his servants upon is reasonable and easie and pleasant and delightful 't is the works of Piety and Charity that he requires to love God above all and our Neighbours as our selves These are the two great commands and upon these hang all the Law and the Prophets Mat. 22.37 c. Love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom 13.10 And is not this a pleasant and delightful duty and is it not reasonable that we should love God our great Benefactor in whom we live and move and have our being and our Brethren that are of the same flesh and blood To believe in him also is our duty and is it not reasonable when we can never prove that ever he deceived any To praise him also is our work this is an Angelical work fit for Heaven and Heaven-born Souls and will be the work of Eternity where Saints and Angels shall make up one quire to Trumpet out the prayses of God To hold communion with him this is a Christians happiness here and to converse with him in Glory is Heaven it self 'T is no wonder then that the Service of God is called perfect Freedom and his Servants are called his Free-men 1 Cor. 7.21 'T is no wonder that Christ tells us his Yoak is easie and his Burthen is light Mat. 11.30 for all those that feel it find it so through Divine Assistance I know to a Carnal Heart and unsanctified Soul it appears otherwise but 't is the Galls Sores and Putrified Corruption of Nature that makes it so the easiest Yoak upon a galled Neck seems uneasie Learn but this one Lesson get but this one Qualification to love God above all and all the rest will prove easie Love makes Labour light the Love of Christ constrained the Apostle Paul and made him willing not only to be bound but to dye for Christ then Prayer would be no difficult Duty for who would not willingly go to him he Loves and pour out his requests into his Bosom when he knows he shall have a supply and hath such promises as those ask and you shall have seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened to you Psal 50.15 Praise also then will be a delightful Duty how apt are we to Commend those we Love and speak well of them Hence it is that the Saints and Angels in Heaven are not weary of this work even to Eternity Communion with God is no toylful but delightful Duty for Union and Communion with God is the Souls Happiness nay 't is here a Heaven upon Earth and will be their Heaven for ever which is sweet here though much interrupted what will it be then when we enjoy him Face to Face and see him as he is here it fills the Heart full of such Joy as no Stranger shall ever meddle with Prov. 14.10 I know the world brags of their pleasures in the Devils Service and are afraid to be Christians for fear of losing them but this is but one of the Devils Lime-twigs in which he fetters them and one of the deceits of the Father of Lyes a true Christian finds by Experience more true Joy more ravishing delight in one days Communion with Christ than ever he did in the Service of sin for in the midst of laughter the sinners heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is Heaviness But a Believer may eat his Meat with Joy and drink his Wine with a merry Heart for God accepteth his Work Eccl. 9.7 And with joy they can draw waters out of these Wells of Salvation Isa 12.3 Yea shout for joy if he be of an upright Heart Psal 32.11 There is none in the world that has more true Cause of Joy than they have here they are under the Divine Protection of God and are sure to want nothing that is good and when this Earthly Tabernacle shall be dissolved they have a Kingdom prepared for them But what is the Devils work which he imploys his Servants about 'T is the basest drudgery the most servile Slavery the most sordid unreasonable Dangerous work in the world he sets them to hate God who is the chiefest good to hold up weapons of defiance against him from whom they have their Life and Breath and Being to Blaspheme his Name abuse his Creatures break his Commandments Persecute his Children both by Hand and Tongue pluck the Stars out of his Right Hand the Signet of his Finger the Apple of his Eye his Jewels those whom his Soul Loveth yea to de-throne him and set up the Devil in his place yea he makes them so mad upon it that they will venture Life and Limb in the Prosecution yea Liberty and Estate and Ruine their own Souls and as many more as they are able and will not be perswaded by Ministers Parents or their Godly Friends from such Courses when the Devil enters into these Swine they run headlong till they Ruine themselves 4. Motive Thou shouldst serve the Lord because he best deserves thy Service he hath done more for thee than all the World besides and that which all the World cannot do It was he that Created thee and gave thee a Being when thou wast nothing It was not long since there was nothing heard of thee and God had no need of thee he was Infinite in his Perfection and Glory before thou wast and thou hast added nothing to his Happiness and wilt not own him for thy Creator Yea he hath made thee a Rational Creature when he might have made thee a bruit Beast he made thee capable of Communion with himself yea in his own Image when he might have made thee a Dog or Toad or Serpent or the most despicable Worm that crawls under thy Feet what Excellent Faculties hath he bestowed upon thee As Undestranding Will Affections Memory Conscience and such like Yea he hath made thee Little lower than the Angels Psal 8.4,5 Thou wast the Clay and he was the Potter he might have made thee a Vessel of dishonour and shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Not only so but he hath given thee thy Limbs and thy Senses when thou mightest have been Blind or Lame or Deaf or Dumb and is not this a Mercy thou hast the use of Reason when others run raging in the street Mad Frantick or Lunatick Yea 't is he that maintains thee at his own Cost and Charges 't is his Corn and his Wine that feeds thee his Wool and his Flax that Cloaths thee 't is his Silver and his Gold that inriches thee all is his and all is his free-gift thou deservest not the Crumbs that fall under thy Table and is all this nothing Hos 2.5 c. Yea hadst thou these things of thy own they could do thee no good without his Blessing Food could not nourish nor Cloaths keep thee warm he gives thee Peace when thou mightest have been in bloody War Health when thou mighest have been on thy sick Bed and
Plenty when thou mighest have been in pinching want and is all this nothing Why now doth he do this for thee but that thou mightest Serve him Hast thou now a better Friend or greater Benefactor to bestow thy Service upon Can the Devil or the World or thy Friends or thy Wealth do thus for thee I know they cannot why then are they preferred before him Nay this is not all when thou hadst Revolted from God and sold thy self a Slave to Satan when thou wast in thy Bloud and no Eye pityed thee when thou couldst not help thy self and wast unworthy to be helpt he sent his own Son to Redeem thee out of thy Slavery to suffer what was due for thy sins even the pains of Hell and the cursed Death upon the Cross and that when thou wast his Enemy and all to free thee from the guilt and filth of sin and from the punishment due for sin from the Curse of the Law the wrath of God the Slavery of Satan and from everlasting damnation and is all this nothing Yea all this was done that thou mightest Serve him in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of thy Life Luke 1.75 Nay further he bestows upon thee many helps and furtherances he gives thee his Word his Ordinance his Sacraments his Ministers the motions of his Spirit the checks of thine own Conscience and the Example of his People Promises Threatnings Mercies Judgments and all to this End and yet doth he not deserve thee Hath the Devil or the World done more for thee than he hath Why then wilt thou serve them Did they Create thee or art thou theirs by right of Redemption Do they preserve or maintain thee Do they Feed or Cloath thee Or pay thee Wages No no all thy Friends in the World nor all the Angels in Heaven could not satisfie for our sin did they Love thee better than he that laid down his Life for thee Or will they make better Provision for thee than God will Or pay thee better Wages Then Serve them and spare not but deceive not thy self they cannot do it what canst want if thou be God's Servant He is every way furnished to help thee art thou ten thousand Talents indebted and canst not pay a farthing Christ will be thy Surety and discharge thy debt hast thou Scarlet sins lying upon thy Conscience Here is Blood to wash them away 't is he and he alone that can forgive sins Here is the Bread of Life to feed thee and the Water of Life to refresh thee the Spiritual Manna fit Food for thy Soul the true Nectar and Ambrosia he that eats of this shall never Hunger and he that drinks of this shall never Thirst Here is Rich Robes to Cloath thee and Eye salve to make thee see and Gold tryed in the Fire to make thee Rich Rev. 3.17,18 Here are Graces as Jewels to adorn thee the Wedding-Garment to make thee a welcom Guest he is Mecor Majim Chajim A Fountain of Living Water Jer. 2.13 Tzur gnolanim a Rock of Ages Isa 26.4 All the water of Consolation is in this Sea all the Light is in this Sun and all Comfort in this God Canst find such another Master that hath done and will do for thee as he hath and will do the Devil and the World will deceive thee if they promise to do it 5. Motive Thou shouldst serve God for as he hath the best work so he gives the best Wages and Servants usually seek for such Masters something he gives in hand as earnest of the Bargain and incouragement in the work and reserves most to the Years end when he will plenteously recompence all thy pains and remove all cause of repining in hand he gives his Servants his Spirit this is the mark he knows them by those that have not the Spirit of God are none of his Rom. 8.9 This is called the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 Ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 't is called the earnest of the Spirit in our Hearts this is called the Comforter John 15.27 and 't is given to instruct us and to lead us into all Truth John 18.13 And doubtless those cannot want Comfort that have such a Comforter they cannot lose their way that have such a Guide he it is that dictates their Prayers for them for they know not what to ask yea God for the Comfort and Consolation of his Servants here in the World gives them an Interest in the Promises Recorded in the Word of God which are more worth than the World the greatest King on Earth cannot make and perform such Promises to his greatest Favourite they are well called great and precious Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 For great things are promised in them that believe that apprehends an interest in them may live upon his faith and his hope in the absence of all Creature enjoyments these are his Fathers Legacy 't is true Believers have but little in hand yet much in a Promise but little in Possession yet much in Reversion they have Heaven and Earth in a Promise here they have a Promise they shall not lack but at Death they shall receive their Inheritance yea Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither is entred into the heart of Man to conceive what God hath provided for those that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 Here they have a Promise and God hath put his hand to it they shall not want protection nor provision God hath promised he will never leave them nor forsake them Heb. 13.5 And if God be for us who can be against us yea that they shall want nothing that is good Psal 34.9 The young Lions lack and suffer hunger but those that fear the Lord shall want no good thing Psal 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and a Shield he giveth Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withold from them that live uprightly If we have sincere hearts if wealth be good for us we shall have it and if poverty be good why should we not be content somtimes Physick is as necessary as food They have a Promise of Deliverance out of Trouble Many are the Troubles of the Righteous but the Lord delivers them out of all Psal 34.19 and 50.15 Take one place for all Rom. 8.28 All things shall work together for good to those that love God What matter then is it what our sufferings are when we are sure we shall get by them God that brought Light out of Darkness and Order out of Confusion can work Good to us out of Evil there is no Condition a servant of God can be in but in the Scripture he may find Comfort or Company or both yea God bestows his graces upon his servants which are better than the most Orient Pearls or costly Jewels these they are adorned with and no other did ever wear them they have the rich Robes of Christs Righteousness the Garments of Holyness this is Gods Livery and all his
overwhelmed in the Sea Exod. 14.21 Over Amalek Exod. 17.12 Over Sennacherib 2 Kings 19.32 It hath with-held Rain from the Earth for a long time and after procured it James 5.17,18 It hath brought Angels from Heaven for the help of man thus to Daniel Chap. 9.21 For Hezekiahs help 2 Kings 19.35 where an Angel slew in one Night in the Camp of Sennacherib a hundred forty and five thousand And to Elisha 2 Kings 6.17 where the Mountain was full of Horses and Chariots of Fire about Elisha It hath brought Fire from Heaven to consume the Enemies 2 Kin. 1.10.12 It hath procured Bears to devour those Children that mocked the Prophet 2 Kings 2.24 It is the way to cast out Devils Mat. 17.21 and to work strange deliverances as Jonah out of the Whales belly Jonah 2.10 Peter out of Prison Acts 12.5 c. By this the Widdows Oyl was increased 2 King 4.3 And Miracles might be wrought Mark 11.23 This is the way to recover the Sick James 5.15 To divert Judgments felt or feared thus Moses oft stood in the gap This is the way to procure pardon of Sin Luke 18.13 To avoid the Temptations of Satan Mat. 26.41 To have deliverance out of Troubles Psal 50.15 To procure the Spirit of God Luke 12.13 To get Wisdom James 1.5 Who now would not set upon such a Duty Now to perform this Duty well take these Directions 1. Direct There are several Qualifications requisite to every one that would rightly perform this Duty of Prayer in an acceptable manner without which a Blessing cannot be expected for though Christ bids ask and we shall have seek and we shall find knock and it shall be opened to us Yet St. James tells us we ask and have not because we ask amiss It is necessary in the first place that thou be a Child of God and have the work of Grace wrought upon thy Heart or otherwise thou hast no assurance of being heard The blind man John 9.31 could say God heareth not Sinners I know 't is the Duty of others to pray and the Apostle incourageth Simon Magus to the Duty if perhaps the thoughts of his heart might be forgiven But till the Heart be brought over to God we have no assurance that God will hear us the Sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to God till then we cannot comfortably call God Father nor come with boldness to the Throne of Grace neither will Christ Mediate or Intercede for us while we remain his Enemies neither will the Spirit of God assist us in the Duty Rom. 8.15 It is in Christ and through Faith that we have boldness and access with Confidence to God Eph. 3 12. 'T is necessary also that we hate sin if we come to God for he is a devouring Fire to his Enemies and will not be reconciled to those that are reconciled to Sin How can we heartily pray against Sin and for Holiness if we love Sin and hate Holiness As all unconverted Sinners do This is dissembling with God when the Heart is not with him If I regard Iniquity in my Heart saith David God will not hear my Prayers Psal 66.18 Yea God who is Holiness it self requires Holiness in all those that draw near to him and he being a Spirit will be Worshipped in Spirit and in Truth Without Holiness no man shall ever see God with Comfort Heb. 12.14 Knowledge also is requisite for God cannot abide the Blind and the Lame in Sacrifice without this the mind cannot be good nor the Service acceptable without this a man knows not what to pray for or what to pray against what to seek or what to shun what is sin or what is Duty what he wants or what he hath and what blind worship is he like to offer he can never Pray as he ought Self-denial also is necessary he should in all things subject his will to the will of God A notable Example we have in Christ himself whose Meat and Drink it was to do his Fathers Will. So when he had prayed that that bitter Cup might pass from him yet adds not my Will but thine be done and thus he hath taught us to pray Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Faith also is requireâ— for if those shafts of Prayer are not headed by Faith they will never reach Heaven this is the Condition required whatsoever you ask believingly you shall receive and without Faith 't is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Nay further Patience is also required we must wait for an Answer not like those short-winded Bethulians that set God a time and will wait no longer but refer all to his Will who best knows his own time yea the best time and fittest Season He ought also to be an Humble man for God resisteth the Proud and giveth Grace to the Humble He that hath not low self-denying thoughts of himself God will have low thoughts of his Service he fills the hungry with good things but the Rich he sends empty away He must also beg for the power and assistance of the Spirit Rom. 8.26 God knows the voice of his Spirit Come not in thy own strength Thou must also be painful and Laborious not only pray for Mercies but endeavour for them a few faint wishes will not serve turn Sin must be fought against as well as pray'd against endeavours must be used 2. Direct Before thou come to this Duty of Prayer prepare thy Heart to meet the Lord thy God in so solemn a Duty Wert thou but to meet some Prince or Noble Man thou wouldst make some Preparation much more shouldst thou when thou art to meet the great God one that knows the Secrets of thy Heart and thy Ends and Motives in the Duty What business of Concernment is there but needs some preparation Much more when the Soul is so deeply concerned in it Examine therefore what Relation thou standest in to God whether he be a Friend or an Enemy Who can come with boldness to him that hath offended him and is not Reconciled If thou hast not a Mediator to Intercede for thee and a Surety to undertake thy Debt how darest thou approach to the Creditor to whom thou owest ten thousand Talents and canst not pay a Farthing How dar'st approach this Consuming Fire that art but Chaff and Stubble And what hopes hast of speeding if thou be not within the Covenant The promise belongs not to thee But when thou canst find an Interest in God and in the Covenant and in Christ canst call God Father yet rush not rudely into his Presence but study well what things he hath promised for those thou maist boldly ask Heaven and Earth shall pass but his Word shall not pass till it be fulfilled But if thou ask amiss that is what he never promised no wonder if thou receive it not acquaint thy self well with the Attributes of God his Power Goodness Justice and Truth c. This will be an Excellent
Foundation for thy Faith And when thou art come before him set thy self as in his Presence and let thy Heart be affected with awful Reverence of him who is the Searcher of the Heart and Tryer of the Reins There 's many that come to him in prayer and little consider with whom they have to do Come also with a full purpose and Resolution or else never come to leave and forsake all those sins thou shalt confess For if thou regard Iniquity in thy Heart God will not hear thy Prayer Psal 66.18 'T is a vain thing to think to get pardon for those sins thou wilt not leave or a dispensation to Sin Meditate before hand of the Number Nature and Quality of thy Sins Of the Purity of God's Law the Justice of God his Threatnings against Sin and Sinners and the punishments he hath brought upon the World for sin the little Good that Sin hath done thee and the great hurt c. These Considerations may work in thee a loathing of sin when thou seest that it is the cause of all thy Miseries then wilt thou put up real desires to have it Mortified and till then thou wilt but dally with God Study well before-hand what are thy wants which thou wouldst have supplyed by God Let it be thy daily work to think what Sin and Corruption is strong in thee and what Grace is weak or wanting and what thou wouldst beg at God's hands and have not thy Errand to seek when thou shouldst do it Study well also what Mercies thou hast received and forget not to render to God the Tribute of Praise Thankfulness for one Mercy is a real Petition for another Many like the Lepers will come in a Petition for Mercies they want but few in Thanksgiving for Mercies received Most men are like the Swine under the Tree they eat the Crabs or Acorns but look not up from whence they come And where as 't is a Commanded Duty to Pray one for another 't is necessary that we sympathize one with another Mourn with those that Mourn and Rejoyce with them that Rejoyce It was Nehemiah's practice and he should herein be our President when all went well with him in his own particular the Afflictions of the Church could wring Tears from his Eyes Nehem. 1.4 And if any jarr be between thee and another be Reconciled this is Christ's Counsel Mat. 5.23 Mark 11.26 Come thus prepared and there is great hopes of speeding 3. Direct Wouldst thou put up a prevailing Prayer See that thou make it to God alone and not to Saints or Angels or any Creature whatsoever This is that Homage which he hath reserved to himself and that Honour that he will not give to another Many are the Commands which are in Scripture for this Duty Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of Trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt Glorifie me And Christ bids us go to our Father in Secret and our Father which seeth in Secret will reward us openly Mat. 6.6 This was the Refuge which the Godly run to in all their streights Hither Abraham Isaac and Jacob went Gen. 18.27 28.3 32.11 Hither Moses goes when God threatned Israel Exod. 39.11 Yea Joshua Hannah Samuel David Solomon Elijah Jehoshaphat Hezekiah Peter and Christ himself and thus he taught us to do Mat. 6.9 Our Father which art in Heaven Many are the Promises which are made to those that go to God in the Name of Christ and many are the Experiences which Believers have had of the Return of Prayers made to God But in the whole Book of God there is not one Precept for or approved Example of any one that sought either to Saint or Angel nor any Promise to any that do so or any Experience that any have had any Return to their Prayer no nor encouragement to provoke us to believe that God approves it but the contrary There is nothing in Scripture to ground our Faith upon and what is not of Faith is Sin We may find God himself stiled A God Hearing Prayers A Title given to no Creature in Heaven or in Earth God is Omniscient and knows all things the very thoughts and wishes the sighs and breathings the longings hungrings and pantings of a broken Heart are known to him and he knows when Prayers proceed from unfeigned Lips he is Hoker Lebh Scutator Cordis The Searcher of the Heart Jer. 17.10 And 't is a Priviledge that no man on Earth can claim neither have we any assurance that Saints or Angels in Heaven can do it Again he is every where present at all times and in all places which the Angels themselves are not being finite Creatures and therefore is always in a readiness to help We know he hears our Prayers but have no assurance that the others do He is Omnipotent and able to help us he is El shaddai God All-sufficient Gen. 17.1 Able to remove all rubs out of the way but the Creature cannot help us they are but the Cistern he is the Fountain they have no more than what he puts into them Yea all Religious Worship is due to him alone whereof Prayer is a principal part and cannot be given to another without offence 'T is from him that we receive every good and perfect gift James 1.17 and therefore unto him we should go to beg it who keeps the dispose of them in his own hands and will be sought unto before he part with them God is the Object of our Faith and should be of our Prayers for How can we call upon him upon whom we have not believed Rom. 10.14 The very Heathen by the Light of Nature acknowledge this Priviledge this Duty was due to God alone they put up their Petitions to those they esteemed gods as the Mariners in Jonah's Ship called every man upon his god and advised Jonah to do so also Jonah 1.5 And God himself threatens the Families that call not upon his Name Jer. 10.25 And in their distress threatens to send them to the gods they serve How much then are those to blame that Pray to Saints and Angels as the Papists or offer up Religious Worship to any other but to God alone but till they can prove it a Duty by direct precept or approved Example till they can prove they are Omnipresent always at hand Omniscient and know all things Omnipotent and can help us in all our straits which they will never do lets us never leave the Fountain that is all this and go to the Cistern that cannot help us 4. Direct If thou wouldst speed in Prayer then go to God in the Name of Christ if thou take him not along with thee thou wilt not be welcom if thou come not cloathed in thy Elder Brothers Garments thou wilt return without the Blessing We are by Nature Enemies to God and he is a consuming Fire to his Enemies and Christ must be the Skreen to keep us from burning 't is he alone that can
Psalms are appointed by him but in what Tune he doth not determine any further than the general Directions of decently and in Order reach Hebrew Tunes as I said are much unknown and if known cannot agree with our Language no more do ours with other Languages Now if we sing it must be in some Tune but no Tune being peculiarly Commanded our own no doubt may be Lawfully used Neither can it be justly called an innovation thrust into God's Worship any more than the Word Translated out of the Original into English in which the Scriptures are Read yet this is held to be Lawful 'T is Invention indeed which savours of nothing but of the Wit or Will of Man thrust into God's Service and is not agreeable to the Rule this may be suspected and rejected but this is not of that Nature The Question before us is what Reason can be given why we may not use English Tunes as well as English Words in God's Worship seeing the one is as Consonant to Scripture and Reason as the other Another scruple that some make upon the like ground is the reading of the Psalm in Order to singing Indeed were all men able to repeat the Psalms without Book or had all those to whom singing is a Duty the gift of Reading or were furnished with Books to Read this were not necessary but till this comes to pass which will never be Reading is of use the whole Congregation is to sing and unless all were thus Qualified how can they sing if it be not read Nature it self dictates to us we must use means to bring to the end and the Scripture never denies it Now this is a good means for Instruction and why may we not receive Instruction by the Ear in Hearing as well as by the Eye in Reading In Prayer we think it more convenient to joyn with the Minister hearing him than if we could read the same Prayer along with him in a Book When all Israel sang together with Moses it is like it was read to them Exod. 15.1,2 c. for doubtless all had not Copies of it if they could have read neither had committed it to Memory Neither can the Reading of it any way hinder the Melody neither will it hinder but help the Understanding neither any way dull the Affections And thus I hope I have removed those Objections and Answered the doubts of those that scruple this Ordinance 6. Direct If thou art now convinc'd that Singing Psalms is a Gospel Duty yea thy Duty which God requires of thee set upon it then with hopes of Success but be sure to observe that in this as well as in other Duties thy End be good otherwise the Action must needs be bad Many a man loseth much Labour and pains and spends much Time to little purpose an evident Example we have in the Pharisees Mat. 6.1,2 c. who Fasted Prayed and gave Alms all Excellent Duties But those Sacrifices though otherwise good being mixt with the Dung of their own self-seeking and desire of popular applause God throws it back into their Faces as Dung without a Reward and so it will be with thee if thou seek thy self and not God in the Duty If Custom Credit or a desire of Popular Applause drive thee on to this Duty and not the sincere desire of God's Glory thou maist expect thy Reward from Men and not from God Many Men in Singing Psalms aim at no higher End nor make any better use of it than they do in their Prophane Songs or Ungodly Ballads viz. Their own Recreation to drive away the Time or a desire to be Applauded for their good Voice or Tune or Excellent gift in Singing But the chief End which every Christian should aim at in all his Actions especially in all his Acts of Divine Worship should be God's Glory and his own Souls good if this be laid aside thou maist expect a Curse and not a Blessing upon thy proceedings If this be wanting the Duty is spoyled if this be minded God will accept of it though accompanied with many Imperfections This Heavenly Duty is performed to this End by the Angels and the whole Church Triumphant as before is shewed and will be the Work of Eternity and here upon Earth if Heart and Voice go together 'T is a resemblance of Heaven and represents though darkly that Melodious Harmony that is in Heaven amongst those Glorious Choristers We should make Melody in our Hearts and not only with our Mouths Look upon it as a part of God's Worship and Service and appointed for Spiritual Consolation not for Prophane Recreation and therefore we should with the Psalmist say Not unto us Lord not to us but to thine own Name be the Glory Let us work for God and he will not fail to give us a Reward and there is great Reason why we should in this Duty Trumpet out his Praise for all we have is his and from his hand it is we receive every good and perfect gift We have our Life and Being from him and have no more breath than what he puts into us and there is all the Reason we should render to him the Praises due for all And this is one way we have to Praise him Eph. 5.19 Col. 3.16 Thus the Holy Men of Old have gone before us and aimed at this very End Thus Deborah and Barak Moses and Miriam and many more and thus David resolves to do Psal 7.17 I will Sing praise to the Name of the Lord most High Psal 111.1 And exhorts others to follow his Example Psal 30.4 Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his c. Psal 47.6 92.1 Now this Duty though it especially concerns the Godly as those that have received the most and greatest Mercies and have the greatest abilities for the Work yet others also having received all they have from God are also obliged to render Praise and Thanks to God and are frequently called upon thus to do Psal 110.1 where all Nations are excited to this Duty And as God's Glory is chiefly to be minded so our own Benefit is not to be neglected and our Souls good And the Psalms serve also for Instruction and Direction for this as well as other Scripture serves to this End Eph. 5.19 Col. 3.16 And if we observe every Psalm will yield us some profitable Instruction Direction or Exhortation and inform us in many things concerning God's Word his Attributes Providences Promises Word and Works or something concerning our selves or others good or bad concerning this Life or that to come And this we may not only Treasure up in our own Hearts but also press it upon others and Teach one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Nay wicked Men may hence be Instructed Convinced and Reproved to this End Moses Song was Indited Deut. 31.19 'T is matter of Consolation also to the Godly in all Conditions here are Petitions put up to God here are Promises made by God
received take notice of your unworthiness the more to exalt the Mercies received But Confession of Sin so as to Afflict the Soul with them is not suitable to the day Bring thy Family in due time to the Publick if it be publickly Observed otherwise carry it on in Private and pay your Vows in the great Congregation and behave your selves in the remaining part of the day as be-you were Directed in the Observation of the Sabbath for this time is Consecrated and made Holy to God and should be wholly spent in his Service And thou shouldest be as careful of thy Thoughts thy Words and thy Affections as though it were a Sabbath for there is no danger of keeping them too intent upon God When thou comest into the Congregation thou maist say as Jacob Gen. 28.17 This is no other but the House of God and the Gate of Heaven for here is done the work that shall be done in Heaven As for the oher expressions of Joy as Ringing of Bells shooting off Guns making of Bone-fires c. they are so far Lawful as they help forward the Work and raise the Heart to an higher pitch of Joy and rejoycing in the Lord. 5. Direct Having thus disposed and prepared thy Heart for the Work and set thy self as in the Presence of the ever-living God that sees and knows and takes notice of thee set thy self then upon the work of Glorifying God and render thanks to him from thy Heart for all the Benefits thou hast Received Praise is comely for the Saints And this Religious Thankfulness of which we speak is thy Duty Now 't is either External or Internal the Internal is to carry a thankful Heart to God and this is every days Duty External is when the Thankfulness of the Heart is expressed in Words or Actions the former without the latter is not sufficient the latter without the former is little worth Now the External manifestation of thy thankfulness is either Private or Publick Private by thy self or Family Publick in the great Congregation and this also is either Ordinary or Extraordinary Ordinary and this should be done at every time when we come together to Worship of God The Extraordinary is upon Extraordinary Occasions as some great Deliverances or the obtaining some great Mercies or the bringing down some great Enemies of the Church this the Church ought to bless God for and Offer this Sacrifice of Praise in the Name and Mediation of Christ who prays over all our Prayers for us and Offers our Praises performed with the Incense of his own Righteousness Now 't is requisite as I said before that a Catalogue of those Mercies God hath given in as a return of Prayers be laid up either in a Book or in the Memory for if we neglect or forget them how shall we speak of them to God's praise 't is not enough to remember them but we must also mention them to his praise Thus David I will tell you what God hath done for my Soul He acknowledgeth God the Author of his Mercies and doth not Sacrifice to his own Nets as many do and burn Incense to his Drags Hab. 1.16 But as the Church not unto us Lord not to us but to thy Name be the Praise he acknowledges frequently his own worthlessness that he may exalt God Lord saith he what is Man that thou shouldst be mindful of him Or the Son of Man that thou regardest him Psal 8.4 I am less than the least of thy Mercies saith Jacob I am less than the least of thy Saints saith Paul Yea when it comes let it be a Free-will Offering do it chearfully readily willingly as the Saints and Angels do it in Heaven heartily not heavily God Loves a chearful giver and matters not grumbling Service Be as willing to return Thanks as ever thou wast to have the Mercy Set thy Heart on Work in this Duty stir up thy self like the Psalmist Psal 103.1 Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me Praise his Holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his Benefits 'T is not enough to Praise him with the Lips or bring our Bodies before him but the Heart and Life should Praise him the Heart should Indite thy Praises and thy Tongue utter them and thy Life and Conversation Seal to them thou shouldst do thanks and Live thanks as well as speak thanks this is every days Duty especially when we receive signal Mercies we should return answerable thanks when National Mercies National thanks should be returned Psal 50.15 Moses did so at the Deliverance at the Red Sea Exod. 15.1 Deborah and Barak did so Judg. 5.12 The Jews also when delivered from Haman's Plots Est 8.11.17 And there is great reason it should be so for Praise is due to none but God and to him the Vow should be performed all our Springs are in him and all our Mercies are from him yea every good and perfect gift and this is the very End for which he gives them and 't is all he requires for them this Pepper-corn of Homage is all his Rent who is the great Land-Lord and though it be due from all yet he expects it from his own People especially he will extort his own from others in another way and none but his People can do it to please him This is to his Saints a fore-tast of Glory where it must be their constant Work 'T is a beneficial Duty also for Thanksgiving for one Mercy is a real yea a prevailing Request for another Those that Offer praise Glorifie God And yet we see how negligent most are in this Duty few take notice of the Mercies they Receive but like Swine eat the Acorns or Crabs and regard not whence they come Ten Lepers were cleansed and but one returns thanks many are sensible of their wants and with the Horse-Leach cry give give yet are not sensible of their enjoyments to return thanks yea suffer some petty Cross to hide a thousand Blessings and keep them out of their sight 6. Direct When thou art thus prepared thus fitted go on in re-counting the Mercies thou hast Received and bless God for them this is the main Work of the Day Now forasmuch as Mercies are various all Men receive not alike yet all receive some for which they should be thankful give me leave to lead you by the Hand a little and shew you some the rest you may Observe your selves Bless God for what he is in himself and what he is to his Creatures in himself admire his Essence for fathom it thou canst not the like we may say of his Attributes his Eternity Immutability his Power Wisdom Holiness Justice and Truth c. Thou maist spend thy days also in Admiring him in the Works of his Hand lift up thy Eyes to Heaven and see the Sun the Moon and Stars those Glorious Lamps those Beauty spots of Heaven observe their Distance Courses Influence and Virtues and well thou maist
cry out Lord what is Man c. Psal 8.3,4 Look upon the Earth hanging like a Ball in the open Air stayed upon nothing see how 't is garnished with Trees and Plants and Herbs and Flowers Inhabited with a Hundred sorts of several Creatures all Cared for by the great House-holder Behold the Subserviency of one Creature to another and every one seems rather made for another than himself the Sun and Moon and Stars pour out their Influence on the Earth the Earth again yields Grass and Herbs and Fruits for Man and Beast the Beasts are for Food or Service to Man there is no Corner of Nature's Garden but yields Matter of Admiration and Praise also to God The Works of his Providence also are full of Mystery and Wonder and may fill the Heart with Admiration and the Mouth with Praises to see how the World is Governed and the Creatures all provided for But especially Observe his Providence to his Church in all Ages which is a Bush on fire and not consumed Lambs in the midst of Wolves and yet safe See his Providence to Noah when the whole World was drowned to Lot when Sodom was burnt to Abraham Isaac and Jacob to the Church in Egypt and in the Wilderness To Joseph and to David to the Jews in Haman's time to the Apostles Athanasius Luther and generally down from the beginning of the World to this day descend to our own Nation how wonderful hath his Mercies been to us How strange was his bringing us out of Popish darkness How wonderful his preserving us from being reduced back again How great his Deliverance from the Spantsh Invasion and after from the Powder Treason and many other Hellish Plots hatc'd in Hell against God's People upon Earth How hath he continued our Peace our Plenty our Health our Liberty yea the Gospel among us notwithstanding the Rage and Malice of the Devil and his Instruments If we consider our own particular Mercies and that as we are Men or as we are Christians As a Man thou art his Creature and shouldst bless him for thy Creation he made thee of nothing when he had no need of thee he made thee a rational Creature capable of Communion with himself when he might have made thee a Dog or Toad or the most despicable Creature that ever fell out of his hands And doth not this deserve praise He covered thee in thy Mothers womb and through him thou wast born David blesseth him for that Psal 139.13 Thou wast born in an Age of Light under the Gospel thou mightest have been born in Turky or India or the most barbarous place in America he provided for thee when thou couldest not provide for thy self he gives thee Food and Raiment and blesseth them to thy Use without which they could not Feed thee or keep thee warm he hath given thee thy Limbs and Senses when thou mightest have been blind or lame or deaf or dumb Thou hast thy health and strength thy wit and reason when thou mightest have been upon thy Bed of Languishing or running raging in the Streets thou hast fire and water two great Favours were they wanted thou hast the ground to tread upon the Air to breath in which thou hast not deserved and many thousand other Mercies and canst not yet see Cause to be thankful Peace and Plenty Health and Liberty is given in to thee But if thou art a Christian thy Obligations are much more thou shouldest then praise God for his Electing Love when he past by thousands and set his Love on thee for sending his Son into the world and for Christs Suffering for thy Sins for his Redeeming of thee with his precious blood for his Adopting thee to be his Child his Calling Sanctifying and Justifying thee for the Grace he hath given thee the promises he hath made to thee for the Gospel of his Son given to thee for his Spirit to direct thee his Ministers to teach thee thy own Conscience to check thee the Company of his Servants to encourage thee and generally for all the helps thou hast in Heavens way strength against Temptations Corruptions and Alurements Now Christian canst see any Cause of thankfulness Doubtless thou maist especially if thou consider all this is given thee freely without any desert on thy part 7. Direct Having sounded forth the praises of God for his Mercy which thou hast Received from him and blessed him for Church Mercies for State Mercies for Family Relation and Personal Mercies thy next work is to go to God to Petition him for the continuance of those Mercies that are enjoyed and granting those that are yet wanting for preventing the judgments feared and begging the removal of those that are felt when thou hast paid one Debt and Cancelled one Obligation thou maist go the bolder to borrow again In private thou maist tell him what Sins thou wouldest have mortified and what Graces strengthened and Increased what Temptations vanquished what doubts resolved and what other wants thou wouldst have supplyed for thy self thy Family thy Relations and Friends who lye under Sins or Sufferings or Temptations as also for the place where thou Sinnest the Nation of which thou art a Member For the removal of the judgments felt or feared the continuance of the Mercies enjoyed and the bestowing of those that are wanting The Reformation of what is amiss in Church or State the infatuating of the Counsels of blood-thirsty Enemies the Continuance of the Gospel in the power and purity of it for a supply of Faithful Labourers in God's Harvest and a blessing upon their Endeavours for a blessing upon the Government upon the Kings Majesty and his Royal Relations upon his Counsels Magistrates Ministers and all in Authority for the preservation of the Land in Peace and Plenty Health and Liberty and for the Church in general That God would protect them by his power direct them by his Spirit spread abroad the Gosspel to the Ends of the Earth make all the Kingdoms of the world the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ that he would root out every Plant which he himself hath not Planted and purge his Ordinance from every thing that offends and bring down the Potent Enemies of Christ and set Christ upon his Throne and pull down the Throne of Anti-Christ and bring in Jews and Gentiles to be one Fold under one Shepherd Jesus Christ the Righteous and finish those sinful days wherein we Live And in the Conclusion we should ingage our selves by Covenant that if God shall give in a return to those our Requests then will we praise and magnifie him and devote our selves more to his Service and in the Close of the Duty remember the Poor This is also a necessary work of the Day and that which God expects at our hands as a testification of our Thankful hearts and with what Conscience canst deny God this one Request who hath bestowed so much upon thee This was the Practice of the Saints in
together Sin is to Holy Spiritual Communion with God as Water is to Fire of an extinguishing Nature take heed therefore of the beginning of it brush and dash Babylon's Children when they are young and the Cockatrice Eggs before they break forth into Serpents entertain not a delightful thought of any Sin resist the first motions of Sin avoid all the occasions repell the Temptations and beware of the appearances of Evil and get as far from it as possibly thou canst for God and Sin cannot be entertained and Lodge together in one Soul thou must either break thy Peace with the one or with the other of these irrevocable Enemies thou canst not serve God and Mammon all Sin is of this nature yet some Sins are more abominable than others as Worldly-mindedness this will choak all that is good in thee it were the Cares of the World and the deceitfulness of Riches that choaked the Word and it became unfruitful Mat. 13.22 Pride also is a damning Sin and makes a Man set himself in the place of God and set up his own will for his Rule this turned Angels out of Heaven Adam out of Paradice and many into Hell Idolatry also is abominable when Men set up other Gods and serve them God will not take it at their hands many more there are of which we must be careful Some things likewise are to be done yea every Duty adds some strength and helps forward this Communion Private Meditations and Private Prayers are excellent helps to this end Meditation is an excellent help hereunto Ah what sweet and delightful tasts of of God may a Man have that Exerciseth himself in this Soul-fatting Duty Such a Man can find God in every Creature and like the Bee suck sweetness from every Weed and Flower he can get advantage by Prosperity and Adversity Health and Sickness yea every thing he knows sees or hears of yea every Creature will lead such a Man to God and Teach him some Lesson worth his Learning for as by the Vein the Mineral may be found or as the Stream leads to the Fountain so every thing leads to God and points out his Power Wisdome and Goodness yea the consideration and thoughts of Gods Attributes Word and Works may fill the Soul with admiration and make a Man fall in love with God every Chapter Verse and Line of Holy Writ is as a Ladder to lift thee nearer Heaven and draw thee nearer unto God such a Man knows how to Spiritualise every Evil and Morall Action and what ever he doth he can Ingage God for to reward him he can suck sweetness out of all cross Providences and when God seems to frown can turn the Curtain aside and see his pleased Face and view his Love in the dark Passages of his Providence Another means to maintain Communion is Secret Prayer when the Soul can power out it self into the Bosome of Christ with Faith and Fervency who hath promised to grant whatever they ask in his Name Ah what sweet Crumbs of Comfort doth many feel coming from Christ in such a Suit when a Man spreads his Case and Complaint before Christ as somtimes Hezekiah did the Blasphemous Letter how doth this Ingage God in his Cause if thou maintainest Life in these two Duties thou wilt maintain Communion with God and Life in thy Soul 3. Direct Another Duty Incumbent upon thy Soul is to store thy heart with knowledge and understanding without the which the mind cannot be good Prov. 19.2 and this is done in Private as well as Publick partly by Reading and Conference Reading the Scriptures and other good Books this will notably encrease knowledge and understanding but this I have already given Directions in and desire thee to make use of them Meditation also is a fruitful Duty even that which is occasional whereby thou mayst gather Observations and learn many Lessons for thy Souls good from every Creature thou hast to deal with but this I have already treated of but this is not all but if thou art Converted strengthen thy Brethren we were not Born for our selves If thou hast a Family studdy and endeavour their Conversion also teacheh them in the way they should walk for to that purpose God hath given thee Authority over them thou art a King a Priest and a Prophet in thine own House Rule then in thy Family as a King Instruct as a Prophet and Pray amongst them as a Priest God will be served in thy Family as well as in thy Closet or in the Publick therefore somtimes Particular Houses are called Churches because in them God is Worshiped To this End prepare then what thou canst for the Publick Ordinance by Instruction Admonition and Encouragement remove what rubs thou canst out of their way to believing and obeying shew them the necessity of Faith in Christ and obedience to Christ and if thou canst help it let none serve thee that will not serve God this was Davids resolution Psal 101.2 c. Require an Account at their hands what they learn and what benefit they receive press these things more upon their Spirits and fasten it upon their Mind that it may not be let slip by repeating the Sermons or so much of it as shall be necessary for their good and press home and drive at what the Minister drives at in his Sermon Reading the Scripture also is an useful means to encrease knowledge in thy self and Family and should be done in Private in thy Family and in Secret by thy self redeem time to this End and if possible make them understand what they Read drive the Nail to the Head this is the way to expell Ignorance and to get Knowledge this cannot but work some Knowledge in the hearts of them that hear it In this Word is contained the Wfll of God concerning Mans Obedience and here is a Legacy left us by our Fathers Will the Promises which are our Evidences for Heaven and all we have to shew for Glory and shall this be neglected by us or meanly esteemed Some may Object they have long tryed this means and see little profit by it but do thy Duty and leave the success to God Paul may Plant and Apollos Water but God gives the encrease yet there must be Planting and Watering or good Fruit cannot be expected God serves his Providence by the use of means The Bereans were commended for searching the Scriptures and Christ himself commends this Lesson to the Pharisees this Book of the Law should not depart out of thy Mouth but thou shouldest Meditate therein for ever Josh 18. Psal 12. This Word of God should dwell plentiously in you Col 3.16 It was Abraham's Practice to teach his Children and Servants the fear of the Lord Gen. 18.19 This also is Pauls Counsell Eph. 6.4 Yea and God's own Command Deut. 6.6,7 The Words that I Command thee this day shall be in thy Heart and thou shalt Teach them diligently unto thy Children thou shalt talk of them when
requires not or do it in a manner he regards not They are like the Son that said to his Father I go Sir but went not Mat. 21.30 But shall we take it for granted that thou wilt worship him but wilt thou do it in truth and sincerity otherwise God will not regard it I fear we may say of many as Joshua of Israel Josh 24.19 You cannot serve the Lord for he is an holy God but is it your Resolution as theirs was in the verses following Nay but we will serve the Lord and that you will choose the Lord to serve him consider what you do you must take him to be your God and be willing to have your Souls cleansed from all your sins and must be willing to take the Lord Jesus Christ as he is offered in the Gospel to be your Lord and Husband and be as willing to be ruled by him as saved by him and must resolve to obey his Laws and do his will and live in the performance of those spiritual duties he requires at at thy hand Yea thou must have a setled Resolution to cleave to Christ and obey him even in the most despised disgraceful dangerous difficult and costly part of duty Though it be to the loss of thy worldly enjoyments yea and life it self I know many would pick of choose their duties this they would do but that they would not they scum of the Fat and sweet of duty but leave that which is difficult or dangerous but God will have no such Servants obey him thou must though thy Father Mother and all thy Friends become thine Enemies upon the account yea in some cases thou must not only leave but hate Father and Mother c. yea thy own life for his sake yea though thou loose thy credit and esteem in the World and be made a scorn and a reproach for his sake though thou loose thy pleasure and never see merry day whilst thou livest though it endanger thy Estate and bring thee to Poverty though thou loose thy Liberty and be cast into a Prison yea though thou loose thy life and be brought to a Stake to suffer yea though thou seest few or none walk that same way with thee Noah must obey God though the whole World disobey him yea thou must obey him though his commands be never so contrary to thy carnal interest or never so opposite to flesh and blood and though they are never so hard or difficult or dangerous or costly before ever thou take upon thee the profession of Religion sit down first and reckon the charges lest like many thou begin to build and be unable to finish it and not like many put their hands to the Plow and then look back or like the stony ground when persecution ariseth presently are offended resolve to give him thy heart with thy hand or he will have none of thee he knows the heart and trie the reins and thou canst not deceive him with a dissembling shew when Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire he slew them When Ananias and Saphira played the Hypocrite he struck them dead Cleanse thy heart therefore if thou wilt serve him and serve him thou must or do worse Thou canst never err on that hand in serving him too well he deserves more and better than thou canst give him his wages will be beyond thy work now that I may prevail with thee to serve God take these following Motives 1. Motive We should worship and serve the Lord our God because he hath commanded us so to do and his command makes it our duty we are his Creatures and we owe our selves and all that we have to him for our Creation He made us and therefore hath most right to us He made us for his service and therefore 't is all the reason in the World that we should serve him for who is the Pot but the Potters and this is the service he requires of us to worship him according to his will and praise him for his benefits this is all he requires at our hands even this Tribute of praise and shall we be so ingrateful to our great Benefactour to deny him this Nay we are his also by right of Redemption for we had sold our selves unto slavery even to Sathan and were become Bond-slaves to this hellish Pharaoh who exercised more cruelty to our Souls than ever Pharaoh did to the Bodies of the Israelites and in the slavery had remained for ever had not God sent his own Son to ransome us with the loss of his life and the shedding of his pretious blood Satan was the strong man armed that kept his house in peace till Christ a stronger than he disarmed him and took away his weapons wherein he boasted And now being bought with a price we should glorifie God with our Bodies and with our Souls which are Gods The end he aimed at in our Redemption was his own glory as well as our liberty and this he expects from our hands is we being delivered from the fear of our Enemies might serve him without fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the days of our Lives Luk. 2.74,75 Nay we are also his by Covenant under our Hand and Seal in our Baptisme we were dedicated to his service which Covenant since we have often ratified at the Sacrament of the Supper and how can we deny our own act and deed He is our Lord and we should worship him Psal 45 1â— Now that worship and service is required of us is evident Scripture and Reason speaks as much 2 Kings 17.36 You shall not fear other Gods nor bow your selves to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them but the Lord who brought you out of the Land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm him shall ye fear ond him shall ye worship and to him you shall do sacrifice and his statutes and his ordinances ye shall observe Exod. 34.4 You shall worship no other God but him the like we have Exod. 20.50 1 Chron. 16.29 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name bring an Offering and an Oblation before him worship him in the beauty of holiness Yea Christ himself preacheth this doctrine when the Divil tempted him to fall down and worship him he answered It is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Mat. 4.8 Yea he directs us with what worship to worship him John 4.23,24 The true worshippers worship him in Spirit and in Truth God is a Spirit and those that worship him must worship him in Spirit and of this spiritual worship we may also read Phil. 3.3 Or will you hear the counsel of an Angel from Heaven you have it Rev. 19.10 Worship God yea this is the practice of the Angels the work they do and the work that the Angels and gloryfied Saints shall do through all Eternity Heb. 1.6 But what are Testimonies in so plain a case few deny it though few
Holiness to Heaven Read a List of more Heb. 11. But there is no word of encouragement to any other to expect Heaven nay God tells us in plain words they shall never come there 1 Cor. 6.9,10 Neither is there any one example of any that lived and dyed in their sinful course that ever was saved what may we gather hence but this if ever you would attain to true happiness serve God with a sincere heart 7. Motive Thou shouldest serve the Lord because as he is best able to reward thee for thy obedience and pay thee for thy work so is he best able to punish thee for thy disobedience For as all his promises are yea and a men faithful and true to his People so are his threatnings to his Enemies thou art not at liberty to choose thy own Master who thou wilt serve thou art ingaged to him and serve him thou must or do worse thou art his by right of Creation for whose is the Pot but the Potters And by right of Redemption he paid a price for thee and bought thee dear So also by Covenant right thou hast devoted thy self to his service and taken Press mony to fight his Battels and if thou revolt he will avenge the quarrel of his Covenant against thee Hence it is thou mayst well fear his wrath and expect his judgments if thou perfidiously betrayest thy trust and revoltest to the Enemy Christ himself bids thee not to fear those that can kill the Body and can do no more but fear him that can cast Body and Soul into Hell Luk. 12.5 If he be not glorifyed by thee he will be glorifyed upon thee if he have not the glory of thy Salvation he will have the glory of thy Destruction Luk. 19.27 Those mine Enemies that would not that I should raign over them bring them and slay them before my face God takes those for his Enemies that will not be ruled by him and will prove a sore Enemy to them And didst thou know what it is to be an Enemy unto God and what it is to have God to be an Enemy unto thee it would send thee trembling to thy grave 't is he that hath the keys of life and death at his girdle He kills and he makes alive he brings to the gates of death and back again and there is none that can deliver out of his hand He need not muster an Army against thee to destroy thee the least Fly or Gnat or Hair may end thy life if it have a Commission from God thou art but a Worm if he tread upon thee he leaves the dead behind him if he withhold thy breath thou returnest to the dust for thou hast no more breath than what he puts into thee how then canst thou grapple with the Almighty or contend with God were thy flesh of Brass and thy Sinnews of Iron were thy foundations as the Earth or as the Pillars of Heaven thou wert yet too weak who ever hardned himself against God and prospered whilst thou remainest his Enemy well mayst thou fear his heavy hand there is no judgment that ever thou readest threatned or ever executed upon sinful wretch that thou canst be secure from Thou knowest not but the Waters may drown thee as they did the old World or as the Red Sea did Pharaoh or fire from Heaven may consume thee as it did Sodom and Gomorrah and also Nadab and Abihu and the two Captains and their Fifties at the prayer of Elijah thou knowest not but the Plagues which fell upon Egypt may fall upon thee and consume thee or that thy life may be ended by the Sword the Famine or the Pestilence thou knowest not but an Angel may smite thee as Herod and thou mayst be devoured with Worms or that the Earth may open and swallow the quick as it did Corah Dathan and Abiram thou knowest not but thou mayst be struck dead for the next lye thou tellest as Ananias and Saphirah were or whether Bears may not devour thee as they did those Children that mocked the Prophet or whether thou mayst not be strucken with Leprosie as Gehazy or thy house may not fall upon thy head as upon Jobs Children In a word whatever a man destitute of Grace and Divine Protection may be brought to suffer thou hast no assurance but it may be thy Portion Read Deut. 28.15 c. Where thou mayst see thy own miserable condition but this is not all those spiritual judgments which are worse than these are seized upon thee Blindness of Mind Hardness of Hart Searedness of Conscience c. And eternal judgements dog thee at the heels and will certainly seize upon thee except Repentance prevent it as soon as Death makes a separation between Soul and Body never any Unregenerate Unrepenting Unrighteouss or Unclean Person shall ever go to Heaven John 3.7 Luk. 13.3 1 Cor. 6.9,10 Rev. 21.13 and there is no middle place for the Scripture owns no Purgatory Psal 9.17 The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God See the doom of the wicked servant Mat 24. last He was cut in peices and his Portion was appointed with the Hypocrites and that unprofitable Servant that improved not his Talent Mat. 25.30 He was bound hand and foot and cast into utter darkness and all the wicked ungracious servants that improve not their Talents as God appointed shall then be bid Depart ye wicked into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25.41.48 This is Gods judgments to his Enemies and this is the Devils wages to his friends and servants who then would have such an Enemy or such a Master learn directions to serve God as followeth in those duties mentioned CHAP. II. Of Duties in General HAving in the fore-going Treatise shewed you the Excellency Necessity and Benefits of an Holy Life and the deadly danger of all unholy Course I hope many of you are resolved to alter that course of life you have too long already lived in and will begin to question what shall we do to be saved To this end in this part I shall point out some necessary duties which every Christian is bound to perform and lay down some directions by them for the right performance of them Now my desire is that you would resolve to practice what out of Gods word I shall prove to be your duty otherwise to what end shall I write them or you read them what say say you will you do it or will you not 't is not a slight business neither will a slight resolution serve your turn you will meet with many Racks in the way and therefore had need to be well grounded with many storms of temptations and therefore had need to lay a good foundation you have spent too much time already in the service of Sin and Satan and 't is pity you should any longer serve so bad a Master and now God gives you a call unto his service methinks it should
an Elephant may swim but the gains will countervail the loss and charge here is a Lamp to light us the dew of Heaven to refresh us a sword to defend us a key to open Christs will to us flaggons of Wine and Apples of Paradice take therefore these Directions in thy Reading 4. Direction If thou wouldest Read the Word with profit 't is necessary that thou prepare thy heart for so solemn a duty come not out of a huddle of business with thy heart full of the World to discourse with God take not Gods word any more than his Name in vain take it not prophanely into thy mouth without due regard or consideration lest he turn thee away with a Curse instead of a Blessing 't is a business of great concernment even of Life and Death yea of the Eternal well or ill being of thy Soul and therefore not to be slighted beg leave therefore of God before thou meddle with it yea beg his blessing upon it without which nothing can do us good for Soul or Body the want of due preparation causeth many to find the word so ineffectual yea find so little sweetness in it Again if thou wouldst profit by it hold on in a constant course of Reading 't is not reading by fits and starts will serve turn many are now off now on now they will and then they will not as the World gives them leave or as the humour takes them this is not sufficient but get a strong Resolution to hold on in a constant course of Reading what ever comes of it break through all the difficulties that lye in the way a little now and then will do thee little good without this Resolution Satan will baffle thee and lay some temptation in the way to hinder the World will divert thee and one business or other present it self to be done at the same time thy own corruption will oppose it and thy deceitful heart make thee delay it but this being the food of thy Soul be not diverted from it any more than thou wouldest be from thy Meat but this is not sufficient thou must not only do the duty but do it well to this end get thy heart in order get it cleansed from distracting thoughts and cares freed from disquieted motions perterbations A full Vessel can receive no more and a heart full of the World hath no room for Heaven say therefore to thy Worldly cares and thoughts when thou comest to this duty as Abraham to his servants when he went to Sacrifice stay here and I will come to you again set thy self as in the presence of the great God apprehend him by the eye of Faith beholding thee this will keep thy thoughts from roving and thy imaginations from wandring in his Service and awe thy heart and curb thy Affection Bring with thee also a Spiritual Appetite to the means of Grace come with an empty stomack or why dost thou seek after Food An hungry man is most like to taste and relish those dainties the Word was to David sweeter than Honey and the Honey-Comb and to Job better than his appointed Food If there be Spiritual Life in the Soul there will be an Appetite for no Life can be preserved without food Bring Faith also along with thee which is the mouth of the Soul and without this the Soul can receive no nourishment The Word which they heard profited them not because it was not mixt with Faith in them that heard it Heb. 4.2 Reading will do thee little good if thou believe not the Truth of what thou Readest or doubtest of the performance of the Promises or Threatnings Faith also will subdue Carnal Reason and help thee out when thou art at a stand But above all seek help from above from God here are many difficulties too hard for thee to grapple with which cannot be understood but by Divine assistance Paul may Plant and Apollos Water but God gives the Increase 't is he that opened Lydia's Heart and must open thine or the Word cannot do it beg therefore his assistance and come thus prepared to the Duty this is the likeliest way to speed 2. Direct If thou wouldest profit by Reading of the Word be sure to propound right ends to thy self for the End Crowns the Action Many read much and profit little because their Ends are bad they undo themselves and lose their labour by this means Some Read for Custom and for Fashion sake and make reading the end of reading and are like the silly Women the Apostle speaks of always Learning and never come to the knowledge of the Truth and so the work be done matter it no more Some Read to fill their Heads with knowledge and their Brains with Notions that they may thereby be able to discourse with applause when yet they never suffer it to sink down or soak into or season the heart but such speculative knowledge doth little good yea great hurt It makes them sin with a Candle in their hands And some Read to a worse end that they may be able to oppose the Truth and maintain Error and pervert the good ways of God thus the Pharisees thus the Jesuits and many Hereticks But every one should and a true Christian doth in this duty as well as others make God's glory in the Salvation of his own and others Souls the mark he aims at and regulates his Actions accordingly And doubtless from God he will receive his Reward When others as it was self they aimed at so from self they must expect their wages A Believer he would know more that he may obey better he would know God better that he might Love him more and know God's will that he might do his work he would know his work as well as his wages his Duties as well as his Priviledges He reads he word of God and those Books which open and apply it that he may know Truth from Error and follow the one and fly the other and may not be seduced by false Teachers nor drawn aside from the Rule to the Right hand or to the Left He would know Light from Darkness and have the Scales of Ignorance fall from his Eyes he would know good from evil that he might follow the one and avoid the other he would be able to try the Spirits whether they are of God or no yea to try all things and hold fast that which is good he would know Vice from Virtue and discern what is sin and what is duty that he be not like those that in Persecuting the Saints think they do God good Service he would be acquainted with his own Heart and know the state of his own Soul and whether his Evidences for Heaven be good or no he observes what qualifications the Scripture requires for Heaven and then by Scripture-Light he would discern them in his own heart and endeavours to Read his own Name in the Book of Life and see what Interest he hath in
Angels Psal 8.1,2 c. Such occasional Objects were the grounds of many of Christs speeches and Sermons And a Christian by this means may learn something from every thing he either sees or hears That Meditation that is set and solemn is when a man separates himself from other Imployments and sequesters himself and thoughts from worldly affairs to consider of some portion of Scripture or some point of Divinity or some work of Nature for his own satisfaction and his Souls good That this is a Christians Duty few Christians will deny that it is a beneficial duty all that have tryed it in good earnest will easily confess experto crede Roberto That 't is too much neglected we may acknowledge with shame and sorrow Joshua was Commanded to Meditate in the Law of God day and night Josh 1.8 This was David's practice Psal 119.59 And this he makes the Character of a Godly and Blessed man Psal 1.2,3 It was Isaac's Custom as also Paul's and Peter's and many others This is the way to digest the meat we eat and can meat nourish if not digested This is the chewing of the Cud when we ruminate upon what we hear or see Meat undigested in the stomack feeds Diseases when 't is digested it feeds the Body What is the Reason so many good Sermons are lost amongst us And so many gracious Providences pass un-observed but for want of this Doubtless one Sermon well digested by Meditation would bring more nourishment to the Soul and breed more good Blood than now twenty do By Meditation a man searches and ransacks the Soul and finds out every dust-heap every Corruption and sees whether those Divine qualifications necessary to Salvation be there or no when others are strangers at home by this he gets light into the Understanding heat into the Affection and it puts Life into all his Duties By this he comes to see the Vanity of the World the emptiness of the Creature the vileness of Sin the beauty of Holiness and the fulness of Christ By this the Heart is taken off the World and set upon Heaven and sees by the Eye of Faith those things which are invisible By this he tramples upon sublunary things and fixes his Eyes upon things within the vail By this Stephen saw God and Moses talked with God and Paul was carried up into the third Heaven By this Afflictions are made light and the Cross easie and Christ's Yoak delightful this makes a man chuse Sufferings rather than sin and pain rather than sinful pleasure this helps the Soul to fly to Heaven and hold Communion with Christ himself and like the busie Bee to gather Honey from Flowers and Weeds which to effect take these following Directions 1. Direct Concerning Occasional Meditation though it be not what I chiefly intend yet being of daily Use I shall speak something of it at present A Christian that Trades for Heaven may have much Goods brought home in this Ship He may get Advantage by all he hears or sees or observes for there is nothing in God's Book or in the Book of Nature but will Instruct us in some necessary Lesson concerning God or our selves and mind us of something that may conduce to our Advantage And he that can make a good use of every thing he sees or hears and pick some Spiritual Food and refreshing from it must doubtless be a flourishing Cedar in the House of God and enjoy Heaven upon Earth and Spiritualize all the Creatures How often in Scripture may we read that Christ by occasional occurrances minds his Hearers of Spiritual things from a Well of water he Instructs the Woman of Samaria concerning the water of Life And by occasion of Bread he minds them of the Bread of Life and from a Sower and his Seed shews that a bad Heart is the cause that the Word proves unfruitful and many more such like David as before was hinted beholding the Heavens is raised up in his Meditation to God himself and his Love to Man Psal 8.1,2,3 c. Solomon sends the Sluggard to School to the Ant or Pismire that gathers in Summer for Winter And Christ sends those that are distrustful of their Fathers Providence to observe the Fowls of the Air how he feeds them And the Grass of the Field how he Cloaths it and no doubt but a wise man may make a Sanctified use of all these If a good wit can make a good use of every thing much more a good Heart Had we but this Art of Meditation every thing would yield a suitable object we have the whole world before us the greatest want is of a good Heart to improve these Objects that offer themselves to our view the least Creature would be useful if we were not wanting every day that passeth over our Heads may put us in mind of our latter end Thy Bed may mind thee of thy latter end and the time when thou must lye in the dust and thy rising up may mind thee of thy Resurrection The rising Sun may mind thee what a glorious day that will be when Christ with his Saints and Angels shall appear at Judgment each one shining as the Sun in his Lustre When Night approaches it may minde thee that thy daies are numbred and that thou hast now one fewer to spend than thou hadst in the Morning and mind thee what account thou canst give of it and make thee consider that the World cannot recal it Every Pain and Grief Ach and Trouble yea every gray Hair may mind thee of thy Mortality and how little beholding thou art to sin which brought all this into the World When thou seest the Heavens adorned with those beauty spots the Sun the Moon the Stars thou maist think if the Porch be so glorious what is the Pallace if the Pavement be so beautiful what is the Court the Throne it self When thou considerest their Beauty Altitude Magnitude Selerity and Influence thou maist well admire the Creator and with David cry out Lord what is man c. Who can but admire when he looks upon the Earth the Huge and Massy Globe the unweiley Creatures hanging in the midst of the Air of nothing distinguished into Hills and Dales and Woods and Rivers furnished with such variety of Trees and Grass and Herbs and Flowers and the numberless number of living Creatures Birds and Beasts and Fishes and creeping things and all provided for by the great Householder Who can behold the Rageing Sea kept within his Banks in the Ebbings and Flowings and view the Streams and Fountains the Springs and Rivers and not cry out the finger of God now among all these there is not one Fly or Flea not one Graspile or Leaf of a Tree but yields matter of Meditation and Admiration Ah! what a rich Soul will that be that gathers fruit from all these 2. Direct If thou wouldest perform thy duty well 'T is necessary thou set upon it with due preparation I speak not now of occasional
last to Judgment and here thou hast matter enough to spend thy days about Consider also the Commands of God and the Duties he requires at thy hands and the promises he makes to the Obedient and the threatnings to the Disobedient Consider also the four last things Death and Judgment Heaven and Hell and by this thou seest there is work enough in Natures Garden Also there are a thousand things well worthy thy consideration there is not a Weed in the Field a Tree in thy Orchard an Herb in thy Garden a Beast in thy Pasture a Fowl in the Air or a Fish in the Sea or River but will Teach thee something and 't is a barren Heart indeed that cannot draw a Meditation from the least Gnat or most despicable Worm that crawls under his Feet 4. Direct Having thus prepared matter and pitcht upon some suitable Subject to Exercise thy thoughts and Meditations upon proceed then to drive on thy intended design to a head and to the end thou didst propose Now this end should be the enlightning of the Understanding and the clearing it from Error or Ignorance and the quickning the Affections and raising them to a higher pitch and the bringing of the Will to a Resolution In Meditation if rightly managed the Soul Exercises two sorts of Acts the one direct the other reflect the first upon the Subject Meditated upon the other upon the Soul it self By the first we find out the Rule by the second we apply our own Hearts to the Rule and observe our deviation and obliquity the first enlightens the Understanding and the other quickens the Affections by the first we come to know what is true what is false what is good what is bad what is sin what is duty and consequently what is to be chosen and what refused By the other we apply our Actions to this Rule and try whether we have walked according to it wherein we have gone astray and which way to return Now as there are two sorts of Acts so there is a different way for the Souls Acting for the attaining of those several ends For the first of these some have pitcht upon this course which though all men are not able to follow yet I shall set down for the use of those that can And that is to have recourse to those places that Natural and Artificial Reason affords us which may help the Invention and ready the Memory and much facilitate the Work I mean those Logical places following As first to consider the thing about which we Meditate what it is and therefore as ability doth serve consider it in the definition or the description of it but stand not over-long or over-nicely upon this or any of those that follow lest what you get one way may be lost another what you get in the Understanding be lost in the Affections And when thou hast found out the Nature of the thing consider it also in the distribution of it if it be a Subject capable of the sorts kinds and parts of it this will give room to thy thoughts and thy proceeding will be more distinct Consider it also in the causes the Efficient Material Formal and Final Cause The Efficient Cause is that by whose Virtue Force or Efficacy a thing is The Material Cause is ex qua res est of what matter a thing is made the Form is whereby a thing is that which it is and the end is the Cause for whose sake or for what purpose a thing is Consider also if the Subject will admit the Fruits and Effects for these are useful and helpful in the work and are also pertinent to our business Consider also the Subject wherein it is and about which 't is occupied as also of it's Properties and Qualities either adhering to it or inhering in it together with the opposite and contrary this also is useful also the comparats and desperats what it is like and what it 's unlike fit similitudes much Illustrate and give great light to the Understanding Testimony also is to be regarded but Noble Command assent like those of Scripture Holy mens Testimony is of good use but Divine Authority is all in all Or if you think this way too intricate you may take such a Method as is most Familiar to explain the Subject you treat of raise thy Observations clear the Doctrine from difficulties and doubts prove it both by Scripture and Reason and then make use of it according to the Nature of the Subject let it inform thee in the useful consectaries and conclusions that may thence follow let it Instruct thee in the duties it reaches forth let it be for Examination how thou hast carried thy self or whether thou hast the required qualifications for reproof if thou hast gone astray for incouragement if thou hast done thy duty for caution for the time to come and press all home upon thy heart Such a course is like to furnish thee with sutable matter for thy Souls good 5. Direct When thou hast thus far proceeded and by Meditation hast informed thy self of what is necessary in the present point and hast found out by the use of Reason and Scripture-Light what is Truth and what is Error what is sin and what is Duty what thou oughtest to do and what to avoid Thy next work is to press this upon thine own Head and compare thy Head and Actions with the Rule and try wherein thou hast gone right and wherein thou hast gone astray for if thou do not thus reflect back upon thy own Heart and Life the duty will do thee little good If thou only study to find out Truth from Error or what is sin and what is duty without Regulating thy Life and Actions accordingly and endeavour to fill thy Head with Notional knowledge it will but aggravate thy sin and thou wilt sin with a Candle in thy hand But when by this Impartial Tryal thou findest out wherein thou hast sinned and come short of thy duty which the Law of God requires at thy hand or wantest those required qualifications necessary to Salvation Press those things home upon thy heart till they make some Impressions there yea till they stir up the Affections and work upon the Will to a through Resolution of Reformation for the time to come This is the Life of Meditation and without this 't is little worth When thou findest wherein thou hast come short to come to a Resolution to make more hast and where thou hast sinned gone astray to return and where thou hast sinned to Reform Press on thy Meditation till thou findest some Life in it according to the Nature of the thing if it be good till thou find a sweetness in it if bad till it appear odious If it appear to be good by Scripture-light and rectified Reason then the affection of Love must needs be stirring for good is it's object and evil as evil cannot be loved When it appears to be bad the affection
set forth the thoughts the words and Actings of a gracious Soul in every Condition and the Experience they have had of God's help at hand in every Condition How oft doth the Psalmist begin like Jonah in the belly of Hell And is raised up to Heaven before the Conclusion And 't is wonder that any should desist from such an Angelical duty which so much resembles Heaven But because many no doubt out of Conscience Question the Duty I shall first prove the Duty Lawful and then give my Advice how it may be performed 1. Direct If thou wouldest perform this Duty acceptably to God and profitably to thy self be well convinc'd that it is thy Duty halt not between two Opinions do it chearfully and understandingly which thou canst not do so long as thou doubtest whether it be thy Duty or whether God will own it at thy Hands Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin Rom. 14.23 To this End view the Arguments following which I suppose may be sufficient to prove it thy Duty My business in this Treatise is not to meddle with Controversies yet so far as the digression may be tolerable and my Method and Design will allow I shall speak something for thy Satisfaction Consider therefore God hath furnished Man for this Duty in giving him this Musical Faculty with which as with all the rest he should Glorifie God And how can he Glorifie him better with it than with Trumpetting out his praise and Singing forth his Glory This is the way that David stirs up his Tongue to praise God This was an acceptable Service unto God even before the Ceremonial Law was given Exod. 15.1 Then Sang Moses and the Children of Israel this Song unto the Lord c. By this means also the Spirit of God is stirred up in us Eph. 5.18,19 Be filled with the Spirit speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs This leaves a sweet relish and delight upon the Spirit Psal 104.33,34 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I Live I will sing unto my God while I have my Being my Meditation of him shall be sweet Nay this is that which Saints and Angels do in Heaven and shall do for ever Thus the Angels did Isa 63. even with an Audible voice As also of our Saviours Birth Luke 2.13 Rev. 5.8,9 14.3 15.3 And this shall be their work for ever Yea it hath been Prophesied that there shall be Singing in Gospel times Isa 20. In that day shall this Song be sung Isa 52.8 Thy Watch-men shall lift up the voyce with the voyce together shall they Sing c. Which the Apostle Interprets to be in Gospel Times Heb. 2.12 Yea all Nations are stirred up to sing praises unto God Psal 100.1 Psal 95.12 Which includes both Jews and Gentiles and must be understood of Gospel Times as 't is Interpreted Heb. 4.3 Neither can this Duty under the Law be Typical for neither Scripture nor Reason can shew that Singing Psalms Typified out a Believers Singing with the Heart in Gospel Times any more than prayer with the Voyce Typifies out praying with the Heart Nay Christ and his Apostles after his departure would not have used it had it been Ceremonial If this serve not we have plain Scripture Commands for the Duty even in Gospel Times Eph. 5.19 Speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Singing with Melody in your Hearts Col. 3.16 Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing with Grace in your Hearts to the Lord James 4.9 If any be Afflicted let him Pray and if any be Merry let him sing Psalms Now all this shews this is a Duty If yet this satisfie not we have the best Examples to warrant us I shall set before you the Angels at the Birth of Christ Luke 2.13 And the Holy Men of God in the Time of the Law David was called The sweet Singer of Israel But this is not all we have the Example of Christ himself and his Disciples which is without Exception Mat. 26.30 After Supper they sung an Hymn which probably was the same which the Jews were accustomed to sing at the Passeover viz. those Songs of Degrees from Psal 112 c. to Psal 118.19 However this shews the Lawfulness of the Duty We have also the Example of Paul and Silas that Sang in the Prison with an Audible Voice for the Prisoners heard them Acts 26.25 We have also the practice of the Church down since the Apostles Time and all those cannot likely persist in an Error so long This we have for our Warrant and little can be said against it and therefore I shall conclude 't is a Lawful and Laudable practice 2. Direct Is concerning the Matter of our Singing which must be Holy not Prophane to God's Glory not our own There are many that think it is a Gospel-Duty to Sing Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs and yet they Scruple the Singing of David's Psalms and thus they seek a knot in a Rush David's Psalms were an Acceptable Service unto God and we read not where ever God disclaimed them They were used and Sung not only by himself but others not only in his own Time but in succeeding Generations where they Praised God with David's words As we find in Solomon's Time 2 Chron. 5.13 In Jehoshaphat's Time 2 Chron. 20.21 In Hezekiah's Time 2 Chron. 29.20 In Ezra's Time Ezra 3.10,11 In the two former places we find David's words used in the two latter we find an express Command and Example of Praising God with David's words and with the words of Asaph You see the estimate the Church of God put upon them yea as may be apparently proved they were thus in use even to Christ's Time as History Records these Psalms of David in the times of the Law were sung by the four and twenty Orders of Musicians which seem to Typifie out the Twenty four Elders men ioned Rev. 5.8 The Song of Moses the Servant of God Exod. 15.1 c. Was Sung not only by him but by the People not only by Men but Women also Exod. 15.20,21 Yea Moses was Commanded to write his other Song and teach it unto the Children of Israel and put it into their Mouths Deut. 31.19 And to what purpose was it thus written and thus to be learnt but that they should sing it I have already proved we ought to Sing Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs the very Name gives unto David's Psalms Nay there is strong probability that Christ himself when he was upon the Earth Sang David's Psalms at the close of his Supper for if he would conform to the Custom of the Jews to Sing an Hymn at the close of the Passeover What ground have we to think he did not conform to them in Singing the same Hymn which they were wont to do which was as hath been said David's Hymns however the Scriptures make mention of no other And 't is observed
to be worthy the weight of an Oath the Nature of God whom we call to witness and under whose Divine Judgment we set our selves in Case we speak false and in Righteousness that the thing we swear be Lawful and possible and like to bring Glory to God and good to our selves or others 4. Direct The next thing to be considered is the form of an Oath for this also is stumbled at by some and is to be minded as well as the Matter this should be agreeable or at least not contradictory to the word of God Now the Form of an Oath is either External or Internal the External Form consists in words or signs or both the Internal Form consists in the true Sense and Interpretation of the words of the Oath a little of these in their Order The External sometimes consists in words without signs and thus a Man swears and calls God to witness the Truth of his Intentions in plain words and this Oath is variously worded according to the Use and Custom of the Countrey Men Live in And thus we may find as before hath been proved God Angels and Men have thus sworn Sometimes also Men swear and affirm by signs without words and this is most frequent where there are many that enter into an Oath or Covenant when the words of the Oath or Covenant are either read or spoken and those that are willing to enter into that bond make it known by some External sign or token by some Action or Gesture as by a nod with the Head bowing the Body standing up or to a side lifting up the Hand or otherwise according as they shall be required by the Imposer or by writing down their Names By any of those they may testifie their consent and this is as binding and Obligatory as if the words were uttered And sometimes we may find an Oath taken both by words and signs and this is the most Solemn manner of Swearing Thus God frequently is said to lift up his Hand when he swears to his People thus the Angel Dan. 12.7 he held up his Right Hand and his Left Hand to Heaven and sware by him that Liveth for ever and this hath been the Custom of Heathens and Infidels as well as Christians in making Oaths and Covenants Divers are the Rites and Ceremonies which the Heathens have used at such times yea many and various are the Customes of the Godly in such Cases One was the putting the Hand under the Thigh thus Abraham sware his Servant Gen. 24.2 And thus Joseph sware unto his Father Jacob Gen. 47.29 Another Form much in Use was lifting up the Hand as was even now spoken of this was used by God Angels and Men by God Deut. 32.40 For I lift up my Hand and say I Live for ever By Abraham Gen. 19.22 I have lift up my Hand unto the Lord most High and false swearers are said to have a Right Hand of Deceit because they lift it up deceitfully Psal 144.8 11. And various have been the Ceremonies that have been used among Christians in the Primitive Times and in succeeding Generations among us the putting the hand upon the Bible and kissing it is most in Use or both which is but a professing sign of our consent and I know not any cause of Scruple in it thus for the External The Internal Form of an Oath is the right sense and Interpretation of the words and therefore an Oath should not consist in aequivalent or ambiguous words or phrases for then a Man may take them in a different sense from the Imposers mind and may require one thing and another may attest another but the sense should be obvious to both giver and taker or otherwise nothing or at least we know not what is witnessed and the Oath proves vain nay the very end of an Oath which is the Investigation of Truth is closed Heb. 6.16 An Oath is the end of strife and thus the Name of God is taken in vain and this part of his Worship prophaned and abused and 't is no better than a Lye when we affirm by Oath what in the Imposers sense is not true and so it proves Perjury But the words should be taken in the plain Common sense which is obvious to all Neither should there be equivocation or Mental reservation used in an Oath this is the sallacious dealing of the Papists who by this means think to evade all Oaths and delude the Imposer but they most delude themselves and wrong their own Souls for God will not be mocked whose Worship is abused They hide part in their Minds and so subvert the sense as thus they swear they were not at Rome and think in their Minds not an Hundred years agoe but what is mentire but contra mentum ire though this may serve in foro humano God can easily detect such jugling deceits and will never hold those guiltless that thus take his Name in Vain and like Jezebel deceive under pretence of Religion 5. Direct If thou wouldst honour God in this part of his Worship see then that thou aimest at right Ends. In thy Oath the End must be Lawful and good or the Duty will prove a Sin and a Snare A Man may swear that which is Truth and yet if his End be bad it will prove his Sin Now the End of an Oath as I said before should be for the Confirmation of some necessary Truth in Question which cannot otherwise be proved Heb. 6.16 Men swear by him that is greater than themselves and an Oath for confirmation to them is the End of all strife Now it should be a weighty business that requires an Oath and a necessary Truth that is in Question some doubtful Matter which cannot otherwise be found out or proved that cannot be Evidenced but by an Oath In this Case we find the Apostle vindicating himself this way when there was no other way to do it Rom. 1.9 God is my Witness whom I serve with my Spirit that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my Prayers 2 Cor. 1.23 I call God to Record upon my Soul c. We see he appeals to God the Searcher of all Hearts to witness with him and for him his Affection to them 'T is the Glory of God in the manifestation of Truth and our own and Neighbours good should be principally minded in this Duty but too many have by and base and low Ends in it and not accordingly When a thing depends upon the Faith of the Speaker and cannot otherwise be found out and yet is necessary to be known an Oath of the Lord may be Imposed Exod. 22.10,11 If a Man deliver unto his Neighbour an Ass or an Ox or a Sheep or any Beast to keep and it dye or be hurt or be driven away no man seeing it then shall an Oath of the Lord be between them both that he hath not put his Hand to his Neighbours goods and the Owner of it shall accept thereof
things not Commanded as Meats Drinks Apparel c. and tend to perfection and by the keeping of them a man may attain to a higher perfection than in the Observation of Commanded Duties but what Scripture saith thus Their End which is to Merit by them spoyls all their Duties and makes them abominable in the sight of God The Vows we read of in Scriptures were made to other Ends and are all conducible to this great end viz. God's Glory Some have vowed thankfulness for Mercies received some Sacrifices Burnt Offerings Incense c. Psal 66.13,14 61.8 132.2 c. Some have made Conditional Vows if God would give them in such Mercies they would do thus and thus thus Jacob Dedicated himself to God for ever if he would make Provision for him in his Journey Gen. 28.20,21 And Hannah that if God would give her a Son she would Devote him unto God for ever 1 Sam. 1.11 Read Lev. 27. throughout Psal 116.12,13,14 What shall I render to the Lord for all his Benefits c. I will pay my Vows unto the Lord. And as God's Glory so our own and others benefit is to be regarded and may be regarded in a Vow 't is some stay and ground for our Faith and some confirmation for our assurance as we see in the fore-cited place 1 Sam. 1.11 c. when Hannah had made her Vow she looked no more sad Sometimes they are made of Thanksgiving for deliverance as the Mariners in Jonah's Ship Jonah 1.16 made vows to their gods Sometimes they are made to prevent Sin for the time to come as when we vow Sobriety and Moderation to prevent the sin of Drunkenness Gluttony Pride or Covetousness Thus some vowed against drinking Wine or strong Drink as the Rechabites Nazarites and others Some make vows to humble their Souls Numb 30.13 Every Vow and every binding Oath to afflict the Soul the Husband may Establish it or the Husband may make it void Sometimes for the mending of our Lives or the reforming what is amiss sometimes for the leaving of some Sin or the performance of some Duty c. These and the like are the Ends which we should look after when we enter upon a Religious Vow So likewise at the good of others as when we bind our selves to give Alms to Relieve the Poor to Redeem Captives or do works of Charity to our power these are good Ends if God's Glory and not our own Applause or thoughts of Merit interpose not as also to lay out something for Religious and Pious Uses the maintaining of Faithful able Ministers c. David vows he will not give Rest or sleep to his Eyes or come within his House till he had found out a place for the House of God Psal 132.2 c. But where do you read of any that vow and thought to Merit at God's Hands by so doing 7. Direct When thou hast made thy vows thy next Duty is to keep them to perform the word that is gone out of thy Mouth 'T is better not to vow than to vow and not perform but it must be supposed then that the vows be Lawful and allowed by God otherwise the performance is but adding Sin to Sin and increasing the guilt He that vows to commit Sin ought not to do it If thou Sin in thy Vow do not ratifie it by performing it as Herod who made a rash Vow but did increase his guilt by Cutting off John Baptists Head But supposing thy vow be Lawful thou canst not Lawfully break it nay though the performance tend to thy damage for if thou do thou committest a Sin as bad if not worse than Perjury When thou hast Vowed therefore deferr not to pay for God takes no pleasure in Fools pay that therefore which thou hast Vowed Eccl. 5.3,4,5,6 Deut. 23.23 When thou hast Vowed a Vow unto the Lord thy God deferr not to pay it for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee and it will be sin to thee but if thou wilt forbear to Vow it shall not be sin to thee that which is gone out of thy Mouth thou shalt keep and perform a Free-will Offering according to what thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God which thou hast promised with thy Mouth Psal 76.11 Vow and pay unto the Lord your God c. More places might be instanced in if these were not sufficient If thy vow be rash Repent of the rashness of it but if it be otherwise Lawful it must be performed if it prove to thy damage it is a reward of thy Folly But if it be unlawful repent of thy sin and Folly in making it but it must not be performed for a Vow must not be a bond of Iniquity Christ himself shews the wickedness of such a vow Mat. 15.5,6 where by their vow Corban they made null the Command of God concerning honouring Father and Mother and Relieving them It is not Lawful for us to Dedicate those things to Pious Uses yea to God himself which we owe to anotner David's rash vow 1 Sam. 2.5.12.39 was not performed he vowed the Destruction of Nabal and all his Family and Blessed God for keeping him from doing evil The wicked vow of Paul's Persecutors ought not to have been fulfilled had the power lain in their Hands Acts 23.21 Nor the rash and unadvised Vow of Saul which tended to hurt and not to good 1 Sam. 14.39 Nor such Superstitious vows as we read of Jer. 44.25 Thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel saying ye and your Wives have both spoken with your Mouths and fulfilled with your Hands saying we will surely perform our Vows that we have Vowed to burn Incense to the Queen of Heaven and to powre out Drink-Offerings unto her ye will surely accomplish your Vows c. God takes it ill in them and sorely threatneth them for it But if the Vow be Lawful he expects the fulfilling of it as we see in Jacob's Vow made Gen. 28.20 God minds him of it Gen. 31.13 I am the God of Bethel where thou anointedst the Pillar Numb 30.3 c. A Young womans vow if her Father contradict it not shall surely stand good See also Lev. 7.16 22.17 27.2 c. Psal 76.12 Yea the Lord threatens those that make not good their vows that vow a better and pay a worse Mal. 1.14 Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his Flock a Male and voweth and Sacrifices unto the Lord a Corrupt thing Yea we find he punished this Sin in Annanias and Sapphira who Devoted the price of a Possession to God and after kept back part of it and were both struck dead for it Acts 5.1,2 c. A Godly Man when he promiseth Reformation of Life the leaving of any known Sin the performance of any Religious duty the doing of any Pious or Charitable work c. will make good his Vow But how usual is it for wicked Men in their Sickness distress or danger to make vows
thou may'st be take these Directions for Private Duties 1. Direct The first Duty I shall mention but not of least concernment is self-examination This indeed is private for it is between thee and thine own heart Be often enquiring at home what state thy Soul stands in to God and what interest thou hast in the Blood of Christ and what Title to Heaven this is a necessary though much neglected Duty Many that cast up their Shops to see whether they grow or decrease in the World and try their Evidences for their Lands to see that they are good take not so much pains for the Soul to see whether all be well there Union and Communion with God is a Christians chiefest happiness and without this there can be no felicity though we have the influence of all Earthly enjoyments yea though we had the Honours Riches and Pleasures of a thousand Worlds for all these end in a Snuff and will prove vanishing fading transitory things The Soul of Man is a precious Piece and therefore should be most regarded 'T is next to the Angels the chiefest Piece that ever droped out of the hands of God and was made in his own Image and the nearer any thing comes to the Image of God the nearer it comes to perfection for God is Perfection it self 'T is the greatest Purchase of the Blood of Christ that which was of Infinite Value more worth than the World was given to redeem it and Christ knew well enough the worth of Souls and would not give such a Rate for a thing of little worth In a word 't is Eternal and shall last for ever and run parallel with the longest Line of Eternity and therefore pretious the vanity of Earthly enjoyments is seen in this as well as other things it 's uncertain and momentary duration Now this pretious and Immortal Piece is in great danger and without our care diligence and pains is like to be lost a thousand Enemies besiege it and set it round Enemies without and within and on every side without the Devil and the World who spread a thousand Snares to intrap it within Corruptions yea an inbred Traytor a false perfideous treacherous and deceitful heart these are Politick Subtile Crafty and malicious Enemies The Devil will make no peace with us but upon worse conditions than Nahash the Amonite offered to the Men of Jabish Gillead 1. Sam. 11.2 Vpon this condition will I make a Covenant with you that I may thrust out all your right Eyes and lay it for a Reproach upon all Israel but his conditions are the everlasting destruction of Soul and Body and if the Soul be once lost thou art undone for ever a thousand Worlds cannot redeem it though they were turned into a heap of Diamonds or a Globe of Gold Now art thou a rational Creature and canst thou see thy self thy better part in so much danger and art not sensible of it wilt thou so regard a Limb or Sence an Eye or a Tooth and shall the Soul be unregarded wilt thou Consult the Lawyer about thy Estate the Physitian about thy Health yea the Farrier about thy Horses and shall thy Soul be neglected God forbid Wilt take care for Trifles and neglect things of greatest concernment what greater note of a Fool can be expressed God is yet calling thee and the Door of Mercy is not yet shut against thee opportunities are yet offered thee and there is yet hopes but how long it may continue thou knowest not up and be doing make sure of Heaven while it may be had one of these days it will be too late examine thy self by the Word of God cleanse the Fountain that the Streams may be clear stub up the Root of Sin when others are Lopping at the Branches begin Reformation at the right end I should here have given you some Motives Rules Directions Marks and Characters to this purpose to guide you in this difficult work but this I have done already in another Treatise of that Subject called the Souls Looking-Glass to which I referr you if you have no better at hand Yea when by Examination thou knowest the truth of thy Grace yet is not Examination useless but consider the Growth of it also true Grace is of a growing Nature like a Grain of Mustard Seed that in time becomes a great Tree thy Growth should be in some measure answerable to the Food thou eatest the means of Grace thou enjoyest that which stands at a stay or declines may be suspected 't is not true 't is a Monster in Nature that is no bigger at twenty Years old than at two 't is sad when Men that should grow decline and lose their first love if this be thy case consider from whence thou art fallen and do thy first work consider who thou leavest and whither thou goest and what will be the Issue of it at least consider what thou dost which no Hypocrite in the World can do and never give thy self any rest till thou knowest that thou outstrip'st them all yea till thou canst Read thy Name Written in the Book of Life and canst call God Father and say with the Spouse my Beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 6.3 2. Direct The next Private Duty is when thou knowest that thou hast an Interest in God and a Title to Glory and canst without check of Conscience call God thy Father and Christ thy Head and Husband be sure then to keep close to him hold him fast and do not let him go like the Spouse Cant. 3.4 'T is said of Enoch and Noah that they Walked with God and thus in some measure doth every faithful Soul and this is the surest safest course thou canst take for there is none can hurt thee when thou art under his Wing no Enemy can molest thee while thou art under his Tuition trouble never grinds a Man till it finds him from God take heed of growing strange with God if thou suffer him to be gone thou may'st seek him sorrowing and not find him Many that are constant in Publick Duties are defective in Private but 't is Secret Duties that chiefly maintains Communion with God in those it is we most ingage our hearts to God and God to us now if thou wouldest keep this Communion with God some things are to be avoided some things done The things to be avoided are especially Sins but above all our Bosome Sins those that thou art most inclined to and most easiiest yeilds to and canst most hardly say nay these God is most Jealous of and these will make the greatest breach between God and the Soul and most havock among thy Graces these are they that most deeply wound the Conscience break thy Peace with thy God and if not forsaken will procure a Bill of Divorce 't is thy Sins which is the cause of all Judgement Temporal Spiritual and Eternal and withhold Mercies from thee The love of Sin and close walking with God cannot stand