouldst be extraordinarily serious this is the season O let thy preparation be such for this glorious Supper that the Master of the Feast may see that thou art tender of his honor watchful of his eye and fearful of his anger 2. Consider the dreadful condition of those that receive the Lords Supper unworthily Their sin They are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord Their suffering They eat and drink their own damnation 1 Cor. 11.27 29. 1. Their sin They are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord The unworthy receiver is a Christ murtherer He that tears the Letters or defaceth the Picture or clippeth the coyn of a Prince offereth the indignity to his person The Romans when they would dishonor a person would disfigure the statue which was erected to his praise The same wickedness of heart which carrieth a man out to prophane the Sacrament would carry him out to kill the Saviour When one shoots at another to slay him though he miss he is a murderer the error of the hand doth not wipe out the malice of the heart Josephs Brethren were guilty concerning their Brother though they did not lay violent hands upon him Gen. 42.21 When Julian shot darts up to Heaven his cruelty and rage were as bad as if he had hit Christs body Besides men may be guilty of murther by approving it after it is committed Mat. 23.35 What doth the unworthy receiver less then justifie Judas and the Jews in all their treacherous and barbarous carriage towards Jesus Christ Consider therefore what thou dost when thou goest unpreparedly to the Lords Table Thou art guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Simple murther is a crying sin The voyce of thy Brothers blood cryeth to me from the earth Gen. 4.10 It is one of those sins which will give God no rest till he take vengeance on the actor and author of it and is therefore called a crying sin The light of Nature taught the Barbarians that Vengeance would not suffer a murtherer to live Acts 28.4 The Scripture acquainteth us that no satisfaction shall be taken for the life of a murtherer for blood defileth the land Numb 35.31 36. But the murther of a Superior is a far greater sin Cicero telleth us He that killeth his Father committeth many sins in one he killeth him that begot him and brought him up he sinneth against many obligations To kill a King is High-Treason Who can stretch his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless 1
Sam. 26.9 But what is it to murther the Son of God no tongue can tell no pen can write the horrid hainous nature of Christ-murther He is thy everlasting Father It made a dumb childe speak to see another stabbing his Father and wilt thou imbrue thine own hands in thy Fathers blood Jesus Christ is thy King and wilt thou stretch forth thy hands against thy Head thy Soveraign Had Zimri peace who slew his Master Nay Jesus Christ is thy Redeemer and wilt thou put him to death who is the Author of thy life He gave thee thy being and wouldst thou deprive him of his being He is the onely Physician that can cure thee and wilt thou kill him Once more Jesus Christ is God and wilt thou lift up thy hand I would say a thought against the blessed God God deserveth infinitely more love then thou canst possibly give and shall thine heart be so full of hatred as to let fly against the God of Heaven Oh! say with David when Abishai perswaded him to slay Saul The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lords anointed When Satan or thy own heart would perswade thee to be slight in the examination of thy self and formal in thy humiliation for sin that thou mightest be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord let Conscience cry out God forbid that I should stretch out my hand against Jesus Christ the Lords Anointed And truly Friend if after such warning as God gives thee in this head thou shouldst dare to receive unworthily thou wouldst finde it hereafter to thine unspeakable hurt As Reuben told his Brethren when they were in distress Spake I not unto you saying Do not sin against the child and ye would not hear therefore behold his blood is required Gen. 42.22 So if thou now darest to approach the Lords Table in thy sinful unregenerate estate in thy filth and pollution when thou comest to lie under some smart rod or on thy dying bed or at least in the other World Conscience will fly in the face Did I not speak unto thee saying Do not sin against the holy Childe Jesus and thou wouldst not hear therefore behold his blood is required at thy hands O Friend Friend what wilt thou do in such an hour If on him who slew Cain vengeance should be taken sevenfold what vengeance shall be taken on him who slayeth Jesus Christ How dreadful will thy perdition be if the onely Saviour be thine Accuser and that blood which alone can procure thy pardon shall cry for thine eternal punishment O think of it seriously Hast thou never had hard thoughts of the Jews for their cruelty to the Son of God and wilt thou do worse thy self The Jews crucified him but once but thou by continuing an unworthy receiver crucifiest him often The Jews did it ignorantly Had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 but thou knowest him to be the Son of God the Saviour of the World They crucified him in his estate of Humiliation but thou in his estate of Exaltation They had not not thee for a Warning when they put him to death but thou hast them for a Warning to thee They crucified him when he was to rise again the third day but thou so crucifiest him that he might never rise more were it in thy power O take heed what thou dost and be not worse then a Jew Thy suffering He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself 1 Cor. 11.29 Some I know are offended at the translation of the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damnation but I see little reason for it for Damnation is the end of every sin though it be not the end of every sinner Paul speaketh of Believers indeed but as it may be truly said of one that drinketh poyson Such a man drunk his bane though by the help of a Physician such an Antidote may be given as may prevent the Patients death so it may be truly spoken of a Believer who receiveth unworthily He eateth and drinketh his own damnation though through the Grace and Help of Jesus Christ no thank to himself he is recovered out of that sin and saved Beza and the Geneva Translation take it in this sense So the word is taken John 3.17 18. Rom. 3.8 and in several other places Now what an argument is here to disswade thee from going rashly or unpreparedly to the Table of the Lord. That which is a worthy receivers meat will be thy poison the same red Sea of Christs blood which is salvation to others they pass safely through it into the land of promise will be damnation to thee King John Speed as our English Croniclers write Simâ—s Eccks Hist. was poisoned by a cup of Wine The Emperour Henry the seventh was poisoned by the bread in the Sacrament through the treachery and treason of a Monk The Israelites did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink but with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the Wilderness 1 Cor. 10.3 4.5 Those that eat and drink in Christs presence were punished with everlasting perdition Mat. 7.23 And do not please thy self because thou feelest no such poisonous operation at present in unworthy receiving that therefore thou needst not fear it They that eat Italian Figs carry their death about them though they fall not down dead suddenly Therefore Reader take some time and pains to commune with thy own heart before thou goest to the Sacrament Charge it upon its allegiance to God to hear thee patiently and to carry it self sutably If I receive this Supper with an holy preparation it will be a seal of and an help to my eternal salvation it will be an earnest of matchless love and an entrance into an endless happy life but if I eat and drink unworthily there is death in the pot death in the cup I eat and drink my own damation O how doleful is that one word Damnation What a dreadful sound doth it make in mine ears What fearful sighs doth it cause in my soul Damnation is no trifling business God threateneth it in earnest The damned feel it in earnest and shall I jest with it Surely I were better eat the bread of affliction and drink the water of adversity then eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily Canst thou be so bloody as to stab thy self and thy Redeemer to the heart with one blow O my soul bestir thy self awake out of sleep and do not dally about the concernments of eternal life and death let thy care and conscience be such in fitting thy self for this sacred Ordinance that thy Saviour may see thou hast an high respect for his precious blood and a tender regard to thine own everlasting good For thy help about this Ordinance I shall speak 1. To thy duty before the Sacrament 2.
Communion of the body of Christ As the bread is made of many grains and the cup of wine of many grapes united so is the body of Christ of many members united under one head Eating together was ever a sign of love and friendship Joseph hereby shewed his love to his brethren The Sons of Brutus Plutarch in vita Publico and the Vitellii when they conspired with Tarquins Ambassadours against the Consul drank the blood of a man together to confirm their amity Even Beasts have been brought to agree by feeding at the same Rack Now Reader what love-fire hast thou for this love-feast Dost thou love the brethren as brethren because they are related to God and because they have the Image of God Or dost thou love them onely for the natural qualities in them and their courtesie to thee this fire I must tell thee is Kitchin fire which must be fed with such course fuel the former onely is the fire which is taken from Gods Altar Dost thou love Christ in a Cottage as well as in a Court Dost thou love a poor as well as a rich Christian Dost thou love grace in rags as much as grace in robes Is it their honour or their holiness which thou dost admire As thy duty is to examine thy self concerning thy graces so also concerning thy corruptions Before a Sacrament there should be a through search for all thy sins The Jews before their passover searched all over their houses for leaven nay they searched every corner and Mouse-hole with a wax Candle as some write There is a threefold leaven First a leaven of Hypocrisie Beware of the leaven of the Pharises which is Hypocrisie Luk. 12.1 Secondly a leaven of Heresie a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Gal. 5.9 Thirdly a leaven of Enormity or scandal purge out the old leaven 1 Cor. 5.7 Thy care must be to make a diligent enquiry for all this leaven The iniquities of wicked men will find them out but good men will finde out their iniquities I know mine iniquites saith David Psa 51. When evil humours lie hid in the body they hinder the strength it might get by food When sins lye undiscovered in the soul they will hinder its digesting spiritual meat and drink At a Sessions there are some indictments read and it may be some execution done but at an Assize there are many Malefactours arraigned and many executed the Goal is then cleared of those vermine A Christian should keep a petty Sessions in his heart every day do what he can for the conviction and condemnation of his sins but before a Sacrament he must keep an Assize there must be a general Goal delivery all his sins must be sought after indicted and executed the room of his heart must be cleared of those vipers Particularly examine thy self of thy sins since the last Sacrament how forgetful thou hast been of the Oath of the Lord which thou dist then enter into be not slight or formal in searching after thy sins like some officers that willingly over-look the Theeves they search for but be as diligent to find them out as thou wouldst be to find out the Murderers of thy father or best friend But be sure thou compare thy heart and life with the Law of God O how many spots will that glass discover When the woman hath swept her house and gathered the dust up altogether she thinks there is none left but when the Sun doth but shine in through some broken Pane of Glass she seeth the whole House swarm with innumerable Motes of dust floating too and fro in the Air. The light of Gods law will make innumerable sins visible to thee which without it will lie hid 2. There is requisite as a serious examination of thy self so also sincere humiliation for thy sins The cleanly Dame is careful always to keep her Peuter and Brass clean but against a good time she is very curious to have her Vessels not onely clean but bright and for this end she will not onely wash them but take much pains in scouring them Christian Now is the good time before which thou shouldst scour the vessel of thy heart that no dirt if possible may stick to it This true humiliation consisteth partly in mourning for sin partly in turning from sin 1. In mourning for sin The Pharisees would not eat their common bread with unwashed hands least they should transgress the traditions of their Elders Friend if thou shouldst eat this sacred bread with an unwashed heart thou wilt horribly transgress the Commandment of thy God The Jews did eat the Passover with bitter hearbs and truely we Gentiles must eat a broken body with broken bones The more bitter sin is to thee before the more sweet thy Saviour will be to thee at the Sacrament Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Mat. 5.3 A wet seed time will bring a Sun-shiny and plentiful Harvest One of the Fathers observeth that David the greatest mourner in Israel was the sweetest singer in Israel Beanes thrive best if steept in water before they be sown and truely so will thy soul if steept in godly sorrow before thou goest to the Sacrament Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish and wine to these that are of heavy hearts Prov. 31.6 When thy heart is heavy under the sense of thine unholiness and thou art ready to perish under the weight of thy wickedness then Jesus Christ will give thee that wine that blood which will refresh and make thine heart glad Those Trees shoot highest in Summer that shoot lowest into the earth in Winter No Christian usually riseth so high in consolation as he that is cast down lowest in Evangelical humiliation There are two in the New Testament famous for their contrition and they are famous for Gods respect and affection to them Mary was a great mourner We seldom have a view of her in Scripture without dew on her face and tears in her eyes Luk. 7.38 39. Luk. 23.27 28. Joh. 19.25 and 20.11 15. But she had the special honour and favour of seeing the best sight which ever mortal eyes beheld before all others even the blessed Redeemer in the first step of his exaltation Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalen out of whom he had cast seven Devils Mark 16.9 Mary had sinned greatly and sorrowed greatly and was upon it greatly respected by God Peter wept bitterly A look from love broke his heart in peices but Christ took special care to bind up this broken heart to pour Oyl into his wounded conscience and therefore when a messenger is dispatched from Heaven to acquaint the World with the joyful news of the Saviours resurrection no name is particularly mentioned in his commission but Peters God gives him an express command that whosoever should remain ignorant of those happy tidings he should be sure that Peter have notice of it
Dignity to be crucified without the gate lest the City should be polluted with his blood Now Reader come along like the beloved Disciple and behold thy Saviour bearing his own Cross and going to the place of execution to dye the death of a Slave for no Freeman was ever crucified therefore Julian in derision called him The staked God He is no sooner come to the dismal place of dead mens skulls but they tear off his cloathes and some think skin and all glued to his back with their bloody scourgings Now they stretch his body as cloth with tenters and rack it so that his bones start out of his skin I may tell all my bones Psal 22.17 in nailing his two hands to the two horns and his feet those parts so full of nerves and sinews and so the most sensible of any parts of the body to the stump of the Cross They digged my hands and my feet and hang him up between two Thieves as the most notorious Malefactor of the three He was numbred among the Trangressors His bloody watching fasting scorched wracked body is oppressed with exquisite pain and his anguish so vehement that he cryeth out I thirst to quench which they give him vinegar and gall and spice it with a scoff to make it rellish the better Let us see whether Elias will come and save him But Oh! who can imagine what he suffered in his soul when he hung under the weight of mens revenge Devils rage the Laws curse and the Lords wrath Men revile him wagging their heads and saying Thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three days save they self He saved others himself he cannot save To him that was afflicted pity should have been shewn but they added affliction to the afflicted and forsook the fear of the Almighty All the Devils in Hell were now putting forth their utmost power and policy for this was their hour and the power of darkness to encrease his sufferings that if possible they might provoke him to sin thereby to have separated his Humane nature from his Divine that it might have perished eternally and all mankinde with it but the sting of his death is yet behind The head of that arrow which pierced his heart indeed was the frown of his Father That his Kinsmen the Jews whom he came to sanctifie and redeem for he was the glory of his people Israel should deliver him up to be crucified was not a small aggravation of his misery That his Apostles that had been eye-witnesses of his miracles and ear-witnesses of his Oracles to whom he had spoken so pathetically Will ye also forsake me and who had told him so resolutely We will go with thee into prison and to death Luke 22.33 Mat. 26.35 should now in his greatest extremity turn their backs upon him added some more gall to his bitter cap That his Mother should stand by the Cross weeping and have her soul pierced through with the sword of his sufferings was far from being an allay to his sorrows but that his Father of whom he had often boasted It is my Father that honoreth me My Father loveth me I and my Father are one should now in his low estate in his day of adversity in his critical hour not onely not help him and leave him alone as an harmless Dove amongst so many ravenous Vultures to contest with all the fury of Earth and Hell but also pour out the Vials of his own Wrath upon him and though the Union was not dissolved yet suffer the beams the influences to be restrained that he might fully bear the curse of the Law and feel the weight of sin this was the hottest fire in which the Paschal Lamb was roasted this caused that Heart-breaking Soul-cutting Heaven-piercing expression My God My God why hast thou forsaken me O how how justly might he have cryed out with Joh. Have pity upon me my friend have pity upon me for the hand not onely of my Enemies and my friends of multitudes of men and of Legions of Divels but the hand of God hath touched me How truely might the Husband have taken up his Spouses lamentation Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Ah who can write or read such a tragedy with dry eyes Friend when thou art at the Sacrament think of these sufferings and beleive it they will make work among thy sins When thou takest the cup of wine do not forget the cup of Worm-wood which thy Saviour drunk for thy sake he drank of the Brook in the way he drank the cup of his Fathers wrath infinitely imbittered with the curse of the law that thou mightest drink the cup of blessing At the Table obey his own command Do this in remembrance of me Secondly Meditate on the affection of Christ We will remember thy love more then wine saith the Spouse when thou seest the wine think of that love which is better then wine Belevie it if ever there were a love-feast this is it Men testifie their love in bestowing food on their hungry friends but ah what love was that which gave his blessed body and precious blood to feed his starving enemies He that considereth what Christ suffered and for whom may well think he was little else but a lump of love His compassion is infinitely visible in his passion What love was that which moved him to lay down his life for thee Friend if ever thou hadst hard thoughs of Christ take a view of him in the former subject of meditation and consider whether his heart be not set upon sinners when he shed his heart blood for their souls The redness of the fire discovers its heat O how did the redness of this Rose of Sharon the blood which issued from his head and back and hands and feet and heart and whole body speak his burning his fiery love Well might the Apostle John joyn and pair those Turtle-Doves Who hath loved us and washed us in his blood Rev. 1.5 In every drop of his blood there is an Ocean of love Well might the Apostle Paul pâ—oduce this as an undeniable testimony of the truth of his love Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 His bleeding passion was such a full demonstration of his dearest affection as the whole World never saw the like before nor ever shall again In it his love was dissected and ript up you may tell all its bones Judas gave him to the Jews out of love to money The Jews gave him to Pilate to becondemned out of love to envy Pilate gives him to the Souldiers to be Crucified out of love to self interest but Christ gave himself out of pure love to save souls The great and glorious God doth things that are singularly eminent for the manifestation of his attributes When he
Angels for his Life-guard but he forbore it He laid down his life he gave himself He gave up the Ghost He had a Baptism to be baptized with and he longed to have it accomplished But Friend what thinkest thou was the lump of sugar which did so sweeten this cup notwithstanding all its bitter ingredients to make it go down so glib and pleasant truly nothing but love Love to Dinah made Sechem willing to be circumcised love to Christians made Christ willing to bleed and be buffeted and crucified The Mother can toil and moil all day with her childe and count it a pleasure when another had rather go to plough all day but what 's the reason nothing but her love Jesus Christ delighted in the work of mans Redemption I delight to do thy will O God which would have broke the backs of the very Angels and why because of his love It is observed the myrrhe which is let out by the incision of the tree is precious but that which floweth of its own accord is most choice and precious Christs veins were indeed opened by others incision when Pilat scourged his back and the nails his hands and feet but one drop of this blood is more worth then millions of World for even at these times he bled voluntarily as well as in the Garden when the myrrhe of his blood dropt of its own accord O of vvhat infinite value is his blood O hovv much did he love his vvhen the very oyl vvhich consecrated him to those unknovvn sorrovvs vvas the oyl of gladness to him Remember this love more then vvine Thirdly Meditate on thy corruptions As his love vvas the invvard moving cause so thy sins vvere the outvvard procuring cause of his sufferings He was wounded for thy transgressions he was bruised for thine iniquities the chastisement of thy peace was upon him Isa 53.5 When thou art at the Sacrament vvhich fitly representeth Christs sufferings consider vvith thy self What vvas that vvhich brought the blessed Saviour into such a bleeding condition It vvas my sin I vvas the Judas vvhich betrayed him the Jew vvhich apprehended him the Pilate that condemned him and the Gentile vvhich crucified him My sins vvere the thorns vvhich pierced his head the nails vvhich pierced his hands and the spear vvhich pierced his heart ' T vvas that put to death the Lord of life He dyed for my sins He was made sin for me who knew no sin his blood is my balm his Golgatha is my Gilead O vvhat a subject is here for meditation He suffered in my stead he bore my sins in his body on the tree he took that loathsome purging physick for the diseases of my soul When he was in the Garden in his bloody agony groveling on the ground there was no Judas no Pilate no Jew no Gentile there to cause that unnatural sweat or to make his soul sorrowful unto death but my pride my unbeleif my hypocrisie my atheism my blasphemy my unthankfulness my carnal-mindedness they were there and caused his inward bleeding sorrows and outward bloody sufferings Ah what an heavy weight was my sin to cause such a bloody sweat in a frosty night My dissimulation was the trayterous kiss My ambition the thorny crown My drinking iniquities like water made him drink Gall and Vineger My want of tears caused him to bleed My forsaking my Maker made him to be forsaken of his Father Because the members of my body were instruments of iniquity therefore the members of his body were objects of such cruelty because my soul was so unholy therefore his soul was so exceeding heavy O my soul what hast thou done We do not say the Executioner kils a man for theft or murder but his theft or murder they hang him so in this case it was not so much the Jews or Souldiers for they were the Executioners that put Christ to death as our thefts and murders and breaches of Gods Law which were imputed and laid to his charge There is a story of a King of France named ladoveyus that when he was converted to Christianity one day hearing Remigius the Bishop reading the Gospel of our Saviours passion he presently fell into this passionate expression O that I had been but there with my French-men I would have cut all their throats little considering that his and others iniquities were Christs greatest and most cruel enemies Reader when thou art at the Table think of those sins which caused such sufferings Consider the deepness of that stain which the blood onely of God could wash out Ah what a sickness is sin when nothing less then the blood of the Son of God can heal it Secondly as at the Table some Subjects must be considered so some graces must be exercised A Sacrament is a special season a spring time for those trees of Gods own planting to bud blossom and put forth their fruit Now Reader if ever rouse up thy spirit and stir up the gifts of God which are in thee Call aloud to thy graces which may possibly be sleeping as David Psa 57.8 Awake my glory awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake early Awake my graces can ye not watch with my dearest Saviour one hour Awake my faith love and Repentance I my self will awake presently It is not the Haâ—wk which sitteth hood-winkt on the fist but the seeing flying Hawk which doth the service The Clock which standeth still is of no use it is the going moving Clock which attains its end Grace acted will now do thee eminent service and help thee to attain the end of the Sacrament First Act faith Dormit fides dormit Christus saith Austin If faith sleepeth Christ sleepeth Call forth first that Commander in chief and then the private Souldiers the other graces will all follow Faith must be the eye whereby thou seest Christ Zach 12.10 They shall see him whom they have peirced and mourn Faith is the mouth by which thou feedest on Christ John 6.53 Faith is the feet by which thou goest to Christ John 6.35 Faith may say to thee as Christ did Without me thou canst do nothing without me thou canst do nothing for thy own welfare nothing for Gods honour at this ordinance It is said of the Indian Gymnosophists that they will lye all day upon their backs gazing on the beauty of the natural Sun Friend at this Ordinance if at any time of thy life view the beauty of this true Sun As Pilate when he had scourged him in such a bloody barbarous manner brings him forth to the Jews with Behold the man So when thou considerest the bread and wine Behold the man Behold the broken bruised Saviour A man without faith like the unbeleiving lord seeth the plenty but doth not eat of it There is a threefold act of Faith to be put forth at a Sacrament First Faith must look out for Christ Secondly Faith must look up to Christ for grace Thirdly Faith must take Christ down or receive
him and grace 1. Faith must look out for Christ Consider that Jesus Christ is the very soul of the Sacrament without him it is but the carcass of an Ordinance Christ and the Scripture bring comfort Christ and prayer cause spiritual profit Accedat Christus ad elementum fiet Sacramentum Christ and the elements make a Sacrament Christ and the Sacrament make a rare feast Therefore be sure thou look out for Christ Rest not in the bread and wine but look farther When thou sittest at the Table let the speech of thine heart be Saw ye him whom my soul loveth Turn to God and say as they to Philip Sir I would fain see Jesus Lord I would fain see Jesus Christ Let neither word nor prayer nor elements nor all things content thee without Christ As Isaac told his Father Father behold here is the wood and the fire but where is the Lamb for a burnt offering So do thou look up to thy Heavenly Father Father behold here is the Preacher and here is the Scripture here is the bread and here is the wine but where is the body and blood of my Saviour Lord where is the Lamb for a Sacrifice Father Father Where is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World If the Angels that are present at the Sacrament should speak to thee give them occasion for the same language which they gave the Woman at the Sepulchre We know whom thou seekest thou seekest Jesus which was Crucified come see the place where the Lord lay Come see the promise see the elements in which the Lord lyeth Mat. 28.5 6. If the Spirit of God seeing thee so eager and earnest for a sight of Christ should put by the hangings behind which the Lord Jesus hid himself purposely to be sought and present him to thee with his glorious retinue of graces and comforts with the precious fruits of his grievous passion and bespeak thee thus Chear up poor Christian behold the Lamb of God Behold King Jesus with the Crown of thorns wherewith his foes crowned him in the day that he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with greifs Behold King Solomon with the crown wherewith his Father crowned him in the dâ—â— of his Espousals and in the day of the gladness of his heart O Friend what would such a sight be worth to thee I am confident thou wouldst value it above all the silver in the World Well be of good comfort do but look for him and he will look after thee Say to him as the Spouse Make haste my Beloved be thou like the Hart and Roe upon the Mountains of Spices Make no tarrying O my God and doubt not but he will answer thee almost as he doth his Spouse in a sense of mercy not of judgement Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to thee according to thy faith Reader act Maries part and thou shalt meet with Maries portion When Mary went to the Sepulchre John 20.13 she looketh into it seeth the linnen but not the Lord and presently falleth a weeping O saith she they have taken away my Lord They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him Jesus Christ could now no longer absent himself he heard the voice of her weeping and gave her a gracious meeting Mary saith Christ Rabboni saith Mary Now her heart cleaves to him and her hands clasp about him and she hears that golden Message Go to my brethren and tell them I go to my Father and your Father So when thou comest to the Table and seest the linnen and not the Lord Jesus be not satisfied O dart up thy complaints to Heaven Lord I came not to see the linnen I came not for the bread and wine I came to see Jesus Christ O Lord what shall I do they have taken away my Lord and I know not where to finde him Ah Lord whâ—â— is the Word to me without Christ but as a conduit without water and what is the element to me without Christ but as a cup without wine O what wilt thou give me if I go from thy Table Christless Thou mightest be confident that Jesus Christ would hear such sighs and would hasten away to bless and kiss thee 2. Faith must look up to Christ for grace Look up to Christ as a Treasury of grace for the supply of all thy necessities and put thy hand of faith into this Treasury and thou shalt take out unsearchable riches Austin puts the question how a Christian may put out a long arm to reach Christ in Heaven and answers Crede tenuisti Believe and thou hast taken hold of him Christ is a full breast faith is the mouth which draweth and sucketh the breast and getteth spiritual nourishment out of it The blessed Saviour is a precious and deep mine but faith is the instrument whereby we dig the gold out of it As the Spanish Ambassador said of his Masters Treasury in comparison of that Treasury of S. Mark in Venice In this among other things my Masters Treasury differeth from yours in that my Masters Treasury alluding to his Indian Mines hath no bottom as I see yours to have For thy comfort know that the riches in Christ are inexhaustible and his bags are bottomless He can supply all thy needs Philip. 4.13 When thou art at this Ordinance look on Christ as a Fountain running over with the Water of Life and the Sacrament as a Channel cut out by Christ himself to convey Living Water to thy soul Thou art diseased go in this Ordinance to Christ as a Physician to heal thee Thou art an indigent beggar go to Christs Door I mean the Sacrament with an expectation of a large dole Do not sit down in despondency as the Patriarchs in a scarcity of food but since thou hast heard there is corn in Egypt bread enough in thy Fathers house sufficiency of grace in Jesus Christ go make haste to this son of Joseph who is Lord of the Countrey and hath the command of all the store houses in the Land and will load thee with more then thou canst desire Are thy wants many he hath infinite wealth Hast thou no Money to buy no Merits to offer why he selleth without money and without price They that bring Money have it returned back in their sacks for he takes none Whosoever will may drink of the Water of Life freely Revel 22.17 The Sacrament is as a Conduit which receiveth water from the River therefore when thou hast brought the Vessel of thy soul to the Conduit thy work must be by faith to turn the Cock and then it will run freely and fill thy Vessel be sure that thou minde the promise This is my Body This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood Thy faith will be celestial fire to extract the quintessence and spirits of the Promise 3. Faith must receive Christ and apply him to thy soul When thou puttest forth
So God giveth others outward portions some of the good things of this life but to thee O Christian he giveth a Benjamins mess his image his spirit his son himself a worthy portion a goodly heritage because he loveth thee Others have a little meat and drink and wages but thou hast the inheritance Others like Jehosaphats younger Sons have some Cities some small matters given them but thou like the first born hast the Kingdom the Crown of glory others feed on bare elements thou hast the Sacrament others stand without doors and thou art admitted into the presence Chamber others must fry eternally in Hell flames and thou must enjoy falness of joy for evermore O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever To him that chose thee before the foundation of the World for his mercy endureth for ever To him that called thee by the word of his grace for his mercy c. To him that gave his onely Son to dye for thy sins for his mercy c. To him that entred into a Covenant of grace with thee for his mercy endureth for ever To him that hath provided for thee an exceeding and eternal weight of glory for his mercy endureth for ever O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Remember the poor on that day Gods bounty to thee in spirituals may well provoke thy mercy to others in carnals The Jews at their Passover released a Prisoner in remembrance of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage Surely at the Lords Supper when thy heart is warmed with Gods compassion to thee thy hand should be enlarged in contribution to the poor in remembrance of thy redemption out of slavery to sin and Satan The Primitive Christians had their collections for the poor and the Lords Supper both on a day On the first day of the week Because the Saints like the wall being then heated by the Sun should reflect that heat on the passengers on others Acts 20.7 2 Cor. 16.1 Thy cup runneth over O let others drink with thee Thy Charity may make thy Coffer lighter but it will make thy crown heavier It was a notable expression of one who having given much away was like to want and asked what she would do I repent not of my charity for what I have lost in one World I have gained in another 2. Faithfulness The Sacrament is a strong engagement to sanctity Sacramentum est juramentum At the Lords Supper thou takest a new Oath of Allegiance to the King of Saints whereby every wilful iniquity after it becomes perjury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuam a Hedge The Greek word for an Oath cometh from a word signisieth an Hedge to shew that an Oath should keep men in and prevent their wandering out of the field of Gods word It is the character of an Harlot She forgetteth the Covenant of her God Prov. 2.17 I know that the Devil will come to sit with thee after Supper Flies love to settle on the sweetest perfumes When Israel had drunk of the Rock which followed them which Rock was Christ then Amalek fought them When Jesus Christ had received the Sacrament of Baptism then the Devil pursued him with his fierce assaults When thou hast been at the Table expect the Tempter That subtle theif will hear of the new treasure of grace which is brought into thy house thy heart and will use all his pollicy and power to rob thee of it thy care must be by stronger Bolts and Locks then ordinary by greater diligence and watchfulness then before to secure it Surely Reader If thou didst but find the Saviour in the Sacrament thou canst not but fear sin after the Sacrament Thou hast seen what sin cost Christ didst thou not at the Table see the Lord Jesus hanging on the Cross Didst thou not thus bespeak thy soul Look O my soul who hangeth there Alass it is thy dearest Redeemer See his bloody head bloody hands bloody back belly his body all over bloody But O his bleeding soul Dost thou not hear his lamentation My God My God why hast thou forsaken me What thinkest thou is the cause of all this Ah t is thy sins which is the source of all these sorrows And canst thou joyn with them or love those lusts that hate the Lord Canst thou wound him whom God hath wounded and crucifie the Lord Jesus afresh Hath not thy Saviour suffered enough already O here is a Medicine instar omnium instead of all to kill those diseases of thy soul It is said of the Souldiers of Pompey that though he could not keep them in the Camp by any perswasion yet when Pompey threw himself upon the ground and told them If ye will go ye shall trample upon your General Then saith Plutarch in the life of Pompey they were overcome Truely if nothing will disswade thee from sin yet this consideration that it is a trampling upon thy blessed Saviour should prevail with thee Though thou shouldst be marching never so furiously yet as Joabs Souldiers when they saw the dead body of Amasa stay'd their march and stood still when thou seest the mangled wounded peirced crucified body of thy Saviour thou shouldst stop proceed no further How many arguments mayst thou find in this ordinance to be close in thy obedience The greatness of Christs love calleth for graciousness in thy life The love of Christ constraineth 2 Cor. 5.14 Other Motives may perswade but this compelleth If deliverance from the yoke of Pharoah were such a bond to obedience what is deliverance from sin wrath hell mayst not thou Reader say with the Jews After such a deliverance as this should I again break thy Commandements woulst thou not be angry with me till thou hast consumed me Ezr. 9.13 They that receive such courtesies if any men the World sell their liberty and ought to be Christs servants 〈…〉 Friend hath God wiped off the old score wilt thou run again in debt did Christ speak peace to thee at the Table and wilt thou turn again to folly O Reader when thou art tempted to sin say with the Spouse I have washed my feet how shall I defile them I have washed my soul how shall I pollute it with sin I have given my self wholly to God before Angels men and how can I do this great wickednes sin against my God against my Saviour against my Covenant There is a beast some write which if she be feeding doth but turn her head about forgeteth what she was doing O do not thou after thou hast fed on the bread of life forget what thou wast doing but as at the Sacrament thou hast remembred Christs death so do it after by dying to sin all the days of thy life O do not use this ordinance as Papists do the Popes Indulgences to purchase a new licence to sin Judas went from the Supper to betray his Master Absolom
with all possible seriousness and diligence O let me never be so unworthy and impudent as to defile that holy Feast before the Authors face * The unworthy persons dreadful condition guilty of Christs death I wish that my heart may have an infinite respect for the blood of my Saviour the stream in which all my comforts both for this and a better World come swiming to me which hath landed thousands safely at the Haven of eternal happiness one drop of which I am sure is more worth then heaven and earth that as all murder is abominable being against the light of nature so Christ-murder may be most of all abhorr'd by me as being directly against the clearest light of Scripture and the choicest love which ever was discovered to the children of men Good Lord whatever I jest with let me never sport or dally with the death of thy Son Let me not give him cause to complain of me as once of Judas he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish is the same that betrayeth me Let me never buy a Sacrament as the Jews the Potters field with the price of blood Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my Salvation and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy loving kindness I wish that true self-love may be so prevalent with me Of his own damnation that since I beleive the prophanation of the most precious things will be most pernicious to my soul as the whitest Ivory is turned by the fire into the deepest black and the sweetest wine becometh the sharpest vinegar I may tremble and fear before I receive lest I should poison my self with that potion which is intended for my health and cut the throat of my precious soul with that Knife wherewith I may cut bread feed on it Preparation which consisteth in Examination of the good in us and live for ever I wish that I may prepare my heart to meet the God of Israel at this holy Ordinance and to this end that I may be impartial in the search and examination of my soul whether I come short of the grace of God or no. Of the truth of grace Physitians judge sometimes of the inward parts by the tongue The Roman Emperor Tiberius when one pretended to the Crown of a Kingdom discovered him to be a counterfeit by feeling his hands and finding that they were not soft as of a person tenderly bread but hard as the hands of a Mechanicke I desire that both by my tongue and hand by my words and works I may know the state and condition of my heart In special my prayer is Of Faith that I may never fail to try my faith which is to the soul what the natural heat is to the body by vertue of which the nutritive faculty turneth the food into nourishment but may make sure of an interest in the Vine before I drink of the fruit thereof I wish that before I go for a discharge Examination of the evil in us I may look into the book of my conscience cast up my accounts and consider how insinitely I am indebted to my God that I may consider whence I am fallen Humiliation and Repent and like Tamar though I am ravished and defiled by force may yet rent my garments my heart I mean with godly sorrow and self-abhorrency O that my soul might be so searched to the bottom that none of my wounds may fester Reformation but all may be discovered and cured I pray that I may not dare to turn the Table of the Lord into the Table of Divels by receiving the Sacrament in the love of any known sin but may go to it with an hearty detestation of every false way and an holy resolution against every known wickedness Dependance on Christ I wish that after all my pains in preparing my self I may look up to Christ alone for assistance as knowing that I am not sufficient of my self so much as to think any thing but my sufficiency is of God Blessed Saviour be thou surety for thy Servant and bound for my good behaviour at thy last and loving Supper I wish that when I come to the Table At the Table Subjects to be considered Christs passion I may like the beloved Disciple behold the wounds of my Saviour and see that water and blood which did flow out of his side that as in the Gospel I read a narrative so in this ordinance I may have a prospective of his sufferings how he emptied himself to fill me and to raise my reputation with his Father laid down his own how he humbled himself though he had the favour of a Son to the form of a servant and though he were the Lord of life and glory to the most ignominious death even the death of the Cross I wish that in his special passion I may ever take notice of his affection Christs affection and esteem the laying down his life as the Hyperbole of his love the highest note that love could possibly reach Ah how neer did this High Priest carry my name to his heart when he willingly vnderwent the rage of Hell to purchase for me a passage to heaven I will remember thy love more then Wine Our own corruptions I desire that when I see Christ crucified before mine eyes in the breaking of the bread and pouring out of the wine I may not forget the cause my corruptions but may so think of them and my Saviours kindness in dying to make satisfaction for them that as fire expelleth fire so I may be enabled by the fire of love to expel and cast out the fire of lust I wish that however my body be attired Graces to be exercised Faith my soul may by faith put on the Lord Jesus Christ at this Heavenly feast that I may not onely look up to him as the Criple to Peter and John expecting an almes but may receive him by beleiving and so banquet on his blessed body and bathe my soul in his precious blood that my spirit may rejoyce in God my Saviour whilst I am assured that though the pain were his yet the profit is mine though the wounds were his yet the balm issuing thence is mine though the thorns were his yet the Crown is mine and though the price were his yet the purchase is mine O let him be mine in in possession and claim and then he will be mine in fruition and comfort Lord I beleive Love help mine unbeleif I wish since love is the greatest thing my Saviour can give me for God is love and the greatest thing which I can give my Saviour that his love to me may be reflected back to him again that my chiefest love may be as a fountain sealed up to all others and broched only for him who is altogether lovely that I may hate Father Mother Wife Child House and Land out of love to him that many waters of affliction
heart to spiritual joy and delight therein Holy alacrity and joy is not onely a crown and credit to but also a special part of Christianity The Kingdom of God consisteth not in meats and drink but in righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 Gods ways are not so bad but that the Travellers in them may be chearful His work is good wages and therefore it s no wonder that his Servants are so joyful Because beleivers have ever cause of comfort therefore they are commanded always to rejoyce Phil. 3. Whether their sins or sufferings come into their hearts they must not sorrow as they that have no hope In their saddest conditions they have the spirit of consolation There is seed of joy sown within them when it is buried under the clods and appears not above ground But there are special times when God calls for this grain to spring up They have some red letters some holy days in the Calendar of their lives wherein this joy as Wine at a Wedding is most seasonable but among all those days it never relisheth so well it never tasteth so pleasantly as on a Lords day joy sutes no person so much as a Saint and it becomes no season so well as a Sabbath Joy in God on other days is like the Birds Chirping in winter which is pleasing but joy on a Lords day is like their warbling Tunes and pretty notes in Spring when all other things look with a sutable delightful aspect This is the day which the Lord hath made he that made all days so especially of this day but what follows we will rejoyce and be glad therein Psa 118.24 In which words we have the Churches solace or joy and the season or day of it Her solace was great We will rejoyce and be glad Those expressions are not needless repetitions but shew the exeuberancy or high degree of their joy The season of it This is the day the Lord hath made Compare this place with Mat. 21.22.23 and Act. 4.11 and you will find that the precedent verses are a prophetical prediction of Christs Resurrection Sic. Arnob. and so this verse foretels the Churches joy upon that memorable and glorious day And indeed if a feast be made for laughter Eccles 10.19 Then that day wherein Christ feasteth his Saints with the choicest mercies may well command his greatest spiritual mirth A thanksgiving day hath a double precedency of a fast day On a Fast-day we eye Gods anger On a Thanksgiving-day we look to God favour In the former we specially mind our own corruptions In the latter Gods compassions therefore a Fast-day calls for sorrow a Thanksgiving day for joy But the Lords day is the highest thanksgiving day and deserveth much more then the Jewish Purim to be a day of feasting and gladness and a good day On this day we enjoy the Communion of Saints and shall we not delight in those excellent ones Psa 16.3 On this day we have fellowship with the blessed Saviour and shall we not fit under his shadow with great delight Cant. 1. On this day we are partakers of the Ordinances of God and shall we not be joyful in the House of prayer Isa 56.7 On this day we have special converse with the God of Ordinances and who would not draw water with joy out of the Well of Salvation Isa 12.3 Surely whilst we are in the midst of so much Musk we must needs be perfumed Who can walk where the Sun shines so hot and not be warmed It is Gods precept as well as thy priviledge to make Gods day thy delight If thou call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord Isa 58.13 Delights Tremel reads it Thy delicate things according to the Septuag Whether thou art meditating on Gods works or attending on Gods Word which are the two principal duties of the day they both call for delight and joy If on this day of rest thou considerest the work of creation and Gods rest it behoveth thee to follow Davids pattern Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works I will triumph in the works of thy hands Psa 92.4 If thou considerest the work of Redemption and Christs rest surely out of the carcass of the Lion of the tribe of Judah thou mayst get some Honey as may delight thy soul and force thee to sing My soul doth magnifie the Lord my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour Luk. 1.46 47. The babe in the womb leapt for joy of him before he was born The heavenly host sung at his birth and wilt not thou at his second birth his resurrection from the dead O let the Primitive Christians salutations be thy consolation The Lord is risen If thou meditatest on glorification and thine own rest canst thou do less then rejoyce in hope of glory what Prisoner shackled with Satans temptations and fettered with his own corruptions in the dark Gaol of this World can think of the time when his Irons shall be knockt off and he enjoy the pleasant light and glorious liberty of the Sons of God and not be transported with joy What heir in his minority banisht from his kindred and country can think without comfort of his full age when he shall have the full fruition both of his estate and friends doubtless friend the Sabbaths of the holy are the Suburbs of heaven In heaven there is no buying no selling no ploughing no sowing nothing but worshiping God communion with him fruition of him and delight in him There remains a rest for the people of God There they rest from their labours If thou on a Lords day turnest thy back upon the World and goest up into the mount conversing with and rejoycing in the blessed God what dost thou less then begin thine eternal Sabbath here Such a Lords day can be no less then Heaven in a looking glass representing truly though darkly thy future eternal happiness There is no perfume so sweet to a Pilgrim as his own smoak When thou art attending on the word truely that Aquavitae that hot water may well revive thy spirit Thy testimonies are my delight saith David I have rejoyced more in thy testimonies then in all manner of riches Psa 119.24 77. The Word of God is sometimes called a treasure and what beggar would not rejoyce in a treasure sometimes fire and truly Reader thine heart is frozen to purpose if this fire do not heat it Salomon tell us As cold water to a thirsty soul so is good news from a far Country Prov. 25.25 The Word of God contains the best news that ever ears heard Peace on earth good will towards men and the glad tidings of the Gospel come from Heaven a far Country What canst thou say then why they should not be as welcome and refreshing to thee as cold water to a thirsty soul Variety of things that are excellent is not a little ground of complacency in them Variety of choice voices please the ear variety
my meditation all the day Psa 119. The reason why some men profit so little by the word is want of meditation If a man eat his food and as soon as it is in his stomach vomit it up again it is no wonder if he get little strength by it or if he pine and consume away Truly if Sermons enter in at one ear and out at the other making no stay with thee I shall not marvail if they work no change in thee CHAP. XXII Brief Directions for the Sanctification of the Lords day from morning to night REader beside those general directions which I have largely insisted on I shall annex here some short directions how thou mayst spend a Lords day from the begining to the end of it as may be most for the honour of God and the furthering thine own everlasting good 1. Be sure thou takest some paines with thy heart the afternoon or evening at least before to prepare thy soul for the ensuing Sabbath As our whole life should be a preparation for death yet the nearer we draw to the night of our dissolution the more gloriously as the setting Sun we should shine with holiness so in the whole Week we should be preparing for the Lords day but the more the day doth approach the more our preparation must increase The bigger the Vessel is the more Water may be carried from the Fountain According to the measure of the Sacks which the Patriarchs carried to Joseph so were they filled with Corn by Joseph preparation doth not onely fit the heart for grace but also widen the heart that it may receive much of the Spirit of God Some Servants when they are to bake in the Morning put their Wood in the Oven over night and thereby it burneth both the sooner and the better Men make much the more riddance of their work who being to travail a great journey load their Carts or put up their things and lay them ready over night If thou art a Christian thy experience will tell thee that after thou hast on a Saturday called thy self to account for thy carriage on the foregoing Week bewailed thy miscarriages before the Lord in particular thy playing the Truant on former Lords days when thou shouldst have been learning those Lessons which Christ hath set thee in his Law and hast been earnest with God for pardon of thy sins and a sanctified improvement of the approaching Sabbath I say thy experience cannot but teach thee that thy profit after such preparation will make thee abundant amends for thy pains and that thou hast the best visits the sweetest kisses when thy lips thy heart are thus made clean beforehand 2. If the weakness of thy body do not hinder rise earlier on the Lords day then ordinary When the Israelites were encompassing Jericho on the seventh day they rose early in the morning and according to many Expositors it was on the Sabbath day the walls of Jericho fell down Josh 6.15 One main work which thou hast to do on a Lords day is to batter down the strong holds of sin to conquer those Canaanites which would keep thee out of the promised land do thou rise early for this end He that riseth and setteth out early goeth a considerable part of his way before others awake It s sordid to lie lazing and to turn upon thy bed as a door on the hinges and never the farther off upon any day butmost sad and sinfull on a Lords day 3. When thou first awakest turn up thy heart to God in praise for his protection the night past for the light of another day especially of his own day and in Prayer for the light of his countenance and for assistance in every duty and his direction throughout the day As thou art rising if no other more profitable Subject offer it selfe to thy thoughts Meditate how the night is spent the day is at hand it concerneth thee therefore to put off the works of darkness and to put on the armor of light When thou thinkest on the nakedness of thy body how unseemly it would be for thee to walk up and down without raiment do not forget the nakedness of thy soul by sin and how uncomely thou art in the sight of God without the robes of Christs righteousness and the graces of the Holy Ghost 4. When thou art drest let nothing hinder thee from thy secret devotion When thou art in thy closet consider of the price which God hath put into thy hand the value and worth of a Lords day the weight and concernment of the duties therein and the account thou art ere long to give for every Sabbath and season of grace These thoughts as heavy weights on a clock would make thee move more swiftly in the work of the day After some time spent in meditation in some short yet reverent and hearty petitions intreat Gods help in the present and subsequent duties of the day After which read some portion of the Scripture and pour out thy soul in prayer Get thy heart effectually possessed with this truth That God must work his own work in thee and for thee or it will never be done that as the Spirit moved on the waters at first and then the living creatures were formed so the Spirit must move upon the waters of Ordinances before they can produce or increase spirituall life Hereby thou wilt be stirred up to more fervent supplication for and more importunate expectation of help from heaven In thy prayers remember all the assemblies of the Saints that they may see Gods beauty power and glory as they have sometimes beheld them in his sanctuary Intreat God to cloath his ordinances with his own strength that they may be mighty through him for the bringing in and building up many souls In speciall when thou art at prayer think of the Preachers of the Gospel Conceive that thou hearest every one of them speaking to thee as Paul to his Romans I beseech thee for the Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the love of the spirit that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me Rom. 15.30 Their work is of infinite weight it is God-work Soul-work Temple-work Not one of them but may say with Nehemiah on a Lords day upon much greater reason O I am doing a great work Nehem. 6.3 Their opposition is great The Devill will do what may be to hinder them the world hates them their own hearts will distub them Their strength is small their graces are weak Alas what can they do O therefore pray for them 5. After thy secret duties thou mayst if nature require refresh thy body with convenient food Thy God alloweth thee to cherish though not to overcharge thy outward man I shall speak to thy carriage about eating and drinking in the twenty third chapter and therefore omit it here Vide Family duties in Cap. 27 6. In the next place it will be fit that thou call thy family together and
of God in Ordinances but also the Marrow of his day that no Lords day may satisfie me without the Lord of the day Alass what is the best time without the Rock of eternity what is the best day without the Ancient of days what are the Ordinances of God without the God of Ordinances what are Sabbaths Sermons Sacraments and Seasons of Grace without the dearest Saviour but as broken Cisterns glorious Dreams or guilded nothings I have read of a good soul who answered his Friend Speak to me while you will no words can satisfie except you mention Christ write to me what you will it will not satisfie except in your Letters I may read Christ O that in no Sermon I might be contented till I hear Christ and that in no Chapter I might be pleased till I can read Christ that as the Needle touched with the Load-stone never resteth till it turn to the North so my heart may be reâ—â— less in holy duties till it turneth to and hath fellowship with the Lord of Heaven The Lords day is an excellent resemblance of my future blessedness wherein I shall enjoy my Saviour fully and my God shall be all in all to me Lord let never this day pass without some taste of those celestial pleasures Meditation on the Works and Word of my God being a duty most in its prime and season on a Sabbath day I beg that what time I spare from publique private or secret performances I may imploy to this purpose that I may behold my God to be infinite in wisdom power and goodness in his foot-steps of creation and stand amazed at that rare Workmanship those curious contrivances of his which Angels look into with admiration that appear in his Master-peice that work of Redemption and for his word let my heart be able to say with David O how love I thy law it is my meditation all the day I wish that I may watch over my thoughts words Watchfulness and actions all the day long in special that as when the holy things belonging to the Sanctuary were to be removed they were covered all over lest any dust should soil them so I may cover my heart with such circumspection that no dust of sin may cleave to it O that I might be so wise and watchful that there may not be the least minute of the day wherein I may not either do or receive some good Lord let no Sabbath pass without some saving good to my precious soul I desire Finally Conclusion of the day that I may not lose the heat of the day in the cool of the Evening I mean that what good If gain from my God through his Ordinances in the day may not be lost by my negligence at night but that as a wise Commander I may then double my Guard and expect with much importunity some evening dews of comfort and grace O that I might so keep the Sabbath of my God chuse the things that please him and take hold of his Covenant that I might so turn away my foot from the Sabbath from doing my pleasure on his holy day Is 56.4 5. and 58.13 and call the Sabbath my delight the holy of the Lord that I may have with the Eunuch within the House of my God a name better then of Sons and Daughters even an everlasting name that shall not be cut off Amen A Good Wish to the Lords day HAil thou that art highly favoured of God Luk. 1.28 thou map of Heaven thou golden spot of the week thou Market-day of souls thou Day-break of eternal brightness thou Queen of days the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among days I may say to thee what the Angel said to Daniel Dan. 9.23 O day greatly beloved Psa 45. Thou art fairer then all the Children of time grace is poured into thy lips God even thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of gladness above thy fellows Of the Jewish Sabbaths and other Festivals in comparison of thee it may be spoken They perish but thou remainest and they all wax old as a Garment Heb. 1.11 12. And as a vesture hast thou folded them up and they are changed but thou shalt maugre the malice of men and Devils continue the same and thy years shall not fail As the Temple succeeded and exceeded the Tabernacle this was fleeting that was fixed so dost thou all former Sabbaths they were but morning stars to usher in thee the Sun and then to disappear Other Festivals in all their Royalty are not arrayed like unto thee All the graces triumph in thee all the Ordinances conspire to enrich thee the Father ruleth thee the Son rose upon thee the Spirit hath overshadowed thee Thus is it done to the day which the King of Heaven delighteth to honour Thou hast not onely a common blessing with other days by the law of nature but a special blessing above all other days from the love of thy Maker Let thousands mark thee for their new birth-day Exod. 12.42 be thou a day as it was said of that night to the Jews much to be Remembred much to be observed to the Lord for bringing many out of worse then Egyptian bondage Esther 8.16 be thou to them a day of light and gladness of joy and honour and a good day On thee light was created the Holy Ghost descended life hath been restored Satan subdued sin mortified souls sanctified the Grave Death and Hell conquered O how do men and women flutter up and down on the Week-days as the Dove on the waters and can find no rest for their souls till they come to thee their Ark till thou put forth thy hand and take them in O how do they sit under thy shadow with great delight and find thy fruit sweet to their taste O the mountings of mind the ravishing happiness of heart the solace of soul which on thee they enjoy in the blessed Saviour They are sorry when the days shorten for thy sake they wish for thee before thou comest they welcome thee when thou art come and they enjoy so much of heaven in thee that thence they love and look and long the more for their eternal Sabbath Go forth O thou fairest among Women and be thou fruitful in bringing forth Children to thy Maker and Husband Gen. 24.60 Be thou the Mother of thousands and of millions and let thy seed possess the Gate of them that hate them Do thou like Rachel and Leah build up the House of Israel do thou worthily in Ephratah and be thou famous in Bethlehem Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O thou mighty and gracious day and in thy Majesty ride prosperously because of meekness righteousness and truth let thy right hand teach the terrible things let thine arrows be sharp in the hearts spiritual enemies whereby the people may fall under thee Psa 132. The Lord hath chosen thee he hath desired thee for his habitation
Thou art his rest for ever in thee he will dwell for he hath desired it Let him abundantly bless thy provision and satisfie thy poor with bread let him cloath thy Priests with salvation and let thy Saints shout aloud for joy lot thine Enemies be cloathed with shame but upon thy head let the Crown flourish let Nations bow down to thee let Kingdomes fall down before thee Let all the Kingdomes of the earth become the Kindomes of thy Lord and of thy Christ be thou honoured as long as the Son and moon shall endure even throughout all Generations Thou art like Joseph a fruitful bough even a fruitful bough by a Wall whose Branches run over the Wall The Archers have sorely greived thee and shot at thee endeavouring to weaken thy morality and hated thee but thy bow abode in strength by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob from thence is the Shepherd the stone of Israel Even by the Lord of Sabbaths who shall help thee and by the Almighty who shall bless thee with blessings of Heaven above blessings of the deep that lieth under blessings of the breasts and of the womb the blessings of this day have prevailed above the blessings of all other day let them be continued and increased on the heads of this holy and honourable day and on the head of that day which is separate from it brethren Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after thy hurt let them be turned back and put to confusion that desire thy ruine let all those that seek thee rejoyce and be glad in thee let them that love thy sanctification say continually Let the Lord be magnified who delighteth in the prosperity of his Saints and therefore hath set apart his Sabbath for their soul good Thou like Jacob hast got away the blessing from the other days yea thy God hath blessed thee and thou shalt be blessed Blessed are they that bless thee and cursed are they that curse thee In a word The Lord be gracious to thee and delight in thee and cause the light of his countenance to shine upon thee let all thine Ordinances be cloathed with power and be effectual for the conversion and salvation of millions of souls Let thy name be great from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same Finally farewel sweet day thou cream of time thou Epitome of eternity thou heaven in a glass thou first fruits of a blessed and everlasting harvest did I say farewel A welfare I wish to thee but O let me never lose thee or take my leave of thee till I come to enjoy thee in an higher form to see the Sun of righteousness who early on thy morning rose and made a day indeed while the natural Sun was behind face to face and to know thy Maker and Master as I am known of him when I shall be a pillar in the Temple of my God and shall go out no more but serve him day and night to whom for the inestimable dignity and priviledge of his own day be Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen Amen CHAP. XXIII How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in natural actions And first in eating and drinking AS thy duty is to make religion thy business in religious Secondly so also in natural actions A good Scrivener is not onely careful how he makes his first and great letters his flourishes but also the smallest letters nay his very stops and comma's A Scribe instructed for the Kingdom of heaven is heedfull not only that the weightest actions of Gods immediate worship but also that the meaner passages of his life be conformable to Gods law A wise builder will make his Kitchin as well as his Parlor according to rule A holy person turns his natural actions into spiritual and whilst he is serving his body he is serving his God It is said of a Scotch Divine That he did eat Non semper ore non semper meditor sed vestio dormio edo bi bo haee omnia si in fide fiunt tanquam recte facta divino judicio approbantur Luth. in Gen. 33. drink and sleep eternal life Luther tels us that though he did not always pray and meditate but did sometimes eat and sometimes drink and sometimes sleep yet all should further his account the latter as truly though not so abundantly as the former And indeed it is our priviledge that natural actions may be adopted into the family of religion and we may worship God as really at our tables as in his temple Saints must not like brute beasts content themselves with a natural use of the creatures but use them as chariots to mount them nearer and cords to bind them closer to God Piety or Holiness to the Lord must be written upon their pots Zac. 14.20 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. â—31 Philo observeth that the ancient Jews made their feasts after sacrifice in the temple that the place might mind them of their duty to be pious at them It is a memorable expression Exod. 18.12 And Aaron came Sancti manducant et bibunt in conspectu Dei Origen in loc and all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses father in law before God In which words we have the greatness of their courtesie and the graciousness of their carriage For their courtesie though Jethro were a stranger and no Israelite yet the elders honored him with their company And Aaron and all the elders came to eat bread with Moses father in law But mark the graciousness of their carriage they came to eat bread with him before God that is In gloriam et honorem Dei to the honor and glory of God saith Calvin They received their sustenance as in Gods sight and caused their provision to tend to Gods praise God takes it ill when we sit down to table and leave him out Zach. 7.6 When ye did eat and when ye did drink did ye not eat for your selves and drink for your selves He sends us in all our food we live at his cost and therefore our eating may well be to his credit who is the Master of the feast The Jews according to some had officers at every feast whom they called Praefecti morum their work was the inspection of the guests that none should disorder themselves I must tell thee Gods eye is upon thee every meal he takes notice whether thy behaviour is as becometh a Saint And truly friend It behoves thee to use religion as a bridle in thy mouth to hold thee in when thou art eating and drinking Thy throat is a slippery place and sin may easily slip down It s no hard matter to sin whilst the thing thou art about is not sinfull How many feed without fear and thereby fatten themselves to the slaughter Jude ver 12. We read of some whose tables are snares in which they have been
glory Fourthly On the Kingdom of the house of David his annointed Fifthly That he would send Elias the Prophet Sixthly That he would make them worthy of the days of the Messiah and of the life of the World to come After this prayer the Guests with soft and low voices said unto themselves Fear ye the Lord all ye his holy ones because there is no want to them that fear him The young Lions want and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall want no good thing Alas alass how few Gentiles spend half that time in devotion at their Tables which the pious among the Jews did Many go from their food as the Cow from her fodder taking no notice of the Author of it and like the Idolatrous Israelites they sit down to eat and drink and rise up to play Exod. 32.6 They sit down to Eat and Drink and rise up to play the Beast to play the Atheist Remember every creature of God is good if it be received with thanksgiving 1 Tim. 4.4 but this thanksgiving must not be onely in thy words but also in thy works thy unblameable conversation and thy charitable contribution must speak thy thankfulness When the Master hath fed the Servant he expects that he should go about his business and do the work appointed him That strength which thou receivest from God must be improved for God It s good to bless God with thy lips but best of all to bless him with thy hands and in thy life God will judge of thy thankfulness by thy conversation Think thus with thy self This is the God that feedeth me that satisfieth me with good things how sweet how comfortable are his mercies What sweet refreshment have I had from the creatures when some better then my self want food Others have it but their lives abhor bread and their souls dainty meat Job 3.20 Why should I not love fear and trust and serve this God! I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living O be ashamed to live at Gods cost and to do Satans work Be not like the young Mulets which when they have sucked their fill turn up their heels and kick at their Dam. Further thy duty is to manifest thy thank fulness by supplying the wants of the needy Job would not eat his morsels alone but the Fatherless had a share with him Job 31.16 17. The forementioned Author observes that the Heathen were not forgetful when they were feeding of their absent friends Gods hand is open to thee why should thy heart and hands be shut against the hungry bellies and naked backs Thy goods extend not to Gods Person therefore they must to Gods poor Psa 16.2 Have a Monitor within thee to call upon thee when at meals Remember the poor Remember the poor Remember poor Christ and hungry Christ and naked Christ by this test he will try thee for thine eternal estate and upon the neglect of this he will sentence thee to the eternal fire Mat. 25.41 If thou art a rich person do thou frequently mind this duty Great House-keepers must be Good House keepers All must contribute according to their abilities to the poors necessities but where God gives much he requires much he expecteth an harvest sutable to the seed he soweth It is credibly reported of Mr. Sutton Founder of Suttons Hospital that he used often to repair into a private garden Fullers Church Hist of Brit. where he poured forth his prayers unto God and amongst other passages was overheard frequently to use this expression Lord thou hast given me a liberal and large estate give me also an heart to make a good use it I am confident an heart to use wealth aright is a greater mercy then the greatest heap of wealth I had rather have a little with an heart to improve it for God then much then millions without such an heart Make thee friends of the unrighteous Mammon that when that failes thee thou mayst be received into the Celestial habitation Iustin lib. 51. When Dionysius the Syracusian Tyrant saw what heapes of gold and silver his Son had hoarded up in his closet he asked him what he meant to let it lie there and not to make friends with it to get the Kingdom after his death O Son saith he thou hast not a spirit capable of a Kingdom The rust of many a rich mans wealâ—h will eat his heart with pain and torment in the other World and the Apostle calls upon such to weep and houl for the miseries that are coming upon them James 5.1 2 3 4. God findeth fault with them that could fare on the finest bread and fattest flesh themselves and yet forget the afflictions of others Amos 6.5 How many riotous rich men are there that though they cannot eat and drink all with sobriety will rather spoil it by gluttony and drunkenness then let the poor have part with them like Children who will rather crumble away their food then impart any to their fellows O how justly was the rich man denyed a drop in the other world when he denyed a crum in this world Willet Hexap in Levit. How many covetous Muck-worms like Hogs are nourished onely to be destroyed they are good for nothing whilst they are alive the Hog is neither good to draw as the Ox nor to bear as the Horse nor to cloath us as the Sheep nor to give milk as the Cow nor to keep the House as the Dog but good onely to be kild Such are these scraping wretches good for nothing till they come to the Knife Like barren trees they do but cumber the ground and serve for no use till they are cut down for the unquenchable fire And truely their hearts will never bewail him dead whose bowels did not bless him alive His life did not deserve a prayer nor his death a tear who laid out that to serve his pride which God laid in to serve the poor Reader if God have dealt thee a considerable portion of outward good things consider that thou art but Gods Factor he is the Merchant The Factor knoweth that the goods transported to him are his Masters goods and he must dispose them according to directions from his Master All thine estate is Gods thou art but his servant his Factor he gives thee order in his word to dispose it thus and thus to such poor members of Christ so much to one and so much to another and he will shortly reckon with thee how thou obeyest his directions and if thou forbearest charity now thou wilt then be counted and found as real a theif before the whole world as ever servant was that put hundreds into his own purse which his Master appointed him to pay to other persons Withhold not thy goods from the owners thereof Pro. 3.27 from them to whom it is due either by the law of justice or by the law of love Rom. 13.8 And truly Charity is the best way to plenty He gets
the Serpent as Eve to Adam a cross and a curse I wish in general that whilst I use my meat and drink and sleep and apparel I may never abuse them but that I may so ensure my right to them through Christ the heir of all things so taste the love of my God in them and make such an holy and sanctified improvement of them that I may have a spiritual title to natural good things may hold all in capite and the things of this life may be whet-stones to quicken my holiness and load-stones to draw my affections nearer to heaven In particular because the snare in eating and drinking is unseen and so the less suspicious About eating and drinking which must be done sacredly but the more dangerous I wish that I may never feed without fear but eat all my bread before the Lord that I may not as the horse and mule which hath no understanding drink of the streams Desiring a blessing and never look up to the spring but may acknowledge my God to be the author of every favour and be so sensible of the weakness of the creature to strenghten me without the influence of the creatour that I may constantly look up to heaven for a blessing on that food which springeth out of the earth I desire that my heart may so rellish the goodness of my God in the bounty of his hand Holy discourse at tablâ— that whilst I am filling my body I may by some savoury serious discourse feed my own and others souls that by the blessings of the footstool as by a lader I may mount up to the blessings of the throne Lord when thou remembredest me an unworthy wretch above many others let me not be so sordidly ungratful as to forget thy Majesty but as the rivers lead me to the Sea Thanks after meals so let common blessings direct me to thy self the Father Fountain of all my mercies open thou my lips that my mouth may shew forth thy praise O let not my thanks be onely verbal but cordial and reall Let thy mercy be returned to thy self again in sutable duty and thy beneficence by answerable obedience If I receive curtesies from men I esteem my self bound to requite them to my power ah why should not I then since I receive millions of mercies from my God improve all to his praise I desire that I may not as the Israelites bestow that corn and oyl on Baal or make provision for any sin with those favours which my God bestoweth on me but that all those cords of love may draw me nearer and bind me closer to himself I live at thy cost enable me to live to thy credit Let thy loving kindness be ever before me that I may walk in thy truth I wish that I may not only take my food piously Soberly as from Gods hand but also use it temperately as in Gods eye Excess hath been abhord by mere heathens Beasts know when they have drunk enough and by no beating will be forced to more and shall I who beside my reason have the help of Religion perish in the waters like the Swine possessed with devils O let my sensitive faculty be such a servant to myrational and both so serviceable to my God that I may use my food as my Physick receive it sparingly and for healths sake to become thereby more instrumental for the glory of my Saviour I do not live to eat but eat to live why then should I use my food as if like the Locust I were all belly or as some beasts made only to be filled and fatted for the slaughter I wish that I may observe the seasons for feeding my body Seasonably as well as those golden opportunities for my soul that I may not prefer the beast before the Angel within me but may usually every morning serve my God before my self and refresh my inward before my outward man In a word I beg that all my pots may be so spiced with piety and all my meat so sauced with religion that whether I eat or drink or whatever I do I may do all to the glory of my God that so when I shall eat and drink no more in this infirm estate I may drink of the rivers of his own pleasures and eat of that tree of life which groweth in the midst of Paradise I wish in general Apparel that my cloaths as well as my closet may be perfumed with godliness that the smell of my garments as Isaac said of Jacobs raiment may be as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed I desire in particular that I may so observe the ends for which apparel is appointed that I may wholy forbear those vices about them which my God forbideth and truly exercise those vertues on them which my God commandeth I wish that since garments are given me to cover my nakedness I may never discover the lust of my spirit in any lewd or loose attire on myflesh nor ever be proud of those rags be they never so gaudy or costly which call aloud to me to be humble as being the signs of my first and most dreadful sin and shame I desire that I may not be of the number of them that wast their wealth about that which is at the mercy of the moth yet that I may not through covetousness offer my self by my cloaths to just contempt but may so walk between the two extreams as one who wears the livery of Beligion that my God may never be dishonoured nor the Gospel disgraced by any spots in my garments O that my soul may so put on the garments of my Elder brother and the graces of the holy Spirit that thereby I may be known as Davids daughters by their raiment of divers colours to belong to the heavenly Court and thereby be prepared to walk with my God in the white of glory Sleep I wish that I may observe the ends of sleep how my God alloweth it for the strengthning not the weakening of nature that I may not by excess herein turn my friend into an enemy and whilst I seem to indulge my flesh wrong both flesh and spirit too O that prudence and piety might both so guide me that I may ever be watchful against his incroaching adversary and not like a Dormouse live as if I were born to sleep Finally I wish that I may be so sensible of the worth of those narrow streames of time because of their tendency to the boundless Ocean of eternity that like holy Hooper I may be spare of sleep sparer of diet and sparest of time that I may redeem it as much as may be conveniently from those natural actions which are necessary and that when eating drinking and clothing and sleeping and days and weeks and years and ages shall be no more I may eat of my Saviours hidden Manna drink of the new Wine in my Fathers kingdom be arrayed with the White
Linen of the Saints and inherit that rest which remaineth for the people of my God for ever and ever Amen CHAP. XXV How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in his Recreations and Pleasures THy duty is to exercise thy self to Godliness in thy Recreations the Christian in his walking Thirdly as well as in his working must be furthering his eternal weal. Our Gardens or places of delights as well as our Houses must be consecrated ground Davids Cimbal Viol and Timbrel were all useful in and serviceable to the Tabernacle with them he praised God Psa 150. Saints outward pleasures must be some way or other subservient to their inward purity Bern de bonis disserendis It was a witty observation of Bernard on the signification of Isaac which is laughter or joy Sacrifice your Isaac and your Isaac shall live It is the Ram the rankness and stoutness of your heart which shall dye Reader sacrifice thy recreations thy joys thy delights to God and they shall all live it is rankness of them which God desireth should be put to death That these pleasures are not simply unlawful is plain Eat thy bread saith God with joy drink thy Wine with a merry heart live joyfully with the Wife of thy youth Eccles 9.7 8 9. Epicurism is not at all commanded but moderate delight in creatures is allowed and commended He gives all things richly to enjoy To enjoy not to behold nor to hoard up He condemneth those rich cormorants that starve at a full Table and like Asses laden with good victuals feed on thistles Eccl. 6.2 3. 2.24 3.12 The merciful God is pleased out of his bounty not onely to allow his creatures what is for necessity but also what is for delight Christian it is more then God requireth of thee to be always pondering and poring on such subjects as make thy heart sad whereby thou thy self art disadvantaged banishing that chearfulness from thee which is an ornament to Christianity and others discouraged supposing that all who walk in heavens way must needs be as thou art mopish and melancholy Piety doth regulate but not extirpate our pleasures It is a pruning-knife to cut off the luxuriancy of them not a Weeding-hook to pluck them up by the roots If thy body be as one of the Fathers calls it jumentum animae The souls Beast then it must be allowed some rest and refreshment or else it will carry thee but heavily along in thy journey It is reported of a Primitive Christian St. Iohn Cass Col. 24. cap. 21 that as he was on a time playing with a bird two or three youths going by saw him and one of them spake to the other See how this old man plays like a child with a Bird which the good old man overhearing called him to him and asked him what he did with the Bow in his hand and how he used it whereupon the young man bent his bow shewed him what he did with it and unbent it again Why do you unbend it saith the Old man because saith the youth if my Bow should always stand ready bent it would prove a slug and be unserviceable Such is the condition of man saith the Old Christian If his mind were always bent and intent about the best things the wings of devotion would soon flag and the arrows of contemplation flye but slowly towards Heaven The most I know need a curb in this particular of recreation rather then a whip yet some there are that whilst they strive to keep under their bodies ride over them and make them much more unserviceable then they would be Whilst they go about to punish their bodies for their former wantonness and excess in the end they punish God and their souls too Temperies animi sequitur temperamenâ—um corporis The temper of the soul Philosophers tell us followeth the temperament of the body A dull Knife cannot cut well A pen worn out will not make good Letters he that would do his work well must see that his tools be right for his turn otherwise he will but bungle at the best I am confident that it is thy duty to keep thy body in the best plight and health vigour and liveliness that thou canst for thy souls sake I must confess I intend in this head those recreations which exercise the body or mind so as to fit them to follow the better our general or particular callings A Holy man could indeed wish that his body needed no such diversion but when he findeth that after long sitting or much labour his body clogd and tired he is forced to give way to reason For vain and sinful recreations Reader I must in the Name of God forbid them I am not about to teach thee how to honour God by doing Satans work They that study the Devils books will hardly learn Christs Lesson There be some that take pleasure in unrighteousness Rom. 1.32 Holy things are too good to be sported with and vicious things are too bad things of an indifferent nature are fit to be the subjects of our recreations Those sports which are of evil report amongst Saints or which thou hast experienced to be bellows to blow up the fire of thy passion or fuel to thy covetousness must be avoided Avoid all occasions and appearances of evil sports sinful in the act like the play between Abners and Joabs Souldiers will be bitterness in the end When Thespis a Poet at Athens Plutarch in vit Sâ—l made a play which delighted all the Citizens Grave Solon himself went to see it but when the play was ended wherein Thespis acted a part Solon called him to him and asked him if he were not ashamed to lye so openly in the face of the whole City Thespis answered him that it was no matter so long as it was but in sport But Solon beating his Staff on the ground replyed If we allow lying in sport we shall shortly find it in earnest in our bargains and dealings Certainly heathens will another day condemn our mungril Christians The sober sort of them seemed to hate and abhor that harlot vice though presenting her self upon a stage with her painted face and most gaudy dress when many among us love and like and even doat upon her But such must know that sins in jest will bring at last sufferings in earnest Men laugh and jest and mock at sin its asport to a fool to do mischief Pro. 10.23 but surely they will find hell a serious thing for God will not be mocked They pretend now that they have time to spare and if they should not spend it at a play-house I had almost said a whore-house they should spend it worse Alas do they not know that God gave them time to provide in for their eternal felicity and not to squander it away in such foolish vanities If time be a drug that hangs on their hands to their trouble God may take it off before
they are willing or aware and send them to their everlasting home Those were worthily condemned that took the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyced at the sound of the organ and therefore said unto God depart from us Job 21.14 But Reader thou mayst be merry and not mad enjoy thy pleasures without such poyson thou mayst have thy recreation and never be beholden either to sin or Satan for them God alloweth thee choice enough of trees in his garden though thou dost wholly forbear the forbidden fruit nay thou mayst like a skilfull mariner make use of this side-wind of recreation to help thee towards the haven of rest The author of the Belgick Commonwealth tels us Belgick Common wealth that printing was first invented by one Laurence Jans when he walked abroad for his recreation It is said of Socrates that he profited his companions by his recreations no less then if he had been reading lectures I have read of one that by hearing musick Mr. Esty tuned his heart to think of and admire the melody and musick in heaven Truly I see no reason but a Christian may cause his recreation to do that which naturalists deny to Odours Odores non nutriunt even both to refresh and nourish him Onely be sure thy recreation be innocent neither dishonerable to God nor disadvantagious to thy neighbour Think of that rule All things are lawful for me but all things are not expedient Some recreations are lawful which are not expedient either in regard of thy age calling or the compapany thou art with He that will do all he may will quickly be brought to do what he ought not It is much easier and safer for the fowl to pass by the share when she is out then to get out when she is once in We say It s not evil to marry but its good to be wary so say I It s not bad to use recreations but its good to be watchfull that we do not abuse them which that thou mayst not do I desire thee to inclose this Common which many wander in to their wo with these three Cautions First Mind moderation at them remember thy recreation is not to be thy occupation God made Leviathan to sport in the waters but God made not man to play upon the land Our time here is our pilgrimage and therefore not to be spent in pleasures The candle of our lives is set up not to play but to work by Spinster is a tittle given to our greatest women in our law language A man that builds an house will not make it very full of windows for then it would be weak neither will he make it without any for then it would be dark Recreations to our natural are like windows to our artificial houses Some are convenient many weaken the building and strengthen the Thief who hath the more advantage thereby to Steal Fish that leap into the Air for their recreation return quickly to their own element again Beasts that play up and down in the Fields in a short time return to their food Recreation is like some pleasant house which we may call at as we pass on towards our heavenly country but must not stay much less dwell there Sir Francis Bacon said of Parliaments in reference to the English body politique That they are good purging Physick to be made use of now and then but bad diet-drink to be taken constantly the same may be said of recreations If used in measure they are helpful if immoderately they are hurtful They are good sauce but bad meat Diogen Laert. Plato reproved a young man for playing at Dice The young man answered him For how small a matter do you reprove me I but saith Plato the custom is no small matter Those that put their hands to their mouthes when they drank water were elected by God to fight his bartels Those that bowed down to the ground upon their knees were rejected Judg. 7.5 6 7. Those that soop their handful of pleasant waters are fitter for Gods work then they that swill their belliful God taxeth them sharply who make carnal delights the end of their lives ye have lived in pleasure on earth and been wanton God alloweth us pleasures in our lives but God doth not allow us to live in pleasures Jam. 5.5 When our lives are nothing else but a diversion from one pleasure to another we may fear our deaths will be the beginning of our pains Nimrod Ishmael Esau all vicious persons are noted to be given up to such pastimes The people of Tombutum in Africk are said to spend their whole time in singing and dancing Some persons especially Gentlemen spend their whole time in Hawking or Hunting or gaming of whom I may speak as Pliny to his Son when he saw him spend his time in talking Lib. 3. cap. 5. and walking and neglect his studies They might put those hours to better use Or as the Holy Ghost saith of the voluptuous Widow they are dead while they live 1 Tim. 5.6 Great men think with Galba Nemorationem otii reddere cogetor Suet. in Gal. that no man shall be called to account for his idleness but they will one day hear of wicked and slothful servants and find a truth in the German Proverb that Gentlemen are Venison in heaven they seldom come thither Reader take heed of the hook that is hid under this bait of pleasures thou mayst nibble at it safely but if once thou goest with open mouth to swallow it down thou art caught and in danger to be undone The flye that cometh to a glass of sweet Syrrup and onely tasteth it may get away securely but if once he bathe his body and wallow in it he is limed and loseth his life Some drugs are given to procure sleep which if taken moderately may give the Patient rest and do him good but if in any great quantity may cause him to sleep his long sleep and send him to the place where the weary are at rest Weigh thy pleasures warily in the ballance of the Sanctuary lest thou shouldst eat of that luscious diet Invite more then â—hon canst possibly digest In a word follow the advice of reverend Bede For pleasures saith he we must deal with it as we do with hony onely touch it with the tip of the singer not with the whole hand for fear of surfeit though a little honey be sweet and comfortable yet much causeth gripings and breedeth choler Fragrant Flowers if used moderately refresh the brain but if too much cause the headach Light is sweet and it is a pleasant thing to behold the Sun yet a man by staring too long too much may dazzle nay blind his eyes Do as Jonathan did He put forth the end of the Rod which was in his hand and dipt it in an hony-comb and put his hand to his mouth and his eyes were enlightned 1 Sam. 14.27 His eyes were enlightned A little will satisfie much will
drawn from another Pipe That which runs from the World is too flat low and full of dregs to be served in to the great King When Aristotle was asked what he thought of Musick he answered Jovem nec canere nec citharam pulsare that Jupiter cared not either for singing or fidling he was for higher and more refined exercises The infinite God doth always overlook our puddle-water more especially on his own day when he alloweth us to drink of his own richest Wines They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the River of thy pleasures Psa 36.8 Mark 1. The excellency of the provision fatness of thy house the River of thy pleasures The fattest is esteemed the fairest and the most excellent food therefore the Saint was enjoyned to offer the fat in Sacrifice under the law As God expects the best from us so he gives the best to us this made David when he had feasted so curiously to sing so chearfully Fatness here is the top the cream of all spiritual delicacies My soul is filled as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips Psa 63.5 But though God keep so noble an house to satisfie his peoples hunger what special care doth he take to quench their thirst Thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures O he drinks to them and they pledge him in his own cup. Hath the Child then any cause when his father keeps so rare and costly a Table to leave such dainties and go a begging up and down the Country for scraps and fragments O how much do these disgrace their Parents provision and their own discretion But mark Reader 2. the plenty as well as the excellency of this provision Here is fatness in the abstract a river of pleasures and so much as that they who enjoy it shall be satisfied and abundantly satisfied A River is overflowing and everflowing it communicates its water and yet is never empty It is fed with Springs and Fountains and therefore it s no wonder if it always be full They that are at such a Well need not complain of want but here is not onely Rivers and fatness for some have much and yet cannot feed but of Gods people it s said they shall be abundantly satisfied in the Original it is inebriated they shall have not onely a sufficiency but a redundancy of spiritual delights the Vessels of their souls shall be filled to the brim out of that River whose streams make glad the City of God Surely then they that may have bread in such abundance enough and to spare in their Fathers House made of the Kidneys of the Wheat of the finest Flower need not hanker after the Worlds homely fare Our Heavenly Father doth not keep so starveling an house that the Worlds scraps should go down with us Besides how abominable is it to disturb Gods rest with our sports Some work hard on the week day and play on the Lords day No melody so delightful to them as Temple Musick no draughts so sweet as in Temple Vessels Amos 6.5 Dan. 5.2 No time so fit for their foolish Triumphs as Gods time The Heathen Philistines when they offered a great Sacrifice to their god Dagon call for Sampson to make them sport These uncircumcised persons mingle their Sacrifices to the true and living God with sports and carnal nay sinful pleasures Week days like ordinary Virgins are excused and the Lords Day the Queen of days must be deflowred Reader If thou art guilty of this fin know that to steal time from thy Family or Master on a week day is theft but to steal time from thy Maker and Redeemer on this day is Sacriledge Hast thou no Mettal to disfigure and embezle but that which hath the Kings stamp on it Hast thou no time to sleep in thy Cabin or play on the Deck but just when the wind blows fair for the Vessel of thy Soul to lanch forward towards Heaven I must tell thee that God calls thee on this day to be wholly taken up in working out thy salvation and not at all in minding thy recreations It were better as Austin saith though that were very bad to plough all day Melius toto die ararent quam toto dâ—eâ—altarem Aug. in tit Psal 92. Iustin lib. 1. then to play all day But as Cyrus dealt with the Lydians when he had conquered them in Battel he allowed them liberty for all sports and pastimes and thereby subdued them in such a manner that they became his servants for ever So Satan dealeth with the children of men when they are his already in part by Sabbath bath day pastimes he makes them his sure and settled servants altogether and so they become his for ever Secondly Recreations are unseasonable in times of publique calamities The Son is very undutiful who laughs under the rod and that Daughter very unnatural who is sporting when her Mother is dying A Sword a Sword is sharpned and also furbished it is sharpned to make a sore slaughter it is surbished that it may glitter Should we then make mirth Ezek. 21.9 10. Should we then make mirth as if he had said Such Seasons call for sighing not for singing for mourning not for mirth The Jews tells us the very beasts abstained from copulation in time of the Deluge Plin. lib. 11. cap. 17. Naturalists tell us of the Bees that when one is sick the rest in the Hive are all sad Experience tells us that the very birds who in Summer sing division prettily with divers tunes and variation of their pleasant voyces in Winter forbear their notes and seem to sympathize with the season And shall not we humble our hearts when Gods hand is lifted up How much is he displeased when his chastenings are despised Amos 6.5 6 7. In that day did the Lord God call to weeping and mourning and to baldness and to girding with sackcloth And behold joy and gladness slaying oxen and killing sheep And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts Surely this iniquity shall not be purged away till ye dye saith the Lord of Hosts Isa 22.12 13. In that day When the Persians invaded Gods people then they minded their pleasures The unseasonableness of their laughter provoked God to anger Solace in the day of Jacobs troubles is like Winter fruits harsh and sowre Jer. 9.1 The Church may speak to such as they did to the Philosopher Aul. Cell who in a great tempest at Sea was asking many trifling questions Are we perishing and dost thou trifle Our duty is to sympathize with our fellow members in their sufferings Weep with them that weep Rom. 12.15 Now if we give our selves then to take our ease we shall hardly feel our Brethrens hard cords through our soft beds Alexander Q. Curt. though in exteme thirst when his Army was ready to famish for want of water
thou daily passest so Godliness must be the Ecliptick line to go through the midst of it Godliness must be the key to open the shop Godliness must be the whip to drive the Cart Godliness must be the Cock to call thee up to thy work Godliness must be the clock to call thee off from thy work Godliness must be the principle the rule and the end of thy work Holiness to the Lord was written upon the bridles of the horses Zach. 14.21 Truly Reader thy care had need to be great about thy calling lest it cause thy ruine More dye by meat then by poyson By lawful things many perish Worldly things will court thee that they may kill thee They that dig deep into the bowels of the earth have not seldom been stifled with the damps that arise thence These things are so subject to defile and destroy us that God made a Law that they should not be used before they were purified Numb 31.22 23. Some are destroyed by those houses which were made to defend them like Saul they fall on those swords which should have been for their safety Particular Callings were designed for our good but how often do they prove our grief Are there not those who like Corah and his company are swallowed up alive of earth and consumed Pliny observes Pliny Nat. Hist l. 2. c. 106. that in Phoselis the hill Chimaera burneth night and day The fire saith he is kept burning by water but quenched by earth The earth of particular Vocations hath sometime put out that fire of devotion which the water of affliction could not do It behoves thee to take heed how thou handlest these thorns if thou wouldst not prick thy fingers and pierce thy conscience I shall for that end give thee some Directions out of the Word First be diligent in thy Calling It is observable that the Apostle adviseth the Romans Be not slothful in business serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 All the children of Adam are enjoyned to minde their particular callings by vertue of that command or threatning to their Father In the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread Gen. 3. As in the Body Politick so in the Body Natural there must be order to which three things are requisite 1. That every part be in its proper place each Star in its own Orb. 2. That the parts have each to other a due proportion 3. That every member do its duty and be some way or other helpful to the Body Idle persons are like Wens in the face which receive of the bodies nourishment but serve onely to disfigure it Those that are no workers in Gods account are disorderly walkers 1 Thess 5.14 Augustus built an Apragapolis a City void of business but God made not the World to be a Nursery of idleness Alex. ab Alex. The Ethiopians as the Historian observeth would acquaint their youth that they were born to labour by accustoming them betimes to fling great stones Amongst the Turks every man must follow some Trade the Grand Seigneur himself not excepted The Censores morum among the Romans were to observe who were diligent who were negligent in their Vocations and accordingly to commend or condemn them The Grecians according to Solons Law were great discouragers of them that like Vermine lived onely to eat what others earn The Council of the Areopagites enquired how every man lived and punished such as they found idle The Devils themselves are diligent about their deeds of darkness Creatures void of life are serviceable in their places and stations Angels nay God himself is always working An idle person cannot finde either in Heaven or Hell a pattern Our lives are therefore called The lives of our hands because they are to be maintained by Gods blessing on our labours The Patriarchs those persons of renown were eminent for taking pains they did not eat the bread of idleness How frequently and how ardently doth the Word call upon us to be working in our particular callings What Precepts doth the Scripture give for it That you do your own business and work with your own hands as we commanded you 1 Thess 4.11 What Promises doth God make to it He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread Prov. 12.11 24. The soul of the diligent shall be made fat Prov. 13.4 That arm which is most used groweth stronger and bigger then the other The more the Vine spreadeth it self against the wall the more it receiveth of the Suns Warmth and Influence Pliny reporteth of one Oressianus Lib. 18. cap. 6 who from a little piece of ground got much wealth and more then his neighbours could from a greater quantity whereupon he was accused of Witchcraft but to defend himself he brought forth his servants and instruments of labour on the day of tryal and said Veneficia mea Quirites haec sunt These O Romans are all my Witchcrafts I say not to my Servants Go and do this but Come let us do this and that and so the work goeth on The keys that men keep in their Pockets and use every day wax brighter and brighter but if they be laid aside and hung by the Wals they soon grow rusty Students who are given to a sedentary life often waste in their strength when others whose time is spent in bodily labour increase in strength In all labour saith the wise man there is profit There is a threefold care mentioned in the Word of God There is a care of the head a care of the hand and a care of the heart The care of the head is the care of providence this is commendable Pro. 31.16 The care of the hand is the care of diligence this is profitable Pro. 21.5 The care of the heart is the care of diffidence this is abominable Phil. 4.6 Upon which words Zanchy observeth well God doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not do nothing but be careful for nothing The two first are commanded but the last is forbidden Reader thou mayst as well expect riches to rain down from Heaven in silver showres as to provide for thy family and Children without industry in thy calling Solomon telleth us the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and the diligent hand maketh rich Pro. 12.24 and 10.4 22. As the nether Milstone is heavy slow and of small riddance yet the upper Milstone though of greater agility and quicker dispatch doth not grind without the nether but both together make good meal so the diligent hand of it self can do little nay nothing without the blessing of God yet the Blessing of God though of infinite efficacy will seldom do any thing without the diligent hand but both together make a person rich Besides negligence about mens vocations is one great cause of corruption The proud person is Satans Throne and the idle man his Pillow He sitteth in the former and sleepeth quietly on the latter when men have nothing to do the Devil always sets them a
the whole earth Thou hast spent a whole day idly and thou hast much cause to sigh out with the Roman Emperour at night when he had neither done norreceived any good all day Hodie diem perdidi Today I have lost a day Fourthly If thou wouldst exercise thy self to godliness in thy particular calling look up to God for a blessing upon thy labours therein Creatures may be the object of thy diligence but God alone the object of thy confidence Thy supplication must be to God and thy expectation from God Thou canst as soon by thine own power add a cubit to thy stature as a penny to thy purse Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth Deut. 8.18 All thy endeavours without Gods blessing are but as Cesar said of Senecas works arena sine calce Sand without Lime they will not hang together if God bless them they prosper if he blast them they perish The Devil himself was so far Orthodox Job 1.10 Thou hast blessed the work of his hands and his substance is increased in the land Alas the whole course of nature turneth onely as it is moved by the hand of God It is not in the frame of nature as in frames of Art when a watch is made it may go though the workman be many miles off or though he be dead but there is not the least wheel in the frame of nature which doth not depend upon God for its motion every moment As the vapours exhaled by the Sun depend so much upon it that if that withdraw its influence they fall to the earth so do the Creatures depend on God if he withdraw his influence from them they presently come to nothing Take notice Reader to instance but in one calling how the genealogie of Corn and Wine by a Concatenation of causes is resolved into Jehovah I will hear the Heavens and the Heavens shall hear the Earth and the Earth shall hear the Corn and Wine and Oyl and they shall hear Jezreel Hos 2.21 22. God hath the key of food under his own girdle Psal 145.16 Hence some call the Earth Gods great Purse which he openeth for mans profit and shutteth for mans punishment The Jewish Rabbies call the Earth Alma Parens A kinde Mother and the rain her Husband because the showers do foecundate and make that great Mother of plenty fruitful But as likely a Mother as the Earth is to bring forth she is barren unless God open her womb 1. The plowing and sowing of the ground is from God the hands of men cannot do it without his protection and providence and the heads of men would not have thought of it without his direction and assistance Isa 28.24 25 26. to the end 2. When the ground is plowed and sowed it must be watered or the grain will quite dye this also is from God alone The Monarch of Mexico was wont to take an Oath at his Coronation that it should be what weather he pleased but Can any of the vanities of the Heathen cause rain Jer. 14.22 God alone can unstop those bottles of Heaven they are all above mans reach The most spungy clouds distil not one drop no more then a rock till God give the Word of command He decreeth rain Job 28.26 He prepareth rain Psal 135.7 and he poureth down the former and latter rain Deut. 28.12 Joel 2.21 Job 5.10 He also covereth the body of the Earth with the white mantle of snow whereby the corn is warmed and the ground mellowed Psal 147.16 3. The Stars those purses of gold as one calleth them out of which God throweth down riches which good men gather and bad men scramble for are all at Gods beck and bidding Psal 19.4 5. Mat. 5.45 Job 38.32 4. The fruitfulness of the earth after it is ploughed sowed watered with the clouds and warmed with the influence of the Sun and Stars is wholly from God Thou crownest the year with thy goodness and thy pathes drop fatness Weems Cerem Law Psal 65.11 Heb. 6.7 This some of the Heathen acknowledged by the light of Nature and therefore when they went to plough in the morning they did lay one hand upon the plow to speak their own part to be painfulness and hold the other hand up to Ceres the Goddess of Corn to testifie their expectation of plenty to be from their supposed Deity How easily can God blast all the corn in the field or blow upon it in the barn if he do but will it it is done The whole Creation indeed is but a glass without a bottom which cannot stand of it self but as God is pleased to hold it up The Philosophers tell us the Sun and man beget a man the Sun and the earth bring forth corn and speak of the Sun in every thing as a principal efficient But the Divines tell us more truly God and the Heavens God and the Earth cause harvest God by the Creatures doth all things God is the onely principal efficient the Sun it self and all other Creatures are but liveless instruments moved and acted by God according to his purpose and pleasure Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it It is in vain for you to rise up early to sit up late and to eat the bread of sorrows Psal 127.1 2. Apricock trees that depend upon their own strength leaning on nothing as experience teacheth us bring forth little or no fruit when they that lean on the wall abound in clusters The way to thrive in thy trade is not to trust to thy own head or hands but to trust in the Lord for a blessing on thy endeavors Fifthly If thou dost prosper in thy Calling let God alone have the praise Do not Sacrifice to thy own net Hab. 1.10 as the Jews did as though by thy skill and wisdom thou hadst met with such a draught but consider the providence of God hath brought in all thy profit Beware when thy herds and thy flocks multiply and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied lest thine heart be lifted up and thou say in thine heart My power and the might of my hands hath gotten me this wealth Deut. 8.14 to 18. Man is apt to make himself his Idol and to attribute all to his own pains and prudence Men boast saith Luther Hoc ego feci Luther in Psal 1.7 hoc ego feri and shew themselves to be meer feces They brag This I have done and this I have done and thereby appear to be nothing but dregs God took it ill that Tyrus should say By my traffick and my wisdom I have encreased my wealth and telleth her That she had set her heart as the heart of God Ezek. 28.3 4 5. The Israelites were commanded to bring their first ripe fruits to God whereby they acknowledged him the owner and author of all their encrease Exod. 23.16 19 Levit. 23.10 The very Heathen were somewhat sensible of
and portions to Gods pleasure is the onely sleeping pill which can give rest to the soul Christian let me ask thee this question Didst thou give up thy self to Christ for Temporal or for Eternal comforts Didst thou enter upon Relien to save thine Estate or thy Soul O why then shouldst thou be so sad when thy Eternal happiness is so safe For shame live like a childe of God an heir of Heaven and let the World know that thy hopes and happiness are in a better World that though thou art denyed those Acorns which thy Father giveth to his Hogs yet thou hast the Childrens bread and expectest thine inheritance when thou comest to Age. Thus I have dispatched the fourth particular how a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in his particular calling A good Wish about Particular Callings wherein the former heads are Epitomized MY particular calling being a peculiar and distinct station The Introductîon wherein I am bound to be serviceable to my country and family and wherein also I have this priviledge that I may further my general calling if I mind it out of conscience to the Lord and in obedience to his word I wish in general that I may never cross the wise providence of my God in the government of the World by neglecting it or thinking lightly of it but since I am listed under the Captain of my salvation may serve him faithfully not onely in general as a Souldier but also in that place or office to which he hath chosen and called me I wish in particular Our general callingsmust be followed with diligence that what my hand findeth to do I may do it with all my might that I may be of the number of them that spend themselves with labour and not of them who wast with rust and laziness my diligence herein is some help against the temptations of the Devil The sluggards heart is like his field overgrown with weeds Lord let me rather wear out with work then consume like a Garment laid by with moths for want of use Yet I wish that I may not by my industry make more hast to be rich then good speed With righteousness I mean that I may never increase my riches by dealing unrighteously in my calling knowing that unjust gain is a morsel which the strongest stomach in the World cannot possibly digest but may esteem a penny got by the blessing of God upon my honest labour at a far greater price then thousands of pounds by rapine and robbery and may weigh all my wares in the Scales of loving my neighbour as my self by the standard of that royal Law Whatsoever you would that men should do unto you do you even so unto them for this is the law and the Prophets O that I might not upon any pretence whatsoever either by taking advantage of the buyers ignorance or by putting unserviceable wares into his hands or by false weights and measures or by defrauding my neighbour any other way consult shame to my house Hab. 2.10 and sin against my own soul but when I am in my shop or warehouse or instructing my servant how to sell I may hear the sound of that dreadful threatning against unrighteous dealers in mine eares Job 20.15 He hath swallowed down riches he shall vomit them up again God shall cast them out of his belly He shall suck the poison of Asps the Vipers tongue shall slay him the increase of his house shall depart and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath They must not incroach upon our general calling I desire that I may watch my calling as they who make powder do their fire with my greatest care to keep it within its own bounds that I may so give to the World the things of the World as to give to my God the things of God In stealing away either out love To this end I wish that I may not like Demas embrace this present world but how deep soever I wade in earthly affairs may be sure to keep my head I would say my heart above water least I sink and perish in them eternally Lord though I possess outward things yet let outward things never possess me I am married to thy sacred Majesty though I converse with my calling as a friend yet let the bed of my heart never be defiled therewith but reserved onely for thy blessed self to lodge in Or time My prayer is that my earthly traffique may never be suffered to play the thief and to steal away that precious treasure of time which at least morning and evening my heavenly trade requireth in my Closet and family but though like the Eagle I stoop to the earth for my prey my outward provision I may not dwell there but mount up again to heaven O that I might be deaf to all the vain excuses which the World will plead for the total omission or shortning of Religious exercises and even when a real necessity not through any negligence of mine appeareth by some sudden providence I am denyed time to draw the long sword of solemn devotion I may be then so affected with my duty and danger as to draw the short Dagger of ejaculatory petitions to defend my self against my spiritual enemies My God never intended that my trade should be my trouble or my calling like the clouds to impede my sight of the true Sun therefore if so much business lye upon my hands that if that be attended my soul must be neglected let me rather as a wise Traveller ease my self of some part of my burthen then permit it to hinder me in my journey to heaven I desire that I may be so sensible that good things here below come from the most high God Prayer for a blessing and the success of my labours dependeth more on his providence then my diligence that I may never in a morning open my shop or lift up a tool as my trade is before I have opened my heart and lifted up my soul to my God for his blessing upon my endeavours All creatures in the hands of my God are as dead tools in the hands of a living workman by whose force and influence alone they act Lord let me never look upon second causes as more then the order in which and the means with which thou art pleased to work Thanks to God for success I wish that if God shall by my calling increase my wealth I may not sacrifice to my own nets nor burn incense to my own drags but may be so spiritual as to acknowledge my God the Author of temporals and receive them so thankefully from his hand of bounty that I may improve them faithfully as may be most for his glory The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof He is the owner of all I enjoy I am but his Steward and must shortly give account of my Stewardship O let me make me friends of
God will sowre the whole lump of thy family-blessings I have seen the foolish taking root but suddenly I cursed his habitation Job 5.3 The words are not a malediction from Eliphaz private spirit but a prediction from Gods spirit as if he had said I was neither malicious against his person nor envious at his prosperous condition but by the help of the Holy Ghost I foresaw his destruction that though his house was built high yet his unholiness would lay it low Thou mayst possibly presume that though thou livest without God yet thou art beyond the reach of his rod thou canst mote thy house round against the fire of divine fury but thy confidence shall be rooted out of thy tabernacle and brimstone shall be scattered on thy habitation God will unkennel all such foxes and drag them to their deserved destruction When Dioclesian the Persecutor retired from the Empire to a private life Fuseb lâ—b 5. De vit Constant after he had feathered his nest fire rained down from Heaven and consumed his house When Nicephorus Phocas had built a mighty Wall about his Pallace for his defence he heard a voice in the night saying Though thou buildest thy wals as high as heaven sin is within and that will pluck it down The Leprous house must be pul'd down God will have every Brick Stone Tile and piece of Timber down Where is the House of the Prince and where is the dwelling place of the wicked Job 21.28 Atheism in thy house will bring a curse upon thy calling Job 5.2 3. The works of thy hands will fare the worse for the wickedness of thy heart On thy children its ill to be related to a Traytor diseases and so destruction may be hereditary Children may inherit both their Parents riches and ruine Job 5.4 5. Isa 14.20 His seed are far from safety they are crushed When a wicked man pulls down his house upon his head many in it perish with him as when Sampson pulled the house down upon the Philistines The curse of God will be a moth in thy Wardrobe murrain among thy cattel mildew in the field the plague to thy body wrath to thy soul will indeed make thy house a very hell upon earth The highest Family in the World without godliness though never so rich and ruffling is but like Golgatha a place full of frightful skulls and like a Church-yard full of carkasses gilded rotten and golden Damnation I shall now lay down some Directions how thou may exercise thy self to godliness as the Governor of a Family First Be careful whom thou admittest into thy Family Art thou unmarried and to chuse an Husband or Wife Do thy occasions call for a man-servant or a maid-servant Be careful where thou fixest for believe it not onely thy grace will appear in a good choice but also godliness will be much hindred or furthered by thy choice One sinner destroyeth much good Eccles 9.18 One man may pull down that house which many with much care cost and pains did set up We read that wicked men have been the better for taking godly men into their families as Laban and Potiphar but we never read that godly men were ever the better for having wicked persons into their families nay how much have they been the worse and by such been brought to great wickedness As black corn they smut and sully the good corn as rusty armor they injure that which is bright by being near it The Lacedemonians were so sensible of this that they would not suffer a stranger to abide among them above three daies lest by his evil example he should corrupt others And wilt thou Friend take them into thy house to dwell with thee that will bring the plague along with them and thereby probably destroy the bodies and souls of others Canst thou think it safe for a little Worldly advantage to be nigh them who are under Gods fury and next door to eternal fire Shall thy House be as Noahs Ark abounding in Creatures clean and unclean when God commandeth thee to worship him uprightly with thy whole family I hope Christian betthings of thee It was written over Plato's door 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no man may come hither who is not a Geometer Let it be written over thy door None may expect to dwell here who will not make Religion his business Magnus a Roman Orator complaineth of St. Hicrom Epist Tom. â— Hierom that he brought many uncircumcised Greeks into the Temple and defiled Candorem Ecclesiae sordibus Ethnicorum the unstained chastity of the Church with the impure Sentences of Heathen Authors Take heed that thou dost not defile the Church of God for such thy house should be with Heathen themselves in Christian Habits If thou wantest a Wife consider before thou choosest Take heed whom thou takest into thy bed into thy bosom lest thou meetest with a Yoke-fellow that will draw as strongly towards Hell as thou dost towards Heaven It is rendred as the reason why one of the Kings of Israel was so wicked because he had to Wife the daughter of Ahab There is little work to be done when the second horse in the teem is always drawing back The Devil can make use of Eve to draw thee to undo thy self and posterity He can make use of the rib saith the Father alluding to that part of man out of which the woman was taken to break thy head The Heathen tell us that every man when he marrieth bringeth a good or an evil Spirit into his house and thereby makes his house either a Heaven or a Hell Be sure that wickedness do not woo for thee Do not send the unclean Spirits either of lust or covetousness or pride to make the match When men do as those Sons of God Gen. 6.1 who saw the Daughters of men that they were fair and took them Wives of them Gen. 6.1 hand over head it is no wonder that they are married and marr'd together Consider a Wife or a Husband is the greatest outward comfort or Cross in this World and let prayer be the messenger thou imployest about it A good wife is from the Lord Prov. 19.14 It is Gods special gift and therefore do thou go to him for it Peter Martyr saith That Adam in that deep sleep in which God formed Eve out of him was then praying for a meet help And Isaac went forth to pray when he had sent forth for a Wife He had need to have good counsel who is to take one to be his constant companion When Joshua entred into a League with the Gibeonites and never asked counsel of God how sad were the effects of it If thou entrest into a League with a man or a maid for I know not what Sex thou art of and dost not ask counsel of God expect a sad consequence of such rashness Why shouldst thou as our Proverb is for a little land take a fool by the hand sell the
19. O how few Abrahams are there in England Many teach their Families the works of the Devil but few teach them the way of the Lord many lop their trees prune their plants break their horses train their hauks yea teach their dogs yet never instruct their children Friend consider the worth of thy children and servants souls and the weight of their everlasting estates and how in the dark of ignorance they must unavoidably stumble into Hell and for the Lords sake be perswaded to instruct them in the knowledge of the true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent John 17.3 Naturalists tell us that bees carry small gravel in their feet to poise their bodies as they fly through stormy Winds If thou wouldst not have thy little ones blown away with the Winds of temptations do thou labour to poise them with the principles of the Oracles of God Ah what pity is it that men like silly Doves without hearts should sit in their Dove-coats see their Nests destroyed and their young ones killed before their eyes but the old Manslayer the Devil and never stir or offer once to rescue or revenge them Good Lord what unnaturalness is is many Parents and Masters Cardan speaks of one that had a receipt for the certain dissolving the stone in the bladder and I question not saith he but he is damned for not discovering it before his death Thou knowest the word under God must cure the persons in thy family of the stone in the heart and wilt thou neglect to acquaint them with it but suffer them to dye eternally O Reader be not guilty of such horrid and barbarous cruelty Do as that holy Bishop of Armagh who one day in every week did Catechise his family It is reported of Lewis the ninth of France that he was found instructing a poor Kitchin Boy and being asked the reason answered piously I know the meanest in my family hath a soul as precious as my own and bought with the blood of Jesus Christ Our Saviour taught his Disciples often in private as their Governor and according to their capacities Mar. 4.33 Mat. 16.17 18. It is an honour to the highest prince to teach his Houshold Gods precepts O let thy words in thy family as the waters of Nilus often overflow to make others fruitful The Papists confess that all the ground which we have got of them is by Chatechising and instructing our youth 3. Singing of Psalms must be used in thy family The Lord Iesus and his family did practice this duty Mat. 26.30 And when they sang an Hymn they went out into the Mount of Olives David in that Psalm at the dedication of his house speaketh that his glory should sing praise to God and not be silent Psal 30. Title ver 4. and ult Our tongues are called our glory not onely because by our speech we excel beasts but chiefly because therewith we should glorifie God It is observable that most of those places which prophesie the Gentiles conversion do mention their worshipping the true God by singing Psa 108.3 and 100. Psa 66.4 Isa 54.1 and 52.8 The Holy Ghost when he commandeth that the word should keep house with us doth also enjoyn us to teach and admonish one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs which are the titles of Davids Psalms and the known division of them expresly answering to the Hebrew words Shurim Tehillim and Mizinurim by which his Psalms are distinguished and entitled as the learned observe singing and making melody with grace in our hearts to the Lord Col. 3.16 Ephes 5.19 Basilde Virt laud. Psa Tom. 1 Jam 5.13 Basil speaks high in the prayse of praysing God by this holy exercise Chrysostom speaketh of some in his time who always concluded their suppers with singing a Psalm and saith he they lived like Angels This ordinance will much quicken holy affections and help a Christian to serve God with more chearfulness When the Israelites were singing the hundred and thirty six Psalm at the bringing in the Ark the glory of the Lord filled the House 2 Chron. 20.22 The sweet singer in Israel was the man after Gods own heart Onely Reader be careful to sing Davids Psalms with Davids spirit and not like a Nightingale to sing by rote I will sing with my spirit and I will sing with understanding also making melody with grace in the heart is the best tune to set all Davids Psalms with Thirdly Set a good pattern to thy family The fore-horse in the Team had need to go right because all the rest follow in the same road If the Commander be treacherous how soon may he betray his Souldiers who follow him at the heels into the enemies hands A governour of a family must like Moses be mighty both in word and deed Patterns are very prevalent both to good and evil Precepts teach but examples draw Why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews Gal. 2.14 Peter did not compel them by his Preaching but by his pattern His example was so powerful that even Barnabas as well as others was drawn away therewith It is observable that Jeroboam seldom appeareth in the Heaven of Scripture but in the form of a Blazing Star with a tayl after him Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin by his precepts he commanded them to sin but by his pattern he compelled them to sin As examples are attractive to evil so also to good That if any beleive not they may be won without the word by the conversation of the wife 1 Pet. 3.1 2. If godliness be written in the book of thy life in a fair Character in a large lovely letter it may invite thy children and servants to read and like it who otherwise possibly would not have taken the least notice of it He that ruleth others must not be unruly himself If a ruler hearken to lies all his servants are wicked Pro. 29.12 If a Governour of a family a father or mother be a Drunkard a Swearer or an Atheist their Children will quickly imitate them They will as certainly inherit their lusts as their lands As some parents make their Children rich by their Lordships so they make them riotous by their evil lives Observe Abraham a good man denyeth his Wife Isaac is his heir not onely in his wealth but also in that weakness Isaac denieth his Wife likewise Gen. 20.2 with Gen. 26 7. Jacobs wives got little good by the pattern and practice of Laban their father Gen. 31.19 and 35.1 2. The Parents of the Children destroyed by the two she-Bears were wont to jeer Elijah in their ordinary talk What Elijah the bald-pate must be taken up to Heaven Forsooth as well as Elias The Chidren hearing it spoken by them learned it of them though they paid dear for their learning for it cost them their lives and for ought I know their souls 2 King 2.24 O Reader doth not thine heart ake to read
reproof to the head If the oyl of reprehension be gently and prudently bathed in by the hot fire of the Word it may abate very great swellings But be sure to perform this duty The Magistrate who spareth a man slayer Spencer 182.576 is guilty of his second murther Plato seeing a childe commit a fault went and corrected his Father The Master of a family who alloweth any in sin is partaker of their sin We perpetrate those sins which we may and do not prevent we shall answer one day for sins of communion as well as for sins of commission O how miserable will thy condition be when the provocations in thy Family which thou knowest of and winkest at shall all be charged upon thee Naturalists tell us that if a Serpent eat a Serpent it becomes a Dragon If thou to thy own sins adde the sins of thy children and servants what a Monster in sin wilt thou be Are not thy own sins heavy enough dost thou want more load upon thy precious soul to sink thee deeper into Hell Is not thy iniquity already great and thy wickedness infinite as Eliphaz said to Job Job 22.5 Great for the nature of thy sins and infinite for their number and wilt thou like one that is pressing to death cry and call for more weight Maintain thy power and authority in thy Family A wise grave carriage will sharpen the weapon of reproof and make it pierce the deeper Foolish familiarity blunteth the edge of it He that would throw a stone forcibly to do execution must stand at some distance Encourage small beginnings of good in any in thy family Shine with a lightsome countenance cast a warm influence upon the blossoms of holiness hereby thou mayest do much towards their ripening Davids eye of favour was upon the faithful Psal 101.6 A Governor of a family must like a Gardener pluck up weeds but cherish and tender the good flowers and plants Sixthly Take care that all in thy Family be well employed Not to permit idleness in thy house is one way to prevent ungodliness There is employment suitable to every person in thy dwelling Servants should be diligent in the discharge of their duties Jobs Servants were about their work when the Sabeans and Chaldeans fell upon them and sent them into the other World Job 1.14 17. Jacob served his Master Laban with all his might Gen. 31. and 5. Apelles painted a Servant with Hindes feet to shew that he should be nimble in dispatching any errand with broad shoulders signifying that he should contentedly bear hard usage and with his hands full of tools because he should be always at work Children also if at home must be employed in their places if young in Learning if elder in some Calling Plutarch in vita Solon the Athenian Law-giver enacted That the Son should not relieve his Father in his old age who had brought him up idle and without a trade The Patriarchs though principal men in their Generation brought up all their Children to some Calling their tender Daughters were not exempted from Houshold business Rebeccah the Mother of Prophets and Princes was not ashamed of her Pitcher and drawing water therewith for her Fathers Cattel Those dainty Dames who plead her pattern for their ear-rings and bracelets will hardly plead it for a pitcher and painfulness Augustus Cesar brought up his daughters in Carding and Spinning Gentlemen though they are not bound to bring up their Children to low or mean callings yet are bound to keep them out of the snare of idleness and to take care that they be in some lawful business serviceable to themselves and others The Wife as well as Servants and Children ought to be industrious in her station Spinster is a term given to the greatest woman in our Law It is said of the good housewife She seeketh Wool and Flax and worketh willingly with her hands she looketh well to the ways of her houshold and eateth not the bread of idleness Pro. 31.13 27. A Womanswork consisteth in sowing and doing somwhat her self and overseeing others as appeareth in the forequoted place besides the charge of her children hereby a wise woman is said to build her house Pro. 14.1 As a Carpenter layeth the plat-form of an house in his head and so studieth that none of his stuff be cut to waste So a good Housewife doth so overlook the affairs of her family and so contrive and order things by a prudent provident forecast that there may be no waste but all things disposed for the best Hence it is that though the Husband is called the guide of the Wife yet the Wife is called the guide of the House Pro. 2.17 1 Tim. 5.14 And for this end they are commanded to be keepers at home Tit. 2.5 They that gad much abroad do their families at home but little good such are according to the signification of the second Wife of Lamech Zillah's the shadows of Wives The Grecians had a custom when the new married Bride was brought home to her Husbands house to burn the Axeltree of the Chariot or Cart in which she was brought before the door to teach her that she must abide at home But the main work lyeth upon the governour of the Family Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flock and look well to thy herds Pro. 27.23 He that is far from his work is not far from want The Jews have a Proverb The Masters foot makes his ground fat which speaks thus much that if the Master be not forward with his own hands all things will go backward in his house Io Manlii Loc. Com. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Master is the greatest servant in the house It s said of Albanus Bishop of Scotland Stotswood History of the Church of Scotland that he was never idle nor ever suffered any in his family to be so Reader this particular of overseeing that all under thy roof mind their proper work will be some help to godliness and a great stop to wickedness Polym Stratag Lib. 3. Iphicrates would never let his souldiers be idle in their Garrisons but would set them to lop trees or dig or carry burdens saying That if they had nothing to do they would mutinie or commit some villany The bird that sitteth still is a fit mark for the murderer of souls when the flying Bird is safe As corrupt blood is the cause of all natural so is idleness of all spiritual diseases When persons in a family neglect their task then is their hour of temptation Idleness is often the cause of Drunkenness They leave their work-house who run to the Ale-House Amos 6.2 Uncleanness is the Daughter of Idleness Lust will easily creep in upon those that are lazy as did appear sadly in â—odom Ezek. 16.49 Otia si tollas periere Cupidinis arcus hence fellow-servants commit uncleanness together Idleness is the mother of unrighteousness They who neglect their tasks turn thieves
flesh How far are such from obedience to Gods Law Let the Husband honor the Wife as the weaker vessel that is use her tenderly China dishes and Venice glasses must be tenderly handled because they are weak vessels The Husband must with the mantle of love cover many infirmities An Heathen could tell Sarah That Abraham was a covering of the eyes to her Gen. 20.16 The eye is the tenderest part of the body God hath provided a special cover to fence it When God would speak his infinite respect to and care of his people he saith They are as dear to him as the apple of his eye Truly Husbands ought to be as tender of their Wives as of the apple of their eyes But Reader see the reason of this Injunction of love to Husbands and Wives That your prayers be not hindred as if he had said Winde up those weights of meekness and love or Religion will stand still Take away those needful props and piety will fall to the ground O friend as thou hast any love to the honor of God honor thy Wife as the weaker vessel if God hath caled thee to that relation If thou art a Wife be of a meek and quiet spirit If there be not concord in affections there will be sad discord in petitions When there is War in a Kingdom how are Sabbaths prophaned Ordinances despised Prayer and Scripture neglected men are hurried away in haste to this and that place and leave duties behinde them So in a family which is a Kingdom in a little volume Divisions will put Religion behinde and force it to stand back Rubenius Celer would needs have it engraven on his Tomb that he had lived with his Wife Ennea forty three years and eight moneths and yet they never fell out It is happy where the Husband and Wife are like the two branches in the Prophet Ezekiels hand so closed together in one bark that both made but one piece or like Pilades and Orestes of whom it is said They both lived but one life and where the whole family like the multitude of Believers is of one accord of one heart and of one soul in the Lord Acts 4.32 with the encrease of God I have now dispatched what I intended to offer thee for the advancement of Godliness in thy Family If thou art a stranger to this honorable comfortable work of worshipping God in and with thy Family O that I could prevail with thee to put the counsel of God speedily into practice I must assure thee from the Living and Almighty God That thou art accountable to the Judge of quick and dead for all the souls in thy Family God hath the chief propriety in every person in thy dwelling As the flock which Jacob looked after was Labans so the family which thou hast the oversight of is Gods Thy sons and thy daughters which thou hast born to me Ezek. 16.20 God may say to thee more truly then Laban did to Jacob These sons are my sons Gen. 39.43 and these daughters are my daughters and these servants are my servants and all that thou seest is mine Indeed God doth in effect say to thee what Pharaohs Daughter did to Moses Mother Take this childe and nurse it for me and I will give thee thy wages Exod. 2.9 Take this Son this Daughter and nurse them for me in my nurture and admonition Take this man-servant this maid-servant and bring them up for me in my fear and service and I will give thee an eternal reward Friend thou wouldst be faithful in bringing up Children or Servants for thy Brother or Soveraign and wilt thou be unfaithful in bringing up Sons and Servants to thy God and Saviour Is it fit that Gods servants should do the Devils work Let Conscience judge Did God give thee them to be brought up in drinking or swearing or lying or Atheism or like so many Heathen or Beasts without any knowledge of his Word and Will Did he honor and intrust thee with their education to have thee poyson their souls by thy irreligious pattern and starve their souls by not giving them spiritual food Is this thy love to thy Maker and Redeemer Besides I must tell thee As Jacob was answerable to Laban for the whole flock if any were torn by beasts or stollen by day or night he bore the loss of all Gen. 31.39 Of his hands it was required So art thou answerable to God for every one in thy Family if any one be devoured and torn in pieces by the roaring Lyon the Devil through thy negligence God will require his soul at thy hands O Reader consider Death will shortly break up thine house when thy children and servants must go to everlasting fire if they dye without grace and the knowledge and fear of God If thou art now careless about the eternal good of thy children and servants that they perish for ever through thy falseness and unfaithfulness how dreadful will thy account be What wilt thou do when the blood of their souls shall be required of thee If Christ sentence men to Hell for not visiting sick and imprisoned bodies for not feeding hungry bodies what sentence will he pass on thee for not visiting those souls committed to thy charge which were imprisoned by the Devil and sick unto death and for not giving them the bread of life but suffering them to starve and dye If on him that brought a temporal death on Cain vengeance should be taken sevenfold what vengeance shall be taken on thee who tumblest others into eternal death Believe it Reader these are no jesting things If therefore thou hast any bowels towards the children of thine own body if thou hast any compassion towards thy poor servants whom Christ thought worth his own blood if thou hast any love to thy dearest Saviour or thine own everlasting salvation if thou would leave this withering World with comfort and look into the other World with courage exercise thy self to godliness in thy family obey the particulars for that end commanded thee by the infinite God do thine utmost that all of thy family may be of the family of Faith and all of thine houshold may belong to the houshold of God that so when the King of Terrors shall give a discharge from all relations thou mayest with thy family be translated from living together in one House to dwell for ever in one Heaven Reader Thou mayest perceive in the close of the tenth Chapter that much more is promised then I have in this Treatise performed the payment of which though I do at present defer yet through the strength of Christ I shall not deny If thou hast any interest at the Throne of Grace I do earnestly desire thy prayers that this part may finde acceptance with the Saints and be instrumental for the advantage of many souls and that in the other part I may receive much assistance from the blessed Saviour thereby I shall be the more enabled to be serviceable to
thine and others salvations A good Wish about the Government of a Family wherein the former heads are epitomized THe Government of my Family being a special talent and trust committed to me by the blessed God The introduction and being a business of exceeding concernment both in regard of its influence upon the whole Kingdom which is raised or ruined by the good or wicked management of Families and in reference to the everlasting estates of the precious Souls in it wherewith I am charged I wish in general That I may never like a rotten post endanger the whole building of Church and State in any degree by my unfaithfulness in my place nor be so unmerciful and unnatural as to see that bloody Butcher Satan drive my children and servants like silly sheep to the Shambles of Hell and never stir or strive to rescue them out of his hands But thâ—t my resolution and practice may be according to Joshua 's religions pattern that whatsoever gods others serve whether the World or the flesh yet I and my house may serve the Lord. O that I might so walk in the midst of my house with a perfect heart that Grace like Maries box of Oyntment may perfume the whole house with its savour and that in every corner of it as it was said of holy Hoopers there may be some sent of godliness In particular I wish That I may keep my house so cleanly swept from the filth of sin Motives to exalt godliness in a family and so curiously furnished with the ornaments of the Spirit that it may invite the noblest Guest the ever glorious God to take up his abode in it My God hath told me Gods blessing will be on a god y family That the House of the Righteous shall stand Pro. 12.7 though sin rotteth the timber and maketh the houses of the wicked to fall that in the house of the Righteous is much treasure Prov. 15.6 even when there is but little silver thâ—t he blesseth the habitation of the Righteous Prov. 3.33 Surely his blessing can make my bed easie my sleep sweet my food savoury my cloaths warm my dwelling pleasant my children hopeful my wife a meet help my ground full of plenty and all I set my hands to to prosper O my soul what an argument is this to move thee to exalt holiness in thy house Thy God will bless it nay that God whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain will come and dwell in it Without question his coming will as to Zacheus bring salvation to thy house the company of this King will turn thy Cottage into a Court and his presence will change thy dwelling were it a Prison into a Palace O! let nothing be in thy house which may be distasteful to so great and so good a Friend Let no sin dwell in thy Tabernacle but let Holiness to the Lord be written on every person room and vessel in it that whatsoever name other houses are known by the name of thy house may be from henceforth and for ever Jehovah Shammah The Lord is there I wish Gods curse will be on a wicked family That I may so give credit to the Word of Truth which saith That the Curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked that the flying Roll of Curses the length whereof is twenty cubits and the breadth ten cubits shall enter into the house of the Thief and into the house of him that sweareth falsly and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof Zach. 5.2 3 4. and that he will pour out his wrath upon the Heathen which know him not and upon the families that call not on his name That I may tremble for fear that Atheism should raign in my house and so it should be ranked amongst the irreligious and markt for vengeance Alaâ— what a direadful noise do those Murthering pieces make in mine ears The Curse of God will canker all my comforts and blast all my blessings and that both speedily and irresistibly But O my soul meditate a little upon the latter Text which is a Prediction as well as a Petition What a bitter potion doth thy God give thee to purge Atheism out of thy family Consider its nature it is Wrath Pour out thy Wrath. Gods Anger is terrible like fire burning and overturning all before it if but a spark of it light upon his own people Psal 99. â— aâ—d 85.4 how pitifully do they roar out We are consumed by thine anger Cause thine anger towards us to cease O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger Truly no wonder that they thus bewail it for who knoweth the power of his anger Eut his Wrath is anger in the greatest degree Anger boiled up to the height O how scalding is this boiling Lead If the wrath of a King be the Messenger of death What is the wrath of an Almighty God This wrath can stuff thy bed with thorns and appoint wearisome nights unto thee it can sauce thy dishes with poyson infect thy raiment with plague sores fill thy body with torturing distempers thy soul with horrors and terrors it can waste all thy wealth in a moment and turn thy Wife Children and all thy comforts into amazing crosses and terrifying curses Hell it self is nothing else but this wrath to come one Spoonful one Drop of it will turn an Ocean of the sweetest Wine into Gall and Wormwood Wouldst thou be an Atheist in thy family for all the World to live one hour under this scorching wrath Alas it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of thy God for thy God is a consuming fire Observe further its measure pour out thy wrath When thy God poureth out his Spirit he giveth it in an extraordinary degree The persons upon whom it was poured are said to be full of the Holy Ghost If thy family be irreligious thou mayst expect this scalding wrath not by drops but by shorews to come pouring down upon it O my soul let this thought soak and sink so deep into thee that thou mayst dread the omission of duties in thy family as much as the unquenchable fire Let his favour make thee chearful in his service and let his anger make thee fearful of the least sin in thy house To this end I wish that I may use much circumspection whom I admit into my dwelling Directions for the exalting godliness in a Famâ—ly that as those who are to plant an Orch-yard get the best grafts they can so that mine house may be an Eden the garden of the Lord a Paradise on earth 1 Take heed whom thou makest members of thy Family I may as my occasions require look out for the choycest flowers the best and fruitfulest trees the holiest Christians in the Country O let me never make my house a Pest-house by taking in irreligious and infectious persons and such as