this it is a high virtue to coeceed to be sick with love to be in Raptures and Ecstafies of Love As we may see the Church is in the Canticles and is still loved the better for it 2. Then for Delight What greater delight can you conceive then David took in his divine love when He set his Harp and his Heart to the tune of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 116. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I love thee dearly O Lord As the Hart longeth after the Water-brook Ps. 18. Ps. 42. Such were holy David's loves and delights The like had St. John the beloved Disciple who in every Epistle in every Chapter pleaseth himself to descant upon holy Love And St. Peter being woed with our Saviours question lovest thou Me was able to say Tu nôsti Thou knowest O Lord that I love thee Saint Paul was of his mind accounting all but losse for the love of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philip. 3. 8. And after them thousand of Martyrs and holy Saints that apprehended more delight in those coelestiall flames that kindled this fire within them then the fear of other material flames that turned their bodies into ashes and so delivered them from the assaults of those dangerous Loves without them that were ad oppositum unto this To all those blessed Souls the Love of God was sweeter then life it self and in some stronger then ever lasting death if so we may understand the love of Moses and St. Paul who it seemes could have been content to have been blotted out of the book of Life and made Anathema from Christ if that might any way promote their Loves and the Honor and Glory of Him they Loved Here 's a Love that may take the Kingdom of Heaven by violence and prevail for any thing For what can be denied to such a Love 3. And this brings us to the Third Motive the Profit and the Advantage that accrues to this Divine Love to which all things are pervious For bring as great a sinner as Mary Magdalene that had been a City-sinner peccatrix in Civitate and the unclean Cage of Seaven Devils yet if his Repentance bring with it Mary Magdalene's Love he need not doubt of the same happy success that she had quia ditexit multum This Hope we gather out of the Gospel And before we came to it in the Gospel the body of the Law it self carried so much Hope in those Tables of Stone as might break our Stony Hearts in this Love For how read we there He visites sin to the Third and Fourth Generation of them that Hate Him But what doth He for them that Love Him He shewes mercy to thousands in them that Love Him And this Love reacheth further yet Not only to shew Mercy but all manner of Blessings All are to be had for the price of Love For What else doth God require of you saith Moses Deut. 10 12. that is Lay down that and â—…e all Dii omnia Laboribus vendunt the Heathen were wont to say That God would sell all for Labour We rather say God will part with any thing for Love Wisdome for Love Sapientiam praebet diligentibus Joy for Love Thou hast loved Righteousness or to Love what God loves and Hate what He hates therefore will the Lord Annoint thee with the Oyle of gladness above thy fellowes Protection for Love Because he hath set his Love upon Me therefore will I deliver him saith the Psalmist Psal. 91 14. 16. And He concludes as we would have Him With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my Salvation that 's compleat deliverance indeed And when He comes to shew that what shall we then see but the rewards of our Love That which neither eye hath seen nor eare hath heard nor hath entred into the heart of man that hath he prepared for whom think you for them that love Him This high reward should elevate our Love as high as toto Corde to love him above all that is to love Him as much as we can and as some others that have gone before us in this Love I will name only the Royal Prophet to whom God himself gave this Testimony My Servant David followed me with all his heart to doe that only which was right in mine eyes 1 Reg. 23. 3. Which is the same that was undertaken by Good King Josiah and his people to walke after the Lord with all their hearts and all their souls Such as these had the habit of Divine Love and that is all we can hope for here For to have a heart ever in actual elevation of it self to God that is not for us below that is the perfection we hope for in heaven The nearer we come to it here the better And to that end to our best endeavour we must adde our fervent Prayers that God would shed this love in our heart by the Holy Ghost and keep us in the same Love For he that abides in Love abides in God and God in him Will all this that hath been said advance our desire and delight in this Divine Love All that hath been said of the Security Solace and Advantage added to the Dignity and Value of it God grant it may be so Amen Let that be the Rule of our Honor and Respect to us Let that captivate all the faculties of our bodies and souls and command all our Affections In that bright flame let our foolish wandring desires perish as the silly Flies doe that hover about the clear flame of a Candle Let this be our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 While we live Let it be the touchstone of our Actions The Solace of our Hearts The Fire to warm our Affections And when we dye Let it be the Fiery Charriot to mount us up into Heaven Let us breath out the Soul in some Ejaculation of this Divine Love and so pass to the Blessed Fruition of Him Which Happiness may He grant in whom our best love is accepted In whose Presence is Fullness of Joy and to whom we therefore desire to ascribe all Honor and Glory The Peace of God which passeth all understanding keep our Hearts and Minds in the knowledge and love of God and of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. A Transition to what followes in the Appendix THese Meditations were primarily intended for such as live a Collegiate and speculative kind of life freest for Retirements Out of which commonly are taken the fittest Spies and Intelligencers for the Kingdom of Heaven In such men rather then others we expect as hearty desires and serious resolutions of a constant progress in Piety as appeared in Caeleb and Josuah towards the Land of Promise For they being in a more Regular course of life begin every Morning in via Sacra that is in the way that leades to Gods House where they are daily furnished with excellent Sermons and Prayers I mean with the Lessons duly read out of the word
heart commonly If worldly thoughts fall to the ground better will ascend into the place of them But when we mount them into the highest place down go the other I say this must be added at fit times For otherwise wordly thoughts and businesses and recreations too have their time when they are necessarie and must not be omitted Neither are we alwayes alike disposed for heavenly employment Nor will the object it selfe indeed be gazed upon long by us And in this Advise where the wise man saith prae omni custodià keep thy heart above all keeping Prae omni is so farre from excluding all other thoughts and employments that it rather implies many more but it puts the Superlative upon this above them all The heart may have her times of other serious entertainments or lawfull Recreation But she must have her time of Privacie and Retirednesse from them all 1. Both because the devout heart is the spouse of Christ and as St Bernard speakes Christ doth not love to come to his spouse in the presence of a multitude At least he will not knock every day at that heart where there is so much other businesse that there is no leasure to let him in 2. And then againe because whensoever the Soul would mount her selfe to heavenly speculations if she be surprised with worldly affaires she is like a bird that hath her feathers limed Intangled in them she is not able to use so much as her naturall strength to elevate her selfe In both these regards there are seasons wherein she must be retired to God and Her selfe And this is the third of those meanes and preservatives that may be used for the keeping of the heart 4. After all these We have no other care unlesse it be this How there may be a continuall supply of good thoughts and Meditations to busie and strengthen the heart upon all occasions And such a supply there may be in the daily perusall of two great Bookes upon which all other are but Commentaries the Booke of the Scriptures and the Booke of the Creatures The Royall Prophet made the Nineteenth Psalme in speculation of them Both. The first part of it begins with the Creation The heavens declare the glory of God The second part from the 7. verse is of the Scriptures The Law of the Lord is a perfect law And so Both those Bookes are there commended to us 1. Whereof That of the Scriptures is absolutely necessary as a Rule and Patterne to them that want a guide or light it selfe to the blinde Therefore we are advised to meditate in that Day and Night Psal. 1. 2. And the other of the Creatures must not be neglected because they were created indeed to that end to serve our weake apprehension of God as so many Spectacles not to looke upon them and stay there but thorough them to looke upon God Himselfe And so we may understand that obscure place in the Preacher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is He hath given the heart of man a whole world of matter for Meditation so large that no man shall ever fully goe through it and find out all the workes of God though he spend all his life time in that studie from the beginning of it to to the end Eecles 3. 11. Out of all which plenty we might every day select something to praepossesse that roome in the heart which otherwise vaine and perhaps worse then vaine fancies will incroach upon If we delight in rarities we might every day pick out some of those reall wonders which God himselfe the God of wonder and the God of Nature hath abundantly afforded to entertaine our speculation Whether we look up to Heaven or downe to Earth whether we looke to other Creatures or to our selves into our bodies or into our soules there is matter enough of wonder and meditation to keep our hearts in the feare and live of God XXXV The Close and Fruit of these last Meditations VVE have seene that the Heart may and should be kept above all keeping We have seen what Meanes and Helps there are for the keeping of it Let us therefore so keep it as our onely treasure which whosoever hath lost hath nothing else to lose or keepe We are carefull enough that the Bodie and Apparrell and every thing else about us be neat and cleanly kept and repaired When are we so forgetfull as to leave the body one day without meat and drinke and sleepe and attendance Let us do as much for the Heart and Soule which is worthy of farre more Let her be Lodged in a roome worthy of Her Let Her be Fed with her own proper food Let her be reposed upon her owne pillow that passeth all understanding To keep it thus is to follow the counsell of the wise man and to prove wiser then He was But to imploy so pretious an Instrument to any base use is the Act of a man that hath lost his wits I will say more It is no better then Sacriledge that a Soule which hath been offered to God as a reasonable sacrifice should after that be made an organ of sensualitie and a Cage for Devils No better did I say Nay it is farre worse For it is not onely the withholding of a Vessel consecrated to the service of God but it is an Attempt upon the Image of God Himselfe The Heart here being the Soul and the Soule a Character of the Divinity And therefore not to be prostituted to publick infections but kept pure and safe above all keeping Our answer to all Attempts against it being that which was our first answer in Baptisme Abrenuncio I for sake them all We undertooke that once and failed of it Let us now resolve and do it And that we may be inabled to doe it Let it be our humble prayer that God would create a new Heart within us and then give us strength to keep it as we ought And to the same end ‑ that He would give us grace to lay sure hold upon the Prime and Superiour Meanes and keepe close unto Him the living God out of whom indeed are the issues of Life XXXVI Instructions for those times wherein we are called to the Church HAving hitherto endeavoured to fit the Heart and Soul for more private devotions and entertainments we may now take the like care to prepare her for times of Divine and Publick Service with the Congregation both for the further confirming of her self and the clearer example to others And if we mean to be so serious in this high employment as the happy exercise and the most happy consequence of it doth require good reason there is that first our Preparation to the Sanctuary then our Demeanour there as in Gods House should exceed all other As the Shekel and measure of the Sanctuary was double to the ordinary measure He that dwels in Heaven hath an especial eye upon that place above all other not only to defend it but to observe our carriage
of his self-exaltation so he that humbles himself will be exalted according to the measure of his Humiliation So far shall we be from doubting that when we are most out of conceit with our own value Cod respects us most Whâ—…n we' are placed by oâ—…r selves so low that we think we cannot go lower then indeed as we may be sure we cannot fall so nothing is so sure as that we shall rise To learn this excellent lesson shall we be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught by God himself and hear how he expresseth it in his holy word Upon whom shall I loâ—…k but upon him that is of a contrite spirit and trembles at my word I sai 66. 2. A troubled spirit is a Sacrifice to God A broken and contrite heart he will not despise Psal. 51. 17. Nay it is in the plurall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacrifices that is a Sacrifice equivalent to many other A Sacrifice that goes beyond all the Sacrifices of the Law The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a â—…ontrite heart and will save such as be of an humble spirit Psal. 34. 17. King Hâ—…zekiah found this true as well as David in that ready answer from God I have heard thy prayers I have seen thy tears Isai. 38. 5. So did Daniel in the Angel's report that srom the first day that he set his â—…eart to understand and chasten himself before God his words were heard And so will all other that make tryal of Gods infinite mercy IX Another sure way of Preparation from our Love of God and our Delight in Him BEside that sad way of Humiliation we have another more chearful way of promoting our Prayers We may take it from holy David a man after Gods own Heart that had made great use of it How dear and sweet the very mâ—…ntion of God or his holy word or any thing of his was to David's tongue and heart he hath sufficiently expressed in many Psalmes especially in the 119 and 145. both of them Alphabeticall Psalmes that they might be the easier committed to memory and the latter so highly esteemed by the Jewes that R Kimchi tells us the Rabbines had a saying that whosoever heartily recited the 145 Psal thrice a day needed not doubt of his eâ—…ernal Fâ—…licity As if they thought it the best Psalme to increase the love of God in us and so to fit us fâ—…r the Beatificall Vision and the heavâ—…nly quire above Yet how easily or how much soever the Jewish Church was taken with emphatical expressions of that Divine Love many in the Christian Church that should be more affected with it do seem to dote so much upon somewhat here below that they cannot hear with that ear and wish to go along with the Psalmist charme he never so wisely Therein they are rather like those Idols that have ears and hear not But if I should tell them how advantageous holy David saith that our love of God may prove to our obtaining of what we pray for I hope they would listen a little better to that Therefore I will keep them no longer from it They may see it Psal. 37. 4. in these words Delight thy self in the Lord and he will give thee thy heart's desire Which is made good in another Psalme that speakes in the person of God Because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him He shall call upon me and I will hear him Now though this be the reward of Divine Love yet it were a shame that we should need much to be incited to it to love him whose creatures we are and on whose mercy and goodness depends all our Felicity X. Other Means to facilitate our accesse to God by Prayer NOt only our love to God but our love and respect to others too may procure a good successe of our Prayers As 1. Mercy in forgiving them Hence is that Evangelicall advise When thou prayest lift up holy hands without wrath 1 Tim. 2. 8. that is be in Charity when thou prayest If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there rememberest that thy Brother hath ought against thee Leave there thy gift go first be reconciled to thy Brother Mat. 5. 24. Forgive thy neighbour so shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest Ecclus. 28. 2. 2. Mercy in relieving them Old Tobit made it his advise to his son Turne not thy face away from the poor and the face of God shall not be turned away from thee c. 4. 7. Solomon had said it before him in other termes He that stoppeth his ear at the cry of the poor he also shall cry himself but shal not be heard Prov. 21. 19. King Nebuchadnezer was therefore put in a fair way of preventing a sad punishment by Daniel's good counsel to break off his sins by alms-deeds and mercy to the poor Dan. 4. 27. And Cornelius found the vertue of this when he had the honour to be told by an Angel that his prayers were heard and his Almes-deeds were had in remembrance in the sight of God Act. 10. 31. Ecclus 3. 30. 4. 10. 3. Due respect to Parents Who so honoureth his Father makes an atonement for his sins Ecclus. 3. 3. He shall be heard when he makes his prayer v. 5. v. 15. Thus in all things our Christian and virtuous demeanour of our selves hath the force of letters of recommendation to promote our cause to the throne of grace And we have our Saviour's own word for it that If we abide in him and his words abide in us Ask what we will it shall be done unto us Joh. 15. 7. Out of these and the like Institutions which we take out of the holy Scriptures and wherein we perceive what preparation fits us best for the attaining of our humble suits of the hand of God every man should select some above the rest as most peculiar to himself and wherein his present care should make some amends for his former neglect remembring the advise of Baruch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. As it was your mind to go astray from God so being returned seek him ten times more Baruch 4. 28. by humble and hearty obedience as well as by earnest supplication XI Caveats for the Matter and Manner of Prayer THat our Prayers may be succcessesull it will be further necessary to take order that they may be ever attended with those Cautions Virtues and Graces which are most conducible to that end Such as these are 1. Not to ask amisse for any thing either in the scope and matter or in the method and order of of our Prayers For many ask and receive not because they ask a miss Jam. 4. 3. that they may consume it upon their own pleasures and fancies In such cases we must not expect to be heard unlesse it be to the punishment of our folly and presumption And otherwise we must not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is our prayers must be grounded upon
Saint Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He would willingly listen to one that would sometime pray for himselfe as Christ prayed for us with strong cries and teares Hebr. 5. 7. Remembring how Importunity prevailed with the unjust Judge in the Parable of our Saviour and how it may prevaile for them that will give God no rest till he vouchsafe to answer them Such were holy David's prayers wont to be set forth in the sight of God as the incense Ps 14. 2. like frankincense laid upon hot coales So should ours be as if our hearts as well as our tongues were touched with a coale from the Altar mounting upward with that fervour attention and devotion which carries our â—…houghts from earth and presents us as it were for that time before the Throne of God's Royall Majesty in Heaven Now they will more happily and easily compasse this fervency and intention of spirit that are able to follow Saint Peter's advise to joyne Sobriety amd Watchfulnesse unto Prayer 1 Pet. 4. 7. For Sobriety makes us fit to watch and if we bring not a hearty vigilant prayer we may pull a curse upon our selves rather then a blessing We cannot but thinke so if we consider that Prayer is one of the chiefest Services that we performe to God and therefore we must not think that God will indure to have that done coldly and lazily and carelesly Prayer gives us accesse unto the Throne of God and leave to speake and hope to have Audience before his Divine Majesty Therefore should we study to offer it up attended with those graces and virtues and ushered in with that preparation that may put us in further hope of Acceptance after we are heard In that regard the holy Saints of God in all ages being to commence some speciall suit unto God have not been unwilling many times to prepare themselves with Fasting and lay hold of all other good helps whereby they might come as well fitted as they may be for a businesse of so high consequence as that of Prayer XIII The close of this Meditation with a returne to the time ANd now having given a view of most of those helps to conclude this Meditation I will only adde that some advantage to Prayer may be drawne from the very Time which brought us into this discourse Of all other the Morning is the fittest time for Prayer While we are more fresh fasting and sober while our best thoughts affections vigilance intention and fervor not yet taken off or abated with worldly affaires are the more ready to attend our Prayers Therefore let us use the more care not to let that time of our Devotions be passed over but as it should be And both then and ever Let us not presume to pray without some serious preparation or some praevious ejaculation sent before to that purpose For we had better spend lesse time in Prayer then rashly and unpreparedly adventure upon such a worke too soon Preparatory Ejaculations fit to be used when we compose our selves to Prayer OLord all hearts and all things else are naked and manifest in thy sight Hâ—…b 4. 13. and all at thy disposall O Cleanse the thoughts of my Heart by the inspiration of thy holy Spirit and make it fit for Prayer and other holy Duties Graft in it with the hatrâ—…d of Sinne the love of thy holy namt Give me that Faith that may conduct my selfe and that Charity that may take others along with mee to the Throne of thy grace Teach my Heart the Reverence due to thy Divine Majesty in the presenting of my humble Petitions Make my servent and vigilant Prayer truly expressive of the value of that which I came to begge conformable to thy holy will and in the name and mediation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is enough to be spoken of Prayer in generall in reference to our present purpose From this Digression we will now returne to our particular Morning-Devotions For which we learne of our Mother-Church by what she doth in publick Prayer to begin our private Addresses then too with a form of confession which is to begin with our pardon and peace first humbly begged from Almighty God I shall therefore commend unto you first a Confession and Prayer used by Bishop Andrewes then another used by Archb. Laud. XIV Confessio cum Precatione ALmighty God and most mercifull Father all-mercifull and Mercy it self I have wiâ—…tingly and willingly run from thy wayes erred and strayed from them more like an untamed heifer and wild asse then a lost and wandring sheep I have followed too much or rather altogether the absurd devices and brutish desires of my own heart I have not only offended against but even been offended at thy holy Laws thy most holy Laws I have left undone nay not done all those things which I ought to have done I have done done nothing else but those things which I ought not to have done And there is no health nor hope of health in me But thou O Lord have mercy upon me miserable most miserable sinner the greatest of sinners and the most unthankefull for so great grace as hath been offered to me Spare me and all them O God which confesse their faults Restore thou them that be penitent that desire to be penitent that wish they were so that feare they are not enough that are sorry they are not more penitent for this is according to thy promises thy most gracious most sweet promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord that invites all and promiseth to refresh all that feel the weight and â—…urden of their sins and come to Him for ease Grant therefore O most mercifull Father â—…or his sake who is our Redeemer Advocate Author and Finisher of our Faith Propitiation Righteousness and Justification that I and all penitents may ever hereafter live a Godly Righteous and Sober life Grant that we may do this to the glory of thy Holy Name and the Salvation of our own Soules Amen Pro Remissione Peccatorum O Eternall God and most Mercifull Father Pardon I beseech Thee all the Sins Omissions Commissions Thoughts Words and Deeds by which I have provoked Thee â—…o anger from the time of my birth to this present moment that no one nor all of my â—…ins together may ever be able to cry oftâ—…er or lowder in thine eares for vengeance â—…hen the cry of my Prayers may ascend up to Thee for Mercy and forgivenesse and obâ—…ain what they sue for Particularly I humbly â—…eseech Thee forgive unto me my greater and â—…ore clamorous Sins Such as are O Lord â—…gainst Heaven and against Thee have I â—…nned and committed foul transgressions 〈◊〉 Thy sight But I beseech Thee wipe â—…em all out of the Booke of Thy Remembrance through Jesus Christ our Lord anâ—… onely Saviour Amen To these if you will adde a Penitentiaâ—… Psalme There are seaven of them that is thâ—… 6. 32. 38. 51. 102. 130. 143. They will 〈◊〉
us unto And as it is in Nature so it is in Grace Grace begins with the heart and having so begun her greatest strength and Spiritual munition is spent in the ordering of that In regard of that beginning My Son give me thy heart Prov. 23. 26. saith this Penman of the Holy Ghâ—…st elswhere in the person of God And in regard of that consequent care and defence he saith here Prae omni custodia So it is in Nature So it is in Grace and so it is in regard of that common enemy of Nature and Grace too He aims at the root of the Tree he strikes at the heart and if he get any hold there he keeps that above all keeping whatsoever he doth for the leaves of Complement and branches of our outward carriage and behaviour So that every way In nature in grace in the opposition of both there is no lesson of such use and consequence as this Keep thy heart above all keeping In which words according to the constant language of the Holy Scripture by the Heart we must understand the Thoughts of the Heart or the whole Soul of man For nothing indeed is so perfect an embleme of the Soul as the heart is 1. It is so in the very outward Form The Heart is wide above and narrow-pointed below So should the Soul be dilated toward Heaven contracted toward Earth Again the Heart is such a Triangle as the round world is not able to fill and the Soul hath an obscure image of more then a Triangle of the blessed Trinity it self For it consists of Reason Will and Memory three distinct Faculties in one Soul and in every part is satisfied onely with God created unto him and never at rest but in him saith St. Aug. The Soul is like the Heart in both these But 2. There is yet a greater resemblance in the very Life of the Heart For the Heart lives by a continued breath per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So in the life of the Soul there be Animae suspiria spiritus sancti influxus Ejaculations of the Soul and influences of the Spirit and without that continual entercourse betwixt God and her self the life of the Soule decayes Therefore in that regard also it follows well in Solomons advice Keep thy heart above all keeping for out of that are the issues of life We understand what is here meant by the Heart and how the Soul is figured in that Thence we may easily gather what it is to keep the heart To keep the heart is the Office of the Soul being watchful and observant over all her thoughts and affections and to keep the heart above all keeping is the Emphasis of Care and Diligence In the same phrase which you have v. 7. with all thy getting get understanding that is in respect of that care not for getting of any thing else So with all thy keeping keep thy heart that is in respect of that care not for keeping of any thing else XXX Of the particular consequences implied in the former Advice and the delivery of it and first of the Possibility of keeping the heart IN the Former Advice and the pathetical delivery of it two things are plainly implied 1. He that saith Keep the heart implies that it may be kept It is not utterly impossible 2. He that saith Keep the heart above all keeping implies that it must be kept there is a necessity of keeping of it First we will see the possibility of keeping the heart And that we cannot see more clearly then in the removal of those lets and impediments that we commonly pretend against the keeping of the heart or at least we magnify a great deal more then we need to excuse our selves Whereas it were better wisdom to baulk such Scruples and rather keep our hearts to some absolute Rule that may raise our endeavours to the highest pitch Of those lets and so much magnified Pretences there are especially Four 1. First the malice and subtilty of the Devil to hinder the meanes 2. Another is our own natural weaknes to apply the means 3. A third our unruly passions to interrupt them 4. And then forsooth if all this were not that yet we can do nothing without a supernatural power and therefore we may sit still These Four 1. For the malice and subtilty of the Devil if that be objected against the keeping of the heart I answer First we may be mistaken in it For I doubt not but that is often father'd upon the Devil that rather issues from our selves according to that of St. James Every man is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own lust Jam. 1. 14. We are often tempted by that natural concupiscence that remains in us ad agonem saith St. Aug. that is onely to increase our cautioâ—… and to exercise our diligence in the resistance For which to make us amends there are also many divine sparks hid in the Soul that are able to encounter it And then again for those attempts that arise meerly from the Devil many of them are such as may be wholly prevented many of them are such as may be frustrated and repelled First they may some of them be prevented For indeed they are more of our own procuring then we are often aware of If we did not give the Devil encouragement and fondly discover our weaknes and put an occasion into his mouth we should not have him so often and so buisy about us And therefore Chrys saith He is like a dog that sawns upon us when we sit at Table If we throw him some meat and bestow our favours upon him we are sure to have more of his company but if we chide or neglect him whensoever he comes after a while he will not loose his labour so much as to try a conclusion upon us So it is with the Devil Resist him and he will fly from you Jam. 4. 7. And if he do not fly if he will try his conclusions there are many wayes also to frustrate his practice and return it upon his own head For whatsoever comes from him if it vanish without any consent of ours it shall not be imputed to us it shall be set upon his score If we fail of that yet we may take the Foxes the little Foxes Cant. 2. 15. that is saith St. Jerom we may intercept his wily tricks before they gather strength To which purpose we had the whole Armour of God in the former Section commended unto us So that if we scan the case as it should be for the keeping of the heart we have no such Impediment in so high a degree either from the Devil or from our own concupiscence as the ordinary complaints of the world do seem to infer 2. And this makes way for Answer to the 2d Obj. the hindrance that we plead from our own natural weaknes in spiritual cases to apply the means for this custody Natural weaknes
so we call it but commonly it is the abuse of the word for Idlenes and unwillingnes to be reformed St. Aug. confesseth this was his Fault before his conversion He laboured and he prayed for a chast heart but he did it so faintly as if he would be denied and he saith himself he should have been sorry to have been heard too soon So do we for the custody of the heart We are conscious of weaknes and therefore perhaps we make fair weather to Devotion and knock now and then at the gates of Heaven but we run away before we can have our answer Whereas if we duly weighed what charge this is of keeping the heart above all keeping we should use the opportunity of Prayer above all opportunity for the keeping of it Our Prayers would not be so cold nor our Vigilancy over the heart so poor and slight that when we pray that we may be able to keep it against the enemy we can hardly beware of the enemy in the very Prayer that we deliver This is a sore malady We injure our selves no way so much as this And it comes not so much out of natural weaknes though I am too well acquainted how much that is but I fear it proceeds not so much from that as from an inconsiderate behaviour and want of this diligence that here is called for David to this purpose could physick himself with Fasting and water his Couch with his tears Ps. 102. 9. 6. 6. St. Paul could use his Body like his adversary that he would buffeâ—… and keep under from all hope of resistance 1 Cor 9. 27. And we without such adoe think it enough to flatter God by undervaluing that power that we have from him But he would like it better if we admonished our selves that it is his gift that little power that we have and it were wisdom and thankfulnes in us to husband the talent well and procure more by using of that He would like it better if we chid our selves out of that affected weaknes by the Examples of those many Saints that have gone as far before us in all virtue as they have in time For could they macerate themselves with Fasting and cannot we abstain from riot and excess Could their Charity empty themselves of all that they had and cannot our justice give every man his own Or if these patterns be too high and out of our reatch What say you to those virtues of the Heathen who had no other motive but vainglory amongst whom and elsewhere some rare spirits there have been come into the World from among the cobwebs of a nasty Cottage that have filled Ages with admiration of their virtues and greatnes Or if they also do not move shall I provoke you by the example of little children the weaker age such as Daniel and those three in the Furnace Or of women the weaker sex such as the resolute Deborah Esther and some other of that rank Or of the simple and ignorant among the common people that have some of them attained to such a height of Piety above the more learned that St. Augustine might well cry out to his Friend Alipius Quid patimur surgunt indocti rapiunt coelum nos cum doctrinis nostris fine corde ecce ubi volutamur in carne sanguine What advantage is it to have better heads in keeping if others do keep better hearts then we Or lastly shall I name the worst livers too Publicans Theeves Harlots and the like that as our Saviour told the Jewes many times step in before us into the kingdome of Heaven Mat. 21. 31. and shame those that might have had the start of them To say nothing that besides all this we may go to school to the inferior Creatures To the Ant for diligence to the Dove for chastity to the Cock for valour A strange thing it is that what hath been done by all these should not in some measure be possible unto us Let them all be scanned as they should be and I have said enough to shake the second pretence drawn from our own weaknes and that disabling us from doing any good But we rest not here 3 A third scruple there is drawn from our unruly Affections and their Inclinations hot and violent Doth not this also trouble us without any ground For. What if they are hot and violent So much the better if they are well bridled and and directed to the right use What if a Horse be of a hot nature and quick mettal So much the fitter for service Though if he be not well backed and mastered he may chance to make his Rider repent that he was so well mounted So it is with the Soul that goes here under the name of the Heart She is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is She holds the Reines to guide and command those qualities which are indeed natural and as they should be fitted to her service Although they prove unnatural and immoderate and wild when they are suffered to rage as they list and turne the Soul out of her own throne and dominion to which they were purposely created to stoop and obey Can we tame the furious horse Can we alter the nature of other unruly Creatures that have no reason to guide them And we that are made after the Image of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the mild part especially as Chrysostome speaks shall we be able to work nothing upon our selves by bringing the Appetite and sensual part under the Dictate of Reason Can wild creatures that have no reason be made tame And cannot tame creatures that have reason be kept in their right state Yes the custody of the heart inforres the command of the body And he that keeps that in the right state not stupified with idlenes not distempered with excesse shall happily avoid the extravagance of Passions and make that his profitable Servant which otherwise will be his Master and Tyrant to keep him under This may be said of that hinderance in keeping the heart which is objected against the Affections and Passions But yet we have not done 4. There is one main Impediment behinde and notwithstanding all that hath been said some are still ready to object Obj. Are we here advised to keep the heart Is it a task for us to perform Is it a Duty within the reatch of our ability Surely if God Himself do not keep the heart in vain do they labour that keep it Resp. It is true that of our selves excluding God's help we cannot without his especiall grace we cannot But if we our selves forsake the heart in vain do we then look for God to come and keep it As we cannot excludiâ—…g His help so He will not excluding our endeavours Obj. So if it be said that It is not in him that wills nor in him that runnes c. Rom. 9. 16. Resp. It is true there is no such necessity no such merit in them to purchase it
But by running and by entreating we may move God to help us And so it is our fault only if we be not helped though it be his grace only if we be Therefore if thou lovest thy self Do not forsake thy Heart because we can do nothing without God's grace and assistance but watch over it the rather Because we are not sure that God will do any thing by his grace and assistance unles our endeavours go along with it If they do He hath promised his assistanced Ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Mat. 7. 7. Learn what it is to ask and to seek and to knock And when you have actually done so then your own happy experience will answer your scruples and easily inform you that to your own safety your own care and custody is required For Wisdom is easily seen of them that love Her and found of them that seek Her The unfained desire of reformation is Her beginning and the care of Discipline is love and love is the keeping of Her lawes and the giving heed to Her lawes is the assurance of immortality Wisd. 6. 12 17 18. Every way to ask to seek to endeavour is expected from us Otherwise if we are not kept if we are quite lost we may thank our selves for it To that purpose when God tells Joshuah that no man should be able to stand before him doth He not adde withall only be thou strong and of a good courage Josh. 1. 5. Yes he doth so And we have it four times over in one Chapter that we may be sure to take notice of it And the Royal Prophet hath an exhortation parallel unto it Be you strong and God shall establish your hearts Which I may thus paraphrase in the language of the wise man Keep thou thy heart and God will keep it If thou by thy own negligence and remisnes art not wanting to good thoughts and other good helps they shall never be wanting to thy Heart For whensoever they faile it is only because thou art not vigilant and intent to purchase them to cherish them to encrease them For when the light by which our hearts are enlightned is hid and lost that we cannot perceive it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith St Basil that is it is not because the light is spent for that can never be exhaust but it is because we have done somewhat that makes us not so well disposed to apprehend the light as we were before Or because we are drousie and dull and make no use of it If we are not careles of our selves we have the benefit of our Saviour's Prayer Father keep them in thy name And of God's own promise I will not leave thee nor forsake thee But then we must not leave nor forsake our selves Therefore if any man think by magnifying the grace of God to pull down the possibility of doing that which God Himself calls upon us so earnestly to do he takes a wrong course For his very calling so earnestly upon us might breed a security of what is expected from Him and that if we be not wanting to our selves He will not be wanting for those good Motions and that gratious Assistance that conduceth to the performance of those good actions which he so desires For then His Grace is never withheld or denied but upon our former neglect and contemp of it And those denials we may truly reckon to be from our selves and not from Him and therefore rather confesse and bewaile then excuse our sins For every way you see Neither the Malice and Subtilty of the Devil Nor our own natural weaknes to apply the means Nor the unrulines of our Passions and Affections to interrupt them Nor the need of Divine Assistance Nor any other pretended Impediment must any way take off but rather increase our best endeavours for his charge of keeping the heart XXXI Of the Necessity of keeping the Heart AS we have proved it feasable by removing all Lets and Pretences so now I hope we shall prove it a Necessary Duty prae omni custodiâ above all keeping 1. This Necessity will best appear in the Inconveniencies and dangers that follow upon not keeping it In which regard the strongest Antidotes and Preservatives had need be applied to the Heart the strongest Ties and Obligations laid upon that Sin being no where so soon begun no where so easily set forward no where so speedily perfected as there For 1. First The Actions of the body require some degrees and continuance and opportunities of Time and Place but the thoughts of the mind conceive sin in an instant without stirring out of their own nest 2. Again The Actions of the body require some labour and it may be some fellow-labourer too for the effecting of them but the Heart alone without help without labour without company can entertain and consummate any operation of Hers. 3. Lastly The Actions of the body may be discovered and hindered by some others that come to the notice of them but the operations of the mind are so secret to all but God alone that when we are at the worst we may seem the best So that a necessary caution it is in regard of that danger that may come from evill Actions But that is not all 2. In the best Actions if the Heart be not looked too we indanger the carriage and may easily fall short of the reward For if the Fountain be corrupt the streams cannot be clear If our Hearts displease God our Actions cannot be accepted If they proceed out of constraint or out of a melancholy retired discontent whereby we are fallen out with the world or out of Vain-glory or any other byâ—… respect it is but lost labour For God is a Spirit and he will be served in spirit and in truth He looks to the Heart and to the Modus of every Action how good how plausible soever in it self In both these regards 't is a necessary duty that here we urge prae omni custodiâ And yet there are some so far from this careful keeping of the Heart from sin that they earnestly labonr and take pains to actuate and consummate those sins that have there given the onset Their evil actions present them always in motion like the raging and troubled Sea that casts out nothing but dirt and mire But in respect of any good they are liker to standing pooles Many a sweet showr from Heaven falls upon them and for want of motion they suffer them to perish By which supine carelesnes they do not only remain unwholesome as they were before but even that good water that was poured in is corrupted and turned to no use O that they would hear the wise mans counsel de custod â cordis at least to cherish their good thoughts while they have them For it is a shame that true knowledge and gratious admonition should passe through the Heart so often in vain
it fit to be kept and worthy of keeping Other are Actual Preservatives Of which suo loco 1. First We must begin with Purity And it is the natural beginning in all courses What Physitian doth not begin with purging before he come to his Cordials and Rules of health Who puts sweet odors into an impure vessel And how can the Heart be filled with those graces that preserve it untill it be a pure Heart then it may Therefore Junius and some others expound Solomons words particularly of that Keep the Heart that is say they purge it and keep it like a fountain from all filth For as our Saviour hath taught us Not that which comes into the mouth defiles a man but that which comes out of the Heart Evil thoughts murders adulteries and the like these come forth of the Heart and these defile a man And if you heare St Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As smoak drives a way bees as filthy vapours and smells drive away pigeons so doth the corruption of the Heart drive away the Angels that pitch their tents about us for our defence If we would keep those blessed Guardians or any thing else worth the keeping we must keep Purity in the first place 2. Unto Purity we must adde Constancy and Aequability of disposition the second care that we propounded by way of Preparation that is Our thoughts must not be at random and extravagant For it is not Purity alone which makes that true representation that must be there In other cases you see Snow is a pure white and yet cannot do it Milk is a pure white and cannot do it Water that inclines to a black colour yet if it be not hindred by motion propter levorem it represents any thing better So is it in the Soul Confusion and Inaequability is our greatest Impediment but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil. A setled and well ordered mind a serious reducing of our thoughts to one center makes way to the keeping of the heart in the right state Or at least adde it to that Purity that we named before And both together will make the heart fit to be kept and worthy of keeping After we have taken order for them then we come in the next place to the particular Means and Preservatives by which the heart is actually kept XXXIV The particular subordinate Means of keeping the Heart THese may be ranked in this order 1. The Fortifying and Defending of the Senses the outward passages unto the Heart 2. The careful guard and government of the Affections her Domestical Servants 3. The Opposition and Repulse of worldly thoughts the common enemies that assaile it without 4. And lastly The continual supply of good Thoughts and Meditations to imploy and strengthen those Domestical servants as we called them 1. The first of these is so necessary that the wiseman had no sooner delivered this caution for a careful watch and custody of the soul but he presently addes for the care of the Senses and those other parts that are commanded by them Put away from thee a froward mouth Let thine eyes look right on let no fair appearance turn them awry Ponder the path of thy feet Bow thine ear to understanding c. Prov. 4 24 25 26. There 's somewhat it seems in the care of the Tongue and the Feet that makes to the safe custody of the Heart But the Eye and the Ear and the rest of the Senses above all other must be looked to They are the Windowes and the back-doors wherein as the Enemy may creep through to offend the Soul so her own Servants also from thence may creep out to betray Her In both these regards for the dangers without and for the revolts within we must look well to the Senses if seriously we intend the custody of the Soul God hath not mounted the senses into the highest seat of the body there like false spies to see and betray But like a careful watch to foresee and prevent the imminent dangers Either by shutting their doors to enemies that openly assault or by keeping aloof off from those that can poison where they do but touch That in all the Faculties of the Soul and Body we may be calm and quiet Not tossed about with every breath that beats at the Ears Not disquieted with every fancy that is taken in at the Eyes Not shaked and affected with every touch But having all the Senses as the Organs and servants of the mind at the due command This is our first Help for the securing of the Heart 2. The second is the guard and government of the Affections her domesticall servants For commonly the Affections are the Rebels of our Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith St Basil i e. which doe as good as put out the very eyes of the soule and make a blind Sampson of the strongest heart So that this is a duty as necessary as any of the other For in vaine doth the Soule command her attendants abroad if she looke not as well to all at home There is all the mis-rule if we take not some exact order of Government Now to fight against these Rebels to prevaile against these so potent and home-bred Syrens hic labor hoc opus est To tame the wildness of those Affections that must be bridled To take off the dulness of others that must have the spurre To appease Anger and lust To oppose pride and covetousness To carry a strict hand over other wayes of provocation and Inticement And to indure what we should doe in such a taske and conflict Pars magna Martyrii est saith St Augustine It is a kind of Martyrdome constantly to indure such combats and not to yeild Happy is he that can do it best And who would not strive for that crowne where He that doth not resist but playes with his Affections and Passions dallies with no other then a dangerous fire in his owne bosome To secure the heart in this case we must flie idleness and too long and careless intention upon dangerous objects at a dangerous time And above all we must strive for a due serenitie and calmeness of Spirit and remember that Lesson which our blessed Saviour commended to our practise Discite à me quia mitis sum Learne of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart Mat 11. 29. All this we must be willing to do that we may by degrees exclude the obstreperous and tumultuary accesle of their importunate and impudent solicitations 3. When we have gone thus farre for the safety of the heart then we must come to the opposition and repulse of worldly thoughts the Enemies that hinder and assault the heart without and would withdraw it from God This must be added to the former at fit times For we cannot give advantage to the world but we must take as much from the Spirit As it is in the ballance if the one part goes up the other goes downe so it is in the
thanks with the best member that I have XXXVII A second Task in this Preparation AFter this first care in our Preparation a second would be to inflame our hearts with the love of that holy place and that holy work to which it is fit we should come with ready and chearful minds And that may best be done by borrowing some Light and Heat from those servants of God that have excelled in that kind and especially from the Royal Psalmist by meditation upon these or the like streins of his or theirs wherein we shall see that they accounted this place the Joy of their Glory the desire of their eyes and that whereupon they set their minds Ezek. 24. 25. One thing I have desired of the Lord which I will require that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple Psal. 27. 4. O Lord I have loved the habitation of thy House and the place where thine Honour dwels When shall I come to appear before the presence of my God Ps. 42. 2. O how amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of Hosts My Soul hath a desire to enter into the Courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh rejoyce in the living God Psal. 84. 2. I will offer in thy dwelling an oblation with great gladnes Ps. 27. 7. My lips will be saine when I sing unto thee so will my Soul Ps. 71. 23. Give thanks O Israel to the Lord in the Congregation from the ground of the Heart Ps. 68. 26. XXXVIII Our passage toward the Church and our entrance into it AS we passe by the graves in the Church-yard or other Dormitories we may when we are alone and can do it without seeming Affection and Hypocrisie put our selves in mind of our Mortality and the hope of a joyful Resurrection out of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are God's Storehouses for the Bodies of his Servants that have their Souls in Paradise or rather His Paradise his Garden set with Beds of those flowers that shall bud out again in the great Day of our general Spring In like manner as we cast our eye upon the Font and Pulpit we may sometime recall the memory of that solemn vow that we openly undertook at our first Initiation into the Church and of those many Sermons that have often rubbed the remembrance of that with little appearance of successe in our practise But we must never forget to come in and out and do all in the Church with that decent and reverend behaviour of our selves that is due to a place of Gods more especiall presence and our more peculiar service unto Him Whereupon Jacob called his Bethel a place of dread and the Jewes stiled theirs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Palace or place of Majesty where they conceived God sitting between the Cherubim as upon a throne of state and the Christians called theirs in the same sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence we had our Kirk and Church All these names putting us in mind of that which was the very letter of the Law that we should reverence Gods Sanctuary Levit. 19. 30. Though in it self it was no peculiar Act of Law but rather the Dictate of Reason that God should be approached to and served in the compleatest kind of service with all inward and outward reverence that is fitting for us The Holy and Princely Prophet carried this thought along with him when he went to Gods House and how doth he expresse it We will go into thy Tabernacle and fall low on our knees before thy Foot-stool that is before the Ark. Psal. 132. 7. And in other words of his we invite our selves every morning to the same duty in ô Venite adoremus O come let us worship and bow down that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and kneel before the Lord our Maker Psal. 95. 6. i. e. before him that made body and soul joyn'd them both together and will expect they should both be joyn'd together in his service Our Invitatory Psalm calls for it by the example of Holy David in the Tabernacle That his example prevailed with the Jewes we see it in Solomon's time For as soon as they had a Temple we find them all the whole congregation bowing themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement and worshipping 2 Chron. 7. 3. Nehem. 8. 6. And who knows not that it was a custome of the Jewish Church when they were abroad to pray towards the Temple and when they were in the Temple to worship towards the Altar The first we see in Daniel's practice Dan. 6. 10. The other confirmed by good K Hezekiah's command Incurvate vos coram Altari hoc 4 Reg. 18. 22. If the Christian Church hath the like Practice before the holy Table it is no more bowing to the Table then K David or K Hezekiah's adoration before the Altar was adoring the Altar in those dayes or man's kneeling before his seat is kneeling to his seat 2 Chron. 29. 29 30. And if the Christians Reverence was more then that of the Jewes good reason for it we have more ingagements that call for more respect and might cast us lower before his Footâ—… stool that first bowed the Heavens and descended as low as earth that hemight raise us as high as Heaven then in his agonie bowed again and fell on his face to pray for us that now think it much to stoop a little in the Church when we come to pray for our selves Mat. 26. 39 The glorious Saints above they do it they bow when they addresse themselves before Him In the fourth of the Revelation you may see them falling down and worshipping and casting their Crownes before the Throne Rev. 4. 10. They that pretend to be cunning in the Revelation think they could tell us best who they are whether Caelestial Spirits or the Reverend Fathers of the Church that go there under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders or Priests Whosoever they are they are such whose example we had better follow here then defer it till we think to see them in Heaven But if they will continue as stiff in the knees as they are in the neck I must tell them the very Devils did it Marc. 3. 11. They bowed before our Saviour when he was in the state of his humility shall we be loth to do it when he is in his state of glory Surely he that commanded us not to bow to idols did not mean but we should bow down to himself Yet if we doubt of his meaning let us learn what that means in the Psalmist Give the Lord honour due to his name worship the Lord with holy worship Holy worship will have the heart and due Honour will have the lowest submissive expression of bodily Service which is no more then our bounden Duty to God and the one will easily follow the other
kind of dumbe and silent thing before Thee Psal. 65. 1. Or the loudest Psalmes and Praises are but as deep silence So many several Songs reach not the excellencies of thy goodnes For how can they reach that which is infinite They are but so many several wayes of an eloquent and Divine Silence In some such Contemplation as this St Aug made it a part of his Consessions Vae tacentibus de Te Domine quoniam etiam loquaces muti sunt Woe be to them that say little in the praise of God for they that have said most and sung loudest and sweetest are little better then mute For the Lord is great and cannot worthily be praised Ps. 96. 4. We may sing well and we may speak much and yet come short For He is great above all his works Therefore when you glorifie the Lord exalt him as much as you can for even yet will he far exceed And when you exalt him put forth all your strength and be not weary for you can never go far enough Ecclus. 27. 28. 30. Let it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or what you will it will fall short of his Praise The most we can attain to is to feel that we want capacity and ability to conceive or express the praise of God And they that are most expressive of that want are the best Proficients in the art of praising God in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in singing with art and understanding XLIII The influence that Preaching and Prayer and Reading of the holy Scripture should have upon our Practice AS a Merchant when he hath filled and enriched his Ship if then he suffer Shipwrack he is the more miserable by how much the more wealth he had in his ship So is it with us if we make shipwrack of our selves when much Prayer and Preaching hath filled and enriched our hearts And yet do we often suffer our best merchandise to be taken out the same day that it was taken in Not considering that to frequent the Church unlesse our lives be answerable to it doth not so much prove us more religious as it procures us a greater punishment and sends us a little wiser but deeper into Hell For it is not Learnin̄g and Formality but true holines and obedience that commends us to God and makes us Christians And we may account all our exercises of Hearing but as so many Keyes to open and so many hands to let us in to the exercise of some virtue otherwise of little value To which purpose the Jews had a Proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrina sine opere non est doctrina Which was shadowed out in the Law at the consecrating of the Priests by laying the blood first upon the right are to shew that they must not be deaf to bear the will of God then upon the thumbs of the hands and feet Exod. 29. 30. to shew that not hearing alone but doing and walking accordingly must make them perfect So that we may conclude that a good life must be the effect and commendation of our Preaching and Hearing and other publick service And we may say more that a good Life is a continual preaching a continual praying and praising of God our good example teaching and perswading most effectually and our good report filling many mens mouths with praise and thankfulnes unto God Which made Chrysostome say tom 1. 82. that he whose Actions speak a heavenly language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath in every action a several tongue and in the harmony of many Actions the true art of Rhetorick and those Divine streins of more then vocal Musick that are so much the more powerful with God and man by how much the more real and effectual they are in themselves and ordered with a sincere intention and affection of Heart XLIV The necessity of frequent Prayer both in publick and private BEside God's precept to pray continually and God's promise Ask and you shall have open thy mouth wide and I will fill it our own necessities and the necessities of other men which the law of Charity binds us to regard will prove the necessity of frequent prayer 1. Our own necessities may bring us to it both in regard of the good things which we have that we may injoy them for we are but Tenants at will for them all and for the good things which we have not for they are so many and so great that no man hath attained perfection 2. Others necessities should not be forgotten by them that should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and such are these The Christians in distresse The Jews in blindnes The Greeks in slavery under the Turk The Latins in Popish superstition The Pagans infidelity The affliction of our Friends Enemies These should not be forgotten And thus should we make others enjoy the benefit of our publick and private Devotions and not frame our prayers for our selves onely and our own Relations XLV The set Hours of publick Prayer THese are the rather to be observed that our Devotions may be accompanied with the prayers of others in our behalf In which regard I think we should do well when our necessary occasions detain us from the publick places of Prayer yet as neer as we can in the set times of publick prayer to commence our sutes unto God Of the great Elijah 1 Reg. 18. 36. whose Prayers were so powerfull when he convinced Baal's Prophets by fire though he was then far from the Temple yet we have this observation of the time It came to passe at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice that Elijah the Prophet came neer and said The Lord God of Abraham c. And then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice v. 38. Ezra picked out that time when he lamented the affinity with strangers 1 Esdr. 9. 5. At the evening sacrifice saith he I arose from my heavines and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands unto the Lord. The book of Judith hath the same note upon her humbling her self by prayer It was about the time that the incense of that Evening was offered in Jerusalem Jud. 9 1. And it is worth your observation how God hath met with them that interrupted that time And when he would do a favour how he hath often made choice of one of the hours of publick Service The first of these we find in Samuel 1 Sam. 7. 8 10. As he was offering up the burnt offering the Philistins drew neer to battel against Israel but the Philistins might easily perceive that they had better chosen another time And it was not long before the Israelites had a sign that God looked gratiously upon their Sacrifice for he thundred with a great thunder that day upon the Philistins and they were smitten before Israel The other we may clearly see in Jehoshaphat's case 2 Reg 3.
that are weak and sick by reason of too various and too much nourishment who deceive themselves and go a contrary way from the cure seeking spirituous liquors and succulent meats in a conceit of weaknes and fear of cold diseases Not considering that too much juycie meats oppresse nature and hot wines fill the head with foggie vapours whioh being turned into ill matter and condensed become the original of some distempers which were never feared These refreshments are not for such as live at ease but rather for such as often spend their spirits in labour or hard study For others moderate Abstinence is far better better for their health and better for the prolonging of their daies Which appears in this that the most austere and abstemious sort of men in all ages though they lived at ease and used little exercise have been the most healthfull and the longest livers 2. I must tell you one thing more To a healthful and long life Abstinence adds a light body agile and fit for any emploiment For where the Diet is moderate proportioned to the body the temper the season there the concoction the work of the Stomach must needs be good and so the blood also good and the humors pure untainted and fit for motion fit for God's service especially fit for currere for those services that require a quick dispatch that is for the best and noblest actions that cannot well be atchieved by a troublesome body With which I will close up those things which Abstinence brings to the body But Abstinence stretcheth her virtue farther still being beneficial to the whole Man And first she derives safety and vigor to the Senses For instance where there is no crude deflux into the nerve and organ of hearing and seeing there the Sight and Hearing must ordinarily be more lasting and more accurate and exact unlesse it be extinct and decayed by Age or Study or some Accident 2. Nor doth she stay at the Senses The Affections themselves participate of that good that proceeds from Abstinence Anger Lust and Melancholly must needs be abated when their ordinary fewel that keeps in the fire is taken away Griefe Fear and Heavines must needs be corrected when those Humors that feed them are drawn dry Thus doth Abstinence charme the raging spirits make a man affable chearful tractable and reduce all to the right state In case of lust especially that kind of Devil is seldom cast out but by Prayer and Fasting too 3. The Benefit of Abstinence goes yet farther extends it self to the Memory and Vnderstanding For whereas Intemperance sends up a cold obstructive humour that possesseth the Brain and so dulls the memory and Apprehensive Faculty that both of them weakly apprehend and hardly retain On the contrary a just and moderate Abstinence quickens the wit sharpens the Invention and Judgment as far as the Constitution is capable and makes the spirits and apprehension true and pure instar speculi So that both the species of Earthly things and the contemplation of Heavenly is more to the life and so illuminate as an intemperate muddy brain cannot be for Anima sicca anima prudens Wisdom dwels not where the vapors of Meat and Drink have too much to do 4. Nay Abstinence flies higher yet It makes our Prayers our Meditations our Devotions lesse distracted more facile more intent more delightsome And as Faith is the prime and inward Foundation so of secondary and external things Abstinence gives the greatest advantage to all spiritual and heavenly virtues So many helps doth it supply so many obstacles doth it remove in every Christian and Religious employment Therefore let not so much be crammed in for the Vegetant as shall not onely indanger the whole body but hinder all the superiour Faculties the Senfes the Affections the Memory the Understanding and Devotion too But rather let us use that Christian Abstinence without which we cannot be so fitted to run the race that is set before us that in the end we may win the Prize and Crown of Immortality We have reason so to do in regard of those Advantages that we see it brings to the body and to the Soul By all which if wee look upon it with impartial eyes it is truly amiable as most acceptable to God to Nature to Reason to Virtue to Religion the Continence of men the Chastity of women the vigour of a living and the ease and quiet of a dying man and not so much the means to a Crown as a crown it self and more virtual to the head of him that wears it but ever ending with a Crown incorruptible LI. Of that Charity or hearty love of God which is our best Companion while we live and when we die OUr Saviour being asked which was the greatest Commandment gave this answer in effect That the greatest Commandement is to love God with all our heart and soul and mind that is as well as we can or totis viribus as Saint Luke hath it ut totius dilectionis impetus eò ourrat that the whole current of our love may drive that way as St. Augustin well expounds it This is the greatest and the next is like unto it to love others as well as our selves not quantum but sicut or eo modo or in ordine ad Deum in reference and subordination to our love to God which is the modus of loving our selves God looks at nothing more then this hearty unfeigned love of him nor should we desire any thing more nothing being more advantageous to our selves For it is that Love which covers the multitude of our sins and presents us and all our Actions acceptable to God who regards nothing that is not derived from that Fountain If that were not Motive enough who would not love him above all in whom are all beauties and loves in an eminent manner beyond our apprehension And in the fruition of whose love we have a fair way made to the enjoying of everything else worth the loving But may we not stop a little when we look upon our selves What are we poor and vile Creatures that we should aspire or dare to make tendry of our love to him with any confidence True But since he will not onely accept it but peremptorily command it and command it in the first place we may and we must frame our selves to do it And the more we can improve this Divine Affection the better we may think our pains to be spent all the dayes of our life I shall therefore endeavour to help it in this method 1. First taking a view of Love in general 2. Then particularly of Divine love not omitting the waies and attractives of them both 1. Love is the inclination and application of the Heart and mind to that which is beloved Wherein there is no sence of labour or difficulty but rather a languor and impatience of not having a speedy success of our endeavours to find out and enjoy that which is
desired For it is supplied with a continual Fervor and dilated with a sweet complacence and pleasing apprehension of the happines we might have in the fruition of what we desire and long for Therefore it doth not much need any Motive or Reward or any thing else to maintain it in vigor but onely the hope of acquiring that which is beloved There 's none of us all but have our share more or lesse in this pleasing Affection And it should be our daily prayer and care that we be not mistaken in the object of the Love we pitch upon To which purpose we should be most vigilant over those parts where Love makes the entrance The ordinary wayes are the Ear and the Eye First the Ear hath a door to admit it A door that no Key opens so well as a good report That will easily make us love those whom we never saw ut eos saepe quos nunquam vidimus diligamus saith the Orator No Musick can set anothers Heart-strings to the same tune with ours so soon as this 2. Beside this of the Ear there 's a second and more frequent passage to Love from the Eye either the Eye of the Body or the Understanding the eye of the Mind For Love hath the same Fountain that our loving Tears have they come out of the Eye and thence fall into the Breast So doth all Love from the Eye slide into the Heart and then it needs no Letters of recommendation there it pleads and conquers for it self So it is in all Love and so it is particularly in Divine love which is an inclination and application of the heart to God 1. First it comes in at the Ear. Fides ex auditu saith the Apostle and so doth Love Amor ex auditu It begins as that Psalm doth Auribus audivimus Ps. 44. 1. we have heard with our Ears and our Fathers have told us 2. It comes in at the Eye too For from the eye of the understanding by which we see the worth of what we love it is conveyed by Faith into that welcome which the Heart is easily made ready to embrace it withall Now that we are so taken with love at the Eye t is no wonder since we hear our Saviour himself say to the Church in the Canticles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast struck or affected my very Heart with one of thine eyes Cant. 4. 9. They must be holy and devout eyes that can so take him and we had need to look to it that our eyes may be such And when they are such that God may yet divert them from dangerous objects and vouchsafe his own love to kindle them withall that is the light of his countenance some gracious aspect from him wherein the Soul may see him as the fairest of ten thousand Cant 5. 10. the most amiable of all that can be loved and hear him with that affection which was commonly his that said Thy word is sweeter to me then the hony and the honey comb more to be desired then gold even much fine gold And now I may ask first concerning the Eare the first passage to love who hath not heard of the Majesty Wisdom Goodnes Mercy and other attributes of God that are able to ravish the love of any soul. Dies diei eructat scientiam There is no speech or language but that voice is plainly heard and understood in a l the world If we will make the right use of our Eares we cannot but advance our love to God 2. Then I may ask as much for the eye the other passage Hath not every mans eye the eye of his Body or of his Understanding been so far opened as to discover some clear beams some cast of his love not onely in the general wayes of Providence but in the more particular benefits mercies and indulgencies that are or may be conferred on him and should be the attractives of his love so many wayes doth he display his Amoris insignia his love-tokens And the truth is we should never come to be so happy as to love him if he did not invite and woe our hearts first by his own Favours and preventing love which is the Adamant of Love and was so powerful in him that it should now draw our hearts to heaven as once it brought him from thence to Earth to give us a touch of his ardent love in his humility and Obedience and especially in shedding his dearest bloud for our sakes All this did he to win our love to him without whom we could not love nay live and move and have any being and from whom are all the wonders of our Creation and Preservation and all the promises of future and eternal Happines This preventing love of his is the hand by which he drawes all men to the confession of his goodnes And if we adde to this the particular favours to our own persons we have enough to win our Hearts and fix our love upon him But we notwithstanding are so hard to be won to him and so ready to forsake him upon the allurement of very trifles that we scarce make a stop to ask our selves the question why we tire our love with so many objects so infinitely below the value of this one For what is it that we would have Is it Beauty Then seek the love of him the sweetnes of whose glorious face is the Joy and Rapture of Angels The onely vision of him is complete Happines and full satisfaction Or would we partake of true Riches or knowledg or pleasure Then study the love of him who is the unum necessarium to all these ends and purposes 1. Of whom we are directed to buy that gold that will make us truly rich Apoc. 3. 2. In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom Col. 2. 3. In whose presence is fulnes of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Ps. Is not all this true And yet are not we commonly so far from thinking how to purchase his love that we busy our selves most in that which heaps up the treasure of his wrath and provokes him to plague us with many fearful judgments Into these dangers we plunge our selves in the persuit of our ugly sins but what lovely virtues do we compass with the like hazard for his sake that is Love and Charity it self Or what excuse can we make for our selves that we are not so employ'd Yet if the purchase of other virtuous Duties may find excuse this sure will find none If we are exhorted to Fast or to Relieve the Poor or to any other like Duties we may perhaps think to excuse them by the indisposition of our bodies or our want of means c. But when we are perswaded to love God we are put upon that a ainst which there is no Apolâ—…gie He that loves not the Lord Jesus Let him be Anathema Maran Athah that is liable to the heaviest curse Well then If there be no excuse What kind
within it 2 Maco 3. 39. Which that it may be the more acceptable we should perswade our selves as in our earthly affaires we often forget our heavenly so in this heavenly work much rather to forget or neglect our earthly businesses and addresse our selves wholly to the service of God For if he be accursed that doth any work of God negligently how shall he avoid a curse that useth not care and decency and reverence in the discharge of holy and publick Duties A few dead flies saith the wiseman corrupt the pretious ointment of the Apothecary so may a little undecent carriage discredit the noblest and best of our Civil and Religious Actions Eccles. 10. 1. Therefore should our Preparation before we goe to the Church and our Heed and Discretion there be such as may keep us from offering the sacrifice of fooles and with an ill savour infecting that incense which is presented before God Himselfe It should do so And it will do so And it will be so if we will follow that Wise man's counsell Eccles. 5. 1. vel 4. ult Observe thy foot when thou goest into the house of God that is Examine thy Affections and thy course of life and be more ready to heare where hearing is put for obeying audire for obedire and his meaning is that Obedience is better then Sacrifice 1 Sam 15. 22. Therefore we should be readier to obey God then foolishly to perswade our selves that without amendment of life our Sacrifice or Prayers should expiate our faults No without that Obedience our very Prayer is an addition to our sinnes If you are not yet ready for that Wiseman's counsell will you listen a while to the advise of the wise son of Syrach Ecclus. 18. 23. not to venter upon the worke of Prayer or rush into the house of Prayer without due preparation For God being a Spirit when we come to serve him he lookes first to the Heart vide Num. 19. 13. 2 Chron 23. 19. And if we do not so too if we be not well advised what feet that is what Affections bring us into God's house that carelesse tendry of our service is the bold act of them that tempt the Lord and renders them more sinfull and so lesse acceptable unto Him So thought wise Solomon that built the first Temple unto God the first house of Prayer And so thought the wise son of Syrach that gave us the first Lesson of Preparation to Prayer He that is wise will hear them and walk with God alone Mic. 6. 8. before he presume to walk toward the Church that so when he is there he may give him the honour due to his name and worship the Lord with holy worship Ps. 29. 2. For Holines becomes his house for ever Ps. 93. ult Aaron had this memorandum of it in the forefront of his Miter Exod. 28. 36. 30 30. And it was the Meaning of that Law given to him and his Sons when you go into the Tabernacle of the Congregation or to the Altar wash with water that you dye not Holines in the Front and washing at the entrance were emblemes of that Purity and Sanctity of life which makes our service acceptable unto God and without which we must not think to flatter him with outward shows and pretences of Hearing or Preaching or tendring our Prayers Jer. 7. 10. For to the ungodly saith God Why dost thou preach my Laws and take my covenant into thy mouth Psal. 50. 16. And elsewhere I cannot away with your Sabbaths and solemn assemblies Is. 1. 13. Such blind Pretenders to the service of God whether Clergy or Laity were ever more bold then welcome God hath shew'd us in several places of Scripture how he likes their room better then their company Amongst other places so he tells them in Malachi 1. 10. I would some of you would shut the Church-doors and keep them out for I have no pleasure in them nor will I accept an offering at their hands saith the Lord of Hosts And again I will throw the dung of your solemn sacrifices into your faces and so let them cart you away with it Mal. 2. 3. This is the plain meaning of those words in Malachi and do not all the Prophets say as much as this comes to will you hear some of them Isay first To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices When you come to appear before me who required this at your hands Is. 1. 11 12. He that kils an Ox is as if he slew a man He that sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a dogs head Is. 66. 3. To what purpose comes there to me Incense from Sheba Jer. 6. 20. and again in the next Chapter v. 4. Trust not in lying words The temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord. Will you steal c. and come and stand before me in this house They come as other people use to come to hear and show much love with their mouths the Sermon is like Musick to them for they hear and do not Ezek. 33. 31 32. I will not smell your solemn assemblies take away from me the noise of your songs and melody of your viols Amos 5. 23. Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or ten thousand rivers of oyl Mic. 6. 6. The Prophet Haggai gives them a touch of the same mistake in the question about the touch of holy flesh where he would have them informed that an impure and disobedient heart pollutes all that is offer'd upon the holy Altarâ—… Hag. 2. 11. If men would now and then think seriously of these and such like places of Scripture before they go to Church it would make them carry better intentions and affections and resolutions then are commonly brought thither by most men that enter the Church pro forma and come out no better then they went in What I have said will be warrant enough to make this my first Item to my self and others that we look first within quid loquatur in nobis Deus whether there be within us an Oracle or Temple fit for God or if there be not that we stay our going toward the Church a while and go first to our Closets reconcile our selves to him and then go and offer our service there For it is in vain to come with that foolish people in Ezekiel that make a show of much love to God wish their mouths onely Ezek. 33. 31. Is. 58. 2. Without a right intention of Heart and purity of Devotion our meer formal coming to Church to hear or pray or preach will procure us little acceptation Holy David's method would be thought on I will wash my hands in innocence O Lord and so will I go to thy Altar Ps. 26. 6. He took the best course to begin with paratum est cor my heart is ready Ps. 108. 1. and so to cantabo I will sing and give