glory Fourthly On the Kingdom of the house of David his annointed Fifthly That he would send Elias the Prophet Sixthly That he would make them worthy of the days of the Messiah and of the life of the World to come After this prayer the Guests with soft and low voices said unto themselves Fear ye the Lord all ye his holy ones because there is no want to them that fear him The young Lions want and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall want no good thing Alas alass how few Gentiles spend half that time in devotion at their Tables which the pious among the Jews did Many go from their food as the Cow from her fodder taking no notice of the Author of it and like the Idolatrous Israelites they sit down to eat and drink and rise up to play Exod. 32.6 They sit down to Eat and Drink and rise up to play the Beast to play the Atheist Remember every creature of God is good if it be received with thanksgiving 1 Tim. 4.4 but this thanksgiving must not be onely in thy words but also in thy works thy unblameable conversation and thy charitable contribution must speak thy thankfulness When the Master hath fed the Servant he expects that he should go about his business and do the work appointed him That strength which thou receivest from God must be improved for God It s good to bless God with thy lips but best of all to bless him with thy hands and in thy life God will judge of thy thankfulness by thy conversation Think thus with thy self This is the God that feedeth me that satisfieth me with good things how sweet how comfortable are his mercies What sweet refreshment have I had from the creatures when some better then my self want food Others have it but their lives abhor bread and their souls dainty meat Job 3.20 Why should I not love fear and trust and serve this God! I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living O be ashamed to live at Gods cost and to do Satans work Be not like the young Mulets which when they have sucked their fill turn up their heels and kick at their Dam. Further thy duty is to manifest thy thank fulness by supplying the wants of the needy Job would not eat his morsels alone but the Fatherless had a share with him Job 31.16 17. The forementioned Author observes that the Heathen were not forgetful when they were feeding of their absent friends Gods hand is open to thee why should thy heart and hands be shut against the hungry bellies and naked backs Thy goods extend not to Gods Person therefore they must to Gods poor Psa 16.2 Have a Monitor within thee to call upon thee when at meals Remember the poor Remember the poor Remember poor Christ and hungry Christ and naked Christ by this test he will try thee for thine eternal estate and upon the neglect of this he will sentence thee to the eternal fire Mat. 25.41 If thou art a rich person do thou frequently mind this duty Great House-keepers must be Good House keepers All must contribute according to their abilities to the poors necessities but where God gives much he requires much he expecteth an harvest sutable to the seed he soweth It is credibly reported of Mr. Sutton Founder of Suttons Hospital that he used often to repair into a private garden Fullers Church Hist of Brit. where he poured forth his prayers unto God and amongst other passages was overheard frequently to use this expression Lord thou hast given me a liberal and large estate give me also an heart to make a good use it I am confident an heart to use wealth aright is a greater mercy then the greatest heap of wealth I had rather have a little with an heart to improve it for God then much then millions without such an heart Make thee friends of the unrighteous Mammon that when that failes thee thou mayst be received into the Celestial habitation Iustin lib. 51. When Dionysius the Syracusian Tyrant saw what heapes of gold and silver his Son had hoarded up in his closet he asked him what he meant to let it lie there and not to make friends with it to get the Kingdom after his death O Son saith he thou hast not a spirit capable of a Kingdom The rust of many a rich mans wealâ—h will eat his heart with pain and torment in the other World and the Apostle calls upon such to weep and houl for the miseries that are coming upon them James 5.1 2 3 4. God findeth fault with them that could fare on the finest bread and fattest flesh themselves and yet forget the afflictions of others Amos 6.5 How many riotous rich men are there that though they cannot eat and drink all with sobriety will rather spoil it by gluttony and drunkenness then let the poor have part with them like Children who will rather crumble away their food then impart any to their fellows O how justly was the rich man denyed a drop in the other world when he denyed a crum in this world Willet Hexap in Levit. How many covetous Muck-worms like Hogs are nourished onely to be destroyed they are good for nothing whilst they are alive the Hog is neither good to draw as the Ox nor to bear as the Horse nor to cloath us as the Sheep nor to give milk as the Cow nor to keep the House as the Dog but good onely to be kild Such are these scraping wretches good for nothing till they come to the Knife Like barren trees they do but cumber the ground and serve for no use till they are cut down for the unquenchable fire And truely their hearts will never bewail him dead whose bowels did not bless him alive His life did not deserve a prayer nor his death a tear who laid out that to serve his pride which God laid in to serve the poor Reader if God have dealt thee a considerable portion of outward good things consider that thou art but Gods Factor he is the Merchant The Factor knoweth that the goods transported to him are his Masters goods and he must dispose them according to directions from his Master All thine estate is Gods thou art but his servant his Factor he gives thee order in his word to dispose it thus and thus to such poor members of Christ so much to one and so much to another and he will shortly reckon with thee how thou obeyest his directions and if thou forbearest charity now thou wilt then be counted and found as real a theif before the whole world as ever servant was that put hundreds into his own purse which his Master appointed him to pay to other persons Withhold not thy goods from the owners thereof Pro. 3.27 from them to whom it is due either by the law of justice or by the law of love Rom. 13.8 And truly Charity is the best way to plenty He gets
in Battalia in rank and file in good array I will so marshal them that they be not routed by being out of order I will see that they stand in their places and keep their ground and what then his practice after prayer And will look up I will observe what became of the arrow I shot Or the word being an allusion to a Watchman as the former word to a Commander in chief of an Army speaketh this When I have marshalled my prayers in good array and sent them forth to fight against my spiritual Enemies and to wrestle with God himself for his grace and love I will get up to my Watch-Tower to see what execution they do upon my adversaries what power they have with God whether they get or lose ground whether they prevail and win the day It was the custome in those days when forces were sent forth to fight for the General to command one to watch in some high place if he could spie any coming from the Armies with news So when Davids Souldiers were engaged with Absoloms the watchman went up to the roof over the gate and spied Ahimaaz and Cushi coming with tidings Thus holy David stood as it were sentinel and watched as a spie longing every moment to hear and see the event issue and success of his prayers Men that work for a dead horse as we say when their business is done look no further because they had their pay before-hand but those whose reward is behind labour in expectation of it and after they have wrought look for it An unbeleivers hopes are in this present world and therefore if he procure but some earthly profit it is no wonder if he look no more after his prayers he had his pay before hand But a beleiver whose reward not of debt but of grace is ever behind and to come while he is upon earth when he hath prayed in obedience to Gods precept cannot but expect the performance of Gods promise He that ventureth nothing in a ship save a small parcel of pins or a few quire of paper or something which is little better then nothing takes little thought what becomes of the vessel if it sink or swim it s all one to him he loseth not a moments sleep for it But the Merchant who ventureth all he is worth in a Vessel and sendeth it out very richly laden though it be a long journey yet he is impatient to hear of it many an anxious thought hath he about it many a time he putteth the supposition to himself What if this Ship should miscarry What will become of me my Wife and Children He can hardly eat or drink with comfort or sleep with quietness till he hears it is safe A wicked man that is worth nothing ventureth nothing in his prayers and therefore whether they miscarry or no it matters not much with him when he prayed for pardon and grace he counted them little worth he prized his stock and his riches at a far higher rate and so must needs be very indifferent whether the Vessel wherein things of such small worth in his esteem were hazarded come home safe or no. But a godly man hazardeth all he is worth for this and the other world in his prayers he knoweth that all his happiness is involved in the pardon of his sins in the righteousness of his Saviour in the love of his God and the renovation of his nature all which he beggeth with strong cries and groans He esteemeth these things as the very life of his life and the very soul of his soul and O thinks he how richly laden is this Vessel which I have sent forth My precious soul my dearest Jesus my interest in the covenant of grace my eternal fruition of the ever blessed God are all aboard her If she should miscarry good Lord what would become of me I am lost I am damned I am undone eternally Was ever Ship better fraught Her burden is of inestimable value My joy my peace my love my delight my hope my heaven my all are in her Oh what should I do if the Arch-pirate Satan should seise her or if she should split upon the rock of my presumption or sink in the quicksands of my infidelity Alass alass whether should I go where should I appear Such a soul never failed of a rich return of his venture Reader when thou hast prayed wait and expect an answer Though thy prayers were mingled with many imperfections if they were the travail of thy soul upright I mean do not give them over for lost When Moses Mother could keep him no longer she made an Ark of Bul-rushes and daubed it with Pitch and put him in and hid it in the Flags by the River brink and his Sister stood a far off to see what would become of him And Pharaohs daughter came to wash her self spied the Ark sent and fetched it the babe wept and she had compassion on it sent for the Mother gave it her to nurse paid for its nursing and the Child became the great deliverer of Israel Truely so when the fruit of thy heart thy tears and sighs and groans and prayers are ready in the eye of sense to be given over for dead they lie floating upon the water let thy faith and hope be near at hand to see what will become of them the Kings Son may take pity on the weeping babe pay the charge of its nursing up bringing it into favour at the heavenly Court and make it serviceable for the conducting thy soul through the Wilderness of this World towards the true and celestial Canaan Though the Messenger thou sendest to Heaven tarry long yet wait and expect his return Those that send to the Indies for the golden wedges wait many months though they long every moment for their arrival If after thy expectation thou findest little fruit of thy petitions do not therefore lay aside that calling Continue in prayer and watch in the same Col. 4.2 Anglers though they have fished many hours and caught nothing do not therefore break their Cane and Line but draw out their hook and look upon their bait which it may be was fallen off or not well hung on and mend it and then throw it in again So when thou hast been earnest in prayer and yet received no answer reflect upon thy prayers consider whether something were not amiss either in thy preparation for the duty or in the matter or manner of thy petitions it is possible thou mightest desire stones instead of bread or fuel for thy lusts or didst forget to deliver thy petitions to the onely Master of Requests the Lord Jesus that he might present it to the Father if any of these were the fault no wonder if they failed what ever it be be diligent to find it out amend it and fall to thy work again with confidence that thou shalt not work at the labour in vain The Archer if he shoot once and again and miss
Days and it may be got little soul-saving good Thou goest to the House of God where a table in the preaching of the Gospel is set before thee spread with all the dainties of Pardon Love Grace Peace and Eternal Life at which others sit and feed their Souls are fill'd with Marrow and Fatness and their mouthes praise the Lord with joyful lips but thou hast no stomack canst eat little and savour nothing I dare be the Physician to tell thee the cause cure of this the cause is Thy stomack is foul thy heart is unclean and therefore as a man that hath a cold or some disease predominant cannot rellish his meat but complains sometimes of the meat sometime of the Cook when the fault is in himself so thou canst taste no goodness in the best meat neither Prayer nor Scripture neither Sermon nor Sabbath are savoury to thee yet it may be thou blamest the Preacher he doth not dress the meat to thy mind when the fault is in the foulness of thy affections Thy cure must be to purge out this old leaven to take some pains beforehand in cleansing thy heart When the stomack is clean as after purging or fasting how sweet is a piece of bread So if thou wouldst but in secret search thy soul vomit up thy filth by a penitent confession cleanse thine heart by sincere contribution and wouldst then frequent the publique Ordinances thou wouldst finde prayer sweet preaching sweet the Sacrament sweet every service sweet O how wouldst thou love the habitation of Gods House and the place where his honor dwelleth Prepare to meet thy God O Christian betake thy self to thy chamber on the Saturday night confess and bewail thine unthankfulness for and unfruitfulness under the Ordinances of God shame and condemn thy self for thy sins entreat God to prepare thy heart for and assist it in thy Religious performances spend some time in consideration of the infinite Majestie Holiness Jealousie and Goodness of that God with whom thou art to have to do in sacred duties ponder the weight and importance of his holy Ordinances how they concern thy salvation or damnation thine everlasting life or death how certainly they will either further thine unchangeable welfare or encrease thine endless wo meditate on the shortness of the time thou hast to enjoy Sabbaths in how near thy life may be to an end how speedily and how easily God may take down thine earthly Tabernacle how there is no working no labouring no striving in the other World to which thou art hastning and continue musing and blowing till the fire burneth thou canst not think the good thou mayest gain by such fore-thoughts how pleasant and profitable a Lords Day would be to thee after such a preparation The oven of thine heart thus baked in as it were over night would be easily heated the next morning the fire so well raked up when thou wentest to bed would be the sooner kindled when thou shouldst rise If thou wouldst thus leave thine heart with God on the Saturday night thou shouldst finde it with him in the Lords Day morning Secondly Possess thy soul in the morning with the greatness of thy priviledge in the enjoyment of a Sabbath and such seasons of grace Look upon thy work that day as thy reward thy duty on that day as thy greatest Dignity O what a favour what an honor what happiness doth God vouchsafe to thee in affording thee such a golden season David though a King the Head of the best people in the World esteemed it an honor to be the lowest Officer in Gods House to be a Door-keeper there to fit at the threshold as it is in the Hebrew Psal 84.10 If the Queen of Sheba could say when she saw the wealth and heard the wisdom of Solomon Happy are these thy men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom and blessed be the Lord God of Israel which delighted in thee to set thee on the Throne of Israel because the Lord loved Israel for ever therefore made he thee King 1 Kings 10.8 9. mayest not thou when thou beholdest the beautiful face of thy Saviour in the glass of Ordinances and hearest the sweet delightful voyce of Jesus Christ a greater then Solomon when thou seest the delicate and plentiful provision the feast of fat things of wine on the lees well refined which he makes for his people upon better ground say Blessed are thy servants that hear thee daily watching at thy gates waiting at the posts of thy doors Prov. 8.34 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praising thee And blessed be the Lord God of Israel which delighted in thee to set thee on the Throne of Israel because he loved Israel for ever therefore hath he made thee King The Ordinances of God are called an appearing before God the fruition of them is a seeing his face Capernaum because of them was said to be lifted up to Heaven Who can tell what honor it is to appear in the presence of this King or what happiness it is to see his comely countenance Those that enjoy this are lifted up to Heaven Israel was an unparallel'd people because of this incomparable priviledge For what Nation is there so great which hath God so nigh unto them Deut. 4.7 In the Ordinances of God the Christian hath sweet communion with ravishing delight in and enflamed affection to the blessed God in them he tastes God to be gracious hath the First-fruits of his Glorious and Eternal Harvest Well might the French Protestants call their place of publique meeting Paradise Well might David cry out Psal 84.1 2. 27.4 How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts At the Tabernacle God did meet David Who can tell what joyful greeting there was at that holy meeting what sweet kisses what loving embraces God gave his soul As the Ordinances are Heaven in a glass so the Lords Day is Heaven in a map This is to be valued at an high rate because therein we enjoy all the means of communion with God in the highest degree and measure without interruption The Hebrews call thee Week days prophane days but this is an holy pious day The Greeks call them working days but this is a day of sweet rest Other days are common and ordinary handmaids but this is fitly termed by the Jews the Queen of days Many Daughters have done wisely but thou hast excelled them all Many days as Lecture-days Fast-days Thanksgiving-days have done vertuously have done valiantly but thou O Queen of days hast excelled them all They like Saul have slain their thousands of Spiritual Enemies but thou hast slain as David thy ten thousands They like the people must worship afar off but thou like Moses mayest draw near go up into the mount There is none like thee whom God knoweth face to face Well may other days say to thee as the people to David Thou art
every act of my Office that I may as Abrahams Steward provide a Wife for my Masters Son and enable me through thine help so to set forth the beauty of his Person the excellency of all his Preceps and the vastness of his Portion that I may woo to purpose and prevail to present my People as a Chaste Virgin unto Christ I wish 2 Able That because the work I am occupied about is great in regard it is not for man but for the Lord that I may as Bezaleel and Aholiah for the Service of the Sanctuary be singularly gifted and endowed by my God for the building of his Spiritual Temple that as a wise Builder I may lay the foundation of Sound Doctrine raise it upon strong Pillars of convincing Reasons and cover it with useful and powerful Application I would not like some young Shop-keepers for want of stock set out Pictures of Wares instead of Parcels but be so throughly furnished unto every good work that I may upon all occasions bring out of my Treasury things both new and old Lord let a double portion of thy Spirit be poured on me and let thy Blessing so prosper my Studies that I may be an able Minister of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of truth 2 Cor. 3.6 I wish that since I am a steward of the mysteries of Christ and that it is required of a Steward 3 Faithful that he be found faithful that I may upon no pretence be false to the souls of my people that I may not daub with untempered morter or sow pillows under mens elbows for any gain or advantage but may be a Barnabas a son of consolation to the Penitent a Boanerges a son of thunder to the Presuptuous that knowing the terrour of the Lord I may perswade men and give to every one their particular and proper portion in due season O let me not be curious to provide meat toothsom for polluted pallats to the feeding of their distempers like Ahabs 400. Trencher-Chaplains who sold their Lords life at the Cheap rate of a lye but as Micaiah be careful to distribute food that is wholesome and sutable to their several spiritual constitutions Though my patients may be angry at present when I search their festered wounds to the bottom and thereby put them to pain yet when upon my faithful dealing they recover they will give me hearty thanks It was the saying of Mauritius the Emperor when he heard that Phocas was a Coward If he be a Coward he is a Murderer if I be fearful to tell men of their sins I murder their souls Lord when I am visiting my Parishioners in private or preaching to them in publike cause me to hear thy voyce behind me When I say unto the wicked Ezek. 3.18 that he shall surely dye and thou givest him no warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live the same wicked man shall dye in his iniquities but his blood will I require at thine hand I desire that I may not be obnoxious to the censure of a wicked and slothful Servant 4 Industrious not of wicked by hiding my sins in the cloak of excuses nor of slothful by hiding my Talent in the Napkin of idleness but may mind the work of the Ministery and make it appear that both in my preparation for and execution of my office I labour in the Word and Doctrine My time and parts are not mine own but under God my peoples and to be improved for their profit If men dye for robbing single persons what shall befal me should I be such a thief as to rob the poor the rich and indeed the whole parishes stock My prayer is In preparation for his Office that I may not offer to the Lord my God that which cost me nothing that my meat which I set before the family committed to my charge may not be like Ephraim half-baked raw or rude and so unmeet for their stomachs to concoct because of my negligence in preparing it 1 Tim. 4.13.15 that I may give attendance to reading meditate on those things give my self wholly to them that my profitting may appear to all men They that spend upon the main stock where it is but small will quickly prove bankrupts My layings out are considerable my comings in had need to be answerable Surely if any in the World should feed high should study read and pray hard those should do it who carry so many in their wombs or give so many suck I wish that I may be industrious as well in rearing the Temple In the execution of his Office as in providing materials that I may chearfully spend and be spent in the service of Christ My Saviour was taken to be fifty when he was little above thirty by reason of his excessive industry his very countenance was aged O my soul follow thou this blessed pattern do not play but work the work of him that sent thee in the Lord Improve all opportunities to the utmost be instant in season and out of season serve thy God with all thy strength Like fuel consume thy self in burning to warm the spirit of the Saint and to thaw the frozen heart of the sinner Thy work is of infinite consequence Thy time is exceeding short thy reward is glorious and eternal up and be doing and like the silk-worm wear out thine own bowels to hide others nakedness waste thy self to prevent thine own and others endless wo. Be thou a fruitful mother to conceive and bring forth new creatures though thou conceivest with sorrow and bringest forth with much pain and thy labours at last should cost thee thy life I desire that I may be tenderly affected to all the souls in my charge 5 Compassionate to souls as knowing their worth and beleiving of what concernment their unchangeable estates are in the other world Lord what melting bowels should I have towards them when I consider that every one of them must dye within a few days and either live in Heaven or fry in Hell to all eternity My Saviour was a faithful and merciful High Priest he had compassion on the multitude when they had nothing to eat and would not send them away empty least they should faint in the wilderness O that I had but that pity for the souls which he had to the bodies of men Nature will help me to pity a body without a soul why should not grace teach me to pity a soul without a God Lord when I behold wounded bleeding dying souls let mine eyes affect my heart with sorrow that both mine eyes and heart may be up to thee with the greatest importunity for a blessing upon my most diligent endeavours for their recovery Make me so tender and affectionate a mother that I may patiently bear with the frowardness and willingly go
flesh How far are such from obedience to Gods Law Let the Husband honor the Wife as the weaker vessel that is use her tenderly China dishes and Venice glasses must be tenderly handled because they are weak vessels The Husband must with the mantle of love cover many infirmities An Heathen could tell Sarah That Abraham was a covering of the eyes to her Gen. 20.16 The eye is the tenderest part of the body God hath provided a special cover to fence it When God would speak his infinite respect to and care of his people he saith They are as dear to him as the apple of his eye Truly Husbands ought to be as tender of their Wives as of the apple of their eyes But Reader see the reason of this Injunction of love to Husbands and Wives That your prayers be not hindred as if he had said Winde up those weights of meekness and love or Religion will stand still Take away those needful props and piety will fall to the ground O friend as thou hast any love to the honor of God honor thy Wife as the weaker vessel if God hath caled thee to that relation If thou art a Wife be of a meek and quiet spirit If there be not concord in affections there will be sad discord in petitions When there is War in a Kingdom how are Sabbaths prophaned Ordinances despised Prayer and Scripture neglected men are hurried away in haste to this and that place and leave duties behinde them So in a family which is a Kingdom in a little volume Divisions will put Religion behinde and force it to stand back Rubenius Celer would needs have it engraven on his Tomb that he had lived with his Wife Ennea forty three years and eight moneths and yet they never fell out It is happy where the Husband and Wife are like the two branches in the Prophet Ezekiels hand so closed together in one bark that both made but one piece or like Pilades and Orestes of whom it is said They both lived but one life and where the whole family like the multitude of Believers is of one accord of one heart and of one soul in the Lord Acts 4.32 with the encrease of God I have now dispatched what I intended to offer thee for the advancement of Godliness in thy Family If thou art a stranger to this honorable comfortable work of worshipping God in and with thy Family O that I could prevail with thee to put the counsel of God speedily into practice I must assure thee from the Living and Almighty God That thou art accountable to the Judge of quick and dead for all the souls in thy Family God hath the chief propriety in every person in thy dwelling As the flock which Jacob looked after was Labans so the family which thou hast the oversight of is Gods Thy sons and thy daughters which thou hast born to me Ezek. 16.20 God may say to thee more truly then Laban did to Jacob These sons are my sons Gen. 39.43 and these daughters are my daughters and these servants are my servants and all that thou seest is mine Indeed God doth in effect say to thee what Pharaohs Daughter did to Moses Mother Take this childe and nurse it for me and I will give thee thy wages Exod. 2.9 Take this Son this Daughter and nurse them for me in my nurture and admonition Take this man-servant this maid-servant and bring them up for me in my fear and service and I will give thee an eternal reward Friend thou wouldst be faithful in bringing up Children or Servants for thy Brother or Soveraign and wilt thou be unfaithful in bringing up Sons and Servants to thy God and Saviour Is it fit that Gods servants should do the Devils work Let Conscience judge Did God give thee them to be brought up in drinking or swearing or lying or Atheism or like so many Heathen or Beasts without any knowledge of his Word and Will Did he honor and intrust thee with their education to have thee poyson their souls by thy irreligious pattern and starve their souls by not giving them spiritual food Is this thy love to thy Maker and Redeemer Besides I must tell thee As Jacob was answerable to Laban for the whole flock if any were torn by beasts or stollen by day or night he bore the loss of all Gen. 31.39 Of his hands it was required So art thou answerable to God for every one in thy Family if any one be devoured and torn in pieces by the roaring Lyon the Devil through thy negligence God will require his soul at thy hands O Reader consider Death will shortly break up thine house when thy children and servants must go to everlasting fire if they dye without grace and the knowledge and fear of God If thou art now careless about the eternal good of thy children and servants that they perish for ever through thy falseness and unfaithfulness how dreadful will thy account be What wilt thou do when the blood of their souls shall be required of thee If Christ sentence men to Hell for not visiting sick and imprisoned bodies for not feeding hungry bodies what sentence will he pass on thee for not visiting those souls committed to thy charge which were imprisoned by the Devil and sick unto death and for not giving them the bread of life but suffering them to starve and dye If on him that brought a temporal death on Cain vengeance should be taken sevenfold what vengeance shall be taken on thee who tumblest others into eternal death Believe it Reader these are no jesting things If therefore thou hast any bowels towards the children of thine own body if thou hast any compassion towards thy poor servants whom Christ thought worth his own blood if thou hast any love to thy dearest Saviour or thine own everlasting salvation if thou would leave this withering World with comfort and look into the other World with courage exercise thy self to godliness in thy family obey the particulars for that end commanded thee by the infinite God do thine utmost that all of thy family may be of the family of Faith and all of thine houshold may belong to the houshold of God that so when the King of Terrors shall give a discharge from all relations thou mayest with thy family be translated from living together in one House to dwell for ever in one Heaven Reader Thou mayest perceive in the close of the tenth Chapter that much more is promised then I have in this Treatise performed the payment of which though I do at present defer yet through the strength of Christ I shall not deny If thou hast any interest at the Throne of Grace I do earnestly desire thy prayers that this part may finde acceptance with the Saints and be instrumental for the advantage of many souls and that in the other part I may receive much assistance from the blessed Saviour thereby I shall be the more enabled to be serviceable to
Families page 523 Mind Religious duties in their Families page 529 Prayer must be in Families page 530 The Scriptures must be read in Families page 533 Psalmes must be sung in Families page 536 Governours of Families must give a good pattern page 538 All in a Family must be imployed page 549 The Governour of a Family must take care that his whole Family sanctifie the Lords day page 542 He must set up Discipline in his Family page 545 He must maintain love in his Family page 553 Godly Fear requisite in holy duties page 120 Fervency requisite in Prayer page 172 G THe things of God are the things of the greatest weight page 53 Godliness taken two ways page 8 9 Godliness Vide Religion Godly men meet with much opposition in the way to heaven page 65 Godliness must be our principal business page 94 95 In every part of our lives page 102 103 H A Good Harvest Gods gift page 485 486 It is our duty to Hear the word page 200 Evil Frames hinder us in Hearing page 205 Prejudice against the Preacher must be laid aside by them that would profit by Hearing page 206 to 211 The Heart must be affected with the weight efficacy and excellency of the word which we Hear page 212 Prayer requisite before hearing page 216 Right ends in Hearing to be minded page 221 False ends in hearing to be avoided page 220 Worldly thoughts hinder our Hearing page 221 222 We must hear as in Gods presence page 223 We must pray after we have Heard Vide the Word God looks much after our Hearts page 17 170 Heaven not to be obtained without diligence labour page 60 to 65 Humility required in prayer page 167 168 I IDolaters are zealous and prodigal page 418 419 Idleness the evils of it page 552 Intemperance a great sin page 417 The mischeifs of Intemperance page 418 419 Joy in God seasonable on a Lords day page 364 L LOrds day of divine institution page 337 338 God takes special notice how we keep the Lords day page 339 Preparation needful for a Lords day page 342 Wherein preparation to a Lords day consisteth page 343 to 346 Lords day a great priviledge page 348 Lords day a spicial season to get and increase grace in page 353 Publique Ordonances chiefly to be minded on the Lords day page 356 to 362 The whole Lords day to be sanctified page 372 Brief Directions for the Sanctification of the whole Lords day page 381 to 391 A good Wish about the sanctification of the Lords day page 391 A good Wish to the Lords day page 396 Lords day Vide Families and Meditation Love of Christ Vide Christs Love to Christians tried page 273 Love a help to Godliness page 553 M. MAn created for Religion Vide Epistles and page 39 Good Counsel about Marriage page 425 Meekness requisite in a Wife page 562 Meditation needful before prayer page 138 Meditation a duty on a Lords day page 377 Ministers must be godly page 6 and 498 A Minister must be industrious page 6 7. 502 People must pray for their Minister page 219 220 Ministers must act from right principles and for right ends page 499 500 Ministers must be able 501. Compassionate 504. Faithful 501 Full of courage 505. Ministers must Preach plainly purely prudently and powerfully page 507 to 510 Ministers must pray for their people page 510 Administer Sacraments 511. Chatechise 510. Visit people page 512 Ministers must be exceeding tende what example they give their people ib. Ministers must not be discouraged if their labours be not successful page 513 Ministers must give the glory of their success to God page 514 N HOw a Christian in Natural Actions may make Religion his business page 400 A good wish about Natural Actions page 441 O OBedience required page 322 341 Obedience must be in heart and life page 17 18 Obedience must be Canonical page 19 Ordinances their ends and use page 130 131 Ordinances Vide duties and Lords day P GOd hath an extrodinary respect for a Penitent soul page 277 278 Perseverance required page 35 Perseverance in prayer page 189 Pleasures Vide Recreations The excellency of Prayer page 137 138 The Prevalency of Prayer page 141 142 Prayer hath a twofold Preheminence above all other duties page 138 The Nature of Prayer page 140 The Antecedents to Prayer page 147 Meditation an help to Prayer page 148 Meditation of our sins wants and miseries needful before Prayer page 149 to 155 Meditation of God helpful to Prayer page 155 Quickening and stirring up of grace needful to Prayer page 157 Sin hindreth Prayer page 159 160 Anger hindreth Prayer page 161 Worldly Distractions hinder Prayer page 162 Gods Word must be the rule for the matter of our Prayers page 163 The Person Praying must be holy page 165 Prayer must be Vpright 170. Humble 167. Fervent 172 Constant page 178 What it is to Pray Continually page 180 A Caution about fervency in Prayer page 176 Its an ill sign to be Prayerless page 184 185 After Prayer wait for an Answer page 186 Means must be used for the obtaining our Prayers page 191 Preparation to Religious duties needful page 343 Preparation to Hearing Vide Hearing Preparation to the Lords day Vide Lords day R REcreations are lawful 446. they must not be our occupation 450 they must be used for good ends 454. In due season page 456 Recreations are unseasonable on a Lords day page 457 458 and in times of the Churches sufferings page 461 A good wish about Recreations page 462 Religion must be our business page 10 What Religion is page 13 14 The several derivations of the word Religion page 13 What it is to make it ones business 21. It implieth to give it precedency 22. To pursue it with industry 26. To persevere with constancy page 35 Why Religion must be made our business page 39 Religion is the end of mans creation page 40 Religion is a work of the greatest weight 45 to 49. It is Soul-work 49. It is God-work 52. It is Eternity-work page 57 The necessity of making Religion our business page 60 to 70 Religion much neglected page 72 The neglect of Religion bewailed page 73 79 Our greatest care must be about Religious duties page 108 Vide Godliness and Duties Repentance consisteth in mourning for sin and turning from sin page 276 280 S SAints called Lillies why page 268 Saints shamed by sinners page 88 89 92 93 Scripture a great mercy page 198 Vide Hearing and the Word Sacrament of the Lords Supper a seal of the Covenant page 251 The Sacrament a resemblance of Christs death 252. An evidence of his love 253. A great Supper in four respects page 253. The excellency of the Sacrament page 255 Much care about the Supper page 255 256 The danger of receiving the Supper unworthily page 256 to 262 Christ takes notice how men prepare for the Sacrament page 257 Preparation requisite before it 264 265. Wherein preparation for it consisteth page 266 to 279 Our dependance must be on Christ for assistance after our greatest preparation for the Sacrament page 282 Subjects to be meditated on at a Sacrament 285. Christs sufferings 286 to 293. Christs love 293 to 300. Our own sins ib. Graces to be exercised at the Sacrament 300. Faith in its threefold act 303 to 310. Love 312. Repentance page 315 What a Christian should do after a Sacrament page 319 320 Men to be very careful in the choice of Servants page 526 527 Sinners very zealous for sin page 87 88 89 Sobriety vide Temperance Sleep how to be ordered page 437. Its ends 440. Quantity page 437 Season page 439 Soul-work weighty page 49 The welfare of the body dependeth on the Soul page 51 The Souls excellency page 50 T. TEmperance commended page 416 Vide Natural Actions and Eating Thankfulness enjoyned 413 415. For the Word 236. For the Sacrament page 319 U. VNgodliness brancheth it self into Atheism and superstition page 1 2 Uprightness acceptable to God page 171 Unthankfulness page 408 W GOod Counsel about the Choice of a Wife page 525 526 Word why called the grace of God page 203 Gods power alone can make the Word effectual page 217 218 When the Word cometh with power then it profiteth page 229 Its woful to live under the Word and not to be changed by it page 231 We must bless God for his Word page 237 The Word must be obeyed page 240 241 242 Word Vide Hearing Worldlings eager for the World page 74 to 78 Our Worship of God must be inward and outward page 14 to 19 Man made for the Worship of God Vide Man God is very choice in his Worship page 109 110 Gods Worship must be according to his Word page 19 20 God alone the object of Worship page 16 Its ill to dally with Gods Worship page 112 Much Watchfulness required in the Worship of God page 113 Y YOuth Vide Family instruction FINIS
serve God with more pomp then others but I am confident they serve him to less profit then others In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men Matth. 15.9 their worship is in Gods account no worship they who made Temples Altars and Ceremonies of their own heads thought that they had remembred God but he tells them plainly that they had forgotten him Hos 8.11 13 14. Men manifest abundance of arrogancy in undertaking to prescribe newer and neater ways of worship then God himself as if they excelled his Majesty in wisdom but little do they think how exceedingly by such practices they provoke him to fury Will-worship Ezek. 8.3 4 5 per tot Ezek. 43.8 In their setting of their thresholds by my thresholds and their posts by my posts they have even defiled my holy name by the abominations which they have committed wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger So Ezek. 6.9 2 Chron. 7.20 CHAP. IV. What it is for a man to make Religion his business or to exercise himself to Godliness I Proceed to the second particular promised is to shew what it is for a man to exercise himself to Godliness It implyeth these three things First To give it the precedency in all our actions that which a man maketh his business he will be sure to minde whatsoever he omits A good Husband will serve his shop before his sports and will sometimes offer an handsom warrantable kind of disrespect to his friends that his calling may have his company he will have some excuse or other to avoid diversions and force his way to his trade through all opposition and all because he makes it his business He that makes Religion his business carrieth himself towards his general as this man doth towards his particular calling In his whole life he walks with God and is so mannerly and dutiful as to give God the upper hand all the way He knoweth that his God must be worshipped that his family must be served and that his calling must be followed for Religion doth not nullifie onely rectifie his carriage towards his earthly vocation but each in their order that which is first in regard of excellency is first in regard of his industry He is not so unnatural as to serve his cattle before his children nor so Atheistical as to serve his body and the world before his soul and his Saviour He is so sensible of his infinite ingagements to the blessed God that he allotteth some time every day for his religious duties and he will be sure to pay God home to the utmost of his ability whosoever he compounds with or pays short As he saile along through the tempestuous sea of this world towards his eternal Haven of rest he hath many temporal affairs in his company but he is specially careful that they keep their distance and strike sail through the whole voyage If his worldly-businesses offer like Hagar to justle or quarrel for preheminence with their superior Religion he will if possible chide them into subjection and cause them to submit but rather cast them out then suffer them to usurp Authority over their Mistris He that minds Religion by the by will if other things intervene put it back and be glad of an excuse to wave that company to which he hath no love nay he doth in the whole course of his life prefer his Swine as the Gadarens before his soul set the Servant on Horse-back and suffer the Master to go on foot His voice to Religion is like the Jews to the poor man in vile Rayment stand thou there or fit thou here under my foot-stool and his words to the World are like theirs to the man in goodly apparel Come up hither or sit thou here in a good place James 2.2 3. He doth like Jacob lay the right hand of his care and diligence upon the youngest Son the body and the left hand upon the first born of the soul That which was Esaus curse is esteemed by him as a blessing that the Elder serves the Tounger He is so unwise as to esteem lying vanities before real mercies often so unworthy as to forget God whosoever he remembreth and so uncivil at best as to give God the Worlds leavings and to let the Almighty Creator Dance attendance till he pleaseth to be at leasure If he be in the midst of his devotion he makes an end upon the smallest occasion Plut. and is like the Patriarch who ran from the Altar when he was about his Office to see a Fole new fallen from his beloved Mare But every Saint like Solomon first builds an house for God and then for himself Whoever be displeased or whatever be neglected he will take care that God be worshipped Abrahams Steward when sent to provide a Wife for Isaak though meat were set before him refused to eat till he had done his errand Gen. 24.33 Godliness is the errand about which man is sent into the World now as faithful servants we must prefer our Message before our meat and serve our Master before our selves He that makes godliness his business gives it the first of the day and the first place all the day He gives it the first of the day Jesus Christ was at prayer a great while before day Mark 1.35 Abraham rose up early in the morning to offer Sacrifice Gen. 22.1 So did Job 1. and 5. David cryeth out O God my God early will I seek thee Psa 63.1 In the morning will I direct my prayer to thee and look up Psa 5.3 The Philistines in the morning early offered to their God Dagon The Persian Magi Worshipped the rising Sun with their early hymns The Saint in the morning waits upon Heavens Majesty As soon as he awakes he is with God one of his first works when he riseth is to ask his Heavenly Father Blessing Like the Lark he is up early singing sweetly the praise of his Maker and often with the Nightingale late up at the same pleasant tune He finds the morning a greater friend to the Graces then it can be to the Muses Naturalists tell us that the most orient pearles are generated of the Morning dew Sure I am he hath sweet communion with God in morning duties Reader Let me tell thee if Religion be thine occupation thy business God will hear from thee in the morning one of the first things after thou art up will be to fall down and worship him Thy mind will be most free in the morning and thine affections most lively as those strong waters are fullest of spirits which are first drawn and surely thou canst not think but that God who is the best and chiefest good hath most right to them and is most worthy of them As a godly man gives religion the precedency of the day so he gives it the precedency in the day The Jews some say divide their day into prayer labour and repast and they will not
some part but all the day Whether the actions he be about be natural or civil he makes them sacred whether the Company he be in be good or bad he will mind his holy calling whether he be riding or walking whether he be at home or abroad whether he be buying or selling eating or drinking whatsoever he be doing or wheresoever he be going still he hath an eye to further godliness Anima est tota in toto tota in qualibet parte because he makes that his business What the Philosopher said of the soul in relation to the body The soul is whole in the whole body and whole in every part of it is true of godliness in reference to the life of a Christian godliness is whole in his whole conversation and whole in every part of it As the constitution of mans body is known by his pulse if it beat not at all he is dead if it beat and keep a constant stroke it s a sign the body is sound Godliness is the pulse of the soul if it beat not at all the soul is void of spiritual life if it beat equally and constantly it speaks the soul to be in an excellent plight It was the practice of our Saviour who left us a blessed pattern therein to be always furthering godliness when bread was mentioned to him upon it he diswaded his Disciples from the leaven of the Pharisees Mat. 16.5.6 When water was denyed him by the Samaritan woman he forgets his thirst and seeks to draw her to the Well-spring of happiness John 4.10 When people came to him for bodily cures how constantly doth he mind the safety of their souls Thou art made whole go sin no more or thy sins are forgiven thee He went about doing good in the day time working Miracles and Preaching in the night time he often gave himself to meditation and prayer He that minds Religion by the by doth otherwise he can Proteus like turn himself into any shape which is in fashion Purch Pilgr Vol. 1. p. 416. As the Carbuncle a Beast amongst the Blackamores which is seen onely by night having a stone in his Fore-head which shineth incredibly and giveth him light whereby to feed but when he heareth the least noise he presently lets fall over it a skin which he hath as a natural covering least its splendor should betray him So the half Christian shines with the light of holiness by fits and starts every fright makes him hold in and hide it The mark of Antichrist was in his followers hands which they can cover or discover at their pleasure but the mark of Christs Disciples was in in their Foreheads visible at all times Thirdly To exercise our selves to godliness implyeth to persevere in it with constancy to our dissolution Men follow their Trades and open their Shops till death shut their eyes and gives them a writ of ease men pursue their earthly works till death sound a retreat and command their appearance in the other World Many a one hath breathed out his last in the midst of his labour His life and his labour have ended together Let every man abide in the calling whereto he is called saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.24 They who make Religion their business are constant immoveable and do always abound in the work of the Lord. Their day of life is their day of labour the sun ariseth and man goeth to his labour until the Evening Psa 104.23 Death onely is their night of resting when they die in the Lord then and not till then they rest from their labours Saints are compared to Palm Trees because they flourish soon to Cedars because they continue long True Saints in youth always prove Angels in age B. Hall med ti cent â— they often set out with the first but always hold on to the last The Philosopher being asked in his old age why he did not give over his studies answered When a man is to run a race of forty furlongs he will not sit down at the thirty ninth and lose the price The pious soul is faithful unto death and injoyeth a Crown of life As Cesar he is always marching forward and thinks nothing done whilst any thing remains undone Nil actumc edens si quid su per sset agendâ—m iâ—uâ—an As they are fervent in their work so they are constant at their work The Church of Ephesus had Letters Testimonial from Heaven for my names sake thou hast laboured and hast not fainted Rev. 2.3 Water in the Baths is always warm As long as there is Water there is heat not so our ordinary water though this may be warmed by the fire at present yet if taken off it returnes to its former coldness nay it is colder then before because the spirits which kept it from the extremity of cold are by the fire boyld out of it The reason is plain the heat of the Baths is from an inward principle and therefore is permanent the heat of the latter is from an external cause and therefore is inconstant That warmth of piety which proceeds from an inward principle of a purified conscience is accompanied with perseverance but that profession which floweth from an outward motive wheremen as Chamelions take their colour from that which stands next them their Religion from those they have their dependence upon is of short duration A man that minds Religion by the by is like Nebuchadnezzars Image he hath an head of gold but feet of clay His beginning may be like Nero's first five years full of hope and encouragement but afterwards as a carcass he is more filthy and unsavory every day then other His insincerity causeth his inconstancy Trees unsound at the root will quickly cease their putting forth of fruit Such men if godliness enjoy a summer of prosperity may like a Serpent creep on the ground and stretch themselves at length to receive the warmth of the Sun but if Winter come he will creep into some Ditch or Dunghil least he should take cold Travellers that go to Sea meerly to be Sea-sick or in sport if there arise a black cloud or storm their voyage is at an end they hasten to the harbour they came not to be Weather beaten or to hazard themselves amongst the boistrous Billowes but onely for pleasure But the Merchant that is bound for a voyage whose calling and business it is is not daunâ—ed at every Wave and Wind but drives through all with resolution He that onely pretends towards Religion if a storm meet him in the way to Heaven he leaves it and takes shelter in the earth as a Snail he puts out his head to see what Weather is abroad what countenance Religion â—ath at Court whether great men do smile or frown upon the Ways of God and if the Heavens be lowring he shrinks into his shell esteeming that his onely safety But they that make godliness their business do not steer their course by such cards
Song gives savoury advice to his Children We need not doubt but his spiritual motions were quickest when his natural motions were slowest that the stream of grace ran with full strength when it was to empty it self into the Ocean of glory Mark what special counsel he gives them who were committed to his special care Deut. 32.46 Set your hearts to all the words which I command you this day for it is not a vain thing because it is your life in which words we have 1. a Commandment and 2. an Argument The commandment is Set your hearts to all the words which I command you this day that is exercise your selves to godliness He doth not say lend them your ears to listen to them slightly or let them have your tongues to speak of them cursorily No it is not set your heads but set your hearts to all the words c. He doth not say let your works be according to these words or let your feet ever make them your walk No it is not set your hands but set your hearts to the words that I speak unto you Make it your business and then your Ears and Tongues your Feet your Heads your Hands and all will be employed about them to the purpose But what special Argument doth Moses urge for the enforcement of this great work Surely that which I am speaking of the weight of it Set your he arts to all the words which I command you this day For it is not a vain thing because it is your life v. 47. Moses had experience that the hearts of the Israelites were exceeding knotty wood and therefore he useth an heavy Beetle to drive home the Wedge It is not a vain thing it is life as if he had said Were it a matter of small moment ye might Laze and Loyter about it but it behoves you to bestir your selves lustily to follow it laboriously to set your hearts to it for it is as much worth as your lives that pearl of matchless price is engâ—gâ—d and at stake in your pursuit of godliness Life though but natural is of so much value that men will sacrifice their honours and pleasures their wealth and liberty and all to it The Egyptians parted with their costly jewels willingly Hinc clamor ille desperation is index omnes mortui sumus binc facilitas illa in dando Calo. in Exod. 12. â—anquam si hoc pretio animas redimissent Jun. in loc to redeem their lives as Calvin observeth The widow in the Gospel spared none of her wealth to obtain health which is much inferior to life Skin for skin all that a man has will he give for his life Throw but a brute into the water to drown it how will it labour and toll and sweat to preserve its life View a man on his death-bed when a distemper is like a strong enemy fighting to force life out of the field how doth Nature then with all the might and strength it hath strive and struggle to keep its ground What panting and breathing what sweating and working of all the parts do you behold and no wonder The man laboureth for life If there be such labour for a natural life that is but umbra vitae a shadow to this the substance which is but the union of the body and soul and lyeth under a necessity of dissolution what labour doth a spiritual life deserve that consisteth in the souls union and communion with the blessed Saviour and which neither men nor devils neither death nor hell shall ever deprive a beleever of but in spight of all it will grow and increase till it commence eternal life Well might Moses expect that such an heavy weight as this should make great impression and sink deep into their affections For it is not a vain thing because it is your life We may say of this work of Christianity compared with all other works what David said of Goliahs sword There is none like it this is soul-work this is God-work this is eternity-work and therefore of greatest weight and requireth us all to make it our business Such blows as these three are one would think might force fire out of a flint This is Soul-work As soul wo is the heaviest wo and soul-wants are the greatest wants so soul-work is the weightest work the dangers of a soul are the deepest dangers the loss of the soul is the dreadfullest loss the neglect of the soul is the dolefullest neglect The consequence of the action is frequently specified from the excellency of the person or subject concerned in it The soul of man is a most excellent piece both in regard of the spirituality and immortality of its substance as also in regard of that divine image imprinted on it those heavenly qualities with which it was at first endowed Princes stamp not their image except in cases of necessity on brass or tynn or leather but on gold and silver the chiefest and most excellent mettals therefore though those affairs which concern the body are but of ordinary respect yet those that concern the soul are of unconceivable weight and regard One soul is more worth then ten thousand bodies then ten thousand worlds The greatest thing saith one in this world is Man and the greatest thing in man is his Soul It is an abridgement of the invisible world as the body is of the visible The body though no mean work considered absolutely yet of ordinary worth considered comparatively to the soul It is a mud-wall inclosing a rich treasure as a common mask to a beautiful face as a course cabinet having in it a precious carkanet The very Heathen acknowledged that the soul was the man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. the body but its servant and therefore the Christian may well call it and care for it as his darling as his onely one as the original is in that place Psal 22.20 Chrysostom observeth Omnia Deus dedit duplicia Homil. 22. ad popul Antioch God hath given man two Eyes two Ears two Hands two Feet that the failing of the one may be supplied by the help of the other Animam vero unam but one Soul if that miscarry there is no remedy Nebuchadnezzar lost his Reason and that was restored David lost his Wives Children and Goods and yet they were recovered nay Lazarus lost his life and was revived but for the loss of the Soul no power can recover it no price can redeem no pearls no not the whole world can recompence its loss Well might Charls the Fifth Val. Rath Car. lib. 3. when sollicited by a great Counsellor Antonino de Leva to cut off all the Princes in Germany that he might rule alone forbear to put his advice into practice and cry out O Anima Anima O my soul my soul what then will become of my soul It was a royal answer which Maximilian King of Bohemia gave the Pope who perswaded him to turn good Catholique promising him much
advantage I thank your Holiness but my souls health is dearer to me then all the things in the world Hist Counc Trent The Apostle calls the body a vile body Phil. 3. ult in regard of its original production it was made not of heavenly materials as Sun or Stars nor of precious materials as pearls or jewels but ex pulvere limoso lutoso of dust mingled with water and in regard of its ultimate resolution it becomes first an ugly gastly carkass and then moulders into earth but the Holy ghost calls the Soul The breath of the Almighty Job 33.4 It was not as the body framed of the dust but immediately breathed by God himself it was not the fruit of some praeexistent matter but the immediate effect of Divine power The soul is in a spiritual as well as in a natural sense the life of the body especially if you take vivere for valere to live for to be lusty and to be in health for what the Sun is to the greater that the Soul is to the lesser World When the sun shineth comfortably how chearfully do all things look how well do they thrive and prosper the birds sing merrily the beasts play wantonly the trees and hearbs put forth their buds and fruits the whole Creation enjoyeth a day of light and joy But when the Sun departeth what a night of horror followeth how are all things wrapt up in the sable mantle of darkness nay let but the heat of its beams abate how do all faces gather paleness the creatures are buried as it were in the winding sheet of Winters frost and snow so when the soul shineth pleasantly on the body refreshing it with its beams of holiness with its rays of grace the body cannot but enjoy a Summer of health and strength Such a soul in such a body is like a pure wax candle in a chrystal lanthorn refreshing with its sent directing by its light and comforting with its heat but if the soul be weak and full of spiritual wants the body must needs wither The soul is the ship in which the body sails if that be safe the body is safe if that sinks the body sinks for ever From all this it appeareth that Soul-work is a weighty work not to be dallied or trifled with bâ—t to be made the business of every man Godliness must therefore be followed with care and conscience because of soul consequence It was our deprivation of godliness which was the souls greatest loss and therefore for the regaining of it ought to be our greatest labour God sent his Son into the world for this very purpose that he might by his bloody passion restore man to his primitive purity and perfection Godliness is the souls food which nourisheth it who would feast his horse â—orpus est jumentum animae and starve himself The souls rayment both for its defence and warmth nay the life of its life The life of the soul as Jacobs in Benjamin is bound up in godliness Take godliness away and the soul goeth down into the grave of the other world with unspeakable sorrow Godliness as it is Soul-work so it is God-work as the excellency of the subject in which so also the excellency of the object about which it is conversant speaks it to be weighty Actiones specificantur à fine objecto circumstantiis Eustath de mor. Philos The Moralists tell us That actions are specified not onely from their ends and circumstances but likewise from their objects And the Divines assure us that the cheifest source of mans sin and sorrow is his causing the bent and stream of his inward man to run after wrong objects If objects then can vary the species they may much more add to the degree to the weight of an action Where the object is great no slip can be small Evil words spoken or blows given to an ordinary man bear but a common action at Law but in case they relate to the King they are Treason The higher the person is with whom we converse the holier and more exact should our carriage be If we walk with our equals we toy and trifle by the way and possibly if occasion be wander from them but if we wait upon a Prince especially about our own near concernments we are serious and sedulous watching his words and working with the greatest diligence for the performance of his pleasure A Lawyer will mind the Countrymans cause when he is at leisure when greater affairs will give him leave and then it may be do it but coldly and carelesly But if he have business committed to him by his Soveraign which concerns the prerogative he will make other causes stay crowd out of the Press to salute this attend it with all his parts and power and ability and industry and never take his leave of it till it be finished I need not explain my meaning in this it is obvious to every eye that godliness is the worshipping the infinite and ever blessed God surely his service is neither to be delayd nor dallied with it is not to be slighted or slubberd over Cursed is he that doth the Work of the Lord negligently When we deal with our equals with them that stand upon the same level with us we may deal as men our affections may be like Scales that are evenly poized in regard of indifferency but when we have to do with a God so great that in comparison of him the vast Ocean the broad Earth and the highest Heavens are all less then nothing and so glorious that the great lights of the World though every Star were a Sun yet in respect of him are perfect darkness we must be like Angels our affections should be all in a flame in regard of fervency and activity The very Turks though they build their own houses low and homely Turk Hist Fol. 342. yet they take much pains about their Moschees their Temples they build them high and stately David considered about a Temple for God The work is great for the palace is not for man but for the Lord God Now saith he I have prepared with all my might for the House of my God Upon this foundation that it was God-work David raiseth this building to make it his business to prepare for it with all his might as if he had said Had it been for man the work had been mean it had wanted exceedingly of that weight which now it hath but the work is great for the palace is not for man but for God and because it is a work of such infinite weight therefore I have prepared for it with all my might I can think no pains great enough for so great a Prince It was provided in the Old Law that the weights and measures of the Sanctuary should be double to the weights and measures of the Commonwealth Godw. Iew. Antiq. l. 6. c. 9. 10. The shekel of the Sanctuary was half a Crown of our money
and the shekel of the Commonwealth but fifteen pence the cubit of the Sanctuary a full yard the Common cubit but half a yard compare 1 Kings 7.15 with 2 Chron. 3. and 15. The common Talent was one hundred eighty seven pound ten shillings the Kings Talent two hundred eighty one pounds five shillings the Talent of the Sanctuary was three hundred seventy five pounds Itinerarium Sac. And what was the Gospel of this but to teach us that in things that appertain to God we must give double weight double measure double care double diligence though men be slothful and sluggish in the service of men yet they must be fiery and fervent in spirit when they are serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 To give brass money to any is lamentable but to cast it into the treasury is most abominable God is a great God and looks to be served like himself and according to his excellent greatness Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a Male and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my name is dreadful among the Heathen Mal. 1. ult There are some of the Heathen â—ohu Pierii Hieroglyph that Worship the Sun for a God and would offer to the Sun somwhat suitable and therefore because they wondred at the Suns swift motion they would offer a Horse with Wings Now an Horse is a swift creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paus and one of the strongest to continue in motion for a long time together then having Wings added to him they conceived him a sacrifice somwhat suitable to the Sun Surely much more cause have Christians to take care that their sacrifices to the glorious and boundless Majesty be some way suitable to his unconceivable and infinite excellencies Further Godliness is Eternity-work and therefore must needs be of infinite weight and is worthy of all our pains and diligence We esteem Lands which we hold in fee-simple to us and our heirs for ever at a far greater rate and are more diligent to secure our Titles to them then those lands which we have onely a lease of or a life in Mens estates are of more or less value according to the term of years they have in them Ministers are often much more exact in their Printing then in their Preaching Such in whose ordinary Preaching words like a spring run full and fast and sense or at least judgement like a pond stands still will if they Print scrue their parts to the highest pitch and spare for no pains that if possible sense and sentences reason and expressions may keep equal pace Even those whose Sermons when delivered in their Auditories smell as Chalcus said of Demosthenes orations of the Lamp Plut in vit Demost are the fruits of much prayer and study yet when they are to publish them to the World they will survey every sentence weigh every word bestow more care and labour on them hence possibly ouâ— proverbial speech when a thing is done exactly This is done in Print But what is the ground of this I suppose one of the chiefest because men print in a sense for Eternity Sermons preached or mens words pass away with many like wind how soon are they buried in the grave of oblivion but Sermons printed are mens works live when they are dead and become an image of eternity This shall be written for the generation to come Godliness is a work that relates not onely to few lives as lands do or to a few generations as mens books do but to the boundless bottomless Ocean of eternity indeed and therefore calleth for all our care and diligence Drex Eternit Conclus lib. Drexelius observeth well out of the Father Our works do not pass away as soon as they are done as they may seem to do but as seed sown in time they rise up to all Eternity A little neglect now may prove an eternal loss Whatsoever we think speak or do once thought spoke or done it is eternal it abideth for ever Eternal life is promised to the diligent Idem Non consid cap. 1. Eternal death is the portion of the negligent The former shall be bathed in the rivers of Gods eternal pleasures the latter shall suffer the vengeance of eternal fire To be tormented day and night for ever and ever and to enjoy the exceeding and eternal weight of glory are certainly no jesting matters but of more concernment then we can possibly conceive Who would not labour hard to attain eternal life Who would not work night and day to avoid eternal death eternal wo. Zeuxis the famous Limner made painting his bufiness and was exceeding careful and curious in drawing all his lines he would let no piece of his go abroad into the world to be seen of men till he had turned it over and over viewed it on this side and that side again and again and being asked the reason answered Because what I paint I paint for eternity so it is with every man and woman in the exercise of godliness it is of eternal concernment we pray we hear for eternity we read we sing we watch we fast we live we die for eternity O how exactly how diligently should all be done The Holy Ghost urgeth it as a reason why mens eyes and hearts should not be set upon riches because they are not eternal In one place Solomon tells us That riches are not Prov. 23.5 In another place that they are not for ever Prov. 27.4 because things that are not for ever are as if they were not at all Eternal life is the true life saith Augustine this is but the shadow or semblance of life The affairs of time are but trifles to the affairs of eternity but our eyes and hearts must be set upon godliness because it is for ever it will do a soul good for ever our Saviour doth from this argument command us to make godliness our chief imployment Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth to everlasting life Joh. 6.27 where labour for temporal food is not prohibited but labour for eternal food is preferred It was the consideration of this that made the forty Martyrs suffer so ventrously and valiantly under Licinius Basil 40. Mart. Anno 300. When Agricolaus his Deputy and one of the devils agents set upon them several ways to draw them to deny Christ and at last tempted them with an offer of Wealth and Preferment they all cryed out with one consent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Eternity Eternity give us money that will last to Eternity and glory that will abide for ever They slighted that pittiful wealth which was currant onely in this beggarly world and made Religion their business because it brought them in durable riches Things that are transient and temporal may like hasty storms salute onely the surface of our hearts and away but things that are permanent and eternal
must like soft showrs sink deep into our affections and command all our actions Ah did but man know what it is to be eternally in Hell fire and what it is to live eternally in Gods Favour he would do any thing were it never so hard to arrive at Heaven The Romans build their Temples round and the rule of Pythagoras was When men worshipped they must turn themselves round Those Heathens had confused notions of Eternity and represented it by round things because such had neither beginning nor end If they by the light of Nature saw a little of it and thence would have their Temples and Worship suitable to it then much more we who have clearer apprehensions by the light of Scripture must have our conversations answerable CHAP. VII The necessity of makiâ—g Religion our business both in regard of the opposition a Christian meets with and the multiplicity of business which lieth upon him THirdly Godliness must be made our principal business our main work because otherwise we shall lose our reward We say As good never a whit as never the better Piety without much pains will redound to little or no profit How foolish is that builder who in setting up an house hath been at much cost and yet loseth all because he will be at no further charge Many lose what they have wrought 2 Joh. 8. Their works because not their business are not perfect and so to small purpose The sloathful roasts not what he took in hunting Prov. 12.27 He was at some labour to catch the Beast but was loath to be at any more in dressing it and so all was lost laboriousness to godliness is as the soul to the body which being separated from it godliness dyeth and quickly becomes unsavoury The reward of Godliness is of infinite worth the end of Holiness as of Hope is the salvation of the soul the eternal and immediate enjoyment of God in Heaven Now who can think to atrain the place of such ravishing pleasures without much pains Iter per angusta ad augusta Things that are most delicate cannot be had without the greatest difficultie they that will enjoy large Diadems must run through many deaths and dangers and use much diligence Nature her self will not bestow her precious treasure without much unwearied labour Dust and Dirt lye common in Streets but the gold and silver mines are buried in the bowels of the earth and they must work hard and dig deep that will come at them Ordinary stones may be had in every quarry but pearls are secret in the bottom of the Sea and they must dive low and hazard their lives that will fetch up the Oysters in which they breed and enjoy them When did we ever find Nature so prodigal of her gifts as to bestow skill and excellency in any art or science without industry and diligence Doth she not force her students to beat their brains to wast their bodies to break their sleep to burn up their strength before she will permit them to pry into her secrets to pick the lock of her curious Cabinet and gain any considerable knowledge of her Wealth and richness And can we think the God of Nature will give men to know him as they are known of him will bestow on them the unspeakable gift the pearl of price the holy of holies such things as eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither mans heart conceive while they lie lazing on the bed of Idleness Heaven is not unfitly compared to an Hill among Heathen to Olympus among Christians to Mount-Sion They that will climb up to it must pant and blow and sweat for it Elijahs Translation to the place of bliss was much more speedy and facile then ordinary We see no pâ—nting heart no trembling hands no quivering lips no ghastly looks to be the forerunners of his passage into Eternal life Where the union is neer and natural there the separation is hard and painful but behold here the Marriage knot betwixt body and soul is not untied Those loving Relations like Husband and Wife ride triumphantly together in a stately Chariot to the Heavenly Court yet even in this rapture God would teach us that the Virgin inheritance must be ravished There appeared a Chariot of fire and horses of fire and Elijah went up by a Whirle-wind into Heaven 2 Kings 2.11 Why a Chariot of fire but to note that Heaven must be stormed and taken by force Fire is the most active inanimate Creature hereby is figured that laborious action is the way to the beatifical vision The Chariot is made of fire the Wheels upon which it runs are a whirlewind Activeness and violence are the onely way to the blessed inheritance Who ever entred into Heaven with ease They that will be knighted must kneel for it they that will wear the Crown must win it A man is not crowned except he strive lawfully that is strenuously 1 Tim 2.25 He that will be saved must work out his salvation and that with fear and trembling Legitime certare est ad pugnam se preparare animose adversarium aggredi Bald. Phil. 2. Christ who first bought the purchase hath already set the price upon which and no other the Sons of men may come to the possession There is indeed a twofold price of a thing a natural price when so much is layd down as is commensurate or proportionable to the thing bought so the price of Heaven was the blood of Christ Heb. 10.19 A pactional price when so much is laid down though inferiour to the commodity upon which the seller is contented that you enjoy the thing desired so labour knocking working is the price of Heaven Isa 55.3 This price is made of mans future felicity and Christ is resolved not to abate the least farthing Strive saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conamini omnibus virib us Extremas summatque vires velut agonizantes exerite quass provita si vincitis pro morte si vincimini luctaturi A Lapid in Loc. to enter in at the straight gate for many will seek to enter in and shall not be able Luk. 13.24 As if he had said there will be many Seekers Many that will both cheapen Heaven by a profession and bid somewhat by performances but they shall miss the place for want of more pains they shall not be able if ye therefore have any love to your souls be not onely seekers but strivers do not onely cheapen and offer a little but come up to the price Put forth all your strength as Wrestlers do that strive for Masteries as ever ye would enjoy those eternal pleasures Men were as good bid nothing as not come up to the sellers price All run in a Race but one receiveth the prize Sicnotat diligentiam celeritatem Cor. A. Lapid So run that ye may obtain 1 Cor. 9.24 They that intend for the Crown do before hand diet themselves breath their bodies and when they run for
of it to consume the cedar of their souls The Heathen have admired and bemoaned mans industry about earth Sen. lib. 6. nat cap. 26. they have wondered what made man who is of an erect countenance looking up to Heaven Tertal de corona militis thus to bow down and bury himself alive in the earth Tertullian stood amazed at the folly of the Romans who would undergo all manner of hazards and hardships to be Consul which he fitly calls One years fleeting joy The Prophet tells such that they rejoyce in a thing of naught Amos 7. Nay the forementioned Moralist tels us that such worldlings operose nihil agunt Take a great deal of pains to do nothing That their whole life is but a laborious loytering or at most a more painful kind of playing their account will be nothing but ciphers like children they run up and down and labour hard to catch a gaudy Butterflie which when caught will foul their fingers and flye from them O mortal men how long will ye love vanity and follow after leasing Psa 4. Is it not sad that so noble a being as mans soul should be wholly taken up with such mean sordid things That phrase in Psa 24.5 That hath not lift up his soul untovanity is read by Arius Montanus He that hath not received his soulin vain O how many receive their souls in vain making no more use of them then the Swine of whom the Philosopher observes Cujus anima pro sale their souls are onely for salt to keep their bodies from stinking Who would not grieve to think that so choice a piece should be employed about so vain a use Reader If one should be intrusted with the education of a great Prince who was descended of the blood royal and heir to a large Empire and should set him onely to rake in Dungils or cleanse Ditches thou wouldst exceedingly condemn such a governour Wouldst thou not think It is pity indeed that so Noble a person should be busied about such low unworthy projects God hath intrusted thee with a precious soul descended highly even from God himself claiming kindred with the glorious Angels and capable of inheriting that kingdom to which the most glorious Empires of the World are but Muck-heaps Art thou not one of them that employ this Princely soul altogether about unsutable and earthly practices and causing it as the lapwing though it have a coronet on its head to feed on excrements It was one cause of Jeremiahs sad lamentation that the precious Sons of Sion comparable to fine gold should be esteemed as earthen Pitchers the work of the hands of the potter that they which were brought up in Scarlet should embrace Dunghils Lament 4.2 5. Have not we more cause of sorrow that mens souls the precious sons of God should be put to no better use then earthen pitchers that they which should be brought up delicately in the nurture and admonition of the Lord should be busie about dross and imbrace Dunghils that thy precious soul should thus lacquey after earth and vanity when it should like an Angel be always standing and waiting in the presence of God Who can read the stories how Domitian the King spent his time in catching Flies Solyman the Magnificent in making Arrow-heads Achmat the last in making strings for Bows Harcatius the King of Persia in catching Moles Caligula the Emperour in playing the Poet Nero the Emperour in Fidling and not admire at their folly that such great Princes should busie themselves in things so infinitely below their places But thy folly Reader if one of them I am writing of is far greater in that thy practices are more below thy spiritual and heavenly principle May I not say to thee as Philip to Alexander when he heard him singing Art thou not ashamed being a Kings Son to sing so well Art thou not ashamed being an immortal angelical substance the off-spring of God and capable of his likeness and love to be glewed as a Toad-stool to the earth to spend thy time and strength venture the perishing of thy mortal body and immortal soul too for that meat which perisheth It is storied of Pope Sixtus the fifth that he sould his soul to the Devil for Seven years enjoyment of the Popedom What fool ever bought so dear what mad man ever sold so cheap yet every worldly person doth implicitly the same with this Pope He selleth what is more worth then all the World for a little Wind. Ah how costly is that treasure which makes him a beggar to all eternity O Lord what a foolish silly thing is man to prize and take pains for husks before bread vanity before solidity a shadow before the substance the Worlds seraps before the costly feast the dirty Kennels before the Christal water of life an Apple before Paradise a mess of Pottage before the Birthright and the least fleeting and inconstant good before the greatest truest and eternal good Their particular callings are but about earth the lowest meanest and vilest of all the elements in these callings they deal but with men and bruits their gains here at best cannot be large because their lives here cannot be long and yet how eagerly are they pursued how closely are they followed how constantly are they busied about them their general callings are about their souls their eternal salvations in these they have to do with the blessed God the lovely Saviour in communion with whom is Heaven upon Earth their gains here are above their thoughts and beyond their most enlarged desires no less then infinite and eternal The profit of godliness is invaluable above price It cannot be gotten for gold neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof It cannot be valued with the Gold of Ophir with the precious Onix or the Saphir The Gold and the Christal cannot equalit and the exchange of it shall not be for Jewels of fine gold No mention shall be made of Coral or of Pearls for the price of Wisdom is above Rubies The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it neither shall it be valued with pure gold Job 28.15 to 20. yet how lingringly is this calling entred upon how lazily is it followed and how quickly cast off O foolish man who hath bewitched thee that thou dost thus dislike and disobey the truth I cannot more fitly resemble man then to a silly Hen which though much good Corn lie before her takes little notice of it but still scrapes in the Earth The favour of God the promises of the Gospel the Covenant of Grace the blood of Christ the embroydery of the Spirit the life of faith the hope of Heaven joy in the Holy Ghost are laid before man yet he overlooks them all and lives like a Mole digging and delving in the earth Though men see before their eyes a period and end of all earthly perfections that the beauty bravery of all earthly things is but like a fair Picture drawn on
Ice quickly perishing that their riches and estates are but like Snow which children take much pains to rake and scrape together to make a Ball of which upon the Suns shining on it presently melteth away though they see daily men that hoarded up Silver and wrought hard for wealth hurried away into the other World leaving all their heaps behind them yet they will take no warning but as the silly Lark still play with the feather in the Glass till they are caught and destroyd by the Fowler Men wrong themselves and misconstrue God who as if he had hidden those things because he would have them sought and laid the other open for neglect bend themselves onely to the seeking of those earthly commodities and do no more mind Heaven then if there were none If we could imagine a beast to have reason how could he be more absurd in his choice What a beast is he to love his silver above his soul Plut. in vit Anton. and lose his God for a little corruptible gold While he lives like the King of Armenia by Marc. Anton. he is a close prisoner in golden fetters and when he dieth this worldling may say to his darling as Cornelius Agrippa to his familiar spirit neer his end Abi perdita bestia quae me perdidisti Be gone thou wicked wretch thou hast undone me It was good counsel which was given John the third King of Portugal to meditate a quarter of an hour every day on that divine sentence And O that Reader I could perswade thee to it What will it profit a man to gain the whole World and lose his own soul or what will a man give in exchange for his soul Mat. 16. I have read of a Philosopher who living near a Black Smith and hearing him up every morning at his Hammer and Anvâ—l before he could get out of his Bed to his Book profest himself much ashamed that such an ignoble trade as a Smiths should be more diligently atended then his more serious and excellent studies What sayst thou Reader Dost thou not blush to think that Worldlings are more busie and laborious about the low things the rattles and trifles of this life then thou art about the high affairs of God and thy Soul the noble and serious concernments of Eternity CHAP. IX The â—omplaint continued that this Calling is so much neglected when superstition and sin are embraced and diligently followed SEcondly How do men make Superstition and Idolatry their business Though they are carelâ—ss about Divine institutions yet they are zealous for humane traditions How zealous were the Pharisees for the inventions of their Elders They called them Mashlamathath Completions or Perfections esteeming them both helpful to the observation of the Law of God and also to the perfection of it Superstitious persons do naturally think that their postures gestures ceremonies and additions do render the Worship of God more comely and more compleat but truely such embrace a cloud instead of Juno worship the shadow of Christ whilst the Prince himself goeth unsaluted Men are exceeding prone to and earnest for such vain and false ways and worship partly because its pleasing to corrupt spirits who naturally love a fair shew in the flesh A pompous holiness sutes best with a proud heart partly because these traditions were received from their Ancestours and as Austin observed in his time Men were resolved right or wrong to be followers of their Fathers Sutable to which Cicero said I will never forsake that way of Divine service which I have received from my Fore-fathers for any mans pleasure or by any mans perswasion No not though Christ himself dyed to redeem them from their vain conversations received by tradition from their Fathers 1 Pet. 1.18 19. hence though they are so backward where God Commands yet they are forward when men command What an outcry doth Micah make for his Idol What a privy search doth Laban make for his Image Gideon must dye for throwing down the Alter of Baal How earnest are many for priests Tapers Altars Sacrifices Days Meats Conservations the Holy of Holies Crossing and Cringings In these their zeal is hot boyling over to the scalding of themselves and others Though this fervency is aptly compared to a Ship without Ballast over-beared with Sails which in a strom casts away all aboard her they disesteem their estates and possessions in comparison of Idolatry and Superstition Such persons are not onely liberal but lavish Jeroboam will be at great cost for his Idols they must be not Iron or Brazen no not Silver but Golden Calves not Guilded over but Massie molted Gold they lavish gold out of the bag and weigh silver in the ballance and hire a Gold-Smith and he maketh it a God and they fall down and Worship it Isa 46.6 The Israelites will spare their Jewels for their Idols Exod. 32.3 Micha's mother to make molten and graven Images will lay out eleven hundred shekels of silver Judg. 17.2 3. The Papists are so prodigal though it is the less wonder in them because they hold such actions meritorious of Salvation and what would not a man give or do to be saved that not onely their Churches but even Clorsters are stuck and stuft with costly pearly presents to their supposed Saints The Indians in the Isle of Zeylon having a consecrated Apes tooth got from them offered an incredible mass of treasure to recover it How many zealots that will hardly give a penny to the releif of a poor Christian throw away pounds for the maintenance of Superstition They slight their relations to further their idolatrous devotion The superstitious Jews would sacrifice their children to Moloch 2 King 17.17 Diodor Sic. The Carthaginians at one time after they had received an overthrow by Agathocles sacrificed two hundred of their prime Nobility to appease their incensed Deity Good God whether is nan fallen to be more cruel then a Beast to the children of his own body What slavery is it to serve Satan and what liberty to serve thee Nay they will sacrifice not onely their Estates and children but their lives and all their outward comforts to superstition Verberari à dae mone mallebat quam à Deo coronari Mendoz. in 1 Sam. 8. How did the worshippers of Baal cut and lance themselves Ahaz sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that smote him 2 Chron. 28.23 So fervent he was that he chose rather in the service of false gods to be scourged then in the service of the true God to be saved Pur. Pilgrim p. 1478. Among the Mahometans are a sect called the Dervises whose sharp and strict penances exceed those of the Papists they live on the tops of hills solitary for contemplation fast till nature be almost decayed have no cloaths but to cover their nakedness wear such massie fetters of iron upon their legs that they can scarce stir and yet go as fast as they can with them many miles to visit
and soul was steeped in tears and his whole time from the womb to the tomb was spent in sorrows and sufferings full of tribulations And as Antichrist is called a man of sin because he is as Beza observes well Merum scelus Meer sin nothing but sin Isa 53.3 2 Thess 2.3 so the children of God should be men of holiness meer holiness made up of holiness nothing but holiness every part of them should be holy and every deed done by them should be holy holiness in their hearts should as the Lungs in the body be in continual motion and holiness in their life must run through all their words as the Woof through the whole Web. The Jews had their daily weekly monthly yearly addresses unto God to teach us that we must be always trading heavenward that there must be an unwearied commerce an uninterrupted intercourse betwixt God and our souls Saints lives are therefore compared to a walk and called a walking with God or a walking before God they must still walk as in company with him and tread every step as under his eye Gen. 5.22 and 17.1 The Planets because of their wandering nature are sometime nearer to sometime further from the earth yet always within the Zodiack the high-way of the Sun So the Christian though he be sometimes stooping to the earth in his particular calling sometime mounting up to Heaven in the immediate Worship of God yet he must always be in the path of godliness The highway of the Sun of Righteousness Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long saith Solomon Prov. 23.17 Whether a Christian be eating or drinking or buying or selling or plowing or sowing or riding or walking whatever he be doing or whereever he be going he must be always in the fear of the Lord Godliness must be his guide his measure and his end as the salt it must be sprinkled on every dish to make it savoury Thy life O Christian must be so led that it may be a continued serving of God The Precept is full though if a true Christian thou wilt esteem it thy priviledge that whatsoever thou dost thou art to do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 God must be the Alpha and Omega the beginning and end of all thy actions thy duty is to pass the whole time of thy sourjourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 Every moment must be devoted to God and as all seasons so all actions must be sacred There is a Prophesie that in Jerusalem in that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses Holiness to the Lord and the pots in the Lords house shall be like the bowles before the Altar yea every put in Judah and Jerusalem shall be holiness to the Lord of Hosts Zach. 14.20 21. Mark the same Inscription is to be upon the bells of horses and on every pot wich was on the High Priests mitre Holiness to the Lord to teach us That every thing though but of common use should be sanctified to Gods service Vt quicquid aggrediatnr homines sit sacrificium Calv. in loc That every ordinary enterprize saith Calvin should be a sacrifice In the prosecution of this Exhortation I shall First Speak to the nature of this duty and Manner how a Christian must exercise himself to Godliness in the whole course of his life and in every part thereof Secondly I shall lay down some Means for the accomplishing this duty Thirdly I shall annex some Motives to encourage the Reader in this holy Trade and calling First As to the Manner how a Saint may in every passage of his life follow this Trade I shall divide my Discourse into these several Heads 1. How a man may make Godliness his business in religious actions or the Worship of God in general as also in his carriage in hearing or reading in Prayer at the Lords Supper and on the Lords day in particular 2 How a Christian may make Religion his business in his natural actions of eating drinking sleeping and cloathing 3. In his Recreations 4. In his particular vocation or calling 5. In reference to his Relations and Family 6. In his dealings with all men 7. In all conditions whether of prosperity or adversity 8. In all companies whether good or bad 9. In solitariness or when he is alone 10. On a weak-day from morning to night 11. In his visiting the fick 12. Vpon a dying bed CHAP. XI How a Christian may make Religion his business in spiritual Performances and religious Actions FIrst Make Godliness thy business in religious Duties I shall put that first in order which is first in nature and excellency and truly Friend thy special care must be here thy greatest diligence will be little enough when thou comest solemnly into Gods presence Cleanly men wash their hands and brush their cloaths every day but when they are to dine with a King they will wash and scour their hands they will brush their cloaths over and over again that their hands may be if possible clean from the least dirt and their garments from the least dust The true Christian is in all company and in the whole course of his life every day careful to keep his soul clean and his conscience clear nay to encrease his Godliness but when he draweth nigh to God and he hath more special care and extraordinary caution though Tradesmen are all the year long doing somewhat at their callings either casting up their accounts or gathering in their debts or amending something in their commodities which are amiss and therefore have no time for idleness yet at some times of the year they are full of trading their shops are crowded with customers they are all the week either sending out or taking in wares now this time calls for their greatest diligence and watchfulness The time of sacred duty is a Christians market day wherein he is much imployd and therefore it calls for his greatest diligence He that leaves his Shop or loyters in it at such a time must expect that his Shop will quickly leave him The Husbandman hath his seasons to Plow and Sow in which if he be heedless and careless about that either his seed be smutty or his servant slothful he can look for but a mean and poor harvest The hours of praying and reading and hearing are the Saints opportunities and seasons of grace if he be not then careful and consciencious to Plow up the fallow ground of his heart and to sow to the Spirit his return will be very inconsiderable he will Reap but a thin crop But truely friend if thou hast no respect to thy souls good God hath to his own glory and though he stoop to thee ingiving thee leave to seek his face and hear his voice yet he will not be slighted by thee He is a glorious and jealous Majesty and esteemeth it a disparagement to him for any to wait upon him without their best attire Though Vzzah be
have taken upon me to speak unto thee Lord who am but dust and ashes saith Abraham Gen. 18.27 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies which thou hast shewed to thy servant saith Jacob Gen. 32.10 I am a worm and no man saith David So foolish was I and ignorant even as a beast before thee saith Asaph I am more bruitish then any man I have not the understanding of a man saith Agur. O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee for our iniquities are encreased over our heads and our trespasses is grown up unto the Heavens saith Ezra I am a man of unclean lips saith Isaiah They all have learned the same Lesson as Scholars in the same form they all speak the same Language as children of the same Father It is reported of Aristippus the Cynick that he used to fall on the ground before Dionysius when he presented a petition to him O what posture is low enough when we go to the infinite and incomprehensible God in prayer He humbleth himself to open his eyes upon us well may we be humble when we open our mouthes and hearts to him Job 14.3 Reader if thou wouldst have thy prayers heard let them be humble God loves to walk in the low valleys Lord thou hast heard the desires of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart and wilâ— bow thine ear Psal 10.17 Though God behold the proud afar off and disdains so much as to open his eyes or give them a look yet he will be sure to draw near to the humble and vouchsafe to open his ears and his very heart to them Psal 138.6 Isa 66. â—2 He that can have his face shine and take no notice is a fit person to go up into the Mount and converse with God 2. Thy prayers must be hearty Thy tongue and heart must keep time and tune Give ear to my prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips Psal 17.1 If in prayer thou art as Ephraim a silly Dove without an heart and givest God onely the calves of thy lips they will be as unacceptable as Jeroboams Calves at Dan and Bethel which provoked the Lord to anger The Jews have this Sentence written in their Synagogues where they meet to pray A prayer without the heart is like a body without a soul What a deformed loathsome spectacle is a body without a soul truly so is thy prayer without thy heart God respecteth the heart in prayer above any thing men minde the expressions most but God mindeth the affections most Let us draw night to God with a true heart let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the Heavens Heb. 10.22 Lam. 3.41 God looketh not so much to the Elegancy of thy prayers how neat they are nor to the Geometry of thy prayers how long they are but to the sincerity of thy prayers how hearty they are Senec. lib. 1. henefic cap 8. Socrates made more account of poor Aeschines for giving himself to him then of Alcibiades and other rich Scholars who gave him large presents God esteemeth infinitely more of an heart-sprung though broken prayer then of dissembling petitions cloathed with and drest up in the neatest and most gaudy expressions The heart is the mettal of the bell the tongue is but the clapper When the mettal of the bell is right and good as silver such will the sound be if the mettal of the bell be crackt or lead the sound will soon discover it to a judicious ear God can see the diseases and spots of the heart upon the tongue O it is dangerous to do as some Princes with their neighbours who set on foot a Treaty of peace for their own ends but resolve beforehand that it shall never be brought to any period As Jacob said to his mother If I dissemble my Father will finde me out and I shall meet with a curse instead of a blessing So say I to thee if thou dissemblest in prayer thy God will finde thee out and thou wilt meet with a curse a blow instead of a blessing There is no going to God as Jeroboams wife thought to go to the Prophet in a disguise Under the Law Notandum illud est quod quae offeruntur in Holocaustan interiorasunt quod exterius esi Domino no offertur â—tpel li Hom. 5. the inward parts were onely to be offered to God in Sacrifice The skin belonged to the Priests whence Origen inferreth That truth in the inward parts is that which is most pleasing in a Sacrifice Indeed others compass God about with lies and therefore highly provoke him They did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongue for their heart was not right with him Psal 78.36 37. Hosea 11.12 It is sinful for thee to tell a lye to thy fellow Creature but how abominable is it to tell a lye to the Almighty Creator Thy prayer without thy heart will be Sacriledge not a Sacrifice When the heart is Rector chori cheif leader of the Quire then the voice is pleasant indeed in Gods ear The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth Psa 145.18 When the Wife giveth the Husband her heart and defileth not the Marriage bed he will if wise bear with many infirmities in her When the heart in prayer is devoted to God he is pleased out of his grace and goodness to pardon and pass by many imperfections in the duty but if that bed be prostituted to any other he gives a divorce to the Sacrifice and putteth it away for he is a jealous God Jacobs small present could not but be acceptable to Joseph because it was the best of the Land The heart of man is but little yet it is the best of man and therefore taken kindly by God The main enquiry at prayer is concerning the heart As Jonadab was asked by Jehu so is the Christian by God Is thy heart right as mine is Then come up into my Chariot then come to the Throne of grace and welcome Thirdly thy prayers must be fervent Prayer is a duty which consisteth not in words or expressions but in the working of the affection therefore it is called a crying to God Out of the depth I have cryed to thee Psa 130. a renting the heart Joel 2.13 as if the heart were by prayer torn in peices and a pouring out the soul as if the body had been left without life the soul being departed and ascended to Heaven in holy petitions The true Beggar is ever earnest for spiritual Almes he will not let God go without a blessing Gen. 32. Paulus Aemilius being to fight with the Macedonians would never give over Sacrificing to his God Hercules till he had some sign of victory The Christian is more urgent with the true God then the Heathen is with his God of clouts When Daniel prayed with what force were his words uttered with
special treasure into the hands of the Children of men that they might obey his will and know the just one And Reader it is thy duty to search and study this book When Kings send out their Proclamations either concerning acts of grace or some Law which their Subjects ought to obey they expect that all should take notice of them and give them the reading and hearing What an affront dost thou offer to the King of the whole World if thou turnest thy back upon his word I must tell thee it is no less then crimen loesae Majestatis He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10.16 Thou mayst think possibly that by neglecting to hear thou dost onely contemn the Preacher but beleive me it is a contempt of thy Maker Ministers are Gods Embassadors Now to deny an Embassador audience is one of the greatest disrespects which can possibly be offered him nay it is an affront to his Prince on whose errand he cometh and whose person he representeth and what is the conclusion usually of such bad premises but a bloody War Confider what thou dost when thou refusest him that speakest from heaven for if thou shuttest the windows of thine eyes from reading and the door of thine ears from hearing God may clap such a padlock of a judiciary curse upon them both that thou shalt never open thine eyes nor ears till thou comest as the rich Glutton to see Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom and to hear and bear thy part in those dreadful screechings and howlings which are in Hell It is a mercy that the Tree of Knowledge the Word of God is not forbidden but commanded fruit nay that it groweth in the very path to the Tree of life O why shouldst thou then like the Pharisees reject the counsel of God against thy own soul If thou art a childe of Adam I am sure thou hast thy deaths wound now by neglecting the Word thou like a frantick Patient throwest away that plaister which onely can cure thee Do not say thou wast not warned of thy danger and duty I do here shew thee the hand and seal of the King of kings to that Warrant to which I require thy obedience The Scripture is the Word of Christ and God commandeth thee upon thine allegiance to hear him Colos 3.16 Matth. 3.17 The Word is the Cabinet in which thy Saviour that Pearl of infinite price is laid up and therefore thou art commanded to look into it for this Jewell Search the Scriptures for they are they which testifie of me John 5.39 The Word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and speaketh such a diligent search as covetous men make for silver they spare for no labour that they may attain their Deified Treasure What shouldst not thou do for durables Riches and Righteousness But Reader if thou art a childe of God I doubt not but thou delightest to look into thy Fathers will and weightest every Word in it as knowing that in his Testament there is a great charge committed and a great legacy bequeathed to thee It is thy daily Companion and Counsellour thou darest not go without thy cordial being liable every day to faint nor without thy weapons being called every hour to fight The Scriptures are the light by which thou walkest and the tools with which thou workest Let me perswade thee to persevere in this gracious practice Take the counsel of the Author of it who is fittest to give Laws for thy carriage towards it Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly Colos 3.16 The Word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifieth to keep house with you Do not leave thy Bible as some do at Church and hear nothing of it all the week long but bring it home to thy house let it dwell with thee Let not the Word be as a way-faring man to tarry with thee but for a night and so be gone but let it be an inhabitant one that accompanieth thee to bed and board and with whom thou conversest continually as thy familiar and intimate friend Make thine heart as Jerome saith of Nepotians by his assiduous reading and hearing the Scriptures Bibliothecam Christi The Library of Jesus Christ I cannot but think that thou hast found the Bible so bountiful a Guest to pay thee so liberally for its board that thou hast bid it heartily welcome and wouldst not part with it for the whole world Agesilaws is commended saith Xenophon because he never went to bed nor rose up before he had looked into Homer whom he called his Sweet-heart Advise thou with a Divine at least as often as he did with a prophane Author Kings have their Counsellors and great men their Remembrancers Let Gods testimonies be the men of thy council Psa 119.24 Let not others negligence abate the least of thy diligence but rather by an Antiperistasis let their extreme coldness double thine inward heat As the fire is hotest when the weather is coldest so Davids heart boiled with zeal after it when the waters of others affections to it were frozen They have made void thy Law therefore I love thy Commandments above gold yea above fine gold Therefore I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right Psal 119.126 127 128. O consider what love the Saints of God have ever had to his Law Luther said That he hated the Books he made and could wish them all burnt lest the time spent in reading them might hinder the reading of the Scriptures O how love I thy Law saith David The godly have meditated therein day and night they have esteemed it above the sweetest honey and the finest gold the Martyrs in England have given much of their Estates for a few leaves of it and they laid down their lives before they would lose the precious fruit in it The French Protestants saith their Historian burnt in zeal to the Word whilest the bloody Papists burnt them for the Word Scipio Africanus was applauded for having usually in his hands the books of Xenophons Institutions of Cyrus O let this Book of books be often before thee and always in thee let it be thy mediation all the day One would think that he who knoweth and believeth the contents of the Word should hardly ever let a Bible be out of his hand at least he will lay it up as the two Tables in the Ark in his heart Scriptura est cor ipsa anima Dei Greg. One of the Fathers calls it The heart and soul of God Indeed as a man by his word discovereth his minde and will so God by the Gospel which is his Word revealeth his eternal good will to men It is the Copy of his everlasting love of which his Decree is the Original containing all his pecious thoughts before the foundation of the World of redeeming miserable man with the blood of his Son and making him an heir
Manna the Bread of Heaven and what a condition is thy poor soul in then They that have the Green-sickness care not for solid food but hanker after trash They have souls sadly sick that neglect the good Word of God and long after the fancies and wit of men God doth by the foolishness of preaching save them that believe that he alone might have the glory of their salvation That the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us 2 Cor. 4.7 When men nibble at the bait of Humane Eloquence and are caught the skill of the Angler is applauded but when men bite at the naked hook the simplicity of the Gospel all will grant this to be a miracle and say This is the finger of God Dost thou not see that as Daniel and his companyons thrived better and looked fairer with feeding upon pulse then the other Captives who fed on the Kings dainty provision Optimi concionatores ad vulgus sunt dixit Lutherus qui puriliter trivi aliter populariter sim lieiâ— sime dâ—cent Melch. Adam in vita So those Christians in every Parish look abroad where you will thrive more in holiness and are fairer in Gods eye who feed on plain naked Scripture then those whom no dishes will please but such as are curiously cooked for a Kings Palate Thou wilt not believe but that thy face may be seen in a glass where the sides are not guilded thou wilt chuse an horse not by its trappings and fine furniture but by its usefulness and serviceableness Why shouldst thou be so childish as to be in love with no garments but what are daubed with Silver lace when other plain raiment will warm thy body as well Reader if the fault be not thine own thou mayest gain much nay I must say most good by plain preaching Those that dwell by the Sea side gather up those precious commodities bequeathed to the Sea at the death or wrack of the ship when the Sea is lowest which they cannot do when the waters are highest I do not here plead for vain repetitions and tedious circumlocutions nor for them that dress their meat so slovenly that their Guests loath it I know it s below the Majestie of a King when he is delivering his minde by his Ambassador to play the Orator but it is not below him to speak sense and reason Wise men love a neat compact discourse but it must be more full of matter then words convincing the judgement and working upon the affections Plain solid Sermons are most acceptable to pious and serious souls There is a vast difference between washing the face of a Discourse clean and painting it the former is lawful and commendable the latter sinful and abominable Ministers must minde the capacities of their Auditories and not put that meat into their mouthes which their teeth cannot chew nor their stomachs concoct Their Sermons of quiddities haeccieties and School nicities may in the opinion of giddy men tend to their own praise but never to their hearers profit Such men when their children ask bread give them stones which may choak them but will not cherish them It is pity he should ever teach School that will not speak to his Scholars so as they may understand him But the worst supposition is Thy Teacher may be untaught himself his life may give the lye to his lips As to this prejudice 1. Remember That an accusation must not be received against an Elder except under two or three witnesses thy charity O Christian and the Dignity of his Calling must both move thee to be slow to believe As it is sinful to raise up an evil report Constantine the Emperor said That if he saw a Bishop committing uncleanness he would rather cover that foul fact with his Imperial robe then suffer it to be divulged to the dishonor of the Gospel so it is sinful to take up an evil report whoever laid it down ready for thee But secondly if thy Pastor like a wooden Vessel giveth that wine to thee which he never tasteth nor savoureth himself be not therefore wholly discouraged If it be true that thy Minister is false to God and his own soul that he onely wears Christs livery that he might the more unsuspected do the Devils work I confess it is matter of great lamentation the good Lord take care either for their conversion or ejection for certainly they being listed under Christs colours and false to their Captain do his adversary the Devil double service The sins of Teachers are the Teachers of sins they who forget their Sermons will remember their sins to patronize their own But if the providence of God should binde thee to such a Pastor which is no small unhappiness consider that God fed Elijah by a Raven and surely he can feed thee by an unclean creature He increaseth sometimes his Enemies gifts that they might be instrumental to increase his peoples graces It is unquestionable in my judgement though some I know doubt it that a sinner may convert a soul and my reason is this because the operation of the word doth not depend upon the piety of the Preacher but upon the free grace and power of the Lord. Yet I must also confess that I beleive that God doth not so often vouchsafe to his enemies as to his friends that honour and happiness But as bad as he is God may use him to do thee good As the best Ministers Sermons are not to be received for their good lives sake so the worst Ministers Preaching is not to be rejected because of their evil practices A blind man may hold a Candle to give light to others whilst he himself remains in the dark the Sun of righteousness may convey the light of holiness into the house of thine heart through this sluttish Window Thou mayst derive water from the Fountain of life through a leaden pipe A deaf bell may be useful to call a Christian to Church and he that never heard so as to live may call a soul to Christ Wholesom Sugar may be in a poisoned Cane The Egyptian Jewels were helpful to the Tabernacle David made the spoiles of the Gentiles service able to the Temple and surely the son of David can make the parts and guifts of an Egyptian an Enemy to God serviceable to thy soul The Pharisees in the days of Christ were many of them vicious persons yet they fitting in Moses Chair Christ doth not deny them audience but commandeth his Disciples to distinguish between their words and their works he doth not forbid them to hear their Doctrine but enjoyn them to forbear their doings Mat. 23.2 3. 2. The second thing requisite to preparation is this Before thou goest to hear labour to affect thine heart with the necessity excellency and efficacy of the word There was half an hours silence in Heaven before the seventh Trumpet sounded thy duty is to weigh the nature and end of the word before thou goest
to hear that Trumpet sounded by one of the Angels of the Churches Consider its necessity Mary minded the one thing necessary indeed she gave the word her heart but the way to it was this she gave it her ear She sat at Christs feet and heard his word The custom even in those days was for the Teacher to Preach either out of a Desk or Pulpit or some place above the people hence their hearers sitting below them are said to sit at their feet Urge thy soul with this The word which I am going to hear in regard of the ordination of God is absolutely necessary to my spiritual and eternal good I am dead and it is the word that must enliven me I am blind it is the word that must enlighten me It is absolutely necessary that I know my sins and misery now the word must do this and is therefore called a glass Jam. 1. It is absolutely necessary that I know my Saviour and the way of my recovery now the word must do this and is therefore called faith and life Joh. 6. Rom. 3. It is necessary to open mine eyes to see Christ to open my heart to receive Christ and that Heaven hereafter may be open to my poor soul My soul is sinful and its the word that must sanctifie it My soul is sick it is the word that must heal it My soul is hungry and its the word must feed it or I shall starve My soul is thirsty and its the word that must satisfie it or I shall die for thirst whatsoever conditions of misery I am in it is the word that must give sutable consolations to support me whatsoever relations of life I stand in it is the word that must give sutable exhortations to direct me whatsoever service I am called to whether of doing or suffering it is the word which must releive me with sutable supply O of what concernment is this word to my well being in this and the other World I must be sanctified or I can never be saved I must turn to God or burn in hell and the word must do this for me or it will never be done good Lord how should I hear Men are careless about things which are indifferent but they are careful about things that are absolutely necessary Necessity makes men strive oftentimes beyond their strength None work so hard as they that have necessity for their Master Consider its excellency It is the Word of God though thou dalliest when men are speaking yet surely it becomes thee to be serious when the great God is speaking It is of divine inspiration All Scripture is given by inspiration of God The Ephesians cryed up their Idol Diana because it was the Image which fell down from Jupiter Great is Diana of the Ephesians O how shouldst â—â—ou prize and prepare for the Word when it came down from the great God Men were but the Organs through which the Almighty God spoke Non vox hominum sonat It is the voyce of God and not of man It is of Divine operation I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 What wonders hath the great God wrought by his Word He hath given eyes to the blinde feet to the lame ears to the deaf life to the dead by his Word What legions of Devils and lusts hath he unkennel'd and cast out with his Word Hannibals Sword Some write of the Weezel that it doth aure concipere ore parere conceive in the ear c. He hath caused many a soul to hear and live by his Word he hath awakened many a soul that was asleep in sin by the voice of the Scriptures and caused them to arise and work out their own salvations Thousands of poor creatures who were sinking into the bottomless Hell have by Gods hand stretched out in his Word been delivered from going down to the pit and lifted up to Heaven It is a Word of Divine Institution and of Divine Benediction Revel 1.3 It is the Word in which the Father speaketh John 6.45 Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me It is the Word of Christ Heb. 12.25 Col. 3.16 In it the Spirit speaketh to the Churches Rev. 2.11 The pearl hid in it the Scriptures are they that testifie of Christ John 5.39 the price paid for it both Testaments are sprinkled with the bloâ—â— of Jesus Heb. 9.27 do fully speak the excellency of it Now Reader think with thy self thus I am going to hear that Word which hath God for its Author Jesus Christ for its matter and Eternal Life for its end Shall I like a beastly Swine trample these invaluable Jewels under my feet shall that which is infinitely more precious then fine gold be esteemed by me as dirt It is the picture of Gods own excellencies how chary should I be of the picture for the Persons sake Ah how tender should I be of that glass which hath wine in it more worth then Heaven and Earth Would it not be a thousand pities that I should suffer the Flies of my wandring thoughts to corrupt and spoil this Box of Precious Oyntments Consider the efficacy of it The revealed Word is like the essential Word for the fall as well as for the rise of many in Israel As there is nothing so evil but a serious holy person may get good out of it like some Creatures we read of he may digest and fetch nourishment out of Serpents so there is nothing so good but a careless graceless heart may pervert to his hurt like the Spider he may suck poyson out of the sweetest Rose The Word will work one way or other if it work not for thy salvation it will work for thy damnation if it be not a savour of life to life it will be a savour of death to death As the rain cometh down and watereth the earth and returneth not thither again so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void Isa 55.10 11. The Word is compared to fire Fire doth either purifie the mettal or consume it the Word will either convert thee or confound thee The Sea sinks some Vessels and lands others safely the Scripture will either further thee towards Heaven or towards Hell The ways of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them but the transgressors shall fall therein Hosea 14. ult Mark Reader what an Engine is here to screw thee up to the greatest attention to the Word which is possible It is like strong physick to a person exceeding sick which either mends them or ends them Think thus with thy self I am going to hear that Word which will not be in vain but will either kill me or cure me this Sword of the Spirit is sharp and keen if it doth not defend me it will destroy me O it is bad jesting with such edged tools How sad
will it be for me to finde death about the lips of Christ to fall into Hell with a stumble at the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven How exceedingly am I concerned to set my heart to all the words which I shall hear this day for it is not a vain thing but it is for my life Deut. 32.46 47. Urge thy soul in earnest with these particulars As Elisha stretching himself upon the young dead child at last got life and quickning into it so thou forcing and stretching as it were these things upon thy heart mayst quicken it how dull and dead soever it is Thirdly if thou wouldst prepare thy self for the Word entreat God to bless it to thee The operations of the Spirit must accompany the administration of the Word or it will be ineffectual It is the Spirit that quickneth John 6.63 The fire burneth naturally and the water cooleth naturally but if the fire of the Word ever burn up thy corruptions or the water of the Word refresh thee with real consolations it must not be by its own nature but by a Divine power If thine eye be opened by that eye-salve of Scripture to see Christ in his native beauty or thy self in thy natural deformity God must anoint thine eyes therewith therefore David beggeth this favour at Gods hand Open mine eyes that I may see wonderful things out of thy Law Psal 119.18 As good sight as David had he could not read in Gods Law without Gods light If the door of thine heart be opened by this key to give admission to the King of Glory Gods hand must turn the key The Lord opened the heart of Lydia that she attended to the words of Paul Acts 16. Paul might have preached his heart out before Lydia's heart would have opened to let the Word in if God had not undertaken the work If the Sword of the Word pierce thy soul hack and hew and slay thy most beloved sins those enemies within thee which would not have Christ to reign over thee the arm of the Lord must weild it The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 10.4 Surely that voice of Thunder must come from Heaven which can pluck up the strong trees of thy natural unbelief and senslessness and pull down the high Towers of pride and self If the Word which is called a Seal Rom. 6.17 ever imprint thy Saviours Image on thee to thy Regeneration God must adde weight to the Seal or it will make no stamp He hath of his own will begotten you by the Word of Truth James 1.21 He that made the Watch can make it strike right and he that made the Word can make it strike home even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow Hebr. 4.12 If the Word which is called life John 6.63 quicken thee to thine eternal Salvation God must breathe on thy dry bones and bid thee live I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 It was the Angels troubling the waters which made the Pool of Bethesda medicinal to the diseased people And it is not the water of the Word which can heal thy soul-sicknesses unless the Angel of the Covenant work in it and with it Elijahs mantle could not divide the waters of Jordan but the Lord God of Elijah did it The Preacher may shew thee thy Lesson but God onely can help thee to learn it Reader before thou hearest Remember it is Gods prerogative to open thine ear Mine ear hast thou boared Psal 40.6 There is a thick film in thine ears naturally which hindreth thine hearing thine ears are stopt that Sermons can have no passage Now God alone can with his Seringer dissolve the wax congealed there and break through the skin whereby thou mayest come to hear and live Remember that the seeing eye and the hearing ear the Lord hath made them both Prov. 20.12 Therefore intreat him to open thine eyes that thou mayst see his comely face in the Glass of the word and to open thine ears that thou mayst hear his lovely voice in the word and to open thine heart that thou mayst receive grace from him through the word Say as David Shew me thy way O Lord teach me thy paths Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works Psa 25.4 Psa 119.27 And be not discouraged either at the misteriousness of the word or at thine own dulness for he that made the lock can help thee to a key that will fit all its wards But be sure thou forget not to commend thy Minister to God As thy duty is to beg a door of entrance for thy self so a door of utterance for thy Pastor Withall praying for us that God would open to us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ Col. 4.3 Ephes 6.19 Thy profit by him will be not a little furthered by thy prayer for him He that loves his child will often remember the Nurse that feeds it He that loves his precious soul will often mind the Preacher that prepareth and bringeth its spiritual portion I have known some to praise their Cooks highly when they would prevail with them to dress a Dish curiously for their palates I am sure thy way is to pray for thy Pastor fervently if thou wouldst have him provide such food as may be for thy souls pleasure and profit Starve the Mother and you starve the child in her womb If the Heavens do not favour the Hils with shours they cannot fatten the Valleys with their chalky streams If the Pipes be broke which convey water to our houses from the River we can expect no supply 4. Let thine end in going to hear be to please God and profit thy soul Propound a good endin hearing if thou wouldst have a good end of hearing Some go to Church for nothing like the Athenians the greatest part knew not wherefore they were met together Act. 17. They have as much as they come for They come for nothing and they often go away with nothing Others go to carp and catch at the Preacher as the Herodians went to Christ to entangle him in his talk Mat. 22.15 These go not to hear Gods word but to do the Devils work and he will pay them their wages These flie to the carcass not to defend it but to devour it A third sort go to hear wit and parts neat expressions and an affecting graceful pronounciation like the Jews to hear Ezekiel Lo thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument Ezek. 33.32 These go to hear man not to hear God They hear out of curiositie not out of conscience they desire to have their ears tickled
render this Engine of the Word fruitless whereby the Strong-holds of his Kingdom have been battered and broken down Therefore as a Jaylor will sometimes let his prisoners have their hands and feet at liberty so long as the doors of the Prison are barred and bolted that they cannot run away So he will let thee have thy hand at liberty for some acts of charity and thy feet at liberty to walk in some path of civility so long as he can but have the doors of thine ear and heart lockt fast that thou canst not get from him He knoweth Christ waiteth at the outward door of the ear that he might thereby come to the inward door of thy heart and deliver thee a poor Captive out of his hands For this cause if it be possible he will keep the street door shut he will hinder thee from hearing as in Gods presence he will finde thee other work to do then to hear it may be he will get thee to play and toy as he doth many great ones or if not to be talking to thy pew-fellows or to be reading possibly somewhat finful at least somewhat unseasonable or to have thy heart in thine own house whilest thy body is in Gods house or as a childe though thou art at thy book he will make thee look off if but a Butter-fly come by he will set thee about some business or other unless thou art serious as in Gods sight that thou shalt never have so much leisure as to hear even when thou art in the Church It is reported of Henry the third King of France that in a solemn Procession at Paris hecould not be without his Jester who walking between the King and the Cardinal made mirth to them both in the mean time there was brave devotion Alas they that hear in jest will finde Hell to be hot in earnest Were not men Indians and Infidels in English habits did they but believe the invaluable worth of their souls the consequence and weight of their unchangeable estates what a searching trying time the hour of death will be and what dreadful terrible things will be seen at the day of Judgement Good Lord how would they hear The Minister need not call to them to attend to the Word of God they would of themselves give it their ears and mindes and hearts and think all too little for it 2. Apply the Word to thine own soul The Word is a salve of soveraign vertue Some talk of the Weapon-salve that it heals at a distance but the Word will not it must be applied to the sore or it will never cure The Word is seed preaching is the sowing of this soed application of it to thy heart is the harrowing of this seed into the earth If the seed be thrown on the ground and not harrowed in we can expect no harvest A good hearer is said to eat the Word Thy words were found by me and I did eat them Jer. 15.16 Eat of my bread and drink of the wine which I have mingled Prov. 9.5 It is not the bread in the cupboard of the Bible or on the table of a Sermon which will nourish thy soul unless it be by application of it to thy self eaten and taken down into thy stomack The glass of wine in thine hand will not make thy heart glad the precious promises in thine ears will not rejoyce thee they must by application be drunk down then they will refresh and comfort thy Conscience Faith is both the mouth to receive in and the stomack to digest this spiritual food It is worthy thy observation how frequently the Holy Ghost attributeth the famous effects and heroick acts of the Word to this Commander in chief under whose couragious and wise conduct it warreth The Word fighteth boldly and worketh miraculously under Faiths banner The Gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation to them that believe Rom. 1.16 It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1.21 so also 2 Tim. 3.15 Application is the life both of preaching and hearing If the Threatnings and Curses of the Law are preached faith is to them as the powder to the bullet causing them to make grievous havock and to do great execution upon the lusts of a man Faith turneth those stones as I may speak into bread and helpeth the Christian like Sampson to fetch meat out of the eater If the Precepts and Commands of the Law are preached Faith is the eye to see the Equity in them and the Excellency of them and Faith is the hand to put them into practice If the Promises and Comforts of the Gospel are preached Faith is to them as Induction to a Minister it gives him actual possession of them it makes them his own Faith in the Threatnings causeth Humiliation Faith in the Precepts causeth Subjection and Faith in the Promises worketh Consolation If at any time thou goest from hearing dead and undone thou mayest say to Faith as Martha to Christ If thou hadst been here my soul had not dyed The unbeliever like a man in a swoon shuts his mouth against those life-recalling Cordials which are before him in the Gospel Other sins wound the soul but Unbelief like Joab strikes under the fifth rib and kills outright Unbelief spoileth all An Unbeliever is dead he cannot hear Christ in his Word he is blind he cannot see God in the Gospel like Hagar though a Fountain be before him he beholdeth it not Unbelief makes the Word like rain upon Rocks wholly useless and fruitless What is said of the Essential Word is true of the Revealed Word It can do no mighty works because of their unbelief Unbelief is a Bulwark whereby sin secureth it self against all the darts and shot which the Word dischargeth at it What was the reason that the Word was not helpful to the Jews Heb. 4.2 The word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Unbelief was the crack in the Glass through which this inestimable Water of Life did leak out and so was lost Nay What made the Word hurtful to them This leaven of Unbelief sowred all 1 Pet. 2.8 That Rock on which Faith builds an house which reacheth up to Heaven Unbelief stumbleth at and tumbleth the soul into Hell 3. Let the Word come with Authority and Power to thy Conscience This is one of the chiefest ingredients that goeth to the composition of a Preacher that he speak as Paul did in demonstration of the Spirit and of power 1 Cor. 2.4 By this force wherewith he spake and execution which he did that incomparable pattern of Preachers the Captain of our Salvation was distinguished from the Pharisees who in discharge of this holy Ordinance onely made false fire He taught as one having Authority and not as the Scribes And the people were astonished at his Doctrine Matth. 7.2 ult ver He is the best Souldier who in this Warfare makes
sinking into the boundless bottomless Ocean of destruction and misery through his falseness and treachery When lo on a sudden the Glorious God out of the superabundant riches of his mercy resolving that the Devil should never rob him of the honor of that manifold Wisdom unsearchable Goodness and Almighty Power which had been manifested in the work of Creation did provide and cast out the Covenant of Grace a plank sufficient for his poor shipwrackt Creature to swim safe to shore on As all the Rivers meet in the Sea and all the lines in the Centre so do all the comforts of Mankind meet in this Covenant The whole Scripture is sincere milk but this Covenant is the Cream of it All our mercies are contained in it all our hopes are sustained by it and our Heaven is at last attained through it The blessed God doth not onely enter into a Covenant of mercy but out of compassion to our infirmities hath been pleased to confirm it by his hand and seal By his hand in his word by his seals by the privy-seal of his Spirit and by the broad-seals of the Sacraments that by these immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Heb. 6.18 The Lords Supper is a sign and seal of the Righteousness of Faith or the Covenant of Grace Rom. 4.11 When the blessed Saviour was taking a doleful farwel of an ungrateful world as a lively resemblance of his sufferings for his and as an undeniable evidence of his love to his he instituted this Supper 1. As a lively resemblance of his passion for his people A crucified Christ is the sum of the Law and the substance of the Gospel the knowledge of him is no less worth then Eternal life Now as he was crucified by the Jews and Souldiers actually and by unbelieving Gentiles who live amongst us interpretatively so he is crucified in the Gospel declaratively and in the Sacrament representatively This Cup saith Christ is the new Testament in my blood 1 Corinth 11.25 The Old Testament was sprinkled with the blood of Beasts but the New Testament with the blood of Christ Hebr. 9.15 19. This precious blood which was the costly price of mans Redemption which is the onely path to Eternal Salvation which was promised to Adam believed by the Patriarchs shadowed in the Sacrifices foretold by the Prophets and witnessed in the Scriptures is drunk received signified and sealed in the Supper Christ instituted this ordinance also to be a standing evidence of his affection to his The same night that he was betrayed he took bread The dearest Jesus kept his best wine till the last He knew his Disciples would be full of sorrow for his departure he therefore provided his strongest cordial against their saddest fainting fits After the Passover he took bread and instituted the Sacrament After Supper then comes the Banquet the Sweet-meats At the Lords Table Christ kisseth his Spouse with the sweetest kisses of his lips and ravisheth her heart with his warmest love In other Ordinances he Wooeth her in this he Marrieth her In other Ordinances she hath from him the salutes of a loving friend but in this the embraces of an Husband Other duties are pleasant and wholsom food but this is the costly delightful feast In this Christ bringeth his beloved into his Banqueting house a store-house of all sweet delights of variety of delicacies and his Banner over her is love Cant. 2.4 A certain man made a great Supper Luk. 14.16 I may truely say so of the Sacrament This is a great Supper in regard of its Author The great God is Master of the feast He gave his own Son for the life of the World 2. In regard of the matter of it which is the flesh of Jesus Christ Men set bread and wine on the Table but Christ setteth his own body and blood there In this ordinance we eat not onely Panem Domini sed panem Dominum The bread of the Lord but the bread which is the Lord. The gods say they are come down in the likeness of man behold here God the Son cometh down in the likeness of bread and wine he himself is eat and drunk by faith Is not this a rare banquet 3. In regard of the great price of it Banquets are costly but O what did this feast cost Beasts are slain before they can be food for our bodies but Lo here the Lord of life was put to death that he might be food for our starving souls Cleopatra dissolved a pearl worth 50000. l. in Vinegar and drunk it up at a draught but as costly as her liquor was it was much worse then puddle water in comparison of the precious blood of Christ which the beleiver drinketh at this great Supper 4. In regard of its great effects It sealeth pardon peace and salvation to the Saint it conveyeth the Image and love of God nay God himself into the soul Through the golden pipe of this Ordinance is conveyed the golden Oyl of divine influence There is Manna indeed in this pot Well may it be called a great Supper The Elements are of small value but the Sacrament is of infinite worth A conveyance of land fairly written in Parchment with wax fastened to it is of little price but when it is signed sealed and delivered to the use of a person it may be worth much it may convey thousands A little bread and a spoonful or two of wine are in themselves of very small value but when received according to Christs institution and accompanied with his benediction they will be of unspeakable value they will convey thousands and millions to the beleiver The Lords Supper is indeed like an Elixar which is small in quantity but great in value and efficacy having in it the spirits and substance of many excellent things In prayer all the graces are exercised and so also at the Supper but not onely all the graces but most of the other Ordinances of God are invited to this feast The Word Prayer Singing do all meet at the Table and contribute their help to carry the Christian up to Heaven I premise these things Reader purposely to make thee more wary The corrupting of the best is worst of all Poison in Wine is much worse then in Water Kings expect that their Children should be respected though their officers be refused Surely saith God They will reverence my Son Mat. 21.37 The very work about which he comes will make him welcome Though they refuse my Servants yet they will reverence my Son The Casuists say Sacramentum articulus mortis aequiparantur A man must be looked upon at the Sacramental board as if he were on a bying bed Friend thou shouldst be as serious when thou art going to the Lords Supper as if thou wert going into the other World He that cometh carelesly gets nothing from Christ It
Sam. 26.9 But what is it to murther the Son of God no tongue can tell no pen can write the horrid hainous nature of Christ-murther He is thy everlasting Father It made a dumb childe speak to see another stabbing his Father and wilt thou imbrue thine own hands in thy Fathers blood Jesus Christ is thy King and wilt thou stretch forth thy hands against thy Head thy Soveraign Had Zimri peace who slew his Master Nay Jesus Christ is thy Redeemer and wilt thou put him to death who is the Author of thy life He gave thee thy being and wouldst thou deprive him of his being He is the onely Physician that can cure thee and wilt thou kill him Once more Jesus Christ is God and wilt thou lift up thy hand I would say a thought against the blessed God God deserveth infinitely more love then thou canst possibly give and shall thine heart be so full of hatred as to let fly against the God of Heaven Oh! say with David when Abishai perswaded him to slay Saul The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lords anointed When Satan or thy own heart would perswade thee to be slight in the examination of thy self and formal in thy humiliation for sin that thou mightest be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord let Conscience cry out God forbid that I should stretch out my hand against Jesus Christ the Lords Anointed And truly Friend if after such warning as God gives thee in this head thou shouldst dare to receive unworthily thou wouldst finde it hereafter to thine unspeakable hurt As Reuben told his Brethren when they were in distress Spake I not unto you saying Do not sin against the child and ye would not hear therefore behold his blood is required Gen. 42.22 So if thou now darest to approach the Lords Table in thy sinful unregenerate estate in thy filth and pollution when thou comest to lie under some smart rod or on thy dying bed or at least in the other World Conscience will fly in the face Did I not speak unto thee saying Do not sin against the holy Childe Jesus and thou wouldst not hear therefore behold his blood is required at thy hands O Friend Friend what wilt thou do in such an hour If on him who slew Cain vengeance should be taken sevenfold what vengeance shall be taken on him who slayeth Jesus Christ How dreadful will thy perdition be if the onely Saviour be thine Accuser and that blood which alone can procure thy pardon shall cry for thine eternal punishment O think of it seriously Hast thou never had hard thoughts of the Jews for their cruelty to the Son of God and wilt thou do worse thy self The Jews crucified him but once but thou by continuing an unworthy receiver crucifiest him often The Jews did it ignorantly Had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 but thou knowest him to be the Son of God the Saviour of the World They crucified him in his estate of Humiliation but thou in his estate of Exaltation They had not not thee for a Warning when they put him to death but thou hast them for a Warning to thee They crucified him when he was to rise again the third day but thou so crucifiest him that he might never rise more were it in thy power O take heed what thou dost and be not worse then a Jew Thy suffering He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself 1 Cor. 11.29 Some I know are offended at the translation of the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damnation but I see little reason for it for Damnation is the end of every sin though it be not the end of every sinner Paul speaketh of Believers indeed but as it may be truly said of one that drinketh poyson Such a man drunk his bane though by the help of a Physician such an Antidote may be given as may prevent the Patients death so it may be truly spoken of a Believer who receiveth unworthily He eateth and drinketh his own damnation though through the Grace and Help of Jesus Christ no thank to himself he is recovered out of that sin and saved Beza and the Geneva Translation take it in this sense So the word is taken John 3.17 18. Rom. 3.8 and in several other places Now what an argument is here to disswade thee from going rashly or unpreparedly to the Table of the Lord. That which is a worthy receivers meat will be thy poison the same red Sea of Christs blood which is salvation to others they pass safely through it into the land of promise will be damnation to thee King John Speed as our English Croniclers write Simâ—s Eccks Hist. was poisoned by a cup of Wine The Emperour Henry the seventh was poisoned by the bread in the Sacrament through the treachery and treason of a Monk The Israelites did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink but with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the Wilderness 1 Cor. 10.3 4.5 Those that eat and drink in Christs presence were punished with everlasting perdition Mat. 7.23 And do not please thy self because thou feelest no such poisonous operation at present in unworthy receiving that therefore thou needst not fear it They that eat Italian Figs carry their death about them though they fall not down dead suddenly Therefore Reader take some time and pains to commune with thy own heart before thou goest to the Sacrament Charge it upon its allegiance to God to hear thee patiently and to carry it self sutably If I receive this Supper with an holy preparation it will be a seal of and an help to my eternal salvation it will be an earnest of matchless love and an entrance into an endless happy life but if I eat and drink unworthily there is death in the pot death in the cup I eat and drink my own damation O how doleful is that one word Damnation What a dreadful sound doth it make in mine ears What fearful sighs doth it cause in my soul Damnation is no trifling business God threateneth it in earnest The damned feel it in earnest and shall I jest with it Surely I were better eat the bread of affliction and drink the water of adversity then eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily Canst thou be so bloody as to stab thy self and thy Redeemer to the heart with one blow O my soul bestir thy self awake out of sleep and do not dally about the concernments of eternal life and death let thy care and conscience be such in fitting thy self for this sacred Ordinance that thy Saviour may see thou hast an high respect for his precious blood and a tender regard to thine own everlasting good For thy help about this Ordinance I shall speak 1. To thy duty before the Sacrament 2.
Dignity to be crucified without the gate lest the City should be polluted with his blood Now Reader come along like the beloved Disciple and behold thy Saviour bearing his own Cross and going to the place of execution to dye the death of a Slave for no Freeman was ever crucified therefore Julian in derision called him The staked God He is no sooner come to the dismal place of dead mens skulls but they tear off his cloathes and some think skin and all glued to his back with their bloody scourgings Now they stretch his body as cloth with tenters and rack it so that his bones start out of his skin I may tell all my bones Psal 22.17 in nailing his two hands to the two horns and his feet those parts so full of nerves and sinews and so the most sensible of any parts of the body to the stump of the Cross They digged my hands and my feet and hang him up between two Thieves as the most notorious Malefactor of the three He was numbred among the Trangressors His bloody watching fasting scorched wracked body is oppressed with exquisite pain and his anguish so vehement that he cryeth out I thirst to quench which they give him vinegar and gall and spice it with a scoff to make it rellish the better Let us see whether Elias will come and save him But Oh! who can imagine what he suffered in his soul when he hung under the weight of mens revenge Devils rage the Laws curse and the Lords wrath Men revile him wagging their heads and saying Thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three days save they self He saved others himself he cannot save To him that was afflicted pity should have been shewn but they added affliction to the afflicted and forsook the fear of the Almighty All the Devils in Hell were now putting forth their utmost power and policy for this was their hour and the power of darkness to encrease his sufferings that if possible they might provoke him to sin thereby to have separated his Humane nature from his Divine that it might have perished eternally and all mankinde with it but the sting of his death is yet behind The head of that arrow which pierced his heart indeed was the frown of his Father That his Kinsmen the Jews whom he came to sanctifie and redeem for he was the glory of his people Israel should deliver him up to be crucified was not a small aggravation of his misery That his Apostles that had been eye-witnesses of his miracles and ear-witnesses of his Oracles to whom he had spoken so pathetically Will ye also forsake me and who had told him so resolutely We will go with thee into prison and to death Luke 22.33 Mat. 26.35 should now in his greatest extremity turn their backs upon him added some more gall to his bitter cap That his Mother should stand by the Cross weeping and have her soul pierced through with the sword of his sufferings was far from being an allay to his sorrows but that his Father of whom he had often boasted It is my Father that honoreth me My Father loveth me I and my Father are one should now in his low estate in his day of adversity in his critical hour not onely not help him and leave him alone as an harmless Dove amongst so many ravenous Vultures to contest with all the fury of Earth and Hell but also pour out the Vials of his own Wrath upon him and though the Union was not dissolved yet suffer the beams the influences to be restrained that he might fully bear the curse of the Law and feel the weight of sin this was the hottest fire in which the Paschal Lamb was roasted this caused that Heart-breaking Soul-cutting Heaven-piercing expression My God My God why hast thou forsaken me O how how justly might he have cryed out with Joh. Have pity upon me my friend have pity upon me for the hand not onely of my Enemies and my friends of multitudes of men and of Legions of Divels but the hand of God hath touched me How truely might the Husband have taken up his Spouses lamentation Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Ah who can write or read such a tragedy with dry eyes Friend when thou art at the Sacrament think of these sufferings and beleive it they will make work among thy sins When thou takest the cup of wine do not forget the cup of Worm-wood which thy Saviour drunk for thy sake he drank of the Brook in the way he drank the cup of his Fathers wrath infinitely imbittered with the curse of the law that thou mightest drink the cup of blessing At the Table obey his own command Do this in remembrance of me Secondly Meditate on the affection of Christ We will remember thy love more then wine saith the Spouse when thou seest the wine think of that love which is better then wine Belevie it if ever there were a love-feast this is it Men testifie their love in bestowing food on their hungry friends but ah what love was that which gave his blessed body and precious blood to feed his starving enemies He that considereth what Christ suffered and for whom may well think he was little else but a lump of love His compassion is infinitely visible in his passion What love was that which moved him to lay down his life for thee Friend if ever thou hadst hard thoughs of Christ take a view of him in the former subject of meditation and consider whether his heart be not set upon sinners when he shed his heart blood for their souls The redness of the fire discovers its heat O how did the redness of this Rose of Sharon the blood which issued from his head and back and hands and feet and heart and whole body speak his burning his fiery love Well might the Apostle John joyn and pair those Turtle-Doves Who hath loved us and washed us in his blood Rev. 1.5 In every drop of his blood there is an Ocean of love Well might the Apostle Paul pâ—oduce this as an undeniable testimony of the truth of his love Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 His bleeding passion was such a full demonstration of his dearest affection as the whole World never saw the like before nor ever shall again In it his love was dissected and ript up you may tell all its bones Judas gave him to the Jews out of love to money The Jews gave him to Pilate to becondemned out of love to envy Pilate gives him to the Souldiers to be Crucified out of love to self interest but Christ gave himself out of pure love to save souls The great and glorious God doth things that are singularly eminent for the manifestation of his attributes When he
him and grace 1. Faith must look out for Christ Consider that Jesus Christ is the very soul of the Sacrament without him it is but the carcass of an Ordinance Christ and the Scripture bring comfort Christ and prayer cause spiritual profit Accedat Christus ad elementum fiet Sacramentum Christ and the elements make a Sacrament Christ and the Sacrament make a rare feast Therefore be sure thou look out for Christ Rest not in the bread and wine but look farther When thou sittest at the Table let the speech of thine heart be Saw ye him whom my soul loveth Turn to God and say as they to Philip Sir I would fain see Jesus Lord I would fain see Jesus Christ Let neither word nor prayer nor elements nor all things content thee without Christ As Isaac told his Father Father behold here is the wood and the fire but where is the Lamb for a burnt offering So do thou look up to thy Heavenly Father Father behold here is the Preacher and here is the Scripture here is the bread and here is the wine but where is the body and blood of my Saviour Lord where is the Lamb for a Sacrifice Father Father Where is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World If the Angels that are present at the Sacrament should speak to thee give them occasion for the same language which they gave the Woman at the Sepulchre We know whom thou seekest thou seekest Jesus which was Crucified come see the place where the Lord lay Come see the promise see the elements in which the Lord lyeth Mat. 28.5 6. If the Spirit of God seeing thee so eager and earnest for a sight of Christ should put by the hangings behind which the Lord Jesus hid himself purposely to be sought and present him to thee with his glorious retinue of graces and comforts with the precious fruits of his grievous passion and bespeak thee thus Chear up poor Christian behold the Lamb of God Behold King Jesus with the Crown of thorns wherewith his foes crowned him in the day that he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with greifs Behold King Solomon with the crown wherewith his Father crowned him in the dâ—â— of his Espousals and in the day of the gladness of his heart O Friend what would such a sight be worth to thee I am confident thou wouldst value it above all the silver in the World Well be of good comfort do but look for him and he will look after thee Say to him as the Spouse Make haste my Beloved be thou like the Hart and Roe upon the Mountains of Spices Make no tarrying O my God and doubt not but he will answer thee almost as he doth his Spouse in a sense of mercy not of judgement Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to thee according to thy faith Reader act Maries part and thou shalt meet with Maries portion When Mary went to the Sepulchre John 20.13 she looketh into it seeth the linnen but not the Lord and presently falleth a weeping O saith she they have taken away my Lord They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him Jesus Christ could now no longer absent himself he heard the voice of her weeping and gave her a gracious meeting Mary saith Christ Rabboni saith Mary Now her heart cleaves to him and her hands clasp about him and she hears that golden Message Go to my brethren and tell them I go to my Father and your Father So when thou comest to the Table and seest the linnen and not the Lord Jesus be not satisfied O dart up thy complaints to Heaven Lord I came not to see the linnen I came not for the bread and wine I came to see Jesus Christ O Lord what shall I do they have taken away my Lord and I know not where to finde him Ah Lord whâ—â— is the Word to me without Christ but as a conduit without water and what is the element to me without Christ but as a cup without wine O what wilt thou give me if I go from thy Table Christless Thou mightest be confident that Jesus Christ would hear such sighs and would hasten away to bless and kiss thee 2. Faith must look up to Christ for grace Look up to Christ as a Treasury of grace for the supply of all thy necessities and put thy hand of faith into this Treasury and thou shalt take out unsearchable riches Austin puts the question how a Christian may put out a long arm to reach Christ in Heaven and answers Crede tenuisti Believe and thou hast taken hold of him Christ is a full breast faith is the mouth which draweth and sucketh the breast and getteth spiritual nourishment out of it The blessed Saviour is a precious and deep mine but faith is the instrument whereby we dig the gold out of it As the Spanish Ambassador said of his Masters Treasury in comparison of that Treasury of S. Mark in Venice In this among other things my Masters Treasury differeth from yours in that my Masters Treasury alluding to his Indian Mines hath no bottom as I see yours to have For thy comfort know that the riches in Christ are inexhaustible and his bags are bottomless He can supply all thy needs Philip. 4.13 When thou art at this Ordinance look on Christ as a Fountain running over with the Water of Life and the Sacrament as a Channel cut out by Christ himself to convey Living Water to thy soul Thou art diseased go in this Ordinance to Christ as a Physician to heal thee Thou art an indigent beggar go to Christs Door I mean the Sacrament with an expectation of a large dole Do not sit down in despondency as the Patriarchs in a scarcity of food but since thou hast heard there is corn in Egypt bread enough in thy Fathers house sufficiency of grace in Jesus Christ go make haste to this son of Joseph who is Lord of the Countrey and hath the command of all the store houses in the Land and will load thee with more then thou canst desire Are thy wants many he hath infinite wealth Hast thou no Money to buy no Merits to offer why he selleth without money and without price They that bring Money have it returned back in their sacks for he takes none Whosoever will may drink of the Water of Life freely Revel 22.17 The Sacrament is as a Conduit which receiveth water from the River therefore when thou hast brought the Vessel of thy soul to the Conduit thy work must be by faith to turn the Cock and then it will run freely and fill thy Vessel be sure that thou minde the promise This is my Body This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood Thy faith will be celestial fire to extract the quintessence and spirits of the Promise 3. Faith must receive Christ and apply him to thy soul When thou puttest forth
may not quench this love but rather like Snuffers make this lamp to burn the brighter Beasts love them who feed them Wicked men love their friends and benefactours My very cloaths warming me are warmed by me again and shall not I love him who hath loved me and washed me in his own blood O that I could groundedly cry out with Ignatius My love was crucified and meet this Lord of Heaven as Elijah went up to Heaven in a Chariot of fire in a flame of love Repentance I desire that I may follow Christ at this Ordinance as the Women did to his Cross weeping considering that my sins were the cause of his bitter and bloody suffering and O that as Saul eyed David I might eye them all from that day forward to slay and destroy them When my soul hath been thus feasted with Marrow and fatness After the Sacrament Thankfulness Lord let my mouth praise thee with joyful lips Ah what am I and what is my Fathers house that when others eat the bread of violence and drink the wine of deceit I should eat the flesh and drink the blood of thine own Son What is man that thou art so mindful of him and the Son of man that thou dost thus visit him I wish that I may shew my thankefulness to my God and dearest Saviour for these benefits the worth of which men and Angels can never conceive by the love of my heart the praises of my lips Faithfulness and the exemplariness of my life At the Sacrament Christ gave his body and blood to me and I gave my body and soul a living Sacrifice to him and that before God Angels and Men the Sacrament was Beersheba the Well of an Oath Shall I pollute that heart which was solemnly devoted to God and prophane that Covenant which I have seriously contracted with the most High Should I like Sampson break those bands asunder and fetch that Sacrifice away from the Altar which was tyed with such strong cords of Oaths and Covenants must I not expect to bring the fire along with it O let me never start aside from my vow like a deceitful bow Lord I have sworn and will perform that I will keep through thy strength thy righteous judgements Lastly I desire that I may not onely differ from them who like the Habassiness In Prester Iohns Country will not fpit on a Sacrament day but will spue the next day deny sin at present but afterwards Deifie it that I may not onely be faithful to my Oath of Allegiance but also fruitful in obedience that as Elijah walked in the strength of one meal forty days I may walk in the strength of that Banquet serving my Saviour and my Soul all my days In a word I wish that I may ever after walk worthy of my birth having Royal Heavenly blood running in my veins worthy of my breeding being brought up in the nurture of the Lord fed at his own Table with the bread of Heaven cloathed with the Robes of his Sons Righteousness and that my present deportment may be answerable to my future preferment O that I might in all companies conditions and seasons walk worthy of him who hath called me to his Kingdom and glory Amen CHAP. XXI How to exercise our selves to godliness on a Lords Day BEcause the Lords Day is the special time for Religious Duties I shall therefore Reader give thee here some particular directions for thy Sanctification of it and Edification by it As of all actions none call for more care then holy duties so of all seasons for those actions none commandeth so much caution and Conscience as the Lords Day The first Command teacheth us the object of Worship the second the matter of Worship the third the manner of Worship the fourth the time of Worship That God is to be worshipped Time of worship is juris naturalis one of seven is juris positivi that some time must be set apart for that work is Moral Natural and written on the Tables of all our hearts but that one day of seven must be consecrated to this end is Moral Positive and written on the Tables of stone All Nations have had their seasons for Sacrifice even the Heathen who worshipped dumb Idols had their Festivals and Holy days It is reported of Alexander Severus Emperor of Rome that he would on a Sabbath Day lay aside his Wordly affairs and go into the Capitol to Worship his gods Among those that acknowledge the true God the Turks have their Stata tempora set times of devotion nay they have their Fryday Sabbath But to keep the Lords Day upon a conscientious ground and in a religious manner is peculiar to the true Christian In the primitive times the observation of this day was esteemed the principal sign of a Saint Indeed our Sanctification of it is by God himself counted a sign that he hath sanctified us Exod. 31.13 It is observable that God hath fenced this Command with more hedges then ordinary to prevent our excursions 1. It is markt with a Memento above other commands Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy partly because of our forgetfulness and partly because of its concernments 2. It s delivered both Negatively and Affirmatively which no other commands is to shew how strongly it bindes 3. It hath more Reasons to enforce it then any other Precept Its Equity Gods Bounty His own Pattern and the Days Benediction 4. It s put in the close of the first Est caput Religionis totum Dei cultum continet Willet in Exod. 35.1 and beginning of the second Table to note that the observation of both Tables depends much upon the Sanctification of this day It is considerable also that it is more repeated then other of the Commands Exod. 20.31 14.34 and 24.35 1.19 Levit. 3.28.30 God would have Israel know Omni tempore Sabbato debere cessare Aug. in Exod. quaest 160. in those fore-quoted places that their busiest times earing and harvest and the very building of the Tabernacle must give way to this Precept On the Lords Day we go into Gods Sanctuary and his pleasure is that we reverence his Sanctuary Levit. 19.30 The Jews indeed made a great stir about their outward reverencing the Temple Willet in loc They tell us they were not to go in with a staff nor shoes nor to spit in it nor when they went away to turn their backs upon it but go sideling Ezek. 8.16 but certainly Gods meaning is principally that we do with inward reverence and seriousness worship him in his Sanctuary Reader I desire thee to take notice that the more holy any action is the more heedful thou oughtest to be about it Upon which account the duties of this day require extraordinary diligence for they have a double die of holiness upon them they are double gilt Thy task on that day or the exercises thereof are of Divine Institution
worth ten thousand of us Well might the good Soul run to meet thee in the morning and salute thee with Veni Spousa mea Come my sweet Spouse thee I have loved for thee I have longed and thou art my dearest delight Take heed of counting the Sabbath thy burden and thine attendance upon that day on the Ordinances of God thy bondage It argued spirits full of froth and filth to cry out When will the new Moon be gone that we may sell our corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat Amos 8.5 Count Religious duties not thy fetters but thy greatest freedom Think what the Phaenix is amongst birds the Lyon among beasts Fire among the Elements that is the Lords Day among the days Ordinary days like wax in a shop have their use are worth somewhat but this like wax to some Deeds or which hath the Kings Seal to it is worth thousands What is said of that Day of the Lord may in a gracious sense be spoken of the Lords Day There is none like it before it neither shall be after it Upon this day Christ carrieth the Soul into his Wine-cellar and his Banner over it is Love Upon other days he feeds his members upon this day he feasts them they have their ordinary every day but upon this day exceedings Upon this day he brings forth his living water his best Wine On this day he gives the sweetest bread the finest flower the true meat his own body On this day he met the two Disciples and made their hearts warm and even burn within them by the fire of his words On this day Saints that slept arose out of their beds their graves Mat. 27. On this day the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles On this day the Lord brought forth the light of the World in Creation On this day Christ brought forth the light of his new Heavens and new Earth by his Resurrection On this day St. John had his glorious Revelation containing the Churches state to the Worlds dissolution On this day he visited his dear Apostles with grace and peace saying to them Peace be unto you behold my hands and my feet On this day he burst asunder the bands of death he broke in peices the gates of Hell he led captivity captive trampled upon Principalities and Powers and and triumphed over grave sin the curse of the law and Satan Upon this day he still rides triumphantly in the Chariot of his Ordinances conquering and to conquer casting down high thoughts and subduing sinners to himself It may be said of the Sabbath as of Sion This and that man was born in her and the highest himself shall establish her The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people that this man was born then Selah Psa 87.56 O blessed day how many thousands souls have known thee the day of their new births How willing have the people been in thee day of Gods power in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning thou hast the dews of thy youth Blessed art thou among days from hence forth all generations shall call thee blessed Blessed be the Father who made thee blessed be the Son who bought thee blessed be the Spirit who sanctifieth thee and blessed are all they that prize and improve thee Reader thou hast not a drop of true holiness if thou dost not bless God as is reported of the Jews at the coming in and going out of this holy and blessed day Thirdly Consider there is a present price put into thy hands to get and increase grace and therefore improve it The wisdom of a Christian consisteth in observing his seasons the High God sends man to School to the silly Ant to learn this Art and peice of good Husbandry Go to the Ant thou sluggard consider her ways and be wise which having no Guide Overseer nor Ruler provideth her food in the Summer and gathereth her meat in the Harvest Prov. 6.6 7 8. The Ants are a feeble folk but famous for their forecast and deserve saith one to be fed with the finest of the Wheat for the pattern they give to man They labour not onely all day but even by Moon-light they gather huge heaps together lay it out a drying in a warm day least it should putrifie bite off the ends of the ends of the grain least it should grow but observe the season of this care and diligence She provideth her food in the Summer and gathereth her meat in the Harvest Then that time is the Ants opportunity if she do it not then she cannot do it at all therefore she makes use of that season O that Friend thou wert but as wise for the bread which came down from Heaven as this poor Pismire is for the bread which springs out of the earth Christians are called Doves The Turtle Dove is called in the Hebrew Tor of the Original Tur and thence comes our Latin Turtur which signifieth to observe or search for so this Bird observeth her time of going and coming Jer. 8.7 for she departeth before Winter into some warm climate The Lords day is the Summer thine Harvest time Labour now for Christ and grace or thou art lost for ever The Farmer that loyters at other times will work hard and sweat in Harvest If he do not reap then he knows he can never pay his rent and feed his Family but is ruined Reader if thou dost not on a Lords day gather in grace how wilt thou do to lay out grace in the week days nay how wilt thou do to spend grace upon a dying bed when thou art to step into the other World He that gathereth in Summer is a wise son but he that sleepeth in Harvest is a son that causeth shame Prov. 10.5 The Jews might gather no Manna on the Sabbath but Gentiles must then especially get the bread of life The Water-man must observe when Wind and Tide are for his turn and then bestir himself or otherwise he must come short of his Haven It concerns thee to mind Sabbaths then the gales of the Spirit blow fair for thy voyage then the waters of Ordinances run right for the port to which thou art bound therefore do not then laze and loyter but labour for thy God thy soul and thine everlasting life Therefore shall every one that is godly seek thee in a time when thou mayst be found Psa 32.6 The Musitian must play his lesson whilst the instrument is in Tune because the weather may alter The good Husband for his soul must buy of Christ gold to inrich him and raiment to cloath him while the Fayr lasts for it will quickly be over Esau came too late and lost thereby the blessing many come too late and lose their souls by it To every thing there is a season saith God Eccles 3.1 The Lords day is thy season when grace and mercy are tendered to thee how will thou escape if thou neglectest or carest not for as
of God in Ordinances but also the Marrow of his day that no Lords day may satisfie me without the Lord of the day Alass what is the best time without the Rock of eternity what is the best day without the Ancient of days what are the Ordinances of God without the God of Ordinances what are Sabbaths Sermons Sacraments and Seasons of Grace without the dearest Saviour but as broken Cisterns glorious Dreams or guilded nothings I have read of a good soul who answered his Friend Speak to me while you will no words can satisfie except you mention Christ write to me what you will it will not satisfie except in your Letters I may read Christ O that in no Sermon I might be contented till I hear Christ and that in no Chapter I might be pleased till I can read Christ that as the Needle touched with the Load-stone never resteth till it turn to the North so my heart may be reâ—â— less in holy duties till it turneth to and hath fellowship with the Lord of Heaven The Lords day is an excellent resemblance of my future blessedness wherein I shall enjoy my Saviour fully and my God shall be all in all to me Lord let never this day pass without some taste of those celestial pleasures Meditation on the Works and Word of my God being a duty most in its prime and season on a Sabbath day I beg that what time I spare from publique private or secret performances I may imploy to this purpose that I may behold my God to be infinite in wisdom power and goodness in his foot-steps of creation and stand amazed at that rare Workmanship those curious contrivances of his which Angels look into with admiration that appear in his Master-peice that work of Redemption and for his word let my heart be able to say with David O how love I thy law it is my meditation all the day I wish that I may watch over my thoughts words Watchfulness and actions all the day long in special that as when the holy things belonging to the Sanctuary were to be removed they were covered all over lest any dust should soil them so I may cover my heart with such circumspection that no dust of sin may cleave to it O that I might be so wise and watchful that there may not be the least minute of the day wherein I may not either do or receive some good Lord let no Sabbath pass without some saving good to my precious soul I desire Finally Conclusion of the day that I may not lose the heat of the day in the cool of the Evening I mean that what good If gain from my God through his Ordinances in the day may not be lost by my negligence at night but that as a wise Commander I may then double my Guard and expect with much importunity some evening dews of comfort and grace O that I might so keep the Sabbath of my God chuse the things that please him and take hold of his Covenant that I might so turn away my foot from the Sabbath from doing my pleasure on his holy day Is 56.4 5. and 58.13 and call the Sabbath my delight the holy of the Lord that I may have with the Eunuch within the House of my God a name better then of Sons and Daughters even an everlasting name that shall not be cut off Amen A Good Wish to the Lords day HAil thou that art highly favoured of God Luk. 1.28 thou map of Heaven thou golden spot of the week thou Market-day of souls thou Day-break of eternal brightness thou Queen of days the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among days I may say to thee what the Angel said to Daniel Dan. 9.23 O day greatly beloved Psa 45. Thou art fairer then all the Children of time grace is poured into thy lips God even thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of gladness above thy fellows Of the Jewish Sabbaths and other Festivals in comparison of thee it may be spoken They perish but thou remainest and they all wax old as a Garment Heb. 1.11 12. And as a vesture hast thou folded them up and they are changed but thou shalt maugre the malice of men and Devils continue the same and thy years shall not fail As the Temple succeeded and exceeded the Tabernacle this was fleeting that was fixed so dost thou all former Sabbaths they were but morning stars to usher in thee the Sun and then to disappear Other Festivals in all their Royalty are not arrayed like unto thee All the graces triumph in thee all the Ordinances conspire to enrich thee the Father ruleth thee the Son rose upon thee the Spirit hath overshadowed thee Thus is it done to the day which the King of Heaven delighteth to honour Thou hast not onely a common blessing with other days by the law of nature but a special blessing above all other days from the love of thy Maker Let thousands mark thee for their new birth-day Exod. 12.42 be thou a day as it was said of that night to the Jews much to be Remembred much to be observed to the Lord for bringing many out of worse then Egyptian bondage Esther 8.16 be thou to them a day of light and gladness of joy and honour and a good day On thee light was created the Holy Ghost descended life hath been restored Satan subdued sin mortified souls sanctified the Grave Death and Hell conquered O how do men and women flutter up and down on the Week-days as the Dove on the waters and can find no rest for their souls till they come to thee their Ark till thou put forth thy hand and take them in O how do they sit under thy shadow with great delight and find thy fruit sweet to their taste O the mountings of mind the ravishing happiness of heart the solace of soul which on thee they enjoy in the blessed Saviour They are sorry when the days shorten for thy sake they wish for thee before thou comest they welcome thee when thou art come and they enjoy so much of heaven in thee that thence they love and look and long the more for their eternal Sabbath Go forth O thou fairest among Women and be thou fruitful in bringing forth Children to thy Maker and Husband Gen. 24.60 Be thou the Mother of thousands and of millions and let thy seed possess the Gate of them that hate them Do thou like Rachel and Leah build up the House of Israel do thou worthily in Ephratah and be thou famous in Bethlehem Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O thou mighty and gracious day and in thy Majesty ride prosperously because of meekness righteousness and truth let thy right hand teach the terrible things let thine arrows be sharp in the hearts spiritual enemies whereby the people may fall under thee Psa 132. The Lord hath chosen thee he hath desired thee for his habitation
of Sparta was slighted by the Persians for his over-plain Habit. Covetous men often please themselves that they are not guilty either of pride or prodigality in their Apparel when it may be often said to them what Socrates told the ragged Grecian A man may see your Pride through the holes of your Coat As the Prodigal erreth in excess so the Niggard erreth in defect One of the Jewish Rabbies used to say That men should apparel themselves below their estates that they may thrive the sooner that they should cloth their Wives above their estates that they might live the more peaceably but their Children according to their estates that they might Marry them the better Of Sleep I Shall now speak to Sleep which is the last natural action I have mentioned In reference to which three things are principally to be minded 1. The Quantity of it 2. The season 3. The end of it 1. The quantity of it Thy Sleep Reader must be moderate but how much or how little thy own prudence or piety together must judge No certain time can be prefixed though some general rules may be propounded Seven hours sleep is by Physitians judged sufficient for any ordinary person in health youth requires more sleep then age Weak men then strong men Thy discretion will much help thee if thou observest thy constitution Cholerick and Melancholick bodies need longer sleep then the Phlegmatick or Sanguin that the acrimony of Choler may be tempered and the concoction furthered To the Plegmatick much sleep doth increase their cold and moyst humours and will in time make their bodies altogether sickly The Sanguin are apt to wax gross and corpulent and unfit for action all which is helped forward by much sleep Take heed of immoderate sleep There is no part of our lives so totally lost as that which is spent in sleep Sleep cometh like a Publican saith Plutarch and stealeth away a third part of our time Laentius Therefore the wise Heathen have been watchful against this enemy Aristotle used to sleep with a Bullet in his hand over a brazen pan that when it fell out of his hand he might be awakened with the noise Pythagoras used with a thread to tye the hair of his head to a beam over him that so when he did but nod he might be awakened thereby Christians have more cause for bodily as well as spiritual watchfulness David was so far from sleeping at prayer that he would break his sleep for prayer Psa 119.62 v. 147. I prevented the dawning of the morning and cried I hoped in thy word Many are the discommodities of immoderate sleep It wasteth time a most precious talent which is committed to us by God and must be accounted for at the great day A man asleep can hardly be said to live Sleep is a kind of death It injureth the soul hindring it of time robbing it of the bodies service Pro. 26.13 to 17. and by blunting its tools dulling its faculties that they become unfit for those ends to which they were designed It wrongeth the body by weakening the natural heat and filling the head with vapours by abating the memory lessening the understanding and by making the body heavy lumpish and in a word a sink of diseases It is an enemy to a mans estate Solomon diswades from sluggishness from this argument So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth and thy want as an armed man Pro. 6.11 Wealth will not come without working They are deceived who think to have the pleasure of slothfulness and the plenty of laboriousness The diligent hand maketh rich but slothfulness will cloath a man with rags Pro. 10.4 23.21 2. The season of sleep In general the day is by the command of God and order of nature the time for watching and the night for sleeping The Sun approaching draweth forth the spirits from the center to the Circumferent parts and openeth the pores of the body both which do provoke to working and waking but when the Sun departeth the spirits return to the inmost parts of the body which inviteth to sleep and besides the naturall moysture and silence of the night are according to Physitians very conducible to sleep Wherefore to sleep in the day and watch in the night is unless necessity compelleth it sinful and a perverting the course of nature They that sleep sleep in the night 1 Thes 5.6 7. Which may be understood literally of a natural as well as mystically of a spiritual sleep That Roman Emperor that turned the day into night and the night into day was abhord as a monster in nature Such persons are great hinderers of their own health and thereby of their outward happiness for sleep draweth the natural heat inward and the heat of the day draweth it outward whereby there ariseth a fight with nature to the ruine of the body Sleep after dinner in young persons caufeth heaviness of the head dulness of wit defluxions of humors lethargies and other cold diseases of the brain and also palsies by relaxing the finews Besides it is not to be forgotten that Ishbosheth lost his life and David his chastity by lazing on their beds in the day time The most convenient season I suppose for sleep I confess I speak in anothers art is some considerable time after a moderate supper When thou hast commended thy soul to God and put off thy cares with thy cloaths then thou mayst commit thy body to thy bed He giveth his beloved sleep Psa 127.2 Ahashuerus who commanded 127 provinces could not command one hours sleep Ester 1. 3. The ends of sleep must be minded Sleep is given us by God not for the solution or weakning but for remission and refreshing of nature which would be not onely wearied but quite tired out by continual labour The effects of moderate sleep will speake its ends Sleep will if taken seasonably and not in excess help digestion recreate thy mind repair the spirits comfort the whole body It concocteth not only the meats but also the humors By the retreating of the heat into the inner parts the vital faculty is much strengthned because the heart is abundantly supplyed with blood for the breeding of spirits The ends of sleep will somewhat direct us about the measure Sleep may be followed till the concoctions in the stomack and liver are finished which will be discovered upon our awaking ordinarily by a sensible lightness of the body especially of the head and the passage down of the meat from the stomack Thus I have dispatched natural actions and discovered how a Christian in eating and drinking cloathing and sleeping may serve Jesus Christ A good Wish about Natural actions wherein the former heads are epitomized MY corrupt heart being prone to turn things lawfull into fuel for lust The introduction like the spider to suck poison out of the sweetest flowers and to make what my God giveth me for a comfort to prove through the subtilty of
the unrighteous Mammon that I may be trusted with the true riches let my whole estate be employed according to thy word for the furtherance of my own everlasting weal. Finally Contentedness in all I wish that I may sail trim and even in all waters that when it is full tide in regard of outward comforts I may not swell with pride nor when it is low water grumble through peevishness murmuring is the musick of Hell holy contentedness is the foretast of Heaven Why should I rejoyce my worst enemie and dishonour my best friend by being fretful at that which the onely wise God seeth to be fit and needful The lean Ox is fitter for service then the fatted one The true Israelite may well be satisfied in his journey to Canaan with his Homer a day with his Statute measure and his Fathers allowance What though my Father deny me that entertaintment at present which he giveth to strangers yet I have his love now and the inheritance hereafter shall be mine My God will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Lord let me never discredit thy House-keeping by my grumbling carriage or frowning countenance but so by the Prospective-glass of Faith behold those things which are invisible that I may in all things give thanks like some Birds sing even in Winter and as cloaths dyed in grain retain my colour in all weathers that when the Fig-tree doth not blossom nor the Vine yield her fruit when the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields yield no meat then I may rejoyce in the Lord and be glad in the God of my salvation In a word I wish that I may like the wise Merchant sell all I have to buy the Pearl of great price the gold tried in the fire that I may be rich the white rayment that I may be cloathed and drive such a constant trade with my God in the other World hearing from thence and sending thither daily that when the King of Terrors shall give me a Writ of Ease from my particular calling I may dye in the Lord rest my labours and have my works following me through free grace into an exceeding and eternal weight of glory Amen A good Wish about the Calling of a Minister wherein the several Properties and Duties of a Consciencious Pastor are Epitomized THe Ministery of the Word being a Calling above all others of greatest weight The Introduction as set up by the ever blessed God for the payment of himself the deserved praise of his Curious Eternal and Infinitely wise purpose and for the payment of the Lord Jesus Christ the precious fruits of his bloody Passion by the turning of sinners from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God In which he is pleased to commit to men duly qualified and rightly called the Word of Reconciliation and commandeth them in his name as his Ambassadors to offer terms of peace and to perswade and beseech rebellious sinners with all earnestness and faithfulness as they would not have the blood of their peoples souls required at their hands to accept of and submit to those Articles of Grace and Pardon I wish in general That since my God hath counted me faithful put me into the Ministery and entrusted me with that which so nearly relateth to his own glory and which so highly concerneth the Eternal felicity of precious souls Acts 20.28 The properties of a Minister He must be 1. Gracious That I may take heed to my self and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost-hath made me Overseer to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood In particular I wish That I may know experimentally what Regeneration meaneth before I travel with others till Christ be formed in them that I may disswade from compliance with sin and perswade to an hearty acceptance of the Saviour not by hearsay or at second hand but upon my own knowledge of the bitterness of the former and the goodness and sweetness of the latter Let me not like some Cooks dress that meat for others which I eat not of my self Let not my Sermons be as Minerva the children of my brain but the travel of my soul that I may serve my God with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son and as a true Vessel of the Sanctuary have within me a savour of that water of life which I pour out to others It is doleful to fall into Hell from under the Pulpit But ah how dreadful is it to drop thither out of it Doth not my heart tremble to think that it is possible for me like the unbelieving Spies to coast the Heavenly Canaan to commend it to others and yet never to possess it my self that whilest I preach to others I my self may be a Cast-away Lord let me so exalt thee in my heart as my chiefest good in my life as mine utmost end and preach so effectually to my own soul and to others That I may both save my self and them that hear me I wish that the Spring of my motions and principle of all my work may be love to my Master That he may act from a right principle love to God and not expectation of any Temporal reward That I may never be so sordidly sinful as to sell the incomparable Saviour for a little corruptible silver to turn my Fathers house into an house of merchandize and to cry up my God as the Ephesians their Goddess because by that Craft they had their wealth but that unfeigned affection to the bleeding head and tender compassion to his blessed members may be all the oyl to feed that lamp wherewith I enlighten others in the way to life O that that pathetical affectionate expression of my dearest Redeemer might sound often in mine ears and pierce my very soul If thou lovest me feed my Lambs If thou lovest me feed my Sheep I desire that my ends in the Ministery may be purely to exalt the glorious name of my God And for right ends the glory of God and the salvation of souâ— in the conversion and edification of his precious and chosen ones That I may not use preaching as a Theif a Picklock to open mens Coffers but as a Key to open their Hearts that the truth of God and the God of truth may enter in Why should I prophane so pious an Ordinance by so poysonous an end and serve my self like the Eagle by having my eye to the prey whilest I soar aloft and pretend to the World that I serve my Saviour Let me not like Balaam Divine for money nor through covetousness with feigned words make merchandize of inestimable souls which Christ thought worth his precious blood O that I might seek not my peoples goods but good not my own profit but the profit of many that they might be saved Lord let this design lie at the bottom of my heart in
spirit in faith in purity Phil. 3.17 that I may be able to say to my flock as Paul to his Philippians 1 Cor. 11.1 Brethren be followers together of me and to his Corinthians Be followers of me as I am of Christ and mark them which walk as ye have me for an example I wish that though my labours should prove unfruitful 7 Not to be discouraged for want of success when I in the discharge of my trust am faithful that I may not be discouraged knowing that I shall be a sweet savour to my God as well in them that perish as in them that are saved and though Israel be not gathered by me Isa 6.10 but I spend my strength in vain yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my work with my God yet O that I might not be sent about that dreadful message to make the hearts of any people fat to make their ears heavy and to shut their eyes lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed but that I may turn many sinners from the errours of their ways save many souls from death and hide a multitude of sins I wish that as Joab when he took the City of Rabbah with Davids Souldiers 8 To give the glory of success to God was willing to have the Crown set on the Kings head so when my God hath enabled me by his spirit to cast down imaginations and high things that exalted themselves against the knowledge of him and to bring into captivity many sinners to the Obedience of Christ that I may set the crown of glory upon the head of God alone and not suffer the least part of his honour to stick to my singers I am but the instrument he is the principal efficient I am but the pipe he is the spring whence the water of life floweth I do but lay on the plaister he made the precious salve of the word and bestoweth also healing vertue on it O that I might never be so ungrateful when he is pleased to honour me as to dishonour him by thinking of my self above what is meet but that all my services may be as so many Scaffolds â—erected purposely for the raising of his his name and the setting up of his praise Finally The conclusion 1 Tim. 4.16 2 Tim. 4.5 I wish that I may take heed to my self to my Doctrine to my life be watchful in all things endure affliction make full proof of my Ministry do the work of a faithful Pastor Mat. 7.21.23 least as they who prophesied in Christs name and in his name cast out Devils I be cast to Devils as a worker of iniquity and find that gate of life which I opened to others shut against my own soul O let me not as Porters in great Houses lodge without my self whilst I let others into Heaven Let it please thee O God of all grace to fill me with the fruits of thy spirit that I may feed thy people with knowledge and understanding Take the oversight of them not by constraint but willingly 1 Pet. 5.2 3 4. not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind not as being a Lord over Gods heritage but as being an ensample to the flock that so when the chief Shepherd shall appear on the great day in which the Sheep shall be separated from the Goats I may receive a crown of glory which fadeth not away Amen CHAP. XXVII How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in his Family as the governour thereof IT is thy duty to exercise thy self to godliness in thy Family and relations Fifthly A Christian must not like the Israelites Pillar in the Wilderness be light on one side and dark on the other be diligent in one relation and negligent in another but as a candle in a Chrystial Lanthorn be lightsom quite round it be holy in every Relation in which he standeth Reader I shall consider thee as Governor or Governess of a Family and herein direct thee what thou shouldst do for the faithful discharge of thy trust in that relation Houses under the Law were to be dedicated to God at their first setting up Deut. 20.5 Which was done saith Ainsworth on the place with singing and praising God Psal 30. vide Title as well as feasting Davids Psalm at the dedication of his House is worthy our imitation Hezekias upon the Law touching the fanctifying an house to God Levit. 27.14 15. giveth this Exposition That to dedicate or sanctifie an house to God is for the Governor to be careful for the instruction of his Family and the Religious Conversation of his Houshold that his house may be Gods house and his children Gods children and his servants Gods servants A Family is a natural and simple Society of certain persons having mutual relation one to another under the private government of one head or chief Aristotle calleth Families the first Society in nature and the ground of all the rest Before the Flood the whole form of Civil and Ecclesiastical Government was confined within the Precincts of private Families A Family is the Epitome of a Kingdom and Commonwealth in a little volume The way to make godly Parishes and godly Countreys and godly Kingdoms is to make godly Families When sin as a plague speadeth abroad it beginneth in Families One Atheistical Family defileth and destroyeth many it sendeth a son into one house a daughter into another a servant into a third and every of them like infectious persons poyson those with whom they converse Like a nest of Foxes they destroy and devour all the Countrey over As one House on fire often burneth down many so one prophane Family injureth many one godly Family on the contrary doth good to many As one stock of Bees sendeth forth swarms and honey into many parts of the Countrey so one Religious Familie sending Religious Children and Servants abroad they come in time to have Families of their own may bring much honor to God and be helpful to the eternal welfare of many souls A Godless Family like a Gun or Cannon killeth at a distance as their swearing children and drunken servants come to spread abroad A gracious Family like the Weapon-salve healeth at a distance as the pious Relations in it come to be dispersed in other places Solomon was a Religious House-keeper and it is observable his servants were so seasoned by him with godliness that their children five hundred years after were recorded by the Spirit of God to be the most eminent in their time for Religion Ezra 2.58 Solomon being a godly Governor of his Family did good after he was dead at so great a distance Theodosius being asked how a private person might be a publique good answered By ordering all things well at home The way to make our Orchards good is to look well to our Nurseries It concerneth thee therefore Reader
times a day At six in the morning eight at night and before dinner and Supper in his Chappel David returned to bless his house 2 Sam. 6.21 that is say Expositors to bless God with his Family and to beg Gods blessing on his family He ster prayed and fasted with her Maidens Hest 4.16 The holy Ghost enjoyneth Husband and wife to dwell together as fellow-heirs of the grace of life that their prayers be not hindered 1 Pet. 3.7 Our blessed Saviour is to be our pattern now he prayed with his family of Disciples And it came to pass as he was alone praying his Disciples were with him Luk. 9.18 He was alone not secretly to exclude all society but privately to include onely his own family Our Houses are Gods Houses and in Gods House there must every day be morning and evening Sacrifice I will that men pray every where surely then in private as well as in secret and in publique 1 Tim. 2.8 Families need direction in the day and protection in the night and truely either of them is worth a prayer Thy family sins must be pardoned thy family wants must be supplied and if they do not deserve a prayer they deserve nothing Horses kneel before they lye down at night and when they rise up in the morning and shall thy house be worse then a stable of beasts They that will not beg family supplies and blesse God for family mercies may well be branded for ungodly and ungrateful wrethces Prayer and prayse are like the double motion of the lungs what we suck in by petition we breath out in thanksgiving and without this Religion cannot live in a family What dangers are thy family liable to every day and without prayer thou hast no guide no guard Origen going once to comfort a Martyr was himself apprehended and constrained either to have his body abused by a Blackamore or to offer to the Idol which latter he did but bewailing it saith I went out that morning without prayer which I know was the cause of that evil It s said of the Egyptians that there was a great cry at midnight for in every house there was one dead Reader are there not dead souls in thy family Children and servants dead in sins and trespasses and shall there be no cry no complaining to God there I must tell thee thy house is worse then a Pest-house for thou hast infected and dangerously diseased souls in it and not so much as Lord have mercy upon us written on thy door Heathens and families without prayer are fitly joyned together Jerem. 10. ult The truth is such persons are English in their language but Indian in their Athiestical carriage They feed and cloath their bodies like English men but they starve and go naked in their souls like Indians Onely herein they differ that they cannot be prayerless in their Houses at so cheap a rate but must expect an hotter Hell because they sin against a clearer light Many families are the picture of Hell one may hear twenty Oaths for one prayer the Master will often curse but seldom or never bless his family he loveth cursing so it will come to him and as he delighted not in blessing so it will be far from him Do not say thou canst not pray Had the father of spirits ever any dumb children Every begger at thy door who is pinched with hunger will tell thee that sence of misery will teach thee to be earnest for mercy If thou wert condemned to be hanged thou wouldst not want words to pâ—en for a pardon Surely eternal death to which thou art liable is far more lamentable and if ever God make thee sensible of it which must be done or thou art lost for ever thou will quickly follow him with prayers and tears for grace and life Thy affections in prayer if right will abundantly make up thy want of expressions A sanctified Heart is better then a silver Tongue Though thou hast not the gift of prayer yet if if thou canst act grace in prayer all will be well Pray much in secret and thou wilt quickly learn to pray well in private Use at any Trade will make me prompt and perfect Rather use a form out of a Book then omit the duty They who cannot dress their meat themselves must be beholden to their Neighbours to do it for them Set upon it presently it is thy honor thy priviledge and use crutches till thou art able to go alone onely do not content thy self with them Alas who ever was proud of stilts but labour to gain knowledge in spiritual things by reading secret praying and conference that thou mayest throw them away 2. The Word of God must be read in thy Family and thy Houshold instructed there As by prayer thy duty is to acquaint God with thy family-wants so by reading some portion of Scripture daily thy duty is to acquaint thy family with Gods will An house without light is in a dreadful lamentable condition Thy houshold without the Word sit in darkness and thereby in the shadow of death The Commandment is a lamp and the Law is Light Prov. 6.23 Alas how can thy servants or children do their heavenly Masters and Fathers work when they are wholly ignorant of his will The weeds of sin grow of themselves but the ground must be ploughed and sown and harrowed and watered before good Corn will spring up God expecteth that thou shouldst be both a Priest to offer up Sacrifice for and a Prophet to instruct and teach thy Family A good House-keeper is like that Nobleman who had for his impress two boundles of ripe Millet with this Motto Servare servari meum est for the nature of Millet is say some to guard it self from corruption and that which lieth nearest to it The Word of God and holy instructions to a Family are as salt which is helpful against putrifaction Mat. 5. Ye are the salt of the earth Masters must be sure to have salt in themselves and for their families It s said that the Hammanients in Cyrene made their houses of salt hewn out of their hills in maner of stone Hierom counselled Leta Let thy children daily give thee some account of some choice flowers gathered out of thy Bible Teach thy children to remember their creatour in the days of their youths It is too late to season flesh when it crawleth with wormes Do it therefore betimes Bishop Rider read and expounded the Psalm 101. which treateth the good Government of Families often to his houshould and hired them with mony to learn it Abraham had letters testimonial from Heaven of his sincerity and the favour to be trusted with Arcana imperii Gods secrets because of his faithfulness in this particular And the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham the things which I do For I know him that he will command his Children and his House hold after him and they shall keep the Way of the Lord Gen. 18.17
19. O how few Abrahams are there in England Many teach their Families the works of the Devil but few teach them the way of the Lord many lop their trees prune their plants break their horses train their hauks yea teach their dogs yet never instruct their children Friend consider the worth of thy children and servants souls and the weight of their everlasting estates and how in the dark of ignorance they must unavoidably stumble into Hell and for the Lords sake be perswaded to instruct them in the knowledge of the true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent John 17.3 Naturalists tell us that bees carry small gravel in their feet to poise their bodies as they fly through stormy Winds If thou wouldst not have thy little ones blown away with the Winds of temptations do thou labour to poise them with the principles of the Oracles of God Ah what pity is it that men like silly Doves without hearts should sit in their Dove-coats see their Nests destroyed and their young ones killed before their eyes but the old Manslayer the Devil and never stir or offer once to rescue or revenge them Good Lord what unnaturalness is is many Parents and Masters Cardan speaks of one that had a receipt for the certain dissolving the stone in the bladder and I question not saith he but he is damned for not discovering it before his death Thou knowest the word under God must cure the persons in thy family of the stone in the heart and wilt thou neglect to acquaint them with it but suffer them to dye eternally O Reader be not guilty of such horrid and barbarous cruelty Do as that holy Bishop of Armagh who one day in every week did Catechise his family It is reported of Lewis the ninth of France that he was found instructing a poor Kitchin Boy and being asked the reason answered piously I know the meanest in my family hath a soul as precious as my own and bought with the blood of Jesus Christ Our Saviour taught his Disciples often in private as their Governor and according to their capacities Mar. 4.33 Mat. 16.17 18. It is an honour to the highest prince to teach his Houshold Gods precepts O let thy words in thy family as the waters of Nilus often overflow to make others fruitful The Papists confess that all the ground which we have got of them is by Chatechising and instructing our youth 3. Singing of Psalms must be used in thy family The Lord Iesus and his family did practice this duty Mat. 26.30 And when they sang an Hymn they went out into the Mount of Olives David in that Psalm at the dedication of his house speaketh that his glory should sing praise to God and not be silent Psal 30. Title ver 4. and ult Our tongues are called our glory not onely because by our speech we excel beasts but chiefly because therewith we should glorifie God It is observable that most of those places which prophesie the Gentiles conversion do mention their worshipping the true God by singing Psa 108.3 and 100. Psa 66.4 Isa 54.1 and 52.8 The Holy Ghost when he commandeth that the word should keep house with us doth also enjoyn us to teach and admonish one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs which are the titles of Davids Psalms and the known division of them expresly answering to the Hebrew words Shurim Tehillim and Mizinurim by which his Psalms are distinguished and entitled as the learned observe singing and making melody with grace in our hearts to the Lord Col. 3.16 Ephes 5.19 Basilde Virt laud. Psa Tom. 1 Jam 5.13 Basil speaks high in the prayse of praysing God by this holy exercise Chrysostom speaketh of some in his time who always concluded their suppers with singing a Psalm and saith he they lived like Angels This ordinance will much quicken holy affections and help a Christian to serve God with more chearfulness When the Israelites were singing the hundred and thirty six Psalm at the bringing in the Ark the glory of the Lord filled the House 2 Chron. 20.22 The sweet singer in Israel was the man after Gods own heart Onely Reader be careful to sing Davids Psalms with Davids spirit and not like a Nightingale to sing by rote I will sing with my spirit and I will sing with understanding also making melody with grace in the heart is the best tune to set all Davids Psalms with Thirdly Set a good pattern to thy family The fore-horse in the Team had need to go right because all the rest follow in the same road If the Commander be treacherous how soon may he betray his Souldiers who follow him at the heels into the enemies hands A governour of a family must like Moses be mighty both in word and deed Patterns are very prevalent both to good and evil Precepts teach but examples draw Why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews Gal. 2.14 Peter did not compel them by his Preaching but by his pattern His example was so powerful that even Barnabas as well as others was drawn away therewith It is observable that Jeroboam seldom appeareth in the Heaven of Scripture but in the form of a Blazing Star with a tayl after him Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin by his precepts he commanded them to sin but by his pattern he compelled them to sin As examples are attractive to evil so also to good That if any beleive not they may be won without the word by the conversation of the wife 1 Pet. 3.1 2. If godliness be written in the book of thy life in a fair Character in a large lovely letter it may invite thy children and servants to read and like it who otherwise possibly would not have taken the least notice of it He that ruleth others must not be unruly himself If a ruler hearken to lies all his servants are wicked Pro. 29.12 If a Governour of a family a father or mother be a Drunkard a Swearer or an Atheist their Children will quickly imitate them They will as certainly inherit their lusts as their lands As some parents make their Children rich by their Lordships so they make them riotous by their evil lives Observe Abraham a good man denyeth his Wife Isaac is his heir not onely in his wealth but also in that weakness Isaac denieth his Wife likewise Gen. 20.2 with Gen. 26 7. Jacobs wives got little good by the pattern and practice of Laban their father Gen. 31.19 and 35.1 2. The Parents of the Children destroyed by the two she-Bears were wont to jeer Elijah in their ordinary talk What Elijah the bald-pate must be taken up to Heaven Forsooth as well as Elias The Chidren hearing it spoken by them learned it of them though they paid dear for their learning for it cost them their lives and for ought I know their souls 2 King 2.24 O Reader doth not thine heart ake to read