and Ecclesiastical body The Prince cannot say to the Subject he hath no mind of him nor the Subject to the Prince he hath no need of him for he is the Minister of God to us for good The like may be said of Ministers if they need our Temporals we need their Spirituals Know therefore that Superiours need the prayers of Inferiours because They resemble God more then others They have a greater charge lies upon them They have more tentations standing on higher ground They have more influence to do good they set the lesser wheels in motion They commit more faults and seldome sin alone They have more opportunities They must give a greater account at the last day The best assistance that can be given them by Inferiours is to pray that the special presence of God may be with them Let inferiours remember these things and it will keep them from envy murmuring ambition reviling c. §. 6. Of the Love of God A True Christian loves God no more with the world to boot then though he were all alone without the World It is God a Christian loves in the creature and he loves them for God as the Fisherman loves the fish for the pearle that is in it He that loves not God above all loves him not at all Joseph loves his Mistriss his Master and God but when his Mistris's love rose up against his Duty and love to his Master away he runs as he would have forsaken his Masters had it been contrary to God For a True Christian stands alwayes ready to forgo all for the love of God True love to God is sincere supream universal constant Our obedience to Christ is a sure ground of our love to him If you love me keep my Commandments Joh. 14.15 Or love to Christ is a sign We are beloved of Christ 1 Joh. 4.19 From Christs love to us spring all the blessings of time and eternity §. 7. A Dialogue between a Minister and a Christian Chr. Pray Sir which is the way to Heaven Min. Your ready way lies in the Ordinances which is the King of Heavens high-way Chr. Which are they Min. The Ordinances of God are 1. The Word both read by us and heard from Ministers The Duties here to be observed are before it Preparation at it Attention after it Practise 2. The Sacraments and seals of the Covenant which are 1. Baptism the type Circumcision the duties going before it Prayer following after the care of a new life 2. The Lords Supper the Type the Pass-over duties herein going before examination at it the use of faith to apprehend and apply Christ after it a tryal what benefit we have received an amendment of life a care to keep our Covenant with God 3. Prayer the Key of Heaven the type incense Duties before it are searching and emptying our hearts in it fervency of Spirit and Faith after it care to walk worthy of Mercy past present future Take the Spirit for your guide you cannot miss the way there be no turnings to the right hand or the left Follow your Leader doubt not By an unknown Authour §. 8. How to preserve Love among Christians 1. Avoid groundless suspitions and jealousies which will be the break-neck of true Charity 2. Keep down thy natural passions and in fighting with them be sure to watch the first rise of them and fight with that that thou knowest the strongest Passions are an unnatural heat that prey upon brotherly love and charity 3. Be courteous in thy salutations This draws out and strengthens love 4. Bear one anothers infirmities 5. Stand for thy Christian friends when they be spoken against 6. Pray for one another heartily 7. Visit the afflicted in their misery 8. Hold fast to the Truth 9. At some times part with that which is thy right Do nothing to make any hate thee suffer something to make them love thee 10. Interpret doubtfull things in the most charitable way 11. Take not all advantages for gaine or opportunities to rise and get preferment in the world be contented others should out-shine thee 12. Ever remember the three great supporters of love Humility which wins others Diligence which helps others â—â—d quietness which pleases others Be good with quietness do good with chearfulness and receive good with thankfulness This is the way to promote and increase love §. 9. The Spiritual Touch-stone Twelve Graces that distinguish a true Saint from a counterfeit one 1. Brokenness of heart for and from all sin 2. Mourning for other mens sins as Lot David Jeremy Ezra Nehemiah Paul did This is an argument of great sincerity for we never read any in Scripture did this but Godly men 3. The grace of self-denyal in the extent of it to be able to deny natural worldly religious self this is a grace none but a true Christian can attain to 4. To love God for himself not onely because he is our good but because he is the chief good not onely to make our Heaven our God buâ—â—o know and believe God himself is our heaven and happiness 5. To love a child of God because he is a child of God and the more eminent he is in grace the more to love him to love all the Godly as well as some to love their company and to take their reproofs kindly is the distinguishing character of a true Saint 6. To advance the Glory of God in thought word and deed and to rejoyce that Christ is magnified whatever becomes of us 7. To prize Jesus Christ for himself as well as his rewards to prize his Kingly and Propheticall as well as his Priestly Office to prize him above all things and at all times is a sure note of a child of God 8. Every branch in Christ bringeth forth fruit every true Saint is a growing and a fruitfull Saint A picture of a Child doth not grow but a living Child doth 9. A true Saint is heavenly-minded his thoughts his affections his hope joy desire his speech his conversation are all heavenly 10. A true Saint is careful to redeem his time Natural men make no conscience of idle thoughts idle words and idle time 11. He is known by the Uniformity and universality of his obedience to the will of God he hath respect to all Gods Commandments he is holy and honest A true Christian makes conscience to abstain from the sins of both Tables and to do the duties of both Tables that he may keep a conscience void of offence towards God and Man 12. Every true Saint hath a thankfull heart a thankfull tongue and a thankfull life §. 10. The seven last words of Christ The first was a word of mercy for his persecutors Luke 23.34 Father forgive them they know not what they do The second was a word of free-grace to the penitent thief Luke 23.43 This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise The third a word of care and affection for his dear Mother Joh. 19.26 27. Behold thy Son
behold thy Mother The fourth a word of sad complaint Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The fifth a word of want and distress Iohn 19.28 I thirst The sixth a word of triumph and gratulation Iohn 19.30 It is finished The seventh a word of perseverance Luke 23.46 Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Twenty Directions how to live well and dye well from these seven last words of Christ being the heads of several Sermons preached by Mr. E. C. B. M. 1. He that would live well and dye well must be much in prayer The first fourth seventh words are prayers 2. He must be well versed in the Book of Psalms the fourth and seventh words are out of it 3. He must forgive his Enemies and pray for them 4. He must have a care of relations and dispose of his worldly estate 5. He must do what he can to convert others 6. He must not abuse the example of the penitent thief to delay his repentance 7. He must believe the souls of the Godly go immediately upon their death to a Heavenly Paradise 8. He must thirst after communion with God and the enjoyment of God in Heaven Jesus Christ thirsted after our salvation 9. He must meditate of the soul and body sufferings of Jesus Christ what he suffered in his soul when he uttered the fourth word what he suffered in his body when he uttered the fifth word 10. He must so live as that he may upon good grounds call God Father The first word was Father forgive them The last word was Father into thy hands c. 11. He must take more care for hiâ— precious soul then his mortal body 12. He must believe that Christ hath finished all things necessary for hiâ— salvation in point of merit and satisfaction and that nothing is required of him but to testifie his thankfulness in a holy life â—3 He must believe on good grounds that Christ hath finished His Salvation O happy man that when he is breathing out his last can say my salvation is finished â—4 He must finish whatsoever is behind and to be done by him to fit him for heaven something we are to do and we must finish it not only begin well but end well â—5 He must fly in the time of tentation to Christs sufferings there is a great deal of comfort in that word it is finished â—6 He must stay himself on God in a time of darkness when there is no light Christ said My God we must not let go the faith of adherance though we want the faith of evidence â—7 He must remember Christ wore a Crown of Thorns that we mighâ— wear a Crown of Glory he was forsaken for a time that we might noâ— be forsaken for ever 18. He must believe that through many tribulations we may enter intâ— the Kingdom of Heaven A man maâ— from the Cross go to Heaven Chriâ— was Crucified between two thieveâ— and yet died gloriously 19. He must study the love of Christ iâ— suffering such a cursed death on thâ— Cross for his sins that he may bâ— able to say He loved me and gavâ— himself for me and rejoyce in nothing save in the Cross of Christ 20. He must after the example of Chriâ— commend his soul to Gods hands and remember Christ hath commended thy soul and my soul already intâ— the hands of God and when we dyâ— God will remember the deposituâ— left with him §. 11. The order a Christian is to observe in his walking every day with an answer to objections and encouragement to set about it 1. In the morning awake with God Psal 139.18 i. e. season thy mind with awful and thankful thoughts of Gods morning and evening mercies and lift up thy heart in some short mental prayer to God that he would help thee to renew thy resolution to walk with him 2. When thou art up as soon as conveniently thou canst betake thy self to prayer Private prayer should be the first thing we do The first hour is the Golden hour and by so doing thou mayest open thy heart to God and shut it against all sin For family prayer that is the fittest hour when all the family or the greatest part can most conveniently meet together and if thou art a servant take heed of voluntary neglecting family prayer Let it be some urgent occasion that hinders thee anâ— when thou canst not be there with thy bodily presence yet be sure thy affection be with them 3. After prayer and other religiouâ— duties performed Go to thy calling anâ— follow the works thereof as that statioâ— God hath set thee in with diligence conscience and chearfulness and be contented with thy calling though mean Be not like worldlings who do all with a greedy mind of getting But remember a Christian hath two Callings one general the other particular and he is a happy and wise servant that so minds his general as not to neglect his particular and so follows his particular Calling as he doth not neglect his general Usually the former have some tincture of hypocrisie and the latter are too much over-grown with covetousness Labour therefore to keep thy eye upon thy heart and upon the rule Do all in thy particular Calling with uprightness and faithfulness in wisdom and order referring the success to Gods blessing and labour to be armed with patience against crosses and losses In buying and selling take heed of lying and dissimulation covetousness and frowardness of multiplying words carelesly and of over-praising thy own wares when thou sellest and saying it is naught when thou buyest 4. When thou art alone look to thy heart and say Heart where art thou what art thou doing where hast thou been whither art thou going keep thy heart with all diligence Prov. 4.23 Keep it as a Guardian would do a rich Heir that hath many Suitors or as a General would do a Castle that was a key or in-let to the whole Country and in order to this remember five things 1. Observe the motions of it thy mind is thy self Be not a stranger to thy self God looks at the heart 1 Sam. 16.7 he delights in truth in the inward man Psal 1.6 2. When any good thoughts and holy motions come into thy soul as those that are truly good shall not find themselves long without them cherish and entertain them say as the Spouse It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh say Come in thou blessed of the Lord why standest thou without but iâ— evil motions arise let them not lodge with thee but chase them from thee 3. Employ thy heart and set it tâ— work The mind is a restless mill alwayes in motion Calvin prayed every day the devil might never find him idle If our hearts be doing nothing they will be doing evil like a garden if yoâ— do not sow good seeds will soon bâ— overun with weeds Remember Goâ— and Nature abhor idleness and the Devil watches for the idle hour 4.
so troubled with distractions in holy duties 1. Because there is corruption in the best which clogs and shackies us in our best duties Remainders of sin will be hinderers of our close communion with God these dogs will be barking though their teeth be pulled out 2. Because Satan stands at our right â—and to withstand us when we appear beâ—â—re God and to disturb us in our worâ—â—ipping of him 3. To shew unto us our need of Jesus â—hrist to be our High Priest to bear the â—niquity of our holy things 4. To teach us that when we do seem â— be most dutiful yet even then we â—ave need to be most humble 5. To be a touchstone of our spirituality and growth in Grace The more spiâ—ituality we arrive at the fewer distraâ—tions in Gods service we shall meet with 6. To teach us to watch as well as pray to keep our hearts with all diligence Every Christian in duty must fight as well as work 7. To teach us not to make our selves the fountain of assistance and strength in holy duties 8. To make us strive to be more fervent in spirit in serving the Lord. When the flame arises the smoak decreases 9. To stir us up to delight in Gods service Our hearts will abide there wherâ— they do delight 10. To make us long after heaven that blessed state where no distraction are The remedies against them are of twâ— sorts by way of prevention by way of care 1. By way of prevention remembeâ— these three things 1. Holy retirement sometimes of body alwayes of mind Esau went in the field to meditate Enter into thy Closet saith our Saviour But in publicâ— there must be a retirement of spirit calâ— off thy heart from the world and from external objects It was a saying of Bernard it is not unusual for men of untamed fancies to be surrounded with multitudes when alone nor is it impossible for a man of a sound spirit to be alone among multitudes 2. Come to holy duties armed with â—ly resolution say with David Ps 71. â—6 I will go in the strength of the â—rd Resolve not to be taken off 3. Supplication There must come â—ower from above and prayer fetches in And in prayer against distractions â—earnest with God for 1. The sanctification of thy fancy and â—agination That grace that sanctifies â—r minds confines them grace sets â—r hearts upon the right object and â—kes them move orderly and regularâ— 2. Beg a fixed heart Psal 86.11 â—avid prays unite my heart make it â—e and he often speaks of this my â—art is fixed or prepared 3. The spirit of love The soul lives â—here it loves and causes an immoraâ—on on the object the more love to â—od the fewer distractions and the â—ore composedness of mind 4. The grace of holy fear In thy fear â—ill I worship saith David Psal 5. Pray to God to possess thy soul with an awâ— of his Glorious Majesty 5. Beg holy Zeal Let thy heart bâ— seething hot Flies use not to come â— the boiling pot Zealous Christian complain least of distractions 2. By way of Cure 1. Get indignation at the first rise â— them If they be injected by Satan throâ— out the fire-ball if thy heart haâ— been the mother to conceive and brinâ— them forth let it not be the nurse â— bring them up 2. Be humbled for them Gracioâ— souls cannot but be grieved at then but vain thoughts never trouble vaâ— men but walk humbly with God â— the sense how little thy heart is witâ— him 3. Exercise faith in Christ for tâ— pardon of them and power against them when thou art troubled with these fieâ— Serpents look to the brazen Serpeâ— Christ Jesus §. 16 â— brief consideration of that common distress of conscience arising from fear that a man hath sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost in three questions 1. Shewing what are the reasons why God suffers some to be exercised with this â—emptation 2. Who are they that are far from â—mmitting this sin 3. What are those Graces that are â—eservatives against this sin 1. Q. What are the reasons that God â—ffers some to be troubled with this tenâ—ation It is a thing of common observation â—mong those to whom distressed souls â—o open their maladies that they find â—any sore pressed with this tentation â—he reasons with submission to better â—udgements may be such as these 1. It many times ariseth from ignorance â—ant of right and sound information of the nature and ingredients of this sin Many poor Christians charge them selves with it before they understand what it is 2. Because they have not made â— right application of the word to theiâ— own hearts but have been censoriouâ— and uncharitable to others and noâ— they are forced by a Divine hand whether they will or no to make application to themselves and this is God carrosive to eat out uncharitableness 3. It may be they have been secuâ— and formal in Religion and neglecteâ— the duties of it against the conviction oâ— the Word and Conscience and abateâ— in their affections to God to the Ordinances to the Children of God Sin against light and back-sliding thougâ— in such and such a degree they do noâ— constitute this sin yet they look too likâ— it 4. It is to make others fear and takâ— more heed to their wayes When we seâ— God as it were letting our brotheâ— upon the rack this is to check our negligence to be a bridle to our looseness 5. It is to exercise the gifts and graces of others both Ministers and Christians to put them upon the exercise of prayer consolation pitty charity labour brotherly kindness and the like 6. They may be exercised with it to fit them for some eminent service and imployment as to make some open confession of the Faith or to make them experimental comforters of others with the comforts wherewith they themselves have been comforted of God or to prepare them for undergoing some heavy outward affliction which seems â—ight to those that have had a wounded spirit or to make them live a more strict and exemplary life or to possess some greater measure of spiritual joy or to â—ortifie them against the assaults of some beloved sin or to undergo some fierce conflict with Satan some or all these may be the condition of the party hereafter and God is now fitting and preparing them by this trouble for it They may think they have committed this sin by Gods leaving them to hearken to Satans perswasion They failed in believing God who spoke for their good and now they believe Satan who speaks for their ruine they did not hearken to the motions of Gods spirit for their consolation and now they hearken to the false reasonings of an unbelieving heart prompted by Satan for their vexation Satan was not formerly more diligent to draw them on to sin then he is now to keep them from comfort and their own perversness did not then make them further from instruction then