fruit of it nay indeed this is thâ— way of tryal which Christ himself hath giveâ— us Jo. 14. 15. If ye love me keep my comandments and S. John tell us 1 Ep. 5. 3. That this is the love of God that we walk after his commandments and where this one proof is wanting it will be impossible to testifieâ— our love to God 34. But it must yet be farther considered that this love of God must not be in a low or weak degree for besides that the Motives to it his excellency and his kindness are in the highest the same Commandment which bids us love God bids us love him with all our heart and with all our strength that is as much as is possible for us and above any tâ—ing else And therefore to the fulfilling of this Commandment it is necessary we love him in that degree and if we do so then certainly we shall have not only some slight and faint endeavours of pleasing but such as are most diligent and earnest such as will put us upon the most painful and costly duties make us willing to forsake our own ease goods friends yea life it self when we cannot keep them without disobeying God 35. Now examine thy self by this hast thou this fruit of love to shew dost thou make it thy constant and greatest care to keep Gods Commandments to obey him in all things earnestly labouring to please him to the utmost of thy power even to the forsaking of what is dearest to thee in this world if thou dost thou maist then truly say thou lovest God But on the contrary if thou willfully continuest in the breach of many nay but of any one Command of his never deceive thy self for the love of God abides not in thee This will be made plain to you if you consider what the Scripture saith of such as that they are enemies to God by their wicked works Col. 1. 21. That the carnal minde and such is every one that continues wilfully in sin is enmity to God Rom. 8. 7. That he that sins wilfully tramples under foot the Son of God and doth despite unto the Spirit of grace Heb. 10 29. and many the like And therefore unless you can think enmity and trampling and despite to be fruits of love you must not believe you love God whilest you go on in any wilful disobedience to him 36. A Second fruit of love I told you was desire of injoying This is constantly to be seen in our love to another If you have a friend whom you intirely love you desire his conversation wish to be alwayes in his company and thus will it also be in our love to God if that was as great and hearty as this 37. There is a twofold enjoying of God the one imperfect in this life the other more perfect and complete in the life to come that in this life is that conversation as I may call it which we have with God in his ordinances in praying and meditating in hearing his word in receiving the Sacrament which are all intended for this purpose to bring us into an intimacy and familiarity with God by speaking to him and hearing him speak to us 38. Now if we do indeed love God we shall certainly hugely value and desire these wayes of conversing with him it being all that we can have in this life it will make us with David esteem one day in Gods courts better then a thousand Psal. 84. 10. We shall be glad to have these opportunities of approaching to him as often as is possible and be careful to use them diligently to that end of uniting us still more to him yea we shall come to these spiritual exercises with the same cheerfulness we would go to our dearest friend And if indeed we doe thus it is a good proofe of our love 39. But I fear there are not many have this to shew for it as appears by the common backwardness and unwillingness of men to come to these and their negligence and heartlesness when they are at them and can we think that God will ever own us for lovers of him whilst we have such dislikes to his company that we will never come into it but when we are drag'd by fear or shame of men or some such worldly Motive It is sure you would not think that man loved you whom you perceived to shun your company and to be loath to come in your sight And therefore be not so unreasonable as to say you love God when yet you desire to keep as far from him as you can 40. But besides this there is another injoyment of God which is more perfect and complete and that is our perpetual injoying of him in heaven where we shall be for ever united to him and injoy him not now and then only for short spaces of time as we do here but continually without interruption or breaking off And certainly if we have that degree of love to God we ought this cannot but â—e most earnestly desired by us so much that we shall think no labour too great to compass it The seven years that Jacob served for Rachel Gen. 29. 20. Seemed to him but a few dayes for the love that he had to her and surely if we have love to God we shall not think the service of our whole lives too dear a price for this full injoyment of him nor esteem all the injoyments of the world worth the looking on in comparison thereof 41. If we can truly tell our selves we do thus long for this injoyment of God we may believe we love him But I fear again there are but few that can thus approve their love For if we look into mens lives we shall see they are not generally so fond of this injoyment as to be at any pains to purchase it And not only so but it is to be doubted there are many who if it were put to their choice whether they would live here alwayes to enjoy the profit and pleasure of the world or go to heaven to enjoy God would like the Children of Gâ—d and Reuben set up their rest on this side Jordan Num. 32. and never desire that heavenly Canaan so close do their affections cleave to things below which shews cleerly they have not made God their treasure foâ— then according to our Saviours Rule Mat. 6. 21. Their heart would be with him Nay further yet it is too plain that many of us set so little value on this injoying of God that we prefer the vilest and basest sins before him and chuse to injoy them though by it we utterly lose our parts in him which is the case of every man that continues willfully in those sins 42. And now I fear according to these rules of trial many that profess to love God will be found not to do so I conclude al with the words of S. John 1 Ep. 3. 18. Which though spoken of the love of our brethren is very fitly
till that be done 3. The second part of prayer is petition That is the begging of God whatsoever we want either for our Souls or bodies For our Souls we must first beg pardon of sins and that for the sake of Jesus Christ who shed his blood to obtain it Then we must also beg the grace and assistance of Gods Spirit to enable us to forsake our sins and to walk in obedience to him And herein it will be needful particularly to beg all the several vertues as faith love zeal purity repentance and the like but especially those which thou most wantest And therefore observe what thy wants are and if thou beest proud be most instant in praying for humility if lustful for chastity and so for all other graces according as thou findest thy needs And in all these things that concern thy Soul be very earnest and importunate take no denial from God nor give over though thou do not presently obtain what thou suest for But if thou hast never so long prayed for a grace and yet findest it not do not grow weary of praying but rather search what the cause may be which makes thy prayer so ineffectual see if thou do not thy self hinder them perhaps thou prayest to God to enable thee to conquer some sin and yet never goest about to fight against it never makest any resistance but yeâ—ldest to it as oft as it comes nay puttest thy self in its way in the road of all temptations If it be thus no wonder though thy prayers avail not for thou wilt not let them Therefore amend this and set to the doing of thy part sincerely and then thou needest not fear but God will do his 4. Secondly We are to petition also for our bodies That is we are to ask of God such necessaries of life as are needful to us while we live here But these onely in such a degree and measure as his wisdom sees best for us we must not presume to be our own câ—rvers and pray for all that wealth or greatness which our own vain hearts may perhaps desire but onely â—or such a condition in respect of outward things as he sees may most tend to those great ends of our living here the glorifying him and the saving of our own Souls 5. A third part of prayer is Deprecation that is when we pray to God to turn away some evil from us Now this evil may be either the evil of sin or the evil of punishment The evil of sin is that we are especially to pray against most earnestly begging of God that he will by the power of his grace preserve us from falling into sin And whatever sins they are to which thou knowest thy self most inclined there be particularly earnest with God to preserve thee from them This is to be done daily but then more especially when we are under any present temptation in danger of falling into any sin In which case we have reason to cry out as St. Peter did when he found himself sinking save Lord or I perish humbly beseeching him either to withdraw the temptation or strengthen us to withstand it neither of which we can do for our selves 6. Secondly We are likewise to pray against the evil of punishment but principally against spiritual punishments as the anger of God the withdrawing of his grace and eternal damnation Against these we can never pray with too much earnestness but we may also pray against temporal punishments that is any outward affliction but this with submission to Gods will according to the example of Christ Mat. 26. 39. Not as I will but as thou wilt 7. A fourth part of prayer is intercession that is praying for others This in general we are to do for all mankind as well strangers as acquaintance but more particularly those to whom we have any especial relation either publick as our Governours both in Church and State or private as Parents Husband Wife Children Friends c. We are also to pray for all that are in affliction and such particular persons as we discern especially to be so Yea we are to pray for those that have done injury those that despightfully use us and persecute us for it is expresly the command of Christ Mat. 5. 44. and that whereof he hath likewise given us the highest example in praying even for his very crucifiers Luc. 23. 34. Father forgive them For all these sorts of persons we are to pray and that for the very same good things we beg of God for our selves that God would give them in their several places and callings all spiritual and temporal blessings which he sees wanting to them and turn away from them all evil whether of sin or punishment 8. The fifth part of prayer is thanksgiving That is the praising and blessing God for all his mercies whether to our own persons and those that immediatly relate to us or to the Church and Nation whereof we are members or yet more general to all mankind And this for all his mercies both spiritual and temporal In the spiritual first for those wherein we are all in common concerned as the giving of his Son the sending of his Spirit and all those means he hath used to bring sinful men unto himself Then secondly for those mercies we have in our own particulars received such are the having been born within the pale of the Church and so brought up in Christian Religion by which we have been partakers of those precious advantages of the word and Sacraments and so have had without any care or pains of ours the means of eternal life put into our hands But besides these there is none of us but have received other spiritual means from God 9. As first Gods patience and long-suffering waiting for our repentance and not cutting us off in our sins Secondly his calls and invitations of us to that repentance not only outward in the ministry of the word but also inward by the motions of his Spirit But then if thou be one that hath by the help of Gods grace been wrought upon by these calls and brought from a prophane or worldly to a Christian course of life thou art surely in the highest degree tyed to magnifie and praise his goodness as having received from him the greatest of mercies 10. We are likewise to give thanks for temporal blessings whether such as concern the publick as the prosperity of the Church or Nation and all remarkable deliverances offered to either or else such as concern our particulars such are all the good things of this life which we enjoy as health friends food rayment and the like also for those minuitly preservations whereby we are by Gods gracious providence kept from danger and the especial deliverances which God hath given us in time of greatest perils It will be impossible to set down the several mercies which everyman receives from God because they
bewailing and forsaking whatever we have formerly been guilty of it is then most certain that all the afore-mentioned benefits of Christ belongs to us 24. And now you see how little reason you have to cast off the care of your Souls upon a conceit they are past cure for that it is plain thâ—y are not Nay certainly they are in that very condition which of all others make them fittest for our care If they had not been thus REDEEMED by CHRIST they had been then so hopeless that care would have been in vain On the other side if his Redemption had been such that all men should be saved by it though they live as they list we should have thought it needless to take care for them because they were safe without it But it hath pleased God so to order it that our care must be the means by which they must receive the good even of all that Christ hath done for them 25. And now if after all that God hath done to save these souls of ours we will not bestow a little care on them our selves we very well deserve to perish If a Physician should undertake a patient that were in some desperate disease and by his skill bring him so far out of it that he were sure to recover if he would but take care of himself and observe those rules the Physician set him would you not think that man weary of his life that would refuse to do that So certainly that man is weary of his soul wilfully casts it away that will not consent to those easy conditions by which he may save it 26. You see how great kindness God hath to these souls of ours the whole Trinity Father Son and Holy-Ghost have all done their parts for them The Father gave his only Son The Son gave himself left his glory and endured the bitter death of the cross meerly to keep our souls from perishing The Holy-Ghost is become as it were our attendant waites upon us with continual offers of his grace to enable us to do that which may preserve them Nay he is so desirous we should accept thâ—se offers of his that he is said to be grieved when we refuse them Eph. 4. 30. Now what gâ—eater disgrace and affront can we put upon God then to dispise what he thus values that those souls of ours which Christ thought worth every drop of his blood we should not think worth any part of our care We use in things of the world to â—ate them according to the opinion of those who are best skilled in them now certainly God who made our souls â—ist knowes the worth of them and since he prizes them 〈◊〉 high let us if it be but in reverence to him be aâ—â—amed to neglect them Especially now that they are 〈◊〉 so hopeful a condition that nothing but our own â—arelesnesse can possibly destroy them 27. I have now briâ—fly gone over those four motives of care I at first proposed which are each of them such as â—â—â—ver misses to stir it up towards the things of this world and I have also shewed you how much more reasonable nay necessary it is they should do the like for the Soul And now what can I say more but conclude in the words of Isaiah 46. 8. Remember this and shew your selvs men That is deal with your Soul as your reason teaches you to do with all other things that concern you And sure this common Justice binds you to for the Soul is that which furnishes you with that reason which you exercise in all your worldly business and shall the Soul it self receive nâ— benefit from that reason which it affords you This is aâ— if the Master of a family who provides food for his servants should by them be kept from eating any himself and so remain the onely starved creature in his house 28. And as Justice tyes you to this so Mercy doth likewise you know the poor Soul will fall into endlesse and unspeakable miseries if you continue to neglect it and theâ— it will be too lâ—te to consider it The last refuge you caâ— hope for is Gods mercy but that you have despised and abused And with what face can you in your greatest neeâ— beg for his mercy to your Souls when you would not as ford them your own No not that common Charity 〈◊〉 considering them of bestowing a few of those idle hours you know not scarce how to passe away upon them 29. Lay this to your hearts and as ever you hope so Gods pity when you most want it be sure in time to pity your selves by taking that due care of your preciouâ— Souls which belongs to them 30. If what hath been said have perswaded you to 〈◊〉 so necessary a duty my next work will be to tell you 〈◊〉 this care must be imployed and that in a word is in thâ— doing of all thâ—se things which tend to the making 〈◊〉 Soul happy which is the end of our care and what thâ—â— are I come now to shew you PARTITION I. Of the DUTY of MAN by the Light of Nature by the Light of Scripture of FAITH the Promises of Hope of Love c. THe benefits purchased for us by Christ are such as will undoubtedly make the soul happy for eternal happiness it self is one of them but because these benefits belong not to us till we perform the Condition required of us whoever desires the happiness of his soul must set himself to the performing of that condition what that is I have already mentioned in General That it is the hearty honest endeavour of obeying the whole Will of God But then that Will of God containing under it many particulars It is necessary we should also know what those are That is what are the several things that God now requires of us our performance whereof will bring us to everlasting happiness and the neglect to endless misery 2. Of these things there are some which God hath so stamp't upon our souls that we Nâ—turally knew them that is we should have known them to be our duty though we had never bin told so by the Scripture That this is so we may see by those heathens who having never heard of either Old or New Testamâ—nt do yet acknowledg themselves bound to some General duties as to worship God to be just to honour their Parents and the like And as S. Paul saith Rom 2. 15. Their consciences do in those tbings accuse or excuse them That is tell them whether they have done what they should in those particulars or no. 3. Now though Christ have brought greater light into the world yet he never meant by it to put out any of that Natural light which God had set up in our souls Therefore lâ—t me here by the way advise you not to walk contrary even to this lesser light I mean not to venture on any of those Acts which meer natural conscience will tell you are sins 4.
It is just matter of sadness to any Christian heart to see some in these dayes who profess much of Religion and yet live in such sins as a meer heathen would abhor men that pretending to higher degrees of light and holiness then their brethren do yet practice contrary to all Rules of common honesty and make it part of their Christan liberty so to do of whose seducement it concerns all that love their soules to beware and for that purpose let this be laid as a foundation That that Religion or opinion cannot be of God which allowes men in any wickedness 5. But though we must not put out this light which God hath thus put into our soules yet this is not the only way whereby God hath revealed his will and therefore we are not to rest here but proceed to the knowledg of those other things which God hath by other means revealed 6. The way for us to come to know them is by the Scriptures wherein are set down those several commands of God which he hath given to be the Rule of our duty 7. Of those some were given before Christ came into the world such are those precepts we find scattered throughout the Old Testament but especially contained in the Ten Commandments and that excellent book of Deuteronomy others were given by Christ who added much both to the Law implanted in us by Nature and that of the Old Testament and those you shall find in the New Testament â—n the several precepts given by him and his Apostles But especially in that divine Sermon â—n the Mount set down in the fifth sixth â—eventh Chapters of S. Matthews Gosâ—el 8. All these should be severally spoke to but because that would make the discourse very long and so less fit for the meaner sort of men for whose use alone it is intended I chuse to proceed in another manner By summing all these together and so as plainly as I can to lay down what is now the duty of every Châ—istan 9. This I find briefly contained in the words of the Apostle Tit. 2. 12. That we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present world where the word soberly contains our duty to our selves righteously our duty to our neighbour and Godly our dâ—ty to God These therefore shall be the heads of my discourse our duty to God our selves and our neighbour I begin wâ—th that to God that being the best ground-work whereon to build bâ—th the other 10. There are many parts of our duty to God The two chief are these First to acknowledg him to be God Secondly to have no other under these are contained all those particulars which make up our whole duty to God which shall be shewed in their order 11. To aâ—knowledg him to be God is â—o believe him to be an infinite glorious Spirit that was from everlasting without beginning and shâ—ll be to everlasting without end That he is our Creator Redeemer Sanctifier Fatâ—er Son and Holy-Ghost one God blessed for eve That he is suject to no alterations but is unchangeable that he is no bodilâ— substance such as our eyes may behold but Spiritual and invisible whom no man hath seen nor can see as the Apostle tell us 1 Tim. 6. 16. That he is infinitely great and excellent beyond all that our wit or conceit can imagine that he hath received his being from none and gives being to all things 12. All this we are to believe of him in regard of his essence and being But besides this he is set forth to us in the Scripture by several excellencies as that he is of infinite goodness and Mercy Truth Iustice Wisdom Power All-sufficiency Majesty That he disposes and governs all things by his providence that he knows all things and is present in all places these are by Divines called the Attributes of God and all these we must undoubtingly acknowledg that is we must firmly believe all these Divine excellencies to be in God and that in the greatest degree and so that they can never cease to be in him he can never be other then infinitely Good Merciful True c. 13. But the acknowledging him for our God signifies yet more then this it means that we should perform to him all those several parts of duty which belong from a Creature to his God what those are I am now to tell you 14. The first is Faith or belief not only that forementioned of his essence and Attributes but of his word the believing most firmly that all that he saith is perfectly true This necessarily arises from that Attribute his truth it being natural for us to believe whatsoever is said by one of whose truth we are confident Now the holy Scriptures being the word of God we are therefore to concluâ—e that all that is contained in them is most true 15. The things contained in them are of these four sorts First affirmations such are all the stories of the Bible when it is said such and such things came so and so to pass Christ was born of a virgin was laid in a manger c. And such also are many points of Doctrine as that there are three Persons in the God-head that Christ is the Son of God and the like All things of this sort thus delivered in Scripture we are to believe most true And not only so but because they are all written for our instruction we are to coâ—sider them for that purpose that is by them to lay that foundation of Christian-knowledg on which we may build a Christian life 16 The Second sort of things contain'd in the Scripture are the Commands that is the several things enjoyned us by God to perform these we are to believe to come from him and to be most just and fit for him to Command But then this belief must bring forth obedience that what we believe thus fit to be done be indeed done by us otherwise our belief that they come from him serves but to make us more inexcusable 17. Thirdly the Scripture contains threatnings many texts there are which thâ—eaten to them that go on in their sins the wrath of God and under that are contain'd all the punishments and miseries of this life both spiritual and temporal and everlasting destruction in the life to come Now we are most stedfastly to believe that these are Gods threats and that they will certainly be performed to every impenitent sinner But then the use we are to make of this belief is to keep from those sins to which this destruction is threatned otherwise our belief adds to our guilt that will willfully go on in spight of those threatnings 18. Fourthly the Scripture contains Promises and those both to our bodies and our soules for our bodies there are many promises that God will provide for them what he sees necessary I will name only one Mat. 6. 33. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and
appliable to this love of God let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth 43. A Fourth duty to God is Fear this arises from the consideration both of his Justice and his Power his Justice is such that he will not clear the wicked his Power such that he is able to inflict the sorest punishments upon them that this is a reasonable cause of fear Christ himself tells us Mat. 10. 18. Fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell Many other places of Scripture there are which commend to us this duty as Psal. 2. 11. Serve the Lord with fear Psal. 34. 9. Fear the Lord yea that be his Saints Pro. 9. 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and divers the like and indeed all the threatnings of wrath against sinners which we meet with in the Scripture are only to this end to work this fear in our hearts 44. Now this fear is nothing else but such an awful regard of God as may keep us from offending him This the wise man tells us Prov. 16. 17. The fear of the Lord is to depart fâ—om evil so that none can be said truly to fear God that is not thereby withheld from sin this is but answerable to that common fear we have towards man whoever we know may hurt us we wil beware of provoking therefore if we be not as wary of displeasing God it is plain we fear men more then we do him 45. How great a madness this is thus to fear men above God will soon appear if we compare what man can do to us with that which God can And first it is sure it is not in the power of man I might say Divels too to do us any hurt unless God permit and suffer them to do it so that if we do but keep him our friend we may say with the Psalmist The Lord is on my side I fear not what man can do unto me For let their malice be never so great he can restrain and keep them from hurting us nay he can change their minds towards us according to that of the wise man Pro. 16. 7. When a mans wayes please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him A notable example of this we have in Jacob Gen. 32. who whem his brother Esau was coming against him as an enemy God wonderfully turned his heart so that he met him with all the expressions of brotherly kindness as you may read in the next Chapter 46. But Secondly suppose men were left at liberty to do thee what mischief they could Alas their power goes but a little way they may perhaps rob thee of thy goods it may be they may take away thy liberty or thy credit or perchance thy life too but that thou knowest is the utmost they can do But now God can do all this when he pleases and that which is infinitely more his vengeance reaches even beyond death it self to this eternal Misery both of body and soul in hell in comparison of which death is so considerable that we are notto look upon it with any dread Fear not them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do saith Christ Luk. 12. 4. And then immediately adds But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you fear him In which words the comparison is set between that greatest ill we can suffer from man the loss of life and those sadder evils God can inflicton us and the latter are found to be the only dreadful things and therefore God only to be feared 47. But there is yet one thing farther considerable in this matter which is this it is possible we may transgress against men and they not know it I may perhaps steal my neighbours goods or defile his wife and keep it so close that he shall not suspect me and so never bring me to punishment for it but this we cannot do with God he knows all things even the most secret thoughts of our hearts and therefore though we commit a sin never so closely he is sure to fit us and will as surely if we do not timely repent punish us eternally for it 48. And now surely it cannot but be confest that it is much safer displeasing men then God yet alas our practice is as if we believed the direct contrary there being nothing more ordinary with us then for the avoiding of some present danger we fear from men to rush our selves upon the indignation of God And thus it is with us when either to save our estates or credits or our very lives we commit any sin for that is plainly the chusing to provoke God rather then man 49. But God knows this case of the fear of men is not the only one wherein we venture to displease him for we commit many sins to which we have none of this temptation nor indeed any other as for instance that of common swearing to which there is nothing either of pleasure or profit to invite us Nay many times we who so fear the mischiefs that other men may do to us that we are ready to buy them off with the greatest sins do our selves bring all those very mischiefs upon us by sins of our own chusing Thus the careless prodigal robs himself of his estate the deceitful dishonest man or any that lives in open notorious sin deprives himself of his credit and the drunkard glutton brings diseases on himself to the shortning his life And can we think we do at al fear God when that fear hath so little power over us that though it be backt with the many present mischiefs that attend one sin it is not able to keep us from them surely such men are so far from fearing God that they rather seem to defie him resolve to provoke him whatsoever it cost them either in this world or the next Yet so unreasonably partial are we to our selves that even such as these wil pretend to this fear you may examine multitudes of the most gross scandalous sinners before you shall meet with one that will acknowledg he fears not God It is stranâ—e it should be possible for men thus to cheat themselves but however it is certain we cannot deceive God he will not be mockâ— and therefore if we will not now so fear as to avoid sin we shall one day fear when it will be too late to avoid punishment 50. A Fifth duty to God is that of trusting in him that is depending and resting on him and that is first in all dangers Secondly in all wants We are to rest on him in all our dangers both spiritual and temporal Of the first sort are all those temptations by which we are in danger to be drawn to sin And in this respect he hath
which we ordinarily call the lusts of the flesh are meant here yet they are not the only things here contained there being divers other things which the Scripture calls the works of the flesh I cannot better inform you of them then by setting down that list S. Paul gives of them Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Now the works of thâ— flâ—sh are manifest which are these adultry fornication uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry witcheraft hatred variance emulations wraâ—h strife seditions heresies Envyings murders drunkenness revilings and such like This with those other discriptionâ— you wâ—ll find scattered in several places of Scripture will shew you there are many things contained under this part of your vow the forsaking all the sinful lusts of the flesh 37. The secend thing our Godfathers and Godmothers promised for us was that we should belive all the Articles of the Christian faith These we have summed up together in that which we call the Apostles Creed which since we promise to believe we are supposed also to promise to learn them and that not only the words but likewise the plain sense of them for who can believe what he either never heard of or knows not any thing of the means of it Now by this believing is meant not only the consenting to the truth of them but also the living like them that do believe As for Example our believing that God created us should make us live in that subjection and obedience to him which becomes creatures to their Creator the believing that Christ redeemed us should make us yeild up our selves to him as his purchase to be disposed wholy by him and imployed only in his service The believing a judgment to come should give us care so to walk that we may not be condemned in it And our believing the life everlasting should make us diligent so to imploy our short moment of time here that our everlasting life may be a life of joy not of misery to us In this manner from all the Articles of the Creed we are to draw Motives to confirm us in all Christian Practice to which end it is that our learning and believing of them tends and therfore without it we are very far from making good this part of our vow the believing all the Articles of the Christian faith 38. The last part of our vow is that we should keep Gods holy will and commandments and walk in the same all the dayes of our lives Where by of Gods holy will and commandments is meant our doing of all those things which he hath made known to us to be his will we should perform wherein he hath given us his holy Word to instruct us and teach us what it is that he requires of us and now he expects that we should faithfully do it without favouring our selves in the breach of any one of his commands And then in this entire obedience we must walk all the days of our lives That is we must go on in a constant course of obeying God not only fetch some few steps in his ways but walk in them and that not for some part of our time but all the dayes of our lives never turn out of them but go on constantly in them as long as we live in this world 39. Having now thus briefly explained to you this vow made at your Baptisme all I shall add concerning it is not only to remember you how neerly you are concern'd in the keeping it and that first in respect of justice secondly in respect of advantage and benefit That you are in justice bound to it I need say no more but that it is a promise and you know justice requires of every man the keeping of his promise But then this is of all other promises the most solemn and binding for it is a vow that is a promise made to God and therefore we are not only unjust but forsworn when ever we break any part of it 40. But secondly we are also highly concern'd to keep it in respect of our own benefit I told you before that Baptisme entered us into Covenant with God now a Covenant is made up of two parts that is something promise by the one party and something by the other of the parties that make the Covenant And if one of them break his part of the Covenant that is perform not what he hath agreed to he can in no reason look that the other should make good his And so it is here God doth indeed promise those benefits before mentioned and that is his part of the Covenant But then we also undertake to perform the several things contained in this vow of Baptisme and that is our part of it and unless we do indeed perform them God is not tied to make good his and so we forfeit all those precious benefits and advantages we are left in that natural and miserable estate of ours Children of wrath enemies of God and heirs of eternal damnation And now what can be the pleasure that any or all sins can offord us that can make us the least degree of recompence for such a loss the loss of Gods favour and grace here and the loss of our own soules hereafter for as our Saviour saith Mar. 8. 36. What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul yet this mad bargain we make whenever we break any part of this our vow of Baptisme It therefore most neerly concerns us to consider sadly of it to remember that every sin we commit is a direct breach of this vow and therefore when thou art tempted to any sin seem it never so light say not of it as Lot did of Zoar Gen. 6. 20. Is it not a little one but consider that whatever it is thou hast in thy Baptisme vowed against it and then be it never so little it draws a great one at the heeles of it no less then that of being forsworn which whoever commits God hath in the third Commandment pronounced he will not hold him guiltless And that we may the better keep this vow it will be very useful often to repeat to our selves the several breaches of it that so we may still have it ready in our minds to set against all temptations and surely it is so excellent a weapon that if we do not either cast it aside or use it very negligently it will enable us by Gods help to put to flight our spiritual adversary And this is that reverence we are to pay to this first Sacrament that of Baptisme PARTITION III. Of the LORDS SUPPER of Preparation before of Duties to be done at the Receiving and afterwards c. § 1. NOw follows the reverence due to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and in this I must follow my first division and set down first what is to be done before secondly at and thirdly after the time of receiving for in this Sacrament we cannot be excused from any
thing beseech God that he will inflame thy heart with this heavenly fire of devotiâ—n and when thou hast obtained it beware that thou neither quench it by any wilful sin nor let it go out again for want of stirring it up and imploying it 23. Fifthly we must Pray with purity I mean we must purge our hearts from all affections to sin This is surely the meaning of the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 8. When he commands men to lift up holy hands in Prayer and he there instances in one special sort of sin wrath and doubting whereby doubting is meant those unkind disputes and contentions which are so common amongst men And surely he that cherishes that or any other sin in hiâ— heart can never lift up those holy hands which are required in this duty And then sure his prayers be they never so many or earnest will little avail him The Psalmist will tell him he shall not be heard Psal. 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Nay Solomon will tell him yet worse that his prayers are not onely vain but abominable Pro. 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. And thus to have our prayers turned into sin is one of the heaviest things can befal any man we see it is set down in that sad Catalogue of curses Psal. 109. 7. Therefore let us not be so cruel to our selves as to pull it upon our own heads which we certainly do if we offer up prayers from an impure heart 24. In the last place we must direct our prayers to right ends And that either in the respect of the prayer it self or the things we pray for First we must pray not to gain the praise of devotion amongst men like those hypocrites Mat. 6. 5. Nor yet onely for company or fashion sake to do as other do But we must do it first as an act of worship to God Secondly as an acknowledgment that he is that great spring from whence alone we expect all good things And thirdly to gain a supply of our own or others needs Then in respect of the things prayed for we must be sure to have no ill aimes upon them we must not ask that we may consume it upon our lusts Ia. 4. 3. as those do who pray for wealth that they may live in riot and excess and for power that they may be able to mischief their enemies and the like But our end in all must be Gods glory first and next that our own and others Salvation and all other things must be taken in onely as they tend to those which they can never do if we abuse them to sin I have now done with that first part of worship that of the Soul 25. The other is that of the body and that is nothing else but such humble and reverent gestures in our approaches to God as may both express the inward reverence of our Souls and may also pay him some tribute from our very bodies with which the Apostle commands us to glorify God as well as with our Souls and good reason since he hath created and redeemed the one as well as the other whensoever therefore thou offerest thy prayers unto God let it be with all lowliness as well of body as of mind according to that of the Psalmist Psal. 95. 6. O come let us worship let us fall down and kneel before the Lord our maker 26. The ninth duty to God is REPENTANCE That this is a duty to God we are taught by the Apostle Acts 20. 21. where speaking of repentance he stiles it repentance towards God And there is good reason this should be a duty to him since there is no sin we commit but is either mediatly or immediatly against him For though there be sins both against our selves and our neighbours yet they being forbidden by God they are also breaches of his Commandements and so sins against him This repentance is in short nothing but a turning frâ—m sin to God the casting off all our former evils and in stead thereof constantly practising all those Christian duties which God requireth of us And this is so necessary a duty that without it we certainly perish we have Christs word for it Luke 13. 5. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish 27. The directions for performing the several parts of this duty have been already given in the preparation to the Lords Supper and thither I refer the reader Onely I shall here mind him that it is to be lookt upon as a duty to be practised onely at the time of receiving the Sacrament For this being the onely remedy against the poyson of sin we must renew it as often as we repeat our sins that is daily I mean we must every day repent of the sins of that day for what Christ saith of other evils is true also of this sufficient to the day is the evil thereof we have sins enough of each day to exercise a daily repentance and therefore every man must thus daily call himself to account 28. But as it is in accounts they who constantly set down their daily expences have yet some set time of casting up the whole summe as at the end of the week or moneth so should it also be here we should set aside some time to humble our selves solemnly before God for the sins not of that day onely but of our whole lives And the frequenter these times are the better For the oftner we thus cast up our accounts with God and see vast debts we are run in to him the more humbly shall we think of our selves and the more shall thirst after his mercy which two are the special things that must qualify us for his pardon He therefore that can assign himself one day in the week for this purpose will take a thriving course for his Soul Or if any mans state of life be so busie as not to afford him to do it so often let him yet come as neer to that frequency as is possible for him remembring alwayes that none of his worldly imployments can bring him in neer so gainful a return as this spiritual one will do and therefore it is very ill husbandry to pursue them to the neglect of this 29. Besides these constant times there are likewise occasion all times for the performance of this duty such especially are the times of calamity and affliction for when any such befals us we are to look on it as a message sent from Heaven to call us to this duty and therefore must never neglect it when we are thus summoned to it lest we be of the number of them who despise the chastisements of the Lord Heb. 12. 5. 30. There is yet another time of repentance which in the practice of men hath gotten away the custome from all those and that is the time of death which it is true is
belongs to him that is guilty of either of these sins Thus whilest thou art ravening after thy neighbours goods or house thou are but gathering fuel to burn thine own And the effect of these threatnings of God we daily see in the strange improsperousness of ill gotten estates which every man is apt enough to observe in other mens cases he that sees his neighbour decline in his estate can presently call to mind this was gotten by oppression or deceit yet so sottish are we so bewitcht with the love of gain that he that makes this observation can seldome turn it to his own use is never the lesse greedy or unjust himself for that vengeance he discerns upon others 10. But alas if thou couldst be sure that thy unjust possession should not be torn from thee yet when thou remembrest how dear thou must pay for them in another world thou hast little reason to brag of thy prize Thou thinkest thou hast been very cunning when thou hast over-reacht thy brother but God knowes all the while there is another over-reaching thee and cheating thee of what is infinitely more precious even thy Soul the Devil herein deals with thee as fishers use to do those that will catch a great fish will bait the hook with a less and so the great one coming with greediness to devour that is himself taken So thou that art gaping to swallow up thy poor brother art thy self made a prey to that great devourer And alas what will it ease thee in Hell that thou hast left wealth behind thee upon earth when thou shalt there want that which the meanest beggar here enjoyes even a drop of water to cool thy tongue Consider this and from henceforth resolve to imploy all that pains and diligence thou hast used to deceive others in rescuing thy self from the frauds of the grand deceiver 11. To this purpose it is absolutely necessary that thou make Restitution to all whom thou hast wronged For as long as thou keepest any thing of the unjust gain 't is as it were an earnest penny from the Devil which gives him full right to thy Soul But perhaps it may be said it will not in all cases be possible to make Restitution to the wronged party peradventure he may be dead in that case then make it to his heirs to whom his right descends But it may further be objected that he that hath long gone on in a course of fraud may have injured many that he cannot now remember and many that he has no means of finding out In this case all I can advise is this First to be as diligent as is possible both in recalling to mind who they were and endeavouring to find them out and when after all thy care that proves impossible let thy Restitutions be made to the poor and that they may not be made by halves be as careful as thou canst to reckon every the least mite of unjust gain but when that cannot exactly be done as 't is sure it cannot by those who have multiplied the acts of fraud yet even there let them make some general measures whereby to proportion their restitution as for example a tradesman that cannot remember how much he has cheated in every single parcel yet may possibly guess in the gross whether he have usually over-reacht to the value of a third or a fourth part of the wares and then what proportion soever he think he has so defrauded the same proportion let him now give out of that estate he hath raised by his Trade but herein it concerns every man to deal uprightly as in the presence of God and not to make advantage of his own forgetfulness to the cutting short to the Restitution but rather go on the other hand and be sure rather to give too much then too little If if he do happen to give somewhat over he need not grudge the charge of such a sin offering and 't is sure he will not if he do heartily desire an atonement Many other difficulties there may be in this business of restitution which will not be foreseen and so cannot now be particularly spoke to but the more of those there are the greater horrour ought men to have of running into the sin of injustice which it will be so difficult if not impossible for them to repair and the more careful ought they to be to mortify that which is the root of all injustice to wit Covetousness PARTITION XIII Of FALSE REPORTS False Witness Slanders Whisperings Of Despising and Scoffing for infirmities Calamities Siâ—s c. Of POSITIVE JUSTICE Speaking the TRUTH Of LYING Of Humility and Pride Of Envy and Detraction Of Gratitude c. § 1 THe Fourth Branch of Negative Justice concerns the credit oâ— our neighbours which we are not to lessen or impaire by any means particularly not by false reports Of false reports there may be two sorts the one is when a man sayes something of his neighbour which he directly knows to be false the other when possibly he has some slight surmize or jealousy of the thing but that upon such weak grounds that 't is as likely to be false as true In either of these cases there is a great guilt lies upon the reporter that there doth so in the first of them no body will doubt every one acknowledging that it is the greatest baseness to invent a lie of another but there is as little reason to question the other for he that reports a thing as a truth which is but uncertain is a lyar also or if he do not report it as a certainty but only as a probability yet then though he be not guilty of the lye yet he is of the injustice of robbing his neighbour of his credit for there is such an aptness in men to believe ill of others that any the lightest jealousy will if once it be spread abroad serve for that purpose and sure it is a most horrible injustice upon every slight surmize and fancy to hazard the bringing so great an evil upon another especially when it is considered that those surmizes commonly spring rather from some censoriousness peevishness or malice in the surmizer then from any reall fault in the person so suspected 2. The manner of spreading these false râ—ports of both kinds is not alwayes the same sometimes it is more open and avowed sometimes more close and private the open is many times by false witness before the Court of Justice and this not only hurts a man in his credit but in other respects also 't is the delivering him up to the punishment of the Law and according to the nature of the crime pretended does him more or less mischief but if it be of the highest kind it may concern his life as we see it did in Naboths case 1 Kin. 21. How great and crying a sin it is in this respect as also in that of the perjury you may learn from what hath
the wise dispensations of the great Creator who bestows the excellencies of body and mind as he pleases and therefore to scorn a man because he hath them not is in effect to reproach God who gave them not to him 8. So also for the calamities and miseries that befall a man be it want or sickness or what ever else these also come by the providence of God who raiseth up and pulleth down as seems good to him and it belongs not to us to judg what are the motives to him to do so as many do who upon any affliction that befals another are presently concluding that sure it is some extraordinary guilt which pulls this upon him though they have no particular to lay to his charge This rash judgment our Saviour reproves in the Jews Lu. 13. where on occasion of the extraordinary sufferings of the Galileans he asks them ver 2. suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things I tell you nay but except you repent ye shall all likewise perish when we see Gods hand heavy upon others it is no part of our business to judg them but our selves and by repentance to prevent what our own sins have deserved But to reproach and revile any that are in affliction is that barbarous cruelty taken notice of by the Psalmist as the heighth of wickedness Psal. 69. 26. They persecute him whom thou hast smitten and they talk to the grief of them whom thou hast wounded In all the miseries of others compassion becomes a debt to them how unjust are they then that in stead of paying them that debt afflict them with scorn and reproach 9. Nay the very sins of men though as they have more of their wills in them they may seem more to deserve reproach yet certainly they also oblige us to the former duty of compassion and that in the highest degree as being the things which of all others make a man the most miserable in all these cases if we consider how subject we are to the like our selves and that is not only Gods mercy to us by which we are preserved from the worst that any man else is under it will surely better become us to look up to him with thankfulness then down on them with contempt and despising Thus you see the direct injustice of scorning and contemning our brethren to which when that other is added which naturally followes as a consequent of this to wit the begetting the like contempt in others there can sure be no doubt of its being a great and horrible injustice to our neighbour in respect of his credit 10. Now how great the injury of destroying a mans credit is may be measured by these two things first the value of the thing he is rob'd of and secondly the difficulty of making reparations For the first 't is commonly known that a mans good name is a thing he holds most precious oftentimes dearer then his life as we see by the hazards men sometimes run to preserve even a mistaken reputation but 't is sure it is that which hath even by sober men been esteemed one of the greatest happiness of life And to some sorts of men such especially as subsist by dealings in the world t is so necessary that it may well be reckoned as the means of their livelyhood and then sure 't is no slight matter to rob a man of what is thus valuable to him 11. Secondly the difficulty of making reparations increaseth the injury and that is such in this case of defamation that I may rather cal it an impossibility then a difficulty For when men are possest with an ill opinion of a person 't is no easy matter to work it out so that the slanderer is herein like a young Conjurer that raises a Divel he knows not how to lay again Nay suppose men were generally as willing to lay down ill conceits of their neighbours as they are to take them up yet how is it possible for him that makes even the most publick recantation of his slander to be sure that every man that hath come to the hearing of the one shall do so of the other also And if there be but one person that doth not as probably there will be many then is the reparation still short of the injury 12. This consideration is very fit to make men afraid of doing this wrong to their neighbour but let it not be made use of to excuse those that have already done the wrong from endeavouring to make the best reparations they can for though 't is odd it will not equal the injury yet let them however do what they are able towards it And this is so necessary towards the obtaining pardon of the sin that none must expect the one that do not perform the other Whosoever therefore sets himself to repent of his faults of this kind must by all prudent means endeavour to restore his neighbour to that degree of credit he hath deprived him of and if that be not to be done without bringing the shame upon himself of confessing publickly the slander he must rather submit to that then be wanting to this necessary part of justice which he owes to the wronged party 13. Thus have I gone through these four branches of Negative Iustice to our neighbour wherein we must yet farther observe that this justice binds us not only in respect of our words and actions but of our very thoughts and affections also we are not only forbid to hurt but to hate not only restrained from bringing any of these evils forementioned upon him but we must not so much as wish them before nor delight in them after they are befallen him We must take no pleasure either in the sin of his Soul or hurt of his body we must not envy him any good thing he injoys nor so much as wish to possess our selves of it Neither will it suffice us that we so bridle our tongue that we neither slander or revile if we have that malice in our hearts which makes us wish his dâ—scredit or rejoyce when we find it procured though we have no hand in the procuring it This is the peculiar property of Gods Lawes that they reach to the heart whereas mens can extend only to the words and actions and the reason is clear because he is the only Law-giver that can see what is in the heart therefore if there were the perfectest innocence in our tongue and hands yet if there be not this purity of heart it will never serve to acquit us before him The counsel therefore of Solomon is excellent Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life Let us strictly guard that so that no malicious unjust thought enter there and that not only as it may be the means of betraying us to the grosser act but also as it is in it self
not be his journeys end and therefore by that rule of Charity should as much dread it for his Neighbour Secondly We are to wish all good to the Bodies of men all health and welfare we are generally tender enough of our own bodies dread the least pain or ill that can befal them Now Charity by vertue of the forementioned precept extends this tenderness to all others and whatever we apprehend as grievous to our selves we must be unwilling should befal another The like is to be said of the other two goods and credit that as we wish our own thriving and reputation so we should likewise that of others or else we can never be said to love our neighbour as our selves This Charity of the affections if it be sincere will certainly have these several effects which are so inseparable from it that they are often in Scripture accounted as parts of the duty and so most strictly required of us First it will keep the mind in a peaceable and meek temper towards others so far fâ—om seeking occasions of contentions that no provocation shall draw us to it for where we have kindness we shall be unapt to quarrel it being one of the especial properties of Charity that it is not easily provoked 1 Cor. 13. 5. and therefore whoever is unpeaceable shewes his heart is destitute of this Charity Secondly it will breed compâ—ssion towards all the miseries of others every mishap that befals where we wish well is a kind of defeat and disaster to our selves and therefore if we wish well to all we shall be thus concerned in the calamities of all have a reall grief and sorrow to see any in misery and that according to the proportion of the suffering Thirdly it will give us joy in the prosperities of others Solomon observes Prov. 13. 19. That the desire accomplished iâ— sweeâ— to the Soul and then whoever has this real desire of his neighbours welfare his desire is accomplished in their prosperity and therefore he cannot but have contentment and satisfaction in it Both these are together commanded by St. Paul Rom. 12. 12. Râ—joice with them that rejoice weep with them that weep Fourthly it will excite and stir up our prayers for others We are of our selves impotent feeble creatures unâ—ble to bestow blessings where we most wish them therefore if we do indeed desire the good of others we must seâ—k it on their behalf from him whence every good and perfect gift cometh Ja. 1. 17. This is so necessary a part of Charity that without it our kindness is but an unsignificant thing a kind of empty complement For how can he be believed to wish well in earnest who will not thus put life and efficacy into his wishes by forming them into prayers which will otherwise be vain and fruitless The Apostle thought not fit to leave men to their bare wishes but exhorts that supplications prayers and giving of thanks be made for all men 1 Tim. 2. 1. which precept all that have this true Charity of the heart will readily conform to These severals are so naturally the fruits of this Charity that it is a deceit for any man to perswade himself he hath it who cannot produce these fruits to evidence it by But there is yet a farther excellency of this grace it guards the mind and secures it from several great and dangerous vices as first from Envy This is by the Apostle taught us to be the property of Charity 1 Cor. 13. 4. Charity envieth not And indeed common reason may confirm this to us for envy is a sorrow at the prosperity of another and therefore must needs be directly contrary to that desire of it which we shewed before was the effect of love so that if love bear sway in the heart 't will certainly chace out Envy How vainly then do those pretend to this vertue that are still grudging and repâ—ning at every good hap of others Secondly It keeps down Pride and Hauâ—â—â—iness This is also taught us by the Apostle in the forementioned place Charity vaunteth not it self is not puffed up and accordingly we find that where this vertue of love is commanded their humility is joyned with it Thus it is Col. 3. 12. Put on therefore bowels of Mercies Kindness Humbleness of mind and Rom. 12. 10. Be kindly affectioned on towards another with brotherly love in honour preferring one another where you see how close an attendant humility is of love Indeed it naturally flowes from it for love always sets a price and value upon the thing beloved makes us esteem and prize it thus we too constantly find it in self love it makes us think highly of our selves that we are much more excellent then other men Now if love thus plac'd on our selves beget pride let us but divert the course and turn this love on our brethren and it will as surely beget humility for then we should see and value those gifts and excellencies of theirs which now our pride or our hatreds make us to overlook and neglect and not think it reasonable either to despise them or vaunt and magnifie our selves upon such a comparison we should certainly find cause to put the Apostles exhortation in practice Phil. 2 4 That we should esteem others better then our selves Whoever therefore is of so hâ—ughty a temper as to vilify and disdain others may conclude he hath not this charity rooted in his heart Thirdly it casts out censoriousness and rash judging charity as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13. 5. Thinketh no evil is not apt to entertain ill conceits of others but on the contrary as it follows ver 7. believeth all thing hopeth all things that is it is forward to believe and hope the best of all men and surely our own experience tels us the same for where we love we are usually unapt to discern faults be they never so gross witness the great blindness we generally have towards our own and therefore shall certainly not be likely to create them where they are not or to aggravate them beyond their true size and degree And then to what shall we impute those unmerciful censures and rash judgments of others so frequent among men but to the want of this charity Fourthly It casts out dissembling and feigned kindness where this true and reall love is that false and counterfeit one flyes from before it and this is the love we are commanded to have such as is without dissimulation Rom. 12. 9. Indeed where this is rooted in the heart there can be no possible use of dissimulation because this is in truth all that the false one would seem to be and so is as far beyond it as nature is beyond art nay indeed as a devine vertue is beyond a foul sin for such is that hypocritical kindness and yet t is to be feared that does too generally usurp the place of this reall charity the effects of it are too visible
intreaty no perswasion can prevail with them to make this so reasonable so necessary a change not but that they acknowledge it needful to be done but they are unwilling to do it yet they would enjoy all the pleasures of sin as long as they live and then they hope at their death or some little time before it to do all the business of their Souls But alas Heaven is too high to be thus jumped into the way to it is a long and leasurely ascent which requires time to walk The hazards of such deferring are more largely spoken of in the discourse of Repentance I shall not here repeat them but desire the Reader seriously to lay them to heart and then surely he will think it seasonable counsel that is given by the wise man Ecclus 5. 7. Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord and put not off from day to day PRIVATE DEVOTIONS For Several OCCASIONS London Printed for T. Garthwait at the little North Door of St. Pauls CHRISTIAN READER I Have for the help of thy devotions set down some FORMS of PRIVATE-PRAYER upon several occasions If it be thought an omission that there are none for Families I must answer for my self that it was not from any opinion that God is not as well to be worship'd in the Family as in the Closet but because the providence of God and the Church hath already furnish'd thee for that purpose infinitely beyond what my utmost care could do I mean the PUBLICK LITURGY or COMMON-PRAYER which for all publick addresses to God and such are family-Prayers are so excellent and useful that we may say of it as David did of Goliah's sword 1 Sam. 21. 9. There is none like it DIRECTIONS for the MORNING As soon as ever thou awakest in the morning lift up thy heart to God in this or the like short Prayer LORD As thou hast awaked my body from sleep so by thy grace awaken my soul from sin and make me so to walk before thee this day and all the rest of my life that when the last trumpet shall awake me out of my grave I may rise to the life immortal through Jesus Christ. WHEN thou hast thus begun suffer not without some urgent necessity any worldly thoughts to fill thy mind till thou have also payd thy more solemn devotions to Almighty God and therefore during the time thou art dressing thy self which should be no longer then common decency requires exercise thy mind in some spiritual thoughts As for example Consider to what temptations thy business or company that day are most like to lay thee open and arm thy self with resolutions against them or again consider what occasions of doing service to God or good to thy neighbour are that day most likely to present themselves and resolve to embrace them and also contrive hoâ— thou maist improve them to the uttermost But especially it will be fit for thee to examine whether there have any sin escaped thee since thy last nights examination If after these considerations any farther leisure remain thou maist profitably imploy it in meditating on the general resurrection whereof our rising from our beds is a representation and of that dreadful judgment which shall follow it and then think with thy self in what preparation thou art for it and resolve to husband carefully every minute of thy time towards the fitting thee for that great account As soon as thou art ready retire to some private place and there offer up to God thy Morning Sacrifice of Praise and Prayer PRAYERS for the MORNING At thy first kneeling down say O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three Persons and one God have mercy upon me a miserable sinner Lord I know not what to pray for as I ought O let thy spirit help my infirmities and enable me to offer up a spiritual sacrifice acceptable to thee by Jesus Christ. A THANKSGIVING O Gracious Lord whose mercies endure for ever I thy unworthy servant who have so deeply tasted of them desire to render thee the tribute of my humblest prayses for them In thee O Lord I live and move and have my being thou first madest me to be and then that I might not be miserable but happy thou sentest thy Son out of thy bosome to redeem me from the power of my sins by his grace and from the punishment of them by his blood and by both to bring me to his glory Thou hast by thy mercy caused me to be born within thy peculiar fold the Christian Church where I was early consecrated to thee in Baptism and have been partaker of all those spiritual helps which might aid me to perform that Vow I there made to thee and when by my own willfulnesse or negligence I have failed to do it yet thou in thy manifold mercies hast not forsaken me but hast graciously invited me to repentance afforded me all means both outward and inward for it and with much patience hast attended and not cut me off in the acts of those many damning sins I have committed as I have most justly deserved It is O Lord thy restraining grace alone by which I have been kept back from any the greatest sins and it is thy inciting and assisting grace alone by which I have been enabled to do any the least good therefore not unto me not unto me but unto thy name be the praises For these all other thy spiritual blessings my Soul doth magnify the Lord all that is within me praise his Holy Name I likewise praise thee for those many outward blessings I enjoy as Health Friends Food and Raiment the comforts as well as the necessaries of this life for those continual protections of thy hand by which I and mine are kept from dangers and those gracious deliverances thou hast often afforded out of such as have befallen me and for that mercy of thine whereby thou hast sweetned and alayed those troubles thou hast not seen fit wholy to remove For thy particular preservation of me this night and all other thy goodness towards me Lord grant that I may render thee not onely the fruit of my lips but the obedience of my life that so these blessings here may be an earnest of those richer blessings thou hast prepared for those that love thee and that for his sake whom thou hast made the Authour of eternal Salvation to all that obey him even Jesus Christ. A CONFESSION O Righteous Lord who hatest iniquity I thy sinful creature cast my self at thy feet acknowledging that I most justly deserve to be utterly abhorred and forsaken by thee for I have drunk iniquity like water gone on in a continued course of sin and rebellion against thee daily committing those things thou forbiddest and leaving undone those things thou commandest mine heart which should be an habitation for thy Spirit is become a cage of unclean birds of foul and disordered affections and out of this abundance of the heart my mouth speaketh my
me and what ever good work thou hast wrought in me be pleased to accomplish and perform it until the day of Christ. Lord thou seest my weakness and thou knowest the number and strength of those temptations I have to struggle with O leave me not to my self but cover thou my head in the day of battel and in all spiritual combats make me more then conquerour through him that loved me O let no terrours or flatteries either of the world or my own flesh ever draw me from my obedience to thee but grant that I may continue stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord and by patient continuance in well-doing seek and at last obtain glory and honour and immortality and eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. A brief Paraphrase of the LORDS PRAYER To be used as a Prayer Our FATHER which art in Heaven O Lord who dwellest in the highest heavens thou art the Author of our being thou hast also begotten us again unto a lively hope and carryest towards us the tenderness and bowels of a most compassionate father O make us to render to thee the love and obedience of children and that we may resemble thee our father in heaven that place of true delight and purity give us a holy disdain of all the deceitful pleasures and foul pollutions of this world and so raise up our minds that we may alwayes have our conversation in heaven from whence we look for our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. 1. Hallowed be thy Name Strike such an awe into all our hearts that we may humbly reverence thee in thy Name which is great wonderful and holy and carry such a sacred respect to all things that relate to thee and thy worship as may express our reverence of thy great Majesty Let all the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee 2. Thy Kingdome Come Establish thy throne and rule for ever in our souls and by the power of thy grace subdue all those rebellious corruptions that exalt themselves against thee they are those enemies of thine which would not that thou shouldst reign over them O let them be brought forth and slain before thee and make us such faithful subjects of this thy Kingdome of Grace that we may be capable of thy kingdome of glory and then Lord Jesus come quickly 3. Thy Will be done in earth c. Enable us by thy grace cheerfully to suffer thy will in all thy inflictions and readily to perform it in all thy commands give us of that heavenly zeal to thy service wherewith the blessed Angels of thy presence are inspired that we may obey thee with the like fervor and alacrity and that following them in their obedience we may be joyned with them to sing eternal praises in thy Kingdome to God and to the Lamb for ever 4. Give us this day our daily bread Give us that continual supply of thy grace which may sustein and nourish our souls unto eternal life And be thou pleased also to provide for our bodies all those things which thou seest fit for their support through this our earthly pilgrimage and make us cheerfully to rest on thee for them first seeking thy Kingdome and the righteousness thereof and then not doubting but all these things shall be added unto us 5. Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them c. Heal our souls O Lord for we have sinned against thee let thy tender mercies abound towards us in the forgiveness of all our offences And grant O Lord that we may never forfeit this pardon of thine by denying ours to our brethren but give us those bowels of compassion to others which we stand in so much greater need of from thee that we may forgive as fully and finally upon Christs Command as we desire to be forgiven for his merits and intercession 6. Lead us not into Temptation but deliver c. O Lord we have no strength against those multitudes of temptations that daily assalt us onely our eyes are upon thee O be thou pleased either to restrain them or assist us and in thy faithfulness suffer us not to be tempted above that we are able but in all our temptations make us a way to escape that we be not overcome by them but may when thou shalt call us to it resist even unto blood striving against sin that being faithful unto death thou mayest give us the crown of life For thine is the Kingdome the Power c. Hear us and graciously answer our petitions for thou art the great King over all the earth whose Power is infinite and artable to do for us above all that we can ask or think and to whom belongeth the Glory of all that good thou workest in us or for us Therefore blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne to our God for ever and ever Amen PIOUS EJACULATIONS Taken out of the Book of PSALMS For PARDON of SIN HAve mercy on me O God after thy great goodness according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin Turn thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds My misdeeds prevail against me O be thou merciful unto my sins Enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified For thy names sake O Lord be merciful unto my sin for it is great Turn thee O Lord and deliver my soul O save me for thy mercies sake For GRACE TEach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee for thou art my God Teach me thy way O Lord and I will walk in thy truth O knit my heart to thee that I may fear thy name Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me O let my heart be found in thy statutes that I be not ashamed Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies and not to covetousnesse Turn away mine eyes least they behold vanity and quicken thou me in thy way I am a stranger upon earth O hide not thy Commandments from me Lord teach me to number my dayes that I may apply my heart unto Wisdome For the LIGHT of Gods COUNTENANCE LOrd why abhorrest thou my soul and hidest thy face from me O hide not thou thy face from me nor cast thy servant away in displeasure Thy loving kindnesse is better then life it self Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me Comfort the Soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my Soul THANKSGIVING I Will alwayes give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth Thou art my God and I will thank thee thou art my God and I will praise thee I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will praise my God whilest I have my being Praised be God which hath not cast out my prayer nor turned his mercy from
of thy Son Behold O God the Devil is coming towards me having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time O save and deliver me lest he devour my Soul like a Lyon and tear it in pieces while there is none to help O my God I know that no unclean thing can enter into thy Kingdom and I am nothing but pollution my very righteousness are as filthy rags O wash me and make me white in the blood of the Lamb that so I may be fit to stand before thy Throne Lord the snares of death compass me round about O let not the pains of Hell also take hold upon me but though I find trouble and heaviness yet O Lord I beseâ—ch thee deliver my Soul O dear Jesus who hast bought me with the precious price of thine own blood challenge now thy purchase and let not all the malice of hell pluck me out of thy hand O blessed high Priest who art able to save them to the utmost who come unto God by thee saye me I beseech thee who have no hope but on thy merits and intercession O God I confess I have defaced that Image of thine thou didst imprint upon my Soul yet O thou faithful Creatour have pity on thy creature O Jesu I have by my many and grievous sins crucified thee afresh yet thou who prayedst for thy persecutors intercede for me also and suffer not O my Redeemer my soul the price of thy blood to perish O Spirit of grace I have by my horrid impieties done despight to thee yet O blessed comforter though I have often grieved thee be thou pleased to succour and relieve me and say unto my soul I am thy salvation Mine eyes look unto thee O Lord in thee is my trust O cast not out my soul. O Lord in thee have I trusted let me never be confounded O Blessed Lord who scourgest every Son whom thou receivest let me not be weary of thy correction but give me such a perfect subjection to thee the Father of Spirits that this chastisement may be for my profit that I may thereby be partaker of thy holiness O thou Captain of my salvation who wert made perfect by sufferings sanctifie to me all the paines of body all the terrors of mind which thou shalt permit to fall upon me Lord my sins have deserved eternal torments make me cheerfully and thankfully to bear my present pains chasten me as thou pleasest here that I may not be condemned with the world Lord the waters are come in even unto my soul O let thy Spirit move upon these waters and make them like the pool of Bethesda that they may cure whatsoever spiritual disease thou discernest in me O Christ who first sufferedst many and grievous things and then enteredst into thy glory make me so to suffer with thee that I may also be glorified with thee O dear Jesus who humblest thy self to the death of the cross for me let that death of thine sweeten the bitterness of mine When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death thou didst open the Kingdome of heaven to all believers I believe that thou shalt come to be my Judg. I pray thee therefore help thy servant whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood Make me to be numbred with thy Saints in glory everlasting Thou art the resurrection and the life he that believeth in thee though he were dead yet shall he live Lord I believe help thou my unbelief My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better Lord I groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with that house from heaven I desire to put off this my tabernacle O be pleased to receive me into everlasting habitations Bring my soul out of prison that I may give thanks unto thy name Lord I am here to wrestle not onely with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness O take me from these tents of Kedar into the heavenly Jerusalem where Satan shall be utterly trodden under my feet I cannot here attend one minute to thy service without distraction O take me up to stand before thy throne where I shall serve thee day and night I am here in heaviness through many tribulations O receive me into that place of rest where all tears shall be wiped from my eyes where there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor pain I am here in a state of banishment and absence from the Lord O take me where I shall for ever behold thy face and follow the lamb whither soever he goeth I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness O Blessed Jesu who hath loved me and washed me from my sins in thine own blood receive my soul. Into thy hands I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth Come Lord Jesu come quickly PRAYERS for their use who Mourn in secret for the PUBLICK CALAMITIES c. Psalm 74. O God wherefore art thou absent c. 79. O God the Heathen are come c 80. Hear O thou Shepherd of Israel c. A Prayer to be used in these times of Calamity O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth I desire humbly to confesse before thee both on my own behalf and that of this nation that these many years of calamity we have groaned under are but the just yea mild returns of those many more years of our provocations against thee and that thy present wrath is but the due punishment of thy abused mercy O Lord thou hast formerly abounded to us in blessings above all people of the earth Thy candle shined upon our heads and we delighted our selves in thy great goodness peace was within our walls and plenteousness within our palaces there was no decay no leading into captivity and no complaining in our streets But we turned this grace into wantonness we abused our peace to security our plenty to riot and Luxury and made those good things which should have endeared our hearts to thee the occasions of estranging them from thee Nay O Lord thou gavest us yet more precious mercies thou wert pleased thy self to pitch thy Tabernacle with us to establish a pure and glorious Church among us and give us thy word to be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths But O Lord we have made no other use of that light then to conduct us to the chambers of death we have dealt proudly and not hearkned to thy commandments and by rebelling against the light have purchased to our selves so much the heavier portion in the outer darkness And now O Lord had the overflowings of thy vengeance been answerable to that of our sins we had long since been swept away with a swift destruction and