and judicious and amidst their counsels observe what it is thine own spirit doth best approve of and most cloze with 3 Prayer being the means sanctified by God for the obtaining of every good thing bee earnest with God in Prayer that hee would direct thee in the right way and course that he would cause thee to hear a voyce behind thee saying This is the way walk in it 4 Having prayed unto God and commended thy case unto him hearken and wait for the return of thy prayer diligently observing to what course thine heart is most inclined after prayer and conclude that to be the way he would have thee to walk in II. Another help and direction is to propound Gods glory as the chief end and aim of all thine actions which direction the Apostle Paul giveth us in express terms Whatsoever yee doe doe all to the glory of God i. e. that God may be thereby glorified For 1 Without this thy best actions thy most religious exercises are neither acceptable nor pleasing unto God let any action bee in it self never so specious and glorious yet if Gods glory bee not the end of it there is a woe to such works instead of an Euge or Well done 2 This puts a value and price upon all our actions the more they aâ—m at this end the better they be As therefore thou desirest to have thine actions and services acceptable and pleasing unto God let his glory be thy chief and principal aym therein doing what thou dost in obedience to the Command of God that hee thereby may be glorified I deny not but other ends may creep into thine heart and steal into the performance of thy best actions as thine own profit applause and the like but know for thy comfort that the Lord looketh more to the general bent of thine heart and frame of thy spirit in what thou dost then upon any particular base and by end which sometimes creepeth and stealeth into thine heart and will reckon with thee according to the general purpose and aym of thine heart and not according to some particular end and aym which hath crept in unawares through the corruption of thine heart III. Another help and direction to Christian watchfulness over thine actions is To commend all thine actions and businesses unto God by Prayer not enterprising any thing without seeking direction assistance and a blessing from God for as the Psalmist speaketh It is vain for you to rise up early to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows unless the Lord put to his helping hand and come in with a blessing which is obtained chiefly by prayer farre be it therefore from thee to enterprise any thing without first commending it unto God by Prayer for questionless one special reason why many find not that success in their businesses which they desire is because they have not first commended them unto God by Prayer they have not sought unto him for his direction assistance and blessing IV. Set God always before thee and ever walk as in his sight and presence which direction the Lord himself giveth to Abraham for the better ordering of the whole course of his life saying Walk before me and be thou perfect i. e. walk as in my sight and presence setting me ever before thee which will be a special means to keep and restrain thee from many sins this we read kept Ioseph from yeelding to the wanton solicitations of his Mistris though he had the opportunity of privacy How can I saith he doe this great wickedness and sin against God It was the apprehension of Gods â—ll-seeing presence that preserved him from closing with the inordinate affection of his Mistris CHAP. VIII Of Watchfulness against Sin AS thou must watch over thy Thoughts Words and Actions so likewise against Sin Both against Sin in general and likewise against the several kinds of Sin I. First thou must watch against Sin in general not bearing with thy self in the willing practice of any known Sin for in vain dost thou expect any true peace in thy soul so long as thou reâ—ainest and favourest any one Sin in thy self against thy Conscience For the more profitable pressing of this part of Christian watchfulness I shall give thee some helps to direct thee therein 1 Carefully avoyd all the occasions and means which may allure and draw thee unto sin for it is impossible to eschew the one without the other it is not possible that he who is inclined to drunkenness should contain himself from it if he avoyd not the places and company of drunkards neither is it possible for him that is wanton and lascivious to abstain from filthiness and uncleanness if he frequent unchast company and pamper himself in gluttony and drunkenness 2 If thou art assaulted resist sin in the beginning Doe not dally with temptations as the Fly with the flame of a Candle lest thou be burnt before thou be aware neither doe thou suffer Sin to grow and increase but rather withstand the first beginnings thereof and if possibly nip it in the bud 3 If thou beest overtaken with any sin labour to recover thy self with all possible speed by true and unfeigned repentance Be sure thou doe not live nor lye impenitently in the practice of any Sin against thy Conscience for so long thou wearest the Devils Livery and art a stranger to true peace 4 Being recovered take heed of relapsing A relapse is dangerous in bodily diseases much more in spiritual Christ saw this to bee a needful caveat therefore he gave this advice to a Woman taken in Adultery and forgiven Goe and sin no more yea the same advice he gave to the poor Cripple whom he healed at the Pool of Bethesda backt with a strong reason saying to him Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee Which doth not imply that a man may keep himself pure and free from all sin but that hee ought with the best care and greatest watchfulness that hee can endeavour to keep himself pure and free from all sin especially from enormous sins which in an high manner provoke the Wrath of God Though therefore thou hast obtained the pardon and forgiveness of thy former sins it concerns thee to be watchful against sin for the time to come otherwise thou art in great danger of relapsing into the same sins if not worse whereby thy last state will be worse than the first 5 Often have recourse unto God by fervent prayer as against sin in general that hee would bee pleased to keep thee from falling thereunto so espeâ—ially against those particular sins which thou findest working and stirring in thee and with which thou art most molested earnestly begging power and strength from God that thou maist be enabled to stand in the day of temptation II. As thou must watch against Sin in general so likewise against the several sorts and kinds of sin A I. Against thy beloved Sin
manner of performing this duty both certain General Rules must be observed and also Particular according to diverse circumstances General Rules are these 1 Hee that reproveth another must lift up his heart in prayer unto God that hee would so guide his tongue and move the others heart that his reproof may bee profitable unto him For without Gods blessing all our admonitions and reproofs will prove but words spoken in the air 2 Our reproof must bee done in love aiming therein at our brothers good and not at all at his disgrace For 〈◊〉 the Apostle speaketh All things must bee done in love And as 〈◊〉 things so especially this of reproof Concerning Particular Rules both the state of the party reproving and of the party reproved and the quality of the sin together with time and place must bee observed 1 The state and condition of the party reproving must bee observed As they who have authority over others have greater liberty to reprove so if they have to deal with notorious scandalous offenders they then may and must do it 1 With authority as the Apostle exhorteth Rebuke with authority 2 Sharply So the Apostle commandeth Rebuke them sharply The word in the Greek translated sharply properly signifieth cuttingly or to the quick Ely failed herein though hee reproved his sons for their wickedness yet it was not sharply and to the quick but with too much gentleness and mildness 2 The mind and â—isposition of the party reproved must be observed For if hee bee flexible and ingenuous hee must with mildness bee reproved even with the spirit of meekness as the Apostle Paul expresseth it But yet severity must bee used when lenity prevails not 3 The state and condition of the party reproved is to bee observed For 1 If it bee our Superiour it must be done with all reverence and humility rather beseeching and exhorting than plainly rebuking as Naamans servants did their Master 2 If the party to be reproved be our equal then it must bee done without all bitterness even with all love Reproof is a bitter pill and therefore it must alwaies be rolled with Sugar expressing much meekness of spirit and compassion of heart shewing in the hatred of our brothers sin our love of his person 4 The quality of the sin reproved must likewise bee observed 1 Private offences must bee privately reproved For saith our Saviour If thy brother trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone But open and scandalous offences must be reproved openly For saith the Apostle Them that sin viz. openly and with scandal rebuke before all i. e. before the whole assembly of the Church that others also may fear 2 Sins directly tending to Gods dishonour must bee reproved with an holy zeal and indignation Christ thus often reproved the Scribes and Pharisees And thus Peter reproved Simon Magus 5 The seâ—â—onableness of the time must with great wisdome bee observed To rebuke a drunkard in his drunkenness is folly Abigal knew as much and therefore said nothing to Nabal in his drunken fit but in the morning when the wine was gone out of him So neither is it seasonable to reprove a man for his passion in his passion wait rather for a fit time till a mans fit and passion bee over 6 The seasonableness of the place must likewise bee observed Unless it bee for due and just censure let it not bee in publick Assemblies open streets with the like But if by the way thou observest a man sin whom thou knowest not whether ever thou shalt see him again or no then as privily as thou canst thou maist meekly rebuke him Thus shalt thou manifest thy Zeal for Gods glory thine hatred of sin and thy care for thy brothers salvation CHAP. XIV Directions to the Rich. AS the Apostle Paul knew how to bee abased and how to abound how to bee full and how to bee hungry i. e. hee had learned in the School of Christ how to carry himself Christian-like in a rich and in a poor estate So it will bee a point of special wisdome in us to know how to carry our selves Christian-like through variety of conditions how to mannage every estate For your better help herein I shall give you some Directions 1 How to carry your selves Christian-like in a rich and full estate 2 How to carry your selves Christian-like in a poor and mean estate I. Look up unto God and often think of him as the author and donor of all the good things thou dost injoy When thou hast gotten wealth say not This I have gotten by my own wisdome and policy by mine own travel pains and indeavour But say with Iob This the Lord hath given acknowledge his hand of providence in what thou hast This direction the Lord giveth his own people by Moses When thou art grown rich say not in thine heart my power and the might of my hand hath gotten mee this wealth but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is hee that giveth thee power to get wealth Noting wealth and riches to bee the special gift of God II. Bless God for what thou hast This duty likewise the Lord required of his own people When thou hast eaten and art full then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God III. Labour to see Gods special love to thee in common mercies For what good will the injoyment of any thing do thee unless thou canst see Gods love as well as his bounty therein Quest. How may I know that these outward mercies which I do injoy are bestowed upon mee in love and favour Answ. 1 If they inflame thy heart with a love to God causing thee to love him the more because hee hath been so bountiful unto thee 2 If thou findest in thy self a willingness to honour God in the use of those good things thou hast received from him by laying out a portion thereof towards the maintenance of Gods worship or the releef of Gods poor then thou hast a comfortable evidence that they are bestowed upon thee in love 3 If it bee the grief of thine heart that thou dost not answer the loving kindness of the Lord towards thee that thy conversation is so unsuitable to his gracious dispensations towards thee This is an evident sign that what thou hast received from God was bestowed upon thee in love IV. Beware of being puffed up with Pride For wealth and riches are very apt to make men proud as the Apostle intimateth 1 Tim. 6. 17. Charge them that are rich in this world that they bee not high minded implying that riches are very apt to make men high-minded to think of themselves above what is meet especially such as are raised out of nothing unto a great estate V. Therefore labour to bee humble under thine abundance to be low in thine own thoughts when thou art high in the world which indeed will prove thy
Ioshuahs as appears by his protestation as for mee and my family wee will serve the Lord. In the New Testament it is recorded of Cornelius That hee was a devout wan who feared God with all his house and prayed to God alwaies which implieth hee kept a constant course in prayer Now these things are recorded for our learning that so we might write after their Copy by following their Example in so excellent a duty 2 Every Master in his Family is both a King a Prophet and a Priest Hee is a King to govern his Family a Prophet to teach and instruct his Family and a Priest to offer the sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving not only for himself but also for all those who are committed to his charge Let therefore all Masters of Families know that it is their duty which God will require of them not onely to pray by themselves and yet I would to God all did but that but also to call together all their family and to bee their mouth unto God in prayer unto which they may be incouraged by Gods gracious promise That where two or three are gathered together in Christs name there hee will be in the midst of them 3 A Master of a Family by his daily offering up a morning and evening Sacrifize of prayer and praise will make his house an house of prayer or little Temple which God will fill with his presence Yea a Christians house is hereby made Gods Church by a constant performance of holy duties which is a great honour unto a family 4 Family-prayers are a special means to bring down Gods blessing upon the whole family and upon all their lawful undertakings As God blessed the house of Obed-Edom for the Arks sake So will God bless those families in which his name is called upon For godliness is profitable unto all things as well in families as in any other societies 5 Another Argument may be taken from the danger of neglecting this duty of Family-prayer for such do incur the danger of Gods wrath and fury Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not upon thy Name saith the Prophet Ieremiah Which words contain a fearful imprecation against all prayerless-families And it is observable that such as neglect this duty of prayer in their family are joyned with the Heathen and truly very fitly for wherein do they differ from the Heathens who have not so much as a form of godliness in their families upon whom God will power out his fury Oh think of this all yee who make no conscience of praying daily with your families consider it well and lay it to heart Are yee not under that Prophetical curse and liable to the pouring forth of Gods wrath and fury both upon your selves and upon all that belong unto you even your Wives your Children your Servants yea and very wares and goods It may well be written upon the doors of such houses as one saith Lord have mercy on us for surely the plague of God is not far from them but nigh unto them Obj. Mee thinks I hear some saying they are convinced of the necessity of the duty and fain they would do it but oh they cannot they know not how to pray Answ. I would advise such rather to read some good prayer than altogether to omit the duty for many Masters of Families who are not able to conceive a prayer of themselves yet if they meet with a form of prayer answerable to their occasions can pray heartily and earnestly Yet I would not have them ever content themselves with reading a form of prayer but to labour to pray of themselves without a book And for your help therein take these two Directions 1 Carefully observe the prayers of others their order and method 2 Take notice of your own sins in particular and of your particular wants what graces you stand in need of and desire As also take notice of the particular blessings God bestoweth on you and thereby you will be inabled in some measure to pray your selves by confessing your sins unto God and begging as the pardon of them in and thorow the merits of Jesus Christ so such graces as you stand in need of And when once in any competent measure you can pray for your selves then by degrees you may come to pray with your Family CHAP. XXIX Of Servants Duties to their Masters HAving shewed the Duties of Masters in reference to their Servants Come wee now to the Duties of Servants in reference to their Masters which may be brought to three heads viz. 1 Obedience 2 Diligence 3 Faithfulness I. Obedience is that the Apostle St. Paul often presseth upon Servants as a main and principal duty And indeed no inferiours are more bound to obedience than Servants Your Obedience must be manifested in two particulars 1 In a ready yeelding to your Masters commands For indeed it is the proper work of a Servant to hearken to his Masters Precepts and to yeeld ready obedience unto them 2 In a patient bearing of reproofs and corrections yea though the correction be wrongfully inflicted without just cause which the Apostle Peter expresly requireth of Servants for saith hee Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear not onely to the good and gentle but also to the froward For this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience towards God indure grief suffering wrongfully For what glory is it if when yee be buffeted for your faults yee take it patiently but if when yee do well and suffer for it yee take it patiently this is acceptable with God And if unjust correction ought patiently to be born then much more unjust reproofs But if the reproof or correction be just then you ought speedily to amend and reform the things for which you are â—ustly reproved or corrected For the Manner of Servants Obedience the Apostle sets it down in several expressions As 1 It must be a sincere Obedience This the Apostle Paul sets down with two expressions in one verse 1 Negatively Not with eye-service 2 Affirmatively With singleness of heart Not with eye-service which implieth a meer outward service only to satisfie the eye of man But with singleness of heart q. d. Let not your Obedience be hypocritical meerly to be seen of your Masters but let it be in truth and uprightness of heart doing service to your Masters in the sincerity of your hearts without any hypocrisie or dissimulation labouring in your Masters absence as well as in his presence remembring Gods eye is ever upon you 2 Your obedience must be consciencious for conscience sake because the Lord requireth it at your hands so much the Apostle expresseth for speaking to Servants he saith Whatsoever yee doe doe it heartily as to the Lord q. d. whatsoever service yee doe to your Masters doe it for the Lords sake because he hath commanded it and therefore doe
Christian Directions SHEWING How to walk with GOD All the Day long Drawn up for the use and benefit of the Inhabitants of SEPULCHRES Parish By THO GOUGE Pastor thereof 1 Sam. 12. 23 24. I will teach you the good and the right way only fear the Lord and serve him with all your heart considering how great things hee hath done for you 2 Pet. 1. 12. I will not bee negligent to put you alwayes in remembrance of these things though yee know them and bee established in the present truth Luke 17. 10. When yee shall have done all these things which are commanded you say wee are unprofitable servants wee have done that which was our duty to do LONDON Printed by R. Ibbitson and M. Wright at the Kings-head in the Old Bayley MDCLXI TO My dearly beloved Friends and Neighbours the Inhabitants of Sepulchres Parish Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father of Mercies and the God of all Consolation My Dear Friends COnsidering with my self how besides my Lords-daies Preaching and Week-daies Catechizing I might be further serviceable to your souls in promoting their spiritual welfare It pleased God to put it into my heart to draw up some practical Directions for your better guidance in the way to Heaven and to give to every Family in my Parish a Copy of them Accordingly I set upon the work with all readiness and alacrity being much perswaded in my self that some spiritual advantage might through Gods blessing accrew unto your souls thereby The Lord who is the searcher of all hearts knoweth that my only end and aim herein is the advancement of your everlasting salvation which if it shall be any way furthered by this small Treatise I shall never repent of my pains and cost But shall very much rejoyce that the Lord hath inabled mee in any measure to be serviceable to him in the furtherance of the Gospel of his dear Son especially among you my dear flock Two considerations among others have had some influence upon mee in this undertaking The one is of that mutual love which hath hitherto been between us As I have you in my heart so am I perswaded that you have mee in yours During the whole time of my abode with you which is now above two and twenty years I do not remember that we have had the least difference no not about the point of Maintenance the usual unhappy make-bate between Minister and People For though the value of the Living be not so much by half as is generally reported abroad being no Parsonage but a Vicaridge endowed with a third part of that Tithe which the Parson doth collect yet I cannot but with much thankfulness acknowledge that what I have had hath been with much love and friendliness For when you have made any composition with mee for my part of the Tithe you have alwaies given mee more than I could demand or expect If then the blessed Apostle Paul were willing and that with gladness to spend and to bee spent for his Corinthians and that although the more abundantly hee loved them the less hee was loved of them Much more ought I to be like-minded towards you who have not at any time so ill requited my love but alwaies been ready to answer it with reciprocal affections That therefore I might leave to posterity some publick acknowledgement and perpetual memorâ—al of your constant love and respect to mee together with my due resentment of it was one consideration which put mee upon this design Another was the gladsome reflexion upon your great and godly care of your poor which I look upon even as it is meet for mee so to do as the fruit of the Gospel preached among you and an argument of your profiting therein And indeed it is such as I willingly take occasion to make publick mention of it for an example to others For though your poor bee many hundreds yet I think I may say truly without offence to other Parishes they are in some respect better provided for than any poor in the City For by the voluntary contribution of divers of you with the assistance of some other charitable persons 1 All the poor children in your Parish are taught to read and write gratis by such School-Masters and School-Mistresses who teach them their Catechize whereof my self sometimes take an account 2 All the Antient poor who can either spin or knit may have Flax and Yarn for fetching to set themselves on work an are well paid for the same immediately upon the return thereof This consideration as it hath very much affected mee so have I alwaies accounted my self your debtor upon this score And surely if our Lord and Master doth take what is done unto the poor for their relief as done unto himself then should wee also especially his Ministers in some sort be like-minded Your debtor therefore I have taken my self to bee nor could I bethink my self how to discharge this debt in a way more suitable to the nature of it and my relation to you than by indeavouring something extraordinary for your good hereafter as you have done extraordinarily for the present good of our poor and as you have put your selves to special pains and charge for the succour of their bodies so to put my self upon some special labour and willingly be at some cost for the advantage of your souls But the main Motive which hath put mee upon this undertaking is the single sense of my Relation to you that it hath pleased God of his infinite goodness and free grace to entrust mee a weak frail earthen vessel with that inestimable Treasure the Mysteries of the Gospel and appointed mee to preach unto you in particular the Unsearchable Riches of Christ. I account it the greatest honour a poor creature can be capable of to be made directly subservient to the glorious counsel and gracious purpose of his Creator for the recovery and restauration of the world by Jesus Christ and therefore that we Ministers of the Gospel whom God hath vouchsafed this honour have the strongest ingagement and obligation laid upon us to preach the Gospel both in season and out of season and to lay out our selves all manner of waies if by any means we may gain souls unto Christ and build them up in him Now this way I have here taken will have this advantage above others above my ordinary preaching and performance of other Ministerial duties among you that whereas by them I can minde you of the things which belong unto your everlasting peace only while I am in this Tabernacle By this as it is said of Abel I may still speak to you even when dead Accept therefore my dear Friends and Neighbours this little Treatise from the hands of your loving Pastor whose heart is exceedingly inlarged towards you greatly longing after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. For what is my hope or joy or crown of rejoycing Are not even yee in the
presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his coming Accept it therefore and testifie your acceptance by reading of it and much more by a conscionable performance of the Directions contained in it I think they will carry their own evidence with them that they are all agreeable to the Word of God For I have not made it my business to mint new Notions but to press upon you old Truths and known duties I have drawm them up in a plain and familiar stile and Method studying rather to be profitable than accurate They are of daily use to an holy life therefore I hope you will daily peruse them They are of general use to all sorts of Christians at all times in their several places Callings conditions and relations and therefore I hope you will give the more diligent heed to them Such whose Callings and Businesses will scarce afford them leisure on the week-daies to look into such Treatises as this I do earnestly intreat them that at least on the Lord-daies after the performance of the publick duties of Piety in the Congregation and of private in their Families they would spend some time in reading a part of this book with their Family And the Lord make it abundantly useful and profitable unto you Yea the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Sepulchres London Decemb. 20. 1660. Your Affectionate though most unworthy Minister THO. GOUGE A TABLE of the particular Points contained in this TREATISE CHap. 1. Sheweth how to begin the day with God Chap. 2. Of Secret Prayer in the morning Chap. 3 Of Ejaculatory Prayers 4 Of reading the Scriptures in private 5 Of Christian watchfulnesse over our Thoughts 6 Of watchfulnesse over our Words 7 Of watchfulnesse over our Actions 8 Of watchfulnesse against Sin 9 Of our behaviour at Meals 10 Of Sports and Recreations directions concerning the same 11 Of the duties of our Callings 12 Of our behaviour in secret and directions concerning Divine Meditation 13 Of our behaviour both in good and bad company 14 Directions to the rich how to Improve their wealth to the glory of God and the good of their own souls 15 Directions to the poor shewing how to carry themselves Christian like in their low and mean estate 16 Of Christian-like carriage under reproaches 17 Of our carriage under crosses and afflictions 18 Of Dying well 19 Directions to such as visit the sick 20 Directions how to cloze the day with God 21 Of the Morality of the Sabbath with directions how to sanctify the same 23 Of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper with directions for the worthy receiving thereof 23 Of the Common mutual Duties betwixt Husband and Wife 24 Of Husbands Duties to their Wives 25 Of the Duties of Wives to their Husbands 26 Of the Duties of Parents to their children 27 Of the Duties of Children to their Parents 28 Of the Duties of Masters to their servants 29 Of the Duties of Servants to their Masters 30 Of resting upon Iesus Christ alone for life and salvation Christian Directions shewing how to walk with God all the day long CHAP. I. How to begin the day with God I. AT thy first awaking in the morning consecrate unto God the freshest of thy thoughts by lifting up thine heart to him in praises and thanksgivings for that comfortable rest and refreshment hee hath vouchsafed unto thee the night past For had not the Lord been the more gracious unto thee thou mightest have slept the sleep of death yea thou mightest have awaked with hell flames about thine eaâ—s what cause therefore hast thou to blesse God as for the mercies of the night so for the renewing of his mercies with the day And then heartily beg of God his direction assistance and blessing upon thy lawfull pains and endeavours that day II. Having thus consecrated thy first awaking unto God by blessing him for the mercies of the night and for adding another day to thy life then steep thy thoughts in a serious meditation of God and of some or other of his glorious Attributes as 1 Of the infinite Purity of God who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity i. e. with the least approbation but hates all sin with a perfect hatred as being contrary to his nature A serious consideration whereof would through Gods blessing prove very effectual for the suppressing of those impure thoughts which are apt to arise from thy corrupt heart 2 Of the almighty Power of God whereby he is able to strengthen thee in all thy weaknesses to support thee under all thy trials and temptations to supply all thy wants to deliver thee out of all thy dangers to carry thee through all thy undertakings In which respect the Apostle calleth Gods Power a mighty Power and an exceeding-greatnesse of Power Ephes. 1. 19. A serious consideration whereof cannot but stir thee up as to flie unto God by Prayer in all thy wants straights and dangers so to cast thy self upon him and his mighty Power to rest and rely upon him for seasonable help succour and deliverance who never faileth those who put their trust in him 3 Of the Omnipresence of God of his continual presence about thee and with thee wheresoever thou art and whatsoever thou doest For hee is about thy bed and thy path and taketh notice of all thy actions and when no man seeth thee yet hee seeth thee before whose Tribunal thou must one day stand to give an account of all thy actions Surely it would be a special preservative against sin and a singular means to make thee watchful over all thy waies and actions if thou didst seriously consider Gods All-seeing presence about thee 4 Of the Omnisciency of God his knowing of all things even the secret thoughts of thine heart and the inward intenâ—ions of thy mind before whom all things are naked and unbowelled as the Apostle speaketh Not an ambitions worldly lustful thought in thine heart but God is privy to it And as the wise man speaketh Hee will bring every secret thing into judgement This if it were seriously considered how would it make thee watchful over thy very heart and careful to suppress all wicked lustful thoughts at their first rising and to keep thee upright and sincere in what thou doest especially in the duties of Gods worship and service as knowing there is no dissembling before God III. Call to minde what sin it is whereunto thou findest thy self most propense and with which thou art oftenest and easiliest overcome as having least power to resist it And every morning furnish thy self with the strongest Arguments thou canst against it and then bring up thine heart to a firm
it being the Ordinance he hath sanctified for that very end Time spent in prayer will bee no hinderance but rather a furtherance of our worldly businesses and imployments this will oyl the wheels for any work making it more easie yea and sanctifie all the things we take in hand making them successful unto us for those works which are sanctified by Prayer doe usually speed best Obj. 2. Some object their great inability to prâ—â—â—â—hey know not how to pray not having the spirit of prayer Ans. 1. Let such bewayl this their sad condition and mourn under the sense of it remembring what our Saviour saith Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted 2 Goe unto Christ and say unto him as the Disciples did Lord teach me to pray with an acknowledgement of thine own inability beg the assistance of Gods Spirit and say Lord thou hast promised thy Spirit to help the infirmities of thy Servants O make good this thy gracious promise to me thy poor weak and unworthy Servant let me feel and finde the assistance of thy Spirit strengthening my weakness and enabling me to pour out my soul before thee in some acceptable manner 3 Call to mind thy sins with the aggravations of them and withall consider thy Spiritual wants and then put thy self upon the duty of Prayer confess thy sins unto God with all the aggravations thereof as well as thou canst begge the pardon of them and be earnest with God for such Graces as thou standest in most need of By using and exercising that small ability to pray that thou hast thou shalt increase it and grow more able to doe it with comfort 4 Know this that a man may pray most effectually and acceptably even when he cannot express himself in any apt words for the work of the Spirit in Prayer consisteth not so much in the expression of the tongue as in the affection of the heart wherein the very life and soul of prayer doth consist Having answered the fore-mentioned Objections I shall now give you some directions for the right manner of performing this duty of Prayer so as it may be acceptable and pleasing unto God To this end 1 Some things are required before Prayer 2 Some things in Prayer 3 Some things after Prayer 1 Before Prayer there is required preparation which consisteth in two things 1 In a serious Meditation of the infinite Majesty and glory of God on the one part and of thine own Vileness and unworthiness on the other 2 In a sequestration of thy thoughts from earthly affairs and worldly businesses For thy better help thereunto observe these rules 1 When thou art going to prayer renew thy resolution against wandring thoughts saying with thy self I have lost many a prayer through the distractions of my thoughts and wandrings of my mind after worldly matters therein and I am in danger to lose this prayer also if I be not the more watchful over my self therefore I doe now resolve with the assistance of Gods grace to be more watchful over my thoughts to keep my heart close unto the duty I am going about and not to suffer my mind to wander after other matters as formerly it hath done if thou wouldst make trial hereof thou wouldst find there is great power in such a resolution when it is fresh upon thy heart and spirit 2 Beg of God that he would by the assistance of his holy Spirit restrain all vain and wandring imaginations 3 Vse thy voyce in prayer so often as conveniently thou maist provided it be not for oftentation to bee heard of others which thou wilt finde very effectual as for the intention of thine affections by raising them to an higher pitch so for the attention of thy mind in keeping it from wandring and roving after worldly thoughts and imaginations 4 But if notwithstanding thou findest that in praying thy mind and heart hath been sometimes taken up and possessed with worldly thoughts and distractions it will be a good course in thy private prayers to repeat that again which so coldly and carelesly passed from thee labouring in thy repetition to repel all wandring thoughts and to pour forth those petitions again after a more hearty manner For by imposing this task upon thy self thou wilt become more wary and watchful over thy thoughts lest otherwise thou be enforced to continue long at that exercise unto which through the depravation of thy nature thou art so backward and averse II. As preparation is necessary before Prayer so in prayer divers things are required as 1 Faith Prayer must be made in faith which our Savior plainly expresseth where he saith Whatsoever things yee desire when yee pray beleeve that yee receive them and yee shall have them Beleeve that as God is able so willing to grant whatsoever thou prayest for so far forth as in his wisdome he seeth it to be good for thee 2 Fervency that thou pour out thine heart and soul unto God with great ardency and earnestness of affection For the Apostle Iames telleth us that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much so that it is the fervent prayer only that is effectual And without doubt this is one special reason why our prayers are so seldom answered namely because they are performed with such deadness of heart and dulness of spirit for the luke-warm prayer is cooled and frozen before it can ascend up to heaven As therefore thou desirest to have thy prayers effectual let them be fervent and so thou shalt not need to doubt of a gracious and happy issue I grant thou canst not always have a like fervency yet thou must always strive against deadness of heart and dulness of spirit for God regards the manner of our actions as much as the matter how we pray as well as what we pray for III. The Duties required after Prayer are these 1 Diligently to look after thy prayers observing what answer and return the Lord giveth thereunto Thus did David and Habakkuk For hereby thou shalt bee the better fitted for thankfulness being furnished with more abundant matter of praise And also bee the more provoked and stirred up thereunto 2 Look back and consider the manifold weaknesses infirmities and imperfections which have passed from thee in thy praying how dead and dull thine heart was and how distracted thy thoughts were therein and let the apprehension thereof prevail with thee as to disclaim all thine own righteousness as filthy raggs so to drive thee unto Christ to roul thy self upon him resting upon his perfect Righteousness alone for life and for salvation As this is one chief end why God suffers corruption to remain in his children even after their Regeneration and to have an influence into all their holy services So it is the use which wee should make thereof And therefore so often as thou findest thine heart dead and dull and thy mind distracted with worldly thoughts in
prayer say with thy self Lord what need have I of a Saviour I see thou mayest condemn mee for my most holy services and therefore I go wholly out of my self unto Iesus Christ resting upon his perfect Righteousness and all-sufficient Merits for life and for salvation CHAP. III. Of Ejaculatory Prayers BEsides thy solemn Morning Prayer it will bee good to send up Ejaculatory Prayers and Praises unto God and that frequently upon all occasions By Ejaculatory Prayers and Praises I mean The sudden lifting up of the heart unto God upon some present occasion either in way of Petition or Thanksgiving Which kinde of Prayers wee finde commanded under those general Precepts of praying alwaies and praying without ceasing The meaning whereof is not that thou shouldest wholly and only attend on prayer so as to neglect the word and other duties of piety or the ordinary works of thy calling But that besides thine ordinary and set times of prayer thou shouldest alwaies have a praying frame of spirit bee ready upon all occasions to lift up thine heart unto God in some short Ejaculations For the more profitable pressing of this kinde of prayer I shall 1 Give thee some Motives to quicken thee up to a frequent performance thereof 2 Add some Cautioâ—â— The Motives may bee drawn to three heads 1 The Excellency 2 The Necessity 3 The Utility of this kinde of Prayer I. The Excellency of Ejaculatory Prayer appeareth In that at all times and in all places even in our converses with men wee may thereby converse with God and injoy an holy familiarity with him and yet others in our company take no notice thereof And when we are about the works of our Calling we may without any hinderance thereof lift up our hearts to God in some short Ejaculatory Prayer for his assistance and blessing which though they are but as Parentheses in our worldly imployments yet will prove very advantagious to us therein II. Another Motive may bee taken from the Necessity of these Ejaculatory Prayers and that 1 In regard of the sudden dangers and plunges whereunto the people of God are many times brought which will not afford time for continued prayer 2 In regard of the manifold slips and infirmities of the people of God which put them upon praying for the pardon and forgiveness of them 3 In regard of the manifold mercies blessings and deliverances which unexpectedly thou receivest from God there is frequent occasion of Ejaculatory Prayers and thanksgivings unto him III. A third Motive may bee taken from the Utility of those Ejaculatory Prayers which appeareth 1 From Gods gracious acceptation and remuneration of the same whereof the Scripture giveth abundant instances and examples As of Davids Ejaculatory Prayer against Achitophel that God would turn his counsel into foolishness was graciously accepâ—ed and granted in defeating the same The like wee read of Nehemiah's Ejaculatory Prayer unto God to incline the heart of the King to grant his request which was graciously heard and answered So also the poor penitent Theef's Ejaculatory Prayer unto Christ Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy Kingdome Holy Ejaculations are the Spiritual breathings of a gracious heart which as they are very pleasing unto God so exceedingly advantagious unto Christians for though they are very short and sudden yet seldome do they return empty 2 These Ejaculatory Prayers are a special means for the improving of every opportunity and occurrence of Providence to thy spiritual advantage Herein bee careful to observe these two Cautions 1 Content not thy self with these Ejaculatory Prayers and Praises as if they were sufficient at thy lying down and rising up and that thou needest not to trouble thy self with any longer prayers Oh let not thy Ejaculatory Prayers justle out either thy closet or family prayers but as God in his Word requireth the one as well as the other do thou make conscience of every one of them in their time and place 2 Beware of formal and prophane Ejaculations which come from the lip but not from the heart as Good Lord and Good God or The Lord bless mee and Lord have mercy upon mee with such like which can bee no better than a taking of the name of God in vain in that they are uttered customarily in a way of form meerly from the teeth outward for which without true and unfeigned repentance God will not hold thee guiltless CHAP. IV. Of Reading the Scriptures in private ANother duty to be performed alone is Reading of the Scriptures And indeed the Word and Prayer should go hand in hand together as the Christians daily exercise For every thing is sanctifâ—ed by the Word of God and Prayer Appoint therefore some set time in every day for the reading of the Word The morning is the freest when our spirits and wits are freshest By reading three chapters a day the whole Bible may bee read over in a year But I would not so strictly tye any to this as still to go on in reading some part of the Scriptures every day And if extraordinary occasion hinder thine ordinary task double it another time For by the holy Scriptures onely wee may attain to the knowledge of the whole will of God For the more profitable pressing this duty I shall 1 Give you some Rules and Directions to bee observed 1 Before the reading of the Scriptures 2 In reading of the Scriptures 3 After the reading of them 2 Give you some Motives to quicken you to a frequent reading of them I. The Rules and Directions to be observed before reading are these 1 Go about it with all holy reverence as in the sight and presence of God beleeving it to bee the Word of God written by holy men as they were moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost as the Apostle Peter expresseth it when therefore thou settest thy self to read the Word say to thy self I will hearken what the Lord will speak unto mee therein 2 Lift up thine heart in prayer unto God as for the Spirit of Illumination to open the eyes of thine understanding that thou mayest rightly conceive his Word so for wisdome to apply memory to retain faith to beleeve and grace to practise what thou shalt read II. The Rules and Directions to bee observed in reading of the Word are these 1 Read the holy lives and actions of Gods Children not onely as matters of history but as patterns of imitation for for this end are they recorded unto us as St. Paul testifieth Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning 2 In reading the Promises and Threatnings the Exhortations and Admonitions and other parts of the Scripture so apply them to thy self as if God by name had delivered the same unto thee whereby the Word will become very profitable unto thee For thus will promises to others incourage thee threatnings against others restrain thee from sin exhortations to others stir thee up to thy duty and admonitions
to others make thee wary yea thus whatsoever things were written aforetime will prove good instructions unto thee III. Rules to bee observed after the reading of the Word 1 Seriously meditate of what thou hast read that so thou mayest the better remember and understand the same 2 Labour to work something of that thou hast read upon thine heart and give not over till thou findest the affections of thy soul warmed thereby To quicken you up to a frequent reading of the Scriptures consider these two Motives 1 The first may be taken from those treasures that are contained therein such treasures as men never heard of The subject matter of the Word are such mysteries as were hidden in God and by his Spirit revealed unto men All the abstruse learning and mysteries of other books and writings are but straw and stubble yea dross and dung in comparison of the precious pearls in this 2 Another Motive may bee taken from the many sweet and precious promises which are scattered up and down in the Word For as there is not a condition into which a Childe of God can fall but there is a Direction and Rule in the Word in some measure suitable thereunto so there is not an affliction into which a childe of God can fall but there is a promise in the Word in some measure suitable thereunto CHAP. V. Of Christian Watchfulness over our Thoughts DO not think that having saluted God by prayer and reading his Word in the morning thou mayest take thy leave of him all the day after But second thy prayeâ—s and reading with Christian Watchfulness which is a duty incumbent upon all being much pressed upon us in Scripture For the profitable handling whereof I shall shew you 1 The Nature of Christian Watchfulness 2 The Extent thereof or the particulars wherein we are to manifest the same I. For the Nature of Christian Watchfulness It is an heedful Observation of our selves in all things and a diligent circumspection over all our waies courses and actions that wee may not displease God in any thing but rather please him in all things II. For the Extent of this duty The Apostle sets it down in general Terms Watch thou in all things which I shall branch into several particulars 1 Over thy Thoughts Words and Actions 2 Against Sin in general and the several kinds thereof 1 Thou must be watchful over thy Thoughts that vain Thoughts may not lodge in thine heart For the profitable pressing of this I shall 1 Give you some Motives to quicken you up thereunto 2 Some Directions and helps thereunto I. For Motives first consider that vain and evil thoughts though they break not forth into acts yet are they actual sins for thoughts though they are inward yet are they the acts of the soul and in that they are evil they are sinful 2 Evil thoughts are not onely sinful in themselves but they are likewise the cause of all sins the plotters of all treasons against God the Panders of all other lusts so much the Apostle Iames expresseth When lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin lustful thoughts being conceived in the heart they soon bring forth sin breaking forth into acts of filthiness and uncleanness 3 Consider that by our thoughts especially will the Lord judge us at the last day When hee will make manifest the counsel of the heart as the Apostle expresseth it And Rom. 2. 16. God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ. Then the swarms of our vain and evil thoughts shall be discovered and laid open to our eternal shame before God Angels and men without true and unfeigned repentance 4 Evil and vain thoughts without true and unfeigned repentance will sink our souls to Hell such of you therefore as make no conscience of your thoughts but delight your selves in vain and wicked thoughts in lustful and unclean thoughts and that impenitently how can you escape the vengeance of hell I deny not but the best men through the remainder of corruption in them are subject to vain and wicked thoughts but these are their grief and their burden against which they strive and for which they earnestly begge pardon and therefore shall not bee said to their condemnation The helps and directions are these 1 Consider That the Lord doth as strictly observe all inward sinful thoughts as he doth the outward acts of sin Hee is Omniscient and knoweth all things yea he is the trier and searcher of our hearts and so is privy to every vain and wicked to every wanton and lustful thought in our hearts So that howsoever men discern not our thoughts yet God doth 2 Make not too much of those vain and wicked thoughts which doe either arise from thine own corrupt heart or are cast in by Satan I mean thou must not revolve them in thy mind by musing and meditating on them with any delight for if so thou art in danger to be ensnared by them 3 With detestation speedily reject and cast all vain and wicked thoughts out of thine heart As in thy judgement thou canst not but condemn them as base and wicked so in thy affections abhor and defest them yea reject and cast them away as abominable 4 So soon as any vain or wicked thoughts begin to arise in thine heart fix thy meditation upon good thoughts and upon such especially as are contrary thereunto Thus when vain thoughts begin to arise in thine heart strive to put them out by fixing thy meditation upon some serious matter when earthly worldly thoughts begin to arise in thine heart fix thy meditation upon some spiritual and heavenly thoughts when any lustful and impure thoughts begin to arise in thine heart fix thy meditation upon some holy and good thoughts think of the excellency and necessitie of holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 5 Humble thy self for all thy sinful and vain thoughts of what sort or kind soever For know assuredly that unless thou humble thy self for thy sinful and vain thoughts thou shalt bee called to an account for them at the Day of Judgement when the Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the heart 6 And that which sanctifies all other means is earnest and hearty prayer unto God that he would be pleased as to suppress and keep down all vain wicked wanton thoughts from rising in thy heart so that he would rebuke Satan and restrain his malice that he may not cast his hellish thoughts into thine heart or at least that he would enable thee to quench them at their first entrance This course did the Apostle Pauâ— take in the like case as we read in 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. CHAP. VI. Of watchfulness over our Words AS thou must be watchful over thy Thoughts so likewise over thy Words according to the counsel of the Prophet David Keep
applying of the mind to some spiritual or heavenly subject discoursing thereof with thy self to the end thine heart may bee warmed thine affections quickened and thy resolutions heightned to a greater love of God hatred of sin c. Come we now to the Rules and Directions for the right manner of performing the same To this end I shall treat 1 Of the Time when this duty is to be performed 2 Of the Place where Of the Manner of setting about it and performing it 1 Touching the Time when this duty is to be performed and how often it is hard to give any set or certain Rule For difference must bee made between such as are rich and wealthy who have much spare â—ime and poor men who live by their daily labour and have â—ittle time to spare from the same for the performance of holy and religious duties Now such as have time and leisure and are at their own dispose ought to bee frequent in the exercise of this duty How frequent such should be I will not undertake to determine because mens several occasions may vary it But in general that it be frequent the Scripture requireth And truly the more frequently it is performed the more easie and delightful will it be unto thee Questionless every one whether hee be rich or poor Master or Servant ought to make conscience of performing this duty on the Lords day which being appropriated to spiritual duties doth especially challenge this which is so eminently spiritual For the choice of other daies and set times therein it must be left to Christian prudence which will teach thee what time thou canst best spare from thine ordinary imployments and when thou art best disposed and fitted for the performance of the same II. The next thing to bee considered is the Place for this duty ought to be private in some private retired place where thou mayst be free from company and whatsoever may distract thee For when thou art most retired from the world then art thou most fit to have communion with God Therefore Isaac when hee would meditate and by Meditation converse with God walked alone into the fields And David meditated upon his bed as himself tells us III. For the Manner of setting upon this duty I. Having with-drawn thy self from worldly company thou must for the time wholly lay aside all worldly thoughts for otherwise it may and will fall out that when thou art separated from the company and society of men thou mayest be in a croud of worldly businesses through thy worldly and wandring thoughts II. In the entrance upon this duty lift up thine heart in some short prayer unto God for his direction assistance and blessing thereon III. Having thus prepared thy self in some measure then pitch upon the subject matter whereupon thou intendest to meditate such as may be fit for thy souls nourishment Herein observe these Directions 1 Let the subject matter of thy Meditation bee wholly spiritual and divine Thus any part of the Scripture is a fit subject for thy Meditation as also God or any of his Attributes as 〈◊〉 Omnipotency Eternity Immutability Omâ—ipresence Omnisciency 〈◊〉 Wisdome Mercy Iustice Love Faithfulness and other excellencies of God As also the blessed and happy estate wherein our first Parents were created by God and that miserable estate whereinto they implunged themselves and all their posterity by their disobedience against God in eating the forbidden fruit and the state of Redemption by Jesus Christ and the transcendent love of Christ in undergoing a bitter cursed death for us 2 Let the particular subject thou pitchest upon for thy Meditation be suitable to thy present state and condition and to that end in setting upon this duty it will be thy wisdome to observe the frame and temper of thy heart If thou findest thine heart sad and heavy then fix thy Meditation upon thy sins that so thou mayest turn thy sorrow and sadness for outward things into a sorrow for thy sins But if thou findest thine heart lightsome and chearful then fix thy Meditations on the incomprehensible love of God or on the freeness of his grace or on the bounty of God especially towards thy self 3 Having pitched thy thoughts upon some particular subject suitable to the present frame and temper of thine heart continue thy thoughts upon it till thou hast found thy heart warmed and thine affections quickened therewith which indeed is the main and principal end of this exercise 4 Having spoken of preparation to the work come wee now to the work it self which consists of three particular heads 1 The first I may call Cogitation whereby I mean a discoursing of the understanding about the subject matter pitched upon a calling to minde of several truths that belong thereunto As if the subject of thy Meditation be Death then call to mind and seriously think as of the certainty of Death so also of the uncertainty thereof both in regard of the Place where the Manner how and the Time when And then to argue the necessity of a continual expectation ofâ— and preparation for Death 2 The second is Application to make some close application to thy self of those truths thou hast called to mind for the warming of thine heart and quickning of thine affections 3 The third and last particular is Resolution a resolved purpose of heart to do this or that or to leave this or that As if the subject of thy Meditation hath been Death and finding thine heart thorowly affectâ—â— with the apprehension thereof especially of the uncertainâ— of the time of thy death resolve thereupon to be the more careful in imbracing every opportunity of doing good thinking it may be the last that will be afforded unto thee as also to live in a continual expectation of and preparation for death by a daily renewing thy peace with God Having thus given some Rules and Directions for the better helping thee in this heavenly exercise of Divine Meditation III. I shall now give thee an Example and Pattern thereof according to the former Rules and Directions for the better clearing it to thee Suppose the subject thou propoundest for thy Meditation be Sin then having lifted up thine heart unto God in prayer for his Direction and Assistance First Fall upon the duty of Cogitation calling to minde some plain truths which apperâ—ain thereunto As I. Think of the nature of sin How it is a transgression of the Law of God II. Of the kinds of sin viz. Original and Actual 1 Let out thine heart in a serious Meditation of that corruption of nature which thou and every man brought with him into the world and how it is not onely a sin but an heinous sin comprehending in it the seeds of all sins even of the most abominable that can be imagined 2 Let out thine heart in a serious Meditation of thine actual sins and of the several kinds of them viz. Evil Thoughts evil Words and evil Actions III.
humble your selves for the same But if the report raised of you be false yet you may hearken to it as to a Call from God to look more narrowly over your selves lest you be overtaken with that sin wherewith at the present you are falsly charged for God knowing your temper and disposition happily seeth that you are inclinable thereunto and therefore suffereth others to charge you therewith though falsly meerly for the preventing thereof that you may not bee overtaken therewith and thus may you make a good use of the falsest and bitterest objections of your adversaries against you V Labour to walk contrary to what is charged upon you though falsly As for instance If you are charged with Hypocrisie that you are no better than Hipocrites labour the more for sincerity and resolve to perform all you doe out of respect to God more than unto men if you are charged with Pride carry your selves the more humbly and lowly that your humility may appear unto all and so your conversation give your enemies the lye VI. Goe and spread your reproaches before God in Prayer as good Hezekiah did the reproaches of Rabshekah and make known your case unto him desiring help and strength from him to bear them Christian like and then you shall not need to doubt of his gracious comfort and support CHAP. XVII Of our Carriage in reference to Crosses and Afflictions IN regard that all men so long as they live here in this world are subject to manifold Losses Crosses and Afflictions therefore it is necessary that I should give you some directions how to carry your selves in reference thereunto The Directions are these I. Fore-cast what Losses Crosses and Afflictions may befall you When you abound in plenty think a time may come when your plenty may be turned into penury when you enjoy health and ease think a time may come when your health may bee turned into sickness your ease into pain when you are taking your greatest delight in your Yoke-fellow Children or Friends even then consider they are mortal and may suddenly bee snatched from you look upon all Creature comforts as indeed they are mutable and moveable thus did Anaxagoras of whom it is recorded that when tidings was brought him of the death of his Son hee meekly replied I always looked upon him as mortal In like manner should we look upon all our Creature comforts as mortal and moveable This likewise was Iobs practice as appears from that expression of his The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me and that which I was afraid of is come unto me intimating that in his greatest prosperity he had thoughts and fears of a change yea of those losâ—es and crosses wherewith he was now exercised II. Prepare for Losses Crosses and Afflictions the former without this will be of little or no use a fore-sight of Afflictions will little avayl us unless we likewise prepare for them Q. How may wee prepare our selves for Losses Crosses and Afflictions Ans. I. Earnestly desire and seriously labour in the use of all means for an interest in Jesus Christ for 1 Though the condition of man at all times is very sad without in interest in Jesus Christ yet the condition of a man in and under his afflictions without an interest in Christ is more sad in that his Conscience is then most usually awakened with the sence and apprehension of his sins and fearful Judgements due unto him for the same of which there is no hope or possibility of escaping without an interest in Christ. 2 On the other side the man that hath an interest in Christ hath abundant ground of comfort in the greatest troubles and afflictions in that Christ by his Sufferings hath taken away the sting of them which is Sin and changed the nature of them by turning them from punishments into fatherly chastisements for our profit and amendment 2 As you would be prepared for Afflictions be careful to get and keep a good conscience for assuredly the testimony of your own consciences that you have walked as in the sight and presence of God endeavouring to have your consciences voyd of offence both towards God and towards men will be as a wall of brass yea as armour of proof unto you in the day of trouble and distress so that your hearts shall not shrink at any affliction Though in the time of health and prosperity you may seem to bee rather losers than gainers by keeping a good conscience in all things yet in times of trouble and affliction next to an interest in Jesus Christ nothing will bee more available to you than a good conscience therefore let your main care bee to keep your consciences pure and clean from sin not maintaining peace with any sin 3 Our preparation for affliction consisteth in a frequent resignation of our selves and of all our comforts into the hands of God and to his will for disposal as he pleaseth By this means we shall be the more willing to part with them when God shall bee pleased to call for any of them especially it this resignation of all unto God be fresh upon our hearts and spirits 4 Our preparation for afflictions consisteth in casting all our cares fears and troubles of mind about those evils which may befall us upon God who hath promised to sustain us under the same according to that of the Psalmist Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he will sustain thee i. e. he will comfort and support thee To this the Apostle Peter likewise exhorteth Cast all your care upon him for hee careth for you and truly Gods caring for us may well take us off from all inordinate excessive and distrustful care about our afflictions and move us to lay the stress of our afflictions upon him considering hee careth for us 5 Would you be prepared for afflictions then be often putting cases to your selves of such straights and troubles of such trials and afflictions as probably may fall out and then return into your own souls to search and try what strength you have to hold out if you should fall into such trials and afflictions When you enjoy abundance of this worlds goods say to thy self It may be before I dye I may bee stripped of all these and reduced to great straights what shall I then doe Will not my faith then fail Now I am at liberty and enjoy the comfort of my relations my friends and acquaintance happily I may shortly be cast into Prison and be deprived of all my outward comforts what shall I then doe how shall I be able to bear up under these sad changes it is good to put such cases to your selves which will bee an excellent means to strengthen your faith against the evil day against the day of trouble and distress and to make you with the greater confidence to trust in God Thus the Saints of old were wont to put the hardest cases to themselves for
the better strengthening of their hearts and faith as Psal. 6. 2 3. III. When God shall exercise you with any losses crosses or afflictions labour to bear them Christianâ—like to that end observe these rules 1 Bear them sensibly the Lord expects we should be sensible of the waight of our afflictions hee would not have us as Stoicks or Stocks which are not affected with his stripes but like Children he would have us sensible of the smart of the rod. Thus was Iob. There are two Extreams whereunto we are very prone to run in times of afflictions the one is a despising of afflictions the other is a fainting under them both which are hinted to us by the Author to the Hebrews My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him these are the two extreans we are carefully to avoyd in times of afflictions 1 Not to despise or slight the chastisement of the Lord saying If God will have my estate let him have it if hee will have my Husband or Wife or Child let him have them this is a despising of the chastening of the Lord a little regarding yea a contemning thereof as the Greek word implieth which is very displeasing unto God 2 Not to faint under our losses crosses and afflictions as when Children dye then the spirit of the Parent to dye also or when the Husband dyeth then the spirit of the Wife to dye also this is a fainting under the burthen of our afflictions as if they were unsupportable not to be indured as the notation of the Greek word implieth 2 If you would bear your afflictions Christian-like bear them with patience and silence according to the example of David who when God laid his hand upon his back he presently laid his hand upon his mouth as appeareth by his own expression I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it This patient silent bearing of Afflictions is opposed to two things 1 To an inward repining at the Dispensations of God towards you 2 To an outward complaining and murmuring at them both which you must carefully avoyd 1 You must carefully avoyd all inward repinings at the dispensations of Gods Providence towards you whatsoever storms are without you yea and blow upon you yet your hearts within you should be calm and quiet what though the Lords dealings with you be very sharp yet you ought not to repine at them but quietly and silently to submit thereunto acknowledging the equity of Gods proceeding with you that as he is righteous in all his ways so in particular towards you and thereupon to say with good old Ely It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good and with our blessed Saviour Father not my will but thy will be done And if you bear your afflictions thus quietly you shall bear them with much more ease at present and find them more profitable in the end 2 As you must carefully avoyd all inward repining so likewise all outward complaining and murmuring under the sad dispensations of Gods providence As you must not entertain any hard thoughts of God as if he punished you above your deservings or more than you are able to bear so neither must you express any discontented words against the Lords dealings with you for though a Christian may mourn under sad Providences yet may hee not murmâ—â—e at them though he may groan yet not grumble but quietly bear all losses crosses and afflictions both in opposition to all inward repining and outward murmuring 3 If you would bear your afflictions Christian-like you must bear them willingly and cheerfully To help you herein take these few considerations 1 That no afflictions befall any without the wise ordering Providence of God as Eliphas implieth when he saith That affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth evil spring out of the ground Truly there is not a Warrant comes to Arrest thy Body with Pain or Sickness but it comes under the Hand and Seal of thy heavenly Father there is not a Habeas Corpus comes to remove thy Yoke-fellow Child or Friend but it is signed by thy heavenly Father This consideration hath been a ground of comfort unto the people of God in all their afflictions The Lord said Iob hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. And this must needs be a ground of comfort yea and joy unto all the people of God especially if you shall consider in the next place 2 That the end God aims at in your afflictions is to doe you good yea some special good that could not be done so well in any other way The Lord chasteneth us for our profit saith the Apostle every Cross will bring with it some blessing or other if the fault be not in our selves yea the greatest cross will bring the greatest blessing 3 As God doth intend our good thâ—reby so when it hath effected that good which God intended thereby hee will soon remove your affliction from you for the Lord taketh no delight or pleasure in your pains or sufferings but delighteth in mercy and therefore will not neither can he suffer his afflicting hand to lye longer upon you than in his wisdome he seeth to be needful and necessary for the effecting of that good which he intends you thereby and therefore if your afflictions seem long unto you know it is no longer than needs must and that that good for which God sent it is not yet effected 4 That God will either proportion your afflictions to the measure of your strength or your strength to the measure of your affliction laying no more upon you than he will enable you to bear according to that of the Apostle God is faithful and will not suffer you to bee tempted above what you are able to bear IV. If you would bear you afflictions Christian-like you must bear them fruitfully by labouring to make a sanctified use and improvement of them whereby they will become comfortable blessings unto you for a sanctified affliction is a great blessing Q. What course should I take to have my afflictions so sanctified unto me that I may be able to say with David It is good for me that I have been afflicted A. I. In every Affliction take notice of the displeasure of God against thee for though the Lord doth sometimes afflict his Children for the trial and exercise of their Graces rather than for any displeasure he hath conceived against them as in Iobs case it was yet usually he strikes not till he be provoked by our Sins and therefore it will be thy wisedome in every affliction to take notice of the displeasure of God against thee II. Search into thine own heart and labour to find out the cause of Gods displeasure against thee for it is not for nought that God afflicts thee something or other is amiss in thee which God would have
many excellent and weighty exhortations 3 Act thine obedience by resigning up thy self unto the Will of God to be at his dispose either for life or death As thou must not be unwilling to dye when God calleth thee so neither must thou be over eager to dye before hee call thee thou maist not desire Death out of discontentment of mind because of some present miseries and afflictions which lye upon thee nay thou maist not absolutely wish to dye out of a desire to be rid of thy sins and to bee with Christ but it must be with a submission to the Will of God if he see it meet and convenient for thee though Paul knew it were far better for him to dye than to live yet did he not desire death absolutely but with a submission to the Will of God VII Be frequent in reading the holy Scriptures or cause them to be frequently read unto thee for there thou shalt find 1 Examples of Gods mercy shewed to the afflicted 2 Instructions how to bear and improve thy present Visitation 3 Comfortable promises of support under the sorest trials And know for certain that one Promise in the Book of God will bee more effectual to yeeld thee comfort on thy Death-bed than all the counsel of thy friends that shall be then about thee VIII Be often lifting up thine heart to God in Prayer And when through weakness of body and faintness of spirit thou art not able to pour our thy soul in any set and solemn Prayer send up some short ejaculatory Prayer unto God as that of the poor Publican Lord be merciful to me a Sinner and also that of the poor man Lord I beleeve help thou my unbelief and that of the Apostles Lord increase my faith and that of Stephen Lord Iesus receive my spirit These ejaculations going from the heart they are acceptable and pleasing unto God let us therefore as Austine adviseth us endeavour to dye praying by a frequent breathing forth of these or such like ejaculatory Prayers IX Be often resigning up thy soul into the hands of God saying with our blessed Saviour Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Little Children for the most part desire to dye in their Fathers bosome or upon their Mothers lap even so shouldst thou in the hour of death cast thy soul into the arms of thy heavenly Father and rest in the bosome of Jesus Christ. If thy Disease be painful turn to those Direction in the fore-going chapter How to bear afflictions willingly and cheerfully CHAP. XIX Directions to such as visit the Sick VIsiting the Sick being a work of Mercy it will be thy wisdom so to manage and improve the same that thou maist both benefit thine own soul thereby and likewise doe good to the sick Party I. That thou maist benefit thy self thereby take these few directions 1 In visiting thy sick Neighbour take occasion to think of thine own mortality and proneness to fall into Sicknesses and Diseases for that which befalls one man may befall another in that we all carry about us as mortal so frayl bodies subject to the like calamities which the Lord knows how soon may befall any of us 2 Lift up thine heart in thankfulness unto God for that health and strength of body he is pleased still to continue unto thee Health is a greater mercy than most doe imagine Ask the sick man what hee thinks of health and he will tell thee it is the greatest of Temporal mercies and in it self a mercy not to be valued the truth is all Mercies are prized by the wanting of them more than by the having and enjoying them As no body admires the Sun but when it is eclipsed so neither doth any esteem health but when by sickness they are deprived thereof 3 Labour to be compassionately affected with the miseries and afflictions of thy brother for as Iob speaketh To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend Which duty is often urged and pressed in Scripture as by the Apostle Paul Rejoyce with them that rejoyce and weep with them that weep and by the Apostle Peter in this phrase Having compassion one of another which Beza Paraphrastically well turns Be touched with the sence and feeling of one anothers griefs And truly that communion and nearness of conjunction that sincere Christians have one with another doth call for this duty for as they are all sons of one Father so are they members of one body in respect whereof there should nay there ought to be such a compassion and sympathy in the members of the Mystical body I mean among Christians as there is in the members of the Natural body Now you know that in the Natural body if one member suffer all the members suffer with it as the Apostle expresseth it 1 Cor. 12. 26. which place Saint Augustine in his Works often expounding most excellently shewes the mutual compassion betwixt the members of a Natural body Behold saith he the foot treadeth on a thorn and see how all the members condole it the Back bends it self the Head stoopeth the Eye though remote in place diligently searcheth it out the Tongue complaineth as if it self were pricked and the Hands doe their best to pluck it out and yet neither Back nor Head nor Tongue nor Eye nor Hand nor any member but the Foot was touched with the thorn and surely such a sympathy and fellow-feeling there ought to bee amongst true Christians who are all members of one body whereof Christ Iesus is the head II. As in visiting the Sick thou must be careful to benefit thine own soul thereby so likewise to doe what good thou canst to the sick Party To that end observe these few Directions 1 Forbear to talk of any vain worldly or needless matter before him but let thy discourse be as savoury and Spiritual so in some measure suitable to his condition as of Death and preparation thereunto of the Day of Judgement of the happiness of those who have an interest in Christ and his Righteousness and the like 2 Perswade the sick Party to settle his estate by making his Will if he have not done it before that so hee may with more freedome wholly mind the spiritual good and welfare of his soul. This counsel did the Prophet Isaiah give unto King Hezekiah when hee was first struck with sickness 3 If thou apprehendest his Disease to be dangerous flatter him not with a hope of recovery lest thereby thou betray his soul to eternal death but deal faithfully with him by declaring unto him his weak and dangerous condition and advising him as to think of death so to prepare for it telling him that the fitter hee is to dye the fitter he will be to live if the Lord should adde more days to his life 4 If thou perceive him to be ignorant instruct him in the Principles of
Religion especially touching mans miserable condition by Nature and the state of redemption by Jesus Christ. 5 If thou perceivest that he hath not a due sence of his Sins endeavour to affect him with a sence and apprehension of his Sins and the hainousness of them as also of his miserable condition in regard of the punishments due unto him for the same which are all Judgements and Plagues here and eternal death and damnation with the Devils and damned in Hell 6 Question him concerning his willingness to dye and his hope of a better life after this and upon what foundation he builds his hope of salvation whether upon his good meaning and desires or upon his just and honest dealing with men or upon his frequent performance of holy duties If thou perceivest that hee builds his hope of Salvation upon any of these or upon any thing besides Jesus Christ labour to take him off from those false bottoms by shewing him the insufficiency of his good meaning and desires yea of his civil and religious righteousness to salvation how they are but rotten foundations whereon to build the hope of his Salvation 7 Having taken him off from his false bottoms and rotten foundations then instruct him in the only true ground of Salvation whereon hee may safely bottom his hope of Salvation viz. Christ and his righteousness with the Merits of his Death and Passion 8 Labour to convince him that there is no way or means of Salvation but only by beleeving in Jesus Christ by receiving him as his Priest and King by resting upon his all-sufficient Sacrifice for the pardon and forgiveness of his sins here and for eternal life and salvation hereafter 9 Perswade him thereupon to goe out of himself unto Christ to adventure his soul upon him with a disclaiming of all his own righteousness as filthy raggs to place his whole confidence upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ and upon the merits of his Death and Passion To this end set forth unto him the perfection of Christs righteousness the all-sufficiency of Christs Sacrifice with his willingness to receive and embrace all poor Sinners that will but come unto him and cast themselves and the burden of their sins upon him 10 Perswade him from his heart to forgive those who have wronged him as he expects forgiveness at the hand of God and if he hath wronged any by acts of injustice perswade him to make what restitution and satisfaction he is able telling him that goods ill gotten will prove a moath to consume and a fire to burn his whole estate 11 Because as the Apostle speaketh If we judge our selves we shall not be judged of the Lord. Perswade him to keep a Day of Judgement in his own Soul by calling to mind his Sins together with the aggravating circumstances of them and then to arraign and condemn himself for the same judging himself guilty as of all Judgements and Plagues here so of eternal torments in Hell hereafter and then to fly unto Jesus Christ for the pardon and forgiveness of his Sins who is a true City of refuge to all those who fly unto him against the Hue and Cry of their Sins and will in no wise cast out any who come unto him CHAP. XX. How to cloze the Day with God HAving shewed you how to walk with God all the day long I come now to shew you how to cloze the day and lye down with God in the evening The Directions may be brought to these two Heads 1 Such as concern our behaviour in the Evening before our going to bed 2 Such as concern our behaviour at our going to bed I. The Directions which concern our behaviour in the Evening before we goe to bed are these 1 With-draw thy self into some secret and retired place and there look back and call to mind how thou hast spent the day consider how thou hast performed the fore-mentioned Duties belonging to the several parts of the day call to mind what thy carriage hath been in secret and what in company how thou hast improved the one and the other and whether thou hast discharged the duties of thy place calling and relations As he is the best Trades-man that every day in the evening taketh an account of his worldly losses and gains so he is the best Christian that every day in the evening taketh an account of his Spiritual losses and gains whether he goe forward or backward in the ways of godliness And therefore as many Shop-keepers have their Day-books where into they enter all their buyings and sellings even all their worldly transactions which they usually review in the evening so will it be a point of Spiritual husbandry in us every evening to review the passages of the day and our transactions therein which would tend exceedingly to the good and welfare of our souls History tells us of many Heathens who were wont every evening to review the transactions of the day as of Sextius the Roman Philosopher of whom it is recorded that every evening as he was going to bed hee would question his soul what Evil he had healed what Vice he had withstood that day in what regard he was better then before an example worthy our Christian imitation and a shame it would be to us to fall short of Heathens herein II. Call to mind the passages of Gods Providence towards thee and treasure them up in thine heart and memory labouring to make a right use of them The truth is it is an argument of a prophane and irreligious heart to let the remarkable passages of Gods Providence pass away without any due observation of them for as the Psalmist speaketh The Lord hath so done his marvellous works that they ought to be had in remembrance and therefore it is thy duty and will be thy wisdome as in the day to take notice of all the passages of Gods Providence towards thee so in the evening to call them to remembrance that they may take the deeper impression upon thee III. If thou hast been moved to anger in the day time let not the Sun goe down upon thy wrath which is the counsel of the Apostle Paul whereby he implieth such a speedy suppression of anger that it may not sleep with thee for saith he in the next verse This is to give place to the Devil who like the Lion that is greedy of his Prey when the Sun is down creepeth forth seeking whom he may devour and in the night season coming to the angry man in his bed saith Gregory he setteth before him the greatness of the wrong done unto him and aggravateth the â—ame by all the amplifying circumstances thereof to heighten up his anger to a revenge and therefore saith the Apostle Let not the Sun goe down upon your wrath but if you have been moved unâ—o anger it must not live past a day lest in the day having conceived some displeasure thou travel with
to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy 2 At your first awaking in the morning lift up your hearts to God in Prayer and Thanksgiving for that comfortable rest and sleep hee hath vouchsafed unto you the night past For it is he â—hat giveth his beloved sleep and who reneweth his mercy every morning And then begge of God the assistance of his Spirit to carry you through all the duties of the day 3 Rise early on the Sabbath Day for in regard there are as secret duties of Piety to be performed by you in your Clossets so private duties of Piety in and with the Family if you live in a Family before you goe to the publick Congregation yee ought to rise so early that you may have convenient time for these duties and be at the Church at the beginning of the Exercises How blame worthy then are they who on the week-dayes can rise betimes to follow their worldly businesses but on the Lords Day doe lye longer in bed than ordinarily giving themselves up to their carnal ease and rest Is this to keep holy the Sabbath Day thus to sleep away the first and chiefest part thereof 4 In your rising let out your hearts in a serious meditation of Iesus Christ and of the great things he hath done and suffered for you and of the many good things whereof in and through him you are made partakers Meditate likewise on the infinite Majesty of God whom the glorious Angels adore with covered faces that your hearts being possessed with an aweful apprehension thereof you may perform the duties of Gods worship and service with such everence as becometh so sacred a Majesty 5 So soon as you are up and ready with-draw your self into some privaâ—e place and there read some porâ—ion of the Scriptures which will be an excellent means to season your hearts and compose your minds yea hereby you will be the better prepared to hear the Word preached and the better enabled to try the Doctrines delivered according to the exhortation of the Apostle Prove all things hold fast that which is good 6 As Prayer is a duty to be performed every morning so especially on the Lords-Day morning which is in some measure to bee suitable thereunto Having therefore confessed your sins and begged the pardon of them together with power against them and grace to serve God then pray both for the Minister and for your selves 1 For the Minister that God would give him a door of utterance that he may open his mouth boldly to publish the Mysteries of the Gospel yea that he may speak the VVord truly sincerely powerfully and profitably delivering that which is suitable and seasonable to your condition 2 For your selves that God would banish out of your heads all worldly wandring thoughts which may distract your minds in the hearing of the Word and so choaking that heavenly seed make it fruitless And that he would give unto you as attention to hearken so understanding to conceive wisdome to apply judgement to discern faith to beleeve memory to retain and grace to practise what you shall hear that so the Word may prove unto you a savour of life unto life and not a savour of death unto death These two last duties of reading the Word and Prayer are not to be performed only alone in secret but likewise in and with your Families if so be you be Parents and Masters of Families and therefore before you goe to the publick Ordinances call your Family together and pray with them as for other things so in special for the influences of the grace of God and the incomes of his Spirit upon your hearts and spirits in the good duties you shall take in hand that so you may perform them after such a manner as glory may redound to Gods name and some spiritual good and advantage to your own souls These are the duties to be performed by way of preparation Having thus fitted and prepared your selves I. Call your Fâ—mily together your Children and Servants and take them along with you to the publick Congregation and â—et Ioshuahs resolution bee often in your mind As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. And as you are going 1 Consider whither you are going viz. Not to a Fair or Market but to the House of God where God himself is present to behold you yea where God himself speaketh by the mouth of his Ministers 2 Go with a readiness of heart and resolution of mind to receive every truth that shall bee made known unto you out of Gods Word with such an heart came Cornelius to hear Peter Wee are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God said Cornelius to Peter And it is said of the Bereans that they received the Word with all readiness of mind II. Being come into Gods House observe these Rules and Directions 1 Set your selves as in the sight and presence of God who not onely observeth your outward carriage and behaviour but likewise understandeth all the imaginations of your hearts and is privy to every wandring thought in praying hearing and other holy duties which will be a special means to keep your minds from roving after other matters 2 Labour to hear the word with profit To this end and purpose I finde four special virtues commended in the Scripture viz. 1 Humility 2 Honesty 3 Attention 4 Faith 1 Humility for when a man is of an humble lowly meek and contrite spirit then is hee fit to hear the Word because hiâ— heart being emptied of pride and self-conceitedness there will be room for the Word to take place therefore saith David The meek will the Lord guide in judgement and the meek will hee teacâ— his way And saith the Lord himself by his Prophet Isaiah To this man will I look even to him that is poor viz. poor in spirit and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word 2 Another virtue requisite to the profitable hearing of the Word is Honesty or uprightness of heart whereby a man sincerely purposeth in every thing to approve himself unto God as to avoid every sin whatsoever that the Word condemneth be it never so delightsome or profitable unto him so to indeavour himself to the performance of every duty belonging to his place and calling which the Word commandeth This is that honest and good heart which our Saviour intendeth Luk. 8. 15. 3 As Honesty so Attention is requisite while the Word is preaching you must diligently attend thereunto as they who would be loath to lose a word that should be delivered This particular is noted of those that heard Christ-preach of whom it is said That they were attentive to hear him or as the Greek text hath it All the people hanged on him to hear him i. e. They were very attentive as unwilling to let any thing pass them So should you be as attentive to the Ministery of the
Word To this end keep your eyes steddy on the Preacher And as hee passeth from point to point think briefly on the point which is past which will exceedingly help your memory 4 Faith is another virtue requisite to the profitable hearing of the Word I say Faith whereby we do not only beleeve that which is taught us out of the Word to be true but also apply it unto our selves as if it were in special directed unto us The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation saith the Apostle but to whom even to every one that beleeveth And saith the Author to the Hebrews The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it In whose heart there is true Faith that man will apply the whole Word of-God unto himself whether it be the threatnings of the Law to terrifie him from sin or the sweet promises of the Gospel to allure him to holiness and so maketh much profit of every Sermon hee heareth Thus much for your hehaviour in the publick Congregation But you must not rest here thinking you have thereby sanctified the Sabbath day For there are likewise both Private and Secret duties of Piety required to a true sanctification of the Lords Day of which you ought to be as careful and conscionable as of the publick duties in the publick Congregation For God requires the whole day and not a part onely As therefore you would not be contented your servants should work for you only an hour or two on each of the six daies So neither should you yeeld less unto God than you require for your selves By Private duties of Piety I mean such as are perfoâ—med in a private Family And by Secret such as are done in some secret and retired place between God and ones self alone Now the Private duties of Piety which are especially required of such who are Parents and Masters of Families and wherein every member thereof are to joyn are these I. Repeating the Sermons they have heard with their family and examining them one after another what they remember explaining the same unto them which is commended to us by the practice and example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who when he was come home said unto his Disciples Have yee understood all these things viz. that he had preached to the multitude And St. Mark saith When they were alone hee expounded all things to his Disciples Wherupon one observeth That Christ by his example doth instruct every Master of a family how to carry himself in reference to those under his charge on the Lords Daies after their departure from the publick Congregation And truly a treble benefit will follow hereupon 1 In respect of your selves for the more you build up others the more your selves are built up in Knowledge Faith and every grace of God 2 In respect of your children and servants for it will make them to hearken more attentively to that which is delivered in the publick Congregation if they know they shall be called to an account for the same when they come home 3 It would much help both your selves and servants in the understaâ—ding and beleeving of that which you have heard in the publick if at home you would repeat it and confer of it and examine the proofs that have been delivered for the confirmation of it II. Another private duty is singing of Psalms for this may and ought to be performed in your families as well as in the Congregation This David commends for one duty of the Sabbath as Psal. 92. 1. The title of the Psalm is A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath day And thus it begins It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord to sing praises unto thy Name O most High This Ordinance being questioned by some and denied by others I shall 1 Prove the lawfulness thereof 2 Give you some directions for the right manner of performing the same First the lawfulness of singing Psalms doth appear both from Scripture Example and Reasons 1 For Scripture-proofs there are many both in the Old and New Testament but not to mention those in the Old Testament which may not prove so convincing In the New wee finde it commanded by the Apostle to the Ephesians Speak to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. And saith the Apostle Iames Is any among you afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalms Where you see it is in express terms commanded and that as a Gospel duty 2 We finde it commended both by the example of our Saviour and the practice of the Apostles and other Saints of God in the Primitive times 1 By the example of our Saviour of whom it is recorded that as at other times so the night in which he was betrayed hee sung a Psalm together with his Disciples And when they had sung an Hymn or Psalm they went out into the Mount of Olives 2 By the practice of the Apostles and other Saints in the Primitive times For wee read That at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God and the prisoners heard them Plinius Secundus though an Heathen who lived about two hundred years after Christ testified of Christians that they had their morning songs using to rise before day to sing Psalms 2 Reasons commending this duty may be taken from the benefits accompanying the same For 1 By this duty joyntly performed our own spirits will bee much quickened and enlivened 2 Wee shall thereby quicken and enliven the spirits of others 3 We shall all thereby be made the more chearful in serving God which may be one reason why Paul and Silas joyned singing of Psalms with their prayers 4 It manifesteth an holy zeal that wee bear unto our God and witnesseth that we are not ashamed to profess and praise his holy Name and therefore our tongue doth with chearfulness sound out aloud the praises of God This holy zeal did David express saying I will give thanks unto thee O Lord. among the Heathen and sing praises unto thy name Having thus proved the lawfulness of this duty by Scripture Example and Reason II. Come we now to the Directions for the right manner of performing the same which are set down by the Apostle in these words Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 1 First therefore it must be in the heart or with the heart i. e. our hearts must go with our voices the one must be lift up as well as the other For God is a Spirit and therefore will be worshipped with our hearts and spirits as well as with our bodies And truly singing with the voice without the concurrence of the heart and spirit is no more pleasing to God than a sounding brass or tinkling Cymbal 2 As we must sing with the heart so with grace in the
heart that is we must exercise the graces of Gods holy Spirit in singing as well as in praying labouring to express the same affection in singing the Psalm as David had in penning the same as if it be a Psalm of Confession then to express some humility and brokenness of heart and spirit in singing it If it be a Psalm of prayers and petitions then must our affections be fervent If a Psalm of praises and thanksgivings then must our hearts be chearful And thus must the affection of the heart be ever suitable to the quality of the Psalm 3 It must be to the Lord that is as in the sight and presence of the Lord and to his honour and glory As the Apostle expresseth it in the next verse Whatsoever yee do in word or deed do it as in the name of Christ so to the praise and glory of God making his glory the main end and aim of what you do III. Another private Duty to be performed with our Family is Prayer For if this duty ought to be performed every day twice at least viz. in the morning and evening then especially on the Lords Day which the Lord hath wholly consecrated to his worship and service The Directions for the right manner of performing this duty of Prayer so as it may be an acceptable service and sacrifice unto God you may finde in Chapter second about the latter part thereof IV. Reading the Scriptures is another Duty to be performed in and with our Family that so they may bee acquainted with the Body of the Scriptures yea and with the Precepts and Promises the Directions and Consolations of the Word for their direction and comfort Directions for the more profitable reading of the Scriptures see Chap. 4. These are the Private duties of Piety to bee performed on the Lords Day Besides the Publick and Private there are likewise secret duties to be performed by every one alone in their Closets or Chambers which are briefly these 1 Reading some part of Gods Word or other good Books 2 Meditating of what you have heard or read that day which is an excellent means to make the Word both read and preached profitable unto you For as meat though it be never so wholsome nourisheth us not if it be not concocted and digested so is it with the Word of God the food of our souls if it be not by meditation concocted and digested it will nothing at all profit us but being by meditation digested it will then prove effectual to the nourishing of our souls 3 Examining your selves as of your former life conversation so especially of your carriage the last week and of the manner of your performing the duties of the day and as you should be humbled for your faylings therein so you should resolve with the assistance of Gods grace to be more watchful over your selves for the time to come and to be more careful in sanctifying the Lords Day by a conscionable manner of performing the duties thereof 4 Praying unto God is another duty to be performed by you in secret as well as publickly and privately yea you should double and treble your Prayers on the Lords Day Under the Law we read how the Lord required double Sacrifices on the Sabbath Day for besides the daily Sacrifices two Lambs more were appointed to be offered up on the Sabbath day four in all to shew the holiness of the day And in like manner ought you to double your spiritual sacrifices of Prayer and Praises on the Lords Day earnestly beseeching him for Christs sake to pardon as your sins in general so in special the manifold infirmities and imperfections which have passed from you in the performance of your holy seâ—vices and to enable you by his Spirit to perform them for the time to come with more life and vigor with more fervency and affection Having thus shewed you both the Publick Private and Secret duties of Piety to be performed on the Lords Day Come we now to the Works of Mercy which is another Head of duties which ought to be performed on thatday and therefore to duties of Piety you must adde Works of Mercy on the Sabbath day in a conscionable performance of both which consisteth the true sanctification of the Sabbath And because man consists of two Parts viz. of Soul and Body and both of them are subject to many Maladies therefore the Works of Mercy may be brought to these two Heads 1 Such as concern the Soul 2 Such as concern the Body of your Neighbour I The Works of Mercy which concern the Soul of your Neighbour are these and such like 1 To instruct the ignorant in Points of Doctrine needful and necessary to be known herein Iob expressed his charity as Eliphas testifieth of him Thou hast instructed many viz. in the knowledge of God 2 To draw Sinners to repentance by setting before them as the severity of Gods Justice against all impenitent Sinners so the freeness of his grace and riches of his mercy to all penitenâ— Sinners 3 To comfort such as are comfortless through an apprehension of the number and hainousness of their sins by setting before them the All-sufficiency of Christs Sacrifice and the gracious offers in the Gospel to all who find their sins a burthen to them 4 To exhort and stirre up such as have begun well to hold on patiently and constantly whereunto the Apostle exhorteth us Let us saith he consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works or to whet on to love and good works as the word in the Original properly signifieth 5 To reprove and rebuke such as are scandalous and offensive in their waies Thus Iohn reproved Herod for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for many other evils 6 To resolve the doubtful 7 To strengthen and establish such as are weak in grace These indeed in one respect may be called works of Piety namely as they are instructions directions and consolations gathered out of the holy Scriptures But in another respect they are works of mercy namely as they tend to the good of your neighbours souls In which the poorest that are may be rich in good works II. The works of mercy which concern the body of our neighbour are these and such like 1 Relieving such as are in want The Apostle enjoyning the Corinthians to lay up some thing in store every first day of the week which is the Lords Day implieth that that is a very fit season not only to do such works of mercy which are then offered unto us but also to prepare for other times And surely if every one would every Lords Day set apart something out of his commings in that week for a stock to give to charitable uses much good might be done thereby For as men by this means will have more to give than otherwise they will finde in their hearts to do on the week days So they will give both more
and life of him that hath it By this then try and examine thy knowledge whether it be saving sanctifying or no. II. The second grace necessarily required of every Communicaâ—t whereof thou must examine thy self is FAITH Conceâ—ning which I shall shew you 1. What Faith this is 2. The Necessity thereof 3. Some signs and notes for the tryall thereof I. For the first what faith this is I answer a true saving justifying faith may be thus described Faith is a grace wrought in the heart of a sinner by the spirit of God through the ministery of the word whereby being convinced of his sinfull miserable condition and of all disabilitie in himself or any other meer creature to free him out of the same he goeth wholly out of himself unto Iesus Christ and receiving him as his all-sufficient Saviour and Soveraign resteth upon his perfect righteousness and all-sufficient Sacrifice for the pardon and forgiveness of his sins here and for eternal life and Salvation hereafter II. The Necessity of this grace of Faith to every communicant appeareth 1. Because without faith it is impossible to please God in any holy ordinance as the Apostle expresseth it But true faith will commend both our persons and services unto Gâ—d so that they shall find acceptance with him though they be full of weaknesses and imperfections This made Abels sacrifice so acceptable to God If therefore thou come to this ordinance without faith instead of pacifying God thou shall purchase his heavy displeasure 2. Except thou hast faith before thou approachest to that ordinance the Sacrament cometh but like a seal to a blank and serveth onely to seal up thine unbelief to condemnation So that faith is necessarily required of every worthy communicant before he cometh to the Lords Supper for that ordinance is not instituted for the working of faith but for the strengthning thereof A man may come to the ministery of the word though he be faithless because it is an ordinance instituted by God for the begetting of faith according to that of the Apostle Faith cometh by hearing But none are to come to the Sacrament but such as have faith wrought in them Because that is not an ordinance instituted by God for the begetting of faith but rather for the strengthning thereof It was not instituted for such as are out of Christ to bring them in but for such aâ— are in Christ to bring them up in him As a man must be born before he can eat so he must be begotten again by the Spirit of God before he can feed upon the Body and Blood of Christ for his spiritual nourishment I do not say that all who come to the Sacrament must have the same measure of Faith but it is necessary that they all have the fame truth of Faith III. For the third Particular the tryall of thy Faith whether it be true and saving thou mayest know it by these two Characters to omit many others 1. True faith doth receive Christ in all his Offices not onely as a Priest to make satisfaction and intercession for us but also as a Prophet to teach and instruct us and as a King to rule and govern us The true believer doth as willingly cast himself at the feet of Christ in subjection to him as into the arms of Christ for Salvation from him He is as willing to serve Jesus Christ as to be saved by him as desirous to submit to his services as to injoy his privileges By this therefore may'st thou try the truth of thy faith 2. True faith is an heart-purifying grace it purifieth the heart This character of faith the Apostle Peter expresseth Act. 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by faith Faith purifying the heart implyeth two things 1 That the believer maketh conscience of his inward thoughts whereas unbelievers with the Pharisees make clean the out-side of the cup labour to keep themselves from gross and scandalous sins but suffer their hearts to range and rove into a world of vain and wanton thoughts of prophane and fruitless imaginations and that without any remorse or check of conscience 2. That faith puts a purifying disposition into the heart so that it loathes and detests sin yea and strives against it though it cannot altogether purge and free it self from sin when the heart is once seasoned with faith it will not willingly harbour sin but labour to worke it out more and more By this then try the truth and soundness of thy faith whether it hath wrought in thee a purging purifying disposition to strive against thy corruptions and to worke them out of thine heart more and more III. The third grace necessarily required of every communicant is Repentance concerning which I shall shew 1. The nature of Repentance what it is 2. The Necessity thereof to a worthy partaking of the Lords Supper 3. Some signs and notes for the tryall thereof I. For the first what true Repentance is I answer It is a grace of Gods Spiriâ— whereby both the heart and affections within and also the life and actions without are reformed In this description I take the full nature of Repentance to be comprized Many do add hereunto an inward sorrowing and mourning of the heart which doth indeed alwaies accompany true Repentance but it is not of the nature thereof For then wheresoever sorrow for sin were there should be true Repentance which is not so as the examples of Saul Iudas and other wicked men do declare Briefly to open this dâ—finition of Repentance First I say It is a grace of Gods Spirit i. e. a gift freely given of God and wrought in us by his holy Spirit so that it proceedeth not from mans free will nor from any power and ability of his nature Again Repentance is a Reformation wherein consists the very nature thereof as the words of turning renewing changing and the like which in Scripture are attributed to Repentance do imply Now this Reformation must first be of the heart for the heart of a man is the fountain of all his actions now in reason the fountain must be cleansed and purged before that which issueth and streameth from it can be wholesome There must be therefore first a renewed heart before there can be a reformed life for it cannot be that the stream of our actions should be good if the fountain of our heart be corrupt Hence it is that the Prophets so often call for the cleansing of the heart and the Apostles for the renewing and changing thereof without which all external and outward reformation is but meer Pharisaical ostentation In the last place is added A reformation of the life and actions without for as to make some outward shew of Reformation without reforming the heart within is but Pharisaical ostentation whereby we deceive others So to pretend an inward Reformation without the outward fruits of amendment is but meer folly whereby we deceive our selves For it cannot be that Reformation should be
truly rooted and grounded in the heart but that it will bud forth and shew it self in the fruits of a godly life That man therefore deceiveth himself who thinks his heart is purged and reformed when his life is polluted For as the fruits declare the tree so the actions of men manifest their affections II. The Necessity of this grace of Repentance in every worthy Communicant upon his approaching to the Lords Table appeareth because we come to receive a sacrifice for sin but to offer to receive a sacrifice for sin without turning from sin is to count the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing We are not ignorant that one main end of our approaching to the Lords Table is to receive Christ as he hath offered himself a sacrifice and price of Redemption for our sins for so he is set forth in that Sacrament the breaking of the bread and pouring out of the Wine import as much Yea Christ expresly saith of the Sacramental Cup This is my blood which is shed for remission of sins Now he that looketh for pardon of sin must have a full purpose and according to his purpose a faithful and resolute indeavour to forsake sin which is and will be the mind of every true penitent and so also it ought to be The Lord therefore requireth of them who bring their sacrifices to him for pardon That they take away the evil of their works and cease to do evil and learn to do well and thereupon inferreth this gracious invitation Come now and let us reason together With what face then dares an impenitent sinner that is not touched with any remorse for his sins past nor hath any purpose to turn from his sins for the time to come offer to take that body which was broken and that blood which was shed for sin Such an eating and drinking of Christs body and blood is a plain trampling of the Son of God under foot and a counting of the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing a thing that may be mixed with impuâ—e and unholy things If this be not to be guilty of the body and blood of Christ what can be III. For the Trial of thy Repentance whether it be found and sincere thou mayest know it by these signs and notes 1 By a godly sorrow for sins past By a godly sorrow I mean such a sorrow as maketh God its object that is when we grieve and mourn for sin more out of respect to God than for fear of punishment that we have offended so good a God so gracious a Father so bountiful a Lord and Master I deny not but it is good and commendable to grieve and mourn for sin in respect of punishment for fear of Hell For it is a good preparatory to a godly sorrow But we must not rest therein By this therefore try and examine the truth of thy Repentance for wheresoever there is true Repentance there must be this godly sorrow 2. A turning from those evil waies wherein we have formerly walked as you may see in the example of those penitents that are recorded in Scripture as of Paul Peter Zacheus and others who upon their repentance turned from those evil courses wherein they had formerly walked Hereby therefore try the truth of thy repentance Hath it wrought a change and alteration in thy course of life are old things done away is there a forsaking of former sins hast thou leâ—t thy swearing thy drunkenness thy whoredomes thy cousenings by false weights and measures canst thou say of thy self as Paul did of the Corinthians I was once a swearer a drunkard an adulterer a reviler an extortioner a covetous person and the like But now I am washed now I am sanctified yea and justified in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ and by the spirit of my God Canst thou thus say of thy self and that in truth and sincerity of heart then thou hast some comfortable evidence of the truth and soundness of thy repentance But how vainly do they deceive themselves who because they have made confession of their sins unto God and happily with some few â—ears flatter themselves with a conceit of true repentance when yet they still live and continue in their former sinfull courses wall owing like swine in the filth of sin and mire of sinfull filthiness 3. A turning unto God for where there is true repentance there is not onely a turning from sin but likewise a turning unto God Whereby I mean a sincere endeavour to serve and please God in newness of life and better obedience Hath then the sense and smart of thy former wandrings made thee earnestly to wish that thou mightest please God better for the time to come make much of such affections in thy soul for it is an evident sign of some change there IV. A fourth grace necessarily required of every Communicant before he presume to come to the Lords Table is LOVE yeâ— a two fold Love is required of every Communicant viz. 1 A love of God and of Christ. 2. A love of his Neighbour Both which are unseparably knit together yet for a more distinct handling of them I will sever them in my discourse and treat of them apart shewing you 1. The necessity of them to a worthy partaking of the Lords Supper 2 Some sings and notes for the trial of them I. First For the Love of God that is necessarily required of every Communicant because the greatest evidence that ever was given of Gods Love is there set before us For Jesus Christ the only Son of God and Saviour of man is the greatest evidence of Gods Love that ever was or can be Should God set himself to make another world and to confer on that world a greater gift than he hath conferred on this world namely his onely begotten and dearly beloved Son we may boldly say hee could not Neither can the creatures receive nor the Creator give a greater gift and that both in regard of the excellency of the gift it self and also in regard of the need wherein we stood thereof and of the good we reap thereby Therefore Gods love in this evidence thereof is so set out as goes beyond all expression God so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Son c. So unutterably so unconceivably so infinitely as who shall indeavour to express this SO to the full shall do it but So So. Seeing then such an evidence of such love of God to man is set out at the Lordsâ— Table should not every one who approacheth thereunto to partake of that evidence of Gods love come with an heart filled with a love to God and with a resolution to shew forth all fruits of a true love of God on all occasions And as we must come with a love to God so with a love to Iesus Christ who so loved us as to dye a cruel cursed death for us And thereby manifested greater love to us than
to himself to the members of his mystical body than to the members of his naturalâ— body For he offered up his natural body as a Sacrifice for the redemption of his mystical body What greater love than this can be imagined Oh how doth it then concern us to go to that ordinance with hearts inflamed with a love to Jesus This much of the necessity of our love to God and to his Son Jesus Christ. II. For the Trial thereof you may know it by these notes and characters 1 Where there is a true hearty love to God and to Iesus Christ the heart will bee much taken up with the thoughts of them Such an one will be often thinking of God and of Jesus Christ and of their transcendent love manifested in the great work of Redemption David having said Oh how do I love thy Law he presently adds It is my meditation all the day And indeed whatsoever and whomsoever we love we cannot but frequently think and meditate on Indeed such as love God and the Lord Jesus Christ in truth and sincerity may have multitude of vain wanton worldly covetous thoughts in their hearts but they take no true delight in them they are rather their grief and their burden but the thoughts of God and of Christ are very sweet and comfortable unto them By this therefore try and examine the truth of thy love unto God and Jesus Christ. 2 Where there is an hearty love to God and to Iesus Christ such an one will bee often speaking of them For the tongue cannot but be speaking of those things and persons upon whom the heart is set If the heart of a man be set upon the world and the things thereof his tongue will be most frequently talking and discoursing of them In like manner if the heart of a man be set upon God and Jesus Christ his tongue will be frequently talking and discoursing of them By this therefore try and examine the truth of thy love unto God and Jesus Christ. For hee that saith hee loveth God and the Lord Jesus Christ and yet seldome thinks of them or speaks of them certainly hee deceiveth himself for wee cannot but bee thinking and speaking of those whom we truly love 3 Where there is an hearty love unto God and Iesus Christ it will make a man willing to do any thing for them Iacob loved Rachel and what did hee not do for her Hee served two Apprentiships and yet all seemed nothing to him for the love he had to her And therefore where there is a sincere love to God and Christ it will constrain such an one to lay out himself to the uttermost for them to put himself upon the practice of such duties which are hard and difficult and require much labour and pains By this then try and examine the truth of thy love unto God and his Son Jesus Christ. 4 Where there is an hearty love to God and Iesus Christ it will make a man willing to suffer any thing for them It is said of the Primitive Saints that out of their abundant love unto the Lord Jesus Christ they accounted not their estates too dear for him but took joyfully the spoiling of their goods Neither did they account their lives too dear For it is expresly said They loved not their lives to death for him i. e. they despised their lives in comparison of Christ they willingly exposed not only their goods and estates to the spoil and their persons to all manner of shame and contempt but also their bodies to painful deaths for the cause of Christ. By this then try and examine the truth of thy love unto Jesus Christ namely by thy willingness to suffer for the cause and truths of Jesus Christ. II. Love of thy neighbour is another branch of that love which is required of every Communicant Touching which I shall briefly shew 1 The Necessity thereof in every Communicant 2 The Trial thereof I. The Necessity thereof appeareth in that the Lord will not accept of any service thou performest unto him if thou bee not in love and charity with thy neighbour as our Saviour himself speaketh in that known place If therefore thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee Leave there thy gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift This phrase Thy brother hath ought against thee may be indefinitely taken of one that hath provoked another or hath been provoked himself hath ought against thee whether by thy default or his So that hereby is implied whether wrong be done by thee or to thee if there be any variance between thee and thy neighbour peace and reconciliation must be speedily sought For without it God will not accept of any worship or service thou offerest unto him Though Christ here instanceth but in one kind of worship which was the offering up of Sacrifice yet under this hee comprehendeth all the parts and kinds of Gods worship as praying hearing receiving the Sacrament or the like So that Christs meaning is that whensoever thou settest upon any part of Gods worship and service and then remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee i. e. that thou hast any way wronged and offended thy brother or as Mark hath it If thou hast ought against thy brother i. e. if he hath wronged thee first be reconciled to thy brother and then go to the ordinance of God II. For the Trial of the truth of thy love to thy brother thou mayest know it by these notes 1 If thou hast truly forgiven thy brother thou wilt be so far from doing him any harm though it lay in thy power that thou wilt not wish any harm unto him 2 If thou hast truly forgiven thy offending brother thou wilt willingly imbrace occasions of doing him good that so he may know and be assured that thou art reconciled to him This our Saviour requireth of all his Disciples where he saith Love your enemies i. e. those who have any way wronged you and as an evidence of the truth of your love he addeth Do good to them thâ—t hate you intimating that it is not sufficient that you speak friendly and peaceably to your enemies but you must likewise take all occasions of doing them what good you can which is true Christian love and charity Having thus spoken largely to the first head of Examination namely our graces I come now to the second namely our sins wherein I shall study brevity As it is the duty of every Communicant to examine himself concerning his graces so likewise concerning his sins which are like that accursed thing whereof God speaketh to Ioshua Iosh. 7. 11. they must therefore be searched out Yea they are like the wilde gourd that brought death into the pot If they be not searched out and cast away they will turn the Sacramental
bread and wine into spiritual bane Hee therefore that covereth his sins shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy It is said of the Viper that when she goeth to joyn with her Mare she casteth out all her poison How much more oughtest thou when thou goest to have communion with thy heavenly Spouse the Lord Jesus Christ cast out thy sins which are a spiritual poison worse than the poison of any Viper In this Examination as thou must search after thine evil thoughts woâ—ds and deeds and after thy sins of omission and commission so likewise and especially after the sins thou hast committed since thy last receiving of the blessed Sacrament and such as are most against the vows and covenants that formerly thou madest with God and which do mostgaul thy conscience or most disgrace thy profession or are greatest occasions of dulling thy spirit that these being found out they may be the more lamented and pardon for them more earnestly desired In the examining thy self it will be a good help to read such a Treatise as doth in particular set out the several sins against the several Commandements For when by such a Treatise thou art shewed that such a thing is a sin against such a Commandement thy conscience will upon the reading of such sins tell thee that therein thou hast sinned Having examined and searched thine heart thorowly of all thy known sins then humble thy self before the Throne of Grace in a true and unfeigned acknowledgement and confession of them freely judging and condemning thy self before God with a broken and contrite heart Directions to help thee in the right manner of confessing thy sins See in Chap. 20. And having confessed thy sins pour out thy soul in hearty prayer unto God for the pardon and forgiveness of them all And then be earnest with him to make the Sacrament effectual to thy comfort effectual to the mortifying of thy lusts to the strengthening of thy graces especially to the confirming of thy Faith in the assurance of the pardon and forgiveness of thy sins c. III. Having shewed the duties Antecedent come we now to the duties Concomitant i. e. such as must accompany the action of receiving But first I shall premise some few Directions touching the Manner of thine approaching to the Lords Table 1 Having thus prepared thy self go not in the strength of thy preparations but onely in the strength of Iesus Christ looking for acceptance onely in and thorow his merits and mediation For though thou hast prepared thy self after the best manner that thou canst yet if with an impartial eye thou shalt look back upon thy preparations how full of weaknesses infirmities and imperfections wilt thou finde them So that if Christ do not cover both thy person and thy preparation with the Robe of his Righteousness and sprinkle them with his blood neither thy person nor thy preparation will finde acceptance with God Cast therefore all thy preparations at the feet of Jesus Christ and say Lord I come not in the strength of my preparations but onely in thy strength I come in thine alone name and mediation to partake of thy body and of the benefits of thy death and passion And thou mayest then be confident that God will over-look thy manifold weaknesses and imperfections in the work of preparation and accept of thee and of thy services in and thorow his beloved Son Jesus Christ. 2 As thou art going meditate on the ends and benefits of that solemn ordinance some whereof are these 1 The remembrance of the death of Christ it being instituted as a memorial thereof 2 The spiritual nourishment of our souls 3 The strengthening of our Faith in the assurance of the pardon and forgiveness of our sins 4 The sealing of the Covenant of Grace with all the blessings thereof unto the beleeving soul. 5 The encreasing of our spiritual union and communion with Christ and all his members A serious meditation of these will be a special means to stir up in us some spiritual appetite after the ordinance that we shall go with hungring and thirsting desires after the same 3 Go with a strong expectation to receive much from Christ in and thorow that ordinance knowing that Christ will inlarge himself unâ—o all those who come with inlarged hearts with a strong expectation of many good things Open thy mouth wide saith the Lord and I will fill it So that if thou open thy mouth wide in a longing expectation of great matters he will fill it Yea the more thine heart is inlarged in desire and expectation the more will Gods heart be inlarged in bounty towards thee As therefore God hath promised in the Covenant of Grace to pardon thy sins to subdue thy corruptions to give thee a soft heart and the like go with an expectation of these and such like blessings and thou shalt not be disappointed of thine hopes 4 Approach to the Lords Table with all holy reverence in respect of Gods glorious Majesty who is in a special manner present at that ordinance to behold his guests and will be sanctified by all those who draw nigh unto him 5 Approach thereunto with all humility in respect of thine own vileness and unworthiness who art but sinful dust and ashes and if thou hast any light of grace in thee canst not but be conscious to thy self of more corruption in thine own heart than thou knowest to be in the heart of another And therefore say not Such an one is ignorant and such an one is loose in his life and conversation but say Lord I am ignorant I am unworthy to draw nigh unto thee in so holy an Ordinance not worthy to gather up the crumbs under thy Table And know that the more unworthy thou art in thine own account the worthier guest thou art in the account of God 6 As thou art going to the Lords Table cast all thy worldly thoughts and businesses out of thine head which otherwise will carry away thine heart from the ordinance and exceedingly disturb thee thereat In Iob 1. 6. wee read There was a day when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also amongst them In like manner on the day when Gods Children present themselves before the Lord in that solemn Ordinance Satan will be sure to appear amongst them to disturb and distract them therein as much as possibly he can by casting into their heads vain and impertinent thoughts And therefore it concerneth thee to be watchful over thy thoughts and to keep thine heart close to the ordinance To that end it will be thy wisdome oft to eye the outward elements of bread and wine and diligently to observe the outward rites and actions in the ordinance and thereupon to meditate of the spiritual things signified thereby These things premised Come we now to the Duties to be performed at the Ordinance which are these I. When
that they did even break him again For wee use to say of one that hath endured much pain or other great grief that hath wasted his flesh or dried up his blood See how hee is broken and in this sense also may Christ be said to be broken Again when thou seest the Minister pouring out of the wine then exercise and actuate thy Faith in the blood of Jesus Christ and the shedding thereof which indeed sheweth the extent of Christs sufferings even to the taking away of his life which is the furthest extent of a mans suffering in this world These two therefore The breaking of Christs body and the shedding of his blood are fitly joyned together the former to shew the extremity of Christs sufferings the latter the extent thereof even as far as possibly could bee to the shedding of his blood Again when thou seest the Minister offering the bread and wine to the Communicants then by the eye of Faith see Gods love in offering his Son to every beleeving Communicant For as verily as the Minister doth offer the bread and the wine so truly doth God really offer Christ with all the benefits of his death and passion to every beleeving Communicant I do not say carnally but really not the flesh of Christ but Christ with all the benefits of his death and passion as Reconciliation Redemption Remission of sins c. For there is not a meer Representation but a real and true exhibition of Christ as broken for our sins II. Another act of Faith to bee exercised at the Lords Supper is to receive Iesus Christ. For the Beleever having seen Christ with the eye of Faith under the outward elements and forementioned rites then hee receiveth him into his heart with much joy and gladness As therefore thou stretchest forth the hand of thy body to receive the bread and wine stretch forth the hand of Faith to apprehend and receive Jesus Christ and to rest upon him for life and for salvation For Faith is that instrument whereby wee receive Christ and all his benefits as they are offered to us in the Gospel and sealed up to us in the Sacrament Faith is to the soul as the hand is to the body that which is offered to a man for his good the hand readily receiveth and what the hand so receiveth is a mans own Thus God offering his Son unto us Faith perswades the heart of Gods good will to man and of his true intent to have man made partaker of his Son and thereupon apprehends him and receives him for his own and Christ is truly his III. Another act of Faith to be exercised at the Lords Supper is to apply and appropriate Christ to thy self which is implied under the Rites of eating the bread aâ—d drinking the wine whereby is meant a feeding upon Christ by Faith which is an applying of him When therefore thou art eating the bread and drinking the wine feeâ— upon Christ by a particular application of him and all his benefits to thine own souls comfort By Faith assure thy self that Christ was born for thee that hee might bee thy Saviour to save thâ—e from thy sins That hee performed perfect obedience unto the Law that his Righteousness might be imputed uâ—to thee Thus hee died a bitter cursed death to free thee from eternal death and condemnation which thy sins had deserved Thus thou oughtest to apply Christ with all his benefits unto thine own souls comfort And thus to act Faith is to eat and drink indeed to communicate indeed The truth is this act of Faith in applying Christ is the most suitable to the Ordinance of the Lords Supper And the more thou canst put forth the act of application therein the greater comfort shalt thou receive from the Ordinance for propriety in Christ is that which sweetens all Yet lest weak Christians such as are weak in Faith should be discouraged and think themselves uncapable of comfort because they cannot thus â—eed upon Christ by Faith they cannot apply Christ nor the benefits of his death unto themselves I desire such to take notice that though this act of application is the most suitable to the Ordinance yet the former act of receiving Christ and resting upon him gives us a true interest in him whereby Christ and all his benefits become ours which puts us into a blessed and happy condition Yet I would advise all such who have attained to that measure and degree of Faith as to lay hold upon Jesus Christ and to receive him as their Saviour and thereupon to rest upon him alone for life and salvation that they would strive to raise it one pitch higher namely to apply â—hrist with all the benefits of his death and passion unto their own souls comfort Because this act of Faith doth especially make to our comfort and consolation as well as to our spiritual benefit II. Another grace to bee exercised at the Lords Supper is Repentance For a broken Christ requires a broken heart Whereas in true Repentance there is a godly sorrow for sins past And a full purpose and resolution of heart to leave and forsake them for the time to come and to walk more closely with God While you are at the Sacrament you should exercise your Repentance in both these particulars 1 You should labour to be affected with a true grief and sorrow foâ— your sins To that end seriously meditate of the manifold sufferings of Christ for ceâ—tainly a due and serious meditation of what Christ hath suffered for our sins cannot but affect our hearts with some measure of grief and sorrow for the same for shall Christ bleed for our sins and shall not wee weep for them was Christ broken with torments for our sins and shall not the consideration thereof break our hearts for them 2 You must ingage your selves by a solemn Vow and promise unto God to bee more watchful over your selves against sin for the time to come and to walk more closely and exactly with God As often as you partake of the Lords Supper so often God reneweth the Covenant on his part hee ingageth himself afresh to bee your God to pardon your sins to subdue your corruptions to write his Law in your hearts that is to work in you as a desire and disposition to the keeping of his Laws and Commandements so a sincere indeavour after the same And therefore it is your duty to renew the Covenant on your parts to ingage your selves afresh in the strength of Christ to walk as a people in Covenant with God to bee more watchful over your selves against sin for the time to come to bee more his faithful servants than ever you were before Having shewed both the Duties Antecedent and Concomitant Come wee now to the Duties Subsequent such as must follow after the action of receiving For it is not enough that you duly prepare your selves to that Ordinance and reverently carry your selves at it but you must likewise walk in some
measure suitably thereunto To that end observe these Directions 1 So soon as you get home withdraw your self into some secret place and there upon your knees from your heart bless God as for hâ—s manifold favours mercies and blessings so especially and above all for the fountain of all blessings the Lord Jesus Christ for his Covenant of Grace made unto you in him for adding the Sacraments as Seals to the Covenant of Grace for the strengthening of your Faith and for making you that day partakers of his blessed Sacrament and for that comfort and refreshment which you finde therein I hope you are not such beasts as to forget to return thanks to God for the food wherewith your bodies are refreshed And will you bless God for your corporal food and not for your spiritual food whereby your souls are nourished unto everlasting life Will you bless God for a crumb and not for a Christ in whom are all good things contained in a most eminent manner 2 Did you finde your hearts cheared and warmed at the Lords Supper beware of quenching that spiritual heat which was there kindled in you by a sudden falling into worldly conferences and fruitless discourses But labour to keep alive that sacred fire which you found then kindled in your hearts by prayer meditation and holy conferences for know that a sudden quenching of the Spirit will exceedingly tend to the hardening of your hearts 3 Maintain a stricter watchfulness over your selves against sin for the time to come Were your souls washed at the Sacrament with the blood of Christ from the filthy spots and stains of sin and will you sâ—on after with the Sow wallow again in the filth of sin and miâ—e of sinful filthiness Did you upon your approaching to that Ordinance cast up your sins by confession and will you now with the Dogge return to your vomit again Did you there by the eye of faith see Christ crucified for your Sins under the rites of breaking the Bread and pouring out the Wine and wil you now by a fresh committing of sin crucifie him again rather resolve and strive hence forward to crucifie your sins for which Christ was crucified to hate abhor and abandon every Sin as much as in you lieth 4 Labour to live more soberly righteously and godly in this present world More soberly towards your selves more righteously towards your Neighbours and more godly towards God As you have been made partakers of an Ordinance not common to all but peculiar to Saints so your lives should have somewhat peculiar in them which is not common to wicked men You should live convincing lives by exceeding others in holiness and in righteousness You must be more frequent and fervent in Family-duties more careful in sanctifying the Lords Day more just and honest in your dealings with men living so as you may credit your Profession and adorn the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And when you are tempted to any sin thus reason the case with your selves Was I not lately at the Lords Table and did I not there vow and promise to be more watchful against Sin and more careful to walk in the waies of godliness and shall I now step out of the way of godliness into the way of sin Thus lay your temptation to the touch-stone of your vow and try whether it bee not against it which through the blessing of God may prevent many a Sin CHAP. XXIII Of the Common mutual Duties betwixt Husband and Wife HAving shewed the general Directions which appertain to Christians as Christians I come now to the particular Duties which appertain to thee in thy several and distinct relations For it is not sufficient that thou make conscience of the general Duties of Christianity but thou must also be conscionable in the performance of the particular duties of thy several relations whereby much good is both mutually communicated one to another and received one from another Whereas the Apostle Paul in setting down the severul Duties of relations doth still bring them under three Heads viz. Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants I shall follow his Method shewing thee the duties of each of these For the Duties of Husband and Wife they may be drawn to two Heads 1 To such as are common to both 2 Such as are proper and peculiar to each severally The common and mutual Duties are these I. A loving affection of one to another I call this a mutual Duty because as the Husband is to love his Wife so the Wife is to love her Husband Love is a duty which every Christian oweth to another Love thy neighbour as thy self saith our Saviour Where by Neighbour is meant every man every woman so that we are bound to love every one even our enemies for Christs sake But the nearer any are knit together the more they are bound to this duty of love and to abound therein Now who are so nearly knit together as Husband and Wife and therefore there ought to be a mutual loving affection between them and that love which one sheweth to the other will stirre up the other to requite that love again so as there is nothing lost by love II. Outward concord and agreement This should be as farre as is possible with all men i. e. so farre as may stand with faith and a good conscience but more especially between Husband and Wife who are so nearly knit together For without concord and agreement between Husband and Wife what comfort can either find in their house The truth is every one lives more or less comfortable in his house as there is concord and agreement there And therefore saith the Wise man Better is a dinner of herbs or roots where love is than a stalled Oxe and hatred therewith And again Better is a dry morsel and quietness therewith than an house full of sacrifice with strife i. e. slender fare yea a dry crust with peace and concord is more comfortable than good chear with strife and contention for that will so imbitter the sweetest Meats that a man can find little relish in them For the better preserving of concord and agreement betwixt Husband and Wife take these few Directions 1 Labour to suppress and keep down all furious Passions which doe usually occasion discord and dissention especially when one is passionate it will be the wisdom of the other to act patience and to express a spirit of meekness for when both are hot and angry together then the fire of contention is like to increase to such a flame as will not suddenly bee quenched And therefore I would commend this rule to Married persons To beware of beâ—ing both angry together but rather let one be to the other like Davids Harp to apt ease Sauls fury 2 Though the fire of contention be kindled at home yet let it not break forth into thy neighbours house but bee sure thou keep it within
is the onely way and means of salvation 2 That beleeving in Christ is the onely means of partaking of him and of salvation by him As there is no salvation but by Christ so there is no having Christ and salvation but by Faith 1 The former is clear from many places of Scripture as first from that known place Neither is there salvation in any other c. Here the Apostle plainly shews that there is no salvation but by Christ for which hee gives a sufficient reason in the next words For there is no name under Heaven given among men whereby wee must be saved implying thereby that if through Gods free Grace we be saved it must necessarily be in and by Jesus Christ. For it is not the name of a mans own duties or righteousness whereby hee can be saved they are full of infirmities and imperfections whereupon the Church crieth out All our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs i e. the best works of the best men performed after the best manner that they can are as a menstruous cloath full of spots and stains full of weaknesses and imperfections Neither is it the name of a mans graces whereby hee can bee saved for they likewise are weak and imperfect there being a mixture of sin as in our best duties so in our best graces a mixture of pride with our humility of hypocrisie with our sincerity of unbeleef with our faith c. I grant indeed that Christians may look to their graces as evidences of their part and interest in Jesus Christ and of salvation by him but not as causes of their salvation They may likewise make use of duties as means to bring them unto Christ but not to bee saved by them Christ and Christ alone is the only cause and Author of their salvation and therefore hee stiles himself the way the truth and the life saying I am the way the truth and the life i. e. the true way to eternal life the onely way by which wee may certainly and out of which it is impossible wee should ever attain unto eternal life and salvation In which respect hee is often stiled A SAVIOUR Yea hee is termed the Author of eternal salvation Heb. 5. 9. The word in the Greek properly signifieth a cause even the efficient cause of of our salvation and that hee is both by purchase from his Father and by conquest over Satan whose slaves and vassals all mankind were In this respect hee is likewise called the Captain of our Salvation Yea hee is stiled Salvation it self And on this ground was the name Iesus given him Because it was hee who should save his people from their sins And therefore as hee is the wise builder who built his house upon the Rock So he is the wise Christian who builds his hope of salvation only upon this Rock the Lord Jesus Christ. And the truth is all other things besides Jesus Christ will prove but rotten and sandy foundations to all those who shall build their hope of salvation upon them And yet how many foolish Christians be there who build their hope of salvation upon other things besides Jesus Christ. As 1 Some upon their freedome from scandalous sins they are not so bad as other men and thereupon flatter themselves with a conceit of their good estate yea and hope of salvation which was the deceit of the proud Pharisee who thought himself a good man because hee was not so bad as others Whereas in truth it is not hee who is not so bad as others that hath a well-grounded hope of salvation but he who goeth wholly out of himself unto Christ that with a disclaiming of all Righteousness of his own doth place his whole confidence upon the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and the merits of his death and passion for life and for salvation 2 Others build their hope of salvation upon some good desires in their hearts now and then by fits But alas they are much mistaken and deceived who think with a few good desires to break open the gates of Heaven I grant indeed that good desires in the soul I mean desires of grace and holiness are a good sign of some beginnings of grace for it is grace to desire grace But if you rest contented with your desires after grace and goodness and not go unto Jesus Christ the fountain of all grace and goodness you may lye down in sorrow and fall short of eternal life and salvation 3 Others build their hope of salvation upon their bare outward profession of Religion they have been baptized and profess the true Christian Faith and thereupon think themselves as good Christians as the best But as Christ cursed the Fig-tree which had leaves only and no fruit so will hee curse them who bear the leaves of Profession but want the fruits of a godly life and conversation And it is like to fare with them as it did with the five foolish Virgins who had their Lamps of Profession as well as the wise Virgins but for want of oyl in their Lamps i. e. of grace in their hearts were shut out of the Bride-chamber i. e. out of Heaven which is the Bride-chamber of Jesus Christ. 4 Others build and bottome their hope of salvation upon their civil Righteousness and moral honesty their just and upright dealing with men and the like when as many Heathen who had no knowledge of Jesus Christ and so fell short of Heaven have gone further in Morality and Civil Righteousness than these men 5 Others build their hope of salvation upon their Religious Righteousness their frequent performance of holy and religious duties they are frequent in hearing praying reading partaking of the Lords Supper c. and hereupon flatter themselves with an hope of salvation whereas their best services should they bee weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary would be found too light and insufficient to salvation being full of weaknesses infirmities and imperfections for which the Lord might justly condemn them should hee deal with them according to the rigour of his justice 6 Others build their hope of salvation upon their sorrow and humiliation finding their hearts in some measure affected with grief and sorrow for their sins especially if they do but drop a few tears oh then they flatter themselves with an hope both of the pardon and forgiveness of their sins and of eternal life and salvation which they ground upon that promise of our Saviour Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Conceiving that Christ had promised rest and peace yea life and salvation unto all that found their hearts affected with grief and sorrow for their sins without any more adoe whereas I conceive it is not so much a promise of rest and salvation unto humbled souls as an invitation unto such because they are most apt to be discouraged to come unto Christ from whom alone
grace is past and thâ—t it is now too late having so long stood out against the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ. For the removal of this I shall propound four things to your serious consideration 1 It is not for any man to say his day of grace is past for that is one of those secrets which belong only unto God to know And we must not meddle with Gods secrets but check our selves for it 2 If thou hast stood out against Christ hitherto thou hast now therefore the more reason to come in and cloze with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ. 3 If thou hast an heart desirous to cloze with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ it is certain thy day of grace is not yet past Christ still knocks at the door of thine heart therefore now resolve to open unto him 4 Consider that Christ hath several seasons of bringing men home to himself some hee brings home to himself in the latter end of the day who questionless refused him in the former part thereof and therefore so long as life lasteth do not say it is too late but stir up thy self to receive Jesus Christ as hee is offered in the Gospel and to rest upon him and his merits alone for life and salvation Having thus shewed you the Lets and Impediments to be removed II. I proceed now to the truths to be imbraced which are these 1 That every man out of Christ is in a wretched miserable condâ—tion liable to the wrath of God to the curse of the Law to all judgements and plagues here and to eternal death and condemnation hereafter with the Devils and damned in Hell flames Yea every Christless man and woman hang over the very mouth of Hell by the rotten thred of their lives which is ready every moment to crack and then what can be expected but an irrecoverable downfall into Hell 2 That no man is able to help himself out of this wretched miserable condition for as the Apostle speaketh We are not sufficient of our selves so much as to think a good thought much less can we doe any thing of our selves to free our selves from so great a bondage and slavery as sin hath brought us into 3 That God himself out of his free grace and rich mercy did send his own Son out of his bosome into the world to take our Nature upon him that therein he might redeem us out of our wretched miserable condition 4 That Christ is an all-sufficient Saviour who by his Death hath made full satisfaction to Gods Justice for all our sins and therefore is able to save us to the uttermost to the uttermost of our sins yea to the uttermost of our fears and doubts 5 That Iesus Christ is willing to receive and embrace all poor sinners who will but goe unto him and cast themselves and the burthen of their sins upon him as appears by his manifold gracious invitations unto poor Sinners who are but sensible of their sins to come unto him 6 That there is no way or means of Salvation but only by beleeving in Jesus Christ and beleeving is necessary to salvation in two respects 1 As it is the Command of God that we should beleeve in the name of his Son Jesus Christ as 1 Ioh. 3. 23. This is his Commandement that we should beleeve on the name of his Son Iesus Christ. 2 As it is the condition or means that God hath set down for the obtaining of eternal life and salvation as Ioh. 3. 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Hence it is that unbelief is made the only ground and reason of mens Damnation Though men shall be punished for all other sins yet not beleeving is the ground and reason why they perish by their sins because beleeving in Jesus Christ is the only means of Salvation These are the Truths to be embraced III. Come we now to the Duties to be practised 1 Upon a serious apprehension of thy miserable condition without Christ labour to stirre up in thy soul some affectionate longing restless desires after the Lord Jesus Christ that thou maist in truth from thine heart say Oh that Christ were mine oh that upon any terms my Soul might enjoy him This is the lifting up of the doors and gates of the Soul that so the King of glory mâ—y enter in and dwell there 2 Being convinced that there is no way or means of Salvation but only by going out of thy self unto Jesus and casting thy self upon him Adventure thy soul upon Christ cast thy self into his arms and be sure thou give not way to carnal reasonings to doubtings and temptations from the number and hainousness of thy sins or from thine unworthiness but reason from the entent and freeness of Gods offer of Christ and from Christs willingness to receive all poor Sinners that will but adventure their souls upon him saying with Iob Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Job 13 15. and with Ester I will go if I perish I perish I will perish trusting upon Jesus Christ. 3 Diligently frequent the publick Ministery of the Word it being the ordinary means God hath sanctified for the working of faith in our hearts according to that of the Apostle Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God And the hearing of the Gospel is called the hearing of faith because by hearing the Doctrin of Faith the Spirit works the grace of faith in our hearts This is the still Voyce in which he speaks to the hearts of Sinners and when God by his Spirit doth begin to work upon thine heart in the hearing of the Word doe thou second the work of Gods Spirit by oft meditating thereon and applying it unto thy self more and more And whensoever any sin is pressed home upon thy Conscience by the Minister and awakens thee labour to drive the nayl home to the head strive to maintain the power of it upon thine heart all the week after 4 Be earnest with God in Prayer that whatsoever he denieth thee he would not deny thee the saving grace of faith Faith is not of our selves it is the free gift of God as the Apostle teacheth us Now the means God hath sanctified for the obtaining of every good gift is Prayer As therefore thou desirest faith earnestly begge it of God resting assured that he will not deny thee if thou dost from thy heart ask it in the name of his Son Jesus Christ. Oh therefore be not wanting to thy self herein but seeing faith may be had for asking ask and ask again and with patience wait upon God for the inclining thine heart to close with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ. Prescribe him not any time for as hee worketh on whom hee pleaseth so hee worketh when hee pleaseth
unsanctified way and course to begin any thing without first seeking unto God by Prayer for a blessing for indeed it is his blessing alone that maketh rich and that causeth any thing we take in hand to thrive and prosper which Moses acknowledgeth where speaking to the people of Israel he saith It is the Lord that giveth thee power to get wealth II. Be painful and industrious in the duties of thy Calling Which direction the Wise man giveth in these words Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe doe it with all thy might i. e. whatsoever works or duties belong unto thee by vertue of thy Calling doe them with all thy might i. e. doe them vigorously diligently and industriously For your encouragement thereunto know that diligence in your Calling is usually crowned with riches and plenty according to that of the Wise man The hand of the diligent maketh rich and again the soul of the diligent shall be made fat i. e. shall be enriched with outward blessings And truly it is very rare but that a blessing doth accompany a diligent hand the Greeks say that plentifulness follows painfulness and that all things are made servants to care and industry I shall give you two Cautions 1 Bee not so diligent in 〈◊〉 thy particular Calling that thou neglect the Duties of thy general calling as a Christian I mean be not so eager in foâ—lowing thy worldly businesses and imployments that thou neglect thy spiritual businesses as thy morning and evening devotions unto God c. 2 Labour to bee heavenly-minded in earthly imployments to follow worldly businesses with spiritual affections often lifting up thine heart unto God in some heavenly ejaculations As thou art eagerly following thy worldly businesses oft meditate on that excellent saying of our Saviour What will it profit a man if hee shall gain the whole world and loâ—e his own soul III. Resolve and strive to be faithful and sincere in all the works of thy calling and with a kind of disdain abhor to get any thing by wicked and deceitful courses as knowing that a little ill got may empoyson a mans whole estate and bring a curse upon all that hee possesseth let there bee therefore truth equity and plainness in all thy dealing with men circumvent no man according to that of the Apostle Let no man goe beyond and defraâ—d his brother in aâ—y matter because the Lord is the avenger of all such Where the Apostle disswadeth us from all fraudulent and deceitful dealing by an Argument taken from the dangerous and dreadful consequence of such Sins laying us open to the vengeance of that God who is in his wrath a consuming fire In all thy dealings with men observe that royal law and standard of all equity which is to doe as thou wouldest bee done by for as our Saviour speaketh This is the Law and the Prophets i. e. the summe of that which in the Law and by the Prophets is delivered concerning our carriage towards our Neighbour and dealing with him IV. As often as thou receivest any blessing from God forget not to return unto him the praise and the glory thereof acknowledging that whatsoever the means hath been that hee is the chief cause and principal author of all those benefits and blessings which thou enjoyest for the truth is There is nothing more acceptable to God than a grateful mind it being one of the sacrifices wherewith hee is well pleased CHAP. XII Of our Behaviour in Secret IN regard of the manifold temptations whereunto wee are subject both when weâ— are by our selves alone and also when wee are in company with others It is our duty and will bee our wisdome to keep a narrow watch over our selves both in our soluariness and also in company First When wee are alone our care must bee that wee be neither ill imployed nor idle and unfruitful but that wee be taken up with spiritual and heavenly Meditations 1 For Solitariness is the Devils opportunity which hee hath alwaies been careful to imbrace and improve to the utmost advantage as wee see in David who when hee was walking alone upon the roof of his house then the Devil set upon him tempted him unto lust and prevailed with him And therefore how doth it concern us to be then especially watchful over our selves 2 Because wee are then in most danger to be overtaken and foiled with out own sinful lusts then are wee most apt to let out our hearts in speculative wantonness and contemplative wickedness by feeding our fancies and pleasing our selves in lascivious ambitious revengeful and other wicked thoughts In which respect wee ought in our solitariness carefully to watch over our hearts being then in greatest danger of these spiritual rapes To this end I shall commend that excellent but too much neglected duty of Divine Meditation which is twofold 1 Sudden and occasional 2 Set and deliberate Of which severally And first of sudden and occasional Meditation For the better clearing whereof I shall shew 1 The nature therof what it is 2 Add some Motives to quicken thee up to a frequent use thereof I. For the nature of occasional Meditation It is a sudden fixing of the mind upon some profitable subject occasioned by some thing that wee see or hear The which may bee done at all times and in all places when thou art at home about the works of thy Calling or walking abroad Of this sudden and occasional Meditation there may be much use by reason of the â—â—riety of Objects which present themselves to our view for every creature that wee behold doth afford unto us plentiful matter of spiritual and heavenly Meditation from each of them thou mayest take occasion to meditate of God and of his Attributes shining in them as the Power Wisdome Goodness and other Attributes of God II. For Motives take these three 1 It will be a special means to keep worldly wanton frivolous thoughts and idle motions out of thine heart for if thou give up thy self to idleness not labouring to possess thy minde with some good and profitable Meditation thou art sure to bee pestred with vain and wicked cogitations 2 A frequent use of occasional Meditations will fit thee for set and solemn Meditation in that it will both furnish thee with matter and prepare thine heart to commune with God 3 Hereby thou shalt make a right use of the creatures the creatures are half lost unto thee if thou only imploy them and not take out some spiritual lesson from them Thus much of sudden and occasional Meditation Come wee now to the set solemn and deliberate Meditation For the profitable handling whereof I shall shew thee 1 The Nature thereof 2 Some Rules and Directions to be observed therein 3 An Example or Pattern thereof according to the Rules 1 For the first viz. the Nature of it what it is I answer a set and deliberate Meditation is a serious
amended and reformed and considering that the Lord doth not only in general correct us for Sin but visiteth our special Sins with special Judgements and Afflictions therefore whensoever the Lord visiteth thee with Sickness or exerciseth thee with any affliction know it is thy duty to make a strict search and diligent enquiry into thine own heart for the special Sin or Sins God aims at therein to find out the plague of thine own heart Thus did the people of God under their sad affliction yea they called upon one another to the practice of this duty Let us search and try our wayes said they Lam. 3. 40. for as a Disease can never be well cured till the cause thereof be first found out and discovered so neither can any affliction bee sanctified and removed till that which hath occasioned it be in some sort found out and discovered For the better discovery of the particular Sin or Sins God aims at in thine afflictions take these few rules and directions 1 When God visiteth thee or any of thy dear relations with Sickness or exerciseth thee with any Affliction or doth but shake his Rod over thee set thy self as in his sight and presence and then examine thy Soul and Conscience thorowly make an exact survey and search into every corner thereof to find out the particular Sin God aymeth at 2 Take notice what sin thy Conscience doth first bring to thy remembrance for Conscience is Gods Deputy to convince thee and to tell thee that by living in the practice of such and such a Sin or in the omission of such a Duty thou hast justly brought upon thee such a Judgement as thou mayst see in the example of Iosephs brethren who for their cruelty towards their brother adjudged themselves worthy of all the â—iseries which they suffered for their Consciences it seems in their distress chiefly checked them for that therefore they had good ground to suspect that to bee the cause of their present distress under every Cross and Affliction therefore listen to the voyce of Conscience which will deal impartially with thee 3 Take special notice of the kind of thine affliction for it is Gods usual manner to punish Sin in kind by way of retaliation observing an analogie proportion and similitude between the quality of the Sin and the punishment which hee inflicteth and so leadeth us as it were by the hand that we may come to find and feel it by his guidance and direction for mens punishment often bears the image and superscription of their sin upon it Thus God oftentimes punisheth Drunkards with Dropsies and Covetous men with Theeves who rob them as they have robbed others Thus God often punisheth our prophaning of his Sabbaths by inflicting some judgement upon us on that day and our careless neglect of Family-Duties by taking away a Family-relation Thus there is oftentimes a proportion between mens Practices and Gods Punishments by comparing whereof we may many times come to find out the particular Sin or Sins for which God afflicts us 4 When Gods afflicting hand is upon thee consider for what Sin especially thou hast often been reproved either by the motions of Gods Spirit or by the admonitions of his Ministers or by the checks of thine own Conscience and yet hast refused to reform the same thereupon suspect that Sin in special to be the sin at which the Lord aymeth in thy present affliction for it is usual with God to proceed from words to blows to make us give more diligen◠〈◊〉 thereunto 5 Be earnest with God in Prayer that hee would help thee in this search that he would discover and make known unto thee the Sin or Sins at which he especially aymeth thus did Iob Shew me saith he wherefore thou contendest with me i. e. for what Sin or Sins thou dost thus afflict me And afterwards he cries out in his afflictions Make me to know my transgression and my sin In like manner doe thou in thine affliction fly unto God by Prayer beseeching him to shew unto thee wherefore he doth so contend with thee and to make known unto thee what is thy transgression and thy sin that hath provoked his displeasure against thee III. Having foâ—nd out the particular Sin God aâ—med at in thine affliction then goe and confesse it unto God in Prayer with the aggravating ciâ—cumstances thereof freely judging and condemning thy self before God for the same with a broken and contrite heart And to such as confess their sins there is a promise of forgiveness made To thy confessions adde earnest and fervent Prayer unto God for the pardon and forgiveness of thy sins for and through the merits of Jesus Christ. IV. Wherein soever upon thine examination thou findest thy self to have been faulty thou must endeavour to amend and reform for as the end of thy search is to discover what is amiss in thee so the end of thy discovery is to amend and reform what hath been amiss in thee And truely without this it will little avail thee to pray unto God for the removal of thine Affliction for the Lord himself noteâ—h continuance in sin to be the chief cause of the continuance of his hand of affliction upon his people Isa. 9. 12 13. V. Though Afflictions are special opportunities for Spiritual advantages yet seeing they are not of themselves able to work any good in thee without the special assistance of Gods Spirit working together with them be earnest with God in Prayer for a sanctified use and improvement of them that as he doth afflict thee so he would teach and instruct thee by his holy Spirit how to make a good use thereof to the spiritual advantage of thine own soul. In all thy addresses unto God in Prayer begge of him that no affliction may pass away unsanctified and pray more for the sanctification of them than for their removal VI. In the time of thy affliction vow and promise unto God better obedience for the time to come that thou wilt bee more careful in the avoyding of those sins for the commission whereof and in the performing of those Duties for the omission whereof thy Conscience checks thee David speaks of Vowes which he had made unto God in the day of his trouble and distress and truly this vowing unto God newness of life better obedience and a greater watchfulness over our selves for the time to come is a necessary duty to be oft performed by us especially in the time of our Sickness and that in regard of the weakness of our flesh for howsoever in our sicknesses and afflictions there may be good motions purposes and intentions in our minds yet through the weakness of â—our flesh we are apt to start from them Now a Promise and Vow is a special means to keep us from starting from our good motions and purposes VII Be careful to perform the Vowes aâ—d Promises thou makest unto God in the day of