behold with amazement the many Millions of poor tormented Creatures that howl and shriek and lament that they have neglected so great a Salvation and this doleful cry makes me watch against every weight and every sin which does so easily beset me And now Brethren If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy and let not this Exercise seem grievous to you Plead not that it is out of fashion if it be so do you make it modish You know who it is that beseeches you by the Mercies of God not to conform your selves to the World If it be out of fashion to be saved will you therefore resolve to be damn'd Bear up against the stream Be not ashamed of Christ and of his Gospel You dare not plead this Excuse in the last day why should you alledge it now Here is no Rhetorick required no Eloquence no Florid Learning O that you were but more sensible of your spiritual wants O that your hearts were but more inflamed with the love of God! O that you did but observe God's dealings with your Souls more and would take more notice of God's Providences and the Operations of his Hands You would not then want language to express your selves in to your Children Servants Friends Neighbors and Acquaintance but the sense within would force you to say with David Come and I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my Soul Psal. 66. 19. Do not think Heaven so cheap a thing as your careless Neighbours do either Christ and Heaven and our future Glory are worth talking of or nothing can be worth it Dare to prefer Heaven before the World and in your Words as well as Actions manifest the sincerity of your resolution You cannot pretend impossibility you have a Tongue you have Reason you hear the Ministers of the Gospel you see God's Providences you know Heaven and Hell are before you you read many excellent Lessons what should hinder you from speaking of these weighty things It 's but bending and moving your Tongues to such Subjects and they 'll yield as easily as they do when you bend them to frivolous vain and idle talk to gossipping or complementing or prating of other Mens Matters You will rest the sweeter at night when you have been talking of good things in the day-time you 'll go with greater comfort to Bed your sleep and repose will be more pleasing and satisfactory when you have exercised your Tongues in matters of this nature When you talk of such heavenly and spiritual things you are not exposed to so many Temptations as otherwise you are when in company with others you may sin in talking of your Neighbours you may sin in speaking of the Actions of Kings and Princes you may sin in telling things and passages for true which have no other foundation but an uncertain report you may sin in foolish jestings and jeering one another but in discoursing of heavenly things you are safe you are in God's way God walks with you bears you company and the Enemy of your Souls will despair of prevailing with you you shun the occasions of evil and you prepare your selves to quench the fiery darts of the Devil hereby you may do good to others comfort your Neighbours support your fellow-Christians and in such Conferences a word may drop from you as may keep those you discourse with from despair and which may be an encouragement to them as long as they live It was bravely done of that Young-Man under Decius his Persecution who being by force tied upon a Down-Bed in a Room made for Pride and Luxury and sollicited to Uncleanness by a Harlot sent to him by the Governour on purpose to provoke him to sin bit his Tongue to pieces that the smart and pain might drown all sense of Voluptuousness and so spit it in the Harlots face But here we require no such severity but all that is expected from you in this Exercise is to keep your Tongues from evil and your Lips from speaking guile to speak of the Glorious Honour of God's Majesty and of his Wondrous Works to utter abundantly the memory of his great Goodness and to declare his Righteousness The very Heathen have seen the necessity of this Exercise therefore they shall be your Judges in the last day and I know not how to express their sense of this duty better than by setting down the words of the sober Epictetus Prescribe thy self a Rule saith he which thou mayst observe when thou art either by thy self or in company with others Either be silent or let the things thou speakest of be necessary and profitable When thou speakest talk not of light and trivial things as Wrestling and Horses or Fencers or Swords or Meat or Drink neither spend thy time in praising or dispraising Men but let thy discourse be of something noble decent grave and serious but if this cannot be hold thy peace Thus did the Primitive Saints and when they visited one another their care was to put one another in mind of the words and actions of their Great Redeemer what he did and what he promised and what he suffered how kind he was to this Blind Man how favourable to that Leper how loving to the Lame how compassionate to the Blind how gracious to his Enemies how free and communicative to his Friends what pity he expressed to sinful Men how meek he was before his Accusers how patient before his Tormentors how he ran to kiss the Penitent how he wept over the obstinate Jews and how he long'd for Mens Salvation These were their discourses and they would hardly give themselves liberty to talk of their Worldly Affairs except necessity forced them for they believ'd that by their Charter they were to have their Conversation in Heaven and this they thought imported talking much of their Heavenly Country and of the Joys and Hallelujahs of that Kingdom It was the custom of some Heathen Priests of old in the service of their Gods to wash or dip their Tongues in Honey an excellent Emblem to teach us how our Tongues must be purified and sanctified and seasoned with that Word which is sweeter than the Honey and the Honey-comb Psal. 19. 10. And indeed then our words are sweet and there is Milk and Honey under our Tongues when we exhort and admonish one another daily taking heed lest we be harden'd through the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3. 13. VI Exercise Every day to watch against those sins which in the eye of the World are small and inconsiderable an Exercise commanded Matth. 5. 19. 1 Cor. 5. 6. Jud. Vers. 23. Indeed Christ's whole Sermon upon the Mount is chiefly bent against those sins which purblind Mortals are apt to miscall little and trivial The Pharisees were such ill Divines that they not only believed but taught the people too That in the Ten
as love Christ cordially and the Lillies among which they feed are the innocent and spotless lives of sincere Believers which nourish and cherish their Souls make them Lively and Vigorous Fat and Flourishing These purify their Minds These give them the whiteness of Milk and nothing digests with them better than this Heavenly Food I dislike not the practice of Papias had it been but carried on with greater discretion who was mighty inquisitive what Andrew what Philip what Peter what James what John what Matthew and what the rest of the Apostles of our Lord had done and what they used to say how they ordered their Lives what their Conversation was how they behaved themselves abroad and at home for by such enquiries a man may learn much improve himself advance in goodness and encourage himself to the severest acts of Religion which by having such patterns before us become easie and loose much of that dreadful aspect in which they do appear to Flesh and Blood Behold Christians here lies your Wisdom this is to be wise unto Salvation This is the Learning that must fit you for the University of the Third Heaven This is the Schollarship without which you loose your places in that Colledge of Glory Study this point and you 'll be Wiser than Aristotle Learneder than all the Sages at Athens all the Wisdom of Solomon without this skill would have done him but little good Behold the Fountain of your Comforts would you be supported in distress would you be preserved from fainting under troubles would you bear up under the greatest storms would you hold out in the greatest persecutions survey the Heroick actions of the Martyrs and Confessors of old and they 'll shed new Life into your Spirits strengthen you beyond expectation keep you from despair defend you against discouragements and make you weather out all the tempests that come against you Are you reproach'd look upon David how patiently he endured the railings of Shimei are you persecuted for Righteousness sake look upon the Apostles of our Lord how they rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord Jesus do you suffer wrongfully look unto Jesus the Author and Captain of your Salvation who for the Glory set before him endured the Cross and despised the shame Are you bound with Chains Look upon St. Paul how he glories in those shackles and is confident that they will promote God's Glory Do Friends forsake you Look upon Lazarus whom God took care of when none would regard or relieve him Nay in Death it self the sweet and heavenly frame of spirit that is to be found in the Saints of God will be of very great efficacy to arm your selves against the assaults of that last Enemy When Death approaches look upon the courage the joy the comfort the resolution and chearfulness of Polycarp of Ignatius of Epagathus of Sanctus Maturus Altalus Blandina Biblis Alexander and others Come forth my Soul said old Hilarion Why art thou afraid Venture into another World Why dost thou doubt Hast thou served Christ so long and dost thou tremble The Saint in Ruffinus smil'd and laught three times when he was a dying Being ask'd by his Friends that stood about him mourning and weeping why at the point of death he presumed to laugh The first time said he I laugh'd because I saw you so strangely afraid of death The second time I did so because the World deludes you so that you cannot find in your hearts to prepare for death And I smiled the third time because just now I am going from my labour to rest from my pains and toil here below to everlasting quietness in Heaven St. Jerom when he was departing thus addressed himself to his Friends that stood about him Throw off your Mourning Weeds and sing a Psalm of Praise to God for hitherto I have gone through Fire and Water but now I am entring into my Cooling-place O what a mighty gainful thing is Death to me for Christ with all his Merits and Benefits will be mine Behold my Friends the Earthly Tabernacle of my House is going to be dissolved that I may enter into another made without hands eternal in the Heavens I am going to put off Corruption that I may put on Incorruption Hitherto I have been a Traveller but now am going to my own Country I see the Prize before me for which I have been running so long I am come to my desired Haven I am passing from Darkness to Light from Poverty to great Riches from Fighting to Victory from Sorrow to Joy from a Temporal to an Everlasting Life from an Offensive Dunghill to Odoriferous Fields The Life of this World is no Life but Death The Mèrchandise of Death is more precious than that of Gold and Rubies O sweet O comfortable Death Certainly thou art no King of Terrours for thou givest true Life thou chasest Fevers and Wounds and drivest away Thirst and Famine Come then my Beloved my Spouse my Friend my Sister shew me where he feeds whom my Soul doth love Awake my Glory Lend me thy hand draw me after thee My Heart is ready I 'll rise and follow the perfume I smell till thou bringest me into my Fathers House Thou art lovely my Friend come do not tarry By thee I must go into the Garden of my Beloved that I may eat of his Fruit. The time is come for thee to have Mercy on me make haste fly to me for I am sick of love Thou art black but comely thy Lips drop Honey Thou art terrible to the Kings of the Earth and crushest the Spirits of Princes but to the Humble thou makest thy Power to be known Thou breakest the Horns of the Wicked and liftest up the Horns of the Righteous Open to me my Sister thou Gate of Life Take away my Coat this Mortal Coat which I wear and deck me with the Garment of Praise and Gladness Break the Bow and Sheild the Sword and the Battle Harden not thy Heart against me Take pity of a hungry Son that hath lived long in a strange Country and deliver him back to his own Father again Thus departed that Holy Presbyter thus he spoke and thus he died What excellent Cordials are such Patterns to a dying Christian He that takes a view of them learns what to say and how to speak to God and to his own Soul when he is going to leave this present World Hypocrites commonly compare themselves with Men that are worse than themselves and finding themselves better than the worst of Men stroak themselves for excellent Saints Because they are not so bad as others therefore they must be very admirable Christians Because they do something more than those that know not God therefore they think they do enough as much as is necessary to Salvation But a Christian indeed a Christian that is altogether so looks forward upon those that are better than himself and by
this Art did Paphnutius teach Thais the Harlot after her Conversion and St. Bernard reports the same of St. Malachias I have read of others that while they have been in company of their Neighbors have in their Minds offered no less then One hundred and three Prayers to Allmighty God and accordingly Macarius advised the Man that ask'd him how he should Pray to repeat very frequently such words as these in his Mind Have Mercy upon me O Lord as thou wilt and think'st most convenient In the Lives of the Fathers there is mention made of one Moses that Pray'd Fifty times a day of one Paulus that Prayed Three hundred times and of a Virgin that did so Seven hundred times others have gone farther and lifted up their hearts to Heaven a Thousand times a day as St. Clara. These Prayers were only short Ejaculations used upon all occasions effects of this Praying Frame and whatever they undertook they began with a Prayer and while they were busy in the Works of their Calling still some Holy Aspirations came from them and if they were reading the Bible at the end of every Verse their Souls breath'd after God and in few words beg'd some Blessing at his hand to which purpose St. Ephrem gives this excellent Rule Whether you work or are going to lie down whether you stand still or are in a Journey whether you eat or drink whether you are going to sleep or are awaking take heed you do not forget to Pray whether you are at Church or at home or in the field whether you feed sheep or build houses whether you are at a Feast or otherwise engaged still Pray and Converse with God These short Ejaculatory Prayers are by St. Austin justly call'd Arrows whereby Gods heart is wounded and our hearts are rais'd into reciprocal love to God These are the Prayers which Tertullian calls Prayers without a Train or retinue of Words And Isack the Anchorete in Cassian pure Offerings Sacrifices with Marrow in them These are the Works or Attempts of our Spiritual Bow as Justinian phrases them Darts and Arrows levell'd against the Enemy Fiery Desires of the heart and the Wishes of Importunate Supplications which are shot up to Heaven wound a great way off fly with great swiftness keep the Enemy from coming too near and sometimes at one stroke enervate his Temptations when he approaches for seeing the presence of God in these Ejaculations he is struck with horror and departs And this Rule I earnestly entreat my Reader to think of and put in practice Christian What difficulty is there in 't before any honest attempt or enterprise to say in thy Mind Lord establish thou the work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it or if it may not tend to thy Glory keep it from prospering and let it not succeed according to my desires If thy design be honest and lawful Why shouldst thou be loth to recommend thy endeavors to the conduct of Providence try it and thou wilt find what comfort it will yield in the end When thou hearest the Clock strike let thy Mind immediately mount up to Heaven and say Lord so teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom When dressing thy self Cloth my soul with salvation and deck me with white raiments that the shame of my nakedness may not appear When washing thy hands and face Bathe my soul in the Blood of Jesus and wash my heart from all Iniquity When walking O Lord cause me to walk in the way of thy Testimonies and let me not wander from thy Commandments When in Company O when will that Joyful Day come that my soul shall be gathered to the innumerable Company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect When Writing Lord put thy Laws in my heart and write them upon my mind When Reading O make me to understand the way of thy Precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous Works When Rising O let me awake unto Righteousness and arise from the dead that Christ may give me light When lying down O cause me to lie down in the green pastures of thy Mercy lead me beside the still waters of thy Comforts and restore my Soul When kindling a Fire O shed abroad thy love in my heart and raise such flames within as may burn up all my dross and all my filth When lighting a Candle O give me the spirit of Wisdom and Understanding and enlighten mine Eyes that I may see what the hope of thy calling is and what the riches of thy Grace are When Eating or Drinking O let it be my Meat and Drink to do thy Will feed me with the Bread which came down from Heaven and give me to drink of that Water whereof whoever drinks shall never thirst again When Riding out O Thou that ridest upon the wings of the Wind shew thy self conquer my Corruptions and trample all my Sins under thy feet When taking the Air Come Holy Spirit blow upon my Garden that the Spices may flow out make my mind calm serene and quiet breathe upon me and revive me with the light of thy Countenance When Visiting a sick Neighbour O do thou make all his Bed in his sickness and give me Grace to speak a word in season to him and cause all thy Goodness to pass before him When beholding Trees and Plants and Flowers Lord how wonderful are all thy Works in Wisdom hast thou made them all the Earth is full of thy Riches O make me as a Tree planted by the Rivers of Water which may bring forth its fruit in due season When going to speak to a Great Man Over-awe me with thy presence Lord that I may not comply with any Evil but may fear Thee more than Men. When going by Water O satisfie my Soul with the Fatness of thy House and make me to drink of the River of thy Pleasures When Buying or Selling Lord prevail with me to keep a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward Man When standing in thy Shop How amiable are thy Tabernacles Lord God of Hosts O let me ever love the Habitation of thy House and the place where thine Honour dwelleth When hearing thy Neighbour Curse or Swear O Lord lay not this sin to his charge Father forgive him for he knows not what he doth When hearing any good of thy Friend or Acquaintance O let him grow in Grace and go on from Virtue to Virtue and make him fruitful in every good word and work When seeing any one that 's Blind or Lame or Dumb O Lord make these distressed Creatures amends for these defects some other way make the Eye of their Faith the quicker their inward Man stronger and their Hope more lively and visit them more powerfully with thy Salvation When looking upon a
than a livelyhood on Earth Why of all things must your Souls and your God be neglected Laban was more concern'd for his God than for his Sheep and Oxen Shall an Idolater mind his Idol more than you the great God of Heaven and Earth You complain you cannot conquer your corruptions How should you conquer when you do not strive How should you strive if you enter into no Holy purposes to arm your selves against the sins of the day Are Corruptions blown away with a breath or Lusts that are deeply rooted expelled with Sighs and Wishes Did you ever know Cedars fall with the touch of a hand Or did ever Children with a switch strike a sturdy Oak out of its place Will your sins leave you when you do not think of them Or will these foes ever yield while you make no war against them Do you think the Devil values your Souls as little as your selves or do you fancy that strong man will leave his Habitation except you come against him with Swords and Axes Canst thou draw Leviathan with a Hook or his Tongue with a Cord which thou lettest down Canst thou put a hook into his Nose or bore his Jaw through with a Thorn Wilt thou play with him as with a Bird or wilt thou bind him for thy Maidens With what faces can you confess your sins at night when your Consciences tell you and cannot but fly into your faces and convince you that you did do nothing to prevent them that you left your selves naked and exposed to the assault of temptations and would take nothing to preserve you from the infection What do you confess your sins for but to be better and if to be better how is it possible you should be so without you defend and guard your Souls by such Holy purposes the next day Do you make confession of Sin a business of custom only Do you make no more than a formality of it How shall God forgive you How shall he pardon you for your transgressions while you do not study and contrive next day how you shall be rid of those sins which the night before you professed your sorrow for Do you think God will be put off with shadows and the Almighty gull'd with counterfeit Devotion Have you lived so long under the Gospel and have learn'd Christ no better Have you convers'd with Ministers so long and are no better Scholars The Devil himself cannot but smile to see how ridiculously you go to work to be good and to subdue your sins to see you content your selves with the bare confession and take no care to tear them from your hearts these Holy purposes in the morning would shake the evil tree and by degrees so weaken it that it would fall of it self If therefore you would not make a jest of Religion if you would not play with your Confessions if you would not turn your Duties into ridiculé for Gods sake enter into protestations against your sins every morning lest you increase your guilt and like the Aethiopian in the Fable who thought he should carry his burthen better if he made it greater you add sin unto sin III Exercise Every day to spend half an hour or some such time in thinking of some good thing an Exercise insisted on in this Chapter v. 15. and Psal. 1. 2. Phil. 4. 8. I mention half an hour because it is not easily to be conceiv'd how any meditation can be effectual or do good upon the Soul if men do not think it worth bestowing so much time at least upon 't Meditation is that noble Power wherby we are distinguished from Brutes and irrational Animals and our being able to think and with our thoughts to dwell upon any Divine Object shews that we participate of the nature of Angels And there is such great variety of Heavenly and Spiritual Objects that every day we may pitch upon a new Theme every day smell to a new Flower and with the day change the subject of our contemplation On Sunday or the Lords day rather we may let our hearts dwell on the everlasting Kingdom of Heaven and the vast Glory of the world to come who they are that shall enjoy it on what terms that Crown may be purchased The transcendency of that felicity above all that the world can call Rich and Beautiful and Glorious How pleasant that life will be how free from Hunger and Thirst and Cold and Nakedness from all possibility of sin and danger from death and sorrow and sadness from anxiety corruption perturbation from changes and sickness and weakness and infirmities from fear and storms and tempests from the assaults of the World the Flesh and the Devil How full of Love and Delight and Ravishment it will be How sweetly the weary Soul will rest in the bosom of everlasting Mercy How Glorious a sight the new Jerusalem will be How reviving a spectacle to behold the Guard-Royal of Angels shining in Robes of Light The noble Army of Martyrs the goodly fellowship of Patriarchs and Prophets and what is more Christ as Man glorified with his Fathers Glory shining like the Sun in his meridian Lustre and calling to his Triumphant Church Behold thou art fair my love thou hast ravish'd my heart How fair is thy Love my Sister my Spouse How much better is thy love than wine and the smell of thy ointment than all spices Who is she that looks forth as the Morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun and terrible as an Army with Banners Thy Lips Oh my spouse drop as the Honeycomb Honey and Milk are under thy Tongue and the smell of thy Tongue is like the smell of Lebanon On Munday we may reflect on the last judgement how the Lord Jesus for all the seeming delay shall be ere long revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire to take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ How the King of Heaven will then sit upon the throne of his Glory and before him will be gathered all Nations and how he will separate them one from another as a Shepherd divides his Sheep from the Goats how he 'l set the Sheep on his right hand and the Goats on the left and say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was a hungred c. but to them on his left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels How different mens notions and apprehensions of God's Mercy and Justice will be then from what they are now What amazement the careless besotted world will be in then how those men that spend their days in jollity and brutish pleasures now will then be forced into despair and be ready to tear themselves and call to Rocks and Mountains Fall on us and hide us from the
face of Him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb How all things then will look with another face How the humble self-denying Christian that is now the hissing and off-scouring of the world will then be exalted above all Heavens and seated in the same Throne with the Son of God and how all those mighty nothings that scorn and laugh now at the Religious Soul will tremble in that day like an Aspen leaf and wish that they had consider'd the things which belong'd to their everlasting Peace while the Candle of the Lord shined over their heads and God caressed them to their happiness On Tuesday we may take God's various Mercies and Providences into serious consideration What preservations What deliverances we have met withal What care God hath taken of us from time to time how he hath been with us when we have gone through the Water and when we have passed through the Fire hath commanded the Flames not to kindle upon us How ready he hath been to assist us in the fiery Furnace How miraculously he hath appeared in our rescue when the Figtree hath not blossom'd when there hath been no Fruit in the Vine and when the labour of the Olive hath failed and when all Creature-comforts have failed how often he hath been our strength and our portion our refuge and our hiding place How kind he hath been in causing us to be born in a Christian Countrey and in a Religion free from those gross errors and superstitions that other nominal Christians do sink into What a mercy his Word his Gospel and all his Laws and Revelations are What assistance what Comfort what checks of Conscience what motions of Gods Spirit we have found and how God hath done more for us than we have been able to think or to express On Wednesday we may take a view of our Death and the hour of our departure out of this World How certain Death is how frail our Lives how soon this frame may be dissolved how easy a thing dispatches us how the approaches of Death have made the stoutest sinner tremble how dreadful and terrible it will be to those who have set their Heart upon the Riches and Pleasures of this World how wise a thing it is to prepare for it before the evil days come how joyful it will be if it find us prepared for the stroke and prepared for that life we must enter into when we quit this present how welcome Death is to a Holy Soul how cheerfully a Pious man can say Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace how upon our death there depends Eternity how foolish it is to slight Grace and Mercy till death forces us to embrace and wish for it how Death will marr our Beauty deface our Glory and lay all our grandeur in the dust how Death is the birth-day of a sincere Believer brings him into a new world a world of joys and endless satisfactions and is to him an entrance into Paradice a door into the Garden of Eden where no good shall be absent and no evil present On Thursday we may Piously survey the Torments of Hell how just they are how great they are how terrible they are how the unhappy Prisoners there roar for a drop of Water to cool their burning Tongues how they lie tormented in those Flames wishing in vain for some Glorified Spirit to relieve them for some comfort from the Mansions of Glory to drop down upon them what howling what gnashing of Teeth there is in that outward Darkness how Men there gnaw their Tongues for pain and Blaspheme the God of Heaven because of their Sores and Anguish how endless those Calamities are how glad those wretched Captives would be if there might be hope of their deliverance after some Millions of Ages how many that have made a Jest of these Torments have felt them in good earnest and those that have disputed the Justice of God in inflicting them have to their cost found that there is no playing with a Consuming Fire how Men in that Tophet wish when it is too late that they had bethought themselves and submitted themselves betimes to Christ's Government before those evil days had come upon them how easie every Precept of the Gospel will then seem to them how all Pretences of Difficulty and Impossibility will vanish when they shall lie upon the Wrack and find by sad Experience that it was easier to deny themselves in their Sinful Pleasures and easier to Watch over their Hearts then to endure such Agonies On Fryday we may cast our eyes upon the Passion and Death of Christ how he was Mock'd Derided Crown'd with Thorns and Crucified to purchase an Eternal Redemption for us What a wonderful Love it was to suffer all this for Enemies that they might be reconciled to God and become his Friends What a dreadful spectacle it was to see Infinite Majesty Annihilated Infinite Beauty Defaced Infinite Happiness Tormented and Eternity Dying and droping into the Grave What Patience what Meekness what Submission what Gentleness he expressed under all those Injuries to shew us an Example and to oblige us to follow his steps How heavy the burthen of our Sins was that could make the Son of God cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me What a mighty Argument that Love is to Love him Fervently How Inexcusable that Man makes himself that believes this Love and yet will not be perswaded by it to obey and conforme himself to his Will How mysterious this Love is that the Sinner should Transgress and the Righteous be Punished for him That the Innocent should suffer for the Nocent the Judge for the Malefactor the Master for the Servant God for Man What Ingratitude it must be to trample on the Blood of Christ or to put him to open shame again or to make light of Salvation when God hath Purchased it at so dear a rate how by his Death we Live by his Stripes we are heal'd by his Wounds we are cured by his Reproaches we are advanced to Glory and by his being made a Curse for us we escape the Curse of the Law How after so much Charity we have all the reason in the world to prize him and to count all things dross and dung in comparison of him to delight in him to love him to prefer him before the World and to follow the Lamb whethersoever he goes On Saturday we may lay our sins before us when and where and how often and how long and how wilfully we have rebell'd against our best and greatest friend What Light we have resisted What motions of God's Spirit we have slighted What checks of Conscience and convictions we have smother'd What exhortations and admonitions we have baffl'd What we have done against the First Table What against the Second What against God and what against our Neighbour How we have mispent our time and trifled away our precious hours How vile how
Heaven when Men wrong us or do us an Injury What edifying expressions and discourses may we build upon these thoughts and contemplations when we visit one another How many excellent Examples of holy Men and Women may we pitch upon in our Discourses Can there be more edifying Discourse then to relate and represent to one another the Holy Actions of Saints either departed or living yet how humble St. Paul was how couragious St. Peter how fervent David how meek Moses how patient Job How such a one scorn'd to be call'd the Son of Pharaohs Daughter and fix'd his eyes upon the great Recompence of Reward another took pleasure in being reviled another thank'd God in the midst of Torments another Pray'd for those that Stoned him another chose Poverty and Contempt and the loss of all things that he might win Christ. Excellent matter of holy Discourse and such as in all probability St. James did aim and point at James 5. 10. Take my Brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the Name of the Lord for an Example of suffering affliction and of patience And if this will not do there are so many Motives and encouraging Arguments to Goodness both we and others do make use of that we may as soon want Light at Noon as matter of Pious and Religious Conference When we converse with our Fellow-Christians What moves us to be meek What prevailes with us to be patient What makes us contented in all conditions What composes our spirits in Fiery Tryals What puts us upon Self-denial What Incentives do we make choice of to the Love of God How came we by that serious Frame of Spirit we are in How came we to conquer such a Lust What did we to vanquish such a Corruption How did we compass that Facility and Willingness to conform to God which seems to be in us How came Christ's Yoak to be easie to us and his Burthen light How came we to be rid of such a Sin How came we to Extricate our selves from such Snares and Deceits of the Devil The various wayes and methods whereby we do arrive to such perfections as these are so many Doors of Utterance and will serve to make us open our mouths boldly and he that doth so doth without all controversie exercise himself unto Godliness And to illustrate this exercise by some examples it will not be impertinent to set down here the Discourse of the Twelve Hermits in Paschasius that meeting once a Week gave one another an Account of their Spiritual Progress and Thriving in Grace and one of their Conferences was this The First said Every day I watch against evil Thoughts and Lusts as I do against Serpents and Scorpions and assoon as I find them rising in my heart I threaten them and am heartily angry with them and chide them for their insolence and sauciness and ask them How they dare be so bold as to prophane a Temple of the Holy Ghost The Second said I look upon my self every day as a Stranger and Pilgrim that must suffer many inconveniences troubles and injuries till I come to my Journeys end and I ever look upon the Morrow as the day wherein I shall be deliver'd from the burthen of the Flesh and from all possibility of sinning and so bear up under all the Crosses that befall me The Third said Every day very early in the Morning I get up and go to my God and throwing my self down upon my Face adore him and intercede with him for the whole World and this done I go and deny my Body that ease and satisfaction which flesh and blood doth crave on purpose to Crucifie the World to my self and my self unto the World The Fourth said Every day I take a Turn and Walk upon the Mount of Olives and there behold my Dear Redeemer Bleeding and do so Reflect on his Passion and the Agonies he endured for my Sin till the Spectacle melts me into Tears and forces me into very strong Resolutions to imitate him whom my Soul doth love The Fifth said Every day with the Eyes of my Understanding I behold the Angels of God as Jacob once did in a Dream Ascending and Descending for the Salvation of Mens Souls and this Love and Care and Tenderness so works upon me that I do both wish that all man kind may be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth and do give more diligence to make my Calling and Election sure The Sixth said Every day I make it my bsiuness to Meditate on that saying of Christ Come to me all that labour and are heavy laden and I will refresh you take my Yoak upon you and I fancy I hear this Voice be hind me O Christians if you mean to be my Brethren suffer with me that ye may Reign with me Die with me that ye may live with me Conquer with me that ye may sit with me in my Throne even as I overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne The seventh said Every day I sit in Council with three grave Senators Faith Hope and Charity and the effect of this Consultation is my Faith becomes more firm my Hope more lively my Charity more spreading and more fervent and I dare not willingly offend any man but think my self oblidged to suffer long and to be kind not to behave my self unseemly not to seek my own not to be easily provoked and to think no evil The Eighth said Every day I do expect the Devil and look for his Assaults and Stratagems and when I see him coming in my Mind I run to God and hide my self under the shadow of his Wings and beg hard that his fiery Darts may not hurt me The Ninth said Every day with my thoughts I ascend into Heaven and there listen to the Halelujahs and harmonious Voices of the Blessed Angels and refresh my mind and all that is within me with those melodious Songs and when I do so I die to the World trample upon all these Sublunary objects and despise those things which sensual men admire as dirt and Dung The Tenth said Every day I do set God befor me and look upon him as present and standing on my Right hand and I strive to have this thought continually in mind whence it comes to pass that I speak and do nothing but with great consideration and deliberation The Eleventh said Every day I call the Graces and Gifts of Gods Spirit about me and when I am going out I cry where are you all come about me my faithful Servants and these are the Retinue I go attended withal in this State and Pomp I set forth with this Guard about me I walk and no Devil dares approach to hurt me The Twelfth said Where ve I go I see my Sins go before me and whether I look on my Right or Left hand they still appear to me in very dreadful shapes and that makes me every day take a view of Hell and there I
you go about it go about it willingly and chearfully not like men that seem angry with God for laying such a yoak upon the neck of his Disciples I do not deny but that the Divel and our own Lusts will make Objections against it plead that it is not necessary or that hereby our worldly Profit will be much obstructed and that we do not read of many Saints that have used it and that it is a thing not common and that we must mind the Works of our Calling and that sleep will oppress us if we go about this Work at night c. The Devil did never yet let any man go quietly to Heaven and therefore such impediments he 'll certainly throw in any mans way that hath serious resolutions not to neglect it but these objections must be couragiously answered vigorously resisted and manfully opposed for the strong man will not leave the house except you throw him out by force He that is afraid of discomposing his soft Lusts and Passions to be sure can do no good here and whatever unwillingness may creep or steal upon us in this Exercise our business must be to strive and pray and labour hard against it and to resolve to cross it whatever it cost us Suggestions that would make us unwilling to venture must not be dandled courted or flatter'd No but must be beaten off with a strong hand and we must not give over till the Exercise becomes delightful to us for as it is in the Works of Charity so in this God ever loves a chearful Giver To go about this Work as the Oxe goes to the Shambles to be forced and dragg'd to it as an untowardly School-boy to his Book to scratch our Heads when we are to apply our selves to it and to be drawn to it by fears of Hell and terrors within is with the Jews Mal. 2. 13. To cover the Altar of the Lord with tears and weeping and crying out insomuch that he regards not our offering any more or receives it with a good will at our hands 3. Let it be done with an intent to be better Whatever we do in Religion this must be our end He that examines himself at night in course or makes a formality of it and hath no real intent to leave and watch against the sins and neglects which upon examination he finds in himself or to become more serious beats the Air and what is worse mocks the Almighty and takes his Covenant in his Mouth while he hates to be reformed as it is said Ps. 56. 16 17. One would think no man should undertake this Task but with an intent to become more cautious of sinning and more watchful against temptations yet such is the deceitfulness of our Hearts that we are apt to fancy God likes the Duty and regards not the Effect as the Harlot Prov. 7. 14. This day have I paid my Vows therefore came I forth to meet thee She made her Vows and Prayers not the means but the end Means they are indeed whereby God would makes us holier but he that rests in the means and goes no further is like unto a man that works in a Garden or Vineyard and rids no ground Labour is the means whereby the Garden is to be manured and cultivated that it may bring forth Flowers Herbs and Plants and all manner of pleasant Fruits He that doth not make this fruitfulness the end of his Labour takes pains but does do nothing 4. Let it be done with some aggravation of the defects and errors of your lives which you detect by examination The bare discovery of our neglects or defects will signifie little except they be represented to our minds in such black Characters as shall work us into detestation Being drawn at large and the offences heightned from circumstances and the defects considered together with the light and knowledge we have with the encouragements motives arguments God is pleased to give us with the various opportunities we enjoy with the parts gifts abilities the Almighty hath bestowed upon us they will look more big and dreadful and consequently the sight will make deeper impressions upon us and engage us to greater care and circumspection On the other side where the influences assistances helps and strength and power against any sin or temptation or any other mercy we have received in the day time be heightned and made more lively by considering our vileness unworthiness wretchedness and how undeserved these Blessings are how they savour of bowels of compassion of Gods Paternal care and discover Gods unspeakable love to his poor Creatures and his immense liberality to Wretches that have deserved his anger and fury and indignation the Heart will be more taken with them and engaged to a more servent love to God and to greater alacrity to run in the way of his Commandments 5. Those that have Families let them by all means exhort their Children and Servants to this Exercise Those I mean which are capable of it And they are capable of it sooner than we aware especially if we do entice them to it by Rewards and Promises till custom hath made it pleasant and then they will desire our approbation more than our recompence This is certainly part of that walking within our houses with a perfect heart which David makes the necessary qualification of a good Housekeeper Ps. 101. 2. Goodness is ever communicative and no man loves God truly that doth not desire others should love him as well as himself It is the nature of true Devotion to be active and zealous to make Proselytes and indeed where the heart is enamour'd with Gods Beauty and Excellency it is impatient till it brings others into a relish and liking of it If this Communing with our own hearts be profitable to our own Souls why should it not be so to the Souls of persons committed to our trust If we think it necessary to our Salvation shall we think those under our Charge may find out another way to Heaven If we look upon it as a sure Preservative to guard us against Sin shall we leave those whose Souls as well as Bodies we are to provide for to secure themselves against Sin as well as they can These are absurdities which a Christian must not be guilty of except such Christians as the Angel of the Church of Sardis was who had a name that he lived but was dead Rev. 3. 1. 6. Take such a method in this daily Self-examination as is most easie and natural Either proceed directly to contemplation of your outward and inward man or lay the Decalogue before you or make Christ's Sermon upon the Mount the Rule of this Exploration I will touch upon each of these Methods and leave it to your discretion to take which you please Indeed we should not need to descend to such particulars had we to deal with men that were in love with Religion and would apply general things to themselves think themselves concern'd in
every Lesson that 's deliver'd in publick and when they hear Sinners reprov'd and condemn'd cry with the Disciples of our Lord Master is it I But our Business for the most part being with men who like wanton Children will scarce eat the Meat that 's cut for them and are so choak'd with the Cares and Riches and Enjoyments of this World that the loudest Thunders of God make no impression on them and fancy because they are not particularly named in the Bible that therefore the Commands there given do not belong to them we are forced to make the way they are to walk in as easie as we can remove the Stones out of it and tell them every step of the way in hopes that all these pains may work upon their good Nature and oblige them to break loose from the Kingdom of Sin and Darkness And therefore 1. If the Actions and Motions of our outward and inward man be made the Rule of this Daily Self-examination the particular questions that must be proposed to our Hearts at night must be such as these To begin with the Senses As for the Ear Have not I this day heard some ill immodest unsavoury Expressions used by others and hath it been a grief to me hath it been a trouble to my Soul to think that my God was abused and dishonoured by it Have not my Ears been open to corrupt and vain communications Have not I been tickled with some obscene or filthy Story I have heard Have I heard my Neighbour reviled or ill spoken of and have I done the duty of a Friend and justified his innocent Behaviour Have I heard this day of any undecent deportment of any of my Family and have I reproved them for it or admonished them to amendment of life Have not I been pleased with the Commendations I have heard men pass upon me and hath not their applause tempted me to vain-glory Have I heard of losses I have had with Patience Have I heard a man speak disgracefully of me without being enraged at the Calumny Have I heard men entice me to sin and have I abhorred the invitation Have I heard men Swear and Curse and have I been concern'd at the greatness of their Sin On the Lords day especially Have I heard the Word this day with seriousness Did I come to Hear with Resolutions to Practice what I heard Was my Heart affected with the happy Message of Grace and Pardon Was not I more taken with the Ministers delivery than the great things he spoke of Was it custom that obliged me to go and hear or was it a fervent desire to be edified and built up in my most holy Faith Do I feel in my self any Purposes at this present to do as I have been advised to day Did I prepare my self for hearing the Word by suitable Thoughts and Contemplations of that awful Majesty before whom I was to appear Did I feel any heat in my Hearing which was ready to consume the Straw and Stubble of my carnal Affections Did I find any sweetness in the Word of God I heard to day Was my heart ravisht when I heard the joyful news of Christs Redemption to day Was my Soul affected with the love of God when I heard it described to day at the Receiving of the Holy Sacrament Have I done my duty at home Have I made my Servants and Children hear what the Lord their God requires at their hands As for the Eye Have I this day lifted up mine Eyes to Heaven and taken notice of Gods Providences Have not I fed mine Eyes with some unlawful Spectacle Have not I seen men sin and laught at it Have not I beheld immodest Actions and been delighted with them Hath not the sight of such a Vanity transported me into admiration of it Have I read a Portion of the Holy Scriptures to day and remembred to apply the things I read of to mine own Conscience Have I been enflamed with the goodness of the men I have read of Have the Duties and Precepts I have read caused in me a willingness to perform them Have I beheld the Finger of God in the Blessings I have received to day Have I taken notice of Gods goodness to me and mine and stood amazed at it Have I look'd upon the Works of God to day upon Trees and Herbs and Flowers and admired the Wisdom Glory and Bounty of God As for the Tongue and Lips Have I wilfully spoke evil of no man to day Have not I rendred Railing for Railing and Threatning for Threatning Have I been careful to drop something of God in the company I have been in Did not I Eat and Drink to day more to please my Appetite then to repair the decay'd strength of my nature that I might be more serviceable to God and my Neighbour Did I take occasion to speak of something that 's good at my Table And when I craved a Blessing was not my mind more intent upon the Meat before me than on the Great God above me Have not I been intemperate to day Did not I Eat and Drink more than Nature required Have I Pray'd with my Family to day and did that Prayer proceed from an humble sense of our Spiritual Wants and Necessities Have not I said something whereby my Neighbour might suffer in his Credit and Reputation Have I dropt never a Lye in my Shop or Trade or in company either in Jest or for some Advantage or to please Men Have not I rashly made or falsly broke a Promise Have I in my Addresses and Answers shew'd all Meekness unto all Men Have not I talk'd Surly or Proudly to a Man because he was Poor Have not I disdain'd to speak to him because he went in Rags Have I avoided foolish Talk and when I have been tempted to break a Jest which was either Smutty or might be some way prejudicial to my Neighbour have I suppressed it and been more ambitious of being Grave and Modest than of the Reputation of being Witty As for the Hands and Feet whereby the Scripture usually expresses Mans actions Have I been diligent in the Duties of my Calling to day Have I defrauded no Man deceived no Man Have I dealt uprightly and honestly with all Men Have I shunn'd that company which I was afraid would draw me into Sin Have not I complyed with some sinful Action of the Company I have been in Have I some way or other shewn my abhorreney and detestation of their Sins Have I really endeavour'd more to please God than Men What good have I done to day Have not I taken more pains and care to dress my Body than I have done to beautifie my Soul Have not I been more curious about my Cloaths than about my Graces Have not I been more careful to make my Face pleasing to Spectators than I have been to approve my self to God Have not I lost somewhat of the Life of Religion by going into such Society Have not I spent