our selves as against all filthy and unclean speeches so likewise against all idle words These are the kinds of corrupt Speeches and communication which we ought the more carefully to avoyd in regard of the hainousness thereof II. Accustome your selves to holy conâ—â—rences and good communication It is not sufficient to abstain from corrupt communication except you accustome your selves to good communication for it is good and gracious speech which commendeth a good and a sound heart even as its good fruit which commends a good tree III. In all your conferences forbear to speak evil of others This direction the Apostle Iames giveth Speak not saith he evâ—l one of another the word in the original properly signifieth a speaking one against another and forbids all manner of words tending to the disgrace and disparagemen of your Neighbour whether that you speak be for the matter of it true or false for a man may bee said to speak evil of his Neighbour two ways viz. 1 By raising false reports 2 By a divulging of their secret evils This God did expresly forbid his own people the Jewes Thou shalt not goe up and down as a Tale-bearer among the people like unto a Pedler which carrieth his Pack from house to house venting here a little and there a little until at length he hath uttered all his Wares Thus there are too too many who goe up and down from house to house uttering slanders and reproaches as Wares which indeed is the Devils proper sin who is stiled the accuser of his brethren Oh consider that God will surely recompence this into your bosomes for as our Saviour speaketh Iudge not that yee bee not judged for with what judgement yee judge yee shall be judged and with what measure yee mete it shall be measured to you again So that thou shalt be sure to find others that will be as ready to judge thee and to speak evil of thee as thou hast of thy brother who will have as little care of thy credit as thou hast had of thy brothers so farre shouldst thou be from wronging thy neighbour by being the author and spreader of evil reports that thou shouldst not lend thine ear to them that spread them for thine ears may be as guilty as thy tongue therefore such evil speaking should not be heard without some expression of dislike which would bee a special means for the suppressing of them IV. Be not lavish in your words but sparing in your speech utter not all that you hear or know Which rule the Apostle Iames giveth in Chap. 1. 19. Let every man saith he be swift to hear but slow to speak V. Be well advised before you speak for oftentimes many mens tongues doe over-run and out-strip their wits But doe you forethink whether that you are about to speak be suitable and seasonable and let not thy tongue run before thy mind VI. Let your ordinary speech be plain without oathes and imprecations yea without all vain asseverations and protestations This direction our Saviour giveth Let your communication bee yea yea nay nay i. e. let your ordinary speech be plain and naked without any oathes imprecations asseverations and protestations For whatsoever is more than these i. e. whatsoever exceedeth a simple affirmation or negation cometh of evil i. e. of the evil one the Devil VII In all your Conferences speak nothing but the truth This direction the Apostle giveth Wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth with his neighbour Though lying be a sin common amongst all sorts of people not only children but also grown men and women as in their ordinary discourse so especially in their trading wherein what more ordinary than lying and dissembling yet is it a most hainous sin as will appear by due consideration of these particulars 1 It is a Sin against knowledge and conscience it cannot be ignorantly committed for ignorance is against the nature of a lye the word in Latine to lye is as much as to speak against ones mind and knowledge 2 It is most agreeable to the Devils nature so that a lying spirit is a Diabolical spirit and a Lyar carrieth the very image and picture of the Devil who is the father of lyes 3 It pulleth down Gods fearful Iudgement and Vengeance and that both temporal in this world and eternal in the world to come for proof whereof observe in general what David saith Psal. 5. 6. God will destroy all that speak lyes More particularly for Temporal Judgements in this world the Prophet Hosea reckons up this Sin amongst those gross sins which caused God to send Famine Plague Sword Captivity and other like Judgements on the Israelites For eternal Judgements we find them likâ—wise threatned against this Sin as in Revel 21. 27. we find Lying reckoned amongst those sins which bar us out of heaven and Revel 21. 8. we find it reckoned amongst those sins which thrust us into Hell But the fearful and unbeleeving and Murtherers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and Lyars shall have their part in the Lake whâ—ch burneth with fire and brimstone here lying is reckoned amongst those sins which thrust us into Hell And wee may further observe amongst what hainous and capital Sins Lyars are reckoned even amongst Murtherâ—rs Whoremongers c. which further shews the hainousness of this sin VIII Pray unto God to sanctifie your speech and so to direct it by his holy Spirit that it may tend as to the glory of his name so to the good both of the speaker and hearer All our endeavours are nothing without God and therefore we had need goe unto him by prayer so to sanctifie our words and speeches that they may tend to the good of others and minister grace to the hearers CHAP. VII Of Watchfulness over our Actions AS we must be watchful over our thoughts and words so likewise over our actions For the more profitable pressing of this part of Christian watchfulness I shall give you some helps to direct you therein I. Make Gods Word the rule of all thy actions This direction the Apostle hinteth in Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this rulâ— peace be on them and mercy Where the Apostle terms the Word of God the rule whereby we must walk and square all our actions Quest. What is to be done in such cases wherein we are doubtful and uncertain of the will and mind of God and what is most agreeable thereunto Ans. 1. In doubâ—ful cases where the reasons on both sides seem to be equally ballanced observe which side seems most to tend to the glory of God the good of thy Neighbour and thine own Spiritual welfare and incline rather thereunto and know that when thou shalt propound these things as thine end and aym and make them thy Bias God will then delight to make known his good pleasure to thee 2 Seek advice from others whom thou conceivest to bee godly
manner of performing this duty both certain General Rules must be observed and also Particular according to diverse circumstances General Rules are these 1 Hee that reproveth another must lift up his heart in prayer unto God that hee would so guide his tongue and move the others heart that his reproof may bee profitable unto him For without Gods blessing all our admonitions and reproofs will prove but words spoken in the air 2 Our reproof must bee done in love aiming therein at our brothers good and not at all at his disgrace For 〈◊〉 the Apostle speaketh All things must bee done in love And as 〈◊〉 things so especially this of reproof Concerning Particular Rules both the state of the party reproving and of the party reproved and the quality of the sin together with time and place must bee observed 1 The state and condition of the party reproving must bee observed As they who have authority over others have greater liberty to reprove so if they have to deal with notorious scandalous offenders they then may and must do it 1 With authority as the Apostle exhorteth Rebuke with authority 2 Sharply So the Apostle commandeth Rebuke them sharply The word in the Greek translated sharply properly signifieth cuttingly or to the quick Ely failed herein though hee reproved his sons for their wickedness yet it was not sharply and to the quick but with too much gentleness and mildness 2 The mind and â—isposition of the party reproved must be observed For if hee bee flexible and ingenuous hee must with mildness bee reproved even with the spirit of meekness as the Apostle Paul expresseth it But yet severity must bee used when lenity prevails not 3 The state and condition of the party reproved is to bee observed For 1 If it bee our Superiour it must be done with all reverence and humility rather beseeching and exhorting than plainly rebuking as Naamans servants did their Master 2 If the party to be reproved be our equal then it must bee done without all bitterness even with all love Reproof is a bitter pill and therefore it must alwaies be rolled with Sugar expressing much meekness of spirit and compassion of heart shewing in the hatred of our brothers sin our love of his person 4 The quality of the sin reproved must likewise bee observed 1 Private offences must bee privately reproved For saith our Saviour If thy brother trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone But open and scandalous offences must be reproved openly For saith the Apostle Them that sin viz. openly and with scandal rebuke before all i. e. before the whole assembly of the Church that others also may fear 2 Sins directly tending to Gods dishonour must bee reproved with an holy zeal and indignation Christ thus often reproved the Scribes and Pharisees And thus Peter reproved Simon Magus 5 The seâ—â—onableness of the time must with great wisdome bee observed To rebuke a drunkard in his drunkenness is folly Abigal knew as much and therefore said nothing to Nabal in his drunken fit but in the morning when the wine was gone out of him So neither is it seasonable to reprove a man for his passion in his passion wait rather for a fit time till a mans fit and passion bee over 6 The seasonableness of the place must likewise bee observed Unless it bee for due and just censure let it not bee in publick Assemblies open streets with the like But if by the way thou observest a man sin whom thou knowest not whether ever thou shalt see him again or no then as privily as thou canst thou maist meekly rebuke him Thus shalt thou manifest thy Zeal for Gods glory thine hatred of sin and thy care for thy brothers salvation CHAP. XIV Directions to the Rich. AS the Apostle Paul knew how to bee abased and how to abound how to bee full and how to bee hungry i. e. hee had learned in the School of Christ how to carry himself Christian-like in a rich and in a poor estate So it will bee a point of special wisdome in us to know how to carry our selves Christian-like through variety of conditions how to mannage every estate For your better help herein I shall give you some Directions 1 How to carry your selves Christian-like in a rich and full estate 2 How to carry your selves Christian-like in a poor and mean estate I. Look up unto God and often think of him as the author and donor of all the good things thou dost injoy When thou hast gotten wealth say not This I have gotten by my own wisdome and policy by mine own travel pains and indeavour But say with Iob This the Lord hath given acknowledge his hand of providence in what thou hast This direction the Lord giveth his own people by Moses When thou art grown rich say not in thine heart my power and the might of my hand hath gotten mee this wealth but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is hee that giveth thee power to get wealth Noting wealth and riches to bee the special gift of God II. Bless God for what thou hast This duty likewise the Lord required of his own people When thou hast eaten and art full then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God III. Labour to see Gods special love to thee in common mercies For what good will the injoyment of any thing do thee unless thou canst see Gods love as well as his bounty therein Quest. How may I know that these outward mercies which I do injoy are bestowed upon mee in love and favour Answ. 1 If they inflame thy heart with a love to God causing thee to love him the more because hee hath been so bountiful unto thee 2 If thou findest in thy self a willingness to honour God in the use of those good things thou hast received from him by laying out a portion thereof towards the maintenance of Gods worship or the releef of Gods poor then thou hast a comfortable evidence that they are bestowed upon thee in love 3 If it bee the grief of thine heart that thou dost not answer the loving kindness of the Lord towards thee that thy conversation is so unsuitable to his gracious dispensations towards thee This is an evident sign that what thou hast received from God was bestowed upon thee in love IV. Beware of being puffed up with Pride For wealth and riches are very apt to make men proud as the Apostle intimateth 1 Tim. 6. 17. Charge them that are rich in this world that they bee not high minded implying that riches are very apt to make men high-minded to think of themselves above what is meet especially such as are raised out of nothing unto a great estate V. Therefore labour to bee humble under thine abundance to be low in thine own thoughts when thou art high in the world which indeed will prove thy
to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy 2 At your first awaking in the morning lift up your hearts to God in Prayer and Thanksgiving for that comfortable rest and sleep hee hath vouchsafed unto you the night past For it is he â—hat giveth his beloved sleep and who reneweth his mercy every morning And then begge of God the assistance of his Spirit to carry you through all the duties of the day 3 Rise early on the Sabbath Day for in regard there are as secret duties of Piety to be performed by you in your Clossets so private duties of Piety in and with the Family if you live in a Family before you goe to the publick Congregation yee ought to rise so early that you may have convenient time for these duties and be at the Church at the beginning of the Exercises How blame worthy then are they who on the week-dayes can rise betimes to follow their worldly businesses but on the Lords Day doe lye longer in bed than ordinarily giving themselves up to their carnal ease and rest Is this to keep holy the Sabbath Day thus to sleep away the first and chiefest part thereof 4 In your rising let out your hearts in a serious meditation of Iesus Christ and of the great things he hath done and suffered for you and of the many good things whereof in and through him you are made partakers Meditate likewise on the infinite Majesty of God whom the glorious Angels adore with covered faces that your hearts being possessed with an aweful apprehension thereof you may perform the duties of Gods worship and service with such everence as becometh so sacred a Majesty 5 So soon as you are up and ready with-draw your self into some privaâ—e place and there read some porâ—ion of the Scriptures which will be an excellent means to season your hearts and compose your minds yea hereby you will be the better prepared to hear the Word preached and the better enabled to try the Doctrines delivered according to the exhortation of the Apostle Prove all things hold fast that which is good 6 As Prayer is a duty to be performed every morning so especially on the Lords-Day morning which is in some measure to bee suitable thereunto Having therefore confessed your sins and begged the pardon of them together with power against them and grace to serve God then pray both for the Minister and for your selves 1 For the Minister that God would give him a door of utterance that he may open his mouth boldly to publish the Mysteries of the Gospel yea that he may speak the VVord truly sincerely powerfully and profitably delivering that which is suitable and seasonable to your condition 2 For your selves that God would banish out of your heads all worldly wandring thoughts which may distract your minds in the hearing of the Word and so choaking that heavenly seed make it fruitless And that he would give unto you as attention to hearken so understanding to conceive wisdome to apply judgement to discern faith to beleeve memory to retain and grace to practise what you shall hear that so the Word may prove unto you a savour of life unto life and not a savour of death unto death These two last duties of reading the Word and Prayer are not to be performed only alone in secret but likewise in and with your Families if so be you be Parents and Masters of Families and therefore before you goe to the publick Ordinances call your Family together and pray with them as for other things so in special for the influences of the grace of God and the incomes of his Spirit upon your hearts and spirits in the good duties you shall take in hand that so you may perform them after such a manner as glory may redound to Gods name and some spiritual good and advantage to your own souls These are the duties to be performed by way of preparation Having thus fitted and prepared your selves I. Call your Fâ—mily together your Children and Servants and take them along with you to the publick Congregation and â—et Ioshuahs resolution bee often in your mind As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. And as you are going 1 Consider whither you are going viz. Not to a Fair or Market but to the House of God where God himself is present to behold you yea where God himself speaketh by the mouth of his Ministers 2 Go with a readiness of heart and resolution of mind to receive every truth that shall bee made known unto you out of Gods Word with such an heart came Cornelius to hear Peter Wee are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God said Cornelius to Peter And it is said of the Bereans that they received the Word with all readiness of mind II. Being come into Gods House observe these Rules and Directions 1 Set your selves as in the sight and presence of God who not onely observeth your outward carriage and behaviour but likewise understandeth all the imaginations of your hearts and is privy to every wandring thought in praying hearing and other holy duties which will be a special means to keep your minds from roving after other matters 2 Labour to hear the word with profit To this end and purpose I finde four special virtues commended in the Scripture viz. 1 Humility 2 Honesty 3 Attention 4 Faith 1 Humility for when a man is of an humble lowly meek and contrite spirit then is hee fit to hear the Word because hiâ— heart being emptied of pride and self-conceitedness there will be room for the Word to take place therefore saith David The meek will the Lord guide in judgement and the meek will hee teacâ— his way And saith the Lord himself by his Prophet Isaiah To this man will I look even to him that is poor viz. poor in spirit and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word 2 Another virtue requisite to the profitable hearing of the Word is Honesty or uprightness of heart whereby a man sincerely purposeth in every thing to approve himself unto God as to avoid every sin whatsoever that the Word condemneth be it never so delightsome or profitable unto him so to indeavour himself to the performance of every duty belonging to his place and calling which the Word commandeth This is that honest and good heart which our Saviour intendeth Luk. 8. 15. 3 As Honesty so Attention is requisite while the Word is preaching you must diligently attend thereunto as they who would be loath to lose a word that should be delivered This particular is noted of those that heard Christ-preach of whom it is said That they were attentive to hear him or as the Greek text hath it All the people hanged on him to hear him i. e. They were very attentive as unwilling to let any thing pass them So should you be as attentive to the Ministery of the
it out of conscience to the Word and command of God who requireth you to yeeld sincere service and obedience to your Masters for this will stirre you up to doe it after the best manner you can that so God may accept thereof and reward you for the same 3 Your obedience must be cheerful This the Apostle intimateth Collos. 3. 23. where he saith Whatsoever yee doe doe it heartily i. e. whatsoever yee doe in the service of your Masters doe it from the heart as it is in the Greek that is with good will as the Apostle in another place expounds himself saying With good will doing service or us the Greek word properly signifieth with a good and cheerful mind So that Servants ought not to doe their work grudgingly or discontentedly as it were with an ill will but cheerfully with a good will 4 Your obedience must be universal unto every thing which they require of you so much the Apostle expresseth Servants saith he obey your Masters in all things i. e. not only in such things as seem easie and most pleasing to your fancy but whatsoever they command you being not contrary to the Word of God but are in themselves honest and lawful for if they shall command you to lye swear or to use false weights and measures which are things forbidden by God you ought not therein to yeeld to their commands but to say unto them as Ioseph did to his Mistris How shall I doe this great wickedness and sin against God though hee was a Servant to his Master yet would hee not be a Servant to his Mistris lusts II. Another Duty incumbent upon Servants is Diligence in dispatching their Masters work and business without loitering or minding their own ease and pleasure but as their strength and time is their Masters so they ought to put forth their strength and imploy their whole time in their Masters service I say their whole time excepting some part thereof for their secret devotions especially their Morning and Evening Prayers unto God for Servants must have respect to their Master in Heaven as well as to their Master on earth and make as much conscience of performing their duty to him as to their Masters according to the flesh for indeed the Lord is the best Master who gives the best wages and largest rewards III. Another Duty is Faithfulness Servants must shew all faithfulness to their Masters as the Apostle expresseth Both that trust that is reposed in Servants and that account that is to bee taken of them require faithfulness Doe you not remember what the Lord said to his Steward Give an account of thy stewardship And were not all the servants to whom talents were committed called to an account How then doth it concern all Servants to be faithful to their Masters which they ought to express both in their words and deeds 1 In words not daring to excuse any unwarrantable act with the telling of a lye which is to adde sin unto sin let all lying Servants consider the fearful Judgement executed on Gehazâ— who when his Master asked him where he had been presently answered him with a lye saying Thy servant went no whither whereupon he went out of his presence a Leper as white as snow 2 In deeds and that several wayes 1 Not disposing their Masters goods at their own pleasures either to themselves by taking more than is allowed them or to others by giving any part thereof away Many Servants think they may lawfully give away Victuals and other things of their Masters to the Poor but though they may inform their Masters or Mistresses of such things in the house meet to be given away and likewise of persons fit to receive such almes yet have they no power of themselves to give away any thing of their Masters and pretence of Charity is no good excuse for Theft 2 Not pilfering and purloyning their Masters goods to their own private use which the Apostle expresly condemneth in Servants Tit. 2. 10. Let all pilfering Servants know that there is a Book full of Curses and Plagues against every one that stealeth or sweareth which Book is large twenty cubits long and ten cub its broad and yet is filled with Curses that shall come swiftly upon them as the Prophet Zechary speaketh 3 But rather labouring to preserve and increase their Masters estate by all good and lawful means Thus the Apostle Paul expresseth the duties of Servants Not purloining but shewing all good fidelity viz. to their Masters in increasing their estate which is highly commended in that faithful servant in the Parable for which hee received from his Lord and Master both a gracious approbation in these words Well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful in a few things and also a plentiful remuneration in the next words I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. So that hee that is faithful in a little taketh the best course to become Ruler of much if the Lord see it good for him CHAP. XXX Of resting upon Christ alone for Life and for Salvation HAving in the foregoing Chapters given you several practical Directions for your Christian Conversation in the world shewing you how to walk with God all the day long in your several Callings Conditions and Relations I shall close this Treatise with one general Caution namely That when you have in some measure put in practice the foremetioned Rules and Directions you would beware of resting therein and of looking for life and for salvation in and thorow them And truly there is good reason for this Caution because it is natural for men out of Christ to seek for salvation by their own works and to rest on them which is one of the most dangerous things in the world For so long as a man doth so hee is uncapable of Christ as seeing no need hee hath of a Saviour It is said of the Iews that they lost salvation because they sought it not by Faith i. e. by Faith in Christs Righteousness in what he had done and suffered but sought it by the own Righteousness i. e. by resting in their own works which indeed is the high-way to hell and destruction as well as the way of sin though it be somewhat a cleaner way For there is a double way to hell The way of Sin and the way of Duty The way of Sin is a filthy dirty way whereas the way of Duty is a fairer cleaner way I mean Duties rested in are the ready way to hell and destruction Whereupon it was the counsel of Luther To take heed not onely of our sins but also of our duties i. e. of resting in them and building our hope of salvation upon them Therefore to take you off from that I shall commend to your serious consideration two fundamental Principles necessary to be known of all that will be saved 1 That Iesus Christ
grace is past and thâ—t it is now too late having so long stood out against the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ. For the removal of this I shall propound four things to your serious consideration 1 It is not for any man to say his day of grace is past for that is one of those secrets which belong only unto God to know And we must not meddle with Gods secrets but check our selves for it 2 If thou hast stood out against Christ hitherto thou hast now therefore the more reason to come in and cloze with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ. 3 If thou hast an heart desirous to cloze with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ it is certain thy day of grace is not yet past Christ still knocks at the door of thine heart therefore now resolve to open unto him 4 Consider that Christ hath several seasons of bringing men home to himself some hee brings home to himself in the latter end of the day who questionless refused him in the former part thereof and therefore so long as life lasteth do not say it is too late but stir up thy self to receive Jesus Christ as hee is offered in the Gospel and to rest upon him and his merits alone for life and salvation Having thus shewed you the Lets and Impediments to be removed II. I proceed now to the truths to be imbraced which are these 1 That every man out of Christ is in a wretched miserable condâ—tion liable to the wrath of God to the curse of the Law to all judgements and plagues here and to eternal death and condemnation hereafter with the Devils and damned in Hell flames Yea every Christless man and woman hang over the very mouth of Hell by the rotten thred of their lives which is ready every moment to crack and then what can be expected but an irrecoverable downfall into Hell 2 That no man is able to help himself out of this wretched miserable condition for as the Apostle speaketh We are not sufficient of our selves so much as to think a good thought much less can we doe any thing of our selves to free our selves from so great a bondage and slavery as sin hath brought us into 3 That God himself out of his free grace and rich mercy did send his own Son out of his bosome into the world to take our Nature upon him that therein he might redeem us out of our wretched miserable condition 4 That Christ is an all-sufficient Saviour who by his Death hath made full satisfaction to Gods Justice for all our sins and therefore is able to save us to the uttermost to the uttermost of our sins yea to the uttermost of our fears and doubts 5 That Iesus Christ is willing to receive and embrace all poor sinners who will but goe unto him and cast themselves and the burthen of their sins upon him as appears by his manifold gracious invitations unto poor Sinners who are but sensible of their sins to come unto him 6 That there is no way or means of Salvation but only by beleeving in Jesus Christ and beleeving is necessary to salvation in two respects 1 As it is the Command of God that we should beleeve in the name of his Son Jesus Christ as 1 Ioh. 3. 23. This is his Commandement that we should beleeve on the name of his Son Iesus Christ. 2 As it is the condition or means that God hath set down for the obtaining of eternal life and salvation as Ioh. 3. 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Hence it is that unbelief is made the only ground and reason of mens Damnation Though men shall be punished for all other sins yet not beleeving is the ground and reason why they perish by their sins because beleeving in Jesus Christ is the only means of Salvation These are the Truths to be embraced III. Come we now to the Duties to be practised 1 Upon a serious apprehension of thy miserable condition without Christ labour to stirre up in thy soul some affectionate longing restless desires after the Lord Jesus Christ that thou maist in truth from thine heart say Oh that Christ were mine oh that upon any terms my Soul might enjoy him This is the lifting up of the doors and gates of the Soul that so the King of glory mâ—y enter in and dwell there 2 Being convinced that there is no way or means of Salvation but only by going out of thy self unto Jesus and casting thy self upon him Adventure thy soul upon Christ cast thy self into his arms and be sure thou give not way to carnal reasonings to doubtings and temptations from the number and hainousness of thy sins or from thine unworthiness but reason from the entent and freeness of Gods offer of Christ and from Christs willingness to receive all poor Sinners that will but adventure their souls upon him saying with Iob Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Job 13 15. and with Ester I will go if I perish I perish I will perish trusting upon Jesus Christ. 3 Diligently frequent the publick Ministery of the Word it being the ordinary means God hath sanctified for the working of faith in our hearts according to that of the Apostle Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God And the hearing of the Gospel is called the hearing of faith because by hearing the Doctrin of Faith the Spirit works the grace of faith in our hearts This is the still Voyce in which he speaks to the hearts of Sinners and when God by his Spirit doth begin to work upon thine heart in the hearing of the Word doe thou second the work of Gods Spirit by oft meditating thereon and applying it unto thy self more and more And whensoever any sin is pressed home upon thy Conscience by the Minister and awakens thee labour to drive the nayl home to the head strive to maintain the power of it upon thine heart all the week after 4 Be earnest with God in Prayer that whatsoever he denieth thee he would not deny thee the saving grace of faith Faith is not of our selves it is the free gift of God as the Apostle teacheth us Now the means God hath sanctified for the obtaining of every good gift is Prayer As therefore thou desirest faith earnestly begge it of God resting assured that he will not deny thee if thou dost from thy heart ask it in the name of his Son Jesus Christ. Oh therefore be not wanting to thy self herein but seeing faith may be had for asking ask and ask again and with patience wait upon God for the inclining thine heart to close with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ. Prescribe him not any time for as hee worketh on whom hee pleaseth so hee worketh when hee pleaseth
prayer say with thy self Lord what need have I of a Saviour I see thou mayest condemn mee for my most holy services and therefore I go wholly out of my self unto Iesus Christ resting upon his perfect Righteousness and all-sufficient Merits for life and for salvation CHAP. III. Of Ejaculatory Prayers BEsides thy solemn Morning Prayer it will bee good to send up Ejaculatory Prayers and Praises unto God and that frequently upon all occasions By Ejaculatory Prayers and Praises I mean The sudden lifting up of the heart unto God upon some present occasion either in way of Petition or Thanksgiving Which kinde of Prayers wee finde commanded under those general Precepts of praying alwaies and praying without ceasing The meaning whereof is not that thou shouldest wholly and only attend on prayer so as to neglect the word and other duties of piety or the ordinary works of thy calling But that besides thine ordinary and set times of prayer thou shouldest alwaies have a praying frame of spirit bee ready upon all occasions to lift up thine heart unto God in some short Ejaculations For the more profitable pressing of this kinde of prayer I shall 1 Give thee some Motives to quicken thee up to a frequent performance thereof 2 Add some Cautioâ—â— The Motives may bee drawn to three heads 1 The Excellency 2 The Necessity 3 The Utility of this kinde of Prayer I. The Excellency of Ejaculatory Prayer appeareth In that at all times and in all places even in our converses with men wee may thereby converse with God and injoy an holy familiarity with him and yet others in our company take no notice thereof And when we are about the works of our Calling we may without any hinderance thereof lift up our hearts to God in some short Ejaculatory Prayer for his assistance and blessing which though they are but as Parentheses in our worldly imployments yet will prove very advantagious to us therein II. Another Motive may bee taken from the Necessity of these Ejaculatory Prayers and that 1 In regard of the sudden dangers and plunges whereunto the people of God are many times brought which will not afford time for continued prayer 2 In regard of the manifold slips and infirmities of the people of God which put them upon praying for the pardon and forgiveness of them 3 In regard of the manifold mercies blessings and deliverances which unexpectedly thou receivest from God there is frequent occasion of Ejaculatory Prayers and thanksgivings unto him III. A third Motive may bee taken from the Utility of those Ejaculatory Prayers which appeareth 1 From Gods gracious acceptation and remuneration of the same whereof the Scripture giveth abundant instances and examples As of Davids Ejaculatory Prayer against Achitophel that God would turn his counsel into foolishness was graciously accepâ—ed and granted in defeating the same The like wee read of Nehemiah's Ejaculatory Prayer unto God to incline the heart of the King to grant his request which was graciously heard and answered So also the poor penitent Theef's Ejaculatory Prayer unto Christ Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy Kingdome Holy Ejaculations are the Spiritual breathings of a gracious heart which as they are very pleasing unto God so exceedingly advantagious unto Christians for though they are very short and sudden yet seldome do they return empty 2 These Ejaculatory Prayers are a special means for the improving of every opportunity and occurrence of Providence to thy spiritual advantage Herein bee careful to observe these two Cautions 1 Content not thy self with these Ejaculatory Prayers and Praises as if they were sufficient at thy lying down and rising up and that thou needest not to trouble thy self with any longer prayers Oh let not thy Ejaculatory Prayers justle out either thy closet or family prayers but as God in his Word requireth the one as well as the other do thou make conscience of every one of them in their time and place 2 Beware of formal and prophane Ejaculations which come from the lip but not from the heart as Good Lord and Good God or The Lord bless mee and Lord have mercy upon mee with such like which can bee no better than a taking of the name of God in vain in that they are uttered customarily in a way of form meerly from the teeth outward for which without true and unfeigned repentance God will not hold thee guiltless CHAP. IV. Of Reading the Scriptures in private ANother duty to be performed alone is Reading of the Scriptures And indeed the Word and Prayer should go hand in hand together as the Christians daily exercise For every thing is sanctifâ—ed by the Word of God and Prayer Appoint therefore some set time in every day for the reading of the Word The morning is the freest when our spirits and wits are freshest By reading three chapters a day the whole Bible may bee read over in a year But I would not so strictly tye any to this as still to go on in reading some part of the Scriptures every day And if extraordinary occasion hinder thine ordinary task double it another time For by the holy Scriptures onely wee may attain to the knowledge of the whole will of God For the more profitable pressing this duty I shall 1 Give you some Rules and Directions to bee observed 1 Before the reading of the Scriptures 2 In reading of the Scriptures 3 After the reading of them 2 Give you some Motives to quicken you to a frequent reading of them I. The Rules and Directions to be observed before reading are these 1 Go about it with all holy reverence as in the sight and presence of God beleeving it to bee the Word of God written by holy men as they were moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost as the Apostle Peter expresseth it when therefore thou settest thy self to read the Word say to thy self I will hearken what the Lord will speak unto mee therein 2 Lift up thine heart in prayer unto God as for the Spirit of Illumination to open the eyes of thine understanding that thou mayest rightly conceive his Word so for wisdome to apply memory to retain faith to beleeve and grace to practise what thou shalt read II. The Rules and Directions to bee observed in reading of the Word are these 1 Read the holy lives and actions of Gods Children not onely as matters of history but as patterns of imitation for for this end are they recorded unto us as St. Paul testifieth Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning 2 In reading the Promises and Threatnings the Exhortations and Admonitions and other parts of the Scripture so apply them to thy self as if God by name had delivered the same unto thee whereby the Word will become very profitable unto thee For thus will promises to others incourage thee threatnings against others restrain thee from sin exhortations to others stir thee up to thy duty and admonitions
to others make thee wary yea thus whatsoever things were written aforetime will prove good instructions unto thee III. Rules to bee observed after the reading of the Word 1 Seriously meditate of what thou hast read that so thou mayest the better remember and understand the same 2 Labour to work something of that thou hast read upon thine heart and give not over till thou findest the affections of thy soul warmed thereby To quicken you up to a frequent reading of the Scriptures consider these two Motives 1 The first may be taken from those treasures that are contained therein such treasures as men never heard of The subject matter of the Word are such mysteries as were hidden in God and by his Spirit revealed unto men All the abstruse learning and mysteries of other books and writings are but straw and stubble yea dross and dung in comparison of the precious pearls in this 2 Another Motive may bee taken from the many sweet and precious promises which are scattered up and down in the Word For as there is not a condition into which a Childe of God can fall but there is a Direction and Rule in the Word in some measure suitable thereunto so there is not an affliction into which a childe of God can fall but there is a promise in the Word in some measure suitable thereunto CHAP. V. Of Christian Watchfulness over our Thoughts DO not think that having saluted God by prayer and reading his Word in the morning thou mayest take thy leave of him all the day after But second thy prayeâ—s and reading with Christian Watchfulness which is a duty incumbent upon all being much pressed upon us in Scripture For the profitable handling whereof I shall shew you 1 The Nature of Christian Watchfulness 2 The Extent thereof or the particulars wherein we are to manifest the same I. For the Nature of Christian Watchfulness It is an heedful Observation of our selves in all things and a diligent circumspection over all our waies courses and actions that wee may not displease God in any thing but rather please him in all things II. For the Extent of this duty The Apostle sets it down in general Terms Watch thou in all things which I shall branch into several particulars 1 Over thy Thoughts Words and Actions 2 Against Sin in general and the several kinds thereof 1 Thou must be watchful over thy Thoughts that vain Thoughts may not lodge in thine heart For the profitable pressing of this I shall 1 Give you some Motives to quicken you up thereunto 2 Some Directions and helps thereunto I. For Motives first consider that vain and evil thoughts though they break not forth into acts yet are they actual sins for thoughts though they are inward yet are they the acts of the soul and in that they are evil they are sinful 2 Evil thoughts are not onely sinful in themselves but they are likewise the cause of all sins the plotters of all treasons against God the Panders of all other lusts so much the Apostle Iames expresseth When lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin lustful thoughts being conceived in the heart they soon bring forth sin breaking forth into acts of filthiness and uncleanness 3 Consider that by our thoughts especially will the Lord judge us at the last day When hee will make manifest the counsel of the heart as the Apostle expresseth it And Rom. 2. 16. God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ. Then the swarms of our vain and evil thoughts shall be discovered and laid open to our eternal shame before God Angels and men without true and unfeigned repentance 4 Evil and vain thoughts without true and unfeigned repentance will sink our souls to Hell such of you therefore as make no conscience of your thoughts but delight your selves in vain and wicked thoughts in lustful and unclean thoughts and that impenitently how can you escape the vengeance of hell I deny not but the best men through the remainder of corruption in them are subject to vain and wicked thoughts but these are their grief and their burden against which they strive and for which they earnestly begge pardon and therefore shall not bee said to their condemnation The helps and directions are these 1 Consider That the Lord doth as strictly observe all inward sinful thoughts as he doth the outward acts of sin Hee is Omniscient and knoweth all things yea he is the trier and searcher of our hearts and so is privy to every vain and wicked to every wanton and lustful thought in our hearts So that howsoever men discern not our thoughts yet God doth 2 Make not too much of those vain and wicked thoughts which doe either arise from thine own corrupt heart or are cast in by Satan I mean thou must not revolve them in thy mind by musing and meditating on them with any delight for if so thou art in danger to be ensnared by them 3 With detestation speedily reject and cast all vain and wicked thoughts out of thine heart As in thy judgement thou canst not but condemn them as base and wicked so in thy affections abhor and defest them yea reject and cast them away as abominable 4 So soon as any vain or wicked thoughts begin to arise in thine heart fix thy meditation upon good thoughts and upon such especially as are contrary thereunto Thus when vain thoughts begin to arise in thine heart strive to put them out by fixing thy meditation upon some serious matter when earthly worldly thoughts begin to arise in thine heart fix thy meditation upon some spiritual and heavenly thoughts when any lustful and impure thoughts begin to arise in thine heart fix thy meditation upon some holy and good thoughts think of the excellency and necessitie of holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 5 Humble thy self for all thy sinful and vain thoughts of what sort or kind soever For know assuredly that unless thou humble thy self for thy sinful and vain thoughts thou shalt bee called to an account for them at the Day of Judgement when the Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the heart 6 And that which sanctifies all other means is earnest and hearty prayer unto God that he would be pleased as to suppress and keep down all vain wicked wanton thoughts from rising in thy heart so that he would rebuke Satan and restrain his malice that he may not cast his hellish thoughts into thine heart or at least that he would enable thee to quench them at their first entrance This course did the Apostle Pauâ— take in the like case as we read in 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. CHAP. VI. Of watchfulness over our Words AS thou must be watchful over thy Thoughts so likewise over thy Words according to the counsel of the Prophet David Keep
them in their wicked and prophane courses For it is a great incouragement unto wicked men to go on in their wicked and sinful courses when as they are countenanced with the society of the godly Now for the better fitting and preparing thy self for profitable converse when thou art in company I shall onely give thee these two advises 1 That thou mayest bee the better furnished with matter for useful discourse often and seriously meditate with thy self on some general head of Divinity as of our wretched and miserable condition by nature of the all-sufficiency of Christs sacrifice of the vanity and uncertainty of all earthly things of the shortness of this life of the day of judgement By often contemplating of theâ—â— things or the like with thy self in secret thou wilt be bettâ—â—â—â—abled to talk and discourse of them 〈…〉 of others and that to their good and edification as well as to thine own 2 Before thou goest into company bee earnest with God in prayer for grace so to order thy conversation and discourses that they may tend as to the glory of his name so to thine own and others good and spiritual advantage These things thus premised come wee now to the Directions for the good government of thy self when thou art in company which I shall lay down 1 More generally 2 More particularly 1 In reference to thy behaviour in good company 2 In reference to thy behaviour in bad The general Directions for thy behaviour in company are these I. Let thy carriage and conversation bee humble willing to communicate thy counsels comforts and experiences to the poorest and meanest Christians and to partake of their counsels comforts and experiences not disdaining to learn any good thing of those who in several respects are much thine inferiours II. In all thy conversings with men labour to bee fruitful and profitable both to thy self and others by receiving and doing all the good thou canst 1 To thy self by receiving all the good thou canst from others To this end when thou art in the company of others diligently observe in what gifts and graces any doth excel for God hath dispensed various gifts unto his people all are not alike qualified and then labour to draw forth those gifts and graces to thine own spiritual good and advantage 2 To others by communicating unto them such good things as thou conceivest most suitable unto their present state and condition The more good thou communicarest unto others the more will God communicate unto thee III. Often lift up thine heart unto God in some short ejaculatory prayer that hee would open thy lips that thy mouth may shew forth his prayse that hee would inable thee so to speak that thy words and discourses may tend to the good and edification of others ministring grace to the hearers Having thus given thee general Directions for thy behaviour in comâ—â—â— come wee now to the more particular directions 〈…〉 good company I. When thou art in good company trifle not away thy time with worldly conferences and discourses as the common fault of too too many is whereof Saint Bernard complained in his time But let the subject of thy discourse rather be some spiritual matter II. Labour to turn the current of worldly discourses into spiritual to that end watch every opportunity which may occasion any digression from worldly matters into some spiritual and heavenly subject III. Bee ready to communicate and impart such spiritual gifts and graces as thou hast received Hast thou any competent measure of saving knowledge communicate thy knowledge unto others by acquainting them with the mysteries of salvation Hast thou found comfort after thy spiritual troubles and desertions Hast thou found support under thy trials and temptations Hast thou found gracious answers and returns to thy prayers Hast thou got the victory over any lust or corruption freely and willingly communicate and impart unto others the experiences thou hast had of Gods Mercy Power and Goodness in thy several straights and exigencies directing them to such waies and courses wherein thy self hast found much good and benefit This wee finde expresly commanded The particular directions referring to our behaviour in bad company are these I. When by reason of some common occasion thou art in bad company for otherwise as wee shewed before thou art by all means to avoid it see that thy conversation bee with a Dove-like innocency blameless and harmless according to that exhortation of the Apostle in Philip. 2. 15. The truth is there is scarce a better means to propagate the Gospel and to fasten it on the affections of natural men than the fair carriage and honest conversation of the Professors thereof It is as the odout of Christs oyntment the fragrancy whereof draws the affections of others II. Be careful that thou partake not of their sins Which Direction the Apostle giveth saying Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness Hee meaneth that they should no way communicate or be partakers with their sins which hee calleth works of darkness Quest. How may wee bee said to partake with others in their sins Answ. â—en partake of others sins as by provoking them to sin so by approving their sin Men approve others sins openly or covertly â— Openly by Word or Deed. By Word 1 When they commend others for their sins 2 When they patronize and defend them in their sins 3 When they soothe them up and flatter them therein Men approve others sins by Deed when they be companions and agents with them in the same sins Covertly men approve others sins when they tacitly consent unto them Hee may be said tacitly to consent that either revealeth not the sin hee knows when hee ought or shews no dislike of it when hee beholds it And this oftentimes is as hurtful in respect of the offender as ill counsel for as evil speech moveth men to sin so evil silence leaveth men in sin III. Grieve and mourn for the sins thou discernest amongst them It is noted oft and commended as a special grace in sundry of Gods Saints that they have been greatly troubled in themselves at the dishonour done to God even by the sins of others as Moses Nehemiah David Ieremiah and others IV. When thou observest any wickedness committed by thy neighbour reprove him for the same which duty wee finde much pressed upon Gods people in the Scriptures Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wiâ—e rebuke thy brother and not suffer sin upon him Wherein are implied two things 1 That hee who doth not reprove his brother when hee seeth him do amiss doth indeed hate him and not love him for there is no love like the love of reproof 2 That by not reproving thy brother thou sufferest him to run on and continue in his course of sin which will at last prove his destruction For the right
Word To this end keep your eyes steddy on the Preacher And as hee passeth from point to point think briefly on the point which is past which will exceedingly help your memory 4 Faith is another virtue requisite to the profitable hearing of the Word I say Faith whereby we do not only beleeve that which is taught us out of the Word to be true but also apply it unto our selves as if it were in special directed unto us The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation saith the Apostle but to whom even to every one that beleeveth And saith the Author to the Hebrews The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it In whose heart there is true Faith that man will apply the whole Word of-God unto himself whether it be the threatnings of the Law to terrifie him from sin or the sweet promises of the Gospel to allure him to holiness and so maketh much profit of every Sermon hee heareth Thus much for your hehaviour in the publick Congregation But you must not rest here thinking you have thereby sanctified the Sabbath day For there are likewise both Private and Secret duties of Piety required to a true sanctification of the Lords Day of which you ought to be as careful and conscionable as of the publick duties in the publick Congregation For God requires the whole day and not a part onely As therefore you would not be contented your servants should work for you only an hour or two on each of the six daies So neither should you yeeld less unto God than you require for your selves By Private duties of Piety I mean such as are perfoâ—med in a private Family And by Secret such as are done in some secret and retired place between God and ones self alone Now the Private duties of Piety which are especially required of such who are Parents and Masters of Families and wherein every member thereof are to joyn are these I. Repeating the Sermons they have heard with their family and examining them one after another what they remember explaining the same unto them which is commended to us by the practice and example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who when he was come home said unto his Disciples Have yee understood all these things viz. that he had preached to the multitude And St. Mark saith When they were alone hee expounded all things to his Disciples Wherupon one observeth That Christ by his example doth instruct every Master of a family how to carry himself in reference to those under his charge on the Lords Daies after their departure from the publick Congregation And truly a treble benefit will follow hereupon 1 In respect of your selves for the more you build up others the more your selves are built up in Knowledge Faith and every grace of God 2 In respect of your children and servants for it will make them to hearken more attentively to that which is delivered in the publick Congregation if they know they shall be called to an account for the same when they come home 3 It would much help both your selves and servants in the understaâ—ding and beleeving of that which you have heard in the publick if at home you would repeat it and confer of it and examine the proofs that have been delivered for the confirmation of it II. Another private duty is singing of Psalms for this may and ought to be performed in your families as well as in the Congregation This David commends for one duty of the Sabbath as Psal. 92. 1. The title of the Psalm is A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath day And thus it begins It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord to sing praises unto thy Name O most High This Ordinance being questioned by some and denied by others I shall 1 Prove the lawfulness thereof 2 Give you some directions for the right manner of performing the same First the lawfulness of singing Psalms doth appear both from Scripture Example and Reasons 1 For Scripture-proofs there are many both in the Old and New Testament but not to mention those in the Old Testament which may not prove so convincing In the New wee finde it commanded by the Apostle to the Ephesians Speak to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. And saith the Apostle Iames Is any among you afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalms Where you see it is in express terms commanded and that as a Gospel duty 2 We finde it commended both by the example of our Saviour and the practice of the Apostles and other Saints of God in the Primitive times 1 By the example of our Saviour of whom it is recorded that as at other times so the night in which he was betrayed hee sung a Psalm together with his Disciples And when they had sung an Hymn or Psalm they went out into the Mount of Olives 2 By the practice of the Apostles and other Saints in the Primitive times For wee read That at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God and the prisoners heard them Plinius Secundus though an Heathen who lived about two hundred years after Christ testified of Christians that they had their morning songs using to rise before day to sing Psalms 2 Reasons commending this duty may be taken from the benefits accompanying the same For 1 By this duty joyntly performed our own spirits will bee much quickened and enlivened 2 Wee shall thereby quicken and enliven the spirits of others 3 We shall all thereby be made the more chearful in serving God which may be one reason why Paul and Silas joyned singing of Psalms with their prayers 4 It manifesteth an holy zeal that wee bear unto our God and witnesseth that we are not ashamed to profess and praise his holy Name and therefore our tongue doth with chearfulness sound out aloud the praises of God This holy zeal did David express saying I will give thanks unto thee O Lord. among the Heathen and sing praises unto thy name Having thus proved the lawfulness of this duty by Scripture Example and Reason II. Come we now to the Directions for the right manner of performing the same which are set down by the Apostle in these words Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 1 First therefore it must be in the heart or with the heart i. e. our hearts must go with our voices the one must be lift up as well as the other For God is a Spirit and therefore will be worshipped with our hearts and spirits as well as with our bodies And truly singing with the voice without the concurrence of the heart and spirit is no more pleasing to God than a sounding brass or tinkling Cymbal 2 As we must sing with the heart so with grace in the
and life of him that hath it By this then try and examine thy knowledge whether it be saving sanctifying or no. II. The second grace necessarily required of every Communicaâ—t whereof thou must examine thy self is FAITH Conceâ—ning which I shall shew you 1. What Faith this is 2. The Necessity thereof 3. Some signs and notes for the tryall thereof I. For the first what faith this is I answer a true saving justifying faith may be thus described Faith is a grace wrought in the heart of a sinner by the spirit of God through the ministery of the word whereby being convinced of his sinfull miserable condition and of all disabilitie in himself or any other meer creature to free him out of the same he goeth wholly out of himself unto Iesus Christ and receiving him as his all-sufficient Saviour and Soveraign resteth upon his perfect righteousness and all-sufficient Sacrifice for the pardon and forgiveness of his sins here and for eternal life and Salvation hereafter II. The Necessity of this grace of Faith to every communicant appeareth 1. Because without faith it is impossible to please God in any holy ordinance as the Apostle expresseth it But true faith will commend both our persons and services unto Gâ—d so that they shall find acceptance with him though they be full of weaknesses and imperfections This made Abels sacrifice so acceptable to God If therefore thou come to this ordinance without faith instead of pacifying God thou shall purchase his heavy displeasure 2. Except thou hast faith before thou approachest to that ordinance the Sacrament cometh but like a seal to a blank and serveth onely to seal up thine unbelief to condemnation So that faith is necessarily required of every worthy communicant before he cometh to the Lords Supper for that ordinance is not instituted for the working of faith but for the strengthning thereof A man may come to the ministery of the word though he be faithless because it is an ordinance instituted by God for the begetting of faith according to that of the Apostle Faith cometh by hearing But none are to come to the Sacrament but such as have faith wrought in them Because that is not an ordinance instituted by God for the begetting of faith but rather for the strengthning thereof It was not instituted for such as are out of Christ to bring them in but for such aâ— are in Christ to bring them up in him As a man must be born before he can eat so he must be begotten again by the Spirit of God before he can feed upon the Body and Blood of Christ for his spiritual nourishment I do not say that all who come to the Sacrament must have the same measure of Faith but it is necessary that they all have the fame truth of Faith III. For the third Particular the tryall of thy Faith whether it be true and saving thou mayest know it by these two Characters to omit many others 1. True faith doth receive Christ in all his Offices not onely as a Priest to make satisfaction and intercession for us but also as a Prophet to teach and instruct us and as a King to rule and govern us The true believer doth as willingly cast himself at the feet of Christ in subjection to him as into the arms of Christ for Salvation from him He is as willing to serve Jesus Christ as to be saved by him as desirous to submit to his services as to injoy his privileges By this therefore may'st thou try the truth of thy faith 2. True faith is an heart-purifying grace it purifieth the heart This character of faith the Apostle Peter expresseth Act. 15. 9. Purifying their hearts by faith Faith purifying the heart implyeth two things 1 That the believer maketh conscience of his inward thoughts whereas unbelievers with the Pharisees make clean the out-side of the cup labour to keep themselves from gross and scandalous sins but suffer their hearts to range and rove into a world of vain and wanton thoughts of prophane and fruitless imaginations and that without any remorse or check of conscience 2. That faith puts a purifying disposition into the heart so that it loathes and detests sin yea and strives against it though it cannot altogether purge and free it self from sin when the heart is once seasoned with faith it will not willingly harbour sin but labour to worke it out more and more By this then try the truth and soundness of thy faith whether it hath wrought in thee a purging purifying disposition to strive against thy corruptions and to worke them out of thine heart more and more III. The third grace necessarily required of every communicant is Repentance concerning which I shall shew 1. The nature of Repentance what it is 2. The Necessity thereof to a worthy partaking of the Lords Supper 3. Some signs and notes for the tryall thereof I. For the first what true Repentance is I answer It is a grace of Gods Spiriâ— whereby both the heart and affections within and also the life and actions without are reformed In this description I take the full nature of Repentance to be comprized Many do add hereunto an inward sorrowing and mourning of the heart which doth indeed alwaies accompany true Repentance but it is not of the nature thereof For then wheresoever sorrow for sin were there should be true Repentance which is not so as the examples of Saul Iudas and other wicked men do declare Briefly to open this dâ—finition of Repentance First I say It is a grace of Gods Spirit i. e. a gift freely given of God and wrought in us by his holy Spirit so that it proceedeth not from mans free will nor from any power and ability of his nature Again Repentance is a Reformation wherein consists the very nature thereof as the words of turning renewing changing and the like which in Scripture are attributed to Repentance do imply Now this Reformation must first be of the heart for the heart of a man is the fountain of all his actions now in reason the fountain must be cleansed and purged before that which issueth and streameth from it can be wholesome There must be therefore first a renewed heart before there can be a reformed life for it cannot be that the stream of our actions should be good if the fountain of our heart be corrupt Hence it is that the Prophets so often call for the cleansing of the heart and the Apostles for the renewing and changing thereof without which all external and outward reformation is but meer Pharisaical ostentation In the last place is added A reformation of the life and actions without for as to make some outward shew of Reformation without reforming the heart within is but Pharisaical ostentation whereby we deceive others So to pretend an inward Reformation without the outward fruits of amendment is but meer folly whereby we deceive our selves For it cannot be that Reformation should be
presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his coming Accept it therefore and testifie your acceptance by reading of it and much more by a conscionable performance of the Directions contained in it I think they will carry their own evidence with them that they are all agreeable to the Word of God For I have not made it my business to mint new Notions but to press upon you old Truths and known duties I have drawm them up in a plain and familiar stile and Method studying rather to be profitable than accurate They are of daily use to an holy life therefore I hope you will daily peruse them They are of general use to all sorts of Christians at all times in their several places Callings conditions and relations and therefore I hope you will give the more diligent heed to them Such whose Callings and Businesses will scarce afford them leisure on the week-daies to look into such Treatises as this I do earnestly intreat them that at least on the Lord-daies after the performance of the publick duties of Piety in the Congregation and of private in their Families they would spend some time in reading a part of this book with their Family And the Lord make it abundantly useful and profitable unto you Yea the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Sepulchres London Decemb. 20. 1660. Your Affectionate though most unworthy Minister THO. GOUGE A TABLE of the particular Points contained in this TREATISE CHap. 1. Sheweth how to begin the day with God Chap. 2. Of Secret Prayer in the morning Chap. 3 Of Ejaculatory Prayers 4 Of reading the Scriptures in private 5 Of Christian watchfulnesse over our Thoughts 6 Of watchfulnesse over our Words 7 Of watchfulnesse over our Actions 8 Of watchfulnesse against Sin 9 Of our behaviour at Meals 10 Of Sports and Recreations directions concerning the same 11 Of the duties of our Callings 12 Of our behaviour in secret and directions concerning Divine Meditation 13 Of our behaviour both in good and bad company 14 Directions to the rich how to Improve their wealth to the glory of God and the good of their own souls 15 Directions to the poor shewing how to carry themselves Christian like in their low and mean estate 16 Of Christian-like carriage under reproaches 17 Of our carriage under crosses and afflictions 18 Of Dying well 19 Directions to such as visit the sick 20 Directions how to cloze the day with God 21 Of the Morality of the Sabbath with directions how to sanctify the same 23 Of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper with directions for the worthy receiving thereof 23 Of the Common mutual Duties betwixt Husband and Wife 24 Of Husbands Duties to their Wives 25 Of the Duties of Wives to their Husbands 26 Of the Duties of Parents to their children 27 Of the Duties of Children to their Parents 28 Of the Duties of Masters to their servants 29 Of the Duties of Servants to their Masters 30 Of resting upon Iesus Christ alone for life and salvation Christian Directions shewing how to walk with God all the day long CHAP. I. How to begin the day with God I. AT thy first awaking in the morning consecrate unto God the freshest of thy thoughts by lifting up thine heart to him in praises and thanksgivings for that comfortable rest and refreshment hee hath vouchsafed unto thee the night past For had not the Lord been the more gracious unto thee thou mightest have slept the sleep of death yea thou mightest have awaked with hell flames about thine eaâ—s what cause therefore hast thou to blesse God as for the mercies of the night so for the renewing of his mercies with the day And then heartily beg of God his direction assistance and blessing upon thy lawfull pains and endeavours that day II. Having thus consecrated thy first awaking unto God by blessing him for the mercies of the night and for adding another day to thy life then steep thy thoughts in a serious meditation of God and of some or other of his glorious Attributes as 1 Of the infinite Purity of God who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity i. e. with the least approbation but hates all sin with a perfect hatred as being contrary to his nature A serious consideration whereof would through Gods blessing prove very effectual for the suppressing of those impure thoughts which are apt to arise from thy corrupt heart 2 Of the almighty Power of God whereby he is able to strengthen thee in all thy weaknesses to support thee under all thy trials and temptations to supply all thy wants to deliver thee out of all thy dangers to carry thee through all thy undertakings In which respect the Apostle calleth Gods Power a mighty Power and an exceeding-greatnesse of Power Ephes. 1. 19. A serious consideration whereof cannot but stir thee up as to flie unto God by Prayer in all thy wants straights and dangers so to cast thy self upon him and his mighty Power to rest and rely upon him for seasonable help succour and deliverance who never faileth those who put their trust in him 3 Of the Omnipresence of God of his continual presence about thee and with thee wheresoever thou art and whatsoever thou doest For hee is about thy bed and thy path and taketh notice of all thy actions and when no man seeth thee yet hee seeth thee before whose Tribunal thou must one day stand to give an account of all thy actions Surely it would be a special preservative against sin and a singular means to make thee watchful over all thy waies and actions if thou didst seriously consider Gods All-seeing presence about thee 4 Of the Omnisciency of God his knowing of all things even the secret thoughts of thine heart and the inward intenâ—ions of thy mind before whom all things are naked and unbowelled as the Apostle speaketh Not an ambitions worldly lustful thought in thine heart but God is privy to it And as the wise man speaketh Hee will bring every secret thing into judgement This if it were seriously considered how would it make thee watchful over thy very heart and careful to suppress all wicked lustful thoughts at their first rising and to keep thee upright and sincere in what thou doest especially in the duties of Gods worship and service as knowing there is no dissembling before God III. Call to minde what sin it is whereunto thou findest thy self most propense and with which thou art oftenest and easiliest overcome as having least power to resist it And every morning furnish thy self with the strongest Arguments thou canst against it and then bring up thine heart to a firm
it being the Ordinance he hath sanctified for that very end Time spent in prayer will bee no hinderance but rather a furtherance of our worldly businesses and imployments this will oyl the wheels for any work making it more easie yea and sanctifie all the things we take in hand making them successful unto us for those works which are sanctified by Prayer doe usually speed best Obj. 2. Some object their great inability to prâ—â—â—â—hey know not how to pray not having the spirit of prayer Ans. 1. Let such bewayl this their sad condition and mourn under the sense of it remembring what our Saviour saith Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted 2 Goe unto Christ and say unto him as the Disciples did Lord teach me to pray with an acknowledgement of thine own inability beg the assistance of Gods Spirit and say Lord thou hast promised thy Spirit to help the infirmities of thy Servants O make good this thy gracious promise to me thy poor weak and unworthy Servant let me feel and finde the assistance of thy Spirit strengthening my weakness and enabling me to pour out my soul before thee in some acceptable manner 3 Call to mind thy sins with the aggravations of them and withall consider thy Spiritual wants and then put thy self upon the duty of Prayer confess thy sins unto God with all the aggravations thereof as well as thou canst begge the pardon of them and be earnest with God for such Graces as thou standest in most need of By using and exercising that small ability to pray that thou hast thou shalt increase it and grow more able to doe it with comfort 4 Know this that a man may pray most effectually and acceptably even when he cannot express himself in any apt words for the work of the Spirit in Prayer consisteth not so much in the expression of the tongue as in the affection of the heart wherein the very life and soul of prayer doth consist Having answered the fore-mentioned Objections I shall now give you some directions for the right manner of performing this duty of Prayer so as it may be acceptable and pleasing unto God To this end 1 Some things are required before Prayer 2 Some things in Prayer 3 Some things after Prayer 1 Before Prayer there is required preparation which consisteth in two things 1 In a serious Meditation of the infinite Majesty and glory of God on the one part and of thine own Vileness and unworthiness on the other 2 In a sequestration of thy thoughts from earthly affairs and worldly businesses For thy better help thereunto observe these rules 1 When thou art going to prayer renew thy resolution against wandring thoughts saying with thy self I have lost many a prayer through the distractions of my thoughts and wandrings of my mind after worldly matters therein and I am in danger to lose this prayer also if I be not the more watchful over my self therefore I doe now resolve with the assistance of Gods grace to be more watchful over my thoughts to keep my heart close unto the duty I am going about and not to suffer my mind to wander after other matters as formerly it hath done if thou wouldst make trial hereof thou wouldst find there is great power in such a resolution when it is fresh upon thy heart and spirit 2 Beg of God that he would by the assistance of his holy Spirit restrain all vain and wandring imaginations 3 Vse thy voyce in prayer so often as conveniently thou maist provided it be not for oftentation to bee heard of others which thou wilt finde very effectual as for the intention of thine affections by raising them to an higher pitch so for the attention of thy mind in keeping it from wandring and roving after worldly thoughts and imaginations 4 But if notwithstanding thou findest that in praying thy mind and heart hath been sometimes taken up and possessed with worldly thoughts and distractions it will be a good course in thy private prayers to repeat that again which so coldly and carelesly passed from thee labouring in thy repetition to repel all wandring thoughts and to pour forth those petitions again after a more hearty manner For by imposing this task upon thy self thou wilt become more wary and watchful over thy thoughts lest otherwise thou be enforced to continue long at that exercise unto which through the depravation of thy nature thou art so backward and averse II. As preparation is necessary before Prayer so in prayer divers things are required as 1 Faith Prayer must be made in faith which our Savior plainly expresseth where he saith Whatsoever things yee desire when yee pray beleeve that yee receive them and yee shall have them Beleeve that as God is able so willing to grant whatsoever thou prayest for so far forth as in his wisdome he seeth it to be good for thee 2 Fervency that thou pour out thine heart and soul unto God with great ardency and earnestness of affection For the Apostle Iames telleth us that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much so that it is the fervent prayer only that is effectual And without doubt this is one special reason why our prayers are so seldom answered namely because they are performed with such deadness of heart and dulness of spirit for the luke-warm prayer is cooled and frozen before it can ascend up to heaven As therefore thou desirest to have thy prayers effectual let them be fervent and so thou shalt not need to doubt of a gracious and happy issue I grant thou canst not always have a like fervency yet thou must always strive against deadness of heart and dulness of spirit for God regards the manner of our actions as much as the matter how we pray as well as what we pray for III. The Duties required after Prayer are these 1 Diligently to look after thy prayers observing what answer and return the Lord giveth thereunto Thus did David and Habakkuk For hereby thou shalt bee the better fitted for thankfulness being furnished with more abundant matter of praise And also bee the more provoked and stirred up thereunto 2 Look back and consider the manifold weaknesses infirmities and imperfections which have passed from thee in thy praying how dead and dull thine heart was and how distracted thy thoughts were therein and let the apprehension thereof prevail with thee as to disclaim all thine own righteousness as filthy raggs so to drive thee unto Christ to roul thy self upon him resting upon his perfect Righteousness alone for life and for salvation As this is one chief end why God suffers corruption to remain in his children even after their Regeneration and to have an influence into all their holy services So it is the use which wee should make thereof And therefore so often as thou findest thine heart dead and dull and thy mind distracted with worldly thoughts in
safely give it entertainment and continue in it without true and unfeigned repentance and that for these reasons 1 By the least Sin the Law of God is transgressed his Justice violated and his Wrâ—th provoked and therefore farre be it from us to account that Sin little which is committed against a God of infinite Majesty whereupon saith Saint Augustine Doe not consider the smalness of thy sins but the greatness of God who is displeased and provoked by them 2 Little Sins are apt to make way for greater as a little Boy let in at the window will open the door that the stoutest Thief may enter in and rob and spoyl the house so little Sins being once admitted will in time set wide open the door of our hearts that the greatest and grossest may enter in and so rob and spoyl us of all grace and goodness and therefore despise not the smallest Sin for even that is a step to a greater for who sees not by daily experience that unclean thoughts and filâ—hy words draw many on to unclean actions yea as Iustin reports of Niâ—us his Victories how every Victory was a means of another conquest So every small Sin is a means and way to a greater And this must needs be so Because God in his Judgement doth usually punish Sin with Sin I mean God doth many times punish some mens lesser Sins by leaving them so to themselves and to the corruptions of their own wicked hearts that they break forth into the acting and committing of grosser Sins The best means therefore foâ— a man to keep himself from great and hainous Sins is to be watchful against smaller Sins and to make conscience of them for though at the present thou abhorrest the very thought of Murther and such like hainous Sin yet if thou givest way to uncleaneness or livest impenitently in any other Sin the Lord in his Justice may leave thee so to thy self as that thou shalt break forth into actual Murther for the covering of thine uncleanness Thus it fell out with David who questionless abhorred the thought of Murther yet having committed uncleanness with bathsheba soon after murthered Uriah though an innocent man and one of his Worthies for the covering of his Adultery And how many Women in these our days who abominated the very thought of Murther yet have most cruelly slaughâ—eâ—ed their tender Infants for the concealing and covering of their unleanness As therefore thou wouldst avoyd Murther or such like hainous Sins be watchful against and careful to avoyd lesser Sins lest they make way for the other 3 The least Sin cannot be expiated nor pardoned without the precious blood of the Son of God That expression of the Apostle is observable Christ was delivered to death for our offences the word in the Greek translated Offences signifieth properly our slips implying that our smallest Sins could not be expiated without the bloody death of Iesus Christ. Oh let not us overlightly account of that for which Christ paid so dear a price as his own most precious blood CHAP. IX Of our behaviour at Meals AS thou must be watchful against all kind of Sin so likewise over the things which in their own nature are lawful for it is in the use of things lawful wherewith the Devil doth most prevail at least with those who are not grosly wicked and prophane I shall shew thee some instances of things lawful over which thou oughtest to be watchful viz. Eating and Drinking Recreation thy Calling c. Considering our Adversary the Devil layeth in every place baits and sâ—ares to entrap us so especially at our Tables therefore it concerns us in a special manner to bee watchful over our selves at our Meals For your better help therein take these Directions I. Forget not to pray unto God for a blessing on the creatures whereof thou art to partake for as the Apostle speaketh Every Creature of God is good being sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer It was the usuall practice of our Saviour to lift up his eyes to Heaven and crave a blessing upon the Creatures before hee did partake thereof and this hath been the usual practice of the Saints and people of God before and since Christs time Having therefore such worthy Patterns and Presidents follow them not daring to partake of any of Gods good Creatures till thou hast lifted up thine heart to God and craved his blessing upon them for otherwise how justly mightest thou expect from God a curse rather than a blessing II. Eat as in the presence of God God is ever present with us wheresoever we are as in our Beds so at our Boards eying and observing all our actions like a well drawn Picture that eyeth each one in the room so God eyeth each one in the worâ—d as if his eye were upon him alone It will be therefoâ—e thy wisdom wheresoever thou art to carry thy self as in the sight and presence of God more particularly at thy Meals when thou art most apt to forget God and to give out thy self to the Creature and to the satisfying of thy carnal lust and appetite III. Season and sanctifie thy Meals with spiritual communication and holy at least useful discourses that thy â—oul as well as thy body may be fed and nourished And in regard of your great backwardness unto and barrenness in spiritual discourses that you cannot suddenly find out any fit matter for it it will be a point of spiritual wisdome in you before-hand to think of some seasonable savoury Heads whereon to discourse at Meals which may tend to the good and edification of others and resolve to embrace every opportunity that is by any offered to you for good discourse Yet I deny not but you may lawfully at Meals discourse as of Newes so of Civil matters or of your own affairs and the like especially â—hen you perceive that your company is unfit or unwilling to fall upon any spiritual discourse yet you shall doe well 〈◊〉 season your Civil and Moral discourses with some spiritual and savoury expressions IV. Fail not to give thanks after meals for that comfortable refreshment you have found from the creature As yee ought to begin your Meals with Prayer unto God for his blessing so yee ought to end them with praises and thanksgivings unto God which the Lord gave in special command unto his people saying When thou hast eaten and art full then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God and saith the Prophet Ioel to Gods People Yee shall eat and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God yea we read that the Heathenish Idolaters at their feasts were accustomed to praise their false gods for it is said They drank Wine and praised the gods of gold and of silver and of brass of iron of wood and of stones Is it not then a wonderful shame for Christians after their Meals not to praise the
applying of the mind to some spiritual or heavenly subject discoursing thereof with thy self to the end thine heart may bee warmed thine affections quickened and thy resolutions heightned to a greater love of God hatred of sin c. Come we now to the Rules and Directions for the right manner of performing the same To this end I shall treat 1 Of the Time when this duty is to be performed 2 Of the Place where Of the Manner of setting about it and performing it 1 Touching the Time when this duty is to be performed and how often it is hard to give any set or certain Rule For difference must bee made between such as are rich and wealthy who have much spare â—ime and poor men who live by their daily labour and have â—ittle time to spare from the same for the performance of holy and religious duties Now such as have time and leisure and are at their own dispose ought to bee frequent in the exercise of this duty How frequent such should be I will not undertake to determine because mens several occasions may vary it But in general that it be frequent the Scripture requireth And truly the more frequently it is performed the more easie and delightful will it be unto thee Questionless every one whether hee be rich or poor Master or Servant ought to make conscience of performing this duty on the Lords day which being appropriated to spiritual duties doth especially challenge this which is so eminently spiritual For the choice of other daies and set times therein it must be left to Christian prudence which will teach thee what time thou canst best spare from thine ordinary imployments and when thou art best disposed and fitted for the performance of the same II. The next thing to bee considered is the Place for this duty ought to be private in some private retired place where thou mayst be free from company and whatsoever may distract thee For when thou art most retired from the world then art thou most fit to have communion with God Therefore Isaac when hee would meditate and by Meditation converse with God walked alone into the fields And David meditated upon his bed as himself tells us III. For the Manner of setting upon this duty I. Having with-drawn thy self from worldly company thou must for the time wholly lay aside all worldly thoughts for otherwise it may and will fall out that when thou art separated from the company and society of men thou mayest be in a croud of worldly businesses through thy worldly and wandring thoughts II. In the entrance upon this duty lift up thine heart in some short prayer unto God for his direction assistance and blessing thereon III. Having thus prepared thy self in some measure then pitch upon the subject matter whereupon thou intendest to meditate such as may be fit for thy souls nourishment Herein observe these Directions 1 Let the subject matter of thy Meditation bee wholly spiritual and divine Thus any part of the Scripture is a fit subject for thy Meditation as also God or any of his Attributes as 〈◊〉 Omnipotency Eternity Immutability Omâ—ipresence Omnisciency 〈◊〉 Wisdome Mercy Iustice Love Faithfulness and other excellencies of God As also the blessed and happy estate wherein our first Parents were created by God and that miserable estate whereinto they implunged themselves and all their posterity by their disobedience against God in eating the forbidden fruit and the state of Redemption by Jesus Christ and the transcendent love of Christ in undergoing a bitter cursed death for us 2 Let the particular subject thou pitchest upon for thy Meditation be suitable to thy present state and condition and to that end in setting upon this duty it will be thy wisdome to observe the frame and temper of thy heart If thou findest thine heart sad and heavy then fix thy Meditation upon thy sins that so thou mayest turn thy sorrow and sadness for outward things into a sorrow for thy sins But if thou findest thine heart lightsome and chearful then fix thy Meditations on the incomprehensible love of God or on the freeness of his grace or on the bounty of God especially towards thy self 3 Having pitched thy thoughts upon some particular subject suitable to the present frame and temper of thine heart continue thy thoughts upon it till thou hast found thy heart warmed and thine affections quickened therewith which indeed is the main and principal end of this exercise 4 Having spoken of preparation to the work come wee now to the work it self which consists of three particular heads 1 The first I may call Cogitation whereby I mean a discoursing of the understanding about the subject matter pitched upon a calling to minde of several truths that belong thereunto As if the subject of thy Meditation be Death then call to mind and seriously think as of the certainty of Death so also of the uncertainty thereof both in regard of the Place where the Manner how and the Time when And then to argue the necessity of a continual expectation ofâ— and preparation for Death 2 The second is Application to make some close application to thy self of those truths thou hast called to mind for the warming of thine heart and quickning of thine affections 3 The third and last particular is Resolution a resolved purpose of heart to do this or that or to leave this or that As if the subject of thy Meditation hath been Death and finding thine heart thorowly affectâ—â— with the apprehension thereof especially of the uncertainâ— of the time of thy death resolve thereupon to be the more careful in imbracing every opportunity of doing good thinking it may be the last that will be afforded unto thee as also to live in a continual expectation of and preparation for death by a daily renewing thy peace with God Having thus given some Rules and Directions for the better helping thee in this heavenly exercise of Divine Meditation III. I shall now give thee an Example and Pattern thereof according to the former Rules and Directions for the better clearing it to thee Suppose the subject thou propoundest for thy Meditation be Sin then having lifted up thine heart unto God in prayer for his Direction and Assistance First Fall upon the duty of Cogitation calling to minde some plain truths which apperâ—ain thereunto As I. Think of the nature of sin How it is a transgression of the Law of God II. Of the kinds of sin viz. Original and Actual 1 Let out thine heart in a serious Meditation of that corruption of nature which thou and every man brought with him into the world and how it is not onely a sin but an heinous sin comprehending in it the seeds of all sins even of the most abominable that can be imagined 2 Let out thine heart in a serious Meditation of thine actual sins and of the several kinds of them viz. Evil Thoughts evil Words and evil Actions III.
many excellent and weighty exhortations 3 Act thine obedience by resigning up thy self unto the Will of God to be at his dispose either for life or death As thou must not be unwilling to dye when God calleth thee so neither must thou be over eager to dye before hee call thee thou maist not desire Death out of discontentment of mind because of some present miseries and afflictions which lye upon thee nay thou maist not absolutely wish to dye out of a desire to be rid of thy sins and to bee with Christ but it must be with a submission to the Will of God if he see it meet and convenient for thee though Paul knew it were far better for him to dye than to live yet did he not desire death absolutely but with a submission to the Will of God VII Be frequent in reading the holy Scriptures or cause them to be frequently read unto thee for there thou shalt find 1 Examples of Gods mercy shewed to the afflicted 2 Instructions how to bear and improve thy present Visitation 3 Comfortable promises of support under the sorest trials And know for certain that one Promise in the Book of God will bee more effectual to yeeld thee comfort on thy Death-bed than all the counsel of thy friends that shall be then about thee VIII Be often lifting up thine heart to God in Prayer And when through weakness of body and faintness of spirit thou art not able to pour our thy soul in any set and solemn Prayer send up some short ejaculatory Prayer unto God as that of the poor Publican Lord be merciful to me a Sinner and also that of the poor man Lord I beleeve help thou my unbelief and that of the Apostles Lord increase my faith and that of Stephen Lord Iesus receive my spirit These ejaculations going from the heart they are acceptable and pleasing unto God let us therefore as Austine adviseth us endeavour to dye praying by a frequent breathing forth of these or such like ejaculatory Prayers IX Be often resigning up thy soul into the hands of God saying with our blessed Saviour Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Little Children for the most part desire to dye in their Fathers bosome or upon their Mothers lap even so shouldst thou in the hour of death cast thy soul into the arms of thy heavenly Father and rest in the bosome of Jesus Christ. If thy Disease be painful turn to those Direction in the fore-going chapter How to bear afflictions willingly and cheerfully CHAP. XIX Directions to such as visit the Sick VIsiting the Sick being a work of Mercy it will be thy wisdom so to manage and improve the same that thou maist both benefit thine own soul thereby and likewise doe good to the sick Party I. That thou maist benefit thy self thereby take these few directions 1 In visiting thy sick Neighbour take occasion to think of thine own mortality and proneness to fall into Sicknesses and Diseases for that which befalls one man may befall another in that we all carry about us as mortal so frayl bodies subject to the like calamities which the Lord knows how soon may befall any of us 2 Lift up thine heart in thankfulness unto God for that health and strength of body he is pleased still to continue unto thee Health is a greater mercy than most doe imagine Ask the sick man what hee thinks of health and he will tell thee it is the greatest of Temporal mercies and in it self a mercy not to be valued the truth is all Mercies are prized by the wanting of them more than by the having and enjoying them As no body admires the Sun but when it is eclipsed so neither doth any esteem health but when by sickness they are deprived thereof 3 Labour to be compassionately affected with the miseries and afflictions of thy brother for as Iob speaketh To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend Which duty is often urged and pressed in Scripture as by the Apostle Paul Rejoyce with them that rejoyce and weep with them that weep and by the Apostle Peter in this phrase Having compassion one of another which Beza Paraphrastically well turns Be touched with the sence and feeling of one anothers griefs And truly that communion and nearness of conjunction that sincere Christians have one with another doth call for this duty for as they are all sons of one Father so are they members of one body in respect whereof there should nay there ought to be such a compassion and sympathy in the members of the Mystical body I mean among Christians as there is in the members of the Natural body Now you know that in the Natural body if one member suffer all the members suffer with it as the Apostle expresseth it 1 Cor. 12. 26. which place Saint Augustine in his Works often expounding most excellently shewes the mutual compassion betwixt the members of a Natural body Behold saith he the foot treadeth on a thorn and see how all the members condole it the Back bends it self the Head stoopeth the Eye though remote in place diligently searcheth it out the Tongue complaineth as if it self were pricked and the Hands doe their best to pluck it out and yet neither Back nor Head nor Tongue nor Eye nor Hand nor any member but the Foot was touched with the thorn and surely such a sympathy and fellow-feeling there ought to bee amongst true Christians who are all members of one body whereof Christ Iesus is the head II. As in visiting the Sick thou must be careful to benefit thine own soul thereby so likewise to doe what good thou canst to the sick Party To that end observe these few Directions 1 Forbear to talk of any vain worldly or needless matter before him but let thy discourse be as savoury and Spiritual so in some measure suitable to his condition as of Death and preparation thereunto of the Day of Judgement of the happiness of those who have an interest in Christ and his Righteousness and the like 2 Perswade the sick Party to settle his estate by making his Will if he have not done it before that so hee may with more freedome wholly mind the spiritual good and welfare of his soul. This counsel did the Prophet Isaiah give unto King Hezekiah when hee was first struck with sickness 3 If thou apprehendest his Disease to be dangerous flatter him not with a hope of recovery lest thereby thou betray his soul to eternal death but deal faithfully with him by declaring unto him his weak and dangerous condition and advising him as to think of death so to prepare for it telling him that the fitter hee is to dye the fitter he will be to live if the Lord should adde more days to his life 4 If thou perceive him to be ignorant instruct him in the Principles of
heart that is we must exercise the graces of Gods holy Spirit in singing as well as in praying labouring to express the same affection in singing the Psalm as David had in penning the same as if it be a Psalm of Confession then to express some humility and brokenness of heart and spirit in singing it If it be a Psalm of prayers and petitions then must our affections be fervent If a Psalm of praises and thanksgivings then must our hearts be chearful And thus must the affection of the heart be ever suitable to the quality of the Psalm 3 It must be to the Lord that is as in the sight and presence of the Lord and to his honour and glory As the Apostle expresseth it in the next verse Whatsoever yee do in word or deed do it as in the name of Christ so to the praise and glory of God making his glory the main end and aim of what you do III. Another private Duty to be performed with our Family is Prayer For if this duty ought to be performed every day twice at least viz. in the morning and evening then especially on the Lords Day which the Lord hath wholly consecrated to his worship and service The Directions for the right manner of performing this duty of Prayer so as it may be an acceptable service and sacrifice unto God you may finde in Chapter second about the latter part thereof IV. Reading the Scriptures is another Duty to be performed in and with our Family that so they may bee acquainted with the Body of the Scriptures yea and with the Precepts and Promises the Directions and Consolations of the Word for their direction and comfort Directions for the more profitable reading of the Scriptures see Chap. 4. These are the Private duties of Piety to bee performed on the Lords Day Besides the Publick and Private there are likewise secret duties to be performed by every one alone in their Closets or Chambers which are briefly these 1 Reading some part of Gods Word or other good Books 2 Meditating of what you have heard or read that day which is an excellent means to make the Word both read and preached profitable unto you For as meat though it be never so wholsome nourisheth us not if it be not concocted and digested so is it with the Word of God the food of our souls if it be not by meditation concocted and digested it will nothing at all profit us but being by meditation digested it will then prove effectual to the nourishing of our souls 3 Examining your selves as of your former life conversation so especially of your carriage the last week and of the manner of your performing the duties of the day and as you should be humbled for your faylings therein so you should resolve with the assistance of Gods grace to be more watchful over your selves for the time to come and to be more careful in sanctifying the Lords Day by a conscionable manner of performing the duties thereof 4 Praying unto God is another duty to be performed by you in secret as well as publickly and privately yea you should double and treble your Prayers on the Lords Day Under the Law we read how the Lord required double Sacrifices on the Sabbath Day for besides the daily Sacrifices two Lambs more were appointed to be offered up on the Sabbath day four in all to shew the holiness of the day And in like manner ought you to double your spiritual sacrifices of Prayer and Praises on the Lords Day earnestly beseeching him for Christs sake to pardon as your sins in general so in special the manifold infirmities and imperfections which have passed from you in the performance of your holy seâ—vices and to enable you by his Spirit to perform them for the time to come with more life and vigor with more fervency and affection Having thus shewed you both the Publick Private and Secret duties of Piety to be performed on the Lords Day Come we now to the Works of Mercy which is another Head of duties which ought to be performed on thatday and therefore to duties of Piety you must adde Works of Mercy on the Sabbath day in a conscionable performance of both which consisteth the true sanctification of the Sabbath And because man consists of two Parts viz. of Soul and Body and both of them are subject to many Maladies therefore the Works of Mercy may be brought to these two Heads 1 Such as concern the Soul 2 Such as concern the Body of your Neighbour I The Works of Mercy which concern the Soul of your Neighbour are these and such like 1 To instruct the ignorant in Points of Doctrine needful and necessary to be known herein Iob expressed his charity as Eliphas testifieth of him Thou hast instructed many viz. in the knowledge of God 2 To draw Sinners to repentance by setting before them as the severity of Gods Justice against all impenitent Sinners so the freeness of his grace and riches of his mercy to all penitenâ— Sinners 3 To comfort such as are comfortless through an apprehension of the number and hainousness of their sins by setting before them the All-sufficiency of Christs Sacrifice and the gracious offers in the Gospel to all who find their sins a burthen to them 4 To exhort and stirre up such as have begun well to hold on patiently and constantly whereunto the Apostle exhorteth us Let us saith he consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works or to whet on to love and good works as the word in the Original properly signifieth 5 To reprove and rebuke such as are scandalous and offensive in their waies Thus Iohn reproved Herod for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for many other evils 6 To resolve the doubtful 7 To strengthen and establish such as are weak in grace These indeed in one respect may be called works of Piety namely as they are instructions directions and consolations gathered out of the holy Scriptures But in another respect they are works of mercy namely as they tend to the good of your neighbours souls In which the poorest that are may be rich in good works II. The works of mercy which concern the body of our neighbour are these and such like 1 Relieving such as are in want The Apostle enjoyning the Corinthians to lay up some thing in store every first day of the week which is the Lords Day implieth that that is a very fit season not only to do such works of mercy which are then offered unto us but also to prepare for other times And surely if every one would every Lords Day set apart something out of his commings in that week for a stock to give to charitable uses much good might be done thereby For as men by this means will have more to give than otherwise they will finde in their hearts to do on the week days So they will give both more
unworthy soever thou art otherwise to be a worthy receiver Having thus shewed the Necessity of the duty of Examination Come wee now to the Extent thereof which may be brought to two heads viz. 1 Thy graces 2 Thy sins First Thou must examine thy self of thy graces more especially of thy Knowledge Faith Repentance and Love Touching Knowledge I shall shew 1 What Knowledge is required of every worthy Communicant 2 The Necessity 3 The Trial thereof I. For the first what Knowledge is required I answer in general Knowledge of all the fundamental Principles of Religion In particular Knowledge of the Doctrine of the Sacrament Fundamental Principles of Religion are such as our salvation is founded upon without the knowledge whereof a man cannot be saved and they are these That there is a God That there is but one God That that onely true God is distinguished into three Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost all equally God That that God is the Creator and Governour of all things That all things were made good by him and are still governed by him righteously That man in particular was made perfectly righteous by him That man continued not long in his happy estate but fell by transgressing the Commandement of God in eating the forbidden fruit That wee are all guilty of Adams sin being in his loins when hee committed that sin That every one of us brought into the world corrupted and polluted natures natures as full of sin as a Toad is of poison That unto this original corruption wee have added a numberless number of actual transgressions and that in evil thoughts evil words and evil deeds That by our sins wee have made our selves liable to the wrath of God to the curse of the Law to all judgements and plagues here and to eternal death and condemnation hereafter That no man can free himself out of that miserable condition whereinto by sin hee hath plunged himself neither can any meer creature help him That God out of his free grace and rich mercy did send his own Son out of his bosome into the world to take our nature upon him that therein hee might become our Surety and Redeemer That Christ was both God and Man in one person That hee was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary That hee died upon the Cross to save his people from their sins That hee rose again the third day from the dead ascended into Heaven sits at the right hand of God and makes continual intercession for us That by Faith wee are made partakers of Christ and of the benefits of his death and passion That Faith is the gift of God wrought in us by the Spirit of God through the Ministery of the Word whereby wee rest upon Christ alone for the pardon of our sins and for eternal life and salvation That it hath pleased God to make with us in and thorow Christ a new Covenant of Grace wherein hee hath promised the pardon of our sins and the salvation of our souls upon the alone condition of a lively Faith Particuâ—ar Principles concerning the Sacrament of the Lords Supper are these That it was ordained by Christ himself as a memorial of his great love in offering up his life a Sacrifice for our sins That this as well as the other Sacrament of Baptism is a seal of Gods Covenant whereby he bindes himself to perform his promises made to us in Christ for strengthening our Faith therein That the outward signs in the Lords Supper are Bread and Wine by which are set forth the body and blood of Christ which the worthy receivers by Faith do partake of in this Sacrament That whosoever eats and drinks unworthily is guilty of the body and blood of Christ and therefore that every one is to examine himself lest he eat and drink judgement to himself Having thus shewed what is that knowledge which is required of every worthy Communicant II. I shall now shew the Necâ—ssity thereof which appeareth 1 Because without this knowledge a man can never attain to any of the other graces for an ignorant man can neither beleeve nor repent nor love God or his neighbour aright 2 Because without this knowledge a man cannot discern the Lords body which if hee do not hee eats and drinks damnation to himself And therefore it is absolutely necessary that all who receive the Lords Supper should discern the Lords body i. e. should perceive that there is more to be received than that which is seen with the eye of the body To the bodily eye there appeareth nothing but Bread and Wine upon the Table but by virtue of the divine institution there is also Christs body and blood if this be not discerned the benefit of the Sacrament is lost But it is not possible without knowledge which is the eye of the soul to discern that body and blood under the elements of bread and wine therefore is the forementioned knowledge absolutely necessary III. For the third particular viz. The Tryal of thy knowledge whether it be a true saving knowledge thou mayest know it by the properties thereof some whereof are these 1 True saving knowledge is Experimental whereby a Christian hath a spiritual sense and feeling of what he knows He hath not only a general and a notional knowledge of God and of his own miserable condition by nature and of Jesus Christ but hee hath likewise an experimental knowledge of God and of his Attributes as of his power in supporting him under his trials and temptations of his faithfulness in making good his promises unto him He hath likewise a sensible feeling of his own wretched condition by nature And an experimental knowledge of Jesus Christ so that he knoweth Christ to be his Saviour and Redeemer and resteth upon his merits alone for life and for salvation By this then try and examine thy knowledge c. 2 True saving knowledge is Humble and joyned with meekness of spirit For the more true knowledge a man hath the more he discerns his own ignorance yea and vileness by reason of his sins And therefore you shall finde those Christians who were most eminent both in knowledge and grace to complain most as of their ignorance so of their own base and naughty hearts as you may see in Paul and others And no marvel considering that true saving knowledge discovers unto a man his own vileness and wretchedness by reason of his sins his own unworthiness yea his own emptiness and nothingness in regard of any goodness of his own Whereas unsanctified knowledge is apt to puft a man up with pride and self-conceit even to the contemning and despising of others which the Apostle plainly expresseth where he saith Knowledge puffeth up By this then try and examine thy knowledge whether it be a saving knowledge or no. 3 True saving knowledge is active and operative being ever accompanied with practice and obedience so that it worketh reformation in the heart
Ioshuahs as appears by his protestation as for mee and my family wee will serve the Lord. In the New Testament it is recorded of Cornelius That hee was a devout wan who feared God with all his house and prayed to God alwaies which implieth hee kept a constant course in prayer Now these things are recorded for our learning that so we might write after their Copy by following their Example in so excellent a duty 2 Every Master in his Family is both a King a Prophet and a Priest Hee is a King to govern his Family a Prophet to teach and instruct his Family and a Priest to offer the sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving not only for himself but also for all those who are committed to his charge Let therefore all Masters of Families know that it is their duty which God will require of them not onely to pray by themselves and yet I would to God all did but that but also to call together all their family and to bee their mouth unto God in prayer unto which they may be incouraged by Gods gracious promise That where two or three are gathered together in Christs name there hee will be in the midst of them 3 A Master of a Family by his daily offering up a morning and evening Sacrifize of prayer and praise will make his house an house of prayer or little Temple which God will fill with his presence Yea a Christians house is hereby made Gods Church by a constant performance of holy duties which is a great honour unto a family 4 Family-prayers are a special means to bring down Gods blessing upon the whole family and upon all their lawful undertakings As God blessed the house of Obed-Edom for the Arks sake So will God bless those families in which his name is called upon For godliness is profitable unto all things as well in families as in any other societies 5 Another Argument may be taken from the danger of neglecting this duty of Family-prayer for such do incur the danger of Gods wrath and fury Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not upon thy Name saith the Prophet Ieremiah Which words contain a fearful imprecation against all prayerless-families And it is observable that such as neglect this duty of prayer in their family are joyned with the Heathen and truly very fitly for wherein do they differ from the Heathens who have not so much as a form of godliness in their families upon whom God will power out his fury Oh think of this all yee who make no conscience of praying daily with your families consider it well and lay it to heart Are yee not under that Prophetical curse and liable to the pouring forth of Gods wrath and fury both upon your selves and upon all that belong unto you even your Wives your Children your Servants yea and very wares and goods It may well be written upon the doors of such houses as one saith Lord have mercy on us for surely the plague of God is not far from them but nigh unto them Obj. Mee thinks I hear some saying they are convinced of the necessity of the duty and fain they would do it but oh they cannot they know not how to pray Answ. I would advise such rather to read some good prayer than altogether to omit the duty for many Masters of Families who are not able to conceive a prayer of themselves yet if they meet with a form of prayer answerable to their occasions can pray heartily and earnestly Yet I would not have them ever content themselves with reading a form of prayer but to labour to pray of themselves without a book And for your help therein take these two Directions 1 Carefully observe the prayers of others their order and method 2 Take notice of your own sins in particular and of your particular wants what graces you stand in need of and desire As also take notice of the particular blessings God bestoweth on you and thereby you will be inabled in some measure to pray your selves by confessing your sins unto God and begging as the pardon of them in and thorow the merits of Jesus Christ so such graces as you stand in need of And when once in any competent measure you can pray for your selves then by degrees you may come to pray with your Family CHAP. XXIX Of Servants Duties to their Masters HAving shewed the Duties of Masters in reference to their Servants Come wee now to the Duties of Servants in reference to their Masters which may be brought to three heads viz. 1 Obedience 2 Diligence 3 Faithfulness I. Obedience is that the Apostle St. Paul often presseth upon Servants as a main and principal duty And indeed no inferiours are more bound to obedience than Servants Your Obedience must be manifested in two particulars 1 In a ready yeelding to your Masters commands For indeed it is the proper work of a Servant to hearken to his Masters Precepts and to yeeld ready obedience unto them 2 In a patient bearing of reproofs and corrections yea though the correction be wrongfully inflicted without just cause which the Apostle Peter expresly requireth of Servants for saith hee Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear not onely to the good and gentle but also to the froward For this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience towards God indure grief suffering wrongfully For what glory is it if when yee be buffeted for your faults yee take it patiently but if when yee do well and suffer for it yee take it patiently this is acceptable with God And if unjust correction ought patiently to be born then much more unjust reproofs But if the reproof or correction be just then you ought speedily to amend and reform the things for which you are â—ustly reproved or corrected For the Manner of Servants Obedience the Apostle sets it down in several expressions As 1 It must be a sincere Obedience This the Apostle Paul sets down with two expressions in one verse 1 Negatively Not with eye-service 2 Affirmatively With singleness of heart Not with eye-service which implieth a meer outward service only to satisfie the eye of man But with singleness of heart q. d. Let not your Obedience be hypocritical meerly to be seen of your Masters but let it be in truth and uprightness of heart doing service to your Masters in the sincerity of your hearts without any hypocrisie or dissimulation labouring in your Masters absence as well as in his presence remembring Gods eye is ever upon you 2 Your obedience must be consciencious for conscience sake because the Lord requireth it at your hands so much the Apostle expresseth for speaking to Servants he saith Whatsoever yee doe doe it heartily as to the Lord q. d. whatsoever service yee doe to your Masters doe it for the Lords sake because he hath commanded it and therefore doe