omit prayer either for their meat or labour Grace as well as nature teacheth a godly man not to neglect either his Family or body but it teacheth him also to prefer his soul and his God before them both Seneca though an Heathen could say I am greater and born to greater things then to be a drudge to and the slave of my body A Christians Character is that he is not carnal or for his body but spiritual or for his soul Rom. 8. It was a great praise which Ambrose speaks of Valentinian Never man was a better servant to his Master then Valentinians body was to his soul This is the godly mans duty to make Heaven his Throne and the Earth his foot-stool It s the exposition which one gives upon those words Subdue the Earth Gen. 1.28 that is thy body and all earthly things to thy soul Our earthly callings must give way to our Heavenly we must say to them as Christ to his Disciples Tarry you here while I go and pray yonder and truely godliness must be first in our Prayers Hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdom come before give us this day our daily bread and first in all our practices seek first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof and all other things shall be added to you Mat. 6.33 Secondly to make Religion ones business containeth to pursue it with industry in our conversations A man that makes his calling his business is not lazy but laborious about it what pains will he take what strength will he spend how will he toil and moil at it early and late The Tradesman the Husbandman eat not the bread of Idleness when they make their callings their business if they be good Husbands they are both provident to observe their seasons and diligent to improve them for their advantage they do often even dip their food in their sweat and make it thereby the more sweet Their industry appears in working hard in their callings and in improving all opportunities for the furtherance of their callings 1. Thus he that makes Religion his business is industrious and laborious in the work of the Lord. The heart of his ground the strength of his inward man is spent about the good corn of Religion not about the weeds of earthly occasions He makes hast to keep Gods Commandements knowing that the lingring lazy Snail is reckoned among unclean creatures Levit. 11.30 and he is hot and lively in his devotion knowing that a dull Eo quòd pigrnns tardum aniâ—◠〈…〉 est â—ellarm drou sie Ass though fit enough to carry the image of Isis yet was no fit sacrifice for the pureand active God Exod. 13.13 He giveth God the top the cheif the cream of all his affections as seeing him infinitely worthy of all acceptation He is not slothful in business but fervent in spirit when he is serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 He beleiveth that to fear God with a secondary fear is Atheism that to trust God with a secondary trust is Treason that to honour God with a secondary honour is Idolatry and to love God with a secondary love is Adultery therefore he loveth and he feareth and trusteth and honoreth the Lord his God with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength Mat. 22.36 37. His love to God is a labour of love as strong as death the coals thereof are coals of Juniper which do not onely burn long some say twelve moneths together but burn with the greatest heat His measure of loving God is without measure The Samseans in Epiphanius were neither Jews Gentiles nor Christians yet preserved a fair correspendency with all An Hypocrite is indifferent to any never servent in the true Religion It is reported of Redwald King of the East Saxons Cambd Brittan the first Prince of this Nation that was baptized that in the same Church he had one Altar for the Christian Religion another for the Heathenish Sacrifices The true Beleiver doth otherwise he that makes Religion his work gives God the whole of his heart without halting and without halving Set him about any duty and he is diligent in it In prayer Innuit certamen quasi luctam cum deo ipso Epis Dav. in loc he laboureth in prayer Col. 4.12 he cryeth to God 1 Sam. 7.9 he cryeth mightily Jonah 3.8 he poureth forth his soul Lam. 2.19 he strives in supplication with God Rom. 15.30 stirs up himself to lay hold on God Isa 27.5 and even wrestleth with Omnipotency Gen. 32.14 When the mill of his prayer is going his fervent affections are the waters that drive it There is fire taken from Gods own Altar not the ordinary hearth of Nature and put to his incense whereby it becomes fragrant and grateful to God himself His fervent prayer is his key to Gods Treasury and his endeavour is that it rust not for want of use When he goeth to the Sacrament he is all in a flame of affection to the Author of that feast With desire he desires to eat of the Passover He longs exceedingly for the time he loves the Table but when he seeth the Bread and Wine the wagons which the Lord Jesus hath sent for him oh how his heart revives When he seeth the Sacraments the Body and Blood of Christ in the elements who can tell how soon he cents how fast this true Eagle flyeth to the heavenly carkass At hearing he is heedful he flyeth to the salt-stone of the Word with swiftness and care as Doves to their columbaries Isa 60.8 As the new born babe he desires the sincere milk of the Word and when he is attending on it he doth not dally nor trifle but as the Bee the flower and the childe the breast suck with all his might for some spiritual milk Isa 66.11 Deut. 28.1 he hearkneth diligently to the voyce of the Lord his God let him be in company taking notice of some abominable carriage he will rebuke cuttingly Tit. 1.13 If he gives his bitter pill in sweet syrrup you may see his exceeding anger against sin whilst you behold his love to the sinner he is though a meek Lamb when himself yet a Lion when God is dishonoured his anger waxeth hot when men affront the most High Exod. 32.19 If he be counselling his child or friend to minde God and godliness how hard doth he woo to win the soul to Christ how many baits doth he lay to catch the poor creature you may perceive his bowels working by his very words How fervent how instant how urgent how earnest is he to perswade his relation or acquaintance to be happy He provokes them to love and to good works Set him about what religious exercise you will and he is according to the Apostles words zealous or fiery fervent of good works like spring water he hath a living principle Plin. lib. 5. cap. 5. and thence is warm in winter or like Debris in Cyrene is seething hot
Days and it may be got little soul-saving good Thou goest to the House of God where a table in the preaching of the Gospel is set before thee spread with all the dainties of Pardon Love Grace Peace and Eternal Life at which others sit and feed their Souls are fill'd with Marrow and Fatness and their mouthes praise the Lord with joyful lips but thou hast no stomack canst eat little and savour nothing I dare be the Physician to tell thee the cause cure of this the cause is Thy stomack is foul thy heart is unclean and therefore as a man that hath a cold or some disease predominant cannot rellish his meat but complains sometimes of the meat sometime of the Cook when the fault is in himself so thou canst taste no goodness in the best meat neither Prayer nor Scripture neither Sermon nor Sabbath are savoury to thee yet it may be thou blamest the Preacher he doth not dress the meat to thy mind when the fault is in the foulness of thy affections Thy cure must be to purge out this old leaven to take some pains beforehand in cleansing thy heart When the stomack is clean as after purging or fasting how sweet is a piece of bread So if thou wouldst but in secret search thy soul vomit up thy filth by a penitent confession cleanse thine heart by sincere contribution and wouldst then frequent the publique Ordinances thou wouldst finde prayer sweet preaching sweet the Sacrament sweet every service sweet O how wouldst thou love the habitation of Gods House and the place where his honor dwelleth Prepare to meet thy God O Christian betake thy self to thy chamber on the Saturday night confess and bewail thine unthankfulness for and unfruitfulness under the Ordinances of God shame and condemn thy self for thy sins entreat God to prepare thy heart for and assist it in thy Religious performances spend some time in consideration of the infinite Majestie Holiness Jealousie and Goodness of that God with whom thou art to have to do in sacred duties ponder the weight and importance of his holy Ordinances how they concern thy salvation or damnation thine everlasting life or death how certainly they will either further thine unchangeable welfare or encrease thine endless wo meditate on the shortness of the time thou hast to enjoy Sabbaths in how near thy life may be to an end how speedily and how easily God may take down thine earthly Tabernacle how there is no working no labouring no striving in the other World to which thou art hastning and continue musing and blowing till the fire burneth thou canst not think the good thou mayest gain by such fore-thoughts how pleasant and profitable a Lords Day would be to thee after such a preparation The oven of thine heart thus baked in as it were over night would be easily heated the next morning the fire so well raked up when thou wentest to bed would be the sooner kindled when thou shouldst rise If thou wouldst thus leave thine heart with God on the Saturday night thou shouldst finde it with him in the Lords Day morning Secondly Possess thy soul in the morning with the greatness of thy priviledge in the enjoyment of a Sabbath and such seasons of grace Look upon thy work that day as thy reward thy duty on that day as thy greatest Dignity O what a favour what an honor what happiness doth God vouchsafe to thee in affording thee such a golden season David though a King the Head of the best people in the World esteemed it an honor to be the lowest Officer in Gods House to be a Door-keeper there to fit at the threshold as it is in the Hebrew Psal 84.10 If the Queen of Sheba could say when she saw the wealth and heard the wisdom of Solomon Happy are these thy men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom and blessed be the Lord God of Israel which delighted in thee to set thee on the Throne of Israel because the Lord loved Israel for ever therefore made he thee King 1 Kings 10.8 9. mayest not thou when thou beholdest the beautiful face of thy Saviour in the glass of Ordinances and hearest the sweet delightful voyce of Jesus Christ a greater then Solomon when thou seest the delicate and plentiful provision the feast of fat things of wine on the lees well refined which he makes for his people upon better ground say Blessed are thy servants that hear thee daily watching at thy gates waiting at the posts of thy doors Prov. 8.34 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praising thee And blessed be the Lord God of Israel which delighted in thee to set thee on the Throne of Israel because he loved Israel for ever therefore hath he made thee King The Ordinances of God are called an appearing before God the fruition of them is a seeing his face Capernaum because of them was said to be lifted up to Heaven Who can tell what honor it is to appear in the presence of this King or what happiness it is to see his comely countenance Those that enjoy this are lifted up to Heaven Israel was an unparallel'd people because of this incomparable priviledge For what Nation is there so great which hath God so nigh unto them Deut. 4.7 In the Ordinances of God the Christian hath sweet communion with ravishing delight in and enflamed affection to the blessed God in them he tastes God to be gracious hath the First-fruits of his Glorious and Eternal Harvest Well might the French Protestants call their place of publique meeting Paradise Well might David cry out Psal 84.1 2. 27.4 How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts At the Tabernacle God did meet David Who can tell what joyful greeting there was at that holy meeting what sweet kisses what loving embraces God gave his soul As the Ordinances are Heaven in a glass so the Lords Day is Heaven in a map This is to be valued at an high rate because therein we enjoy all the means of communion with God in the highest degree and measure without interruption The Hebrews call thee Week days prophane days but this is an holy pious day The Greeks call them working days but this is a day of sweet rest Other days are common and ordinary handmaids but this is fitly termed by the Jews the Queen of days Many Daughters have done wisely but thou hast excelled them all Many days as Lecture-days Fast-days Thanksgiving-days have done vertuously have done valiantly but thou O Queen of days hast excelled them all They like Saul have slain their thousands of Spiritual Enemies but thou hast slain as David thy ten thousands They like the people must worship afar off but thou like Moses mayest draw near go up into the mount There is none like thee whom God knoweth face to face Well may other days say to thee as the people to David Thou art
who cannot hear what is spoken by reason of the clacking and noise which is made there Christ calleth and the Spirit of God cryeth to them but their eares are stopt with earth that they hear not As we say of fire and water they are good Servants but bad Masters Keep them within their bounds and they are exceeding useful but when they go beyond their bounds how hurtful are they What mischief hath fire done in England what sad work hath water made in Holland The same is true of our particular callings they are faithful Servants but they are dreadful Masters Keep them within their limits and they are helpful to our selves our relations and our neighbours but suffer them once to transgress their bounds and they will make miserable work they will rob God wrong the soul nay often ruine it eternally When those that were born slaves and servants come once to be Kings and Commanders they are ever the worst Tyrants Now if thou wouldst not have thy particular calling to incroach upon thy general take heed that it steal not away thy heart nor thy time 1. Take heed that thy particular calling steal not away thy heart from thy general calling If the Mistris keep her distance and maintain her authority over her maidens she may find them obedient and serviceable but if she grow fond of them and familiar with them they will grow saucy and incroach upon her Reader keep thy inward distance and maintain that authority which God hath given thee over the things of this life and then all will be well butif once thou doatest on them and delightest in them expect to have them thine hinderances in all holy exercises The World may have thy hands but it must not have thy heart Thy actions may be about thy particular calling but thy affections must be above it Set your affections on things above and not on things below Collos 3.2 Thy occupation is as the first Adam of the earth carthly but thy conversation must be like the second Adam the Lord from Heaven heavenly A Christian should follow the things of this World with such a slightness and indifferency of Spirit as Wicked men do the things of a better World The holy Angels behold our earthly affairs but as strangers to them It is happy for him that can carry himself towards his own estate as if it were another mans An heathen could say I do not give but onely lend my self to my business Surely then a Saint should go through th World as one in a deep study Rebus non me trodo sedcousmodo Senec de benef his mind being the whilst intent upon a better object Brutish Horseflies fasten on Dunghils Swallows make their nests of earth They who have no Heaven hereafter may give their hearts to the earth but Christian if thou lovest thy soul though riches increase set not thine heart upon them Love not the World nor the things of the World Psa 62.10 This is a certain truth the hotter thy love is to the World the colder it is to the Lord. When the sap of Worldliness is in a man he will never flame well heavenward The Ship may sail in the water and be safe but when the water getteth into the Ship it sinketh it Thou mayst work about thy earthly affairs and all may be well but if thine affairs once work themselves into thee then thou art in danger Thy God alloweth thee to warm thy self at the Sun of creature comforts but not to turn Persian and worship it The Riviers lightly salute the earth as they pass along and make no stay but pass forward to the Ocean Thy affections should but slightly touch the earth weeping for worldly crosses as if thou wepst not and rejoycing for Worldly comforts as if thou rejoycedst not and so pass on to the Ocean of thy happiness It s said Germanicus reigned in the Romans hearts Tiberius onely in the Provinces Thy general must reign in the City in thy heart thy particular calling onely in the Suburbs of thy hands Reader if the World ever get into the throne of thine inward man fare wel all Religon I have read of a custom among the Germans to know whether their children be bastards or not to throw them in Fluvium Rhenum into the River Rhine If they floated above then they acknowledged them to be their own but if the waters carried them away then they esteemed them as Bastards Truely Reader if thou canst float above the waters of thy worldly imployments thou art a child of God but if that carry thee away by lying near thy affections look to thy self and fear thy condition It is not the greatness of mans estate or employment so much as the nearness of it to his heart which will hinder holiness A small hat held near our eyes will hinder our sight of the Sun which a great mountain a far off will not do A little near the affections will hinder our sight of Christ when thousands far from the heart may as imployed further it Besides the closer we lay the flowers of our earthly mercies to our breasts the sooner they wither A nosegay in the hand will continue fresh and sweet as is generally observed much longer then when it is stuck in the bosome 2. That thy particular calling may not incroach upon thy general be careful that it steal not away thy time Thy piety Reader and thy prudence is so to order thine affairs relating to heaven and earth to God and thy family that they may not interfere or cross each other A wise foreceast will much help thee in this particular As to the winding a skein of silk he that begins at the right end will make quick riddance of it so to the dispatching of Wordly imployments that they may not prove heavenly impediments he that hath discretion to forecast them well may do very much However thy duty is to give the affairs of thy soul and thy God precedency I know the Devil and thy corrupt heart will often justle and quarrel with thy Closet and Family duties by suggesting to thee that they must of necessity be omitted because otherwise such and such concernments of thy calling upon which the welfare of thy self Wife and Children doth depend will be neglected As when Moses spake of the Israelites sacrificing to God then Pharoah spake of work to put them off so when thou art thinking of entring upon the performance of duties whether in secret or private thy back friend the evil one will send thee a message either by thy Wife or friend or thine unregenerate part that some other affairs of weight call for thy company elsewhere and therefore a dispensation must be granted thee at present as to thy solemn devotion Friend if thou lovest Jesus Christ take heed of hearkening to such temptations let the flesh but once obtain such a conquest over thee and thou shalt hear of it again it will pursue its victory to
of him in thy trade or travails then in his Tabernacle When thou drawest nigh to him there he will be sanctified either in thee or upon thee If thou refuse to give him glory in his service beleive it he will get himself glory by thy suffering His Worship is his face and look for his fury if thou darest him to his face The waters of the Sanctuary are like the waters given to a suspected Wife if she were innocent it witnest her honesty made her fruitful if barren and did her good but if she were guilty sweld her belly rotted her bowels and did her hurt If thou make godliness thy business in the ordinances of God thou mayst get much spiritual good thou mayst meet Christ in them receive grace through them and thrive as the babe by the breasts in health and strength but if thou like the horse in the Mill onely goest thy round in Religious duties never minding the true end of them nor thy carriage in them thy prayer will be an abomination the word a savour of death unto death and the very sacrament a seal of thy damnation It doth therefore nearly concern thee to hearken to that counsel which I shall give thee from the word to prevent thy miscarriage in the duties of Gods worship For preparation to duties I shall speak when I come to treat of sanctifying the Lords day First Be heedful and watchful over thy self when thou art about religious duties Heedless service is fruitless service What measure of care we give God in duties the same measure of comfort we may expect from duties Eccles 5.1 Keep thy feet when thou goest to the house of God and be more ready to hear then to give the Sacrifice of fools Thine heart like Dinah is apt to wander abroad especially from the way and Worship of God it behoves thee then to have a strict hand over it if thou wouldst keep it at home Observe consider thy feet so the word signifieth The feet of the Harlot abide not within her house neither will thy affections easily within the House of God doth not experience tell thee that they love to be gadding and therefore require a strong and vigilant guard Parents set their Children before them at Church and have their eyes much upon them because otherwise they will be toying and playing truly so will thy heart if thine eye be not on it Alass thy heart in duty is like one that looks through an Optick Glass on some small object with a Palsie hand its long before he can discern it and as soon as he hath found it so unsteady is his hand that he hath lost it again therefore it behoves thee to keep it diligently and to watch it narrowly There is a bottomless depth of deceit in thine heart how unwillling is it to a duty how much wandring in a duty how soon weary of a duty The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who knoweth it Jer. 17 9â— Take notice of the center of the poison the heart is deceitful a deceitful hand is nothing so dangerous as a deceitful heart when poyson gets to the very seat of life in what danger is a â—oul of death Here is also the measure of the pollution The heart is deceitful above all things the best part is unspeakably poisoned The Prophets expression hath a three fold gradation First there is deceit in mans heart it is a word used of ways Isa 40.5 which are full of windings and â—urnings and therefore are hard to be found so is mans heart full of nooks and corners slights and craft and so doth easily supplant us it hath not onely weakness and proneness to be deceived by others but also an activeness and aptness to deceive it self Secondly there is the degree of its deceit and indeed it is beyond all degrees The heart is deceitful above all things No creature so sly and subtle as mans heart Nothing in this World can equal it for tricks and wiles Nay as this deceit of mans heart is so great that none can match it so also it is so deep that none can find it none can fadom it Who can know it The largest the longest line of mans understanding can never search to the bottom of this Sea Thirdly Here is the danger of it The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked It is not deceitful in such a degree so much through weakness as through wilfulness it is desperately carried towards deadly courses It devotes it self wholly to deceive and destroy How many pretences will it have to make thee to omit holy performances if thou overcome them how subtle will it be to make thee heedless and heart-less in the service of God It will fill thee with cares and thoughts of the World purposely to choak the good seed of the Word if at any time thou wind it up to any seriousness in an ordinance how quickly and how swiftly like a Clock or a Jack doth it run down Surely Reader the Master that hath such a cozening Servant must look narrowly to him if he would not be cheated by him If thou dost not watch at the Altar the Birds will devour the Sacrifice Those that were before the Throne day and night were full of eyes behind and before and within Rev. 4.6 and 8. Extraordinary heed is necessary when we come into Gods House We had need to have our eys about us when we come to deal immediately with him who is of purer eys then to behold iniquity The Athenians in time of their Sacrifice had a Monitor to bid them be serious calling on them Hoc agite mind the work ye are about Plut. Cyprian observeth that in the Primitive times the Deacon oft cried out to the people Sursum corda lift up your hearts and the Pastor stird them up with Oremus attendamus Let us pray let us attend Commanding their greatest attention when they were about Religious actions Eutychus was Drowsie while he was hearing which had like to have cost him his life God will not be slighted when he is speaking to the children of men Christ commandeth thee to take heed how thou hearest Luk. 8.18 The heart is needful in hearing more then the ears We read of those that had ears and yet heard not Audientis corporis sensu non cordis assensu Aug. Isa 6.9 10. Mat. 13.13 It is one thing to hear and another thing to heed a Sermon Let him that hath an ear hear what the spirit saith to the Churches Rev. 2. When the word passeth through both ears as waters through a leaking Vessel no wonder if it be unprofitable Least it should do so let us give the more diligent heed saith the Apostle Heb. 2.1 If men be told of the dreadful end of sin and the great danger of their precious souls and they mind it not will they ever strive to prevent it Our proficiency by the Word depends not a little
have taken upon me to speak unto thee Lord who am but dust and ashes saith Abraham Gen. 18.27 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies which thou hast shewed to thy servant saith Jacob Gen. 32.10 I am a worm and no man saith David So foolish was I and ignorant even as a beast before thee saith Asaph I am more bruitish then any man I have not the understanding of a man saith Agur. O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee for our iniquities are encreased over our heads and our trespasses is grown up unto the Heavens saith Ezra I am a man of unclean lips saith Isaiah They all have learned the same Lesson as Scholars in the same form they all speak the same Language as children of the same Father It is reported of Aristippus the Cynick that he used to fall on the ground before Dionysius when he presented a petition to him O what posture is low enough when we go to the infinite and incomprehensible God in prayer He humbleth himself to open his eyes upon us well may we be humble when we open our mouthes and hearts to him Job 14.3 Reader if thou wouldst have thy prayers heard let them be humble God loves to walk in the low valleys Lord thou hast heard the desires of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart and wilâ— bow thine ear Psal 10.17 Though God behold the proud afar off and disdains so much as to open his eyes or give them a look yet he will be sure to draw near to the humble and vouchsafe to open his ears and his very heart to them Psal 138.6 Isa 66. â—2 He that can have his face shine and take no notice is a fit person to go up into the Mount and converse with God 2. Thy prayers must be hearty Thy tongue and heart must keep time and tune Give ear to my prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips Psal 17.1 If in prayer thou art as Ephraim a silly Dove without an heart and givest God onely the calves of thy lips they will be as unacceptable as Jeroboams Calves at Dan and Bethel which provoked the Lord to anger The Jews have this Sentence written in their Synagogues where they meet to pray A prayer without the heart is like a body without a soul What a deformed loathsome spectacle is a body without a soul truly so is thy prayer without thy heart God respecteth the heart in prayer above any thing men minde the expressions most but God mindeth the affections most Let us draw night to God with a true heart let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the Heavens Heb. 10.22 Lam. 3.41 God looketh not so much to the Elegancy of thy prayers how neat they are nor to the Geometry of thy prayers how long they are but to the sincerity of thy prayers how hearty they are Senec. lib. 1. henefic cap 8. Socrates made more account of poor Aeschines for giving himself to him then of Alcibiades and other rich Scholars who gave him large presents God esteemeth infinitely more of an heart-sprung though broken prayer then of dissembling petitions cloathed with and drest up in the neatest and most gaudy expressions The heart is the mettal of the bell the tongue is but the clapper When the mettal of the bell is right and good as silver such will the sound be if the mettal of the bell be crackt or lead the sound will soon discover it to a judicious ear God can see the diseases and spots of the heart upon the tongue O it is dangerous to do as some Princes with their neighbours who set on foot a Treaty of peace for their own ends but resolve beforehand that it shall never be brought to any period As Jacob said to his mother If I dissemble my Father will finde me out and I shall meet with a curse instead of a blessing So say I to thee if thou dissemblest in prayer thy God will finde thee out and thou wilt meet with a curse a blow instead of a blessing There is no going to God as Jeroboams wife thought to go to the Prophet in a disguise Under the Law Notandum illud est quod quae offeruntur in Holocaustan interiorasunt quod exterius esi Domino no offertur â—tpel li Hom. 5. the inward parts were onely to be offered to God in Sacrifice The skin belonged to the Priests whence Origen inferreth That truth in the inward parts is that which is most pleasing in a Sacrifice Indeed others compass God about with lies and therefore highly provoke him They did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongue for their heart was not right with him Psal 78.36 37. Hosea 11.12 It is sinful for thee to tell a lye to thy fellow Creature but how abominable is it to tell a lye to the Almighty Creator Thy prayer without thy heart will be Sacriledge not a Sacrifice When the heart is Rector chori cheif leader of the Quire then the voice is pleasant indeed in Gods ear The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth Psa 145.18 When the Wife giveth the Husband her heart and defileth not the Marriage bed he will if wise bear with many infirmities in her When the heart in prayer is devoted to God he is pleased out of his grace and goodness to pardon and pass by many imperfections in the duty but if that bed be prostituted to any other he gives a divorce to the Sacrifice and putteth it away for he is a jealous God Jacobs small present could not but be acceptable to Joseph because it was the best of the Land The heart of man is but little yet it is the best of man and therefore taken kindly by God The main enquiry at prayer is concerning the heart As Jonadab was asked by Jehu so is the Christian by God Is thy heart right as mine is Then come up into my Chariot then come to the Throne of grace and welcome Thirdly thy prayers must be fervent Prayer is a duty which consisteth not in words or expressions but in the working of the affection therefore it is called a crying to God Out of the depth I have cryed to thee Psa 130. a renting the heart Joel 2.13 as if the heart were by prayer torn in peices and a pouring out the soul as if the body had been left without life the soul being departed and ascended to Heaven in holy petitions The true Beggar is ever earnest for spiritual Almes he will not let God go without a blessing Gen. 32. Paulus Aemilius being to fight with the Macedonians would never give over Sacrificing to his God Hercules till he had some sign of victory The Christian is more urgent with the true God then the Heathen is with his God of clouts When Daniel prayed with what force were his words uttered with
of my person nor performance may appear to my shame The matter of prayer I wish that all the flowers which I present to my God in the posie of prayer may be gathered out of his own garden the Scriptures I mean that I may never exceed those bounds which he hath set me for the matter of my prayer but may use much caution that all those spices which I make my incense of may be of his own prescription and O that to this end his holy spirit who knoweth his mind fully Properties of prayer might draw up all my petitions for me I wish that my prayers may be ever presented upon the bended knees of my soul Humble and also in regard of my body in the lowest and most submissive posture Ah how humble should dust and ashes be when he takes upon him to speak to the most High God Hearty I wish above all that I may never mock the most jealous God in this duty by speaking Parrot like what I neither mind nor mean but whatsoever dish be wanting on the Table to which I invite my God my heart which I know he loveth above all may be there and that my prayer may be the travail of my soul and not the labour of my lips I wish that I may so feel my spiritual wants that my bowels may so pinch me that as the hungry and almost starved begger I may cry aloud for the bread of life yet not so much Fervent in regard of the extension of my voice as the intension of my spirit When I am petitioning for pardon and grace I wish I might beg as earnestly and beseech God as importunately as if it were in the power of my prayer to change his mind and procure the blessing but when I am asking temporals Caution I would not as the dry earth cry and cleave and gape for corn and wine and oyl but willingly be at my fathers allowance and desire no more then what his infinite wisdom seeth needful to hear my charges till I come to my blessed and everlasting home Constant I wish that I might observe that standing law according to which Heavens bounty is dispensed In all things to make my requests known to God and never expect though the mercies of God be never so ripe that any of them should fall down upon me in mercy unless I shake the tree by prayer I wish that every mercy may come flying to me upon the Wings of prayer and may fly back to God upon the Wings of praise that prayer may be the Mother to breed and bring forth all my blessings that not one child of them but may be named Samuel asked of God that when I first open my eyes in the morning I may then in some ejaculatory prayer open my heart to my God that at night prayer may make my bed soft and lay my pillow easie that in the day time prayer may perfume my cloaths sweeten my food oyl the wheels of my particular vocation keep me company upon all occasions and guild over all my natural civil and Religious actions I wish that after I have poured out my prayer in the Name of Christ Subsequents of prayer according to the Will of God having sowed my seed Waiting I may expect a crop looking earnestly for the springing of it up and beleiving assuredly that I shall reap in time if I faint not yea that though the promise may stick long in the birth yet it will at last bring forth when God will give me large interest for my forbearance Finally I wish that though before sorrowful having opened my mind to God about any suffering my countenance like Hannahs may be no more sad that I may never busie my self about Gods work the success and event of things nor like an idle lazy begger Working be careless about my own work but may in my place and to my power be industrious in the use of all those lawful means which his providence affords me for the enjoyment of my desires that as I did lift up my heart in praying so I may lift up my hands in working to God who dwelleth in the Heavens CHAP. XI How a Christian may exercise himself to godliness in hearing and reading the word and of preparation for hearing THe blessed God as he appointeth the Children of men their ends namely to serve him here and to injoy him hereafter so he doth also afford them directions about the way how they may attain and accomplish those ends He is our Master and cutteth out that work for us which he expecteth we should make up He bestoweth on all the starlight of nature which though it be but small and dull by reason of our first fall yet it ruleth and commandeth the night of the Pagan World and is sufficient to leave them inexcusable for not working and walking by it When Heathen shall be thrown into the Goal of Hell and bound with chains of everlasting darkness their own consciences will hinder them from the least thought of commencing a suite against God for false imprisonment because they are judged not by the Law Moral written in Tables of stone but by the Law Natural written in the Tables of their hearts But out of his infinite favour he is pleased to give some in those places where he intendeth to gather a people to himself for his eternal praise beside the twinkling Star-light of nature the clear and perfect Sun-light of Scripture to guide their feet in the ways of peace Which word is one of the most signal mercies that ever he bestowed upon the Sons of men the whole World without it being but a barren and rude Wilderness The Word of God is a Spring of living water a deep Mine of costly treasure a table furnished with all sorts of food a Garden wherein is variety of pleasant fruits the Churches Charter containing all her priviledges and her deeds many infesting her Title to the purchased possession It hath pious precepts for the Christians reformation and precious promises for his consolation If the Saint be afflicted it can hold his head above water and keep him from sinking when the billows go over his soul there are Cordials in it rich enough to revive the most fainting spirit If the Saint be assaulted the word is armour of proof whereby he may defend himself manfully and wound his foâ—s mortally If the soul be unholy this word can sanctifie it ye are clean through the word which I have spoken to you Joh. 15.3 this water can wash out all the spots and stains if the soul be an heir of Hell this word can save it From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 Other writings may make a man wise to admiration but this onely can make him wise to Salvation This word which is of such unspeakable worth God hath deposited as a
Hearing or Reading and I must tell thee that it concerneth thee now to be very watchful for many Birds wait to peck up the corn as soon as the Husbandman hath sowed it Our Saviour telleth us He that received seed among thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this World and the deceitfulness of riches choak the Word and he becometh unfruitful Mat. 13.32 As High-way men watch the honest Countreyman as he cometh from the Fair where he hath sold his Cattel and filled his purse and then set upon him and rob him So do the cares of the world dog the honest Christian as he cometh from the Word where he got some Spiritual treasure and then fall upon him to plunder him Besides Satan is so subtle that he will be sure to haunt the soul after reading or Hearing the Word When any one heareth the Word then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart Mat. 13.19 The season then is worthy our observation When the Christian hath made a good meal then the Devil tryeth all his wiles and tricks to make him vomit it up again Servants when they carry full cups of wine in the midst of unlucky boys must be wary and watchful or they will spill it Some people take physick and though it doth them some good at present yet all is quickly marr'd by their neglect of those rules which should be observed afterwards The Word possibly when thou heardst it made some work among thy affections the beauty of Christs person was displayed before thine eyes and thy heart began to fall in love with thy Saviour the extremity of his passion was described to thee and thine heart began to loath the cause thereof thy sins Well now then thy conscience is a little warmed and awakened and the pores of thy soul opened shouldst thou go into the cold presently all would come to nothing If water be taken from the fire when it is a little warm it cooleth quickly he that would have it boil must rather encrease the fire There are two things which God requireth of thee after hearing and reading the Word namely Prayer and Practice 1. Prayer Petition for a blessing upon the Word and Thanksgiving for the blessing of the Word Petition for a blessing upon the Word After the seed is sown the influence of Heaven must cause it to spring up and ripen or otherwise there will be no harvest Paul may plant and Apollo water but God must give the encrease 1 Cor. 3.6 The Minister preacheth thou hearest but it is the Lord who teacheth to profit Thou mayest like Mary have Christ before thee in a Sermon and yet not know him till he discover himself to thee The Eunuch could read of Christ in the Prophet but could not reach Christ till God came to his Chariot There is a twofold light requisite to a bodily vision light in the eye and light in the air the former cannot as we experience in the night do it without the latter There is also a twofold light necessary to Spiritual sight beside the light of understanding which is in a man there must be Illumination from the Spirit of God or there will be no beholding the Lord in the glass of the Word When the Disciples had heard Christs Doctrine they were not able to understand or profit by his preaching and therefore they cry to him Lord open to us this parable When thou hast read or heard the Word go to God and say Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments Encline my heart unto thy Testimonies and not unto covetousness Psal 119.33 to 37. Intreat God to write his Law on the fleshly tables of thine heart Bernard observes bodily bread in the Cupboard may be eaten of Mice or moulder and waste but when it is taken down into the body it is free from such danger If God enable thee to take thy soul-food down into thine heart it is safe from all hazards Thanksgiving Consider what a distinguishing mercy what a precious treasure the Word of God is how without it thou hadst for ever been both unholy and unhappy how by it thou mayst eternally be both gracious and glorious and without question thou wilt finde cause to bless the giver for such a rare and profitable gift The Apostle ranketh this favour amongst the blessings of the highest form What advantage hath the Jew or what profit is there of Circumcision Much every way chiefly that unto them were committed the Oracles of God And the Psalmist mentioning this differencing-Mercy concludeth it with Praise ye the Lord Psal 147.2 ult The light of the Sun Moon and Stars is of such concernment to men that without them the beauty of the old Creation would be buried in darkness and therefore the children of God have given the Most High the credit of those greater and lesser Candles Psal 136.7 8 9. nay they have seen eternal love by those luminaries The light of Gods Law and Word is of infinitely more worth for by it the glory and beauty of the new Creation and that curious piece of mans Redemtion is seen and known What honor then doth God deserve for this favour Ptolomy King of Egypt was at great cost and charge to have the Law of the Jews translated by the Septuagint into Greek Euseb Hist. lib 5. cap. 8. Thou hast the Old and New Testament both at a cheap and easie raâ—e Thou mayest read thy Fathers Will in thy Mother Tongue thou hast in it a suitable Medicine for every Malady seasonable succour in all thy Miseries the costliest Cordials and choicest comforts without Money and without Price and surely all this deserveth thanks and praise Didst thou but know the misery of those places and persons who want the Word surely thy heart could not but be affected with thy mercy in the enjoyment of the word It is sometimes described by Famine I will send a famine not of bread and water but of hearing the Word of the Lord Amos 4. How dreadful are the concomitants and consequents of Famine what shrivel'd cheeks hollow eyes pale visages fainting hearts and trembling limbs have men in a famine they seem rather like walking Ghosts and moving carcasses then living creartures The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst the young child asketh bread and no man breaketh it unto them Their visage is blacker then a coal they are not known in the streets their skin cleaveth to their bones it is withered it is become like a stick The hands of the pitiful Women have sodden their own children they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people Lam. 4.4 8 10. These friend are the woful fruits of a bodily famine but a soul famine is the sorer
him and grace 1. Faith must look out for Christ Consider that Jesus Christ is the very soul of the Sacrament without him it is but the carcass of an Ordinance Christ and the Scripture bring comfort Christ and prayer cause spiritual profit Accedat Christus ad elementum fiet Sacramentum Christ and the elements make a Sacrament Christ and the Sacrament make a rare feast Therefore be sure thou look out for Christ Rest not in the bread and wine but look farther When thou sittest at the Table let the speech of thine heart be Saw ye him whom my soul loveth Turn to God and say as they to Philip Sir I would fain see Jesus Lord I would fain see Jesus Christ Let neither word nor prayer nor elements nor all things content thee without Christ As Isaac told his Father Father behold here is the wood and the fire but where is the Lamb for a burnt offering So do thou look up to thy Heavenly Father Father behold here is the Preacher and here is the Scripture here is the bread and here is the wine but where is the body and blood of my Saviour Lord where is the Lamb for a Sacrifice Father Father Where is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World If the Angels that are present at the Sacrament should speak to thee give them occasion for the same language which they gave the Woman at the Sepulchre We know whom thou seekest thou seekest Jesus which was Crucified come see the place where the Lord lay Come see the promise see the elements in which the Lord lyeth Mat. 28.5 6. If the Spirit of God seeing thee so eager and earnest for a sight of Christ should put by the hangings behind which the Lord Jesus hid himself purposely to be sought and present him to thee with his glorious retinue of graces and comforts with the precious fruits of his grievous passion and bespeak thee thus Chear up poor Christian behold the Lamb of God Behold King Jesus with the Crown of thorns wherewith his foes crowned him in the day that he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with greifs Behold King Solomon with the crown wherewith his Father crowned him in the dâ—â— of his Espousals and in the day of the gladness of his heart O Friend what would such a sight be worth to thee I am confident thou wouldst value it above all the silver in the World Well be of good comfort do but look for him and he will look after thee Say to him as the Spouse Make haste my Beloved be thou like the Hart and Roe upon the Mountains of Spices Make no tarrying O my God and doubt not but he will answer thee almost as he doth his Spouse in a sense of mercy not of judgement Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to thee according to thy faith Reader act Maries part and thou shalt meet with Maries portion When Mary went to the Sepulchre John 20.13 she looketh into it seeth the linnen but not the Lord and presently falleth a weeping O saith she they have taken away my Lord They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him Jesus Christ could now no longer absent himself he heard the voice of her weeping and gave her a gracious meeting Mary saith Christ Rabboni saith Mary Now her heart cleaves to him and her hands clasp about him and she hears that golden Message Go to my brethren and tell them I go to my Father and your Father So when thou comest to the Table and seest the linnen and not the Lord Jesus be not satisfied O dart up thy complaints to Heaven Lord I came not to see the linnen I came not for the bread and wine I came to see Jesus Christ O Lord what shall I do they have taken away my Lord and I know not where to finde him Ah Lord whâ—â— is the Word to me without Christ but as a conduit without water and what is the element to me without Christ but as a cup without wine O what wilt thou give me if I go from thy Table Christless Thou mightest be confident that Jesus Christ would hear such sighs and would hasten away to bless and kiss thee 2. Faith must look up to Christ for grace Look up to Christ as a Treasury of grace for the supply of all thy necessities and put thy hand of faith into this Treasury and thou shalt take out unsearchable riches Austin puts the question how a Christian may put out a long arm to reach Christ in Heaven and answers Crede tenuisti Believe and thou hast taken hold of him Christ is a full breast faith is the mouth which draweth and sucketh the breast and getteth spiritual nourishment out of it The blessed Saviour is a precious and deep mine but faith is the instrument whereby we dig the gold out of it As the Spanish Ambassador said of his Masters Treasury in comparison of that Treasury of S. Mark in Venice In this among other things my Masters Treasury differeth from yours in that my Masters Treasury alluding to his Indian Mines hath no bottom as I see yours to have For thy comfort know that the riches in Christ are inexhaustible and his bags are bottomless He can supply all thy needs Philip. 4.13 When thou art at this Ordinance look on Christ as a Fountain running over with the Water of Life and the Sacrament as a Channel cut out by Christ himself to convey Living Water to thy soul Thou art diseased go in this Ordinance to Christ as a Physician to heal thee Thou art an indigent beggar go to Christs Door I mean the Sacrament with an expectation of a large dole Do not sit down in despondency as the Patriarchs in a scarcity of food but since thou hast heard there is corn in Egypt bread enough in thy Fathers house sufficiency of grace in Jesus Christ go make haste to this son of Joseph who is Lord of the Countrey and hath the command of all the store houses in the Land and will load thee with more then thou canst desire Are thy wants many he hath infinite wealth Hast thou no Money to buy no Merits to offer why he selleth without money and without price They that bring Money have it returned back in their sacks for he takes none Whosoever will may drink of the Water of Life freely Revel 22.17 The Sacrament is as a Conduit which receiveth water from the River therefore when thou hast brought the Vessel of thy soul to the Conduit thy work must be by faith to turn the Cock and then it will run freely and fill thy Vessel be sure that thou minde the promise This is my Body This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood Thy faith will be celestial fire to extract the quintessence and spirits of the Promise 3. Faith must receive Christ and apply him to thy soul When thou puttest forth
with all possible seriousness and diligence O let me never be so unworthy and impudent as to defile that holy Feast before the Authors face * The unworthy persons dreadful condition guilty of Christs death I wish that my heart may have an infinite respect for the blood of my Saviour the stream in which all my comforts both for this and a better World come swiming to me which hath landed thousands safely at the Haven of eternal happiness one drop of which I am sure is more worth then heaven and earth that as all murder is abominable being against the light of nature so Christ-murder may be most of all abhorr'd by me as being directly against the clearest light of Scripture and the choicest love which ever was discovered to the children of men Good Lord whatever I jest with let me never sport or dally with the death of thy Son Let me not give him cause to complain of me as once of Judas he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish is the same that betrayeth me Let me never buy a Sacrament as the Jews the Potters field with the price of blood Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my Salvation and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy loving kindness I wish that true self-love may be so prevalent with me Of his own damnation that since I beleive the prophanation of the most precious things will be most pernicious to my soul as the whitest Ivory is turned by the fire into the deepest black and the sweetest wine becometh the sharpest vinegar I may tremble and fear before I receive lest I should poison my self with that potion which is intended for my health and cut the throat of my precious soul with that Knife wherewith I may cut bread feed on it Preparation which consisteth in Examination of the good in us and live for ever I wish that I may prepare my heart to meet the God of Israel at this holy Ordinance and to this end that I may be impartial in the search and examination of my soul whether I come short of the grace of God or no. Of the truth of grace Physitians judge sometimes of the inward parts by the tongue The Roman Emperor Tiberius when one pretended to the Crown of a Kingdom discovered him to be a counterfeit by feeling his hands and finding that they were not soft as of a person tenderly bread but hard as the hands of a Mechanicke I desire that both by my tongue and hand by my words and works I may know the state and condition of my heart In special my prayer is Of Faith that I may never fail to try my faith which is to the soul what the natural heat is to the body by vertue of which the nutritive faculty turneth the food into nourishment but may make sure of an interest in the Vine before I drink of the fruit thereof I wish that before I go for a discharge Examination of the evil in us I may look into the book of my conscience cast up my accounts and consider how insinitely I am indebted to my God that I may consider whence I am fallen Humiliation and Repent and like Tamar though I am ravished and defiled by force may yet rent my garments my heart I mean with godly sorrow and self-abhorrency O that my soul might be so searched to the bottom that none of my wounds may fester Reformation but all may be discovered and cured I pray that I may not dare to turn the Table of the Lord into the Table of Divels by receiving the Sacrament in the love of any known sin but may go to it with an hearty detestation of every false way and an holy resolution against every known wickedness Dependance on Christ I wish that after all my pains in preparing my self I may look up to Christ alone for assistance as knowing that I am not sufficient of my self so much as to think any thing but my sufficiency is of God Blessed Saviour be thou surety for thy Servant and bound for my good behaviour at thy last and loving Supper I wish that when I come to the Table At the Table Subjects to be considered Christs passion I may like the beloved Disciple behold the wounds of my Saviour and see that water and blood which did flow out of his side that as in the Gospel I read a narrative so in this ordinance I may have a prospective of his sufferings how he emptied himself to fill me and to raise my reputation with his Father laid down his own how he humbled himself though he had the favour of a Son to the form of a servant and though he were the Lord of life and glory to the most ignominious death even the death of the Cross I wish that in his special passion I may ever take notice of his affection Christs affection and esteem the laying down his life as the Hyperbole of his love the highest note that love could possibly reach Ah how neer did this High Priest carry my name to his heart when he willingly vnderwent the rage of Hell to purchase for me a passage to heaven I will remember thy love more then Wine Our own corruptions I desire that when I see Christ crucified before mine eyes in the breaking of the bread and pouring out of the wine I may not forget the cause my corruptions but may so think of them and my Saviours kindness in dying to make satisfaction for them that as fire expelleth fire so I may be enabled by the fire of love to expel and cast out the fire of lust I wish that however my body be attired Graces to be exercised Faith my soul may by faith put on the Lord Jesus Christ at this Heavenly feast that I may not onely look up to him as the Criple to Peter and John expecting an almes but may receive him by beleiving and so banquet on his blessed body and bathe my soul in his precious blood that my spirit may rejoyce in God my Saviour whilst I am assured that though the pain were his yet the profit is mine though the wounds were his yet the balm issuing thence is mine though the thorns were his yet the Crown is mine and though the price were his yet the purchase is mine O let him be mine in in possession and claim and then he will be mine in fruition and comfort Lord I beleive Love help mine unbeleif I wish since love is the greatest thing my Saviour can give me for God is love and the greatest thing which I can give my Saviour that his love to me may be reflected back to him again that my chiefest love may be as a fountain sealed up to all others and broched only for him who is altogether lovely that I may hate Father Mother Wife Child House and Land out of love to him that many waters of affliction
of God in Ordinances but also the Marrow of his day that no Lords day may satisfie me without the Lord of the day Alass what is the best time without the Rock of eternity what is the best day without the Ancient of days what are the Ordinances of God without the God of Ordinances what are Sabbaths Sermons Sacraments and Seasons of Grace without the dearest Saviour but as broken Cisterns glorious Dreams or guilded nothings I have read of a good soul who answered his Friend Speak to me while you will no words can satisfie except you mention Christ write to me what you will it will not satisfie except in your Letters I may read Christ O that in no Sermon I might be contented till I hear Christ and that in no Chapter I might be pleased till I can read Christ that as the Needle touched with the Load-stone never resteth till it turn to the North so my heart may be reâ—â— less in holy duties till it turneth to and hath fellowship with the Lord of Heaven The Lords day is an excellent resemblance of my future blessedness wherein I shall enjoy my Saviour fully and my God shall be all in all to me Lord let never this day pass without some taste of those celestial pleasures Meditation on the Works and Word of my God being a duty most in its prime and season on a Sabbath day I beg that what time I spare from publique private or secret performances I may imploy to this purpose that I may behold my God to be infinite in wisdom power and goodness in his foot-steps of creation and stand amazed at that rare Workmanship those curious contrivances of his which Angels look into with admiration that appear in his Master-peice that work of Redemption and for his word let my heart be able to say with David O how love I thy law it is my meditation all the day I wish that I may watch over my thoughts words Watchfulness and actions all the day long in special that as when the holy things belonging to the Sanctuary were to be removed they were covered all over lest any dust should soil them so I may cover my heart with such circumspection that no dust of sin may cleave to it O that I might be so wise and watchful that there may not be the least minute of the day wherein I may not either do or receive some good Lord let no Sabbath pass without some saving good to my precious soul I desire Finally Conclusion of the day that I may not lose the heat of the day in the cool of the Evening I mean that what good If gain from my God through his Ordinances in the day may not be lost by my negligence at night but that as a wise Commander I may then double my Guard and expect with much importunity some evening dews of comfort and grace O that I might so keep the Sabbath of my God chuse the things that please him and take hold of his Covenant that I might so turn away my foot from the Sabbath from doing my pleasure on his holy day Is 56.4 5. and 58.13 and call the Sabbath my delight the holy of the Lord that I may have with the Eunuch within the House of my God a name better then of Sons and Daughters even an everlasting name that shall not be cut off Amen A Good Wish to the Lords day HAil thou that art highly favoured of God Luk. 1.28 thou map of Heaven thou golden spot of the week thou Market-day of souls thou Day-break of eternal brightness thou Queen of days the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among days I may say to thee what the Angel said to Daniel Dan. 9.23 O day greatly beloved Psa 45. Thou art fairer then all the Children of time grace is poured into thy lips God even thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of gladness above thy fellows Of the Jewish Sabbaths and other Festivals in comparison of thee it may be spoken They perish but thou remainest and they all wax old as a Garment Heb. 1.11 12. And as a vesture hast thou folded them up and they are changed but thou shalt maugre the malice of men and Devils continue the same and thy years shall not fail As the Temple succeeded and exceeded the Tabernacle this was fleeting that was fixed so dost thou all former Sabbaths they were but morning stars to usher in thee the Sun and then to disappear Other Festivals in all their Royalty are not arrayed like unto thee All the graces triumph in thee all the Ordinances conspire to enrich thee the Father ruleth thee the Son rose upon thee the Spirit hath overshadowed thee Thus is it done to the day which the King of Heaven delighteth to honour Thou hast not onely a common blessing with other days by the law of nature but a special blessing above all other days from the love of thy Maker Let thousands mark thee for their new birth-day Exod. 12.42 be thou a day as it was said of that night to the Jews much to be Remembred much to be observed to the Lord for bringing many out of worse then Egyptian bondage Esther 8.16 be thou to them a day of light and gladness of joy and honour and a good day On thee light was created the Holy Ghost descended life hath been restored Satan subdued sin mortified souls sanctified the Grave Death and Hell conquered O how do men and women flutter up and down on the Week-days as the Dove on the waters and can find no rest for their souls till they come to thee their Ark till thou put forth thy hand and take them in O how do they sit under thy shadow with great delight and find thy fruit sweet to their taste O the mountings of mind the ravishing happiness of heart the solace of soul which on thee they enjoy in the blessed Saviour They are sorry when the days shorten for thy sake they wish for thee before thou comest they welcome thee when thou art come and they enjoy so much of heaven in thee that thence they love and look and long the more for their eternal Sabbath Go forth O thou fairest among Women and be thou fruitful in bringing forth Children to thy Maker and Husband Gen. 24.60 Be thou the Mother of thousands and of millions and let thy seed possess the Gate of them that hate them Do thou like Rachel and Leah build up the House of Israel do thou worthily in Ephratah and be thou famous in Bethlehem Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O thou mighty and gracious day and in thy Majesty ride prosperously because of meekness righteousness and truth let thy right hand teach the terrible things let thine arrows be sharp in the hearts spiritual enemies whereby the people may fall under thee Psa 132. The Lord hath chosen thee he hath desired thee for his habitation
I give them such meat as they can never digest Let me not read Authors as the Butter-fly goeth to flowers onely to gild her wings but as the Bee to gather honey and bring it home to the hive for the supply of her young Lord let me never be guilty by painting the windows of hindring the light of thy glorious Gospel from shining powerfully into the hearts of men and women My prayer is 3 Prudently That I may not strengthen the hands of sinners nor sadden the hearts of the godly but be able to distinguish between the vile and the precious and accordingly give them their several portions That I may give milk to babes and strong meat to stronger men order my prescriptions suitable to their particular constitutions use the needle of the Law to make way for the thread of the Gospel and lead my sheep as Jacob drove his flock as they were able to bear it and as Christ taught his as they were best able to hear him 4 Powerfully O that I might not onely preach prudently but also powerfully That my Sermons may be delivered not as Prologues to a Play as matter of sport or pastime but as the Message of an Herauld with all imaginable seriousness and fervency as containing Conditions of Life and Death The Word is an hammer but it will never break the stony heart if lightly laid on What is preached coldly is heard carelesly Lord let me not like the Moon give some light without any heat but cause me to lift up my voyce like a Trumpet to give as fire heat as well as light to be eaten up with the zeal of thine House to beseech poor souls to be happy with as much fervency as if I were begging for my life and to preach so successfully that I may raise up much spiritual seed to my Elder Brother I wish 2 To pray for his people That all my Parishoners without exception may have so deep a share in my affection upon a Religious account that without ceasing I may make mention of them always in my prayers That my hearts desire and prayer to God both in secret private and publique for poor and rich may be that they may be saved O let me daily offer Sacrifice for them confess their iniquities bewail their misery and cry mightily to God for mercy Lord let me prevail with thy Majestie to speak to their hearts and I shall prevail with them to hearken to thee yea I shall stand before thee at the last day with courage and say Behold here am I and the children which thou hast given me Because the small keels of children are quickly overturned when they meet with the high winds of temptations 3 To cathechise as they sail along in the Sea of this World if they be not ballasted with the principles of the Oracles of God I pray That I may be a diligent Instructer of babes and a faithful Teacher of the simple That I may season through Gods help those new vessels with the precious water of life that they may retain their savour to their old age That the younger amongst my people may from their childehood know the holy Scriptures be wise to salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus I wish 4 To administer the Saments That in the Administration of the Sacraments I may have an impartial regard to the fitness and meetness of the subjects lest I set those precious Seals of the Covenant of Grace to blanks whereby they should signifie nothing especially that about the Lords Supper as I would not be partaker of other mens sin nor be an instrument of furthering their eternal suffering I may be tender and walk altogether by the rule of Scripture O let me never pollute that Sacred Ordinance by giving it to prophane persons nor be so prodigal of my dearest Saviours blood and body as to give those holy things to Dogs and to cast those Pearls before Swine who will trample them under their feet Ah it is much better that such scandalous sinners should be angry with me on earth for my wholesome severity then curse me for ever in Hell for my foolish pity and soul-damning flattery I wish That like a faithful Shepherd 5 To visit his flock and to admonish advise and comfort as occasion shall be I may often visit my flock and warn every one night and day with tears and not as a careless non-Resident expose them to the rage and cruelty of the devouring Wolf by my absence from them or by my negligence when present among them lest another day when it s too late they cry to me and complain of me Sir if thou hadst been here our Souls had not dyed The Priest under the Law visited the suspected or leprous houses enquired how it was with them and as he found it so gave sentence O that I might under the Gospel visit diseased hearts and diligently enquire how things stand betwixt the great God and their poor souls and give them suitable savoury and profitable advice Though I therefore desire a great Auditory because among many Fish there is the greater probability that the baits of the Gospel will take and catch some yet therefore I should desire a small Parish because thereby I am in the greater capacity to deal with every one in it in particular about the concernments of their everlasting peace Lord let thy strict Command frequently come into my minde I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season Reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I wish 6 To give a good example in his conversation That I may be as the Baptist both a Burning Light in my Sermons and a Shining Light in my Conversation lest my works give the lye to my words Whilst I as Mercury direct others in the right way but walk not in it my self The Priests under the Law had their Vrim and Thummim signifying purity of Doctrine and sanctity of life a bell and a pomgranate a Bell and a pomgranate typifying that Preaching and practice must go together O that I might preach as powerfully by my life as by my lips and like a faithful nurse avoid the scandals of distempers and even forbear those meats which I love though lawful in themselves when not expedient not onely for my own sake but also for their sakes to whom I give suck Nazianzen saith of him that was the voyce of one crying in the Wilderness That he was all voice a voice in his habit a voice in his diet a voice in his conversation 2 Titus 7. Lord enable me in all things so to shew my self a pattern of good works to my people 1 Tim. 4.12 to be such an example to beleivers in word in conversation in charity in
world might not be plagued with their posterity Quidam furtive gratias agunt in angulo in aurem non est ista verecundia sed inficiandi genus Senec. de benef lib. 2. cap. 23. The Master of Moral Philosophy upbraideth them sharply that steal favours by private acknowledgements the truth is a publique confession of your kindeness as it is the least since providence hath given me the opportunity so it is next my prayers the greatest requital I am able to make you If my pains have yielded any fruit in these parts those that received it owe the ackowledgement under God to you Though neither of you love to hear your own praise nor did I ever love flattery knowing by too much experience that pride will burn and continue like the Elementary fire of it self without any fuel yet I esteem it my duty to publish some things to the world or example to others The place to which I am presented hath not half a maintenance nor so much as a house belonging to the Minister but the Lord hath given you such compassion to Souls that you have given me both a convenient dwelling and a considerable maintenance besides the Tythes above seventy pound per annum out of your own inheritance that I enjoy through the good hand of my God upon me a competent encouragement and comfortable employment When others refuse to draw out their purses to hungry bodies the gracious God hath enabled you both to draw out your purse and hearts unto starving souls Soul-charity is the highest and noblest charity and such fruit as will much abound to your account at the day of Christ Phil. 4.17 Hereby like wise Merchants you return your riches into the other world by bills of Exchange How much are you both in debted to free Grace Vsually the richest mines are covered with the most barren earth and men who receive much from God very quietly like narrow mouth'd glasses will part with nothing without much stir and reluctancy God hath bestowed on you large hearts as well as large inheritance Many a Vessel hath been sunk with the weight of its burthen Some Mariners out of love to their lading have lost their lives but God hath made you Masters of not as many other servants to a fair Estate It is also your honor that the Ark the worship of the blessed God findeth entertainment in your house Your whole Familie though large have set-meals daily for their inward man as well as for their outward your children and servants are commanded by you to keep the way of the Lord Gen. 18.19 and as if your house were built of Irish Oak which will suffer no Spider near it no iniquity is allowed to dwell in your tabernacle I have with mâ—ch delight observed your care and conscience to have all your Family present at morning and evening duties O 't is a blessed and beautiful sight to behold a little Church in a great house Many great persons think the company of the glorious God too mean for them in their houses Religion waiteth at their doors like a Beggar and cannot obtain the favour to be called in when the Vermine as in the Egyptian Palaces of pride and drunkenness and swearing reside amongst them and crawl in every room of their dwellings The service of the living God which is the greatest freedom they count their bondage and fetters The Society of the Lord Iesus is to them as to the Devils a torment Mat. 8. Alas alas Whether is man fallen that the company of his Maker should be esteemed his dishonor that the Worship of God which is the preferment of Glorious Angels should be judged a disparagement Ah how will their judgements be altered when they come to dye to throw their last casts for Eternity Steph. Gardiner Fox Acts and Monu then as that Popish Prelate said of justification by Faith That it was good Supper Doctrine though not so good to break fast on they will confess that it is good to dye in the Lord they will cry out O let me dye the death of the Righteous and let our latter end be like theirs how lightly soever now they think of living their lives The Persian Messenger though an Heathen could not but observe the worth of Piety in such an hour of extremity â—â—schiles in Traged When the Grecian forces hotly pursued us saith he and we must needs venture over the great water Strymon frozen then but beginning to thaw when a hundred to one we had all dyed for it with mine eyes I saw many of those Gallants whom I and heard before so boldly maintain There was no God every one upon their knees with eyes and hands lifted up begging hard for help and mercy and entreating that the ice might hold till they got over Those Gallants who now proscribe godliness their hearts and houses as if it were onely an humour taken up by some precise persons who will needs be wiser then their neighbours and Galba like scorn at them who fear or think of death when they themselves come to enter the list with the King of Terrors and perceive in earnest that this surly Sergeant Death will not be denied but away they must into the other world and be saved or tormented in flames for ever as they have walked after the Spirit or after the flesh here without question they will change their note sing another tune and say Beatus es Abba Arsenâ— qui semper hanc horam ante ocules habuisti Bibl. Patr. as dying Theophilus did of devout Arsenius Thou art blessed O Arsenius who hadst always this hour before thine eyes Blessed be God ye walk not in the vicious ways of such voluptuous wretches but to the joy of all that know and love you sit like wise Pilots in the hindermost part of the ship dwell in the meditation of your deaths and thence endeavour to steer the vessel of your conversations aright Give me leave Honored Friends out of the unfeigned respect which I bear to you both which if I know my own heart is not so much for the favours received from you though I shall ever acknowledge them but for what of God and godliness I have seen in you to beseech you that as ye have received how ye ought to walk and to please God so ye would abound more and more 1 Thess 4.1 God hath done great things for you and God expecteth great things from you To whom much is given of them much is required Where the Husbandman bestoweth the greatest cost there he looketh for the greatest crop The rents which your Tenants pay are somewhat answerable to the Farms which they enjoy Ye have more obligations to serve God then others and more opportunities for his service and therefore having fairer gales should sail more swiftly then others towards the Haven of Happiness your trading must be suitable to the talents with which ye are entrusted Perfection will be your reward
mindes that it hath made them distracted and mad and canst thou trample them as dirt under thy feet without any regard at all Because I would willingly be both faithful and helpful to thee I shall earnestly in the name of the blessed God beâ—eech thee as thou wouldst leave these dying comforts with a lively courage to minde and practice these two particulars without which thou canst never make Religion thy business Make sure that thy heart be throughly changed That building which reacheth up to Heaven must have a strong and sure foundation If the Watch be not of the right make it will never go true He must live in the Spirit who would walk in the Spirit Natural bodies follow the tendency of that body which is predominant in them Stones move downward Fire upward each would be at its Center thâ—t which stoppeth either offereth violence to it So it will be with thee thy life will be according to the tendency of thy heart if that be carnal and the flesh predominant such will thy life be if that be changed and the Spirit be predominant in it thy life will be spiritual also if the Law of God be written in thy affections then and not till then it will be legible in thy conversation O do not rest in Civility Morality Performances Priviledges or any thing short of renewing-grace It is the heart by generation cheifly polluted and it is the heart by Regeneration which must be purified or thou perishest eternally When an error is in the foundation of an house it will not be mended by daubing or rough-cast but must be pullâ—d down and built up anew If any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new Creature Old things are past away and all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 O Friend consider that by the irrevocable decree and sentence of the living God None shall he saved but those that are converted and renewed And for the sake of thy precious soul give thy self no rest till this change be wrought I assure thee it concerneth thee for thine everlasting life or death dependeth upon it 3 John ver 3. Mat. 18.3 Heh 12.14 Be much with God in Religious duties Secret praying reading and meditating are great helps to piety The bottom of a Christians building is underground and out of the Worlds sight The greatest part of that trade which a Saint drives with God is unseen and his returns are unknown to the world Christ giveth his sweetest kisses and dearest embraces to his Spouse when she is alone Jacob met with the blessing when he had parted with his company and wrastled singly with the Angel of the Covenant Bread eaten in secret how sweet is it When God meeteth thy soul in a morning or evening prayer communion with his Majestie will be sweet to thee indeed Take heed of omission of duties in the Closet The Amalekite had not eaten in three days who was nigh death It is observed that the places under the Line are not so hot as some places at a further distance because though they have the beams of the sun falling perpendicularly to cause a more intense heat yet the nights there being longer then in some other parts the days are not so hot When the nights are long the days are very cold when there are long omissions of duties godliness will cool Ah didst thou but know what many a Saint hath gained by that hidden calling I am confident thou wouldst mind it what ever thou didst omit Remember how often and earnestly I have urged thee to this duty It is thy priviledge that though thou canst not every day have the showres of publick Ordinances yet mayst thou have the watering-pots of secret duties to make thy soul fruitful Let no day pass without thy morning and evening Sacrifices Fasting is bad for some bodies I am sure to fast from spiritual food is exceeding injurious to thy soul He that runneth into enormities as a Drunkard or Swearer or Adulterer c. he stabbeth his soul he that omiteth daily duties he starveth his soul Now what great difference is there between the death of the soul by stabbing and by starving If thy soul dye eternally it will be little comfort to thee to plead that thou didst not drink or swear as others O Friend let no day pass without secret duties if thou risest in the morning and followest thy calling all day and liest down at night and never desirest Gods company or askest his blessing I would know wherein thou dost God more service then the Ox or Ass For shame Friend do not thus play the beast any longer I have in this Treatise endeavoured to assist thee by discovering the Nature and Necessity of making Religion thy business I cannot but think that the Reasons which I have laid down for this duty will move any man who is not resolved to make himself eternally miserable It is no mean mercy that thou mayst adopt all thy natural and civil actions into the family of Religion that though like cyphers they signifie nothing of themselves yet having the figure of Godliness put before them they may signifie much and stand for thousands I shall Reader onely acquaint thee with some particulars which I treat of in the book and then leave thee and it to the blessing of God I am very large in directing thee about the immediate Worship of the Lord as knowing that is of greatest weight and worth No preparation can be too great for No devotion can be too gracious in Religious Actions Amongst many other Rites and Ceremonies of the Jews â—nt Margarit le R tibus lulaeoâ—um it is related that before the doors of their Synagogues they have an iron plate against which they wipe and make clean their shoes before they enter and that being entred they fit solemnly for a season not once opening their mouths but considering with whom they have to do Truly Friend it concerneth thee to be full of reverence when thou appearest solemnly in Gods presence Think of it He is a jealous God and will not be mocked they that dally with him undo themselves Serious piety will abundantly profit thee but careless service will highly provoke God Spiders cobwebs may better be suffered in a Cottage theâ— in a Kings Palace In the next place I proceed to Natural Actions and then to Recreations about both which thy care must be that they exceed not their bounds and that they taste and savour of Religion Mandrakes if duly taken is good physick but if immoderately it casts into a dead sleep and congeales the spirits It requireth much piety and prudence not to abuse those things whilst thou art using them Satan catcheth many a soul with these baits and then throweth them into the fire But if Religion be thy business that which is poison to others will be nourishing food to thee After these I speak to Particular Callings that they might be managed so as not to
The derivation of the word will somewhat help to the explication of the thing the Latin word Religio from which our English word comes Câ—â—er â—b 2. de 〈◊〉 dâ—â—r â—â—â—â—h â—on â— lib. 1. de relig cap. 13. Some derive a Relegendo because men by serious reading come to be Religious grace sometimes findeth a passage through the sight into the soul The eye as in Austin and Junius hath affected the heart Zanchy derives it a Religendo or rather a re-eligendo from chosing again or a second time because a Religious person chuseth God for his chiefest good and portion His first choice was carnal of the flesh and the creature but his second choice is spiritual of God and Christ and this choice is Religion Austin and Lactantius to whom I rather incline derive it a Religando from binding or knitting Aug. Tom. 1. lib. de vera relig Lact. lib. 4. Divin inflit c. 18. because it is the great bond to joyn and tie God and man together As the parts of the body are knit to the head by the nerves and sinews so man is knit to God by Religion Sin and irreligion separate God and man asunder your iniquities have separated between you and your God Isa 59.2 Godliness and Religion unite God and man together I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people 2 Cor. 6.16 Atheism is a departing or going away from God Eph. 4.18 Heb. 3.12 Religion is a coming or returning unto God Heb. 10.22 Jer. 3.1 The great misery of man by his fall is this He is far from God And the great felicity of man by favour is this He draweth nigh to God Psa 73.2 ult Jam. 4.8 Irreligion is a turning their backs upon God but Religion is a seeking the face of God and a following hard after him Psa 2.3 Psa 27.8 Psa 63.8 By ungodliness men wander and deviate from God by godliness men Worship and are devoted to God Psa 119.150 and 38. verses The Grecians call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza thinks Beza in Col. 2.18 from Orpheus a Thracian who first taught the Mysteries of Religion among his Countrymen Ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hene vel recte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 colo The word in the Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in a Word signifieth right or straight worship according to which I shall describe it thus Godliness is a Worshipping the true God in heart and life according to his revealed Will. In this description of Godliness I shall observe four parts First The Act it is a Worship Secondly The Object of this Act the true God Thirdly The Extent of this Worship in heart and life Fourthly The Rule according to his revealed Will. First Cultus religiosus est obsequium supremum illi soli debitum qui est principium autor tam creatio is quam beatificationis nostrae Daven Determ For the Act Godliness is a Worship Worship comprehends all that respect which man oweth and giveth to his Maker it is that service and honour that fealty and homage which the creature oweth and tendereth to the fountain of his being and happiness it is the Tribute which we pay to the King of Kings whereby we acknowledge his Soveraignty over us and our dependance on him Cultus corporis cultus conscientiae Give unto the Lord the Honour due unto his Name Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness Psa 29.2 To Worship God is to give him the Glory which is due to him It is a setting the Crown of Glory on Gods Head to render him due honour is true Holiness To deny this is Atheisme and Irreligion All that inward reverence and respect and all that outward obedience and Service to God which the word injoyneth is included in this one word Worship This Worshipping God is either external or internal God is to be worshipped with the body Joshua fell on his face and Worshipped Josh 5.14 Moses bowed his head and Worshipped Exod. 4.32 Jesus lifted up his eyes to Heaven and Prayed Joh. 17.1 David lifted up his hands to God Psa 63.4 The bodies of Saints shall be glorified with God hereafter and the bodies of Saints must glorifie God here Phil. 3.21 Rom. 12.1 Inward worship is sometimes set forth by loving God Jam. 2.5 sometimes by trusting him Psa 16.1 sometimes by delighting in him Psa 37.3 sometimes by sorrow for offending him Psa 51.3 because this Worship of God as one peice of gold containeth many peices of silver comprehendeth all of them All the graces are but so many links of this golden chain As all the members of the natural body are knit together and walk always in company so all the parts of the new man are joyned together and never go but as the Israelites out of Egypt with their whole train If there be one Wheel missing in a Watch the end of the whole is spoiled if one grace should be wanting in a Saint he would be unsainted There is a concatenation of graces as well as of moral vertues Those that Worship God give him their hottest love their highest joy their deepest sorrow their strongest faith and their greatest fear as Abraham gave Isaac he gives God all What Moses cals fearing God Deut. 6.13 our Saviour quoting calls Worshipping God Mat. 4.9 10. by a Synecdoche because the former is both a part and a sign of the latter As when the guard are watching at the Court gate or on the stairs and examining those that go in it s a sign the King is within so when the fear of God stands at the door of the heart to examine all that go in least the Traytor Sin should steal in slily it s a sign that God is within that he sits upon the Throne of the soul and is worshipped there Secondly The Object the true God All Religion without the knowledge of the true God is a meer notion a very empty nothing Divine Worship is one of the chiefest jewels of Gods Crown Cove ne quâ—cquam vel mente agnoscas vel corpore colas ut Deum praet r me Ienovam Deum iuum Calv. in 1. mand which he will by no means part with God alone is the Object of the godly mans worship Exod. 20.2 His hope is in God Psa 39.7 his dependance is on God Psa 62.8 His dread is of God Psa 119.122 His love is to God Ps 18.1 God is the onely object of his prayers Psal 5.3 and 44 20. and of God alone are all his praises Psal 103.1 God alone is to be worshipped because he alone is worthy of worship Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power for thou hast created all things Rev. 4.11 To hold any thing in opinion or to have any thing in affection for God which is not God is Idolatry to worship either men as the Samaritans did Antiochus Epiphanes stiling
him the mighty God or the host of Heaven as the Ammonites or the Devil as the Indians or the Belly as the Glutton or Riches as the Covetous or the Cross as the Papist is unholiness There is a civil worship due to men Gen. 48.11 but sacred worship is due onely to God and he is a jealous God who will not give his glory to strangers nor his praise to images The Heathen worshipped several gods the Assyrians worshipped Belus the Tyrians Baal the Athenians Diana the Samians Juno the Lemnians Vulcan the Moabites Chemosh the Syrians Rimmon the E Kronites Baalzebub the Babylonians Bell those Infidels as one observeth well had their Deos mortuos Idols mortales men mortiferos Lusts therefore its considerable that when the Apostle speaketh of the Gentiles during the time of their unregeneracy whilst they served false gods he saith they lived without God Eph. 2.12 False gods are no Gods an Idol is nothing 1 Cor. 4.8 Thirdly The extent In heart and life Godliness is the worshipping God in the inward motions of the heart and the outward actions of the life where the spring of the affections is clear and the stream of the conversation runs clear there is true godliness the Egyptians of all fruits would make choice of the Peach to consecrate to their goddess and they gave this reason for it because the fruit thereof resembleth an heart and the leaf a tongue As they gave heart and tongue to the false god we must to the true God Heart-godliness pleaseth God best but Life godliness honours him most the conjunction of both make a compleat Christian In a godly mans heart though some sin be left yet no sin is liked in his life though sin may remain yet no sin reigns His heart is suitable to Gods Nature and his life is answerable to Gods Law and thence he is fitly denominated a Godly man In heart Hypocrisie is a practical Blasphemy I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not Gods eye taketh most notice of the jewel of spiritual devotion the eyes of men of the cabinet of outward adoration My son give me thy heart saith God Pro. 33.26 The Heart is the King in the little world Man which giveth Laws both to the inward powers and outward parts and reigneth and ruleth over them at pleasure The life of Godliness lyeth much more in the heart then in the life and the Saints character is from their inward carriage towards God they worship God in the Spirit Phil. 3.3 A great French Peer is called le bon Chrestien the good Christian because they say it is never rotten at the core God is a Spirit and he will be worshipped in spirit and in truth Joh. 4.24 In truth that is scripturally opposite to the inventions of mens heads In Spirit that is sincerely opposite to the dissimulation of mens hearts The deeper the belly of the Lute is the pleasanter the sound the deeper our worship comes from the heart the more delightful it is in Gods ears And Life godliness as it sets God on the Throne of the conscience so it walks with God in the conversation Though the spiritual as the natural life begin at the heart yet it doth not end there but proceeds to the hands the same water appeareth in the Bucket which is in the Well As when the heart is like a dunghil full of filth it sends forth a noisom and unsavoury stench in the life so when the heart is like a box of musk it perfumes and sents the tongue and eyes and ears and hands and whatsoever is near it with holiness Worship is called the name of God Ps 29. and worshipping a praising him 2 Chron. 7.3 Because as a man by his name so God by his worship is known in the world and those that worship him in their practices do before the eyes of the world give him praise Fourthly The Rule according to his revealed will Every part of Divine Worship must have a Divine Precept As the first Command teacheth us what God is to be worshipped so the second Command teacheth in what way he will be worshipped The Tabernacle and all the instruments thereof yea the very snuffers and ash-pans were to be made exactly according to the pattern in the mount Exod. 25.40 Heb. 8.5 Typifying that all the exercise of worship used by the Church whether in Doctrine or Discipline must be conformed to the written Word Gal. 1.8 Our Religion must be not onely rational but regular our worship must be both universal and canonical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this canon or rule peace be unto them The Saints service must be Word-service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro. 12.1 so the word is rendred by our Translators 1 Pet. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sincere milk of the Word The institutions of Christ not the inventions of men are the rule of worship Our work is not to make Laws for our selves or others but to keep the Laws which the great Prophet of his Church hath taught us that coyn of worship which is currant amongst us must be stampt by God himself Traditioni humanae nomen religionis applicant ut religio appelletur cum sit sacrilegium quia quod contra authorear est sacrilega mente in ventum est Amb. in Col. 2. We are to be governed as the point in the compass not by the various winds the practices of former ages or the fashions of the present generation which are mutable and uncertain but by the constant heavens Our devotion must be regulated exactly according to the Standard of the Word It is Idolatry to worship a false god or the true God in a false manner Men indeed are no sooner pluckt out of the pit of Atheism Nihiladeo offen dit hominum mentes ut sim plicitas divinorum operum Tertul. but they presently climb the high places of superstition delighting to go from one extream to another As a gay suit of apparel so the service of God in a gaudy dress is most taking with carnal eyes I have read of a Popish Lady in Paris that when she saw a glorious procession to one of their Saints cryed out Oh how fine is our Religion beyond that of the Huguenots they have a mean and beggarly religion but ours is full of bravery and solemnity But as Heraulds say of a coat of Arms The second commandment bindes to the true worship of the true God which is only as himself commandeth and by the means rites and services which he ordaineth Ainsw Arrows against Idols cap. 1. if it be full of gays and devices it speaks a mean descent so truly that manner of worship which is mingled with mens inventions speaks its descent to be mean namely from man To the Law and to the Testimonies if they speak not according to this it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.20 Such may
and the shekel of the Commonwealth but fifteen pence the cubit of the Sanctuary a full yard the Common cubit but half a yard compare 1 Kings 7.15 with 2 Chron. 3. and 15. The common Talent was one hundred eighty seven pound ten shillings the Kings Talent two hundred eighty one pounds five shillings the Talent of the Sanctuary was three hundred seventy five pounds Itinerarium Sac. And what was the Gospel of this but to teach us that in things that appertain to God we must give double weight double measure double care double diligence though men be slothful and sluggish in the service of men yet they must be fiery and fervent in spirit when they are serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 To give brass money to any is lamentable but to cast it into the treasury is most abominable God is a great God and looks to be served like himself and according to his excellent greatness Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a Male and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my name is dreadful among the Heathen Mal. 1. ult There are some of the Heathen â—ohu Pierii Hieroglyph that Worship the Sun for a God and would offer to the Sun somwhat suitable and therefore because they wondred at the Suns swift motion they would offer a Horse with Wings Now an Horse is a swift creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paus and one of the strongest to continue in motion for a long time together then having Wings added to him they conceived him a sacrifice somwhat suitable to the Sun Surely much more cause have Christians to take care that their sacrifices to the glorious and boundless Majesty be some way suitable to his unconceivable and infinite excellencies Further Godliness is Eternity-work and therefore must needs be of infinite weight and is worthy of all our pains and diligence We esteem Lands which we hold in fee-simple to us and our heirs for ever at a far greater rate and are more diligent to secure our Titles to them then those lands which we have onely a lease of or a life in Mens estates are of more or less value according to the term of years they have in them Ministers are often much more exact in their Printing then in their Preaching Such in whose ordinary Preaching words like a spring run full and fast and sense or at least judgement like a pond stands still will if they Print scrue their parts to the highest pitch and spare for no pains that if possible sense and sentences reason and expressions may keep equal pace Even those whose Sermons when delivered in their Auditories smell as Chalcus said of Demosthenes orations of the Lamp Plut in vit Demost are the fruits of much prayer and study yet when they are to publish them to the World they will survey every sentence weigh every word bestow more care and labour on them hence possibly ouâ— proverbial speech when a thing is done exactly This is done in Print But what is the ground of this I suppose one of the chiefest because men print in a sense for Eternity Sermons preached or mens words pass away with many like wind how soon are they buried in the grave of oblivion but Sermons printed are mens works live when they are dead and become an image of eternity This shall be written for the generation to come Godliness is a work that relates not onely to few lives as lands do or to a few generations as mens books do but to the boundless bottomless Ocean of eternity indeed and therefore calleth for all our care and diligence Drex Eternit Conclus lib. Drexelius observeth well out of the Father Our works do not pass away as soon as they are done as they may seem to do but as seed sown in time they rise up to all Eternity A little neglect now may prove an eternal loss Whatsoever we think speak or do once thought spoke or done it is eternal it abideth for ever Eternal life is promised to the diligent Idem Non consid cap. 1. Eternal death is the portion of the negligent The former shall be bathed in the rivers of Gods eternal pleasures the latter shall suffer the vengeance of eternal fire To be tormented day and night for ever and ever and to enjoy the exceeding and eternal weight of glory are certainly no jesting matters but of more concernment then we can possibly conceive Who would not labour hard to attain eternal life Who would not work night and day to avoid eternal death eternal wo. Zeuxis the famous Limner made painting his bufiness and was exceeding careful and curious in drawing all his lines he would let no piece of his go abroad into the world to be seen of men till he had turned it over and over viewed it on this side and that side again and again and being asked the reason answered Because what I paint I paint for eternity so it is with every man and woman in the exercise of godliness it is of eternal concernment we pray we hear for eternity we read we sing we watch we fast we live we die for eternity O how exactly how diligently should all be done The Holy Ghost urgeth it as a reason why mens eyes and hearts should not be set upon riches because they are not eternal In one place Solomon tells us That riches are not Prov. 23.5 In another place that they are not for ever Prov. 27.4 because things that are not for ever are as if they were not at all Eternal life is the true life saith Augustine this is but the shadow or semblance of life The affairs of time are but trifles to the affairs of eternity but our eyes and hearts must be set upon godliness because it is for ever it will do a soul good for ever our Saviour doth from this argument command us to make godliness our chief imployment Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth to everlasting life Joh. 6.27 where labour for temporal food is not prohibited but labour for eternal food is preferred It was the consideration of this that made the forty Martyrs suffer so ventrously and valiantly under Licinius Basil 40. Mart. Anno 300. When Agricolaus his Deputy and one of the devils agents set upon them several ways to draw them to deny Christ and at last tempted them with an offer of Wealth and Preferment they all cryed out with one consent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Eternity Eternity give us money that will last to Eternity and glory that will abide for ever They slighted that pittiful wealth which was currant onely in this beggarly world and made Religion their business because it brought them in durable riches Things that are transient and temporal may like hasty storms salute onely the surface of our hearts and away but things that are permanent and eternal
must like soft showrs sink deep into our affections and command all our actions Ah did but man know what it is to be eternally in Hell fire and what it is to live eternally in Gods Favour he would do any thing were it never so hard to arrive at Heaven The Romans build their Temples round and the rule of Pythagoras was When men worshipped they must turn themselves round Those Heathens had confused notions of Eternity and represented it by round things because such had neither beginning nor end If they by the light of Nature saw a little of it and thence would have their Temples and Worship suitable to it then much more we who have clearer apprehensions by the light of Scripture must have our conversations answerable CHAP. VII The necessity of makiâ—g Religion our business both in regard of the opposition a Christian meets with and the multiplicity of business which lieth upon him THirdly Godliness must be made our principal business our main work because otherwise we shall lose our reward We say As good never a whit as never the better Piety without much pains will redound to little or no profit How foolish is that builder who in setting up an house hath been at much cost and yet loseth all because he will be at no further charge Many lose what they have wrought 2 Joh. 8. Their works because not their business are not perfect and so to small purpose The sloathful roasts not what he took in hunting Prov. 12.27 He was at some labour to catch the Beast but was loath to be at any more in dressing it and so all was lost laboriousness to godliness is as the soul to the body which being separated from it godliness dyeth and quickly becomes unsavoury The reward of Godliness is of infinite worth the end of Holiness as of Hope is the salvation of the soul the eternal and immediate enjoyment of God in Heaven Now who can think to atrain the place of such ravishing pleasures without much pains Iter per angusta ad augusta Things that are most delicate cannot be had without the greatest difficultie they that will enjoy large Diadems must run through many deaths and dangers and use much diligence Nature her self will not bestow her precious treasure without much unwearied labour Dust and Dirt lye common in Streets but the gold and silver mines are buried in the bowels of the earth and they must work hard and dig deep that will come at them Ordinary stones may be had in every quarry but pearls are secret in the bottom of the Sea and they must dive low and hazard their lives that will fetch up the Oysters in which they breed and enjoy them When did we ever find Nature so prodigal of her gifts as to bestow skill and excellency in any art or science without industry and diligence Doth she not force her students to beat their brains to wast their bodies to break their sleep to burn up their strength before she will permit them to pry into her secrets to pick the lock of her curious Cabinet and gain any considerable knowledge of her Wealth and richness And can we think the God of Nature will give men to know him as they are known of him will bestow on them the unspeakable gift the pearl of price the holy of holies such things as eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither mans heart conceive while they lie lazing on the bed of Idleness Heaven is not unfitly compared to an Hill among Heathen to Olympus among Christians to Mount-Sion They that will climb up to it must pant and blow and sweat for it Elijahs Translation to the place of bliss was much more speedy and facile then ordinary We see no pâ—nting heart no trembling hands no quivering lips no ghastly looks to be the forerunners of his passage into Eternal life Where the union is neer and natural there the separation is hard and painful but behold here the Marriage knot betwixt body and soul is not untied Those loving Relations like Husband and Wife ride triumphantly together in a stately Chariot to the Heavenly Court yet even in this rapture God would teach us that the Virgin inheritance must be ravished There appeared a Chariot of fire and horses of fire and Elijah went up by a Whirle-wind into Heaven 2 Kings 2.11 Why a Chariot of fire but to note that Heaven must be stormed and taken by force Fire is the most active inanimate Creature hereby is figured that laborious action is the way to the beatifical vision The Chariot is made of fire the Wheels upon which it runs are a whirlewind Activeness and violence are the onely way to the blessed inheritance Who ever entred into Heaven with ease They that will be knighted must kneel for it they that will wear the Crown must win it A man is not crowned except he strive lawfully that is strenuously 1 Tim 2.25 He that will be saved must work out his salvation and that with fear and trembling Legitime certare est ad pugnam se preparare animose adversarium aggredi Bald. Phil. 2. Christ who first bought the purchase hath already set the price upon which and no other the Sons of men may come to the possession There is indeed a twofold price of a thing a natural price when so much is layd down as is commensurate or proportionable to the thing bought so the price of Heaven was the blood of Christ Heb. 10.19 A pactional price when so much is laid down though inferiour to the commodity upon which the seller is contented that you enjoy the thing desired so labour knocking working is the price of Heaven Isa 55.3 This price is made of mans future felicity and Christ is resolved not to abate the least farthing Strive saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conamini omnibus virib us Extremas summatque vires velut agonizantes exerite quass provita si vincitis pro morte si vincimini luctaturi A Lapid in Loc. to enter in at the straight gate for many will seek to enter in and shall not be able Luk. 13.24 As if he had said there will be many Seekers Many that will both cheapen Heaven by a profession and bid somewhat by performances but they shall miss the place for want of more pains they shall not be able if ye therefore have any love to your souls be not onely seekers but strivers do not onely cheapen and offer a little but come up to the price Put forth all your strength as Wrestlers do that strive for Masteries as ever ye would enjoy those eternal pleasures Men were as good bid nothing as not come up to the sellers price All run in a Race but one receiveth the prize Sicnotat diligentiam celeritatem Cor. A. Lapid So run that ye may obtain 1 Cor. 9.24 They that intend for the Crown do before hand diet themselves breath their bodies and when they run for
chamber with Patients about their bodily health and the Tradesmans shop crowded with customers Jesus Christ is left alone Though he offereth wares which are of infinite worth and stretcheth out his hand all the day long yet no man regardeth It is reported of some Spaniards that live near the place where is store of fish P. Pâ—grim that they will rather go without them then take the pains to catch them Heaven and Happiness Saviour and Salvation are near men they are brought to their very doors and yet men will rather lose then labour for them rather go sleeping to Hell then sweating to Heaven All seek their own and none the things of Jesus Christ Offer a crust to a dog and he will catch at it offer him a Crown and he will contemn it offer these men the crusts of vanity and how greedily are they imbraced while the Crown of Glory is most unworthily dispised like beastly swine they trample this pearl under their feet and love to wallow in the mire But possibly you may say that there are many that make Religion their business onely they are so near me that according to the rule of Opticks which requires a due distance between the faculty and the object I cannot behold them they abound in every Country Parish Family All are Christians and make the Worship of God their main work I must answer as he did when he saw the vast Army of Antiochus There are many men but few Souldiers many mouths but few hands there are many nominal but few real Christians many that flourish like fencers beating onely the air but few that fight in earnest the good fight of faith Godliness hath many complemental servants that will give her the cap and the knee a few good words and outward ceremonies but Godliness hath few faithful friends that make her the Mistris of their affections that give her the command of their hearts and that wait upon her and walk with her all the day long Pretenders to her service are indeed like the sand of the sea numerous but practitioners or faithful servants are like the pearl of the sea rare and precious many court her but few marry her for indeed men generally deal with Godliness as the Germans with the Italians or the Dutch with the Spaniards hold a fair out ward correspondency enough to serve for mutual trade and traffick but enter not into a near familiarity they have no great intimacie with Godliness it s rather a stranger to them whom now and then they bestow a visit on for fashion sake then an indweller or constant inhabitant Lepidus Major a loose Roman when his Comrades were exercising themself in the Camp would lay himself down to sleep in the shade and cry out Vtinam hoc esset laborare would this were all the duty I were to do Such Souldiers are many who pretend to fight under Christs Banner when they should be watching their souls and warring with Satan and fin they are sleeping and snoring as if that were the way to work out their salvations Reader I must acquaint thee with the Physicians rule that Spontanae lassitudines morbos loquuntur Weariness without some apparent cause is a sign of a diseased body so thy laziness doth speak a very unsound soul This complaint is urged with a threefold consideration First How eager is the worldling for wealth and earthly things though they loyter about the meat which endureth to eternal life yet they can labour for the meat that perisheth though they are so negligent about the Kingdom of Heaven yet the Kingdom of Earth suffereth violence What pains do the Mariners take for treasure What perils doth the Souldier under go for plunder what labour and industry doth the Husbandman use for profit he riseth early sits up late denieth himself loseth his sleep rides and runs too and fro imbraceth all opportunities is eaten up almost with cares and fears all for the earthly maâ—â—â—â— whilst the heavenly Mansions are like the unknown part of the world which no man regardeth or looketh after They pant after the dust of the earth as greedily as hot creatures do after the air to cool their scorched intrails Amos 2.7 The Serpents curse is entailed on that poysonous brood the dust is their diet they feed on ashes Gen. 3.14 Amos 7. They laugh at dangers and trample upon difficulties they force their way through darkness and the shadow of death through stifling damps and overflowing floods through rocks and mountains in the pursuit of earthly treasures Job 28.9 10 11. It s said of the Dutch they are so industrious at Navigation that if it were possible to sail in ships to Heaven they would not come short of that Haven Ah what pity is it that this jewel should hang in a swines snout which would so well become the Christians finger that this diligence this violence should be exercised about mens earthly and particular which would so well suit their heavenly and general calling The ambitious person like the Panther Pliny nat hist lib. 8. cap 27. is so greedy of the poisonous Aconite hung up by the Hunters purposely in vessels above their reach of air and honour that he never leaves leaping and straining thereat till he breaks and bursts himself in sunder The covetous man saith one that hath more then enough yet perplexeth himself with his own wants look how like a fool he goeth leading his horse in his hand and carrying his saddle on his back till he be pickled in his own sweat and killed with cares when his horse would with ease carry him and his saddle The Voluptuous man like the Drone is busie about the glass of water baited with honey in it he labours and wearieth himself even till he be drowned How do men like the Israelites in the Egyptian bondage travel up and down and even weary themselves to gather straw What pains do they take to hew unto themselves broken cysterns Their chief strife is with the Toads who shall fall asleep with most earth in their mouths who shall leave this world with most wealth in their hands Their parts and gifts their time and talents are all improved to help forward their earthly trade They are wiser in their generation then the children of light Oh how lamentable is it that the oynions and garlick of Egypt are preferred before the milk and honey of Canaan Luthers Colloq Mensal p. 85. Lysippus made Alexanders picture with this posie tupiter asserai terram mihi ta assere coelum Luther tells us of a noble man at Vienna in the time of his abode there which made a great Supper and in the midst of his mirth belched out this windy and blasphemous speech If God will leave me this world to live and injoy my pleasure therein but a thousand years then let him take his Heaven to himself This man spake what most men think the bramble of their bodies reigneth and fire ariseth out
and soul was steeped in tears and his whole time from the womb to the tomb was spent in sorrows and sufferings full of tribulations And as Antichrist is called a man of sin because he is as Beza observes well Merum scelus Meer sin nothing but sin Isa 53.3 2 Thess 2.3 so the children of God should be men of holiness meer holiness made up of holiness nothing but holiness every part of them should be holy and every deed done by them should be holy holiness in their hearts should as the Lungs in the body be in continual motion and holiness in their life must run through all their words as the Woof through the whole Web. The Jews had their daily weekly monthly yearly addresses unto God to teach us that we must be always trading heavenward that there must be an unwearied commerce an uninterrupted intercourse betwixt God and our souls Saints lives are therefore compared to a walk and called a walking with God or a walking before God they must still walk as in company with him and tread every step as under his eye Gen. 5.22 and 17.1 The Planets because of their wandering nature are sometime nearer to sometime further from the earth yet always within the Zodiack the high-way of the Sun So the Christian though he be sometimes stooping to the earth in his particular calling sometime mounting up to Heaven in the immediate Worship of God yet he must always be in the path of godliness The highway of the Sun of Righteousness Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long saith Solomon Prov. 23.17 Whether a Christian be eating or drinking or buying or selling or plowing or sowing or riding or walking whatever he be doing or whereever he be going he must be always in the fear of the Lord Godliness must be his guide his measure and his end as the salt it must be sprinkled on every dish to make it savoury Thy life O Christian must be so led that it may be a continued serving of God The Precept is full though if a true Christian thou wilt esteem it thy priviledge that whatsoever thou dost thou art to do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 God must be the Alpha and Omega the beginning and end of all thy actions thy duty is to pass the whole time of thy sourjourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 Every moment must be devoted to God and as all seasons so all actions must be sacred There is a Prophesie that in Jerusalem in that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses Holiness to the Lord and the pots in the Lords house shall be like the bowles before the Altar yea every put in Judah and Jerusalem shall be holiness to the Lord of Hosts Zach. 14.20 21. Mark the same Inscription is to be upon the bells of horses and on every pot wich was on the High Priests mitre Holiness to the Lord to teach us That every thing though but of common use should be sanctified to Gods service Vt quicquid aggrediatnr homines sit sacrificium Calv. in loc That every ordinary enterprize saith Calvin should be a sacrifice In the prosecution of this Exhortation I shall First Speak to the nature of this duty and Manner how a Christian must exercise himself to Godliness in the whole course of his life and in every part thereof Secondly I shall lay down some Means for the accomplishing this duty Thirdly I shall annex some Motives to encourage the Reader in this holy Trade and calling First As to the Manner how a Saint may in every passage of his life follow this Trade I shall divide my Discourse into these several Heads 1. How a man may make Godliness his business in religious actions or the Worship of God in general as also in his carriage in hearing or reading in Prayer at the Lords Supper and on the Lords day in particular 2 How a Christian may make Religion his business in his natural actions of eating drinking sleeping and cloathing 3. In his Recreations 4. In his particular vocation or calling 5. In reference to his Relations and Family 6. In his dealings with all men 7. In all conditions whether of prosperity or adversity 8. In all companies whether good or bad 9. In solitariness or when he is alone 10. On a weak-day from morning to night 11. In his visiting the fick 12. Vpon a dying bed CHAP. XI How a Christian may make Religion his business in spiritual Performances and religious Actions FIrst Make Godliness thy business in religious Duties I shall put that first in order which is first in nature and excellency and truly Friend thy special care must be here thy greatest diligence will be little enough when thou comest solemnly into Gods presence Cleanly men wash their hands and brush their cloaths every day but when they are to dine with a King they will wash and scour their hands they will brush their cloaths over and over again that their hands may be if possible clean from the least dirt and their garments from the least dust The true Christian is in all company and in the whole course of his life every day careful to keep his soul clean and his conscience clear nay to encrease his Godliness but when he draweth nigh to God and he hath more special care and extraordinary caution though Tradesmen are all the year long doing somewhat at their callings either casting up their accounts or gathering in their debts or amending something in their commodities which are amiss and therefore have no time for idleness yet at some times of the year they are full of trading their shops are crowded with customers they are all the week either sending out or taking in wares now this time calls for their greatest diligence and watchfulness The time of sacred duty is a Christians market day wherein he is much imployd and therefore it calls for his greatest diligence He that leaves his Shop or loyters in it at such a time must expect that his Shop will quickly leave him The Husbandman hath his seasons to Plow and Sow in which if he be heedless and careless about that either his seed be smutty or his servant slothful he can look for but a mean and poor harvest The hours of praying and reading and hearing are the Saints opportunities and seasons of grace if he be not then careful and consciencious to Plow up the fallow ground of his heart and to sow to the Spirit his return will be very inconsiderable he will Reap but a thin crop But truely friend if thou hast no respect to thy souls good God hath to his own glory and though he stoop to thee ingiving thee leave to seek his face and hear his voice yet he will not be slighted by thee He is a glorious and jealous Majesty and esteemeth it a disparagement to him for any to wait upon him without their best attire Though Vzzah be
dead yet he speaketh to thee to take heed how thou touchest the Ark. A Prince may be pleased if his Kitchin be but indifferent neat and handsom but he looks that in his Parlour where he gives entertainment to his friend all things should be in Print Where Gods special walk is amongst his Candlesticks and amidst his Myrtle Trees there Godliness must be our special work Holiness becometh thy house O Lord for ever Psa 93. ult Godliness doth always sute the back of a Saint This gracious garment is a glorious ornament to him whatever he is doing or where ever he is going but the apparel doth become him best in his approaches to the holy God No Hangings no Tapestry becomes Gods house so well as Holiness and no place is so proper as the House of God for this costly comely furniture God is more honored or dishonoured in our Religious actions then in all the actions of our lives in them we do directly and immediately pretend his Honor and Service and therefore if we do not walk in them watchfully and intend them seriously the greater is our sin For a trespass committed against holy things the Jews were to bring a Ram to be valued by the shekel of the Sanctuary for a trespass against their brethren a Ram was required but no such valuation expressed whence Origen infers Aliud est peccare in sanctis aliud extra sancta It is one thing to sin in holy things another thing to sin beside them and he urgeth that place in Samuel 1 Sam. 2.25 If a man sin against another man the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him Lev. 5.15 and 6.6 When men are some way off in a Kings eye they will be comely in their carriage but when they come into his Presence-chamber to speak with him they will be most careful Because Saints are always in Gods sight their constant deportment must be pious and seemly I have kept thy precepts for all my ways are before thee Psal 119.68 But because the Ordinances of God are the very face of God and they who worship him therein do solemnly appear before him therefore at such seasons they are bound to be most holy and serious Exod. 23 17. Psal 42.2 The saying of the Sage Orator hath some weight Isocrat ad Demon Worship the gods at all times especially in publick that is in their sacrifices God is very curious how men carry themselves in his Courts and commandeth thee Reader be to eminently pious when thou appearest in his presence Do but observe under the Law how choyce he was about all things relating to his Worship the Tabernacle must be made of the best wood the purest gold the finest linnen and every part and pin of it done exactly according to Gods own precept the persons called to set it up must be rarely gifted and singularly endowed for that very purpose He that offereth sacrifice must be without blemish For whatsoever man he be that hath any blemish he shall not approach a blinde man or a lame man or he that hath any thing superfluous or a flat nose or he that is broken faced or broken handed or crooked backt or a Dwarf or that hath any blemish in his eye or the scurvy or is scabbed no man that hath any blemish of the Sons of Aaron the Priest shall come nigh to offer the Offerings of the Lord made by fire he hath a blemish he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God Levit. 21.17 18 19 20. So the sacrifice also must be perfect without spot If it were blind or broken or maimed had a wen the scurvy or were scabbed Levit. 22.19 21 22 24. It must not be offered it must be a male without blemish of the best of the flocks nay the best of these beasts the fat even all the fat which covereth the Inwards Lev. 3.3 And what is the substance of all these shadows but this That God will be served by holy men in the purest holiest manner that we must be very exact both as to our persons and performances when we are in his presence that he expects the best of living Sacrifices the hearts and spirits of men nay the best of the best all the heart and all the soul and all the strength Prov. 23. Joh. 4.24 Matth. 22.37 O how much is an ordinary slight performance below and unsucable to so great and glorious a Prince Religion is as tender a thing as the apple of thine eye by playing with the eye it may be put out by dallying with duties thou mayst spoil all If the Egyptians did reverence Mercurius Trismegistus so much that they did forbear out of respect to him to pronounce his name rashly what respect shouldst thou bear to Ordinances which are the name of God Exod. 20.24 How fearful shouldst thou be of taking the name of God in vain The blind Heathen were choyce and devout in the service of dumb Idois they served them in white an embleme of purity They thought nothing too good for those false Gods for whom the worst was not bad enough Solon the Athenian Law-giver enacted that none should serve the Gods Obiter or by the by that their sacrifices should be all select and chosen and that the Sacrificers should purifie themselves some days before hand Lycurgus had made a law that no man should be at any great charge in a sacrifice least he should grow weary of Divine service yet when Phidias the famous carver advised the Athenian to make the statute of Minerva of marble rather then Ivery 1. Because it was more durable this reason was approved 2. Because less chargeable at the mention hereof with much rage and wrath they commanded him silence They had an higher respect for those lies and falshoods then many have for the true God Eras praef in adag When they were going to offer sacrifice their Priest cryed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is here Those present answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many and good Were they so choice and chary in the service of their dunghil deities and wilt not thou friend be circumspect and consciencious in the service of the living God did they think nothing costly enough for inanimate creatures and wilt thou offer to the Lord thy God that which cost thee nothing Can thy box of precious oyntment though it be worth never so much be bestowed better then on thy dearest Saviour and can thy care and caution thy love and labour be employed better then in his service Or dost thou think that the false Gods were more affected with their dishonour or more to be feared in their displeasure then the living true God Dost thou not know that he will be sanctified in them that draw nigh to him Lev. 10.3 great persons are impatient of contempts and affronts especially when they are offered to them in their own houses God will sooner overlook thy forgetfulness
obtaineth the crown above all take the shield of faith Other jewels are of great value but this is the fairest sparkling Diamond Among all duties prayer seems to challenge the garland of honour Concerning the work of my hands command ye me This is the Favourite in the Heavenly Court to whom the King of Kings can deny nothing This duty is of such weight that it is frequently put for Gods whole worship Seek ye the Lord seek his strength seek his face evermore Psa 105.4 5. Gods Temple which was the beauty of holiness the habitation of the most high was baptized by God himself with this name My House shall be called of all Nations an house of prayer Isa 56.7 Gods people which are higher then the Kings of the Earth are known to be nobly born by this practice This is the generation of them that seek him that seek thy face O Jacob Psa 24.6 Nay God himself is pleased to wear prayers Livery and to be distinguished by the royal Robes of his relation to this duty O thou that hearest prayer unto thee shall all flesh come Psa 65.1 2. Pearles of a very high price are never set but in gold the choicest mettal The Worship and people of God are more worth then all this World but O how much is God worth yet all these glister gloriously in the ring of prayer There is no duty in my observation which hath so many precepts for it or promises to it as prayer and sure I am there is no duty which giveth more honour to God or receiveth more honour from God then prayer Prayer hath a twofold preheminence above all other duties whatsoever In regard of the universality of its influence and opportunity for its performance The universality of its influence As every sacrifice was to be seasoned with Salt so every undertaking and every affliction of the creature must be sanctified with prayer nay as it sheweth the excellency of gold that it s laid upon silver it self so it speaketh the excellency of prayer that not onely natural and civil but even Religious and spiritual actions are overlaid with prayer We pray not onely before we eat or drink our bodily nourishment but also before we feed on the bread of the Word and the bread in the Sacrament prayer is requisite to make every providence and every ordinance blessed to us Prayer is needful to make our particular callings succesful prayer is the guard to secure the fort royal of the heart prayer is the Porter to keep the door of the lips prayer is the strong Hilt which defendeth the hands prayer perfumes every relation prayer helps us to profit by every condition prayer is the Chymist that turnes all into Gold prayer is the Master workman if that be out of the way the whole Trade stands still or goeth backward What the Key is to the Watch that prayer is to Religion it winds it up and sets it a going It is before other duties in regard of opportunity for its performance A Christian cannot always hear or always read or always communicate but he may pray continually No place no coâ—pany can deprive him of this priviledge If he be on the top of a House with Peter he may pray if he be in the bottom of the Ocean with Jonah he may pray if he be walking in the field with Isaak he may pray when no eye seeth him if he be waiting at table with Nehemiah he may pray when no ear heareth him If he be in the mountains with our Saviour he may pray If he be in the prison with Paul he may pray where-ever he is prayer will help him to find God out Every Saint is Gods Temple And he that carrieth his Iemple about him saith Austin may go to prayer when he pleaseth Indeed to a Christian every house is an house of prayer every closet a chamber of presence and every place he comes to an Altar whereon he may offer the sacrifice of prayer Prayer is an humble lifting up the heart or pouring out the soul to God in the name of Christ It is a crying Abba Father As Scripture is Gods Letter wherein he openeth his mind to man so Prayer is mans Letter wherein he openeth his mind to God It is fitly resembled to Jacobs Ladder the bottom of which was on earth but the top reached to Heaven A thought can fly speedily to the uttermost parts of the earth so can prayer in a moment to the highest heavens One of the Fathers compareth it to a chain one end of which is tied to mans tongue the other end to Gods ear Another Ascensus mentis ad Deum A lifting up the mind to God Paul calls it a making known our requests to God Phil. 4. Jamblicus a prophane writer calleth prayer Rerum divinarum ducem lucem copulam qua homines cum Deo conjunguntur The guide and light of Divine truths the band whereby God and man are joyned together Clavis instarqua Dei penetralia aperiuntur Like a key that openeth Gods secrets Austin calls it Dei sacrificium diaboli flagellum Christiani subsidium A sweet savour to God a terror to the Devil and a shelter to a Christian Bernard calls it Vinculum invincibilis â—he Conqueror of him who is invincible Luther saith It is omnipotent Archimedes made such an engine that saith he Could I but finde where to fasten it I would not doubt but to remove the whole earth with it Such an engine is Prayer By prayer fire hath been quenched waters divided the mouths of Lions stopped iron gates opened the bottles of heaven opened and stopped the course of nature overturned diseases removed health restored sin subdued grace bestowed Kingdoms supported Church enemies scattered the blind restored the dead enlivened devils dispossessed and the blessed God himself conquered The Jews have a proverb Sine stationibus non staret mundus alluding to their standing posture in prayer the World would not stand without prayer When a great fire in Constantinople had fastned on a great part of the City took hold of the Church flamed in at several of the windows the Bishop ran into the Church fell down on his knees and would not rise from prayer till the fire was vanquished And as prayer hath hindred fire so it hath brought down water The Legions of Christians under Aurelius in a time of drought intreated rain of God and prevailed for which they were called The lightening Legion Prayer is the Midwife to bring all those mercies into the world to the Beleever which are conceived in the womb of the Promises It is the Christians messenger which he sends to Heaven for the supply of his necessities and like Jonathans bow it never returneth empty Oftentimes as the Eccho doubleth the voyce so doth the answer the prayer when the soul like Gehezi asketh but one talent God like Naaman forceth two upon it The Lord is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10.12 Prayer is
the Thames in which all sorts of commodities are brought up for the releif of the Citizens of Zion Some say of Cornucopia that it hath all things necessary for food in it Prayer hath in it all things pertaining to this life and a better It is said of the Pope He can never want money while he can hold a pen His writing of Pardons and Indulgencies filleth his coffers It is more true of the Christian he need never want if he will but pray Prayer is a key to Gods own coffers wherein there are infinite and all sorts of comforts I have no friends said a good woman but I have a prayer and so long as I have a praying heart God will find a pitying heart and a helping hand It is but ask and receive seek and find knock and it shall be opened Matth. 7.7 8. The child presenteth his petition to his Father and at the foot of it there is Fiat quickly written Prayer is like the Spaniards Plate fleet which returns home worth thousands and millions A Courtier will sometimes get more by a petition to his Prince in a morning then some Tradesmen do all their lives A regenerate person being in favour at Court gaineth more by a morning 〈◊〉 then a wicked man though he works hard gets while he liveth I never said to the seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain Some asked but the cure of their bodies when God healed their bodies and souls too he hath forced many an unexpected favour upon an upright fervent prayer Prayer is not onely a Storehouse of mercies but a Fort-royal to defend the soul against miseries as some write of the herb Panaces it is good for all diseases When Satan entred the field against Paul the Apostle held up this shield of prayer to defend himself against his fiery darts For this I besought the Lord thrice 2 Cor. 12.7 Prayer hath stormed and surprised more Cities conquered and routed more Armies then old mens heads or young mens hands then all the policy and power on earth Prayer is like the ring which Queen Elizabeth gave to the Earl of Essex bidding him if he were in any distress send that ring to her and she would help him God commandeth his people if they be in any perplexity to send this ring to him Call upon me in the day of trouble I will hear thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psa 50.15 O what a priviledge dost thou enjoy Reader in having freedom of access to the Throne of Grace The Persian Kings took state upon them and enacted that none should come uncalled upon pain of death But the gates of Heaven as the Aediles at Rome are always open Thou hast liberty night and day of presenting thy petitions in the name of â—hrist to the King of the whole earth and needst not fear so thy prayers be according to Scripture directions so much as a chiding for thy presumption The poets say that Litae Prayers are Jupiters Daughters and always about the Throne If it be esteemed such a favour to have an earthly Princes ear what a favour art thou invested with that hast the ear of the blessed and onely Potentate Elisha offered his courteous Host a great kindness when he asked her wilt thou be spoken for to the King 2 Kings 4.13 Some purchase that liberty as the chief Captain his Roman freedom with a great sum but thou mayst speak to the King of Kings thy self and be welcome and needst not be at the charge of having either Saints or Angels thy mediatours or any of those Heavenly Courtiers to bring thee into the Kings presence The Son of God himself will do it for thee gratis In him we have boldness Ephes 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liberty of speech freedom to speak all thy mind to lay open thy very inwards to God If thou art in doubts about thy spiritual estate and about thy title to the inheritance of the Saints in light thou mayst by prayer go to him who is marvellous in counsel and have his advice for nothing If any disease appear in thy soul which thou fearest may endanger its life at least hinder its peace and health thou mayst by prayer knock up the true Physician at mid-night and prevail with him to hasten to thy help and cure If thou art surrounded with many and bloody Enemies that thou knowest not what to do nor where to go thou mayst by prayer send post to Heaven and thou needst not fear but Christ will meet the Messenger half was and come in timely to thy rescue If thou art bound wiâ—h the bond of iniquity and like Peter watched narrowly night and day nay though thou art encompassed round with the black guard of Hell lest thou shouldst make an escape yet prayer without ceasing would knock off thy chains break open the Prison doors and in spight of all the Legions of Devils that kept thee set thee at liberty If thou art like the Psalmist over-whelmed with sorrow this sighing into Gods eares by prayer will ease thy heart When the Glass of thy soul is so full of those strong spirits fear and grief that it threatneth to burst thou mayst give it vent by prayer to God and there will be no danger Whilst thou art in this valley of teares thou art encompast with Enemies hast many and urgent necessities doubts and dangers but prayer like Moses will go before thee ingage him on thy side that will overcome them all and guide thee all the way through the Wilderness of this World to the very borders of Canaan and never leave thee till thou comest to enter into the place of praiâ—e But Reader the more richly this Vessel of prayer is laden the more careful and skilful must the Pilot be that steers it lest it suffer Ship-wrack Queens that have great heirs in their wombs must be tenderly used lest they miscarry If prayer be so bountiful a friend as thou hast heard thou oughtest to be the more fearful of abusing it Princes who allow firourites their eares yet expect that they should know their distance and ask in such a maâ—â— as they appoint and such things for the matter as will be consistent with their honour to give or else instead of a grant they may meet with a repulse and a sharp reproof Haman though he were so intimate with the King that he had his Hand and Seal at pleasure found by woful experience what it was to abuse the Kings favour by desiring the satisfaction of his own lust in that which was exceedingly to the Kings loss The Incense under the Ceremonial Law was a tipe of prayer Let my prayer come before thee like Incense but if it had not been made exactly both for matter and manner according to Gods own prescription who himself gave special direction about it Exod. 30.34.35 36. as sweet as the Spices were it had been loathsom and unsavoury to him the burning of Incense had been but as the
great Ship in its full career truely so the sinallest sin loved and liked will hinder the course of prayer though it be never so instant and vehement The Lords ear is not heavy that it cannot hear but your iniquities separate between you and your God Isa 59.1 2. Men by falls somtimes lose their speeches men by fin lose their prayers When the Ninivites prayed and turned from their evil ways then God granted their requests Jonah 3. The Israelites cryed to God but in vain he bid them go to the Gods whom they had served till they put away the strange Gods from among them then his soul was greived for the misery of Israel Judges 10.10 to 17. Reformation is a good usher to go before supplication When the Duke of Saxony prepared War against the Bishop of Magdenburg the Bishop hearing of it falls to praying and reforming saying At ego curabo ecclesiam meam Deus pugnabit pro me I will take care to reforme my Church and God will take care to fight for me When the Duke heard this he Disbanded his forces with this speech I am too weak for him that caningage God on his side Be sure Reader to put away iniquity far from thee when thou art drawing neer to the throne of grace then shalt thou make thy prayer unto God and he shall hear Job 22.23 27. Prayer is as it were a plaister to heal a man that is wounded Now as a plaister to one peirced with an Arrow or Bullet will do no good till the Dart or Bullet be taken out of the body so prayer will not be healing and prevalent till sin in regard of love and delight be taken out of the soul As all sin in general most be laid by so Worldly thoughts and wrath in particular Wrath Anger like Leven sowreth the acrifice I will that men lift up holy hands without wrath 1 Tim. 2.8 He that beggeth peace at Gods hands must not do it with war in his own heart How canst thou think that God will forgive thee many millions when thou wilt not for give thy bâ—other one mite God is peremptory that he will reserve for them his wrath who will not remit their wrongs Mat 6.15 Cont. Vigâ—l Hierom confessed of himself that when he had been angry he durst not enter into the Church but totum animo corpore contremuisse he did tremble very much both in body and mind Christians must be singular as in their principles so in their practices It is more comfortable to love a friend but this an Heathen may do it is more honourable to love an Enemy and this every Christian must do There are two things in forgiving those that wrong us First An inward remission of the fault so much as it concerneth us or a removal of wrath and revengeful desires towards the person wronging us and this if we do not we lose our prayers A stormy troubled Sea casteth up mire and dirt so when there is a storm of passions in the soul the heart foameth up its own shame in prayer it bubleth up a great deal of filth Secondly In forgiveness there is an outward profession of this inward remission and this must be done when the party acknowledgeth his fault If the offender say I repent the offended mast say I remit Surely did men but consider the infinite wrongs they do and affronts which they offer to the glorious God every day and yet how they expect to be pardoned they would when abused say as Francis the first King of France to one that begged pardon for a friend of his who had used ill speeches against his Majesty Let him for whom thou art a Suitor learn to speak little and I will learn to pardon much The Spouse of Christ is compared to a Dove which some say is sine-felle without Gall The very Heathen when they offered Sacrifice threw the Gall of the Beast away and Reader wouldst thou offer to God the Gall of malice revenge wrath and bitterness with the Sacrifice of thy prayers Remember where the Gall is broke the flesh tasteth bitter and when the strings jar the Instrument will make but harsh Musick Mat. 5.24 Worldly thoughts must also be laid by Our Saviour when he taught us to pray by the preface to the Petitions telleth us where our affections in prayer should be Our Father which art in Heaven Our hearts in prayer must be in Heaven the eys of our minds must look up thither as well as the eyes of our bodies The Mahometans in India when they begin their devotion stop their ears and fix their eyes that nothing may disturb their minds or divert their thoughts When the meat is fly-blown it quickly corrupts when our petitions to God are blown upon by worldly thoughts and mingled with mental discourses with men they lose their sweetness Some poor people whose houses are troubled much with Vermine have sometimes a great part of their small provision eaten up of Rats and Mice truly sometimes a poor Christian loseth half a meal by these Vermine of Worldly thoughts they devour sometimes half his prayer Resolve before thou prayest to watch thy heart narrowly that these may not hinder thee in prayer CHAP. XIII Of the Concomitants of Prayer SEcondly I come now to the Concomitants of prayer and herein I shall speak 1. To the matter of our petitions 2. To the person that prayeth 3. To the properties of our prayers 1. To the matter of our prayers Gods Word and Will must be the rule of our prayers what we must ask of him as well as of our practice what we must do for him Subjects must set bounds to their desires and take heed that their petitions do not encroach upon the Prerogative Royal. Divine precepts what God commandeth us to act Divine promises what God engageth himself to do for us and Divine prophesies what God hath foretold shall come to pass are to be the bounds of our prayers he wandereth to his loss that in his requests goeth beyond these limits â—alaam would needs ask leave of God that he might be the Devils Chaplain to curse Israel but mark the issue he hath an ironical concession to go to his own destruction the sharp razour indeed of his tongue would not pierce the Israelites who had armour of proof but the sword of the Israelites soon entred his body and sent his soul to receive its wages of that Master that set him a work The Israelites on a sudden are all in a hurry for a King God gave them a King in his anger for their pâ—nishment rather then for their protection and how soon were they sick like children of that which they cryed so loud for the King and people at least many of them perished together O how much better is a favourable denial then an angry grant of such prayers but immodest desires never have profitable answers And as some erre in the matter of their petitions so others in the
what fire was his Sacrifice offered O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord defer not for the Lords sake That wine is best which is fullest of these heavenly spirits Winter fruits are sowre and unplesant to men and so are cold petitions to God Dan. 9.13 Reader when thou art praying for pardon how shouldst thou even poure out thy soul Alass when thou considerest if God do not pardon I perish eternally if sin be imputed I am damned how should thy heart cry out Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness after the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out mine iniquities again Wash me from mine iniquities and cleanse me from my sin and again Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities once more Deliver me from blood guiltiness O God thou God of my salvation Psa 51.1 2 11 14. When thou art begging grace and purity with what earnestness shouldst thou pray beleiving how destructive sin is to thy precious soul and how offensive to the jealous just and Almighty God and in what absolute necessity thou standest in of holiness without which thou canst never see God As when the Clock strikes the Wheels within move notably we may hear them run round so when thy tongue is pleading with God for remission of sins and repentance towards God for the Son of God the Spirit of God and thine everlasting Salvation how should thine heart move what work should there be among thine affections to enforce those weighty petitions This fervency is necessary to prepare thy soul for the mercy thou desirest What men get lazily they spend lavishly but that food which a devout woman longeth for she prizeth much and eateth with most delight When one whispered Demostenes in the ear that he was beaten and desired him to plead his cause the Orator would not believe him till at last the man cryed out Now saith he I feel your cause It is the intension of the Spirit which giveth efficacy to our petitions It is not the length of the arm but the strength of it which draweth the bow so as to make the arrow fly fast and far Fervency to prayer is as wings to the Bird by which it mounteth up to heaven The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous prevaileth much James 5.16 When prayers are drivel'd like rhume out of a mans mouth they fall down at his feet The Mother will let the childe alone if it onely whimper and whine a little in the cradle but when it crieth outright then she hasteth to take it up This poor man cryed was not dull and drowsie there is his fervency and the Lord heard him and delivered him out of all his troubles Psal 34.9 here is his prevalency There is no getting to the Indian Mines by the cold Northerz Seas though because it is a shorter cut some have attempted that way but they lost their labour Other duties are a serving God Prayer is a seeking God Now they that seek him early shall finde him Prov. 8.17 A low voice doth not cause a loud eccho neither doth a lazy prayer procure a liberal answer Sleepy requests cause but dreams meer fancied returns Where there is a cushion of ease under the knees and a pillow of idleness under the elbows there is little work to be done When Daniel had been fervent all day at prayer an Angel is sent to him at night with an answer Importunity prevaileth with an unjust Judge much more with a righteous and gracious God Though God be Almighty yet a fervent prayer through his grace hath held his hands Let me alone Exod. 32. Who holdeth the Lord saith Austin Moses earnest cry was the cord which I may speak with reverence fastned Gods hands Prayer is a sword to wound both sin and Satan but fervency is the edge of it doing the execution Zeph. 18.2 Cor. 12. For this I besought the Lord thrice When a man strikes his Enemies with his full strength then the wounds are made The lack of this fervency is the loss of many prayers The lazy petition tires before it comes half way to Heaven indeed it is eaten up as the cold honey of Wasps and Flies of wandring thoughts when fervent prayers like honey boiling over the fire is free from such ill guests An idle prayer like a lazy beggar wandreth and gaddeth up and down and as a rowling stone gathereth no moss The working of the affections in prayer like Davids harp allayeth those Devils which would disturb the Christian in this duty When a man is intent upon the God to whom he prayeth and eager after the mercies for which he prayeth though the World whisper him in the ear he cannot hear though Satan jog him by the elbow he will not heed him But here a caution will be seasonable The fire of thy fervency must be from Heaven not such strange fire as Nadab and Abihu offered to the Lord I mean it must not be the voice of nature an earnest cry for the enjoyment of creatures but the voice of the Spirit an importunate desire for conformity to and communion with the Lord Jesus Christ We read of those that howled upon their beds for corn and wine and oyl Hosea 7.17 Many like children roar are much out of quiet disturb others with the noise they make but it is for clouts for a Babey Who will shew us any good The voice of a Saint must be as of a wise son at full age for the inheritance Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me The Petitioner herein must be very careful he that rides apace had need to be sure that he is in the right way or else the freer his horse is the more he wandreth to his loss The greater the fire is the more watchful we must be that it be kept within the chimney the more earnest our affections are the more we must minde what our petitions be The promises of God must be the foundation of our prayers What he promiseth to give I may pray to receive Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope Psal 119.49 but its dangerous for the building to jet out upon the Kings high-way beyond the foundation this may cause the house to fall or be taken down Because godliness hath the promise of this life I am bound to pray Give me this day my daily bread Temporal good things must be part of the matter of my prayer but because God promiseth these things conditionally so far onely as he seeth fit for his honor and my comfort therefore I must pray for them conditionally The Apish childe that crieth and squeeketh for the knife to be its own carver and will not be satisfied with its Parents feeding it deserveth the rod our prayers both for the matter and the manner must run parallel with Gods promises Prayer is a putting Gods promises into suit but he that sueth a Bond must minde the condition
special treasure into the hands of the Children of men that they might obey his will and know the just one And Reader it is thy duty to search and study this book When Kings send out their Proclamations either concerning acts of grace or some Law which their Subjects ought to obey they expect that all should take notice of them and give them the reading and hearing What an affront dost thou offer to the King of the whole World if thou turnest thy back upon his word I must tell thee it is no less then crimen loesae Majestatis He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10.16 Thou mayst think possibly that by neglecting to hear thou dost onely contemn the Preacher but beleive me it is a contempt of thy Maker Ministers are Gods Embassadors Now to deny an Embassador audience is one of the greatest disrespects which can possibly be offered him nay it is an affront to his Prince on whose errand he cometh and whose person he representeth and what is the conclusion usually of such bad premises but a bloody War Confider what thou dost when thou refusest him that speakest from heaven for if thou shuttest the windows of thine eyes from reading and the door of thine ears from hearing God may clap such a padlock of a judiciary curse upon them both that thou shalt never open thine eyes nor ears till thou comest as the rich Glutton to see Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom and to hear and bear thy part in those dreadful screechings and howlings which are in Hell It is a mercy that the Tree of Knowledge the Word of God is not forbidden but commanded fruit nay that it groweth in the very path to the Tree of life O why shouldst thou then like the Pharisees reject the counsel of God against thy own soul If thou art a childe of Adam I am sure thou hast thy deaths wound now by neglecting the Word thou like a frantick Patient throwest away that plaister which onely can cure thee Do not say thou wast not warned of thy danger and duty I do here shew thee the hand and seal of the King of kings to that Warrant to which I require thy obedience The Scripture is the Word of Christ and God commandeth thee upon thine allegiance to hear him Colos 3.16 Matth. 3.17 The Word is the Cabinet in which thy Saviour that Pearl of infinite price is laid up and therefore thou art commanded to look into it for this Jewell Search the Scriptures for they are they which testifie of me John 5.39 The Word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and speaketh such a diligent search as covetous men make for silver they spare for no labour that they may attain their Deified Treasure What shouldst not thou do for durables Riches and Righteousness But Reader if thou art a childe of God I doubt not but thou delightest to look into thy Fathers will and weightest every Word in it as knowing that in his Testament there is a great charge committed and a great legacy bequeathed to thee It is thy daily Companion and Counsellour thou darest not go without thy cordial being liable every day to faint nor without thy weapons being called every hour to fight The Scriptures are the light by which thou walkest and the tools with which thou workest Let me perswade thee to persevere in this gracious practice Take the counsel of the Author of it who is fittest to give Laws for thy carriage towards it Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly Colos 3.16 The Word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifieth to keep house with you Do not leave thy Bible as some do at Church and hear nothing of it all the week long but bring it home to thy house let it dwell with thee Let not the Word be as a way-faring man to tarry with thee but for a night and so be gone but let it be an inhabitant one that accompanieth thee to bed and board and with whom thou conversest continually as thy familiar and intimate friend Make thine heart as Jerome saith of Nepotians by his assiduous reading and hearing the Scriptures Bibliothecam Christi The Library of Jesus Christ I cannot but think that thou hast found the Bible so bountiful a Guest to pay thee so liberally for its board that thou hast bid it heartily welcome and wouldst not part with it for the whole world Agesilaws is commended saith Xenophon because he never went to bed nor rose up before he had looked into Homer whom he called his Sweet-heart Advise thou with a Divine at least as often as he did with a prophane Author Kings have their Counsellors and great men their Remembrancers Let Gods testimonies be the men of thy council Psa 119.24 Let not others negligence abate the least of thy diligence but rather by an Antiperistasis let their extreme coldness double thine inward heat As the fire is hotest when the weather is coldest so Davids heart boiled with zeal after it when the waters of others affections to it were frozen They have made void thy Law therefore I love thy Commandments above gold yea above fine gold Therefore I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right Psal 119.126 127 128. O consider what love the Saints of God have ever had to his Law Luther said That he hated the Books he made and could wish them all burnt lest the time spent in reading them might hinder the reading of the Scriptures O how love I thy Law saith David The godly have meditated therein day and night they have esteemed it above the sweetest honey and the finest gold the Martyrs in England have given much of their Estates for a few leaves of it and they laid down their lives before they would lose the precious fruit in it The French Protestants saith their Historian burnt in zeal to the Word whilest the bloody Papists burnt them for the Word Scipio Africanus was applauded for having usually in his hands the books of Xenophons Institutions of Cyrus O let this Book of books be often before thee and always in thee let it be thy mediation all the day One would think that he who knoweth and believeth the contents of the Word should hardly ever let a Bible be out of his hand at least he will lay it up as the two Tables in the Ark in his heart Scriptura est cor ipsa anima Dei Greg. One of the Fathers calls it The heart and soul of God Indeed as a man by his word discovereth his minde and will so God by the Gospel which is his Word revealeth his eternal good will to men It is the Copy of his everlasting love of which his Decree is the Original containing all his pecious thoughts before the foundation of the World of redeeming miserable man with the blood of his Son and making him an heir
of the eternal weight of glory Those gracious and mysterious purposes of his which were hid in the night of many ages when the Sun of Righteousness once appeared in the Horizon of the Gospel were visible and legible to every eye He hath brought Life and Immortality to light by the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 The Apostle calls it The grace of God and The word of his grace Tit. 2.11 Acts 20.32 not onely because the rain of the Word goeth by coasts as a gift of grace Psal 147.19 20. He causeth it to shower down upon one City and not on another Amos 4.7 and not onely because like a seal it stampeth grace the image of God upon the soul Acts 2.37 but chiefly because on the stage of the Word the grace and favour of God to mankinde is fully displayed The Gospel presenteth us with the whole method of Gods grace and love to poor sinners This world is the Theatre in which Grace acteth its part the Triumph of Justice is reserved for the other World and the Gospel is the Throne on which Grace sits and from whence it holds out its golden Scepter The language of the Law is no less then a sentence of death but the Gospel alloweth a Psalm of mercy and in it Grace reigneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 playeth the King commandeth in chief unto Justification of life Rom. 5.17 18 21. But the more precious this Water of Life is the more fearful thou shouldst be of spilling it Kings cannot endure that their Acts of Grace should be tampled under foot Abused favour turneth into greatest fury Men surfeit soonest of the greatest Dainties and further their Misesery by that which was given them as in Mercy Our Saviour therefore commandeth Take heed how ye hear Luke 8.18 There are two special Lessons which Christ commendeth to his Scholars The first concerneth the matter of their hearing Take heed what ye hear Mark 4.24 Ministers are Christs Ushers Christ himself is the head-Master now Christ forbiddeth the pinning our faith upon our Ushers sleeve The Bereans have an honorable crest put into their coat of Armes by God himself to distinguish them in nobility from others for bringing the coyn offered to them to the touchstone of the Scripture to try whether it were true gold or counterfeit And these were more noble then those of Thessalonica because they received the Word of God with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Acts 17.11 Men must not like Children take down whatever their Nurses put into their mouthes whether meat or poison but know how to distinguish between good and evil Our faith must not stand in the wisdom of men but in the Power of God All weights and measures must be compared with and tryed by the Kings Standards The Copy is no farther authentique then it agreeth with the Original Deed. The second Lesson concerneth the manner of their hearing take heed how ye hear The richest Cordial may be lost as it may be taken It will be requisite therefore to give thee some prescription how thou mayst take this costly Physick to thy greatest profit In reference to which duty I shall speak 1. To thy preparation for it 2. To thy carriage at it 3. To thy behaviour after it 1. As to thy preparation for hearing the word I shall request thee from God to mind these ensuing particulars 1. Empty thine heart of evil frames and prejudice Evil frames The dish must not be sluttish into which we put these spiritual dainties If the stomach be cloged with filth and flegm it cannot digest and concoct our food The light of the Sun as pleasant and delightful as it is to sound is yet offensive and painful to sore eyes This part of preparation is injoyned us by the Spirit of God Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and all superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls Jam. 1.21 If the body be feaverish the sweetest Syrup will tast bitter If any ill humour or lust be predominant in thee like the full and foul stomach thou wilt loath even the hony comb The Table book of thine heart must be wiped clean before any new thing as the Law of God can be written in it Briars and Thorns must be stubbed up before the ground be capable of the grain As evil humours because of the Doctrine taught so prejudice against the person teaching must be removed Prejudice against the Preacher is the greatest prejudice to the Hearer A condemned person will esteem a begger when he brings a pardon How beautiful are not the lips onely and hands but the meanest parts the feet of them that bring the glad tydings of peace I confess it is a mercy to be related to a Pastor who hath both parts and piety gifts and grace and if thou art to chose a dwelling I would wish thee to bear with many outward inconveniences to sit down under such a Ministry But suppose thy teacher at least in thy thoughts is a man of mean parts wilt thou thence conclude his pains will yeild thee little profit Truely shouldst thou gratifie Satan so far it would be the speediest way to find a truth in what thou dost fancy Friend friend doth the efficacy of the ordinance depend on the parts of man or on the power of God May not a costly treasure be brought to thee in an earthen Vessel Consider thou maist light thy candle as well it may be better with a brimstone match as at a great fire Christ taught his Apostles by a little Child Mat. 18.2 A small damsel was instrumental for Naamans recovery both of his spiritual and corporal leprosie And who art thou that none must instruct thee but such a one as like Saul is higher then others by head and shoulders in gifts and abilities I wish it be not from the pride of thy spirit that none is worthy enough to teach thee thy Grammar Lesson but some head of the Vniversity A picking stomach I am sure argueth a diseased body and then a squemish heart and itching ear cannot argue a sound soul The industrious Bee Plut. sucks honey from the Thime an harsh and dry hearb The Meat is as good in a Pewter as in a Silver Dish It may be thou goest to Table onely for the sauce to Church for the stile and elegancy of the language if so I dare be bold to tell thee that thine heart is not right in the sight of God Dost thou not know that it is the naked sword which doth the Execution that a crucified Christ is the great conquerour not a pompous gaudy Messiah which the Jews dreamed of Paul is commanded to Preach not with Wisdome of words least the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect 1 Cor. ◠17 so 〈◊〉 verse 27 28. Truly if thou lustest after the Quails of some new dish it is a sign that thou louthest
Manna the Bread of Heaven and what a condition is thy poor soul in then They that have the Green-sickness care not for solid food but hanker after trash They have souls sadly sick that neglect the good Word of God and long after the fancies and wit of men God doth by the foolishness of preaching save them that believe that he alone might have the glory of their salvation That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us 2 Cor. 4.7 When men nibble at the bait of Humane Eloquence and are caught the skill of the Angler is applauded but when men bite at the naked hook the simplicity of the Gospel all will grant this to be a miracle and say This is the finger of God Dost thou not see that as Daniel and his companyons thrived better and looked fairer with feeding upon pulse then the other Captives who fed on the Kings dainty provision Optimi concionatores ad vulgus sunt dixit Lutherus qui puriliter trivi aliter populariter sim lieiâ— sime dâ—cent Melch. Adam in vita So those Christians in every Parish look abroad where you will thrive more in holiness and are fairer in Gods eye who feed on plain naked Scripture then those whom no dishes will please but such as are curiously cooked for a Kings Palate Thou wilt not believe but that thy face may be seen in a glass where the sides are not guilded thou wilt chuse an horse not by its trappings and fine furniture but by its usefulness and serviceableness Why shouldst thou be so childish as to be in love with no garments but what are daubed with Silver lace when other plain raiment will warm thy body as well Reader if the fault be not thine own thou mayest gain much nay I must say most good by plain preaching Those that dwell by the Sea side gather up those precious commodities bequeathed to the Sea at the death or wrack of the ship when the Sea is lowest which they cannot do when the waters are highest I do not here plead for vain repetitions and tedious circumlocutions nor for them that dress their meat so slovenly that their Guests loath it I know it s below the Majestie of a King when he is delivering his minde by his Ambassador to play the Orator but it is not below him to speak sense and reason Wise men love a neat compact discourse but it must be more full of matter then words convincing the judgement and working upon the affections Plain solid Sermons are most acceptable to pious and serious souls There is a vast difference between washing the face of a Discourse clean and painting it the former is lawful and commendable the latter sinful and abominable Ministers must minde the capacities of their Auditories and not put that meat into their mouthes which their teeth cannot chew nor their stomachs concoct Their Sermons of quiddities haeccieties and School nicities may in the opinion of giddy men tend to their own praise but never to their hearers profit Such men when their children ask bread give them stones which may choak them but will not cherish them It is pity he should ever teach School that will not speak to his Scholars so as they may understand him But the worst supposition is Thy Teacher may be untaught himself his life may give the lye to his lips As to this prejudice 1. Remember That an accusation must not be received against an Elder except under two or three witnesses thy charity O Christian and the Dignity of his Calling must both move thee to be slow to believe As it is sinful to raise up an evil report Constantine the Emperor said That if he saw a Bishop committing uncleanness he would rather cover that foul fact with his Imperial robe then suffer it to be divulged to the dishonor of the Gospel so it is sinful to take up an evil report whoever laid it down ready for thee But secondly if thy Pastor like a wooden Vessel giveth that wine to thee which he never tasteth nor savoureth himself be not therefore wholly discouraged If it be true that thy Minister is false to God and his own soul that he onely wears Christs livery that he might the more unsuspected do the Devils work I confess it is matter of great lamentation the good Lord take care either for their conversion or ejection for certainly they being listed under Christs colours and false to their Captain do his adversary the Devil double service The sins of Teachers are the Teachers of sins they who forget their Sermons will remember their sins to patronize their own But if the providence of God should binde thee to such a Pastor which is no small unhappiness consider that God fed Elijah by a Raven and surely he can feed thee by an unclean creature He increaseth sometimes his Enemies gifts that they might be instrumental to increase his peoples graces It is unquestionable in my judgement though some I know doubt it that a sinner may convert a soul and my reason is this because the operation of the word doth not depend upon the piety of the Preacher but upon the free grace and power of the Lord. Yet I must also confess that I beleive that God doth not so often vouchsafe to his enemies as to his friends that honour and happiness But as bad as he is God may use him to do thee good As the best Ministers Sermons are not to be received for their good lives sake so the worst Ministers Preaching is not to be rejected because of their evil practices A blind man may hold a Candle to give light to others whilst he himself remains in the dark the Sun of righteousness may convey the light of holiness into the house of thine heart through this sluttish Window Thou mayst derive water from the Fountain of life through a leaden pipe A deaf bell may be useful to call a Christian to Church and he that never heard so as to live may call a soul to Christ Wholesom Sugar may be in a poisoned Cane The Egyptian Jewels were helpful to the Tabernacle David made the spoiles of the Gentiles service able to the Temple and surely the son of David can make the parts and guifts of an Egyptian an Enemy to God serviceable to thy soul The Pharisees in the days of Christ were many of them vicious persons yet they fitting in Moses Chair Christ doth not deny them audience but commandeth his Disciples to distinguish between their words and their works he doth not forbid them to hear their Doctrine but enjoyn them to forbear their doings Mat. 23.2 3. 2. The second thing requisite to preparation is this Before thou goest to hear labour to affect thine heart with the necessity excellency and efficacy of the word There was half an hours silence in Heaven before the seventh Trumpet sounded thy duty is to weigh the nature and end of the word before thou goest
to hear that Trumpet sounded by one of the Angels of the Churches Consider its necessity Mary minded the one thing necessary indeed she gave the word her heart but the way to it was this she gave it her ear She sat at Christs feet and heard his word The custom even in those days was for the Teacher to Preach either out of a Desk or Pulpit or some place above the people hence their hearers sitting below them are said to sit at their feet Urge thy soul with this The word which I am going to hear in regard of the ordination of God is absolutely necessary to my spiritual and eternal good I am dead and it is the word that must enliven me I am blind it is the word that must enlighten me It is absolutely necessary that I know my sins and misery now the word must do this and is therefore called a glass Jam. 1. It is absolutely necessary that I know my Saviour and the way of my recovery now the word must do this and is therefore called faith and life Joh. 6. Rom. 3. It is necessary to open mine eyes to see Christ to open my heart to receive Christ and that Heaven hereafter may be open to my poor soul My soul is sinful and its the word that must sanctifie it My soul is sick it is the word that must heal it My soul is hungry and its the word must feed it or I shall starve My soul is thirsty and its the word that must satisfie it or I shall die for thirst whatsoever conditions of misery I am in it is the word that must give sutable consolations to support me whatsoever relations of life I stand in it is the word that must give sutable exhortations to direct me whatsoever service I am called to whether of doing or suffering it is the word which must releive me with sutable supply O of what concernment is this word to my well being in this and the other World I must be sanctified or I can never be saved I must turn to God or burn in hell and the word must do this for me or it will never be done good Lord how should I hear Men are careless about things which are indifferent but they are careful about things that are absolutely necessary Necessity makes men strive oftentimes beyond their strength None work so hard as they that have necessity for their Master Consider its excellency It is the Word of God though thou dalliest when men are speaking yet surely it becomes thee to be serious when the great God is speaking It is of divine inspiration All Scripture is given by inspiration of God The Ephesians cryed up their Idol Diana because it was the Image which fell down from Jupiter Great is Diana of the Ephesians O how shouldst â—â—ou prize and prepare for the Word when it came down from the great God Men were but the Organs through which the Almighty God spoke Non vox hominum sonat It is the voyce of God and not of man It is of Divine operation I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 What wonders hath the great God wrought by his Word He hath given eyes to the blinde feet to the lame ears to the deaf life to the dead by his Word What legions of Devils and lusts hath he unkennel'd and cast out with his Word Hannibals Sword Some write of the Weezel that it doth aure concipere ore parere conceive in the ear c. He hath caused many a soul to hear and live by his Word he hath awakened many a soul that was asleep in sin by the voice of the Scriptures and caused them to arise and work out their own salvations Thousands of poor creatures who were sinking into the bottomless Hell have by Gods hand stretched out in his Word been delivered from going down to the pit and lifted up to Heaven It is a Word of Divine Institution and of Divine Benediction Revel 1.3 It is the Word in which the Father speaketh John 6.45 Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me It is the Word of Christ Heb. 12.25 Col. 3.16 In it the Spirit speaketh to the Churches Rev. 2.11 The pearl hid in it the Scriptures are they that testifie of Christ John 5.39 the price paid for it both Testaments are sprinkled with the bloâ—â— of Jesus Heb. 9.27 do fully speak the excellency of it Now Reader think with thy self thus I am going to hear that Word which hath God for its Author Jesus Christ for its matter and Eternal Life for its end Shall I like a beastly Swine trample these invaluable Jewels under my feet shall that which is infinitely more precious then fine gold be esteemed by me as dirt It is the picture of Gods own excellencies how chary should I be of the picture for the Persons sake Ah how tender should I be of that glass which hath wine in it more worth then Heaven and Earth Would it not be a thousand pities that I should suffer the Flies of my wandring thoughts to corrupt and spoil this Box of Precious Oyntments Consider the efficacy of it The revealed Word is like the essential Word for the fall as well as for the rise of many in Israel As there is nothing so evil but a serious holy person may get good out of it like some Creatures we read of he may digest and fetch nourishment out of Serpents so there is nothing so good but a careless graceless heart may pervert to his hurt like the Spider he may suck poyson out of the sweetest Rose The Word will work one way or other if it work not for thy salvation it will work for thy damnation if it be not a savour of life to life it will be a savour of death to death As the rain cometh down and watereth the earth and returneth not thither again so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void Isa 55.10 11. The Word is compared to fire Fire doth either purifie the mettal or consume it the Word will either convert thee or confound thee The Sea sinks some Vessels and lands others safely the Scripture will either further thee towards Heaven or towards Hell The ways of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them but the transgressors shall fall therein Hosea 14. ult Mark Reader what an Engine is here to screw thee up to the greatest attention to the Word which is possible It is like strong physick to a person exceeding sick which either mends them or ends them Think thus with thy self I am going to hear that Word which will not be in vain but will either kill me or cure me this Sword of the Spirit is sharp and keen if it doth not defend me it will destroy me O it is bad jesting with such edged tools How sad
will it be for me to finde death about the lips of Christ to fall into Hell with a stumble at the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven How exceedingly am I concerned to set my heart to all the words which I shall hear this day for it is not a vain thing but it is for my life Deut. 32.46 47. Urge thy soul in earnest with these particulars As Elisha stretching himself upon the young dead child at last got life and quickning into it so thou forcing and stretching as it were these things upon thy heart mayst quicken it how dull and dead soever it is Thirdly if thou wouldst prepare thy self for the Word entreat God to bless it to thee The operations of the Spirit must accompany the administration of the Word or it will be ineffectual It is the Spirit that quickneth John 6.63 The fire burneth naturally and the water cooleth naturally but if the fire of the Word ever burn up thy corruptions or the water of the Word refresh thee with real consolations it must not be by its own nature but by a Divine power If thine eye be opened by that eye-salve of Scripture to see Christ in his native beauty or thy self in thy natural deformity God must anoint thine eyes therewith therefore David beggeth this favour at Gods hand Open mine eyes that I may see wonderful things out of thy Law Psal 119.18 As good sight as David had he could not read in Gods Law without Gods light If the door of thine heart be opened by this key to give admission to the King of Glory Gods hand must turn the key The Lord opened the heart of Lydia that she attended to the words of Paul Acts 16. Paul might have preached his heart out before Lydia's heart would have opened to let the Word in if God had not undertaken the work If the Sword of the Word pierce thy soul hack and hew and slay thy most beloved sins those enemies within thee which would not have Christ to reign over thee the arm of the Lord must weild it The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 10.4 Surely that voice of Thunder must come from Heaven which can pluck up the strong trees of thy natural unbelief and senslessness and pull down the high Towers of pride and self If the Word which is called a Seal Rom. 6.17 ever imprint thy Saviours Image on thee to thy Regeneration God must adde weight to the Seal or it will make no stamp He hath of his own will begotten you by the Word of Truth James 1.21 He that made the Watch can make it strike right and he that made the Word can make it strike home even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow Hebr. 4.12 If the Word which is called life John 6.63 quicken thee to thine eternal Salvation God must breathe on thy dry bones and bid thee live I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 It was the Angels troubling the waters which made the Pool of Bethesda medicinal to the diseased people And it is not the water of the Word which can heal thy soul-sicknesses unless the Angel of the Covenant work in it and with it Elijahs mantle could not divide the waters of Jordan but the Lord God of Elijah did it The Preacher may shew thee thy Lesson but God onely can help thee to learn it Reader before thou hearest Remember it is Gods prerogative to open thine ear Mine ear hast thou boared Psal 40.6 There is a thick film in thine ears naturally which hindreth thine hearing thine ears are stopt that Sermons can have no passage Now God alone can with his Seringer dissolve the wax congealed there and break through the skin whereby thou mayest come to hear and live Remember that the seeing eye and the hearing ear the Lord hath made them both Prov. 20.12 Therefore intreat him to open thine eyes that thou mayst see his comely face in the Glass of the word and to open thine ears that thou mayst hear his lovely voice in the word and to open thine heart that thou mayst receive grace from him through the word Say as David Shew me thy way O Lord teach me thy paths Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works Psa 25.4 Psa 119.27 And be not discouraged either at the misteriousness of the word or at thine own dulness for he that made the lock can help thee to a key that will fit all its wards But be sure thou forget not to commend thy Minister to God As thy duty is to beg a door of entrance for thy self so a door of utterance for thy Pastor Withall praying for us that God would open to us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ Col. 4.3 Ephes 6.19 Thy profit by him will be not a little furthered by thy prayer for him He that loves his child will often remember the Nurse that feeds it He that loves his precious soul will often mind the Preacher that prepareth and bringeth its spiritual portion I have known some to praise their Cooks highly when they would prevail with them to dress a Dish curiously for their palates I am sure thy way is to pray for thy Pastor fervently if thou wouldst have him provide such food as may be for thy souls pleasure and profit Starve the Mother and you starve the child in her womb If the Heavens do not favour the Hils with shours they cannot fatten the Valleys with their chalky streams If the Pipes be broke which convey water to our houses from the River we can expect no supply 4. Let thine end in going to hear be to please God and profit thy soul Propound a good endin hearing if thou wouldst have a good end of hearing Some go to Church for nothing like the Athenians the greatest part knew not wherefore they were met together Act. 17. They have as much as they come for They come for nothing and they often go away with nothing Others go to carp and catch at the Preacher as the Herodians went to Christ to entangle him in his talk Mat. 22.15 These go not to hear Gods word but to do the Devils work and he will pay them their wages These flie to the carcass not to defend it but to devour it A third sort go to hear wit and parts neat expressions and an affecting graceful pronounciation like the Jews to hear Ezekiel Lo thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument Ezek. 33.32 These go to hear man not to hear God They hear out of curiositie not out of conscience they desire to have their ears tickled
render this Engine of the Word fruitless whereby the Strong-holds of his Kingdom have been battered and broken down Therefore as a Jaylor will sometimes let his prisoners have their hands and feet at liberty so long as the doors of the Prison are barred and bolted that they cannot run away So he will let thee have thy hand at liberty for some acts of charity and thy feet at liberty to walk in some path of civility so long as he can but have the doors of thine ear and heart lockt fast that thou canst not get from him He knoweth Christ waiteth at the outward door of the ear that he might thereby come to the inward door of thy heart and deliver thee a poor Captive out of his hands For this cause if it be possible he will keep the street door shut he will hinder thee from hearing as in Gods presence he will finde thee other work to do then to hear it may be he will get thee to play and toy as he doth many great ones or if not to be talking to thy pew-fellows or to be reading possibly somewhat finful at least somewhat unseasonable or to have thy heart in thine own house whilest thy body is in Gods house or as a childe though thou art at thy book he will make thee look off if but a Butter-fly come by he will set thee about some business or other unless thou art serious as in Gods sight that thou shalt never have so much leisure as to hear even when thou art in the Church It is reported of Henry the third King of France that in a solemn Procession at Paris hecould not be without his Jester who walking between the King and the Cardinal made mirth to them both in the mean time there was brave devotion Alas they that hear in jest will finde Hell to be hot in earnest Were not men Indians and Infidels in English habits did they but believe the invaluable worth of their souls the consequence and weight of their unchangeable estates what a searching trying time the hour of death will be and what dreadful terrible things will be seen at the day of Judgement Good Lord how would they hear The Minister need not call to them to attend to the Word of God they would of themselves give it their ears and mindes and hearts and think all too little for it 2. Apply the Word to thine own soul The Word is a salve of soveraign vertue Some talk of the Weapon-salve that it heals at a distance but the Word will not it must be applied to the sore or it will never cure The Word is seed preaching is the sowing of this soed application of it to thy heart is the harrowing of this seed into the earth If the seed be thrown on the ground and not harrowed in we can expect no harvest A good hearer is said to eat the Word Thy words were found by me and I did eat them Jer. 15.16 Eat of my bread and drink of the wine which I have mingled Prov. 9.5 It is not the bread in the cupboard of the Bible or on the table of a Sermon which will nourish thy soul unless it be by application of it to thy self eaten and taken down into thy stomack The glass of wine in thine hand will not make thy heart glad the precious promises in thine ears will not rejoyce thee they must by application be drunk down then they will refresh and comfort thy Conscience Faith is both the mouth to receive in and the stomack to digest this spiritual food It is worthy thy observation how frequently the Holy Ghost attributeth the famous effects and heroick acts of the Word to this Commander in chief under whose couragious and wise conduct it warreth The Word fighteth boldly and worketh miraculously under Faiths banner The Gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation to them that believe Rom. 1.16 It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1.21 so also 2 Tim. 3.15 Application is the life both of preaching and hearing If the Threatnings and Curses of the Law are preached faith is to them as the powder to the bullet causing them to make grievous havock and to do great execution upon the lusts of a man Faith turneth those stones as I may speak into bread and helpeth the Christian like Sampson to fetch meat out of the eater If the Precepts and Commands of the Law are preached Faith is the eye to see the Equity in them and the Excellency of them and Faith is the hand to put them into practice If the Promises and Comforts of the Gospel are preached Faith is to them as Induction to a Minister it gives him actual possession of them it makes them his own Faith in the Threatnings causeth Humiliation Faith in the Precepts causeth Subjection and Faith in the Promises worketh Consolation If at any time thou goest from hearing dead and undone thou mayest say to Faith as Martha to Christ If thou hadst been here my soul had not dyed The unbeliever like a man in a swoon shuts his mouth against those life-recalling Cordials which are before him in the Gospel Other sins wound the soul but Unbelief like Joab strikes under the fifth rib and kills outright Unbelief spoileth all An Unbeliever is dead he cannot hear Christ in his Word he is blind he cannot see God in the Gospel like Hagar though a Fountain be before him he beholdeth it not Unbelief makes the Word like rain upon Rocks wholly useless and fruitless What is said of the Essential Word is true of the Revealed Word It can do no mighty works because of their unbelief Unbelief is a Bulwark whereby sin secureth it self against all the darts and shot which the Word dischargeth at it What was the reason that the Word was not helpful to the Jews Heb. 4.2 The word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Unbelief was the crack in the Glass through which this inestimable Water of Life did leak out and so was lost Nay What made the Word hurtful to them This leaven of Unbelief sowred all 1 Pet. 2.8 That Rock on which Faith builds an house which reacheth up to Heaven Unbelief stumbleth at and tumbleth the soul into Hell 3. Let the Word come with Authority and Power to thy Conscience This is one of the chiefest ingredients that goeth to the composition of a Preacher that he speak as Paul did in demonstration of the Spirit and of power 1 Cor. 2.4 By this force wherewith he spake and execution which he did that incomparable pattern of Preachers the Captain of our Salvation was distinguished from the Pharisees who in discharge of this holy Ordinance onely made false fire He taught as one having Authority and not as the Scribes And the people were astonished at his Doctrine Matth. 7.2 ult ver He is the best Souldier who in this Warfare makes
bloodiest work amongst our spiritual Enemies This is preaching to purpose This is also the best disposition requisite in a Religious hearer For our Gospel came not to you in word onely but in power 2 Thess 1.15 When the Word of God cometh like a mighty rushing winde rooting up the tall Trees of thy sins bringing down high thoughts overturning all before it when as fire it burneth within thee consuming thy lusts and turning thee into its own likness making thee holy spiritual and heavenly O this is excellent hearing this is hearing to purpose The word is Preached to many and not to their profit They hear the Minister as Chickens hear the Hen the Hen cals to the Chickens to come to her they lye scraping in the dust still many times and will not hear her till the Kite come and devoureth them So God endeavoureth in his word by his Ministers to cluck sinners to himself Wisdom cryeth understanding putteth forth her voice But they lie scratching and digging in the earth and will not hear him till at last the Devil comes and destroyeth them but when the word cometh with power the soul heareth it as Peter heard the Cock He goeth out and weepeth bitterly when he hears of the boundless mercy which he hath deserted and the matchless misery which he hath deserved and the infinite love which he hath abused and the righteous law which he hath transgressed he is cut to the heart he goeth out and weeps bitterly The word is compared to rain Deut. 32.2 now the rain fals upon flints and doth no good makes no impression Ministers drop it on many to as little purpose as Bede did when he Preached to an heap of stones They spend their strength in vain and labour in vain nay like many high-ways and low grounds they are the worse for these showres But this rain fals on others to much advantage My Doctrine shall drop as the rain and my speech shall distill as the dew as the small rain upon the tender grass and as the showers on the hearbs Deut. 32.2 The fine soft showrs of the word soaks into their affections softeneth their hearts and makes them fruitful in holiness The Naturalists observe of the Salamander that though she live in the fire constantly yet she is never the hotter How woful is the condition of thousands who live all their days under the Word of God in which is kindled the heavenly fire of Gods infinite love in Christ to poor sinners and the hell-fire of the hideous horrid nature of sin yet they are never the hotter neither warmed with the former nor scorched with the latter nay though these fires are sometimes by the workmen who divide the word aright heated as I may say seven times hotter then ordinary by discovering the freeness without yea against desert fullness a known unknown love and fastness whom he loveth he loveth to the end of this divine affection and by declaring the ugliness and loathsomness of corruption in its contrariety to a righteous law and a gratious Lord and in its opposition to the souls happiness and perfection that the very Ministers who take them up to put them into this fire are themselves with the extremity of its heat turned into a live Coal or all in a flame of love to the blessed God and hatred against his and their enemy sin yet these hearers like the three Children are not touched with all this fire their garments are not so much as singed nor the least smell of the fire on them O woful wonder What little comfort can poor Ministers take in their lives when they converse with such dead carcasses though they cut them with the laws curse pierce them to the quick one would think with the terrible day of judgment and the unquenchable fire yet they ail nothing feel nothing and complain not at all Reader when thou art hearing let thy care be that thy soul may be changed into the similitude of the Scripture that the word may come with power When the threatnings are shot off do thou fall down before them with fear My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy righteous judgements When God thundred Josiahs heart trembled When thou viewest the precepts and patterns in the word labour to resemble them It is said of the Earl Elzearus one much given to passion that he was cured by reading and hearing of Christs patience When the glad tidings of peace are Preached let thine heart leap with hope O let the nearer approach of the sun call forth and ripen thy fruits of righteousness When the law comes like a corrosive eating out thy festered flesh and corruption when the Gospel is like a lenitive both refreshing and refining thee then they come with power when the threatnings like wine search the wound and the promises like Oyl heal it then itcometh with authority and majesty If search be made by a reproof for thy beloved sin do not like Rachel hide it neither do thou fret when thy sore is touched but hold thine arme forth to that knife which should prick thy vein and let out thy bad blood Be not angry when a Prophet smites thee in the Name of the Lord Beleive it he that hates thy sins most loveth thee best If thou favour thy lusts so much as to keep them safe from the Sword of the spirit it will prove like Jorams respect to Jehu thine own destruction Their hearts surely were very rugged which cryed out Prophesie unto us smooth things Those feet are very sore or gouty which cannot go but in downy mossie walks where the ground yeilds to them Let a reproof be welcom for his sake that sendeth it Thy father knoweth that a bitter potion sometimes though not pleasant yet is profitable to thee As the working of physick kindly and well commendeth both the Physitian and body of the Patient so the powerful operation of the Scriptures whether of the purging potions of judgements denounced or cordial julips of mercies discovered do highly applaud both the skill of thy Saviour and state of thy soul It is written of Philetus a Disciple of Hermogenes the Conjurer that going to dispute with St. James the Elder the Apostle Preached Christ to him so powerfully that he returned to his Master and told him Magus abieram Christianus redeo I went forth a Conjurer but am come back a Christian O how happy will it be for thee if whatever thine end were in going to Church yet when thou returnest thou canst upon good ground say I went forth proud but am come home humble I went to Church a bondslave of Satan but am returned a free man of Christ I went out earthly carnal a malicious and obstinate sinner But for ever blessed be the most high God I am come back an heavenly spiritual and gracious Saint CHAP. XVII Of the Christians duty after Hearing THirdly I proceed now to the third thing which is Thy behaviour after
do thou hear and amend Charles the great did set his Crown upon the Bible intimating thereby that his Crown his carriage as a King should be according to the commands of the word O do thou hide this word in thine heart that thou mayst hold it forth to thy companions by the hand of an holy conversation Walk according to this Rule A good Wish about the word wherein the former heads are epitomized THe holy Scriptures being of such authority The Introduction as the hand writing and heart of God himself and so singular a mercy to me that by the guidance of this Star I am directed as the wise men to Jesus Christ I wish in general that I may set an high price upon every part thereof that every peice may be currant with me for his sake whose Image and superscription it beareth O that my carriage before at and after hearing may witness to God and my conscience Preparation for hearing that I esteem the law of his lips above thousands of Gold and Silver In particular I wish that as the Jews when they went to hear the law Preparation for hearing by laying aside evil frames sanctified themselves and washed their cloaths so before I go to read or hear the word I may sanctifie my soul and wash my heart from all superfluity of naughtiness and with meekness receive that ingrafted word which is able to save my soul Prejudice I wish that like Jehoshaphat I may prefer one Micaiah before four hundred false Prophets yet that I may ever make a difference betwixt an evil Ministers Preaching and practice and even when the Minister is full of grace may so distinguish between the treasure and the vessel as not to vallue the Message for the Messengers sake but to bid the workman welcome for the words sake I wish that I may be so sensible of my owninability to profit by this holy ordinance By prayer and of the speakers impotency to Preach home to my conscience that I may cry mightily to my God that he would open my heart to receive the word with all affection and so direct the Arrows which the Preacher taketh out of the quiver of Scripture that they may hit and pierce my dearest corruptions Consideration I desire that the consideration of the words excellency may cause me to prize it highly Of its necessity may make me to improve it diligently and of its efficacy may move me to go to hear as a Prisoner going to a bar to be tryed for my everlasting life or death Good ends in hearing I wish that the weight of the word may sink so deep into my heart that I may never hear Sermons to pick flowers of Oratory or to please my fancy but to receive virtue from Christ for the drying up my issue of sin and that I might cleanse my ways by taking heed thereto according to Gods Word Worldly thoughts laid by That the noise of the World may never hinder me from hearing the voiee of my God At hearing I wish that when I come into the place of worship I may set my self solemnly as before the Judge of quick and dead Seriousness as in Gods presence and as in the presence of the Lord with fear and awe give audience to his word If I were hearkening to an earthly Prince I would be serious O with what reverence should I hear from the blessed and onely Potentate Because without application the word will be unprofitable Application of it I wish that I may never draw a curtain before my own Picture but overlooking others may see my own face in the glass of the law O that by faith I may so take down the hook of the word as to be caught and taken by it Renovation by it My prayer is that the Gospel may come to me not in word onely but in power also that I may go to it as clean paper for any inscription as soft wax for any impression which my God shall be pleased to make upon me O that I might behold the Lord so effectualy in that glass as to be changed into his Image from glory to glory In special I wish that my sins may be placed by me in the front of this spiritual battle as Uriah purposely to be slain and that those smooth stones which are taken out of the silver streams of the Sanctuary may be thrown by so skilful and powerful a hand that they may sink deep into the foreheads of those uncircumcised ones After hearing Petition for a blessing to their death and destruction I wish that after the seed is sown I may beg that the showres of Heavens blessing may accompany it that it may spring up in the fruits of righteousness to the glory of my God and good of my precious soul And because the Gospel is a dish which is not set on every Table Thanksgiving for the Word though free grace bestoweth it on me I wish that I may rise from this spiritual food before I have given thanks to the Master of the feast Practice I desire finally that as I looked like a Saint in hearing I may live like a Saint after I have heard that those blossoms of good purposes which sprouted forth while the Minister was preaching may ripen into practice that whatsoever characters others are known by to be Christians I may be known by this ear mark to be one of Christs sheep even by hearing his voyce so as to follow him wheresoever he goeth Though others like petty Chapmen deal onely in some particular commodities and those such as will serve their own turns I desire that I may deal with the Word by whole-sale and esteem all Gods Precepts concerning all things to be right O that I might order my whole conversation aright and at the last see the salvation of my God! Amen CHAP. XVIII How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in receiving the Lords Supper and 1. Of the Nature of that Ordinance and preparation for it VVHen God had caused his everlasting Decree to fall in labour and had delivered it by giving the world a being and upon infinite consultation had formed Man to be his Vice-Roy over all the works of his hands he embarqued him with all abilities needful for such a voyage in the bottom of the Covenant of Works Adam set forth fully furnished with skill and richly fraught with all the Fortunes Hopes and Happiness of Mankinde but he had scarce lanched out of sight before Satan who knew very well the worth of the prize envying man the Haven of bliss to which he was sailing and envying God who was the owner the honor of such of a venture raised a storm whereby the Vessel through the unfaithfulness of Adam the Pilot ran upon a Rock and miscarried O what a joyful spectacle was that to Satan What a doleful sight to Adam to behold himself and all his posterity
is one thing to take the Supper of the Lord and another thing to taste the Supper of the Lord. Not one of them which were bidden shall taste of my Supper Luk. 14.24 Many croud near a Kings person on some days when he sheweth himself in publique who never injoy his gracious presence Hundreds receive the Elements but few receive the Sacrament If a Beast did but touch the Mount when God solemnly appeared on it it was to dye What then will become of thee if thou shouldst touch the Table of the Lord with a brutish heart If any did eat of the Passoever in his uncleanness he was to be cut off from Israel Exod. 12. which some interpret of a violent death by the hand of the Magistrate Others of a cutting off from the priviledges of Gods people on earth and their possession in Heaven Surely it is as dangerous to eat the Supper in thy pollution as the Passoever It is evil to dally with the Jealous God in any duty but worst of all in this where the great affection of the Father in giving his Son and the grievous Passions of Christ to satisfie Gods justice for sin the most serious things which mans heart can conceive are represented Melancthon telleth a story of a Tragedy which was acted of the death of Christ but it proved a Tragedy indeed at last for he that acted Christs part on the Cross being wounded to death by one that should have thrust his sword through a bladder of blood fell down and with his fall killed one acting a womans part and lamenting under the Cross His brother who was first slain slew the murtherer for which himself was hanged by order of Justice Cyprian speaketh of an ancient woman who had denied the Faith and yet ventured to this Heavenly Feast but it proved her bane for as soon as she had received the Elements she fell down dead O 't is sad jesting with the Sufferings and Ordinances of Christ Friend let others wo be thy warning Take example by others lest God make thee an example to others I shall lay down two motives to quicken thee to a serious preparation for this Ordinance 1. Consider Christs diligent inspection The Lord Jesus will take special notice what respect thou hast for his Body and Blood And when the King came in to see his guests he saw there a man which had not on a Wedding-garment Mat. 22.11 12 13. Jesus Christ observeth all his wedding guests whether they come with the Wedding-garment or no. Though there was but one yet he could not lie hid and escape in the crowd the King quickly spied him The King of Saints taketh exact notice in what manner thou comest to his Supper whether thou examinest thy Regeneration and provest thy self to be one of the family before thou offerest to eat of their food whether thou carriest the Gold of thy Graces to the Touchstone of the Scripture and triest their truth before thou tenderest them to him for currant coyn He observeth with what sense of thy misery thou runnest for refuge to the spring of mercy He knoweth whether when thou art going to this Heavenly Feast thou hast the mouth of Faith with what resolution against sin for time to come thou goest for pardon of sins past He seeth whether thou goest to this Gospel-Ordinance in a Gospel-order if not both thy preparation for the Sacrament and thy carriage at it and after it are eye-services to Jesus Christ How holy therefore should thou be in them Wouldst thou trample upon the picture of thy dear Friend or of thy lawful Soveraign before their faces Wilt thou tread under foot the infinitely precious blood of the Son of God as if it were the blood of a Malefactor or of a Dog and that while he himself standeth by and looketh on Canst thou Friend finde in thine heart to offer such an abominable affront to thy best Friend and that before his face Truly if thou art not faithful in thy preparation for it thou dost all this Think with thy self I am now to sit down at the Table of the Lord amongst his own children I know beforehand that the King will come in to see his Guests even that King who is too just to be bribed too great to be slighted too wise to be deceived and too good to be forfeited O my soul what solemn provision wilt thou make for so sacred a presence If in any time of thy life thou wouldst be extraordinarily serious this is the season O let thy preparation be such for this glorious Supper that the Master of the Feast may see that thou art tender of his honor watchful of his eye and fearful of his anger 2. Consider the dreadful condition of those that receive the Lords Supper unworthily Their sin They are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord Their suffering They eat and drink their own damnation 1 Cor. 11.27 29. 1. Their sin They are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord The unworthy receiver is a Christ murtherer He that tears the Letters or defaceth the Picture or clippeth the coyn of a Prince offereth the indignity to his person The Romans when they would dishonor a person would disfigure the statue which was erected to his praise The same wickedness of heart which carrieth a man out to prophane the Sacrament would carry him out to kill the Saviour When one shoots at another to slay him though he miss he is a murderer the error of the hand doth not wipe out the malice of the heart Josephs Brethren were guilty concerning their Brother though they did not lay violent hands upon him Gen. 42.21 When Julian shot darts up to Heaven his cruelty and rage were as bad as if he had hit Christs body Besides men may be guilty of murther by approving it after it is committed Mat. 23.35 What doth the unworthy receiver less then justifie Judas and the Jews in all their treacherous and barbarous carriage towards Jesus Christ Consider therefore what thou dost when thou goest unpreparedly to the Lords Table Thou art guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Simple murther is a crying sin The voyce of thy Brothers blood cryeth to me from the earth Gen. 4.10 It is one of those sins which will give God no rest till he take vengeance on the actor and author of it and is therefore called a crying sin The light of Nature taught the Barbarians that Vengeance would not suffer a murtherer to live Acts 28.4 The Scripture acquainteth us that no satisfaction shall be taken for the life of a murtherer for blood defileth the land Numb 35.31 36. But the murther of a Superior is a far greater sin Cicero telleth us He that killeth his Father committeth many sins in one he killeth him that begot him and brought him up he sinneth against many obligations To kill a King is High-Treason Who can stretch his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless 1
Sam. 26.9 But what is it to murther the Son of God no tongue can tell no pen can write the horrid hainous nature of Christ-murther He is thy everlasting Father It made a dumb childe speak to see another stabbing his Father and wilt thou imbrue thine own hands in thy Fathers blood Jesus Christ is thy King and wilt thou stretch forth thy hands against thy Head thy Soveraign Had Zimri peace who slew his Master Nay Jesus Christ is thy Redeemer and wilt thou put him to death who is the Author of thy life He gave thee thy being and wouldst thou deprive him of his being He is the onely Physician that can cure thee and wilt thou kill him Once more Jesus Christ is God and wilt thou lift up thy hand I would say a thought against the blessed God God deserveth infinitely more love then thou canst possibly give and shall thine heart be so full of hatred as to let fly against the God of Heaven Oh! say with David when Abishai perswaded him to slay Saul The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lords anointed When Satan or thy own heart would perswade thee to be slight in the examination of thy self and formal in thy humiliation for sin that thou mightest be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord let Conscience cry out God forbid that I should stretch out my hand against Jesus Christ the Lords Anointed And truly Friend if after such warning as God gives thee in this head thou shouldst dare to receive unworthily thou wouldst finde it hereafter to thine unspeakable hurt As Reuben told his Brethren when they were in distress Spake I not unto you saying Do not sin against the child and ye would not hear therefore behold his blood is required Gen. 42.22 So if thou now darest to approach the Lords Table in thy sinful unregenerate estate in thy filth and pollution when thou comest to lie under some smart rod or on thy dying bed or at least in the other World Conscience will fly in the face Did I not speak unto thee saying Do not sin against the holy Childe Jesus and thou wouldst not hear therefore behold his blood is required at thy hands O Friend Friend what wilt thou do in such an hour If on him who slew Cain vengeance should be taken sevenfold what vengeance shall be taken on him who slayeth Jesus Christ How dreadful will thy perdition be if the onely Saviour be thine Accuser and that blood which alone can procure thy pardon shall cry for thine eternal punishment O think of it seriously Hast thou never had hard thoughts of the Jews for their cruelty to the Son of God and wilt thou do worse thy self The Jews crucified him but once but thou by continuing an unworthy receiver crucifiest him often The Jews did it ignorantly Had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 but thou knowest him to be the Son of God the Saviour of the World They crucified him in his estate of Humiliation but thou in his estate of Exaltation They had not not thee for a Warning when they put him to death but thou hast them for a Warning to thee They crucified him when he was to rise again the third day but thou so crucifiest him that he might never rise more were it in thy power O take heed what thou dost and be not worse then a Jew Thy suffering He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself 1 Cor. 11.29 Some I know are offended at the translation of the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damnation but I see little reason for it for Damnation is the end of every sin though it be not the end of every sinner Paul speaketh of Believers indeed but as it may be truly said of one that drinketh poyson Such a man drunk his bane though by the help of a Physician such an Antidote may be given as may prevent the Patients death so it may be truly spoken of a Believer who receiveth unworthily He eateth and drinketh his own damnation though through the Grace and Help of Jesus Christ no thank to himself he is recovered out of that sin and saved Beza and the Geneva Translation take it in this sense So the word is taken John 3.17 18. Rom. 3.8 and in several other places Now what an argument is here to disswade thee from going rashly or unpreparedly to the Table of the Lord. That which is a worthy receivers meat will be thy poison the same red Sea of Christs blood which is salvation to others they pass safely through it into the land of promise will be damnation to thee King John Speed as our English Croniclers write Simâ—s Eccks Hist. was poisoned by a cup of Wine The Emperour Henry the seventh was poisoned by the bread in the Sacrament through the treachery and treason of a Monk The Israelites did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink but with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the Wilderness 1 Cor. 10.3 4.5 Those that eat and drink in Christs presence were punished with everlasting perdition Mat. 7.23 And do not please thy self because thou feelest no such poisonous operation at present in unworthy receiving that therefore thou needst not fear it They that eat Italian Figs carry their death about them though they fall not down dead suddenly Therefore Reader take some time and pains to commune with thy own heart before thou goest to the Sacrament Charge it upon its allegiance to God to hear thee patiently and to carry it self sutably If I receive this Supper with an holy preparation it will be a seal of and an help to my eternal salvation it will be an earnest of matchless love and an entrance into an endless happy life but if I eat and drink unworthily there is death in the pot death in the cup I eat and drink my own damation O how doleful is that one word Damnation What a dreadful sound doth it make in mine ears What fearful sighs doth it cause in my soul Damnation is no trifling business God threateneth it in earnest The damned feel it in earnest and shall I jest with it Surely I were better eat the bread of affliction and drink the water of adversity then eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily Canst thou be so bloody as to stab thy self and thy Redeemer to the heart with one blow O my soul bestir thy self awake out of sleep and do not dally about the concernments of eternal life and death let thy care and conscience be such in fitting thy self for this sacred Ordinance that thy Saviour may see thou hast an high respect for his precious blood and a tender regard to thine own everlasting good For thy help about this Ordinance I shall speak 1. To thy duty before the Sacrament 2.
Go your way saith the Angel Tell his Disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee there ye shall see him When a King hath some extra-ordinary good news and sendeth a Courtier to acquaint his intimate friends with it but chargeth him Tell them all of it but be sure such an Earl have notice of it whoever you forget remember him All will conclude this is the favourite Peter thought that because he had forsworn Christ therefore Christ might justly forget him but Christ took such care that if but one in the World besides those two Women at the Sepulchre had notice of his Resurrection penitent Peter should be the man O the Rhetorique the power of an unfeigned tear Repentance hath more prevalency with the blessed God then all the robes riches crowns and Diadems of the greatest Potentates in the World O Reader if thou would have heavenly musick at the feast mind this holy mourning when Josephs brethren were sensible of their sin in selling him then and not till then he made them a feast Jesus Christ made the best wine that ever was of water The Bee Naturalists tell us gather the best hony of the bitterest hearb God hath solid joy for the broken bones the contrite spirit cast up the accounts betwixt God and thy soul see how infinitely thou art indebted to his Majesty Abhor thy self with Job Bemoan thy self with Ephraim and judge thy self as Paul enjoyneth his Corinthians in relation to this ordinance as ever thou wouldst have God at the Sacrament to seal thee a general acquittance Sacrament-days are sealing days God doth then seal his love and stamp his Image more fairly on the soul now if thy heart be melted into godly sorrow and made thereby like soft wax thou wilt be fit for this seal and stamp The Hart in grasing kills and eates a Serpent whith so inflames her that she can have no rest till she drink of the water brooks Repentance will make thee feel the scorching nature of that Serpent sin and thereby long for and relish the water of life 2. There must be a turning from sin Thou canst never communicate with true comfort if thou dost not communicate with a clear conscience Purch Pilgrim vol. 2. p. 1477. The Mahumetans before they enter into their Temples wash their feet and when they are entring in put off their Shoos As thy duty is to wash thy soul in godly sorrow so also to put off thy sinful affections before thou entrest into Gods house to partake of this Ordinance If God takes it ill when men take his Name into their mouthes who hate to be reformed how ill will he take it if such take the body and blood of his Son into their mouthes Christs body was not to see corruption neither will it mingle with corruption He lay in a new womb in a new tomb and he will lye in a new heart When sin is cast out then Jesus Christ will enter into thy soul Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you But mark how they must prepare themselves who would approach the Lord Cleanse your hearts ye sinners and purifie your hands ye double minded Ja. 4.8 9. The Jews before the Passover cleansed all their Vessels which they feared might have Leaven sticking to them burnt all the Leaven they could find and cursed all in their houses whether found or not found as their Antiquaries informe us Truely when thou goest to the Supper it concerneth thee to cleanse thy soul of the leaven of sin by an high indignation at it and hearty resolution against it Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new lump for Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us Therefore let us keep the feast not with the old leaven nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Reader It would be a trampling under foot the blood of Christ and counting it as an unholy thing if thou shouldst go to the Table of the Lord with love to any lust For the Lords sake and for thy souls sake take heed of padling in the blood of Christ as if it were Kennel water Alass thou dost little less if thou partakest of the Sacrament without anger and indignation against every sin True repentance implyeth an aversion from sin If they shall humble themselves and turn from their evil ways 2 Chron. 7.14 The burnt Child will dread the fire The man that hath smarted for surety-ship will by no means be perswaded to come again into bonds Urge him to it never so much he will tell you he hath paid dear for it and therefore you must excuse him he is resolved nay hath vowed against it and though he be never so much intreated is still inexorable The Christian who hath truely repented is so sensible of the weight of sin and wrath of God that he is resolved never more to meddle with those burning coals Alas they are too heavy for him David that had repented of his sin would not drink of that water which had but been the occasion of hazarding mens lives though before he could drink the blood of Vriah Penitent Peter though before he was so full of self confidence that he preferred himself before the other Apostles Though all deny thee yet will not I yet afterwards though occasion were offered him of commending himself forbears it Peter lovest thou me more then these Lord thou knowest I love thee He saith not more then these O Reader It was Esaus expression The days of mourning for my father are coming and then I will slay my brother Jacob so say thou The days of mourning for the death of my dear Saviour and everlasting father are come and now I will slay my most beloved lusts now will I be revenged of them for their endeavour to rob me of my spiritual birth-right to wrong me of my eternal blessing This repentance exercised before the Sacrament would prepare thy stomach for the Feast it would cleanse it and cause it to savour the dainties there It would make the hungry and hunger is the best sauce Artaxerxes flying for his life fed on barly bread and a few dryed figs and said It was the best meal that ever he made When thou hast thus prepared thy stomach for this heavenly Banquet take heed of relying upon thy pains and preparation either for a right performance of the duty or for thine acceptance in the Ordinance Many a poor creature I am perswaded goeth with much humiliation for sin and cometh away without any consolation because they made a Saviour of their sorrow Praise thy Physition if he have made the sensible of thy sickness but do not provoke him by making thy pain to be the plaister for thy cure Alas thy preparation it self needeth much pardon if God should deal strictly with thee thy prayers would be found dung thy sighs unsavory breath thy very tears
Dignity to be crucified without the gate lest the City should be polluted with his blood Now Reader come along like the beloved Disciple and behold thy Saviour bearing his own Cross and going to the place of execution to dye the death of a Slave for no Freeman was ever crucified therefore Julian in derision called him The staked God He is no sooner come to the dismal place of dead mens skulls but they tear off his cloathes and some think skin and all glued to his back with their bloody scourgings Now they stretch his body as cloth with tenters and rack it so that his bones start out of his skin I may tell all my bones Psal 22.17 in nailing his two hands to the two horns and his feet those parts so full of nerves and sinews and so the most sensible of any parts of the body to the stump of the Cross They digged my hands and my feet and hang him up between two Thieves as the most notorious Malefactor of the three He was numbred among the Trangressors His bloody watching fasting scorched wracked body is oppressed with exquisite pain and his anguish so vehement that he cryeth out I thirst to quench which they give him vinegar and gall and spice it with a scoff to make it rellish the better Let us see whether Elias will come and save him But Oh! who can imagine what he suffered in his soul when he hung under the weight of mens revenge Devils rage the Laws curse and the Lords wrath Men revile him wagging their heads and saying Thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three days save they self He saved others himself he cannot save To him that was afflicted pity should have been shewn but they added affliction to the afflicted and forsook the fear of the Almighty All the Devils in Hell were now putting forth their utmost power and policy for this was their hour and the power of darkness to encrease his sufferings that if possible they might provoke him to sin thereby to have separated his Humane nature from his Divine that it might have perished eternally and all mankinde with it but the sting of his death is yet behind The head of that arrow which pierced his heart indeed was the frown of his Father That his Kinsmen the Jews whom he came to sanctifie and redeem for he was the glory of his people Israel should deliver him up to be crucified was not a small aggravation of his misery That his Apostles that had been eye-witnesses of his miracles and ear-witnesses of his Oracles to whom he had spoken so pathetically Will ye also forsake me and who had told him so resolutely We will go with thee into prison and to death Luke 22.33 Mat. 26.35 should now in his greatest extremity turn their backs upon him added some more gall to his bitter cap That his Mother should stand by the Cross weeping and have her soul pierced through with the sword of his sufferings was far from being an allay to his sorrows but that his Father of whom he had often boasted It is my Father that honoreth me My Father loveth me I and my Father are one should now in his low estate in his day of adversity in his critical hour not onely not help him and leave him alone as an harmless Dove amongst so many ravenous Vultures to contest with all the fury of Earth and Hell but also pour out the Vials of his own Wrath upon him and though the Union was not dissolved yet suffer the beams the influences to be restrained that he might fully bear the curse of the Law and feel the weight of sin this was the hottest fire in which the Paschal Lamb was roasted this caused that Heart-breaking Soul-cutting Heaven-piercing expression My God My God why hast thou forsaken me O how how justly might he have cryed out with Joh. Have pity upon me my friend have pity upon me for the hand not onely of my Enemies and my friends of multitudes of men and of Legions of Divels but the hand of God hath touched me How truely might the Husband have taken up his Spouses lamentation Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Ah who can write or read such a tragedy with dry eyes Friend when thou art at the Sacrament think of these sufferings and beleive it they will make work among thy sins When thou takest the cup of wine do not forget the cup of Worm-wood which thy Saviour drunk for thy sake he drank of the Brook in the way he drank the cup of his Fathers wrath infinitely imbittered with the curse of the law that thou mightest drink the cup of blessing At the Table obey his own command Do this in remembrance of me Secondly Meditate on the affection of Christ We will remember thy love more then wine saith the Spouse when thou seest the wine think of that love which is better then wine Belevie it if ever there were a love-feast this is it Men testifie their love in bestowing food on their hungry friends but ah what love was that which gave his blessed body and precious blood to feed his starving enemies He that considereth what Christ suffered and for whom may well think he was little else but a lump of love His compassion is infinitely visible in his passion What love was that which moved him to lay down his life for thee Friend if ever thou hadst hard thoughs of Christ take a view of him in the former subject of meditation and consider whether his heart be not set upon sinners when he shed his heart blood for their souls The redness of the fire discovers its heat O how did the redness of this Rose of Sharon the blood which issued from his head and back and hands and feet and heart and whole body speak his burning his fiery love Well might the Apostle John joyn and pair those Turtle-Doves Who hath loved us and washed us in his blood Rev. 1.5 In every drop of his blood there is an Ocean of love Well might the Apostle Paul pâ—oduce this as an undeniable testimony of the truth of his love Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 His bleeding passion was such a full demonstration of his dearest affection as the whole World never saw the like before nor ever shall again In it his love was dissected and ript up you may tell all its bones Judas gave him to the Jews out of love to money The Jews gave him to Pilate to becondemned out of love to envy Pilate gives him to the Souldiers to be Crucified out of love to self interest but Christ gave himself out of pure love to save souls The great and glorious God doth things that are singularly eminent for the manifestation of his attributes When he
the hand of thy body to take the bread and wine do thou put forth the hand of faith to receive the body and blood of Christ This is one principal act of Faith like Joseph of Arimathea to take Jesus down from his Cross and lay him in the new Tomb of thine heart Like Thomas put thy finger of faith into his side and cry out My Lord and my God Be not discour aged O penitent soul Are thy sins many His mercy is free Are thy sins weighty His merits are full Thou comest for bread and will thy Saviour give thee a stone He took notice of thy ferious preparation for this Ordinance and will he frustrate thine expectation at it Did he ever send hungry soul empty away The law of man provides for the poor in purse and will not the Gospel of Christ provide for the poor in spirit Is not his commission to bind up the broken hearted and can he be unfaithful Why shouldst thou mistrust truth it self Let me say to thee as the Disciples to the blind man Be of good chear he calleth for thee See how he casteth his eyes upon thee with a look of love as once upon Peter Observe he stretcheth out his Armes wide to embrace thee He boweth down his head to kiss thee He cryeth to thee as to Zacheus I must abide at thy house in thy heart to day O make haste to receive him and make him a feast by opening the doors of thy soul that the King of Glory may enter in Say to Christ Lord though I am unworthy that thou shouldst come under my roof yet thou art so gracious as to knock at the door of my heart and to promise if I open that thou wilt come in and sup with me and then call to him as Laban to Abrahams Steward Come in thou blessed of the Lord why standest thou without I have prepared lodging for thee Gen. 24. Truly Reader shouldst thou having mourned unfeignedly for thy sins now by unbeleif hang off from thy Saviour thou woulst much dishonour him and disadvantage thy self Christs greater things are for them that beleive If thou wilt now beleive thou shalt see the glory of God I am very consident if thou hadst been by the Cross broken heart when thy Saviour suffered and shouldst have kneeled down before him and said Dearest Saviour Why art thou now wrastling with the wrath of Heaven and rage of Hell He would have answered To satisfie poor soul for thy sins Again Why dost thou dye such a cursed death He would have said To take the curse of the law from thy back that so thou mightest inherit the blessing Once more Let not my Lord be angry and I will speak this once Blessed Redeemer Why didst thou cry out I thirst and drink Gall and Vinegar Thou mightest have heard such a reply To assure thee Thirsty sinner that I am sensible of thy thirst being scorched with that fury which is due to thy sins and that thou mightest drink of that love which is better then Wine But stay O weary thirsty soul but a while and by and by thou shalt see this side opened and blood issuing out to quench thy thirst O put the mouth of faith to that wound and what thou shalt suck thence shall do thee good for ever Reader I have read that the Souldier who peirced Christs side was blind and that the blood flying out upon him recovered his sight Sure I am that this blood sprinkled on thy conscience will purge it from dead works to serve the living God O therefore bathe thy soul in this blood when thou art at the Sacrament say to God as the Eunuch to Philip Here is water what hindereth but I may be Baptized Lord here is blood here is a fountain what hindereth but I may wash in it Rom. 3.24 1 Joh. 1.7 Heb. 9.14 Gal. 6.14 Heb. 12.13 True Lord my person is unrighteous but thy blood is justifying blood My heart is polluted but O Christ thy blood is sanctifying blood My lusts are many and strong but thy blood is mortifying blood My soul is lost but sweetest Saviour thy blood is saving blood This Justifying Sanctifying Saving blood I drink I apply for these ends O let this blood be upon me and my children for ever AWay despair my gracious Lord doth hear Though Winds and Wave assault my keel He doth preserve it Herbert the bag he doth steer Ev'n when the Boat seems most to reel Storms are the Triumph of his Art Well may he close his eyes but not his heart Hast thou not heard what my Lord Jesus did Then let me tell thee a strange story The God of power as he did ride In his Majestick robes of glory Resolv'd to light and so one day He did descend undressing all the way The Stars his tire of light and rings obtain'd The Clouds his bow the fire his spear The Skie his Azure mantle gain'd And when they ask'd what he would wear He smil'd and said as he did go He had new cloaths a making here below When he was come as travellers are wont He did repair unto an Inn Both then and after many a brunt He did endure to cancel sin And having giv'n the rest before Here he gave up his life to pay our score But as he was returning there came one Who ran upon him with a Spear He who came hither all alone Bringing no man nor armes nor fear Recio'd the blow upon his side And straight he turn'd and to his Brethren cryd If ye have any thing to send or write I have no bag but here is room Vnto my Fathers hands and sight Beleive me it shall safely come That I shall mind what you impart Look you may lay it very near my heart Or if hereafter any of my friends Will use me in this kind the door Shall still be open what he sends I will present and somewhat more Not to his hurt sighs will convey Any thing to me Heart-despair away 2. The second Grace to be called forth is love And truly if thou hast acted thy faith in his Passion for and affection to thy soul I shall not in the least doubt but thy love to him will play its part The Creatures some tell us follow the Panther being drawn after her by her sweet odours When Jesus Christ out of infinite love offered up himself a Sacrifice for thy sins surely the sweet savour thereof may draw thy heart after him Because of the savour of thy good oyntments therefore the Virgins love thee Cant. 1.4 There is nothing in Christ but what may well command thy love He is the fairest of ten thousand He is altogether lovely But his bloody sufferings for thee and his blessed love to thee one would think are such Loadstones that if thou wert as cold and hard as steel would draw thy soul both to desire him and to delight in him Meditate a little more on his love to thee Publicans and
sinners love their friends who love them and wilt thou be worse then Publicans and sinners Consider seriously Jesus Christ loved thee when thou wast in a loathsome estate Ezek. 16. when thou wast wallowing in thy blood when no eye pitied thee then was his time of love he passed by thee and said unto thee Live yea when thou wast in thy blood he said unto thee Live And wilt thou not love him Ponder the heat of his love possibly the greatness of that fire may warm thy heart and thou mayest reflect some heat back again for indeed love is a Diamond which must be written upon with its own dust He loveth thee as a servant surely this is a favour for he hath thousands of glorious Angels who count it their honor and happiness to serve him To be made one of his hired servants was the great priviledge desired by the Prodigal Ye call me Lord and Master and ye say well for so I am John 13.13 but though this may be somewhat it is not enough for him He loveth thee as a friend Ye are my friends John 15.15 I have not called you servants but friends Friends love entirely witness Jonathan and David Jonanathan loved David as his own soul Friendship is one soul in two bodies saith the Philosopher This is much but his love to thee is more then so he loveth thee as his Brother He is not ashamed to call them brethren I will declare thy name unto my brethren Heb. 2.11 Some Brethren are knit very close in the bond of love Camh. Brit. In Queen Elizabeths Reign in a fight between the Earl of Kildare and Earl of Ter Owen two of the Earl of Kildares Brethren were slain which he took so heavily that he dyed shortly Some write that there is no such love in the World as between Foster-Brethren in Ireland This love is great but his love is greater He loveth thee as his childe the stream of love descendeth most swiftly from Parents to their children He shall see his Seed Isa 53.10 How tender is the Mother of her childe Can the Mother forget her childe that sucketh her breast The Mothers bowels will yern towards her childe the Mothers breasts will put her to pain if not drawn and thereby minde her of her childe But though the Mother may prove a Monster and like the Ostrich leave her young to be destroyed yet will I not forget thee saith the Lord Thou art engraven upon the palms of my hands thy walls are ever before me Isa 49.13 14 15. Children have you any meat If not lo here is my body Thou mayst say of Christs love to thee as David of Jonathans Thy love to me is wonderful it far surpasses the love of women for he loveth thee as his Spouse Men do or at least should love their wives above all relations For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife But who can conceive Christs love to his Spouse Thou art all fair my love thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse How fair is thy love my Sister my Spouse Cant. 4.8 9 10. The nearest affinity is Spouse and the nearest consanguinity is Sister to shew that his affection is like that of the nearest relations If this be not enough Reader he loveth thee as himself nay above himself he did as it were hate himself out of love to thee He denied himself displeased himself and gave himself to be buffeted scourged condemned wracked crucified and to be a sacrifice for thy sins Well is it possible for thee to read of this infinite love without love When wood hath been laid a sunning it takes fire presently Hast not thou been so fitted by the warm hot beams of this Sun that now upon the very thoughts of Christ thou art all in a flame Truly it would be as great a miracle for thee to be in such a furnace of love and not fired with love to him as for the three Worthies in Daniel to be in the midst of the fiery furnace and not burnt Christ loved thee so unspeakably as thou hast read as a servant as a friend as a brother as a childe as a wife as himself nay above himself all this when thon wast a sinner without strength yea his enemy which threefold gradation the holy Ghost taketh special notice of Rom. 5.6 8 10. and wilt thou ever give him cause to complain of thee as Paul of his Corinthians the more I love the less I am beloved Love him dearly love him entirely love him above all love him more then all say with the Spouse Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love and with holy Brandford sprinckle thy trencher thy food with tears that thou canst love so loving and so lovely a Saviour no more 3. When thou art at the Table Exercise repentance what sorrow for and anger against thy sins should the sight of a crucified Saviour cause Some tell us that if the murderer be brought near and touch the body slain by him it bleeds afresh O when thou who art indeed the murderer of the Son of God dost touch and taste his body and blood shouldst not thou fall a bleeding a weeping a fresh Behold his broken bleeding body with an eye of faith and thine eye cannot but affect thine heart with grief I am confident thou canst not see it with dry eyes Was his soul exceeding sorrowful heavy even unto death for thy sake and is not thine friend for thy sins Did he drop so much blood and canst thou drop never a tear the very rocks were rent at his sufferings and is thy heart harder then those stones Is it possible for the head to be so pained and peirced and the members not be affected with it surely Deep calleth unto Deep Deep sufferings in Christ for deep sorrow in thee O Christian If his body were broken to let his blood out thy soul may well be broken to let it in They shall see him whom they have peirced and mourn for him as one that mourneth for his onely Son Zach. 10.12 His love may make as Davids kindness even a Saul to lift up his voice and weep It is so great and so hot a fire that one would think it would distil water out of thee wert thou never so dry an herb When Christ sat at Supper in the Pharisees house Mary washed his feet with her tears When Christ and thy soul are supping together thou mayst well weep in remembrance of thy unkindness and wickedness But the cheifest reason why I mention repentance now to be exercised is not so much for thy contrition or sorrow for sin though when the sweet sauce is a little sharp with Vinegar the meat will rellish the better for it as for thine indignation and anger against sin When thou considerest that thy dearest Saviour in a cold night lay groveling on the ground all over in a bloody sweat that
thy best friend in the World was so inhumanely used so barbarously but chered thou shouldst cry out as David in a holy passion As the Lord liveth the man the sin that hath done this thing shall surely be put to death When Antonius after Caesar was Murdered in the Senate house brought forth his Coat all bloody cut and mangled and laying it open to the view of the people said Look here is your Emperors Coat and as the bloody-minded Conspirators have dealt by it so have they dealt with Caesars body Upon this they were in an uprore and cryed out to slay the Murderers and took Brands and ran to the Houses of the Conspirators and burnt them down to the ground and as they apprehended the Murderers put them to death Reader thou seest at the Sacrament the wounds and blood of thy blessed Redeemer the dreadful painful death which thy Soveraign underwent O what canst thou do less then vow to be revenged on his Murderers thy corruptions and in an holy anger endeavour their speedy execution if thou wouldst have a full sight of sins filth and sinfulness go to Mount Calvary and behold thy Saviour hanging upon the Cross and good Lord what thoughts wilt thou have of thy lusts Physitians in unseemly convulsions advise their Patients to look into a glass that beholding their deformity they may strive the more against it The world never had such a glass as the sufferings of Jesus Christ for the discovery of sins loathsom ugly features and its horrid hideous hellish face now how should this light provoke thee to loath and hate sin O what Child would not abhor those weapons which murdered his dearest Father It was the glory of Alexander that as soon as ever he had opportunity he slew the Murderers of his Father upon his fathers Tomb. Truely Reader a Sacrament day is a special opportunity and thou wilt shew but little love to thine everlasting Father if thou dost not now put his Murderers to death upon those Monuments of his passion Now thou art at the Table think of thy unthankfulness ambition hypocrisie covetousness irreligion and infidelity and the rest how these crucified the Lord of glory and resolve through the strength of Christ that these Hamans shall be all hanged that these sins shall be condemned and crucified CHAP. XX. What a Christian ought to do after a Sacrament I Shall speak to thy duty after the Supper Thirdly Which consisteth mainly in these two things Thankefulness and Faithfulness 1. Thankefulness After such a Banquet as this is thou mayst well give thanks The Jews at their Passover did sing the hundred and thirteenth Psalm with the five following Psalmes which they called the Great Hallelujah A Christian should in every thing and at all times give thanks but at a Sacrament the great Hallelujah must be sung then God must have great thanks then we must with our souls bless the Lord and with all within us paise his holy name O Reader call upon thy self as Barak and Deborah did Awake awake Deborah Awake awake Barak utter a song and lead captivity captive thou son of Abinoam Judg. 5. Awake my love awake my joy utter a song a feast is made for laughter and wine rejoyceth the heart of man Friend is not this a rare feast where is thy chearful face Is not here good wine a cup of Nectar indeed the blood of the Son of God what mirth what musick hast thou to this Banquet of Wines Antiently it was the beginning and ending of Letters Gaudete in Domino Rejoyce in the Lord. It will be an excellent conclusion of this Ordinance to rejoyce in the Lord. O let thy soul magnisie the Lord and thy spirit rejoyce in God thy Saviour Luk. 1.46 47. The cup in the Sacrament is called the Eucharistical cup or the cup of blessing let it be so to thee Let thy heart and mouth say Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited and redeemed his people Luk. 2. Canst thou think of that infinite love which God manifested to thy soul without Davids return VVhat shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits His heart was so set upon thy salvation His Love was so great to thy soul that he delighted in the very death of his Son because it tended to thy good It pleased the Lord to bruise him Isa 53.10 Valde delectatus est Junius reads it He was exceedingly delighted in it Surely the mind of God was infinitely set upon the recovery of lost sinners in that whereas other Parents whose love to their children in comparison of his to Christ is but as a drop to the Ocean follow their children to their graves with many tears especially when they dye violent deaths he delighted exceedingly in the barbarous death of his onely Son in the bleeding of the head because it tended to the health and eternal welfare of the members Friend what manner of love hath the father loved thee with He gave his own Son to be apprehended that thou mightest escape his own Son to be condemned that thou mightest be acquitted his own Son to be whipped and wounded that thou mightest be cured and healed yea his own Son to dye a shameful cursed death that thou mightest live a glorious blessed life for ever Glory to God in the highest peace on earth and good will to men Alass how unworthy art thou of this inestimable mercy Thou art by nature a child of wrath as well as others and hadst been now wallowing in sin with the worst in the World if free grace had not renewed thee nay thou hadst been roaring in Hell at this hour if free grace had not repreived thee Thy conscience will tell thee that thou dost not deserve the bread which springeth out of the earth and yet thou are fed with the bread which came down from heaven with Angels food O infinite love Mayst not thou well say with Mephibosheth to David VVhat is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am For all my fathers house were as dead men before my Lord yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own Table Lord I was a lost dead damned sinner before thee liable to the unquenchable fire and yet thou hast been pleased to set me among them that eat at thine own Table and feed on thine own Son O what is thy servant that thou shouldst take such notice of such a dead dog as I am Look abroad in the World and thou mayst see others refused when thou art chosen others past by when thou art called others polluted when thou art sanctified others put off with common gifts when thou hast special grace others fed with the scraps of ordinary bounty when thou hast the finest of the floor even the fruits of saving mercy As Elkanah gave to Peninnah and to all her sons and Daughters portions but to Hannah he gave a worthy portion because he loved her
as arrant a dissembler as he was pretended to hate such ingratitude Is this thy kindness to thy friend saith he to Hushai why hast thou left him when thou art by any finister carriage departing from Christ give conscience leave to ask thee Is this thy kindness to thy friend Ah why dost thou leave him serve him thus thy sins will be more sinful because God is more merciful to thee then to others The children of Israel have onely the Seventy read done evil from their youth up Jer. 32.30 As if there had been no sinners in the world but they their priviledges being greater then others their provocations were more grievous The unkindness of a friend hath much of an enemy in it David was not much troubled at Shimei's rayling but Absoloms rebellion pierced his very soul My son that came out of my bowels hath lifted up his hands against me Wilt thou give thy Saviour cause to complain He that did eat bread with me hath lift up his heels against me Psal 41.3 He that did eat at my table nay eat of my flesh and drink of my blood he hath lift up his heart and his hand and his heel against me It was an aggravation of Sauls fall he fell as though he had not been anointed 2 Sam. 1. And it will be a sad aggravation of thy fall if thou shouldst fin as if thou hadst not been at a Sacrament It is reported of an Elephant that being faln down and by reason of the inflexibleness of his legs unable to rise a Forrester came by and helped him up with which kindness the Elephant was so taken that he followed the man up and down did him much service and never left him till his dying day Reader the moral is plain thou wast faln and never able to rise of thy self The Lord Jesus Christ forsook his Father in Heaven and his Mother on Earth suffered unconceivable sorrows to help thee up what love shouldst thou have to him what service shouldst thou do for him Thou canst not do less since he hath redeemed thee out of the hands of thine enemies then serve him in holiness and righteousness all thy days As the Hop in its growing follows the course of the Sun from East to West and will rather break then do otherwise So shouldst thou in all thy actions follow the course of the Sun of Righteousness and rather dye then deny him When Moses came from the Mount where he had been conversing with God his face shined Exod. 34.30 When thou goest from the Table where thou hast had sweet communion with thy God The face of thy conversation must shine so with holiness that others may take notice of it It s said of the High Priest and Elders that observing the language and carriage of Peter and John They marvelled and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus Acts 4.13 So thy words should be so gracious and thy works so exemplary after a Sacrament that all those with whom thou hast to do may marvel and take knowledge that thou hast bâ—en with Jesus that at the Table thou didst sup with Christ and Christ with thee I shall onely answer a doubt or two from a troubled Conscience and conclude this Ordinance Object 1. But possbly thou wilt say O penitent Soul I have been at the Sacrament and found little joy what shall I do Answ Though thou didst not finde any ravishing comfort at the Table yet it may be thou mightst receive more grace from Christ When thou didst not spring upward in Joy thou mightst root thy self more downward in Humility Here is no loss Heaven is the proper place for comfort Earth for Grace I expect my reward in another World if I can but do my work well here I shall be satisfied A serious Christian may well be contented with solid peace without extasies Therefore be not discouraged Object 2. But I finde no peace no calmness of spirit I fear my heart was so dead and dull that I did neither act grace in the ordinance nor receive grace through the ordinance for I saw never a smile in Gods face all the while Answ Didst thou not go in thine own strength if so no wonder that thou art disheartned Jacob told his Wives I perceive that your Fathers countenance is not towards me as at other times but what was the matter This Jacob say Labans sons hath taken away all that was our Fathers he hath got his riches The glory of God as I may say is his Wealth his Treasure The riches of his glory Rom. 9.23 Now if thou didst rob God of any part of his treasure by thy self-confidence it is no marvil that thy fathers countenance was not so pleasant towards thee as at other times In brief I would wish thee to reflect both upon thy preparation for and carriage at the Ordinance and if thou findest thy self faulty confess and bewail it hereby thou mayst yet attain the efficacy of the Ordinance When Physick is taken down and doth not work Physitians often give their Patients something to quicken it and it proves exceeding instrumental for the diseased persons good A sincere lamentation of thy negligence before or carelesness at the Table supposing that thy heart be right with God will much help forward the operation of the Sacrament If thou findest that thou wast faithful in the discharge of thy duty then by no means despond but wait Food doth not nourish as soon as it is taken into the body there must be time allowed for concoction The strongest meats are longest in digesting but they give the most and the best nourishment Faith and Prayer will at last like skilful Midwives deliver the promises safely of those blessings which did stick for a time in the birth It is good that thy soul should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of God There is light sown for thee O thou child of light who walkest in darkness and be confident it will spring up A good Wish about the Lords Supper wherein the sormer Heads are Epitomized THe Lords Supper being one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian Religion The Introduction a lively representation of my dearest Saviours bleeding passion and blessed affection and a real taste of that eternal Banquet which I shall hereafter eat of in my Fathers house at his own Table I wish in general that I may never distaste the person of my best friend by abusing his picture that I may not go to the Lords Table as Swine to their trough in my sin and pollution but may receive those holy elements into a clean heart Motives to preparation Christs inspection O that my lamp might be flaming and my vessel filled with oyl when ever I go to meet the Bridegroom I wish in particular that my soul may be so throughly affected with Christs special presence at this sacred Ordinance that I may both prepare for it and proceed at it
may not quench this love but rather like Snuffers make this lamp to burn the brighter Beasts love them who feed them Wicked men love their friends and benefactours My very cloaths warming me are warmed by me again and shall not I love him who hath loved me and washed me in his own blood O that I could groundedly cry out with Ignatius My love was crucified and meet this Lord of Heaven as Elijah went up to Heaven in a Chariot of fire in a flame of love Repentance I desire that I may follow Christ at this Ordinance as the Women did to his Cross weeping considering that my sins were the cause of his bitter and bloody suffering and O that as Saul eyed David I might eye them all from that day forward to slay and destroy them When my soul hath been thus feasted with Marrow and fatness After the Sacrament Thankfulness Lord let my mouth praise thee with joyful lips Ah what am I and what is my Fathers house that when others eat the bread of violence and drink the wine of deceit I should eat the flesh and drink the blood of thine own Son What is man that thou art so mindful of him and the Son of man that thou dost thus visit him I wish that I may shew my thankefulness to my God and dearest Saviour for these benefits the worth of which men and Angels can never conceive by the love of my heart the praises of my lips Faithfulness and the exemplariness of my life At the Sacrament Christ gave his body and blood to me and I gave my body and soul a living Sacrifice to him and that before God Angels and Men the Sacrament was Beersheba the Well of an Oath Shall I pollute that heart which was solemnly devoted to God and prophane that Covenant which I have seriously contracted with the most High Should I like Sampson break those bands asunder and fetch that Sacrifice away from the Altar which was tyed with such strong cords of Oaths and Covenants must I not expect to bring the fire along with it O let me never start aside from my vow like a deceitful bow Lord I have sworn and will perform that I will keep through thy strength thy righteous judgements Lastly I desire that I may not onely differ from them who like the Habassiness In Prester Iohns Country will not fpit on a Sacrament day but will spue the next day deny sin at present but afterwards Deifie it that I may not onely be faithful to my Oath of Allegiance but also fruitful in obedience that as Elijah walked in the strength of one meal forty days I may walk in the strength of that Banquet serving my Saviour and my Soul all my days In a word I wish that I may ever after walk worthy of my birth having Royal Heavenly blood running in my veins worthy of my breeding being brought up in the nurture of the Lord fed at his own Table with the bread of Heaven cloathed with the Robes of his Sons Righteousness and that my present deportment may be answerable to my future preferment O that I might in all companies conditions and seasons walk worthy of him who hath called me to his Kingdom and glory Amen CHAP. XXI How to exercise our selves to godliness on a Lords Day BEcause the Lords Day is the special time for Religious Duties I shall therefore Reader give thee here some particular directions for thy Sanctification of it and Edification by it As of all actions none call for more care then holy duties so of all seasons for those actions none commandeth so much caution and Conscience as the Lords Day The first Command teacheth us the object of Worship the second the matter of Worship the third the manner of Worship the fourth the time of Worship That God is to be worshipped Time of worship is juris naturalis one of seven is juris positivi that some time must be set apart for that work is Moral Natural and written on the Tables of all our hearts but that one day of seven must be consecrated to this end is Moral Positive and written on the Tables of stone All Nations have had their seasons for Sacrifice even the Heathen who worshipped dumb Idols had their Festivals and Holy days It is reported of Alexander Severus Emperor of Rome that he would on a Sabbath Day lay aside his Wordly affairs and go into the Capitol to Worship his gods Among those that acknowledge the true God the Turks have their Stata tempora set times of devotion nay they have their Fryday Sabbath But to keep the Lords Day upon a conscientious ground and in a religious manner is peculiar to the true Christian In the primitive times the observation of this day was esteemed the principal sign of a Saint Indeed our Sanctification of it is by God himself counted a sign that he hath sanctified us Exod. 31.13 It is observable that God hath fenced this Command with more hedges then ordinary to prevent our excursions 1. It is markt with a Memento above other commands Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy partly because of our forgetfulness and partly because of its concernments 2. It s delivered both Negatively and Affirmatively which no other commands is to shew how strongly it bindes 3. It hath more Reasons to enforce it then any other Precept Its Equity Gods Bounty His own Pattern and the Days Benediction 4. It s put in the close of the first Est caput Religionis totum Dei cultum continet Willet in Exod. 35.1 and beginning of the second Table to note that the observation of both Tables depends much upon the Sanctification of this day It is considerable also that it is more repeated then other of the Commands Exod. 20.31 14.34 and 24.35 1.19 Levit. 3.28.30 God would have Israel know Omni tempore Sabbato debere cessare Aug. in Exod. quaest 160. in those fore-quoted places that their busiest times earing and harvest and the very building of the Tabernacle must give way to this Precept On the Lords Day we go into Gods Sanctuary and his pleasure is that we reverence his Sanctuary Levit. 19.30 The Jews indeed made a great stir about their outward reverencing the Temple Willet in loc They tell us they were not to go in with a staff nor shoes nor to spit in it nor when they went away to turn their backs upon it but go sideling Ezek. 8.16 but certainly Gods meaning is principally that we do with inward reverence and seriousness worship him in his Sanctuary Reader I desire thee to take notice that the more holy any action is the more heedful thou oughtest to be about it Upon which account the duties of this day require extraordinary diligence for they have a double die of holiness upon them they are double gilt Thy task on that day or the exercises thereof are of Divine Institution
and so is the time the day Thou hast Gods hand and seal to the duties he commands thee to pray hear sing meditate receive the Sacrament and thou hast also Gods hand and seal to the day Acts 20.7 1 Cor. 16.2 Revel 1.10 It is considerable that in the fourth Command God doth not say Remember the seventh day to keep it holy but Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy this Zanchy takes great notice of further the seventh or a seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God so then the morality of that Command is one day of even The Jews seventh day was buried in Christs grave though its shadow walked a little while after Take heed how thou observest this day Gods eye is very much upon thy behavior in his house therefore in the Tabernacle the place of publike worship it was commanded Ne putes te in domo Dei male posse conversari occultari Oleaster Exod. 25.37 Thou shalt make seven lamps and they shall light the lamps that they may give light to teach us that nothing there escapes his sight for in his house there is always light His eye beholds all thy commission of evil and all thine omission of good there In his Sanctuary thou canst not sin in secret there are seven Lamps to discover thy miscarriages in the Lords house and therefore it behoves thee to be very pious in that place Afterwards when the Temple was built and became heir to the Tabernacle as that succeeded this in the Celebration of Gods Worship so also in Gods observation of all the works done there Mine eye saith God shall be there perpetually 1 Kings 9.3 There is a threefold eye of God present in the Assemblies of his people 1. There is the eye of observation and inspection God seeth what uprightness and seriousness there is in thy prayers and performances God eyeth and takes notice what integrity and fervency thou hast in thy services and sacrifices Mine eyes are upon all their ways Jer. 16.17 Whether thou art praying or reading or hearing or singing his eye is upon thee and whether thou performest thy duties slothfully and sluggishly or dutifully and diligently he observeth thee His eyes behold and his eye-lids try the children of men 2. There is the eye of favour and benediction Gods eye can convey a blessing as well as his hand I will set mine eyes upon them for good Amos 9.4 And Gods eye can speak his good will as well as his heart Mine eye and my heart shall be there that is in my house 2 Chron. 7.16 The affection of the breast is seen at the brows Mine eye shall be upon the faithful of the Land Psal 101.6 Gods eye is in his house to approve and bless thee if thou sanctifie him in Ordinances Friend keep the Lords Day with care and conscience perform thy duties with suitable graces and Gods eye will be upon thee thou shalt see his love in his pleasant and gracious looks Jesus Christ beholds and approves the gracious performances of his people he seems to say to them as Paul to the Colossians Though I am absent from you in the flesh yet am I present with you in the Spirit joying and beholding your order Col. 2.15 3. There is the eye of fury and indignation Gods looks will speak his anger as well as his blows His fury is visible by his frowns Mine eyes shall be upon them for evil Gods sight can wound as deeply as his Sword Job speaks of him He sharpneth his eyes upon me Job 16.9 Wilde Beasts when they fight whet their eyes as well as their teeth An Enemy enraged looks on his Antagonist as if he would look through him He sharpneth his eyes upon me as if he would stab me to the heart with a glance of his eye so an Expositor glosseth on it If thou wait on God irreverently Worship him carelesly and prophanest his Day either by Corporal labour or Spiritual idleness thou mayest not expect his eye of favour but of fury If ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the Sabbath then will I kindle a fire which shall devour the Palaces of Jerusalem and none shall quench it Jerem. 17. ult Ezek. 22.26 31. Gods severity hath been remarkable on the Prophaners of his Sabbath The first blow given the German Churches was on the Lords Day which they carelesly observed on that day Prague was lost When men disturb Gods rest God doth usually deprive them of rest The day of the Lord is like to be a dreadful day to them that despise the Lords Day Truly God is as jealous in his Courts under the Gospel as he was under the Law Christ whose eyes are as a flame of fire walks in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks throughout the World He observes how holy duties are performed and how his holy day is sanctified When two or three are gathered together in his name he is in the midst of them Mat. 18.20 He is in the midst of us to behold our inward and outward carriage in his Courts he observeth in praying what confessions are made of sin with what confusion of face and contrition of heart what petitions are put up for grace and pardon with what integrity of spirit and fervency of affection He observeth in hearing whether men hear with attention sutable to that word which is able to save their souls whether men receive the truth in the love of it whether they resolve on subjection and to give themselves up to that form of Doctrine which is given down to them or whether men hear Sermons as Children turn over books meerly for the gays that are in them He goeth down into the garden of Nuts to see the fruits of the Valley Cant. 6.11 He seeth the rotten bough of Hypocrisie the leaves of profession without the fruits of an answerable conversation He seeth all thine unripe sowre indigested duties Reader If I were to counsel thee how to spend a Market day so that thou mightest gain much wealth and treasure I doubt not but thou wouldst hearken to me I am now to advise thee how to spend the Lords day the Market day for thy soul so that thou mayst get the true treasure durable riches and righteousness I pray thee to hear and obey the directions which I have to deliver thee from the Lord for that end First Make preparation for the day There is scarce any work which admits of any considerable perfection but require some previous preparation In works of nature the ground must be dunged dressed plowed harrowed and all to prepare it for the seed In works of Art the Musitian tuneth his Viol screwing up some of his strings higher letting some down lower as occasion is and all to prepare it for his lesson and indeed without this he would make but sad Mâ—sick Truely Friend thus it is with us in matters of higher moment hearts like soil must be prepared for the seed of the Word how
heart to spiritual joy and delight therein Holy alacrity and joy is not onely a crown and credit to but also a special part of Christianity The Kingdom of God consisteth not in meats and drink but in righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 Gods ways are not so bad but that the Travellers in them may be chearful His work is good wages and therefore it s no wonder that his Servants are so joyful Because beleivers have ever cause of comfort therefore they are commanded always to rejoyce Phil. 3. Whether their sins or sufferings come into their hearts they must not sorrow as they that have no hope In their saddest conditions they have the spirit of consolation There is seed of joy sown within them when it is buried under the clods and appears not above ground But there are special times when God calls for this grain to spring up They have some red letters some holy days in the Calendar of their lives wherein this joy as Wine at a Wedding is most seasonable but among all those days it never relisheth so well it never tasteth so pleasantly as on a Lords day joy sutes no person so much as a Saint and it becomes no season so well as a Sabbath Joy in God on other days is like the Birds Chirping in winter which is pleasing but joy on a Lords day is like their warbling Tunes and pretty notes in Spring when all other things look with a sutable delightful aspect This is the day which the Lord hath made he that made all days so especially of this day but what follows we will rejoyce and be glad therein Psa 118.24 In which words we have the Churches solace or joy and the season or day of it Her solace was great We will rejoyce and be glad Those expressions are not needless repetitions but shew the exeuberancy or high degree of their joy The season of it This is the day the Lord hath made Compare this place with Mat. 21.22.23 and Act. 4.11 and you will find that the precedent verses are a prophetical prediction of Christs Resurrection Sic. Arnob. and so this verse foretels the Churches joy upon that memorable and glorious day And indeed if a feast be made for laughter Eccles 10.19 Then that day wherein Christ feasteth his Saints with the choicest mercies may well command his greatest spiritual mirth A thanksgiving day hath a double precedency of a fast day On a Fast-day we eye Gods anger On a Thanksgiving-day we look to God favour In the former we specially mind our own corruptions In the latter Gods compassions therefore a Fast-day calls for sorrow a Thanksgiving day for joy But the Lords day is the highest thanksgiving day and deserveth much more then the Jewish Purim to be a day of feasting and gladness and a good day On this day we enjoy the Communion of Saints and shall we not delight in those excellent ones Psa 16.3 On this day we have fellowship with the blessed Saviour and shall we not fit under his shadow with great delight Cant. 1. On this day we are partakers of the Ordinances of God and shall we not be joyful in the House of prayer Isa 56.7 On this day we have special converse with the God of Ordinances and who would not draw water with joy out of the Well of Salvation Isa 12.3 Surely whilst we are in the midst of so much Musk we must needs be perfumed Who can walk where the Sun shines so hot and not be warmed It is Gods precept as well as thy priviledge to make Gods day thy delight If thou call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord Isa 58.13 Delights Tremel reads it Thy delicate things according to the Septuag Whether thou art meditating on Gods works or attending on Gods Word which are the two principal duties of the day they both call for delight and joy If on this day of rest thou considerest the work of creation and Gods rest it behoveth thee to follow Davids pattern Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works I will triumph in the works of thy hands Psa 92.4 If thou considerest the work of Redemption and Christs rest surely out of the carcass of the Lion of the tribe of Judah thou mayst get some Honey as may delight thy soul and force thee to sing My soul doth magnifie the Lord my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour Luk. 1.46 47. The babe in the womb leapt for joy of him before he was born The heavenly host sung at his birth and wilt not thou at his second birth his resurrection from the dead O let the Primitive Christians salutations be thy consolation The Lord is risen If thou meditatest on glorification and thine own rest canst thou do less then rejoyce in hope of glory what Prisoner shackled with Satans temptations and fettered with his own corruptions in the dark Gaol of this World can think of the time when his Irons shall be knockt off and he enjoy the pleasant light and glorious liberty of the Sons of God and not be transported with joy What heir in his minority banisht from his kindred and country can think without comfort of his full age when he shall have the full fruition both of his estate and friends doubtless friend the Sabbaths of the holy are the Suburbs of heaven In heaven there is no buying no selling no ploughing no sowing nothing but worshiping God communion with him fruition of him and delight in him There remains a rest for the people of God There they rest from their labours If thou on a Lords day turnest thy back upon the World and goest up into the mount conversing with and rejoycing in the blessed God what dost thou less then begin thine eternal Sabbath here Such a Lords day can be no less then Heaven in a looking glass representing truly though darkly thy future eternal happiness There is no perfume so sweet to a Pilgrim as his own smoak When thou art attending on the word truely that Aquavitae that hot water may well revive thy spirit Thy testimonies are my delight saith David I have rejoyced more in thy testimonies then in all manner of riches Psa 119.24 77. The Word of God is sometimes called a treasure and what beggar would not rejoyce in a treasure sometimes fire and truly Reader thine heart is frozen to purpose if this fire do not heat it Salomon tell us As cold water to a thirsty soul so is good news from a far Country Prov. 25.25 The Word of God contains the best news that ever ears heard Peace on earth good will towards men and the glad tidings of the Gospel come from Heaven a far Country What canst thou say then why they should not be as welcome and refreshing to thee as cold water to a thirsty soul Variety of things that are excellent is not a little ground of complacency in them Variety of choice voices please the ear variety
Arts come from God in making Minerva the Daughter of Jupiter and to have had her generation in his Divine brain but alas the choicest peices of men to the smallest Works of God are but as childrens houses of dirt to the stateliest Courts of Christendom Archites was much extolled for causing a Dove of Wood to hang in the Air being equally poised with its own weight but what is this to the work of God in hanging the earth upon nothing Job 26.7 The earth is the heaviest and lowest Element A little peice of earth held up and let fall will never cease moving till it come to rest upon some solid body and yet behold the great mass of earth with innumerable bodies upon it hangs fast in the midst of the open Air having no visible Pillar nor foundation to rest upon Well might God reckon it to Job among his wondrous works Job 38.4 5 6. Vpon what be the Sockets of it fastened Aristotle himself could not but admire it Archimedes was famous for contriving the motions of the Sun Moon and Stars in his Horology but alass what is this to the glorious heavens themselves which God stretcht out like a Curtain and to the Noble Host of great and glittering bodies keeping their Rank and File and being not onely incredibly swift but also regularly and orderly in their motions The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy work There is so much of God appearing in the Heavens that many have taken them for God and given them divine worship Naturalists tell us that the head of Nilus cannot be found but many sweet springs issuing from it are discovered Though thy finite capacity can never reach fully the fountain and head Gods infinite Being and Excellencies yet thou mayst finde many refreshing streams which flow from it A little River will lead thee to the Ocean Ohow much of the goodness power and wisdom of God appeareth in the work of creation The Rabbies say that in every Apex of the Law there is a Mountain of sense sure I am that in the smallest Creatures there is abundance of the Creatour How doth the Wisdom of God shine forth in the exquisite workmanship variety order subordination and serviceableness of the Creatures one to another that David might well cry out O Lord how marvellous are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all Pontanus Scultet Annal. Chancellour of Saxony propoundeth to be viewed and weighed the most beautiful Arch-work of Heaven resting upon no post but Gods power and yet standing fast for ever The clouds as thin as the liquor contained in them behold saith he how they hang and move though weighty in their burden thy salute us onely or threaten us rather and pass we know not whither How doth his goodness appear in furnishing the World so richly for the supply of his Creatures the earth is full of thy goodness Luther in his Colloquia Meâ—s tells us that God is at more charge every day to maintain Sparrows then all the yearly Revenues of the King of France are worth but especially towards man in making him so excellent a Creature and in making so many excellent creatures for him His power is also evident both in creating such great and noble creatures of nothing he used not the least tool or instrument in making the Heavens and earth and in having them all at his beck and bidding at his call and command the greatest do him homage and the smallest do him service The Sun as strong and swift as he is moving as some write every hour 16000 Miles yet he flies back like a Coward if God speak but the word Josh 10.12 Job 9.5 to 10. He armeth Flies and Lice and what Execution did they do upon the Egyptians Cambden tels us the Armes of the Shagburies in Warwick-shire being Stars Camb. Britain are found engraven in the very stones within their Manor of Shagbury Whether that be true or no I know not but sure I am that the Armes of the Infinite God his eternal power manifold wisdom and matchless goodness are so plainly written on his works in the World in that first volume of Creation that he that runs may read them Solomon tels us God hath set the World in mens hearts namely that the skilfulness of the Workman may be admired in the exactness of his works Eccles 3.11 I might draw thee farther and shew thee but that I would not be so large how these glorious perfections of God are Printed in a larger letter in a fairer character in the second volume the work of Redemption This is the object of Angels admiration and ought to be of thy meditation Truly thy duty is to read God in the first book the book of the creatures and more especially in the second in Jesus Christ upon his own day Thy meditation of Gods works as it will give honour to God so it will not a little further thy spiritual good When David considered the work of creation â—a 8.1 to 4 he falls presently upon exalting God and debasing himself When I consider the Heavens the work of thy hands the Moon and the Stars which thou hast made O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth and thy glory above the Heavens there he sets God up high but then be casts himself downlow What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou dost thus visit him When thine heart is like Wax hardened bring it by meditation to the warm beams of this Sun and they will soften it So when David considered the work of Redemption how doth he magnifie God and vilifie himself What am I and what is my Fathers House that thou hast brought me up hitherto and yet this was a small thing in thine eyes O God for thou hast also spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come 1 Chron. 16.16 17. O Friend as rubbing the Limbs with hot Oyls is a great means to recover them when they are benumb'd so when thy heart is dull and dead on a Lords day if thou wouldst but ply it with the meditation of the infinite love and goodness of God in sending his Son to dye for thy soul it would be a Soveraign means to quicken and revive it Consider also the Word of God which thou hast heard on that day Do thou like Mary ponder it in thine heart Meditation to the word is what fire is to water though water be naturally so cold yet put fire under it and it will make it hot and boyling so though thine heart be cold in regard of affection to the word put but this fire under it and it will boyl with love to it O how love I thy law there is his heat of affection the expression is both by way of interrogation and acclamation shewing the fervency and intension of his love but what was the fire which caused it it is
my meditation all the day Psa 119. The reason why some men profit so little by the word is want of meditation If a man eat his food and as soon as it is in his stomach vomit it up again it is no wonder if he get little strength by it or if he pine and consume away Truly if Sermons enter in at one ear and out at the other making no stay with thee I shall not marvail if they work no change in thee CHAP. XXII Brief Directions for the Sanctification of the Lords day from morning to night REader beside those general directions which I have largely insisted on I shall annex here some short directions how thou mayst spend a Lords day from the begining to the end of it as may be most for the honour of God and the furthering thine own everlasting good 1. Be sure thou takest some paines with thy heart the afternoon or evening at least before to prepare thy soul for the ensuing Sabbath As our whole life should be a preparation for death yet the nearer we draw to the night of our dissolution the more gloriously as the setting Sun we should shine with holiness so in the whole Week we should be preparing for the Lords day but the more the day doth approach the more our preparation must increase The bigger the Vessel is the more Water may be carried from the Fountain According to the measure of the Sacks which the Patriarchs carried to Joseph so were they filled with Corn by Joseph preparation doth not onely fit the heart for grace but also widen the heart that it may receive much of the Spirit of God Some Servants when they are to bake in the Morning put their Wood in the Oven over night and thereby it burneth both the sooner and the better Men make much the more riddance of their work who being to travail a great journey load their Carts or put up their things and lay them ready over night If thou art a Christian thy experience will tell thee that after thou hast on a Saturday called thy self to account for thy carriage on the foregoing Week bewailed thy miscarriages before the Lord in particular thy playing the Truant on former Lords days when thou shouldst have been learning those Lessons which Christ hath set thee in his Law and hast been earnest with God for pardon of thy sins and a sanctified improvement of the approaching Sabbath I say thy experience cannot but teach thee that thy profit after such preparation will make thee abundant amends for thy pains and that thou hast the best visits the sweetest kisses when thy lips thy heart are thus made clean beforehand 2. If the weakness of thy body do not hinder rise earlier on the Lords day then ordinary When the Israelites were encompassing Jericho on the seventh day they rose early in the morning and according to many Expositors it was on the Sabbath day the walls of Jericho fell down Josh 6.15 One main work which thou hast to do on a Lords day is to batter down the strong holds of sin to conquer those Canaanites which would keep thee out of the promised land do thou rise early for this end He that riseth and setteth out early goeth a considerable part of his way before others awake It s sordid to lie lazing and to turn upon thy bed as a door on the hinges and never the farther off upon any day butmost sad and sinfull on a Lords day 3. When thou first awakest turn up thy heart to God in praise for his protection the night past for the light of another day especially of his own day and in Prayer for the light of his countenance and for assistance in every duty and his direction throughout the day As thou art rising if no other more profitable Subject offer it selfe to thy thoughts Meditate how the night is spent the day is at hand it concerneth thee therefore to put off the works of darkness and to put on the armor of light When thou thinkest on the nakedness of thy body how unseemly it would be for thee to walk up and down without raiment do not forget the nakedness of thy soul by sin and how uncomely thou art in the sight of God without the robes of Christs righteousness and the graces of the Holy Ghost 4. When thou art drest let nothing hinder thee from thy secret devotion When thou art in thy closet consider of the price which God hath put into thy hand the value and worth of a Lords day the weight and concernment of the duties therein and the account thou art ere long to give for every Sabbath and season of grace These thoughts as heavy weights on a clock would make thee move more swiftly in the work of the day After some time spent in meditation in some short yet reverent and hearty petitions intreat Gods help in the present and subsequent duties of the day After which read some portion of the Scripture and pour out thy soul in prayer Get thy heart effectually possessed with this truth That God must work his own work in thee and for thee or it will never be done that as the Spirit moved on the waters at first and then the living creatures were formed so the Spirit must move upon the waters of Ordinances before they can produce or increase spirituall life Hereby thou wilt be stirred up to more fervent supplication for and more importunate expectation of help from heaven In thy prayers remember all the assemblies of the Saints that they may see Gods beauty power and glory as they have sometimes beheld them in his sanctuary Intreat God to cloath his ordinances with his own strength that they may be mighty through him for the bringing in and building up many souls In speciall when thou art at prayer think of the Preachers of the Gospel Conceive that thou hearest every one of them speaking to thee as Paul to his Romans I beseech thee for the Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the love of the spirit that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me Rom. 15.30 Their work is of infinite weight it is God-work Soul-work Temple-work Not one of them but may say with Nehemiah on a Lords day upon much greater reason O I am doing a great work Nehem. 6.3 Their opposition is great The Devill will do what may be to hinder them the world hates them their own hearts will distub them Their strength is small their graces are weak Alas what can they do O therefore pray for them 5. After thy secret duties thou mayst if nature require refresh thy body with convenient food Thy God alloweth thee to cherish though not to overcharge thy outward man I shall speak to thy carriage about eating and drinking in the twenty third chapter and therefore omit it here Vide Family duties in Cap. 27 6. In the next place it will be fit that thou call thy family together and
enter upon family duties Namely to read the word of God to call upon the name of God and to sing to the prayse of God 7. Let as many of thy family as can convâ—â—â—enny be spared accompany thee to publick Ordinances Vide more of this in Cap. 27. Remember the command Thou thy Son thy daughter thy man-servant and maid-servant and all within thy gate Do not pamper their bodies and starve the souls of thy houshold It is Recorded of Dr. Chaterton Mr. of Emannel Colledge that he never caused any of his Servants to stay at home on a Lords day barely to dress meat be able to say with Cornelins who feared the Lord with all his house we are all here present before God 8. As thou art going to the place of publique Ordinances consider with thy self that thou art going to converse not with men but with God even with that God who searcheth the heart who will not be mocked and who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity that thou mayst hereby be quickened unto uprightness and seriousness and to dart up some ejaculatory prayer to God for aid and assistance 9. In every part of publique worship carry thy self with reverence humility love faith and sincerity Hear sing pray receive the Sacrament as one that doth all in Gods sight as one that is working for his immortal soul and as one that within a few days shall enter the gates of death and never have a season more for such sacred duties Depart not from the Church till all be done In a Court of civil Judicature thou willt stay till the Court riseth If thou wouldst have Gods blessing with thee do not leave it behind thâ—â—â—â— As thou comest from the Church meditate on what thou hast heard chew that meat which the Minister hath put into thy mouth thereby thou mayst get much spiritual nourishment 10. When thou art come home usually let nothing hinder from prayer either in thy family or closet wherein I would advise thee to turn the heads of the Sermon and Chapters read into Petitions as also to beg pardon of thy wandrings in the Worship of God and beseech him who with his own hand wrote the Law in two Tables that he would write the word Read and Preached in the Tables of thine heart 11. At Dinner take heed of excess whereby thy body will be unfitted to serve thy soul yet do not pinch or punish thy body because the day is a day of joy and delight I would wish thee to watch thy heart and tongue all the day long but especially at meals that thou mayst not think thine own thoughts nor speak thine own words If thy self or others start any unseasonable or earthly discourse at Table give conscience leave to speak to thee as Judas to the Apostles What needeth this wast What needeth this wast of precious time of so rich a treasure as every part of this day is Let the first dish at Table be Gods I mean when a blessing is desired let presently some savory discourse be offered hereby fin may be prevented The Jews had two notable defeats on the Sabbath day because they would not defend themselves Iosephus l. 12. c. 8. l. 14 c 8 the first defeat was by Antiochus the second by Pompey the Great Reader if thou wouldst not have Satan to foil thee on a Lords day keep a strict watch over thy thoughts words and works After Dinner as time will give leave either Sing or Pray with thy family or repeat what thou hast heard or busie thy self in Godly conference chiefly about what was Read or Preached that morning 12. Neglect not afternoon Ordinances Some Persons are like some Physitians Fore-noon men they must be sought to in the morning onely if you would find them about Religious duties Friend If thy soul ever met thy Saviour in publique duties thou canst not but love and prize them at an high rate In the close of the day sometimes God sendeth in the cheif blessing of the day A Sabbath Tide hath brought in many a good draught of Fish Be present at serious in publique Ordinances As an error in the first concoction can never be mended in the second so an error or carelesness in publique cannot be mended by carefulness in private 13. When thou returnest from publique Ordinances take some time to meditate on the word or Works of God thou mayst read over the eighth particular in the twenty one Chapter to help thee therein 14. Do not lessen thy secret or private duties on that day let them rather be increased then diminished The Offerings under the Gospel were Prophesied to be greater then under the Law Under the Law one Lamb was to be offered Under the Gospel six Lambs Numb 28. Ezek. 46. 15. Call thy Children and Servants to account what they have learned that day and explain what they understand not hereby thou wilt benefit both thy self and others Chemnitius observeth that our blessed Saviour in the 4. of Mark and 14. of Luke Examen de dieb fest after he had instructed the people as a publique Preacher on the Sabbath day did examine and teach his Apostles as a private Master of a Family 16. At Evening Sing Pray and if thou canst repeat the heads at least of both the Sermons Plutarch reporteth of a River which runneth sweet in the morning and bitter at night Let it not be said of thee that thy Morning was like Nebuchadnezzars Image of Gold and thy evening like the feet of it of clay 17. Before thou goest to rest examine thy self what thou hast got or lost that day Reflect upon the carriage of thy heart in the several duties as also what welcome thou hadst at the Throne of grace what covered dishes were brought thee by the spirit from Gods own Table that accordingly thou mayst beg pardon or return praise If thou hast been melted with Gods affection obtained any strength against thy corruptions or received any degree of grace take heed of ascribing the glory to thy self In Justinians law it was decreed That no Work-man should set up his name within the body of that building which he made out of another mans cost If thou didst pray or hear or sing or read or meditate with any life or delight seriousness or sincerity in any measure agreeable to his Word and Will all was from God there was not a stone used by thee towards this spiritual building but it was taken out of his Quarrey As he is the Author so let him have the honour 18. Be watchful over thy self at the latter end of the day with all imaginable circumspection that the last part of the day may be the best part of the day Some Souldiers prevail in the day but lose all again at night because they are slothful when their Quarters are beaten up by their Enemies Some lose at night what they got in the day like Hannibal they know how to obtain a
Victory but not to improve a Victory Usually the Evenings are cold though the days are hot 19. As Oratours at the close of their speech use all their Art and Skill to move the affections of their Auditors so at the close of the Lords day put forth all thy grace and spiritual strength to prevail with God for a blessing Say of the Sabbath as Jacob to the Angel I will not let the go without a blessing 20. Labour to keep the influence of Lords day Ordinances warm upon thy spirit all the week after let not thy devotion pass away with the day Some Children when they put on new Shooes on a Sabbath are very careful to keep them clean are unwilling to set their feet to the ground for fear of dirt but in the week days will run up to the Ankles in Water or Mire O let not childrens play be thy earnest but endeavour that thy practices in secret and private in thy calling and in all companies on the Week days may be answerable to the great priviledges which thou didst enjoy and the grace which thou didst receive on the Lords day A good wish about the Lords day wherein the former heads are Epitomized THe first day of the Week being of divine institution The Introduction and Baptized by God himself with that Honorable name of the Lords day partly in regard of its Author This is the day which the Lords hath made partly in regard of the blessed Redeemer who rose that day and Triumphed over the Grave the Devil the Curse of the Law and Hell it being a day Sanctified for the glory of my Saviour of which I may say as of Jacob The Lord hath chosen it to himself for his peculiar Treasure Psa 135.4 and a day set apart for the spiritual and eternal good of my precious soul wherein I may enjoy communion with my God in all his Ordinances without interruption I wish in general that as the Spirit may be in me in the week days so that I may be in the Spirit on the Lords day filled therewith and enabled thereby to have my conversation all the day long in Heaven O that my care in fitting my soul for it my holy carriage at it and my sutable conversation after it may testifie that I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of my God then to dwell in the Tents of Wickedness and that I esteem one day in his Courts better then a thousand else-where I wish in particular that I may prepare for it Preparation as for a Wedding day wherein Christ and my soul are to be espoused together and to that end before it cometh may be careful so to order my earthly affairs that they may not incroach upon this Holy ground and so open the door of my heart and adorn it with spiritual excellencies that the King of Glory may enter in and think himself a welcome Guest in my soul O that I might never give my God cause to complain of me as once of the Jews Your Sabbaths and solemn feasts I cannot away with for your hands are defiled As Nehemiah shut the Gates of the City that no burdens might be carried in on the Sabbath day so let me secure the Gate of my heart that no Worldly things may disturb me in Sabbath duties O let me not like Martha be careful and troubled about many things but on this day especially sit at Christs feet mind the one thing necessary and chuse the good part which shall never be taken from me I wish that I may long more for it then ever a Bride-groom did for his Bride that when it is come in I may bid it heartily Welcome and that as my Saviour rose early that morning to justifie me so I may rise early on this day to glorifie him I desire that this holy day may be an high day in my account both because the Lord of the Sabbath hath separated it to sacred uses and because it is the day of his resurrection whence so much good cometh to my soul Esteem the day as a priviledge By his passion he layd down the price of my redemption but by his rising again the Judge of Quick and dead sending his officer an Angel to roul away the stone open the prison door and let him out he manifesteth to the world that the debt is discharged and the law fully saatisfied O of what value should this day be to me My Redeemers humiliation indeed was like Josephs imprisonment but his delivery out of the grave like Josephs enlargement and preferment whereby he came into a capacity to advance and enrich all his relations I pray that I may look on this day as a special season to sow to the spirit in and improve it accordingly A price to get and increase grace I believe that my God will not hold him guiltless that takes his name or spends his day in vain O let me not like a foolish child play by that candle which is set up for me to work by lest I go to the bed of my grave in the dark of sin and sorrow Publique Ordiuances to be esteemed the chiefest work of the day I wish that I may not neglect either secret or family duties on this sacred day but yet that I may so perform them that they may be helps not hinderances to publique Ordinances that since God loveth the gates of Sion above all the the dwellings of Jacob I may set an high price upon and have an ardent love to the habitation of Gods house and the place where his honor dwelleth Delight in it that as a true child of my heavenly Father I may love most and like best that milk which is warm from the breasts of publick ordinances I wish that I may call the Lords day my delight it being a day wherein I enter into the suburbs of the holy City and begin that work of praysing pleasing and enjoying my God which I hope to be employed in to eternity that it may be my meat and drink to do the Will of my God O that I might so savour the things of the Spirit and so taste the Lord to be gracious that love may be the Loadston to draw me to my closet family and to Church and season every service I am called to upon the Sabbath Sanctifie the whole day Because every part of this day is of great price more worth then a whole World I desire that not the least moment of it may be squandred away but as the Disciples after the miracle of loaves I may gather up with care and conscience the smallest fragments that nothing be lost My God giveth me good measure heaped up pressed down shaken together and running over why should I be niggardly to him to my self indeed for it is my profit not his when he is so liberal so bountiful to me I wish in regard the blessed God is not onely the Master Communion
the Serpent as Eve to Adam a cross and a curse I wish in general that whilst I use my meat and drink and sleep and apparel I may never abuse them but that I may so ensure my right to them through Christ the heir of all things so taste the love of my God in them and make such an holy and sanctified improvement of them that I may have a spiritual title to natural good things may hold all in capite and the things of this life may be whet-stones to quicken my holiness and load-stones to draw my affections nearer to heaven In particular because the snare in eating and drinking is unseen and so the less suspicious About eating and drinking which must be done sacredly but the more dangerous I wish that I may never feed without fear but eat all my bread before the Lord that I may not as the horse and mule which hath no understanding drink of the streams Desiring a blessing and never look up to the spring but may acknowledge my God to be the author of every favour and be so sensible of the weakness of the creature to strenghten me without the influence of the creatour that I may constantly look up to heaven for a blessing on that food which springeth out of the earth I desire that my heart may so rellish the goodness of my God in the bounty of his hand Holy discourse at tablâ— that whilst I am filling my body I may by some savoury serious discourse feed my own and others souls that by the blessings of the footstool as by a lader I may mount up to the blessings of the throne Lord when thou remembredest me an unworthy wretch above many others let me not be so sordidly ungratful as to forget thy Majesty but as the rivers lead me to the Sea Thanks after meals so let common blessings direct me to thy self the Father Fountain of all my mercies open thou my lips that my mouth may shew forth thy praise O let not my thanks be onely verbal but cordial and reall Let thy mercy be returned to thy self again in sutable duty and thy beneficence by answerable obedience If I receive curtesies from men I esteem my self bound to requite them to my power ah why should not I then since I receive millions of mercies from my God improve all to his praise I desire that I may not as the Israelites bestow that corn and oyl on Baal or make provision for any sin with those favours which my God bestoweth on me but that all those cords of love may draw me nearer and bind me closer to himself I live at thy cost enable me to live to thy credit Let thy loving kindness be ever before me that I may walk in thy truth I wish that I may not only take my food piously Soberly as from Gods hand but also use it temperately as in Gods eye Excess hath been abhord by mere heathens Beasts know when they have drunk enough and by no beating will be forced to more and shall I who beside my reason have the help of Religion perish in the waters like the Swine possessed with devils O let my sensitive faculty be such a servant to myrational and both so serviceable to my God that I may use my food as my Physick receive it sparingly and for healths sake to become thereby more instrumental for the glory of my Saviour I do not live to eat but eat to live why then should I use my food as if like the Locust I were all belly or as some beasts made only to be filled and fatted for the slaughter I wish that I may observe the seasons for feeding my body Seasonably as well as those golden opportunities for my soul that I may not prefer the beast before the Angel within me but may usually every morning serve my God before my self and refresh my inward before my outward man In a word I beg that all my pots may be so spiced with piety and all my meat so sauced with religion that whether I eat or drink or whatever I do I may do all to the glory of my God that so when I shall eat and drink no more in this infirm estate I may drink of the rivers of his own pleasures and eat of that tree of life which groweth in the midst of Paradise I wish in general Apparel that my cloaths as well as my closet may be perfumed with godliness that the smell of my garments as Isaac said of Jacobs raiment may be as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed I desire in particular that I may so observe the ends for which apparel is appointed that I may wholy forbear those vices about them which my God forbideth and truly exercise those vertues on them which my God commandeth I wish that since garments are given me to cover my nakedness I may never discover the lust of my spirit in any lewd or loose attire on myflesh nor ever be proud of those rags be they never so gaudy or costly which call aloud to me to be humble as being the signs of my first and most dreadful sin and shame I desire that I may not be of the number of them that wast their wealth about that which is at the mercy of the moth yet that I may not through covetousness offer my self by my cloaths to just contempt but may so walk between the two extreams as one who wears the livery of Beligion that my God may never be dishonoured nor the Gospel disgraced by any spots in my garments O that my soul may so put on the garments of my Elder brother and the graces of the holy Spirit that thereby I may be known as Davids daughters by their raiment of divers colours to belong to the heavenly Court and thereby be prepared to walk with my God in the white of glory Sleep I wish that I may observe the ends of sleep how my God alloweth it for the strengthning not the weakening of nature that I may not by excess herein turn my friend into an enemy and whilst I seem to indulge my flesh wrong both flesh and spirit too O that prudence and piety might both so guide me that I may ever be watchful against his incroaching adversary and not like a Dormouse live as if I were born to sleep Finally I wish that I may be so sensible of the worth of those narrow streames of time because of their tendency to the boundless Ocean of eternity that like holy Hooper I may be spare of sleep sparer of diet and sparest of time that I may redeem it as much as may be conveniently from those natural actions which are necessary and that when eating drinking and clothing and sleeping and days and weeks and years and ages shall be no more I may eat of my Saviours hidden Manna drink of the new Wine in my Fathers kingdom be arrayed with the White
and portions to Gods pleasure is the onely sleeping pill which can give rest to the soul Christian let me ask thee this question Didst thou give up thy self to Christ for Temporal or for Eternal comforts Didst thou enter upon Relien to save thine Estate or thy Soul O why then shouldst thou be so sad when thy Eternal happiness is so safe For shame live like a childe of God an heir of Heaven and let the World know that thy hopes and happiness are in a better World that though thou art denyed those Acorns which thy Father giveth to his Hogs yet thou hast the Childrens bread and expectest thine inheritance when thou comest to Age. Thus I have dispatched the fourth particular how a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in his particular calling A good Wish about Particular Callings wherein the former heads are Epitomized MY particular calling being a peculiar and distinct station The Introductîon wherein I am bound to be serviceable to my country and family and wherein also I have this priviledge that I may further my general calling if I mind it out of conscience to the Lord and in obedience to his word I wish in general that I may never cross the wise providence of my God in the government of the World by neglecting it or thinking lightly of it but since I am listed under the Captain of my salvation may serve him faithfully not onely in general as a Souldier but also in that place or office to which he hath chosen and called me I wish in particular Our general callingsmust be followed with diligence that what my hand findeth to do I may do it with all my might that I may be of the number of them that spend themselves with labour and not of them who wast with rust and laziness my diligence herein is some help against the temptations of the Devil The sluggards heart is like his field overgrown with weeds Lord let me rather wear out with work then consume like a Garment laid by with moths for want of use Yet I wish that I may not by my industry make more hast to be rich then good speed With righteousness I mean that I may never increase my riches by dealing unrighteously in my calling knowing that unjust gain is a morsel which the strongest stomach in the World cannot possibly digest but may esteem a penny got by the blessing of God upon my honest labour at a far greater price then thousands of pounds by rapine and robbery and may weigh all my wares in the Scales of loving my neighbour as my self by the standard of that royal Law Whatsoever you would that men should do unto you do you even so unto them for this is the law and the Prophets O that I might not upon any pretence whatsoever either by taking advantage of the buyers ignorance or by putting unserviceable wares into his hands or by false weights and measures or by defrauding my neighbour any other way consult shame to my house Hab. 2.10 and sin against my own soul but when I am in my shop or warehouse or instructing my servant how to sell I may hear the sound of that dreadful threatning against unrighteous dealers in mine eares Job 20.15 He hath swallowed down riches he shall vomit them up again God shall cast them out of his belly He shall suck the poison of Asps the Vipers tongue shall slay him the increase of his house shall depart and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath They must not incroach upon our general calling I desire that I may watch my calling as they who make powder do their fire with my greatest care to keep it within its own bounds that I may so give to the World the things of the World as to give to my God the things of God In stealing away either out love To this end I wish that I may not like Demas embrace this present world but how deep soever I wade in earthly affairs may be sure to keep my head I would say my heart above water least I sink and perish in them eternally Lord though I possess outward things yet let outward things never possess me I am married to thy sacred Majesty though I converse with my calling as a friend yet let the bed of my heart never be defiled therewith but reserved onely for thy blessed self to lodge in Or time My prayer is that my earthly traffique may never be suffered to play the thief and to steal away that precious treasure of time which at least morning and evening my heavenly trade requireth in my Closet and family but though like the Eagle I stoop to the earth for my prey my outward provision I may not dwell there but mount up again to heaven O that I might be deaf to all the vain excuses which the World will plead for the total omission or shortning of Religious exercises and even when a real necessity not through any negligence of mine appeareth by some sudden providence I am denyed time to draw the long sword of solemn devotion I may be then so affected with my duty and danger as to draw the short Dagger of ejaculatory petitions to defend my self against my spiritual enemies My God never intended that my trade should be my trouble or my calling like the clouds to impede my sight of the true Sun therefore if so much business lye upon my hands that if that be attended my soul must be neglected let me rather as a wise Traveller ease my self of some part of my burthen then permit it to hinder me in my journey to heaven I desire that I may be so sensible that good things here below come from the most high God Prayer for a blessing and the success of my labours dependeth more on his providence then my diligence that I may never in a morning open my shop or lift up a tool as my trade is before I have opened my heart and lifted up my soul to my God for his blessing upon my endeavours All creatures in the hands of my God are as dead tools in the hands of a living workman by whose force and influence alone they act Lord let me never look upon second causes as more then the order in which and the means with which thou art pleased to work Thanks to God for success I wish that if God shall by my calling increase my wealth I may not sacrifice to my own nets nor burn incense to my own drags but may be so spiritual as to acknowledge my God the Author of temporals and receive them so thankefully from his hand of bounty that I may improve them faithfully as may be most for his glory The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof He is the owner of all I enjoy I am but his Steward and must shortly give account of my Stewardship O let me make me friends of
the unrighteous Mammon that I may be trusted with the true riches let my whole estate be employed according to thy word for the furtherance of my own everlasting weal. Finally Contentedness in all I wish that I may sail trim and even in all waters that when it is full tide in regard of outward comforts I may not swell with pride nor when it is low water grumble through peevishness murmuring is the musick of Hell holy contentedness is the foretast of Heaven Why should I rejoyce my worst enemie and dishonour my best friend by being fretful at that which the onely wise God seeth to be fit and needful The lean Ox is fitter for service then the fatted one The true Israelite may well be satisfied in his journey to Canaan with his Homer a day with his Statute measure and his Fathers allowance What though my Father deny me that entertaintment at present which he giveth to strangers yet I have his love now and the inheritance hereafter shall be mine My God will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Lord let me never discredit thy House-keeping by my grumbling carriage or frowning countenance but so by the Prospective-glass of Faith behold those things which are invisible that I may in all things give thanks like some Birds sing even in Winter and as cloaths dyed in grain retain my colour in all weathers that when the Fig-tree doth not blossom nor the Vine yield her fruit when the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields yield no meat then I may rejoyce in the Lord and be glad in the God of my salvation In a word I wish that I may like the wise Merchant sell all I have to buy the Pearl of great price the gold tried in the fire that I may be rich the white rayment that I may be cloathed and drive such a constant trade with my God in the other World hearing from thence and sending thither daily that when the King of Terrors shall give me a Writ of Ease from my particular calling I may dye in the Lord rest my labours and have my works following me through free grace into an exceeding and eternal weight of glory Amen A good Wish about the Calling of a Minister wherein the several Properties and Duties of a Consciencious Pastor are Epitomized THe Ministery of the Word being a Calling above all others of greatest weight The Introduction as set up by the ever blessed God for the payment of himself the deserved praise of his Curious Eternal and Infinitely wise purpose and for the payment of the Lord Jesus Christ the precious fruits of his bloody Passion by the turning of sinners from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God In which he is pleased to commit to men duly qualified and rightly called the Word of Reconciliation and commandeth them in his name as his Ambassadors to offer terms of peace and to perswade and beseech rebellious sinners with all earnestness and faithfulness as they would not have the blood of their peoples souls required at their hands to accept of and submit to those Articles of Grace and Pardon I wish in general That since my God hath counted me faithful put me into the Ministery and entrusted me with that which so nearly relateth to his own glory and which so highly concerneth the Eternal felicity of precious souls Acts 20.28 The properties of a Minister He must be 1. Gracious That I may take heed to my self and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost-hath made me Overseer to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood In particular I wish That I may know experimentally what Regeneration meaneth before I travel with others till Christ be formed in them that I may disswade from compliance with sin and perswade to an hearty acceptance of the Saviour not by hearsay or at second hand but upon my own knowledge of the bitterness of the former and the goodness and sweetness of the latter Let me not like some Cooks dress that meat for others which I eat not of my self Let not my Sermons be as Minerva the children of my brain but the travel of my soul that I may serve my God with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son and as a true Vessel of the Sanctuary have within me a savour of that water of life which I pour out to others It is doleful to fall into Hell from under the Pulpit But ah how dreadful is it to drop thither out of it Doth not my heart tremble to think that it is possible for me like the unbelieving Spies to coast the Heavenly Canaan to commend it to others and yet never to possess it my self that whilest I preach to others I my self may be a Cast-away Lord let me so exalt thee in my heart as my chiefest good in my life as mine utmost end and preach so effectually to my own soul and to others That I may both save my self and them that hear me I wish that the Spring of my motions and principle of all my work may be love to my Master That he may act from a right principle love to God and not expectation of any Temporal reward That I may never be so sordidly sinful as to sell the incomparable Saviour for a little corruptible silver to turn my Fathers house into an house of merchandize and to cry up my God as the Ephesians their Goddess because by that Craft they had their wealth but that unfeigned affection to the bleeding head and tender compassion to his blessed members may be all the oyl to feed that lamp wherewith I enlighten others in the way to life O that that pathetical affectionate expression of my dearest Redeemer might sound often in mine ears and pierce my very soul If thou lovest me feed my Lambs If thou lovest me feed my Sheep I desire that my ends in the Ministery may be purely to exalt the glorious name of my God And for right ends the glory of God and the salvation of souâ— in the conversion and edification of his precious and chosen ones That I may not use preaching as a Theif a Picklock to open mens Coffers but as a Key to open their Hearts that the truth of God and the God of truth may enter in Why should I prophane so pious an Ordinance by so poysonous an end and serve my self like the Eagle by having my eye to the prey whilest I soar aloft and pretend to the World that I serve my Saviour Let me not like Balaam Divine for money nor through covetousness with feigned words make merchandize of inestimable souls which Christ thought worth his precious blood O that I might seek not my peoples goods but good not my own profit but the profit of many that they might be saved Lord let this design lie at the bottom of my heart in
spirit in faith in purity Phil. 3.17 that I may be able to say to my flock as Paul to his Philippians 1 Cor. 11.1 Brethren be followers together of me and to his Corinthians Be followers of me as I am of Christ and mark them which walk as ye have me for an example I wish that though my labours should prove unfruitful 7 Not to be discouraged for want of success when I in the discharge of my trust am faithful that I may not be discouraged knowing that I shall be a sweet savour to my God as well in them that perish as in them that are saved and though Israel be not gathered by me Isa 6.10 but I spend my strength in vain yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my work with my God yet O that I might not be sent about that dreadful message to make the hearts of any people fat to make their ears heavy and to shut their eyes lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed but that I may turn many sinners from the errours of their ways save many souls from death and hide a multitude of sins I wish that as Joab when he took the City of Rabbah with Davids Souldiers 8 To give the glory of success to God was willing to have the Crown set on the Kings head so when my God hath enabled me by his spirit to cast down imaginations and high things that exalted themselves against the knowledge of him and to bring into captivity many sinners to the Obedience of Christ that I may set the crown of glory upon the head of God alone and not suffer the least part of his honour to stick to my singers I am but the instrument he is the principal efficient I am but the pipe he is the spring whence the water of life floweth I do but lay on the plaister he made the precious salve of the word and bestoweth also healing vertue on it O that I might never be so ungrateful when he is pleased to honour me as to dishonour him by thinking of my self above what is meet but that all my services may be as so many Scaffolds â—erected purposely for the raising of his his name and the setting up of his praise Finally The conclusion 1 Tim. 4.16 2 Tim. 4.5 I wish that I may take heed to my self to my Doctrine to my life be watchful in all things endure affliction make full proof of my Ministry do the work of a faithful Pastor Mat. 7.21.23 least as they who prophesied in Christs name and in his name cast out Devils I be cast to Devils as a worker of iniquity and find that gate of life which I opened to others shut against my own soul O let me not as Porters in great Houses lodge without my self whilst I let others into Heaven Let it please thee O God of all grace to fill me with the fruits of thy spirit that I may feed thy people with knowledge and understanding Take the oversight of them not by constraint but willingly 1 Pet. 5.2 3 4. not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind not as being a Lord over Gods heritage but as being an ensample to the flock that so when the chief Shepherd shall appear on the great day in which the Sheep shall be separated from the Goats I may receive a crown of glory which fadeth not away Amen CHAP. XXVII How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in his Family as the governour thereof IT is thy duty to exercise thy self to godliness in thy Family and relations Fifthly A Christian must not like the Israelites Pillar in the Wilderness be light on one side and dark on the other be diligent in one relation and negligent in another but as a candle in a Chrystial Lanthorn be lightsom quite round it be holy in every Relation in which he standeth Reader I shall consider thee as Governor or Governess of a Family and herein direct thee what thou shouldst do for the faithful discharge of thy trust in that relation Houses under the Law were to be dedicated to God at their first setting up Deut. 20.5 Which was done saith Ainsworth on the place with singing and praising God Psal 30. vide Title as well as feasting Davids Psalm at the dedication of his House is worthy our imitation Hezekias upon the Law touching the fanctifying an house to God Levit. 27.14 15. giveth this Exposition That to dedicate or sanctifie an house to God is for the Governor to be careful for the instruction of his Family and the Religious Conversation of his Houshold that his house may be Gods house and his children Gods children and his servants Gods servants A Family is a natural and simple Society of certain persons having mutual relation one to another under the private government of one head or chief Aristotle calleth Families the first Society in nature and the ground of all the rest Before the Flood the whole form of Civil and Ecclesiastical Government was confined within the Precincts of private Families A Family is the Epitome of a Kingdom and Commonwealth in a little volume The way to make godly Parishes and godly Countreys and godly Kingdoms is to make godly Families When sin as a plague speadeth abroad it beginneth in Families One Atheistical Family defileth and destroyeth many it sendeth a son into one house a daughter into another a servant into a third and every of them like infectious persons poyson those with whom they converse Like a nest of Foxes they destroy and devour all the Countrey over As one House on fire often burneth down many so one prophane Family injureth many one godly Family on the contrary doth good to many As one stock of Bees sendeth forth swarms and honey into many parts of the Countrey so one Religious Familie sending Religious Children and Servants abroad they come in time to have Families of their own may bring much honor to God and be helpful to the eternal welfare of many souls A Godless Family like a Gun or Cannon killeth at a distance as their swearing children and drunken servants come to spread abroad A gracious Family like the Weapon-salve healeth at a distance as the pious Relations in it come to be dispersed in other places Solomon was a Religious House-keeper and it is observable his servants were so seasoned by him with godliness that their children five hundred years after were recorded by the Spirit of God to be the most eminent in their time for Religion Ezra 2.58 Solomon being a godly Governor of his Family did good after he was dead at so great a distance Theodosius being asked how a private person might be a publique good answered By ordering all things well at home The way to make our Orchards good is to look well to our Nurseries It concerneth thee therefore Reader
times a day At six in the morning eight at night and before dinner and Supper in his Chappel David returned to bless his house 2 Sam. 6.21 that is say Expositors to bless God with his Family and to beg Gods blessing on his family He ster prayed and fasted with her Maidens Hest 4.16 The holy Ghost enjoyneth Husband and wife to dwell together as fellow-heirs of the grace of life that their prayers be not hindered 1 Pet. 3.7 Our blessed Saviour is to be our pattern now he prayed with his family of Disciples And it came to pass as he was alone praying his Disciples were with him Luk. 9.18 He was alone not secretly to exclude all society but privately to include onely his own family Our Houses are Gods Houses and in Gods House there must every day be morning and evening Sacrifice I will that men pray every where surely then in private as well as in secret and in publique 1 Tim. 2.8 Families need direction in the day and protection in the night and truely either of them is worth a prayer Thy family sins must be pardoned thy family wants must be supplied and if they do not deserve a prayer they deserve nothing Horses kneel before they lye down at night and when they rise up in the morning and shall thy house be worse then a stable of beasts They that will not beg family supplies and blesse God for family mercies may well be branded for ungodly and ungrateful wrethces Prayer and prayse are like the double motion of the lungs what we suck in by petition we breath out in thanksgiving and without this Religion cannot live in a family What dangers are thy family liable to every day and without prayer thou hast no guide no guard Origen going once to comfort a Martyr was himself apprehended and constrained either to have his body abused by a Blackamore or to offer to the Idol which latter he did but bewailing it saith I went out that morning without prayer which I know was the cause of that evil It s said of the Egyptians that there was a great cry at midnight for in every house there was one dead Reader are there not dead souls in thy family Children and servants dead in sins and trespasses and shall there be no cry no complaining to God there I must tell thee thy house is worse then a Pest-house for thou hast infected and dangerously diseased souls in it and not so much as Lord have mercy upon us written on thy door Heathens and families without prayer are fitly joyned together Jerem. 10. ult The truth is such persons are English in their language but Indian in their Athiestical carriage They feed and cloath their bodies like English men but they starve and go naked in their souls like Indians Onely herein they differ that they cannot be prayerless in their Houses at so cheap a rate but must expect an hotter Hell because they sin against a clearer light Many families are the picture of Hell one may hear twenty Oaths for one prayer the Master will often curse but seldom or never bless his family he loveth cursing so it will come to him and as he delighted not in blessing so it will be far from him Do not say thou canst not pray Had the father of spirits ever any dumb children Every begger at thy door who is pinched with hunger will tell thee that sence of misery will teach thee to be earnest for mercy If thou wert condemned to be hanged thou wouldst not want words to pâ—en for a pardon Surely eternal death to which thou art liable is far more lamentable and if ever God make thee sensible of it which must be done or thou art lost for ever thou will quickly follow him with prayers and tears for grace and life Thy affections in prayer if right will abundantly make up thy want of expressions A sanctified Heart is better then a silver Tongue Though thou hast not the gift of prayer yet if if thou canst act grace in prayer all will be well Pray much in secret and thou wilt quickly learn to pray well in private Use at any Trade will make me prompt and perfect Rather use a form out of a Book then omit the duty They who cannot dress their meat themselves must be beholden to their Neighbours to do it for them Set upon it presently it is thy honor thy priviledge and use crutches till thou art able to go alone onely do not content thy self with them Alas who ever was proud of stilts but labour to gain knowledge in spiritual things by reading secret praying and conference that thou mayest throw them away 2. The Word of God must be read in thy Family and thy Houshold instructed there As by prayer thy duty is to acquaint God with thy family-wants so by reading some portion of Scripture daily thy duty is to acquaint thy family with Gods will An house without light is in a dreadful lamentable condition Thy houshold without the Word sit in darkness and thereby in the shadow of death The Commandment is a lamp and the Law is Light Prov. 6.23 Alas how can thy servants or children do their heavenly Masters and Fathers work when they are wholly ignorant of his will The weeds of sin grow of themselves but the ground must be ploughed and sown and harrowed and watered before good Corn will spring up God expecteth that thou shouldst be both a Priest to offer up Sacrifice for and a Prophet to instruct and teach thy Family A good House-keeper is like that Nobleman who had for his impress two boundles of ripe Millet with this Motto Servare servari meum est for the nature of Millet is say some to guard it self from corruption and that which lieth nearest to it The Word of God and holy instructions to a Family are as salt which is helpful against putrifaction Mat. 5. Ye are the salt of the earth Masters must be sure to have salt in themselves and for their families It s said that the Hammanients in Cyrene made their houses of salt hewn out of their hills in maner of stone Hierom counselled Leta Let thy children daily give thee some account of some choice flowers gathered out of thy Bible Teach thy children to remember their creatour in the days of their youths It is too late to season flesh when it crawleth with wormes Do it therefore betimes Bishop Rider read and expounded the Psalm 101. which treateth the good Government of Families often to his houshould and hired them with mony to learn it Abraham had letters testimonial from Heaven of his sincerity and the favour to be trusted with Arcana imperii Gods secrets because of his faithfulness in this particular And the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham the things which I do For I know him that he will command his Children and his House hold after him and they shall keep the Way of the Lord Gen. 18.17
19. O how few Abrahams are there in England Many teach their Families the works of the Devil but few teach them the way of the Lord many lop their trees prune their plants break their horses train their hauks yea teach their dogs yet never instruct their children Friend consider the worth of thy children and servants souls and the weight of their everlasting estates and how in the dark of ignorance they must unavoidably stumble into Hell and for the Lords sake be perswaded to instruct them in the knowledge of the true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent John 17.3 Naturalists tell us that bees carry small gravel in their feet to poise their bodies as they fly through stormy Winds If thou wouldst not have thy little ones blown away with the Winds of temptations do thou labour to poise them with the principles of the Oracles of God Ah what pity is it that men like silly Doves without hearts should sit in their Dove-coats see their Nests destroyed and their young ones killed before their eyes but the old Manslayer the Devil and never stir or offer once to rescue or revenge them Good Lord what unnaturalness is is many Parents and Masters Cardan speaks of one that had a receipt for the certain dissolving the stone in the bladder and I question not saith he but he is damned for not discovering it before his death Thou knowest the word under God must cure the persons in thy family of the stone in the heart and wilt thou neglect to acquaint them with it but suffer them to dye eternally O Reader be not guilty of such horrid and barbarous cruelty Do as that holy Bishop of Armagh who one day in every week did Catechise his family It is reported of Lewis the ninth of France that he was found instructing a poor Kitchin Boy and being asked the reason answered piously I know the meanest in my family hath a soul as precious as my own and bought with the blood of Jesus Christ Our Saviour taught his Disciples often in private as their Governor and according to their capacities Mar. 4.33 Mat. 16.17 18. It is an honour to the highest prince to teach his Houshold Gods precepts O let thy words in thy family as the waters of Nilus often overflow to make others fruitful The Papists confess that all the ground which we have got of them is by Chatechising and instructing our youth 3. Singing of Psalms must be used in thy family The Lord Iesus and his family did practice this duty Mat. 26.30 And when they sang an Hymn they went out into the Mount of Olives David in that Psalm at the dedication of his house speaketh that his glory should sing praise to God and not be silent Psal 30. Title ver 4. and ult Our tongues are called our glory not onely because by our speech we excel beasts but chiefly because therewith we should glorifie God It is observable that most of those places which prophesie the Gentiles conversion do mention their worshipping the true God by singing Psa 108.3 and 100. Psa 66.4 Isa 54.1 and 52.8 The Holy Ghost when he commandeth that the word should keep house with us doth also enjoyn us to teach and admonish one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs which are the titles of Davids Psalms and the known division of them expresly answering to the Hebrew words Shurim Tehillim and Mizinurim by which his Psalms are distinguished and entitled as the learned observe singing and making melody with grace in our hearts to the Lord Col. 3.16 Ephes 5.19 Basilde Virt laud. Psa Tom. 1 Jam 5.13 Basil speaks high in the prayse of praysing God by this holy exercise Chrysostom speaketh of some in his time who always concluded their suppers with singing a Psalm and saith he they lived like Angels This ordinance will much quicken holy affections and help a Christian to serve God with more chearfulness When the Israelites were singing the hundred and thirty six Psalm at the bringing in the Ark the glory of the Lord filled the House 2 Chron. 20.22 The sweet singer in Israel was the man after Gods own heart Onely Reader be careful to sing Davids Psalms with Davids spirit and not like a Nightingale to sing by rote I will sing with my spirit and I will sing with understanding also making melody with grace in the heart is the best tune to set all Davids Psalms with Thirdly Set a good pattern to thy family The fore-horse in the Team had need to go right because all the rest follow in the same road If the Commander be treacherous how soon may he betray his Souldiers who follow him at the heels into the enemies hands A governour of a family must like Moses be mighty both in word and deed Patterns are very prevalent both to good and evil Precepts teach but examples draw Why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews Gal. 2.14 Peter did not compel them by his Preaching but by his pattern His example was so powerful that even Barnabas as well as others was drawn away therewith It is observable that Jeroboam seldom appeareth in the Heaven of Scripture but in the form of a Blazing Star with a tayl after him Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin by his precepts he commanded them to sin but by his pattern he compelled them to sin As examples are attractive to evil so also to good That if any beleive not they may be won without the word by the conversation of the wife 1 Pet. 3.1 2. If godliness be written in the book of thy life in a fair Character in a large lovely letter it may invite thy children and servants to read and like it who otherwise possibly would not have taken the least notice of it He that ruleth others must not be unruly himself If a ruler hearken to lies all his servants are wicked Pro. 29.12 If a Governour of a family a father or mother be a Drunkard a Swearer or an Atheist their Children will quickly imitate them They will as certainly inherit their lusts as their lands As some parents make their Children rich by their Lordships so they make them riotous by their evil lives Observe Abraham a good man denyeth his Wife Isaac is his heir not onely in his wealth but also in that weakness Isaac denieth his Wife likewise Gen. 20.2 with Gen. 26 7. Jacobs wives got little good by the pattern and practice of Laban their father Gen. 31.19 and 35.1 2. The Parents of the Children destroyed by the two she-Bears were wont to jeer Elijah in their ordinary talk What Elijah the bald-pate must be taken up to Heaven Forsooth as well as Elias The Chidren hearing it spoken by them learned it of them though they paid dear for their learning for it cost them their lives and for ought I know their souls 2 King 2.24 O Reader doth not thine heart ake to read
flesh How far are such from obedience to Gods Law Let the Husband honor the Wife as the weaker vessel that is use her tenderly China dishes and Venice glasses must be tenderly handled because they are weak vessels The Husband must with the mantle of love cover many infirmities An Heathen could tell Sarah That Abraham was a covering of the eyes to her Gen. 20.16 The eye is the tenderest part of the body God hath provided a special cover to fence it When God would speak his infinite respect to and care of his people he saith They are as dear to him as the apple of his eye Truly Husbands ought to be as tender of their Wives as of the apple of their eyes But Reader see the reason of this Injunction of love to Husbands and Wives That your prayers be not hindred as if he had said Winde up those weights of meekness and love or Religion will stand still Take away those needful props and piety will fall to the ground O friend as thou hast any love to the honor of God honor thy Wife as the weaker vessel if God hath caled thee to that relation If thou art a Wife be of a meek and quiet spirit If there be not concord in affections there will be sad discord in petitions When there is War in a Kingdom how are Sabbaths prophaned Ordinances despised Prayer and Scripture neglected men are hurried away in haste to this and that place and leave duties behinde them So in a family which is a Kingdom in a little volume Divisions will put Religion behinde and force it to stand back Rubenius Celer would needs have it engraven on his Tomb that he had lived with his Wife Ennea forty three years and eight moneths and yet they never fell out It is happy where the Husband and Wife are like the two branches in the Prophet Ezekiels hand so closed together in one bark that both made but one piece or like Pilades and Orestes of whom it is said They both lived but one life and where the whole family like the multitude of Believers is of one accord of one heart and of one soul in the Lord Acts 4.32 with the encrease of God I have now dispatched what I intended to offer thee for the advancement of Godliness in thy Family If thou art a stranger to this honorable comfortable work of worshipping God in and with thy Family O that I could prevail with thee to put the counsel of God speedily into practice I must assure thee from the Living and Almighty God That thou art accountable to the Judge of quick and dead for all the souls in thy Family God hath the chief propriety in every person in thy dwelling As the flock which Jacob looked after was Labans so the family which thou hast the oversight of is Gods Thy sons and thy daughters which thou hast born to me Ezek. 16.20 God may say to thee more truly then Laban did to Jacob These sons are my sons Gen. 39.43 and these daughters are my daughters and these servants are my servants and all that thou seest is mine Indeed God doth in effect say to thee what Pharaohs Daughter did to Moses Mother Take this childe and nurse it for me and I will give thee thy wages Exod. 2.9 Take this Son this Daughter and nurse them for me in my nurture and admonition Take this man-servant this maid-servant and bring them up for me in my fear and service and I will give thee an eternal reward Friend thou wouldst be faithful in bringing up Children or Servants for thy Brother or Soveraign and wilt thou be unfaithful in bringing up Sons and Servants to thy God and Saviour Is it fit that Gods servants should do the Devils work Let Conscience judge Did God give thee them to be brought up in drinking or swearing or lying or Atheism or like so many Heathen or Beasts without any knowledge of his Word and Will Did he honor and intrust thee with their education to have thee poyson their souls by thy irreligious pattern and starve their souls by not giving them spiritual food Is this thy love to thy Maker and Redeemer Besides I must tell thee As Jacob was answerable to Laban for the whole flock if any were torn by beasts or stollen by day or night he bore the loss of all Gen. 31.39 Of his hands it was required So art thou answerable to God for every one in thy Family if any one be devoured and torn in pieces by the roaring Lyon the Devil through thy negligence God will require his soul at thy hands O Reader consider Death will shortly break up thine house when thy children and servants must go to everlasting fire if they dye without grace and the knowledge and fear of God If thou art now careless about the eternal good of thy children and servants that they perish for ever through thy falseness and unfaithfulness how dreadful will thy account be What wilt thou do when the blood of their souls shall be required of thee If Christ sentence men to Hell for not visiting sick and imprisoned bodies for not feeding hungry bodies what sentence will he pass on thee for not visiting those souls committed to thy charge which were imprisoned by the Devil and sick unto death and for not giving them the bread of life but suffering them to starve and dye If on him that brought a temporal death on Cain vengeance should be taken sevenfold what vengeance shall be taken on thee who tumblest others into eternal death Believe it Reader these are no jesting things If therefore thou hast any bowels towards the children of thine own body if thou hast any compassion towards thy poor servants whom Christ thought worth his own blood if thou hast any love to thy dearest Saviour or thine own everlasting salvation if thou would leave this withering World with comfort and look into the other World with courage exercise thy self to godliness in thy family obey the particulars for that end commanded thee by the infinite God do thine utmost that all of thy family may be of the family of Faith and all of thine houshold may belong to the houshold of God that so when the King of Terrors shall give a discharge from all relations thou mayest with thy family be translated from living together in one House to dwell for ever in one Heaven Reader Thou mayest perceive in the close of the tenth Chapter that much more is promised then I have in this Treatise performed the payment of which though I do at present defer yet through the strength of Christ I shall not deny If thou hast any interest at the Throne of Grace I do earnestly desire thy prayers that this part may finde acceptance with the Saints and be instrumental for the advantage of many souls and that in the other part I may receive much assistance from the blessed Saviour thereby I shall be the more enabled to be serviceable to
Families page 523 Mind Religious duties in their Families page 529 Prayer must be in Families page 530 The Scriptures must be read in Families page 533 Psalmes must be sung in Families page 536 Governours of Families must give a good pattern page 538 All in a Family must be imployed page 549 The Governour of a Family must take care that his whole Family sanctifie the Lords day page 542 He must set up Discipline in his Family page 545 He must maintain love in his Family page 553 Godly Fear requisite in holy duties page 120 Fervency requisite in Prayer page 172 G THe things of God are the things of the greatest weight page 53 Godliness taken two ways page 8 9 Godliness Vide Religion Godly men meet with much opposition in the way to heaven page 65 Godliness must be our principal business page 94 95 In every part of our lives page 102 103 H A Good Harvest Gods gift page 485 486 It is our duty to Hear the word page 200 Evil Frames hinder us in Hearing page 205 Prejudice against the Preacher must be laid aside by them that would profit by Hearing page 206 to 211 The Heart must be affected with the weight efficacy and excellency of the word which we Hear page 212 Prayer requisite before hearing page 216 Right ends in Hearing to be minded page 221 False ends in hearing to be avoided page 220 Worldly thoughts hinder our Hearing page 221 222 We must hear as in Gods presence page 223 We must pray after we have Heard Vide the Word God looks much after our Hearts page 17 170 Heaven not to be obtained without diligence labour page 60 to 65 Humility required in prayer page 167 168 I IDolaters are zealous and prodigal page 418 419 Idleness the evils of it page 552 Intemperance a great sin page 417 The mischeifs of Intemperance page 418 419 Joy in God seasonable on a Lords day page 364 L LOrds day of divine institution page 337 338 God takes special notice how we keep the Lords day page 339 Preparation needful for a Lords day page 342 Wherein preparation to a Lords day consisteth page 343 to 346 Lords day a great priviledge page 348 Lords day a spicial season to get and increase grace in page 353 Publique Ordonances chiefly to be minded on the Lords day page 356 to 362 The whole Lords day to be sanctified page 372 Brief Directions for the Sanctification of the whole Lords day page 381 to 391 A good Wish about the sanctification of the Lords day page 391 A good Wish to the Lords day page 396 Lords day Vide Families and Meditation Love of Christ Vide Christs Love to Christians tried page 273 Love a help to Godliness page 553 M. MAn created for Religion Vide Epistles and page 39 Good Counsel about Marriage page 425 Meekness requisite in a Wife page 562 Meditation needful before prayer page 138 Meditation a duty on a Lords day page 377 Ministers must be godly page 6 and 498 A Minister must be industrious page 6 7. 502 People must pray for their Minister page 219 220 Ministers must act from right principles and for right ends page 499 500 Ministers must be able 501. Compassionate 504. Faithful 501 Full of courage 505. Ministers must Preach plainly purely prudently and powerfully page 507 to 510 Ministers must pray for their people page 510 Administer Sacraments 511. Chatechise 510. Visit people page 512 Ministers must be exceeding tende what example they give their people ib. Ministers must not be discouraged if their labours be not successful page 513 Ministers must give the glory of their success to God page 514 N HOw a Christian in Natural Actions may make Religion his business page 400 A good wish about Natural Actions page 441 O OBedience required page 322 341 Obedience must be in heart and life page 17 18 Obedience must be Canonical page 19 Ordinances their ends and use page 130 131 Ordinances Vide duties and Lords day P GOd hath an extrodinary respect for a Penitent soul page 277 278 Perseverance required page 35 Perseverance in prayer page 189 Pleasures Vide Recreations The excellency of Prayer page 137 138 The Prevalency of Prayer page 141 142 Prayer hath a twofold Preheminence above all other duties page 138 The Nature of Prayer page 140 The Antecedents to Prayer page 147 Meditation an help to Prayer page 148 Meditation of our sins wants and miseries needful before Prayer page 149 to 155 Meditation of God helpful to Prayer page 155 Quickening and stirring up of grace needful to Prayer page 157 Sin hindreth Prayer page 159 160 Anger hindreth Prayer page 161 Worldly Distractions hinder Prayer page 162 Gods Word must be the rule for the matter of our Prayers page 163 The Person Praying must be holy page 165 Prayer must be Vpright 170. Humble 167. Fervent 172 Constant page 178 What it is to Pray Continually page 180 A Caution about fervency in Prayer page 176 Its an ill sign to be Prayerless page 184 185 After Prayer wait for an Answer page 186 Means must be used for the obtaining our Prayers page 191 Preparation to Religious duties needful page 343 Preparation to Hearing Vide Hearing Preparation to the Lords day Vide Lords day R REcreations are lawful 446. they must not be our occupation 450 they must be used for good ends 454. In due season page 456 Recreations are unseasonable on a Lords day page 457 458 and in times of the Churches sufferings page 461 A good wish about Recreations page 462 Religion must be our business page 10 What Religion is page 13 14 The several derivations of the word Religion page 13 What it is to make it ones business 21. It implieth to give it precedency 22. To pursue it with industry 26. To persevere with constancy page 35 Why Religion must be made our business page 39 Religion is the end of mans creation page 40 Religion is a work of the greatest weight 45 to 49. It is Soul-work 49. It is God-work 52. It is Eternity-work page 57 The necessity of making Religion our business page 60 to 70 Religion much neglected page 72 The neglect of Religion bewailed page 73 79 Our greatest care must be about Religious duties page 108 Vide Godliness and Duties Repentance consisteth in mourning for sin and turning from sin page 276 280 S SAints called Lillies why page 268 Saints shamed by sinners page 88 89 92 93 Scripture a great mercy page 198 Vide Hearing and the Word Sacrament of the Lords Supper a seal of the Covenant page 251 The Sacrament a resemblance of Christs death 252. An evidence of his love 253. A great Supper in four respects page 253. The excellency of the Sacrament page 255 Much care about the Supper page 255 256 The danger of receiving the Supper unworthily page 256 to 262 Christ takes notice how men prepare for the Sacrament page 257 Preparation requisite before it 264 265. Wherein preparation for it consisteth page 266 to 279 Our dependance must be on Christ for assistance after our greatest preparation for the Sacrament page 282 Subjects to be meditated on at a Sacrament 285. Christs sufferings 286 to 293. Christs love 293 to 300. Our own sins ib. Graces to be exercised at the Sacrament 300. Faith in its threefold act 303 to 310. Love 312. Repentance page 315 What a Christian should do after a Sacrament page 319 320 Men to be very careful in the choice of Servants page 526 527 Sinners very zealous for sin page 87 88 89 Sobriety vide Temperance Sleep how to be ordered page 437. Its ends 440. Quantity page 437 Season page 439 Soul-work weighty page 49 The welfare of the body dependeth on the Soul page 51 The Souls excellency page 50 T. TEmperance commended page 416 Vide Natural Actions and Eating Thankfulness enjoyned 413 415. For the Word 236. For the Sacrament page 319 U. VNgodliness brancheth it self into Atheism and superstition page 1 2 Uprightness acceptable to God page 171 Unthankfulness page 408 W GOod Counsel about the Choice of a Wife page 525 526 Word why called the grace of God page 203 Gods power alone can make the Word effectual page 217 218 When the Word cometh with power then it profiteth page 229 Its woful to live under the Word and not to be changed by it page 231 We must bless God for his Word page 237 The Word must be obeyed page 240 241 242 Word Vide Hearing Worldlings eager for the World page 74 to 78 Our Worship of God must be inward and outward page 14 to 19 Man made for the Worship of God Vide Man God is very choice in his Worship page 109 110 Gods Worship must be according to his Word page 19 20 God alone the object of Worship page 16 Its ill to dally with Gods Worship page 112 Much Watchfulness required in the Worship of God page 113 Y YOuth Vide Family instruction FINIS
many a Sermon hath been lost because this was wanting and the Viols of our souls must be tuned to praise God or otherwise they will sound but harshly in his ears The Priests were to wash in the Laver when they went into the Tabernacle and when they came near to the Altar to Minister upon pain of death Exod. 30.19 20. Signifying that to holy performances there is required holy prepartion Sutable to which is Davids speech I will wash my hands in innocency so will I compass thine Altar Psa 26. When the Temple was to be built the stones were hewn and the timber squared and fitted before they were brought to the place where the Temple stood there was neither ax nor hammer nor any use of them in the Temple And what doth this speak but that the Christian must be pollished and prepared to be a spiritual Temple an habitation for the God of Jacob and also fitted for his worship which was then in the Temple There is no duty but requires some previous dispositi on A little break-fast quickens the appetite to a good dinner duty fits the heart for duty Consider prayer The Christian must be poor in spirit that would prevail in prayer for spiritual riches The vessel must be empty before it can be fil'd O Lord thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear Psa 10.17 for hearing the weeds must be pluckt up before the grain be thrown into the ground Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and Hypocrisies As new born born babes desire the sincere milk of the word 1 Pet. 2.1 2. In singing the lungs must be good the inwards clean before the voice will be sweet and clear O God my heart is fixed my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Psa 57.7 So for the Lords day the Israelites had their preparation It was the preparation that is the day before the Sabbath Mark 15.42 The preparation for the Lords day consisteth partly in care so to order Worldly businesses that they may not incroach on the Sabbath Some expositours observe that the word Remember in the fourth Command enjoyneth a provident foresight and diligent dispatch of earthly affairs on the day before that nothing may remain to disquiet us in or disturb Gods day of rest There is an observable place If thou keep thy foot from my Sabbath Isa 58.13 that is from treading on my holy ground with the dirty feet of earthly affairs or affections The Jews preparation began at three of the clock in the afternoon Inritibus Pagan which the Hebrews called the Sabbath Eve The antient Fathers called Caena pura from the Heathen say some whose Religion taught them in their Sacrifices to certain of their Gods to prepare themselves by a strict kind of holiness at which time they had a Supper consisting of meats holy in their opinion The Jews were so careful in their preparation Buxtoâ—â— Syna gog Iud. c. 10. extalmâ—d that saith mine Author to further it the best and wealthiest of them even those that had many servants and were Masters of Families would chop hearbs sweep the house cleave wood kindle the fire and do such like things The marriner that intendeth a voyage putteth his Ship off from Land so truly Friend if thou woulst lanch Heaven-ward upon a Lords day there is a necessity that the Vessel of thy heart be put off from the earth When our blessed Saviour was teaching the people he was disturbed by one that told him Behold thy Mother and thy brethren standwithout desiring to speak with thee Mat. 12.47 So when thou art hearing or praying or about any Religious Ordinance what an hinderance what a disturbance will it be for thy heart to suggest to thee Man thy calling thy companions or such and such things which lye upon the spoil through thy negligence in the week-days they all stand without desiring to speak with thee If thou wouldst avoid distraction prevent the occasions As Isaiah said to Hezekiah Set thine house in order against thy deaths day So I say to thee Set thy house in order and thy heart in order against the Lords day The main preparation of the heart for a Sabbath lyeth in removing the filth of Sin Accedentiad divina mysteria deique contemplationem deponenda sunt calceamenta i.e. passiones affectiones simul rationes humanae terrenae Cor. a Lapid in Exod 3. and in quickening and awakening grace sin must be removed If the stomach be foul it must be purged before it be fed or the meat will nourish and strengthen not nature but the ill humours If a man purge himself from these It is true of evil affections as well as evil persons he shall be a Vesselunto honor sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work 2 Tim. 2.21 Superfluity of naughtiness must be laid aside before we can receive the word with meekness James 1.21 When the Vessel is unclean it sowres quickly the sweetest liquors powred into it when the heart is unclean it loseth the good it might receive by the truths of God As sin must be cast out so grace must be called up Grace is like fire apt to be deadish and dull thy duty is before-hand therefore to blow it up Most people upon a Sabbath adorn their bodies with their best cloaths but Alass who almost attireth his soul as he ought on this day when he is going to meet the blessed Redeemer Reader Suppose thou wert a person of great quality and estate and the King should send thee word that he would dine with thee to morrow what preparation wouldst thou make for his entertainment would not thy first work be to cleanse thy house by causing the dust to be swept out the flores to be washt nay rubd every thing to be neat and cleanly Wouldst thou not put up thy choicest Hangings lay on thy richest Carpets bring out thy best plate adorn thy room with thy costliest furniture endeavour that all things should be in print somwhat suitable to the dignity of so great a Prince I tell thee that the great King of all the World doth give thee notice in his Word that on such a day being the Sabbath he intends to sup with thee Now friend what preparation wilt thou make to testifie thy respect to this blessed and onely Potentate Canst thou beforehand do less then sweep out the dust of sin and wash the room of thine heart clean adorn it with the best furniture the Graces the embroidery of the Holy Ghost Truly unless this be done Christ will not think himself welcome nay all thy pretended entertainment of him will be not onely infinitely unworthy of but also provoking to so jealous and glorious a Prince Believe it thy profit by a Sabbath depends not a little upon thy preparation for the Sabbath till the matter be prepared how can it receive the form Job 11.12 13. Thou hast enjoyed many Lords