Gospel Leave out this Gratitude and it is no Evangelical Repentance And what is our saving faith in Christ but the Assent to the truth of the Gospel with a Thankful Acceptance of the good which it offereth us even Christ as our Saviour with the Benefits of his Redemption The Love to God that is there required is the Thankful Love of his Redeemed ones And the Love to our very enemies and the forgiving of wrongs and all the Love to one another and all the works of Charity there required are the exercises of Gratitude and are all to be done on this account because Christ hath loved us and forgiven us and that we may shew our thankful Love to him Preaching and Praying and Sacraments and publick praises and communion of Saints and obedience are all to be animated with Gratitude and they are no further Evangelically performed than Thankfulness is the very life and complexion of them all The dark and defective opening of this by Preachers gave occasion to the Antinomians to run into the contrary extream and to derogate too much from Gods Law and our Obedience But if we obscure the doctrine of Evangelical Gratitude we do as bad or worse than they Obedience to our Ruler and Thankfulness to our Benefactor conjoyned and co-operating as the Head and Heart in the Natural body do make a Christian indeed Understand this well and it will much incline your hearts to Thankfulness § 4. Direct 2. Let the greatness of the manifold mercies of God be continually before your eyes Direct 2. Thankfulness is caused by the due apprehension of the greatness of mercies If you either know them not to be mercies or know not that they are mercies to you or believe not what is said and promised in the Gospel or forget them or think not of them or make light of them through the corruption of your minds you cannot be thankful for them I have before spoken of Mercy in order to the kindling of Love and therefore shall now only recite these following to be alwayes in your memories 1. The Love of God in giving you a Redeemer and the Love of Christ in giving his life for us and in all the parts of our Redemption 2. The Covenant of Grace the pardon of all our sins the justification of our persons our adoption and title to eternal life 3. The aptness of means for calling us to Christ The gracious and wise disposals of providence to that end the gifts and compassion of our instructers the care of Parents and the helps and examples of the servants of Christ. 4. The efficacy of all these means â—he giving us to will and to do and opening of our hearts and giving us repentance unto life and the Spirit of Christ to mortifie our sins and purifie our nature and dwell within us 5. A standing in his Church under the care of faithful Pastors the liberty comfort and frequent benefit of his Word and Sacraments and the publick communion of his Saints 6. The company of those that fear the Lord and their faithful admonitions reproofs and encouragements the kindness they have shewed us for body or for soul. 7. The mercies of our Relations or habitations our estates and the notable alterations and passages of our lives 8. The manifold preservations and deliverances of our souls from errors and seducers from terrors and distress from dangerous temptations and many a soul-wounding sin and that we are not leâ—t to the errors and desires of our hearts to seared Consciences as forsaken of God 9. The manifold deliverances of our bodies from enemies hurts distresses sicknesses and death 10. The mercies of adversity in wholesome necessary chastisements or honourable sufferings for his sake and support or comfort under all 11. The communion which our souls have had with God in the course of our private and publick duties in Prayer Sacraments and Meditation 12. The use which he hath made of us for the good of others that our time hath not been wholly lost and we have not lived as burdens of the world 13. The mercies of all our friends and his servants which were to us as our own and our interest in the mercies and publick welfare of his Church which are more than our own 14. His patience and forbearance with us under our constant unprofitableness and provocations and his renewed mercies notwithstanding our abuse our perseverance untill now 15. Our hopes of everlasting Rest and Glory when this sinsul life is at an end Aggravate these mercies in your more enlarged meditations and they will sure constrain you to cry out Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies Psal. 102. 1 2 3 4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his Courts with praise be thankful to him and bless his name For the Lord is good his Mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations Psal. 100. 4 5. The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and plenteous in mercy For as the Heaven is high above the Earth so great is his mercy to them that fear him Psal. 103. 8 11. O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Psal. 136. 1 c. O give thanks unto the Lord call upon his name make known his deeds among the people sing ye unto him sing Psalms unto him talk ye of all his wondrous works glory ye in his holy name Let the heart of them rejoyce that seek him Psal. 105. 1 2 3. § 5. Direct 3. Be well acquainted with the greatness of your sins and sensible of them as they are Direct 3. the aggravation of Gods Mercies to you This is the main end why God will humble those that he will save Not to drive them to despair of mercy nor that he taketh pleasure in their sorrows for themselves But to work the heart to a due esteem of saving mercy and to a serious desire after it that they may thankfully receive it and carefully retain it and faithfully use it An unhumbled soul sets light by Christ and Grace and Glory It relisheth no spiritual mercy It cannot be thankful for that which it findeth no great need of But true humiliation recovereth our appetite and teacheth us to value mercy as it is Think therefore what sin is as I have opened to you Dir. 8. and think of your manifold aggravated sins and then think how great those mercies are that are bestowed on so great unworthy sinners Then mercy will melt your humbled hearts when you confess that you are unworthy to be called Sons Luke 15. and that you are not worthy to look up to Heaven Luke 18. 13. and that you are not worthy of the least
carrieth thee to the place No one forceth thee to sin If thou do it it is because thou wilt do it and lovest it If thou be in good earnest with God and wilt be saved indeed and art not content to part with Heaven for thy cups and company away with them presently without delay § 4. Hast thou lived in wantonness fornication uncleanness gluttony gaming pastimes sensuality to the pleasing of thy flesh while thou hast displeased God O bless the Patience and Mercy of the Lord that thou wast not cut off all this while and damned for thy sin before thou didst repent And as thou lovest thy soul delay no longer but make a stand and go no further not one step further in the way which thou knowest leads to Hell If thou knowest that this is the way to thy damnation and yet wilt go on what pity dost thou deserve from God or man § 5. If thou have been a Covetous Wordling or an Ambitious seeker of honour or preferment in the world so that thy gain or rising or reputation hath been the game which thou hast followed and hath taken thee up instead of God and life eternal away now with these known deceits and hunt not after Vanity and Vexation Thou knowest before hand what it will prove when thou hast overtaken it and hast enjoyed all that it can yield thee and how useless it will be as to thy comfort or happiness at last § 6. Surely if men were willing they are able to forbear such sins and to make a stand and look before them to prevent their misery Therefore God thus pleadeth with them Isa. 1. 16 17 18. Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well c. Isa. 55 2 3. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatness Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you V. 6 7. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found Call ye upon him while he is near Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Christ supposeth that the foresight of judgement may restrain men from sin when he saith Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee John 5. 14. 8. 11. Can the presence of men restrain a Fornicator and the presence of the Judge restrain a Thief yea or the foresight of the Assizes And shall not the presence of God with the foresight of judgement and damnation restrain thee Remember that impenitent sin and damnation are conjoyned If you will cause one God will cause the other Choose one and you shall not choose whether you will have the other If you will have the Serpent you shall have the sting Direction 15. IF thou have sincerely given up thy self to God and consented to his Covenant shew it Direct 15. by turning the face of thy endeavours and conversation quite another way and by seeking Heaven more fervently and diligently than ever thou soughtest the world or fleshly pleasures § 1. Holiness consisteth not in a meer forbearance of a sensual life but principally in living unto God The principle or heart of Holiness is within and consisteth in the Love of God and of his Word and Wayes and Servants and Honour and Interest in the world and in the souls delight in God and the Word and Wayes of God and in its inclination towards him and desire after him and care to please him and lothness to offend him The expression of it in our lives consisteth in the constant diligent exercise of this internal life according to the directions of the Word of God If thou be a believer and hast subjected thy self to God as thy absolute Soveraign King and Judge it will then be thy work to obey and please him as a Child his Father or a Servant his Master Mal. 1. 6. Do you think that God will have Servants and have nothing for them to do Will one of you commend or reward your servant for doing nothing and take it at the years end for a satisfactory answer or account if he say I have done no harm God calleth you not only to do no harm but to love and serve him with all your heart and soul and might If you have a better Master than you had before Aâ—osta faith that the Iâ—aiaâ—s are so addicted to their Idolatry and unwearied in it that he knoweth not what words can sufficiently declare how totally their minds are transformed into it no Whâ—re monger having so mad a love to his Whore as they to their Ido's so that neither in their idleness or their business neither in publick or in private will they do any thing till they have first used their Superstition to their Idols They will neither rejoyce at Weddings or mourn at Funerals neither make a Feast or partake of it not so much as move a foot out of doors or a hand to any work without this Heathemsh Sacriledge And all this they do with the greatest secrefie lest the Christians should know it Lib. 5. c. 8. p. 467. See here how nature teacheth all men that there is a Deity to be worshipped with all possible love and industry And shall the Worshippers of the true God then think it unnecessary preciseness to be as diligent and hearty in his service you should do more work than you did before Will you not serve God more zealoussy than you served the Devil Will you not labour harder to save your souls than you did to damn them Will you not be more zealous in good than you were in evil What fruit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed For the end of those things is death Rom. 6. 21 22. But now being made free from sin and become servants to God you have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life If you are true Behâ—vers you have now laid up your hopes in Heaven and therefore will set yourselves to seek it as worldlings set themselves to seek the world And a sluggish wish with heartless lazy dull endeavours is no fit seeking of eternal joyes A creeping pace beseemeth not a man that is in the way to Heaven especially who went faster in the way to Hell This is not running as for our lives You may well be diligent and make haste where you have so great encouragement and help and where you may expect so good an end and where you are sure you shall never in life or death have cause to repent of any of your just endeavours and where every step of your way is pure and
understood which is the chief the other cannot be referred to it When two things materially good come together and both cannot be done the greater must take place and the lesser is no duty at that time but a sin as preferred before the greater Therefore it is one of the commonest difficulties among Cases of Conscience to know which duty is the greater and to be preferred Upon this ground Christ healed on the Sabbath day and pleaded for his Disciples rubbing the ears of corn and for Davids eating the shew bread and telleth them that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath and that God will have mercy and not Sacrifice Divinity is a curious well composed frame As it is not enough that you have all the parts of your Watch or Clock but you must see that every part be in its proper place or else it will not go or answer its end so it is not enough that you know the several parts of Divinity or duty unless you know them in their true order and place You may be confounded before you are aware and led into many dangerous errors by mistaking the Order of several Truths And you may be misguided into heinous sins by mistaking the Degrees and Order of Duties As when duties of Piety and Charity seem to be competitors And when you think that the commands of men contradict the commands of God and when the substance and the circumstances or modes of duty are in question before you as inconsistent or when the means seemeth to cease to be a means by crossing of the end and in abundance of such cases you cannot easily conceive what a snare it may prove to you to be ignorant of the Methods and Ranks of duty § 2. Object If that he so what man can choose but be confounded in his Religion when there be so few that observe any Method at all and few that agree in Method and none that hath published a Scheme or Method so exact and clear as to be commonly approved by Divines themselves What then can ignorant Christians do Answ. Divinity is like a Tree that hath one Trunk and thence a few greater arms or boughs and Stoici dâ—â—unt virtutes sibi invicem ita esse connexas ut qui unam habuerit omnes habâ—at â—â—â—â—â—ius â—n 〈◊〉 thence a thousand smaller branches Or like the veins or nervs or arteries in the body that have first one or few trunks divided into more and those into a few more and those into more till they multiply at last into more than can easily be seen or numbered Now it is easie for any man to begin at the chief trunk and to discern the first divisions and the next though not to comprehend the number and order of all the extream and smaller branches So is it in Divinity It is not very hard to begin at the Unity of the Eternal God-head and see there a Trinity of Persons and of Primary attributes and of Relations and to arise to the principal attributes and works of God as in these Relations and to the Relations of man to God and to the great Duties of these Relations to discern Gods Covenants and chiefest Laws and the duty of man in obedience thereto and the Judgement of God in the execution of his sanctions though yet many particular truths be not understood And he that beginneth and proceedeth as he ought doth know methodically so much as he knoweth And he is in the right way to the knowledge of more And the great Mercy of God hath laid so great a necessity on us to know these few points that are easily known and so much less need of knowing the many small particulars that a mean Christian may live uprightly and holily and comfortably that well understandeth his Catechism or the Creed Lords Prayer and ten Commandments and may find daily work and consolation in the use of these § 3. A sound and well composed Catechism studied well and kept in memory would be a good measure of knowledge to ordinary Christians and make them solid and orderly in their understanding and in their proceeding to the smaller points and would prevent a great deal of â—rror and miscarriage that many by ill teaching are cast upon to their own and the Churches grief Yea it were to be wished that some Teachers of late had learnt so much and orderly themselves Direct 4. BEgin not too early with Controversies in Religion and when you come to them let them Direct 4. have but their due proportion of your time and zeal But live daily upon these certain great substantials which all Christians are agreed in § 1. I. Plunge not your selves too soon into Controversies For 1. It will be exceedingly to your loss by diverting your souls from greater and more necessary things You may get more encrease of holiness and spend your time more pleasingly to God by drinking in deeper the substantials of Religion and improving them on your hearts and lives 2. It will corrupt your minds and instead of humility charity holiness and heavenly mindedness it will feed your Pride and kindle faction and a dividing zeal and quench your charity and possess you with a wrangling contentious Spirit and you will make a Religion of these sins and lamentable distempers 3. And it is the way to deceive and corrupt your judgements and make you erroneous or heretical to your own perdition and the disturbance of the Church For it 's two to one but either you presently err or else get such an itch after Notions and Opinions that will lead you to error at the last Because you are not yet ripe and able to judge of those things till your minds are prepared by those truths that are first in order to be received When you undertake a work that you cannot do no wonder if it be ill done and must be all undone again or worse Perhaps you will say That you must not take your Religion upon trust but must prove all things and held fast that which is good Answ. Though your Religion must not be taken upon trust there are many controverted smaller Opinions that you must take upon trust till you are capable of discerning them in their proper evidence Till you can reach them your selves you must take them on trust or not at all Though you must believe all things of common necessity to salvation with a Divine faith yet many subservient truths must be received first by a humane faith or not received at all till you are more capable of them Nay there is a humane faith necessarily subservient to the Divine faith about the substance of Religion and the Officers of Christ are to be trusted in their Office as helpers of your faith Nay let me tell you that while you are young and ignorant you are not fit for Controversies about the fundamentals of Religion themselves You may believe that there is a God long before you are fit
never yet found cause to repent or be ashamed of it Remember that the fruit of sin was bitter and that when your eyes were opened and you saw your shame you would fain have fled from the face of God and that then it appeared another thing to you then it seemed in the committing Remember what grâ—ans and hearts grief it hath cost you and into what fears it brought you of the wrath of Gâ—d 〈…〉 how long it was before your broken bones were healed and what it cost both Christ and you And thâ—s will make the very name and first approach of â—in to cast you into a preventing fear A Bâ—ast that hath once fallen into a Gulf or Quick-sand will hardly be driven into the same again A Fâ—sh that was once sâ—â—icken and scap't the hook will fear and fly from it the next time A Bird that hath once escap t the Sâ—are oâ— the Tallons of the Hawk is afterwards afraid of the fight or noise of such a thing Remember where you fell and what it cost you and what you scaped which it might have cost you and you will obey more accurately hereafter § 19. Direct 6. Remember that this is your day of tryal and what depends upon your accurate 〈…〉 obedience God will not crâ—wn untryed Servants Satan is purposely suffered to tempt you to try whether you will be true to God or not All the hope that his malice hath of undoing you for ever â—â—nsisteth in his hope to make you disobedient to God Methinks these considerations should awaken you to the most watchful and diligent obedience If you were told before hand that a Thief or â—â—t purse had undertaken to rob you and would use all his cunning and industry to do it you would then watch more carefully than at another time If you were in a Race to run for your lives you wâ—uld not go then in your ordinary pace Doth God tell you before that he will try your obedience by temptation and as you stand or fall you shall speed for ever and will not this keep you watchful and obedient § 20. Direct 7. Avoid those tempting and deluding objects which are still entiâ—ing your hearts from Direct 7. your obedience and avoid that diverting crowd and noise of company or worldly business which drowns the vâ—iâ—e of Gods commands If God call you into a life of great temptations he can bring you safely through them all But if you rush into it wilfully you may soon find your own disability to resist It is dangerous to be under strong and importunate temptations lest the stream should bear us down But especially to be long under them lest we be weary of resisting They that are long solicited do too often yield at last It is hard to be alwayes in a clear and ready and resolute frame Few men have their wits much less their graces alwayes at hand in a readiness to use And if the Thief come when yoâ— are dropt asleep you may be robbed before you can awake The constant drawings of temptation do ofttimes abaâ—e the habit of obedience and diminish our hatred of sin and holy resolutions by â—low insâ—nsible degrees before we yield to commit the act And the mind that will be kept in full subjectiâ—n must not be so diverted in a crowd of distracting company or business as to have no time to thâ—â—k on the motives of his obedience This withdrawing of the fewel may put out the fire § 21. Direct 8. If you are unavoidably cast upon strong Temptation take the Allarm and put on all Direct 8. tâ—e 〈◊〉 of God and call up your souls to watchfulness and resolution remembring that you are now aâ—â—ng your enemies and must resist as for your lives Take every temptation in its naked proper sense â—s coming from the Devil and tending to your damnation by enticing your hearts from your subjection unto God suppose you saw the Devil himself in his instruments offering you the bait of preferment oâ— honour or riches or fleshly lusts or sports or of delightful meats or drinks to tempt you to excess and suppose you heard him say to you plainly Take this for thy salvation Sell me for this thy God and thy soul and thy everlasting hopes Commit this sin that thou maist fall under the judgement of God and be tormented in Hell with me for ever Do this to please thy flesh that thou maist displease thy God and grieve thy Saviour I cannot draw thee to Hell but by drawing thee to sin And I cannot make thee sin against thy will nor undo thee but by thy own consent and doing Therefore I pray theâ— consent and do it thy self and let me have thy company in torments This is the naked meaning of every temptation Suppose therefore you saw and heard all this with what detestation then would you reject it With what horror would you fly from the most enticing bait If a Robber would entice you out of your way and company with flattering words that you might fall into the hands of his companions if you knew all his meaning and design before hand would you be enticed after him Watch therefore and Resolve when you know before hand the Design of the Devil and what he intendeth in every temptation § 22. Direct 9. Be mâ—st suspicious fearful and watchful about that which your flesh doth most desire Direct 9. â—â— finds the greatest pleasure in Not that you should deny your bodies all delight in the mercies of God If the body have none the mind will have the less Mercy must be differenced from punishment and must be valued and relished as mercy Meer Natural pleasing of the senses is in it self no mâ—ral good or evil A holy improvement of lawful pleasure is a daily duty Inordinate pleasure is a sin All is inordinate which tendeth more to corrupt the soul by enticing it to sin and turning it from God than to â—it and dispose it for God and his service and preserve it from sinning But still remember it is not sorrow but Delight that draweth away the soul from God and is the fleshes interest which it sets up against him Many have sinned in sorrows and discontents but none ever sinned fâ—r sorrows and discontents Their discontents and sorrows are not taken up and loved for themselves but are the effects of their love to some pleasure and content which is denyed them or taken from them Therefore though all your bodily pleasures are not sin yet seeing nothing but the pleasures of the flesh and carnal mind is the End of sinners and the Devils great and chiefest bait and this only causeth mens perdition you have great reason to be most afraid of that which is most pleasing to your flesh and to the mind as it is corrupt and carnal escape the delusions of fleshly pleasure and you escape damnation You have far more cause to be afraid of prosperity than of adversity of riches than of poverty
and all the secrets of the heart Psalm 44. 21. 94. 11. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15. 18. His understanding is infinite Psalm 147. 5. What praise doth that Goodness and Mercy deserve which is diffused throughout all the world and is the life and hope and happiness of men and Angels His Mercy is Great unto the Heavens and his Truth unto the Clouds Psalm 57. 10. O how great is his Goodness to them that fear him Psalm 31. 10. and therefore how great should be his Praise Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord and who can shew forth all his Praise Psalm 106. 2. For great is the Glory of the Lord Psalm 138. 5. § 15. 2. It is the end of all Gods wondrous works and especially the end which man was made for that all things else might Praise him Objectively and men and Angels in estimation and expression that his Glorious excellency might be visible in his works and be admired and extolled by the rational creature For this all things were created and are continued For this we have our understanding and our speech This is the fruit that God expecteth from all his works Deny him this and you are guilty of frustrating the whole creation as much as in you lieth You would have the Sun to shine in vain and the Heavens and Earth to stand in vain and man and all things to live in vain if you would not have God have the praiâ—e and Glory of his works Therefore Sun and Moon and Starrs and Firmament are called on to Praise the Lord Psalm 148. 2 3 4. as they are the matter for which he must by us be praised O praise him therefore for his mighty acts Praise him according to his excellent greatness Psalm 150. 2. O that men would praise the Lord for his Goodness and declare his wondrous works for the children of men Psalm 107. 8 c. Yea it is the end of Christ in the Redemption of the world and in saving his elect that God might in the Church in Earth and Heaven have the praise and glory of his grace Ephes. 1. 6 12 14. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that iâ— the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name Heb. 13. 15. And let the redeemed of the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever Psalm 107. 2. For this all his Saints are a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people that they should shew forth the praises of him that hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 5 9. § 16. 3. The Praise of God is the highest and noblest work in it self 1. It hath the highest object even the glorious excellencies of God Thanksgiving is somewhat lower as having more respect to our selves and the Benefits received But Praise is terminated directly on the perfections of God himself 2. It is that work that is most immediately neerest on God as he is Our end And as the end as such is better than all the means set together as such so are the final duties about the end greater than all the mediate duties 3. It is the work of the most excellent creatures of God the holy Angels They proclaimed the coming of Christ by way of Praise Luke 2. 13 14. Glory to God in the highest on earth peace Good-will towards men Psalm 103. 20. 148. 2. And as we must be equal to the Angels it must be in equal Praising God or else it will not be in equality of Glory 4. It is the work of Heaven the place and state of all perfection And that is best and highest which is nearest Heaven Where they rest not day nor night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Allmighty which was and is and is to come Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4. 8. 10. Rev. 19. 5. A voice came out of the throne saying Praise our God all ye his servants and ye that fear him both small and great verse 6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundrings saying Allelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made herself ready § 17. 4. It beseemeth us and much concerneth us to learn and exercise that work which in Heaven we must do for ever and that is to Love and joyfully Praise the Lord. For earth is but the place of our apprentiship for Heaven The preparing works of mortifying repentance must in their place be done but only as subservient to these which we must ever do When we shall sing the new song before the Lamb Thou art worthy For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made us Kings and Priests unto our God Rev. 5. 9 10. Therefore the Primitive Church of believers is described as most like to Heaven Luke 24. 53. with great joy they were continually in the Temple Praising and blessing God O Praise the Lord therefore in the congregations of the Saints Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King Psalm 149. 1 2. Let the Saints be joyful in glory Let the high praises of God be in their mouths verse 5 6. § 18. 5. Though we are yet diseased sinners and in our warfare among enemies dangers and perplexities yet Praise is seasonable and suitable to our condition here as the greatest part of our duty which all the rest must but promote Pretend not that it is not fit for you because you are sinners and that humiliation only is suitable to your state For the design of your redemption the tenour of the Gospel and your own condition engage you to it Are they not engaged to Praise the Lord that are brought so near him to that end 1 Pet. 2 5. 9. that are reconciled to him To whom he hath given and forgiven so much 1 Tim. 1. 15. Tit. 3. 3 5. Psalm 103. 1 2 3. that have so many great and precious promises 2 Pet. 1. 4. that are the Temples of the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in them and sanctifieth them to God That have a Christ interâ—â—ding for them in the highest Rom. 8. 33 34. That are allways safe in the arms of Christ that are guarded by Angels and Devils and enemies forbidden to touch them further than their father sâ—eth necessary for their good That have the Lord for their God Psalm 33. 12. 4. 8. That have his Saints for their companions and helpers That have so many ordinances to help their souls And so
think how madly they consumed their lives and wasted the only Time that was given them to prepare for their salvation Do those in Hell now think them wise that are idling or playing away their time on earth O no! their feeling and experience sufficiently confuteth all that Time-wasters now plead for their â—ottish prodigality I do not believe that thou canst at once believe the Word oâ— God concerning the state of damned souls and yet believe that thy idle and vain expence of Time would not vex thy conscience and make thee even rage against thy self if ever sin should bring thee thither O then thou wouldst see that thou hadst greater matters to have spent thy time in and that it deserved a higher estimation and improvement O man beseâ—ch the Lord to prevent such a conviction and to give thee a heart to prize thy time before it is gone and to know the worth of it bâ—â—ore thou know the want of it Tit. 2. Directions Contemplative for Redeeming Opportunity Seâ— the many aggravaâ—ions oâ—â—inâ—ul Dâ—lay in my Dirâ—ctions for â—ound Convâ—â—sion § 28. OPportunity or Season is the flower of Time All Time is precious but the season is most precious The present Time is the season to works of present necâ—ssity And for others they have all their particular seasâ—ns which must not be let slip Direct 1. Remember that it is the great difference between the happy Saint and the unhappy world Direct 1. that one is wise in time and the other is wise too late The godly know while knowledge will do good The wicked know when knowledge will but torment them All those that you see now so exceedingly contrary in their judgement to the godly will be of the very same opinion shortly when it will do them no good Bear with their difference and contradiction for it will be but a very little while There is not one man that now is the furious enemy of holiness but will confess ere long that Holiness was best Do they now despise it as tedious fantastical hypocrisie They will shortly know that it was but the cure of a distracted mind and the necessary duty to God which Religion and right reason do command Do they now say of sin What harm is in it They will shortly know that it is the poyson of the soul and worse than any misery or death They will think mâ—re highly of the worth of Christ of the necessity of all possible diligence for our souls of the preciousness of Time of the wisdom of the Godly of the excellencies of Heaven and of the Word of God and all holy Means than any of those do that are now reproached by them for being of this mind But what the better will they be for this No more than Adam for knowing good and evil No more than it will profit a man when he is dead to know of what disease he dyed No more than it will profit a man to know what is poyson when he hath taken it and is past remedy The Thief will be wise at the Gallows and the Spendthrift-prodigal when all is gone But they that will be safe and happy must be wise in Time The godly know the worth of Heaven before it is lost and the misery of damnation before they feel it and the necessity of a Saviour while he is willing to be a Saviour to them and the evil of sin before it hath undone them and the preciousness oâ— Time before it is gone and the worth of mercy while mercy may be had and the need of praying while praying may prevail They sleep not till the door is shut and then knock and cry Lord open to us as the foolish ones Matth. 25. They are not like the miserable world that will not believe till they come where Devils believe and tremble nor Repent till torment force them to repent As ever you would escape the dear-bought experience of fools be wise in time and leave not Conscience to answer all your cryes and moans and fruitless wishes with this doleful peal Too late Too late Do but know now by an effectual faith what wicked men will know by feeling and experience when it is too late and you shall not perish Do but live now as those enemies of Holiness will wish they had lived when it is too late and you will be happy Now God may be found Seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will â—ave mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Isa. 55. 6 7. Read but the doleful lamentation of Christ over Ierusalem Luke 19. 41 42. and then bethink you what it is to neglect the season of mercy and salvation He beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at lest in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace But now they are hidden from thine eyes § 29. Direct 2. Remember that the neglecting of the season is the frustrating and destroying of the Direct 2. work When the season is past the work cannot be done If you sow not in the time of sowing it will be in vain at another time If you reap not and gather not in harvest it will be too late in Winter to hope for fruit If you stay till the Tide is gone or take not the Wind that fits your turn it may be in vain to attempt your Voyage All works cannot be done at all times Christ himself saith I must walk while it is day the night cometh when none can work John 9. 4. Say not then The next day may serve the turn The next day is for another work and you must do both § 30. Direct 3. Consider that if the work should not be impossible yet it will be difficult out of Direct 3. season when in its season it might be done with ease How easily may you swim with the Tide and sail with the Wind and form the Iron if you hammer it while it is hot How easily may many a disease be cured if it be taken in Time which afterwards is uncurable How easily may you bend a tender Twig and pluck up a Plant which will neither be pluckt up nor bended when it is grown up to be a Tree When you complain of difficulties in Religion bethink you whether your loss of the fittest season and acquainting your selves no sooner with God be not the cause § 31. Direct 4. Consider that your work out of season is not so good or acceptable if you could Direct 4. do it Every thing is beautiful in its season Eccles. 3. 11. To speak a word in season to the weary Numb 9. 2 3 7 13. Exod. 13. 10. is the skill of the faithful messengers of peace Isa. 50. 4. When out of season good may be turned into
still reason enough to review and Repent of all that is past and still pray for the pardon of all the sins that ever you committed which were forgiven you before So many years sinning should have a very serious Repentance and lay you low before the Lord. § 3. Direct 3. Cleave closer now to Christ than ever Remembering that you have a life of sin for Direct 3. him to answer for and save you from And that the time is near when you shall have more sensible need of him than ever you have had You must shortly be cast upon him as your Saviour Advocate and Judge to determine the question what shall become of you unto all eternity and to perfect all that ever he hath done for you and accomplish all that you have sought and hoped for And now your natural life decayeth it is time to retire to him that is your Root and to look to the life that is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 4. and to him that is preparing you a mansion with himself and whose office it is to receive the departing souls of true believers Live therefore in the daily thoughts of Christ and comfort your souls in the belief of that full supply and safety which you have in him § 4. Direct 4. Let the ancient mercies and experiences of Gods Love through all your lives be still Direct 4. before you and fresh upon your minds that they may kindle your Love and Thankfulness to God and may feed your own delight and comfort and help you the easier to submit to future weaknesses and death Eaten bread must not be forgotten A thankful remembrance preserveth all your former mercies still fresh and green The sweetness and benefit may remain though the thing it self be past and gone This is the great priviledge of an aged Christian that he hath many years mercy more to think on than others have Every one of those mercies was sweet to you by it self at the time of your receiving it except afflictions and misunderstood and unobserved mercies And then how sweet should all together be If unthankfulness have buried any of them let thankfulness give them now a Resurrection What delightful work is it for your thoughts to look back to your Childhood and remember how mercy brought you up and conducted you to every place that you have lived in and provided for you and preserved you and heard your prayers and disposed of all things for your good How it brought you under the means of grace and blest them to you and how the spirit of God began and carryed on the work of grace upon your hearts I hope you have recorded the wonders of mercy ever upon your hearts with which God hath filled up all your lives And is it not a pleasant work in old age to ruminate upon them If a Traveller delight to talk of his travels and a Souldier or Seaman upon his adventures how sweet should it be to a Christian to peruse all the conduct of mercy through his life and all the operations of the spirit upon his heart Thankfulness taught men heretofore to make their mercies as it were attributes of their God As the God that brought them out of the Land of Egypt was the name of the God of Israel And Gen. 48. 15. Iacob delighteth himself in his old age in such reviews of mercy The God which fed me all my life long unto this day The Angel which Redeemed me from all evil bless the lads Yea such thankful reviews of ancient mercies will force an ingenuous soul to a quieter submission to infirmities sufferings and death and make us say as Iob Shall we receive good at the hands of God and not evil and as old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace It is a powerful rebuke of all discontents and maketh death it self more welcome to think how large a share of mercy we have had already in the world § 5. Direct 5. Draw forth the treasure of wisdom and experience which you have been so long in laying Direct 5. up to instruct the ignorant and warn the unexperienced and ungodly that are about you Job 32. 7. Dayes should speak and multitude of years should teach wisdom The aged women must teach the young women to be sober to love their husbands and children to be discreet chaste keepers at home good obedient to their own husbands that the word of God be not blaspheamed Tit. 2. 3 4 5. It is supposed that Time and experience hath taught you more than is known to raw and ignorant youth Tell them what you have suffered by the deceits of sin Tell them the method and danger of temptations Tell them what you lost by delaying your Repentance and how God recovered you and how the spirit wrought upon your souls Tell them what comforts you have found in God what safety and sweetness in a holy life how sweet the holy Scriptures have been to you how prayers have prevailed how the promises of God have been fulfilled and what mercies and great deliverances you have had Tell them how Good you have found God and how bad you have found si◠and how vain you have found the world Warn them to resist their fleshly lusts and to take heed of the ensnaring Joel 1. 3. Deut. 11. 19 20. Deut. 29. 22. flatteries of sin Acquaint them truly with the History of publick sins and judgements and mercies in the times which you have lived in God hath made this the duty of the aged that the Fathers should tell the wonders of his works and mercies to their children that the ages to come may praise the Lord Deut. 4. 10. Psal. 78. 4 5 6. § 6. Direct 6. The Aged must be examples of wisdom gravity and holiness unto the younger Where Direct 6. should they find any virtues in eminence if not in you that have so much time and helps and experiences It may well be expected that nothing but savoury wise and holy come from your mouths and nothing unbeseeming wisdom and godliness be seen in your lives Such as you would have your Children after you to be such shew your selves to them in all your Conversation § 7. Direct 7. Especially it belongeth to you to repress the heats and dividing contentious and Direct 7. censorious disposition of the younger sort of professours of Godliness They are in the heat of their blood and want the knowledge and experience of the aged to guide their zeal They have not their senses yet exercised in discerning good and evil Heb. 5. 12. They are able to try the spirits They are yet but as children apt to be tossed to and fro and carryed up and down with every wind of doctrine after the craft and subtilty of deceivers Eph. 4. 14. The Novices are apt to be puffed up with pride and fall into the condemnation of the Devil 1 Tim. 3. 6. They never saw the issue of errours and
whole course of your lives As 1. Your first consent must Of Renewing the Covenant oft be habitually continued all your dayes for if that ceaseth your Grace and title to the benefits of Gods Covenant ceaseth 2. This Covenant is virtually renewed in every act of Worship to God For you speak to him as your God in Covenant and offer your selves to him as his Covenanted people 3. This Covenant should be actually renewed frequently in Prayer and Meditation and other such acts of communion with God 4. Especially when after a fall we beg the pardon of our sins and the mercies of the Covenant and on dayes of Humiliation and Thanksgiving and in great distresses or exhilerating mercies 5. And the Lords Supper is an ordinance instituted to this very end It is no small part of our Christian diligence and watchfulness to keep up and renew our Covenant-consent § 22. Direct 7. And as careful must you be to keep or perform your Covenant as to enter it and Direct 7. renew it which is done 1. By continuing our consent 2. By sincere obedience 3. And by perseverance We do not nor dare not promise to obey perfectly nor promise to be as obedient as the higher and better sort of Christians though we Desire both But to obey sincerely we must needs promise because we must needs perform it § 23. Obedience is sincere 1. When the radical consent or subjection of the Heart to God in Christ is Habitually and heartily continued 2. When Gods interest in us is most predominant and his authority and law can do more with us than any fleshly lust or worldly interest or than the authority word or perswasions of any man whosoever 3. When we unfeignedly Desire to be perfect and habitually and ordinarily have a predominant Love to all that is good and a hatred to that which is evil and had rather do our duty than be excused from it and rather be saved from our sin than keep it § 24. Direct 8. While you sincerely consent unto the Covenant live by faith upon the promised Benefits of it believing that God will make Good on his part all that he hath promised Take it for your Title to pardon sonship and eternal life O think what a mercy it is to have God in Covenant with you to be your God your Father Saviour Sanctifier and felicity And in this continually rejoice CHAP. IV. Directions about the Profession of our Religion to others § 1. Direct 1. UNderstand first how great a duty the Profession of true Religion is that you may Direct 1. not think as some foolish people that every man should conceal his Religion N 〈…〉 o jam 〈…〉 Qâ—in nec fa 〈…〉 e suâ religione mentiri Ex eo enim quod aliud à se coli dicit quam colit culturam honorem in alterum transferenâ—o j 〈…〉 iâ— quâ—d â—egavit Dicimus palam dicimus vobis torquentibus lacerati cruenti vociferamur Deum colimus per Christum Tâ—rtul Apolog. c. 11. or keep it to himself Observe therefore these Reasons following which require it § 2. 1. Our Tongues and bodies are made to exercise and shew forth that acknowledgement and adoration of God which is in our hearts And as he denyeth God with the Heart who doth not Believe in him and worship him in his heart so he denyeth God imputatively with his Tongue and life who doth not profess and honour him with his tongue and life and so he is a practical Atheist Isa. 45. 23 24 25. I have sworn by my self the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return that to me every knee shall bow every tongue shall swear surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory So Phil. 2. 9 10 11. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow and that every tongue should confess that Iesus Christ is the Lord to the Glory of God the father Isa. 44 5. One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call him by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the name of Israel § 3. 2. The publick Assemblies and Worship of God are purposely appointed by him that in them we might make open profession of our Religion He that denyeth Profession denyeth the publick faith and worship of the Church and denyeth Baptism and the Lords Supper which are Sacraments appointed for the solemn profession of our faith § 4. 3. Our Profession is needful to our Glorifying God Men see not our Hearts nor know whether we believe in God or not nor what we believe of him till they hear or see it in our profession and actions Pauls life and death was a Profession of Christ that in his boldness Christ might be magnified in his body Phil. 1. 20. Matth. 5. 14 15 16. Ye are the Light of the world A City that is set on an hill cannot be hid Neither do men light a candle to put it under a bushel but on a candlestick and it giveth light to all that are in the house Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven § 5. 4. Our Profession is the means of saving others that which is secret is no means to profit them They must see our good works that they may Glorifie God Phil. 1. 12 13 14. § 6. 5. God hath required our open and bold Profession of him with the strictest commands and upon the greatest penalties 1 Pet. 5. 3. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alway to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear Rom. 10. 9 10. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dâ—ad thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Mark 8. 38. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed 2 Tim. 2. 12. Mat. 10. 32 33. Luk. 9. 26. Direct 2. 1 Cor. 8. 1. 2 Cor. 10. 8. Rom. 15. 2. 1 Tim. 1. 4 Tit. 3. 9. when he câ—meth in the glory of his father with the holy Angels § 7. Direct 2. Next Understand what it is in Religion that you must principally profess It is not every lesser truth much less every opinion of your own in which you are confident that you are wiser than your brethren This is the meaning of Rom. 14 22. Hast thou faith have it to thy self before God By faith
and instruction 3. If they may do so in the Psalms in Metre there can no reason be given but they may lawfully do so in the Psalms in prose For saying them and singing them are but modes of utterance both are the speaking of Prayer and praise to God And the ancient singing was liker our saying than to our tunes as most judge 4. The primitive Christians were so full of the zeal and Love of Christ that they would have taken it for an injury and a quenching of the spirit to have been wholly restrained from bearing their part in the praises of the Church 5. The use of the tongue keepeth awake the mind and stirreth up Gods graces in his servants 6. It was the decay of zeal in the people that first shut out Responses while they kept up the ancient zeal they were inclined to take their part vocally in the Worship And this was seconded by the pride and usurpation of some Priests thereupon who thought the people of God too prophane to speak in the assemblies and meddle so much with holy things Yet the very remembrance of former zeal caused most Churches to retain many of the words of their predecessours even when they lost the Life and spirit which should animate them And so the same words came into the Liturgies and were used by too many customarily and in formality which their ancestors had used in the fervour of their souls 6. And if it were not that a dead hearted formal people by speaking the Responses carelesly and hypocritically do bring them into disgrace with many that see the necessity of seriousness I think few good people would be against them now If all the serious zealous Christians in the assembly speak the same words in a serious manner there will appear nothing in them that should give offence If in the fulness of their hearts the people should breakout into such words of prayer or confession or praise it would be taken for an extraordinary pang of zeal and were it unusual it would take exceedingly But the better any thing is the more loathsome it appeareth when it is mortified by hypocrisie and dead formality and turned into a mockery or an affected scenical act But it is here the duty of every Christian to labour to restore the Life and spirit to the words that they may again be used in a serious and holy manner as heretofore 7. Those that would have private men pray and prophesie in publick as warranted by 1 Cor. 14. Ye may all speak c. do much contradict themselves if they say also that Lay man may say nothing but Amen 8. The people were all to say Amen in Deut. 27. 15 16 18 19 20 c. And yet they oftentimes said more As Exod. 19. 8. in as solemn an Assembly as any of ours when God himself gave Moses a Sermon in a form of words to Preach to the people and Moses had repeated it as from the Lord it being the Narrative of his mercies the command of obedience and the promises of his great blessings upon that condition all the people answered together and said All that the Lord hath spoken we will do The like was done again Exod. 24. 3. And Deut. 5. 27. And lest you should think either that the Assembly was not as solemn as ours or that it was not well done of the people to say more than Amen God himself who was present declared his approbation even of the words when the speakers hearts were not so sincere in speaking them as they ought vers 28 29. And the Lord heard the voice of your words when you spake unto me and the Lord said unto me I have heard the voice of the words of this people They have well said all that they have spoken O that there were such a heart in them Obj. But this is but a speech to Moses and not to God Answ. I will reciâ—e to you a form of prayer which the people themselves were to make publickly to God Deut. 26 13 14 15. Then shalt thou say before the Lord thy God I have brought away the ☞ hallowed things out of my house and also have given them to the Levite and to the stranger to the fatherless and the Widow according to all thy Commandments which thou hast commanded me I have not transgressed thy Commandments neither have I forgotten them I have not eaten thereof in my mourning neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use nor given ought thereof for the dead but I have â—earkened to the voice of the Lord my God and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me Look down from thy holy habitation from Heaven and bless thy people Israel and the Land which thou hast given us as thou swarest unto our Fathers a Land that floweth with milk and honey Is not here a full form of Prayer to be used by all the people And remember that Ioseph and Mary and Christ himself were under this Law and that you never read that Christ found fault with the peoples speech nor spake a word to restrain it in his Churches In Lev. 9. 24. When all the people saw the Glory of the Lord and the fire that came out from it and consumed the burnt Offering they shouted and fell on their faces which was an acclamation more than bare Amen 2 King 23. 2 3. King Iosiah went up into the house of the Lord and all the men of Judah c. And the Priests and the Prophets and all the people both small and great and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the Covenant And the King stood by a pillar and made a Covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandments c with all their heart and all their soul c. and all the people stood to the Covenant Where as a King is the speaker it 's like that the people used some words to express their consent 1 Chron. 16. 35 36. When David delivered a Psalm for a form of praise in which it is said to the people v. 35. And say ye save us O God of our salvation and gather us together and deliver us from the Heathen that we may give thanks to thy holy name and glory in thy praise blessed be the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever All the people said Amen and praised the Lord. Where it is like that their praising the Lord was more than their Amen And it is a command Psal. 67. 3 5. Let all the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee And he that will limit this to single persons or say that it must not be Vocally in the Church or it must be only in metre and never in prose or only in tunes and not without must prove it lest he be proved an adder to Gods word But it would be tedious to recite all the repeated sentences in the Psalms
several tempers and strength and appetites 2. And between the restraint of Want and the restraint of Gods Law And so it is thus resolved 1. Such difference in quantity or quality as mens health or strength and real benefit requireth may be made by them that have no want 2. When want depriveth the poor of that which would be really for their health and strength and benefit it is not their duty who have no such want to conform themselves to other mens afflictions Except when other reasons do require it 3. But all men are bound to avoid real excess in matter or manner and curiosity and to lay out nothing needlesly on their bellies yea nothing which they are called to lay out a better way Understand this answer and it will suffice you § 5. Inst. 2. Another way of Prodigality is by needless costly Visits and Entertainments Inst. 2. Quest. 2. What cost upon Visits and Entertainments is unlawful and prodigal Quest. 2. Answ. 1. Not only all that which hath an ill original as Pride or flattery of the rich and all that hath an ill End as being meerly to keep up a carnal unprofitable interest and correspondency but also all that which is excessive in degree I know you will say But that 's the difficulty to know when it is excessive It is not altogether impertinent to say when it is above the proportion of your own estate or the ordinary use of those of your own ranck or when it plainly tendeth to cherish gluttony or excess in others But these answers are no exact solution I add therefore that it is excess when any thing is that way expended which you are called to expend another way Object But this leaveth it still as difficult as before Answ. When in rational probability a greater good may be done by another way of expence consideratis considerandis and a greater good is by this way neglected then you had a call to spend it otherwise and this expence is sinful Object It is a doubt whether of two goods it be a mans duty alwayes to choose the greater Answ. Speaking of that Good which is within his choice it is no more doubt than whether Good be the object of the will If Good be eligible as good then the greatest good is most eligible Object But this is still a difficulty insuperable How can a man in every action and expence discern Whether a man is bound to prefer the greatest good which way it is that the greatest good is like to be attained This putteth a mans conscience upon endless perplexities and we shall never be sure that we do not sin For when I have given to a poor man or done some good for ought I know there was a poorer that should have had it or a greater good that should have been done Answ. 1. The contrary opinion legitimateth almost all villany and destroyeth most good works as to our selves or any others If a man may lawfully prefer a known lesser good before a greater and be justified because that the lesser is a real good than he may be feeding his Horse when he should be saving the life of his child or neighbour or quenching a fire in the City or defending the person of his King He may deny to serve his King and Countrey and say I was ploughing or sowing the while He may prefer sacrifice before mercy He may neglect his soul and serve his body He may plow on the Lords Day and neglect all Gods Worship A lesser duty is no duty but a sin when a greater is to be done Therefore it is certain that when two goods come together to our choice the greater is to be chosen or else we sin 2. As you expect that your Steward should proportion his expences according to the necessity of your business and not give more for a thing than it is worth nor lay out your money upon smaller commodities while he leaveth your greater business unprovided for And as you expect that your Servant who hath many things in the day to do should have so much skill as to know which to prefer and not to leave undone the chiefest whilest he spendeth his time upon the least So doth God require that his servants labour to be so skilful in his service as to be able to compare their businesses together and to know which at every season to prefer If Christianity required no wisdome and skill it were below mens common Trades and Callings 3. And yet when you have done your best here and truly endeavour to serve God faithfully with the best skill and diligence you have you need not make it a matter of scrupulosity perplexity and vexation For God accepteth you and pardoneth your infirmities and rewardeth your fidelity And what if it do follow that you know not but there may be some sinful omission of a better way Is that so strange or intollerable a conclusion As long as it is only a pardoned failing which should not hinder the comfort of your obedience Is it strange to you that we are all imperfect And imperfect in every good we do Even by a culpable sinful imperfection You never Loved God in your lives without a sinful imperfection in your Love And yet nothing in you is more acceptable to him than your love Shall we think a case of Conscience ill resolved unless we may conclude that we are sure we have no sinful imperfection in our duty If your Servant have not perfect skill in knowing what to prefer in buying and selling or in his work I think you will neither allow him therefore to neglect the greater and better knowingly or by careless negligence nor yet would you have him sit down and whine and say I know not which to choose But you would have him learn to be as skilful as he can and then willingly and chearfully do his business with the best skill and care and diligence he can And this you will best accept So that this holdeth as the truest and exactest solution of this and many another such case He that spendeth that upon an entertainment of some great ones which should relieve some poor distressed families that are ready to perish doth spend it sinfully If you cannot see this in Gods cause suppose it were the Kings and you will see it If you have but twenty pound to spend and your Tax or Subsidie cometh to so much If you entertain some Noble friend with that money will the King be satisfied with that as an excuse Or will you not be told that the King should have first been served Remember him then who will one day ask Have you fed or clothed or visited me Mat. 25. You are not absolute Owners of any thing but the stewards of God! and must expend it as he appointeth you And if you let the poor lye languishing in necessities whilest you are at great charges to entertain the rich without necessity or a greater good
John 3. 18. 3. 5. Thou sleepest in Irons in the captivity of the Devil among the walking judgements of God in a life that is still expecting an end in a Boat that is swiftly carried to eternity just at the entrance of another world and that world will be Hell if Grace awake thee not Thou art going to see the face of God to see the world of Angels or Devils and to be a companion with one of them for ever And is this a place or case to sleep in Is thy Bed so soft thy dwelling so safe God standeth over thee man and dost thou sleep Christ is coming and death is coming and judgement coming and dost thou sleep Didst thou never read of the foolish Virgins that slept out their time and knockt and cryed in vain when it was too late Matth. 25. 5. Thou mightest wiselyer sleep on the Pinnacle of a Steeple in a Storm than have a soul asleep in so dangerous a case as thou art in The Devil is awake and is rocking thy Cradle How busie is he to keep off Ministers or Conscience or any that would awake thee None of thy enemies are asleep and yet wilt thou sleep in the thickest of thy foes Is the battle a sleeping time or thy race a sleeping time when Heaven or Hell must be the End While he can keep thee asleep the Devil can do almost what he liâ—t with thee He knows that thou hast now no use of thy eyes or understanding or power to resist him The Learnedst Doctor in his sleep is as unlearned actually as an Ideot and will dispute no better than an unlearned man This makes many learned men to be ungodly they are asleep in sin The Devil could never have made such a drudge of thee to do his work against Christ and thy soul if thou hadst been awake Thou wouldst never have followed his whistle to the Ale-house the Play-house the Gaming-house and to other sins if thou hadst been in thy wits and well awake Read Prov. 7. 23. 24. I cannot believe that thou longest to be damned or so hatest thy self as to have done as thou hast done to have a lived Godless a Graceless a Prayerless and yet a merry careless life if thy eyes had been opened and thou hadst known and feelingly known that this was the way to Hell Nature it self will hardly go to Hell awake But it 's easie to abuse a man that is asleep Thou hast Reason but didst thou ever awake it to one hours serious Consideration of thy endless state and present case O dreadful judgement to be given over to the Spirit of slumber Rom. 11. 8. Is it not high time now to awake out of sleep Rom. 13. 11. When the light is arisen and shines about thee When others that care for their souls are busily at work When thou hast slept out so much precious time already Many a mercy and perhaps some Ministers have been as Candles burnt out to light thee while thou hast slept How oâ—t hast thou been called already How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard Prov. 6. 9. 10. Yet thou hast thundering calls and allarums to awake thee God calls and Ministers call Mercies call and judgements call and yet wilt thou not awake The voice of the Lord is powerful full of Majesty breaketh the Cedars shaketh the Wilderness and yet cannot it awake thee Thou wilt not sleep about far smaller matters at meat or drink or in common talk or Market But O how much greater business hast thou to keep thee awake Thou hast yet an unholy soul to be renewed an ungodly life to be reformed an offended God to be reconciled to and many thousand sins to be forgiven Thou hast death and judgement to prepare for thou hast Heaven to win and Hell to scape Thou hast many a needful Truth to learn and many a holy duty to perform and yet dost thou think it time to sleep Paul that had less need than thou did watch and pray and labour day and night Acts 20. 31. 1 Thess. 3. 10. O that thou knewest how much better it is to be awake While thou sleepest thou losest the benefit of the Light and all the mercies that attend thee The Sun is but as a clod to a man asleep The world is as no world to him The beauty of Heaven and Earth are nothing to him Princes friends and all things are forgotten by him So doth thy sleep in sin make nothing of health and patience time and help Ministers Books and daily warnings O what a day hast thou for everlasting if thou hadst but a heart to use it What a price hast thou in thine hand Prov. 10. 5. Sleep not out thy day thy harvest time thy tide time They that sleep sleep in the night 1 Thess. 5. 7. Awake and Christ will give thee light Rom. 13. 12. Ephes. 5. 14. Awake to righteousness and sin not 1 Cor. 15. 34. O when thou seest the Light of Christ what a wonder will it possess thee with at the things which thou now forgettest What joy will it fill thee with and with what pity to the sleepy world But if thou wilt needs sleep on be it known to thee sinner it shall not be long If thou wilt wake no sooner death and vengeance will awake thee Thou wilt wake when thou seest the other world and seest the things which thou wouldst not believe and comest before thy dreadful Judge Thy damnation slumbereth not 2 Pet. 2. 3. There are no sleepy souls in Heaven or Hell all are awake there and the day that hath awakened so many shall waken thee Watch then if thou love thy soul lest thy Lord come suddenly and find thee sleeping Mark 13. 34 35 36 37. What I say to one I say to all Watch. § 4. Tempt 2. If Satan cannot keep the soul in a sleepy careless inconsiderate forgetfulness he would Tempt 2. make the unregenerate soul believe that there is no such thing as Regenerating Grace but that it is a fancied thing which no man hath experience of and he saith as Nicodemus How can these things be John 3. 4. He thinks that natural conscience is enough § 5. Direct 2. But this may be easily refuted by observing that Holiness is but the very Health and Direct 2. rectitude of the soul and is no otherwise supernatural than as Health to him that is born a Leper See 2 Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 15. Gal. 4. 19. Joh. 3. 3. 5. 6. Matth. 18. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 23. It is the rectitude of Nature or its disposition to the use and end that it was made for Though Grace be called supernatural 1. Because it is not born with us and 2. Corrupted Nature is against it 3. And the End of it is the God of Nature who is above Nature 4. And the Revelation and other means are supernatural as Christs incarnation resurrection c. Yet both Nature and Scripture and experience tell you
the soul to this full subjection and Obedience to God is so Difficult and yet so How to bring the soul into subjection to God reasonable so necessary and so excellently good that we should not think any diligence too great by which it is to be attained The Directions that I shall give you are some of them to Habituate the mind to an Obediential frame and some of them also practically to further the exercise of Obedience in particular acts § 4 Direct 1. Remember the unquestionable plenary Title that God hath to the Government of you Direct 1. and of all the world The sense of this will awe the soul and help to subject it to him and to silence all rebellious motions Should not God Rule the Creatures which he hath made Should not Christ Rule the souls which he hath purchased Should not the Holy Ghost Rule the souls which he hath 〈◊〉 and quiâ—kned § 5. Direct 2. Remember that God is perfectly fit for the Government of you and all the world You can desire nothing reasonably in a Governour which is not in him He hath perfect wisdom to know what is best He hath perfect Goodness and therefore will be most regardful of his subjects good and will put no Evil into his Laws He is Almighty to protect his Subjects and see to the execution of his Laws He is most Iust and therefore can do no wrong but all his Laws and Judgements are equal and impartial He is infinitely perfect and self-sufficient and never needed a Lye or a deceit or unrighteous means to Rule the world nor to oppress his subjects to attain his Ends. He is â—ur very End and Interest and felicity and therefore hath no Interest opposite to our good which should cause him to destroy the innocent He is our dearest friend and Father and loveth us better than we love our selves and therefore we have reason confidently to Trust him and chearfully and gladly to obey him as one that Ruleth us in order to our own felicity Direct 3. § 6. Direct 3. Remember how unable and unfit you are to be Governours of your selves So blind and ignorant so byassed by a corrupted will so turbulent are your passions so uncessant and powerfull is the temptation of your sense and appetite and so unable are you to protect or reward your selves that methinks you should fear nothing in this world more than to be given up to your own hearts lusts to walk in your own seducing counsels Psal. 81. 11 12. The brutish appetite and sense hath got such dâ—minion over the Reason of carnal unrenewed men that for such to be governed by themselves is for a man to be governed by a Swine or the Rider to be ruled by the Horse § 7. Direct 4. Remember how great a matter God maketh of his Kingly prerogatives and of mans Direct 4. obedience The whole tenour of the Scripture will tell you this his precepts his promises his threatnings his vehement exhortations his sharp reproofs the sending of his Son and Spirit the example of Christ and all the Saints the Reward prepared for the obedient and the punishment for the disobedient all tell you aloud that God is far from being indifferent whether you obey his Laws or not It will teach you to regard that which you find is so regarded of God § 8. Direct 5. Consider well of the excellency of full obedience and the present benefits which it bringeth Direct 5. tâ— your selves and others Our full subjection and obedience to God is to the world and the soul as Health is to the body When all the humours keep their due temperament proportions and place and every part of the body is placed and used according to the intent of nature then all is at eâ—se within us Our food is pleasant our sleep is sweet our labour is easie and our vivacity maketh Life a pleasure to us we are useful in our places and helpful to others that are sick and weak So is it with the soul that is fully obedient God giveth him a Reward before the full reward He findeth that obedience is a Reward to it self and that it is very pleasant to do good God owneth him and Conscience speaketh peace and comfort to him His mercies are sweet to him his burdens and his work are easie He hath easier access to God than others Yea the world shall find that there is no way to its right order unity peace and happiness but by a full subjection and obedience to God § 9. Direct 6. Remember the sad effects of disobedience even at present both in the soul and in Direct 6. the world When we rebell against God it is the confusion ruine and death of the soul and of the world When we disobey him it is the sickness or disordering of the soul and will make us groan Till our bones be set in joynt again we shall have no ease God will be displeased and hide his face Conscience will be unquiet The soul will lose its peace and joy It s former mercies will grow less sweet It s former rest will turn to weariness Its duty will be unpleasant Its burden heavy who would not fear such a state as this § 10. Direct 7. Consider that when God doth not Govern you you are Ruled by the flesh the world Direct 7. and the Devil And what right or fitness they have to govern you and what is their work and final reward methinks you should easily discern If ye live after the flesh ye shall die Rom. 8. 13. And if ye saw to the flesh of the flesh ye shall reap corruption Gal. 6. 8. It will strike you with horror if in the hour of temptation you would but think I am now going to disobey my God and to obey the flesh the world or the Devil and to prefer their Will before his Will § 11. Direct 8. Turn your eye upon the rebellious Nations of the earth and upon the state of the Direct 8. most malignant and ungodly men and consider that such madness and misery as you discern iâ— them every wilful disobedience to God doth tend to and partaketh of in its degree To see a swinish Drunkard in his Vomit to hear a raging Bedlam curse and swear or a malignant Wretch blaspheme and scorn at a holy life to hear how foolishly they talk against God and see how maliciously they hate his servants one would think should turn ones stomach against all sin for ever To think what Beaâ—s or incarnate Devils many of the ungodly are to think what confusion and inhumanity possesseth most of those Nations that know not God one would think should make the least degree of sin seem odious to us when the dominion and ripeness of it is so odious Direct 9. § 12. Direct 9. Mark what obedience is expected by men and what influence Government hath upon the state and affairs of the would and what the
they say we take down all Religion so because we would call men from their bruitish pleasures they say we would let them have no pleasure For the Epicure thinks when his luxury lust and sport is gone all is gone Call a sluggard from his bed or a glutton from his feast to receive a Kingdom and he will grudge if he observe only what you would take from him and not what you give him in its stead When earthly pleasures end in misery then who would not wish they had preferred the Holy durable Delights DIRECT XIV Let Thankfulness to God thy Creator Redeemer and Regenerater be the very Gr. Dir. 14. For a life of Thankfulness temperament of thy soul and faithfully expressed by thy Tongue and Life § 1. THough our Thankfulness is no benefit to God yet he is pleased with it as that which is suitable to our condition and sheweth the ingenuity and honesty of the Heart An unthankful person is but a devourer of mercies and a grave to bury them in and one that hath not the wit and honesty to know and acknowledge the hand that giveth them But the Thankful looketh above himself and returneth all as he is able to him from whom they flow § 2. True Thankfulness to God is discerned from Counterfeit by these qualifications 1. True Thankfulness having a just estimate of mercies comparatively preferreth spiritual and everlasting mercies before those that are meerly corporal and transitory But carnal Thankfulness chiefly valueth carnal Mercies though notionally it may confess that the spiritual are the greater 2. True Thankfulness inclineth the soul to a spiritual rejoycing in God and to a desire after more of his spiritual mercies But carnal thankfulness is only a delight in the prosperity of the flesh or the delusion and carnal security of the mind inclining men to carnal empty mirth and to a desire of more such fleshly pleasure plenty or content As a Beast that is full fed will skip and play and shew that he is pleased with his state or if he have ease he would not be molested 3. True thankfulness kindleth in the heart a love to the Giver above the Gift or at least a Love to God above our Carnal prosperity and pleasure and bringeth the heart still nearer unto God by all his mercies But carnal thankfulness doth spring from Carnal self-love or love of fleshly prosperity and is moved by it and is subservient to it and Loveth God and Thanketh him but so far as he gratifieth or satisfieth the flesh A child-like Thankfulness maketh us love our Father more than his gift and desire to be with him in his arms But a Dog doth love you and is thankful to you but for feeding him He loveth you in subordination to his appetite and his bones 4. True Thankfulness inclineth us to obey and please him that obligeth us by his benefits But carnal thankfulness puts God off with the hypocritical complemental thanks of the lips and spends the mercy in the pleasing of the flesh and makes it but the fewell of lust and sin 5. True thankfulness to God is necessarily transcendent as his mercies are transcendent The saving of our souls from Hell and promising us eternal life besides the giving us our very beings and all that we have do oblige us to be totally and obsolutely his that is so transcendent a Benefactor to us and causeth the thankful person to devote and resign himself and all that he hath to God to answer so great an obligation But carnal thankfulness falls short of this absolute and total dedication and still leaveth the sinner in the power of self-love devoting himself really to himself and using all that he is or hath to the pleasing of his fleshly mind and giving God only the tythes or leavings of the flesh or so much as it can spare lest he should stop the streams of his benignity and bereave the flesh of its prosperity and contents § 3. Directions for Thankfulness to God our Benefactor Direct 1. Understand well how great this duty is in the nature of the thing but especially how the Direct 1. very design and tenour of the Gospel and the way of our salvation by a Redeemer bespeaketh it as the very complexion of the soul and of every duty A creature that is wholly his Creators and is preserved every moment by him and daily fed and maintained by his bounty and is put into a capacity of life eternal must needs be obliged to uncessant Gratitude And Unthankfulness among men is justly taken for an unnatural monstrous vice which forfeiteth the benefits of friendship and society 2 Tim. 3. 2. The unthankful are numbred with the unholy c. as part of the monsters which should come in the last times and which we have lived to see exactly answering that large description of them But the Design of God in the work of Redemption is purposely laid for the raising of the highest Thankfulness in man and the Covenant of Grace containeth such abundant wonderous Mercies as might compell the souls of men to Gratitude or leave them utterly without excuse It is a great truth and much to be considered that Gratitude is that general duty of the Gospel ☜ which containeth and animateth all the rest as being Essential to all that is properly Evangelical A Law as a Law requireth Obedience as the general duty and this Obedience is to be exercised and found in every particular duty which it requireth And the Covenant with the Jews was called The Law because the Regulating part was most eminent and so obedience was the thing that was eminently required by the Law though their measure of mercy obliged them also to thankfulness But the Gospel or New Covenant is most eminently a history of Mercy and a tender and promise of the most unmatchable benefits that ever were heard of by the ears of man so that the Gift of Mercy is the predominant or eminent part in the Gospel or New Covenant and though still God be our Governour and Gratitude is to the Promise much what Obedience is to the Law the New Covenant also hath its Precepts and is a Law yet that is in a sort but the subservient part And what obedience is to a Law that Thankfulness is to a Benefit even the formal answering of its obligation so that though we are called to as exact obedience as ever yet it is now only a Thankfull Obedience that we are called to And just as Law and Promises or Gifts are conjoyned in the New Covenant just so should Obedience and Thankfulness be conjoyned in our hearts and lives one to God as our Ruler and the other to him as our Benefactor And thâ—se two must animate every act of heart and life We must Repent of sin but it must be a Thankful Repenting as becometh those that have a free pardon of all their sins procured by the blood of Christ and offered them in the
of all the mercies of God Gen. 32. 10. The humble soul is the thankful soul and therefore so greatly valued by the Lord. § 6. Direct 4. Understand what Misery you were delivered from and estimate the greatness of the Direct 4. mercy by the greatness of the punishment which you had deserved Misery as well as sin must tell us the greatness of our mercies This is before opened Chap. 1. Dir. 9. pag. 21. § 7. Direct 5. Suppose you saw the damned souls or suppose you had been one day in Hell your selves Direct 5. bethink you then how thankful you would have been for Christ and Mercy And you were condemned to it by the Law of God and if death had brought you to execution you had been there and then Mercy would have been more esteemed If a Preacher were sent to those miserable souls to offer them a pardon and eternal life on the terms as they are offered to us do you think they would make as light of it as we do § 8. Direct 6. Neglect not to keep clear the Evidences of thy title to those special Mercies for Direct 6. which thou shouldst be most thankful And hearken not to Satan when he would tempt thee to think that they are none of thine that so he might make thee deny God the Thanks for them which he expecteth Of this I have spoken in the Directions for Love § 9. Direct 7. Think much of those personal mercies which God hath shewed thee from thy youth up Direct 7. untill now by which he hath manifested his care of thee and particular kindness to thee Though the common mercies of Gods servants be the greatest which all other Christians share in with each one yet personal favours peculiar to our selves are apt much to affect us as being near our apprehension and expressing a peculiar care and love of us Therefore Christians should mark Gods dealings with them and write down the great and notable mercies of their lives which are not unfit for others to know if they should see it § 10. Direct 8. Compare thy proportion of Mercies with the rest of the peoples in the world And Direct 8. thou wilt find that it is not one of many thousands that hath thy proportion It is so small a part of the world that are Christians and of those so few that are Orthodox Reformed Christians and of those so few that are seriously godly as devoted to God and of those so few that fall not into some perplexities errors scandals or great afflictions and distress that those few that are in none of these ranks have cause of wonderous thankfulness to God Yea the most afflicted Christians in the world Suppose God had divided his mercies equally to all men in the world as health and wealth and honour and grace and the Gospel c. How little of them would have come to thy share in comparison of what thou now possessest How many have less wealth or honour than thou How many thousands have less of the Gospel and of Grace In reason therefore thy thankfulness should be proportionable and extraordinary § 11. Direct 9. Compare the Mercies which thou wantest with those which thou possessest and observe how Direct 9. much thy receivings are greater than thy sufferings Thou hast many meals plenty for one day of scarcity or pinching hunger Thou hast many dayes Health for one dayes sickness and if one part be ill there are more that are not If one Cross befall thee thou escapest many more that might befall thee and which thou deservest § 12. Direct 10. Bethink thee how thou wouldst value thy mercies if thou wert deprived of them Direct 10. The want of them usually teacheth us most effectually to esteem them Think how thou shouldst value Christ and hope if thou wert in Despair And how thou wouldst value the mercies of Earth if thou wert in Hell And the Mercies of England if thou were among bloody Inquisitors and persecutors and wicked cruell Heathens or Mahometans or bruitish savage Americans Think how good sleep would seem to thee if thou couldst not sleep for pains Or how good thy meat or drink or cloaths or house or maintenance or friends would all seem to thee if they were taken from thee And how great a mercy health would seem if thou were under some tormenting sickness and what a mercy Time would seem if Death were at hand and Time were ending And what a mercy thy least sincere desires or measure of grace is in comparison of their case that are the haters despisers and persecutors of holiness These thoughts if followed home may shame thee into thankfulness § 13. Direct 11. Let Heaven be ever in thine eye and still think of the endless joy which thou Direct 11. shalt have with Christ. For that is the mercy of all mercies and he that hath not that in hope to be thankful for will never be thankful aright for any thing and he that hath Heaven in prâ—â—isâ— to be thankful for hath still reason for the highest joyful Thanks whatever worldly thing he want or though he were sure never more to have comfort in any creature upon earth He is unthankful indeed that will not be thankful for Heaven But that is a mercy which will constrain to Thankfulness so far as our title is discerned The more believing and heavenly the mind is the more thankful § 14. Direct 12. Look on earthly and present Mercies in connexion with Heaven which is their End and Direct 12. as sweetned by our interest in God that giveth them You leave out all the life and sweetness which must cause your thankfulness if you leave out God and overlook him A dead carkâ—ss hath not the Loveliness or Usefulness as a living man You mortifie your mercies when you separate them from God and Heaven and then their beauty and sweetness and excellercy is gone And how can you be thankful for the husks and shells when you foolishly neglect the kernel Take every bit as from thy Fathers hands Remember that he feedeth and clotheth and protecteth thee as his Child It is to Our Father which is in Heaven that we must go every day for our daily bread Taste his Love in it and thou wilt say that It is sweet Remember whither all his Mercies tend and where they will leave thee even in the bosome of Eternal Love Think with thy self How good is this with the Love of God This and Heaven are full enough for me Course fare and course clothing and course usage in the world and hard labour and a poor habitation with Heaven after all is Mercy beyond all humane estimation or conceiving Nothing can be little which is a token of the love of God and leadeth to Eternal Glory The Relation to Heaven is the life and glory of every mercy § 15. Direct 13. Think oft how great a mercy it is that Thankfulness for mercy is made so
great Direct 13. a part of thy duty Is it not the sweetest employment in the world to be alwayes thinking on so sweet a thing as the mercies of God and to be mentioning them with glad and thankful hearts Is not this a sweeter kind of work than to be abusing mercie and casting it away upon fleshly lusts and sinning it away and turning it against us Yea is it not a sweeter work than to be groaning under sin and misery If God had as much fixt your thoughts upon sadning heart-breaking objects as he hath by his commands upon reviving and delighting objects you might have thought Religion a melancholly life But when sorrow is required but as preparatory to delight and chearful Thanksgiving is made the life and sum of your Religion who but a Monster will think it grievous to live in Thankfulness to our great Benefactor To think thus of the sweetness of it will do much to incline us to it and make it easie to us § 16. Direct 14. Make conscience ordinarily of allowing Gods mercies as great a room in thy Direct 14. Thoughts and Prayers as thou allowest to thy sins and wants and troubles In a day of humiliation or after some notable fall into sin or in some special cases of distress I confess sin and danger may have the greater share But ordinarily mercy should take up more time in our remembrance and confession than our sins Let the Reasons of it first convince you that this is your duty And when you are convinced hold your selves to the performance of it If you can not be so Thankfull as you desire yet spend as much time in the confessing of Gods Mercy to you as in confessing your sins and mentioning your wants Thanksgiving is an effectual petitioning for more It sheweth that the soul is not drowned in selfishness but would carry the fruit of all his mercies back to God If you cannot think on mercy so thankfully as you would yet see that it have a due proportion of your thoughts This course of allowing mercy its due time in our Thoughts and Prayers would work the soul to greater thankfulness by degrees Whereas on the contrary when men accustom themselves to have ten words or twenty of Confession and Petition for one of thanksgiving and ten thoughts of sins and wants and troubles for one of mercies this starveth thankfulness and turneth it out of doors You can command your words and thoughts if you will Resolve therefore on this duty § 17. Direct 15. Take heed of a proud a covetous a fleshly or a discontented mind for all Direct 15. these are enemies to Thankfulness A proud heart thinks it self the worthiest for more and thinks diminutively of all A covetous heart is still gaping after more and never returning the fruit of what it hath received A fleshly mind is an insatiable gulf of corporal mercies like a greedy Dog that is gaping for another bone when he hath devoured one and sacrificeth all to his belly which is his God Phil. 3. 18. A discontented mind is alwayes murmuring and never pleased but findeth something still to quarrel at and taketh more notice of the denying of its unjust desires than of the giving of many undeserved mercies Thankfulness prospereth not where these vices prosper § 18. Direct 16. Avoid as much as may be a Melancholy and over-fearful temper for that Direct 16. will not suffer you to see or taste your greatest mereits nor to be glad or thankful for any thing you have but is still representing all things to you in a terrible or lamentable shape The Grace of Thankfulness may be habitually in a timerous melancholly mind And that appeareth in their valuation of the Mercy How glad and thankful would they be if they were assured that the Love of God is towards them But it is next to impossible for them ordinarily to exercise thankfulness because they cannot believe any thing of themselves that is good and comfortable It is as natural for them to be still fearing and despairing and complaining and troubling themselves as for froward children to be crying or sick men to groan Befriend not therefore this miserable disease but resist it by all due remedies § 19. Direct 17. Take heed of all unthankful doctrines which teacheth you to deny or undervalue Direct 17. mercy Such is 1. The Doctrine of the Pelagians whom Prosper calleth the Ungratefull that denyed faith and special grace to be any special gift of God and that teach you that Peter is no more beholden to God than Iudas for his differencing grace 2. The Doctrine which denyeth general grace which is presupposed unto special and tells the world that Christ dyed only for the Elect and that all the mercy of the Gospel is confined to them alone and teacheth all men to deny God any thanks for Christ or any Gospel mercy till they know that they are elect and justified and would teach the wicked on Earth and in Hell that they ought not to accuse themselves for sinning against any Gospel mercy or for rejecting a Christ that dyed for them 3. All Doctrine which makes God the physical efficient predeterminer of every act of the creature considered in all its circumstances and so tells you that saving grace is no more nor no otherwise caused of God than sin and every natural act is and our thanks that we owe him for keeping us from sin is but for not irresistible pre-moving us to it Such Doctrines cut the veins of thankfulness and being not doctrines according to godliness the life of grace and spiritual sense of believers is against them § 20. Direct 18. Put not God off with verbal Thanks but give him thy self and all thou hast Direct 18. Thankfulness causeth the soul to enquire What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me Psal. 116. 12. And it is no less than thy self and all thou hast that thou must render that is thou must give God not only thy Tythes and the Sacrifice of Cain but thy self to be entirely his servant and all that thou hast to be at his command and used in the order that he would have thee use it A thankful soul devoteth it self to God This is the living acceptable Sacrifice Rom. 12. 1. It studieth how to do him service and how to do good with all his mercies Thankfulness is a powerful spring of obedience and makes men long to be fruitful and profitable and glad of opportunities to be serviceable to God Thus Law and Gospel Obedience and Gratitude concur A thankful obedience and an obedient thankfulness are a Christians life Psal. 50. 14 15 23. Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy Vows to the Most High And call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Who so offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright I will shew the salvation of God
§ 21. I beseech thee now that readest these Lines be so true to God be so ingenuous be so much a friend to the comfort of thy soul and so much love a life of pleasure as to set thy self for the time to come to a more conscionable performance of this noble work and steep thy thoughts in the abundant mercies of thy God and express them more in all thy speech to God and man Say as David Psal. 116. 16 17. O Lord truly I am thy servant thou hast loosed my bonds I will offer to thee the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and will call upon the name of the Lord. Psal. 30. 1 2 3 4 11 12. I will extoll thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me O Lord my God I cryed unto thee and thou hast healed me O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness Thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks to thee for ever Psal. 69. 30. I will praise the name of God with a Song and magnifie him with thanksgiving This also shall please the Lord better than an Oxe Psal. 92. 1 2. It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord and to sing unto thy Name O Most High To shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night Psal. 119. 62. At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgements Psal. 140. 13. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy Name the upright shall dwell in thy presence Remember that you are commanded in every thing to give thanks 1 Thess. 5. 18. When God is scant in mercy to thee then be thou scant in thankfulness to him and not when the Devil and a forgetful or unbelieving or discontented heart would hide his greatest mercies from thee It is just with God to give up that person to sadness of heart and to uncomfortable self-tormenting melancholly that will not be perswaded by the greatness and multitude of mercies to be frequent in the sweet returns of Thanks DIRECT XV. Let thy very heart be set to GLORIFIE GOD thy Creator Redeemer Gr. Dir. 15. and Sanctifier both with the Estimation of thy Mind the Praises of thy Mouth To Glorifie God and the Holiness of thy Life § 1. THe GLORIFYING of GOD being the End of man and the whole Creation must be the highest duty of our lives and therefore deserveth our distinct consideration 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether ye eat or drink or whatever ye do do all to the glory of God 1 Pet. 4. 11. That God in all things may be glorified through Iesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever Amen I shall therefore first shew you what it is to glorifie God and then give Directions how to do it § 2. To glorifie God is not to add to his essential perfections or felicity or real glory The Heb. â— 3. Act. 7. â—â— Rom. 3 â—â— Rev. 21 11 23. Jude 24. 1 Peâ— 4. 13. 2 Cor. 3. 18. glory of God is a word that is taken in these various senses 1. Sometime it signifieth the essential transcendent Excellencies of God in himself considered So Rom. 6. 4. Psal. 19. 2. 2. Sometime it signifieth that glory which the Angels and Saints behold in Heaven What this is a soul in flesh cannot formally conceive or comprehend It seemeth not to be the Essence of God because that is every where and so is not that glory Or if any think that his Essence is that glory and is every where alike and that the creatures capacity is all the difference betwixt Heaven and Earth he seems confuted in that the glory of Heaven will be seen by the glorified Body it self which its thought cannot see the Essence of God Whether then that Glory be the Essence of God or any immediate Emanation from his Excellency as the beams and light that are sent forth by the Sun or a created glory for the felicity of his Servants we shall know when with the blessed we enjoy it 3. Sometime it is taken for the appearance of Gods perfections in his creatures either natural or free agents as discerned by man and for his Honour in the esteem of man Iohn 11. 4. 40. 1 Cor. 11. 7. 2 Cor. 4. 15. Phil. 1. 11. 2. 11. Isa. 35. 2. 40. 5 c. And so to glorifie God is 1. Objectively to represent his Excellencies or Glory 2. Mentally to conceive of them 3. And Verbally to declare them I shall therefore distinctly Direct you 1. How to glorifie God in your Minds 2. By your Tongues 3. By your Lives Directions for Glorifying God with the Heart § 3. Direct 1. Abhor all Blasphemous representations and thoughts of God and think not of him Direct 1. lamely unequally or diminutively nor as under any corporeal shape nor think not to comprehend I egâ— Gassâ—â—ci Oration iâ— augâ—â—aâ— in Institut Asâ—â—oâ—om him but reverently admire him Conceive of him as Incomprehensible and Infinite And if Satan would tempt thee to think meanly of any thing in God or to think highly of one of his Perfections and meanly of another abhor such temptations And think of his Power Knowledge and Goodness equally as the Infinite perfections of God § 4. Direct 2. Behold his glory in the glory of his works of Nature and of Grace and see him in Direct 2. all as the soul the Glory the All of the whole Creation What a Power is that which made and preserveth all the world What a Wisdom is that which set in joynt the Universal frame of Heaven and Earth and keepeth all things in their Order How good is he that made all good and gave the creatures all their goodness both natural and spiritual by Creation and Renewing grace Thus The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy work Psal. 19. 1. His glory covereth the Heavens and the earth is full of his praise Hab. 3. 3. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters the God of glory thundereth Psal. 29. 3. Psal. 145. § 5. Direct 3. Behold him in the Person Miracles Resurrection Dominion and Glory of his blessed Direct 3. Son Who is the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person upholding all things by the word of his power and having by himself purged our sins sate down at the right hand of the Majesty on high being made better than the Angels c. Heb. 1. 3 4. By him it is that glory is given to God in the Church Eph. 3. 21. God hath highly exalted him and given him
acceptance of their work O that we would do that honour and right to true Religion as to shew the world the nature and use of it by living in the cheerful Praises of our God and did not â—each them to blaspheme it by our mis-doings I have said the more of the excellency and benefits of this work because it is one of your best helps to perform it to know the Reasons of it and how much of your Religion and Duty and comfort consisteth in it and the forgetting of this is the common cause that it is so boldly and ordinarily neglected or slubbered over as it is § 23. Direct 2. The keeping of the heart in the admiration and glorifying o◠〈◊〉 according to Direct 2. the forâ—-going Directions is the principal help to the right praising of him with 〈…〉 ps For out of the hearts abundance the mouth will speak And if the Heart do not bear itâ— part no praise is mâ—lâ—dious to God § 24. Direct 3. â—ead much those Scriptures which speak of the praises of God especially the Psalms Direct 3. and furnish your memories with store of those holy expressions of the excellencies of God which he himself hath taught you in his Word None knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God who teacheth us in the Scriptures to speak divinely of things divine No other diâ—lâ—ct so well becometh the work of praise God that best knoweth himself doth best teach us how to know and praise him Every Christian should have a treasury of these sacred materials in his memory that he may be able at all times in Conference and in Worship to speak of God in the words of God § 25. Direct 4. Be much in singing Psalms of praise and that with the most heart-raising cheerfulness Direct 4. and melody especially in the holy assemblies The melody and the conjunction of many serious holy souls doth â—end much to elevate the heart And where it is done intelligibly reverently in conjunction with a rational spiritual serious Worship the use of Musical Instruments are not to be scrupled or refused any more than the Tunes and Melody of the Vâ—ic◠§ 26. Direct 5. Remember to allow the praises of God their due prâ—portion in all your prayers Direct 5. Use not to shut it out or forget it or cut it short with two or three words in the conclusion The Lords Prayer begins and ends with it and the three first Petitions are for the glorifying the Name of God and the coming of his Kingdom and the doing oâ— his Will by which he is glorified and all this before we ask any thing directly for our selves Use will much help you in the Praise of God § 27. Direct 6. Especially let the Lords Day be principally spent in Praises and Thanksgiving for the Direct 6. work of our Redemption and the benefits thereof This day is separated by God himself to this holy work And if you spend it ordinarily in other Religious duties that subserve not this you spend it not as God requireth you The thankful and praiseful Commemoration of the work of mans Redemption is the special work of the day And the celebrating of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ which is therefore called the Eucharist was part of these laudatory exercises and used every Lords Day by the Primitive Church It is not only a holy day separated to Gods Worship in general but to this Eucharistical Worship in special above the rest as a day of Praises and Thanksgiving unto God And thus all Christians ordinarily should use it § 28. Direct 7. Let your holy conferâ—â—ce with others be much about the glorious Excellencies Direct 7. Works and Mercies of the Lord in way â—f praise and admiration This is indeed to speak to Edification and as the Oracles of God Eph. 4. 29. that God in all things may be glorified 1 Pet. 4. 11. Psal. 29. 9. In his Temple doth every one speak of his glory Psal. 35. 28. My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praises all the day long Psal. 145. 6 11 21. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts They shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power to make known to the Sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious Majesty of his Kingdom My mouth shall speak of the praises of the Lord and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever Psal. 105. 2 3. Talk ye of all his wondrous works glory ye in his holy name § 29. Direct 8. Speak not of God in a light unreverent or common sort as if you talkt of common Direct 8. things but with all possible seriousness gravity and reverence as if you saw the Majesty of the Lord. A common and a holy manner of speech are contrary That only is holy which is separated to God from common use You speak prophanely in the manner how holy soever the matter be when you speak of God with that careless levity as you use to speak of common things Such speaking of God is dishonourable to him and hurts the hearers more than silence by breeding in them a contempt of God and teaching them to imitate you in sleight conceits and speech of the Almighty Whereas one that speaketh reverently of God as in his presence doth ofttimes more affect the hearers with a reverence of his Majesty with a few words than unreverent Preachers with the most accurate Sermons delivered in a common or affected strain When ever you speak of God let the hearers perceive that your hearts are possessed with his Fear and Love and that you put more difference between God and man than between a King and the smallest Worm so when you talk of death or judgement of Heaven or Hell of holiness or sin or any thing that nearly relates to God do it with that gravity and seriousness as the matter doth require § 30. Direct 9. Speak not so unskilfully and foolishly of God or holy things as may 〈…〉 pt the hearers Direct 9. to turn it into a matter of scorn or laughter Especially understand how your p 〈…〉 are suited to the company that you are in Among those that are more ignorant some weak discourses may be tolerable and profitable For they are most affected with that which is delivered in their own Dialect and Mode but among judicious or captious hearers unskilful persons must be very sparing of their words lest they do hurt while they desire to do good and make Religion sâ—em ridiculous We may rejoyce in the scorns which we undergo for Christ and which are bent against his holy Laws or the substance of our duty But if men are jeered for speaking ridiculously and foolishly of holy things they have little reason to take comfort in any thing of that but their honest meanings and intents Nay they must be humbled for being a dishonour to the name of godliness
will find that Hell is no jeasting matter If you mock your selves out of your salvation where are you then If you play with time and means and mercy till they are gone you are undone for ever O dally not till you are past remedy Alas poor dreaming trifling Hypocrites Is time so swift and life so short and death so sure and near and God so holy just and terrible and Heaven so glorious and Hell so hot and both everlasting and yet will you not be in earnest about your work Up and be doing as you are men and as ever you care what becomes of you for ever Depart from iniquity if you will name the name of Christ 2 Tim. 2. 19. Let not a cheating world delude you for a moment and have the kernel the heart while God hath but the empty shell A mock-Religion will but keep up a mock-hope a mock-peace and a mock-joy and comfort till Satan have done his work and be ready to unhood you and open your eyes Job 8. 13. So aâ—e the paths of all that forget God and the Hypocrites hope shall perish Job 27. 8 9. For what is the hope of the hypocrite though he bath gained when God taketh away his soul Will God hear his â—ry when trouble cometh upon him Job 20. 4 5 6 7. Knowest thou not this of old that the triumphing of the wicked is short and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment Though his excellency mount up to the Heavens and his head reach unto the Clouds yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung they which have seen him shall say where is he Away then with hypocritical formality and dalliance and be serious and sincere for thy soul and with thy God PART IV. Directions against inordinate Man-pleasing or that Over-valuing the Favour and Censure of Man which is the fruit of Pride and a great Cause of Hypocrisie Or Directions against IDOLIZING MAN § 1. AS in other cases so in this iniquity consisteth not simply in the hearts Neglect of God but in the preferring of some competitor and prevalence of some object which standeth up for an opposite interest And so the obeying man before God and against him and the valuing the favour and approbation of man before or against the approbation of God and the fearing of mans censure or displeasure more than Gods is an IDOLIZING MAN or setting him up in the place of God It turneth our chiefest observance and care and labour and pleasure and grief into this humane fleshly channel and maketh all that to be but Humane in our hearts and lives which objectively should be Divine Which is so great and dangerous a sin partaking of so much Impiety Hypocrisie and Pride as that it deserveth a special place in my Directions and in all watchfulness and consideration to escape it § 2. As all other Creatures so specially Man must be regarded and valued only in a due subordination and subserviency to God If they be valued otherwise they are made his enemies and so are to be hated and are made the principal engine of the ruine of such as overvalue them See what Luke 14. 26 27. the Scripture saith of this sin Isa. 2. 22. Cease ye from Man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of Matth. 23 9. And call no Man your Father upon the earth for Magna animi sublimiâ—ate carpentes se atque objuâ—gantes Soâ—â—ates conâ—emnebat 〈…〉 Socrat. one is your Father which is in Heaven 8. And be not ye called Rabbi for one is your Master even Christ but he that is greatest among you shall be your servant Jer. 20. 15. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm Psal. 118. 6 8 9. The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man yea in Princes Job 32. 21 22. Let me not accept any mans person neither let me give flattering titles unto man For I know not to give flattering titles in so doing my Maker would soon take me away Job 21. 4. As for me is my complaint to man Gal. 1. 10. Do I seek to please men For if I yet When 〈◊〉 was asked why â—he exercised not himself with the most he answered If I should do as the mâ—st dâ— I should be no Philosopher La 〈…〉 p. Adulatâ—onâ—â—â—â—â—dum crimen servitutis malâ—gnitati falsa species libertatis inest Taâ—itus â—b 17. Secure Conscience first Qua semel amisâ—a postea nullus â—â—â—â—s pleased men I should not be a servant of Christ. 1 Cor. 4. 3. But with me it is a very small thing to be judged of you or of mans judgement Luke 14. 26. If a man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my disciple Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven Matth. 5. 11 12. Not with eye-service as men-pleasers Ephes. 6 6. Col. 3. 22. 1 Thess. 2. 4. So we speak not as pleasing men but God who tryeth our hearts Jude 16. Having mens persons in admiration because of advantage This is enough to shew you what Scripture saith of this inordinate man-pleasing or respect to man And now I shall proceed to Direct you to escape it § 3. Direct 1. Understand well wherein the nature of this sin consisteth that you may not run into the Direct 1. contrary extream but may know which way to bend your opposition I shall therefore first shew you how far we may and must please men and how far not § 4. 1. Our Parents Rulers and Superiours must be honoured obeyed and pleased in all things which they require of us in the several places of authority which God hath given them over us And this must be not meerly as to man but as to the Officers of God from whom and for whom and not against him they have all their power Rom. 13. Exod. 20. 12. Titus 3. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 13. 2. 2 10. § 5. 2. We must in charity and condescension and meekness of behaviour seek to please all men in order to their salvation We must so thirst for the conversion of sinners that we must become all things lawful to all men that we may win them We must not stand upon our terms and Rom. 14. 15. 1 2 3. keep at a distance from them but condescend to the lowest and bear the infirmities of the weak and in things indifferent not take the course that pleaseth our selves but that which by pleasing him may edifie our weak brother We must forbear and forgive and part with our right and deny our selves the use of our Christian
wood and yet is afraid of the shaking of a leaf You dwell among a world of ulcerated selfish contradictory mutable unpleasable minds and yet you cannot endure their displeasure Are you Magistrates The people will murmure at you and those that are most incompetent and uncapable will be the forwardest to censure you and think that they could govern much better than you Those Socrates dicenâ—â— cuidam Nonne tibi â—â—â—â—e maledicit Non inquit mâ—hi enim â—â—â—â—a non aâ—â—uâ—t that bear the necessary burdens of the common safety and defence will say that you oppress them and the malefactors that â—re punished will say you deal unmercifully by them and those that have a cause never so unjust will say you wrong them if it go not on their side Are you Pastors and Teachers You will seem too rough to one and to smooth to another yea too rough to the same man when by reproof or censure you correct his faults who censureth you as too smooth and a friend to sinners when you are to deal in the cause of others No sermon that you preach is like to be pleasing to all your hearers nor any of your ministerial works Are you Lawyers Dicebat â—xpâ—dire ut sâ—se ex induâ—â—ria com â—â—s exponerâ—â— Nâ—m si ea dixerin quae in nâ—bâ— corrigenda sint emâ—ndâ—bunt sin aâ—iaâ— nihil ad nâ—s The Clyents that lost their cause behind your backs will call you unconscionable and say you betrayed them And those that prevailed will call you covetous and tell how much money you took of them and how little you did for it So that it s no wonder that among the vulgar your profession is the matter of their reproach Are you Physicions You will be accused as guilty of the death of many that die and as covetous takers of their money whether the Patient die or live For this is the common talk of the vulgar except of some few with whom your care hath much succeeded Are you Trades-men Most men that buy of you are so selfish that except you will begger your selves they will say you deceive them and deal unconscionably and sell too dear Little do they mind the necessary maintenance of your families nor care whether you live or gain by your trading But if you will wrong your selves to sell them a good penny-worth they will say you are very honest men Dicenti Alâ—â—bâ—adâ— non esse toleâ—abâ—lâ—m Zantippen adeo morosam Atqui ait ego ita hisâ—e jampâ—idem assuetus sum ac si sâ—num trochearum audiam miâ—i post Zantippes uâ—um relâ—quorum mortalium facilis â—â—leratio est Laâ—â—t iâ— Socr. And yet when you are broken they will accuse you of imprudence and defrauding your creditors You must buy dear and sell cheap and live by the loss or else displease § 59. Direct 11. Remember still that the Pleasing of God is your business in the world and that in Direct 11. Pleasing him your souls may have safety rest and full content though all the world should be displeased Hoc habeo fâ—â—e refugii praesidii in meâ—â—aeruâ—ni sermones cum Deo cum amicis verâ—â— cum multâ—s magistrâ—s Buâ—holtzâ—â— with you God is enough for you And his approbation and favour is your portion and reward How sweet and safe is the life of the sincere and upright ones that study more to be good than to seem good And think if God accept them that they have enough O what a mercy is an upright heart Which renounceth the world and all therein that stands in competition with his God And taketh God for his God indeed even for his Lord his Judge his Portion and his all Who in temptation remembreth the eye of God and in all his duty is provoked and ruled by the will and pleasure of his Judge And regardeth the eye and thoughts of man but as he would do the presence of a bird or beast unless as piety justice or charity require him to have respect to man in due subordination to God Who when men applaud him as a person of excellent holiness and goodness is fearful and sollicitous lest the all-knowing God should think otherwise of him than his applauders And under all Nemo alâ—oâ—um sâ—nâ—u miser est sâ—d â—â—â—â— â—deâ— non possunt â—â—â—â— usquam fâ—â—â—â— judicio esâ—e misâ—ri qui sunt vere â—uâ— conscient â— bâ—ati Salvi 〈…〉 Gubâ—râ— l 1. the censures roproaches and slanders of man yea though through temptation good men should thus use him can live in peace upon the approbation of his God alone and can rejoyce in his justification by his righteous judge and gracious redeemer though the inconsiderable censures of men condemn him Verily I cannot apprehend how any other man but this can live a life of true and solid peace and joy If Gods approbation and favour quiet you not nothing can rationally quiet you If the pleasing of him do not satisfie you though men though good men though all men should be displeased with you I know not how or when you will be satisfied Yea if you be above the censures and displeasure of the profane and not also of the godly when God will permit them as Iobs wife and friends to be your trial it will not suffice to an even contented quiet life And here consider § 60. 1. If you seek first to please God and are satisfied therein you have but one to please instead of Philosophi libertas 〈…〉 a est omnâ—bus P. Sâ—asig mulâ—o maâ—is fidelis Pastor is multitudes And a multitude of masters are hardlier pleased than one 2. And it is One that putteth you upon nothing that is unreasonable for quantity or quality 3. And one that is perfectly wise and good not liable to misunderstand your case and actions 4. And one that is must Holy and is not pleased in iniquity or dishonesty 5. And he is one that is impartial and mâ—st just and is no respecter of persons Acts 10. 34. 6. And he is one that is a competent Iudge that hath fitness and authority and is acquainted with your hearts and every circumstance and reason of your actions â— And he is one that perfectly agreeth with himself and putteth you not upon contradictions or unpossibilities 8. And he is one that is constant and unchangeable and is not pleased with one thing to day and another contrary to morrow nor with one person this year whom he will be weary of the next 9. And he is one that is merciful and requireth you not to hurt your selves to please him Nay he is pleased with nothing of thine but that which tendeth to thy happiness and displeased with nothing but that which hurts thy self or others as a father that is displeased with his children when they defile or hurt themselves 10. He is gentle though just in his censures of thee judging truly but not with unjust rigor nor making your actions worse
sins as their flesh can spare as unnecessary to its ease provision or content yea or such sins as the flesh commandeth them to forbear as tending to their dishonour in the world they take this for true obedience to God Because they had rather have Heaven than Hell when they must leave the Earth whether they will or no they think that they are heavenly minded and lay up their treasure there and take it for their portion Because conscience sometime troubleth them for their sin they think they renew a sincere repentance and think all is pardoned because they daily ask for pardon Their forced submission to the hand of God they take for patience And a Lord have mercy on us and forgive us and save us they take for a true preparation for death Thus Pride deceiveth sinners by making them believe that they have what they have not and do what they do not and are something when they are nothing Gal. 6. 3. and by multiplying and magnifying the little common good that is in them § 33. Sign 3. A Proud heart hath very little sense of the necessity of a Saviour to die for his sins Sign 3. and satisfie Gods justice and reconcile him to God Notionally he is sick of sin and notionally he thinks he needeth a Physicion But practically at the heart he feeleth little of his disease and therefore little sâ—ts by Christ. He feeleth not that which should throughly acquaint him with the Reasons of this blessed work of our Redemption And therefore indeed is a stranger to the mystery and an unbeliever at the heart and would turn Apostate if the tryal were strong enough He never felt himself a condemned man under the curse and wrath of God and lyable to Hell And therefore never lay in tears with Mary at his Saviours feet nor melted over his bleeding Lord nor feelingly said with Paul He came to save sinners of whom I am chief nor esteemed all things as loss and dung for the knowledge of Christ that he might be found in him Phil. 3. 7 8. He is a Christian but as a Turk is a Mahomâ—tane because it is the Religion of the King and the Country in which he was bred § 34. Sign 4. A Proud heart perceiveth not his own necessity of so great a change as a New birth Sign 4. and of the Holy Ghost to give him a new nature and plant the image of God upon him He findeth perhaps some breaches in his soul but he thinks there needs no breaking of the heart for them nor pulling all down and building up his hopes anew Amending his heart he thinks may serve the turn without making it and all things new The new creature he taketh to be but Baptism or some 2 Cor. 5. 17. patching up of the former state and amending some grosser things that were amiss He will confess that without Christ and grace we can do nothing but he thinketh this grace is an ordinary help Where as a humble soul is so emptyed of it self and perceiveth its deadness and insufficiency to good that it magnifieth grace and is wondrous thankful for it as for a new and spiritual life § 35. Sign 5. A Proud heart hath so little experimental sense of the great accusations which Scripture Sign 5. bringeth against the corrupted heart of man that it is easily drawn into any Heresie which denieth Rom 5. 12 17 18 19 John 3. 3 5 8. them As about our Original sin and misery and need of a Saviour about the desperate wickedness of the heart and mans insufficiency and impotencie to good yea averseness from it Whereas humble men are better acquainted with the sin within them that beareth witness to all these truths § 36. Sign 6. The Proud are insensible of the need and reason of all that diligence to mortifie the Jer. 17 9. Sign 6. flesh and subdue corruptions and watch the heart and walk with God in holiness of life which God requireth He saith what need all this ado He feeleth not the need of it and therefore thinks its more ado than needs But the humble soul is sensible of that within him that requireth it and justifieth the strictest waies of God The Rich think they have no need to labour but labour is a poor mans life and maintenance If he miss it a day he feeleth the want of it the next § 37. Sign 7. Proud men are much insensible of the want of frequent and fervent Prayer unto God Sign 7. Begging is the poor mans trade The humble soul perceives the need of it He finds as constant need of God as of air or bread or life it self And he knoweth that the exercise of our desires and faith and the expression by prayer of our dependance upon God is the way appointed for our supply But the proud are full-stomacht and think this earnest frequent praying is but hypocritical needless work and they cannot make a trade of begging and therefore they are sent empty away § 38. Sign 8. A proud man is a great undervaluer of all mercies and unthankful for them but Sign 8. especially for spiritual mercy He receiveth it customarily as if it were his due and customarily gives God thanks But though he may rejoyce in the prosperity of his flesh yet he is a stranger to holy thankfullness to God and thinks diminutively of mercy yea he is discontent and murmureth if God give him not as much as he desireth Whereas the humble confess themselves unworthy of the least Gen. 30. 10. 2 Chron. 32. 24 25 26. Hezekiahs lifting up and unthankfullness go together A poor man will be very thankful for a peny or a piece of bread which the rich would reject as a great indignity § 39. Sign 9. Proud men are allways impatient in their afflictions If they have a stoutness or stupidity Sign 9. yet they have not Christian patience They take it as if God used them hardly or did them wrong But the humble know that they deserve much worse and that the mercy that is left them is contrary to their desert And therefore say with the humbled Church Mic. 7. 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Lam. 3. 22. It is because his compassions fail not that we are not consumed § 40. Sign 10. Proud men are fearless of temptations and confident of their strength and the goodness Sign 10. of their hearts They dare live among snares in pomp and pleasure faring deliciously every day among plays and gaming and lascivious company and discourse and fear no hurt their Pride making them insensible of their danger and what tinder and gunpowder is in their natures for every spark of temptation to catch fire in But the humble are allways suspitious of themselves and know their danger and avoid the snare Prov. 14. 16. A wise man feareth and departeth from evil but the fool rageth and is confident Prov.
his head His clothing you may read of at his crucifying when they parted it As for money he was fain to send Petâ—r to a â—â—â—â—h for some to pay their tribute If Christ did scrape and care for Riches then so do thou Iâ— he thought it the happiest life do thou think so too But if he contemned it do thou contemn it If his whole life was directed to give thee the most perfect example of the contempt of all the prosperity of this world then learn of his example if thou take him for thy Saviour and if thou love thy self Though he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor that you through his poverty might be rich 2 Cor. 8 9. § 31. Direct 10. Think on the example of the primitive Christians even the best of Christs servants Direct 10. and see how it condemneth worldliness They that by miracle in the name of Christ could give limbs to the lame yet tell him Silver and Gold have we none Acts 3. 6. Those that had possessions sold them and laid the money at the Apostles feet and they had all things common to shew that faith overcometh the world by contemning it and subjecting it to charity and devoting it entirely to God Read whether the Apostles did live in sumptuous houses with great attendance and worldly Cheâ—â—â—â—stome saith his enemies â—harged him with many crimes but never with Covâ—tousness or Wantonâ—ess And so it was with Christ and his enemies plenty and prosperity And so of the rest § 32. Direct 11. Remember to what ends all worldly things were made and given you and what a Direct 11. happy advantage you may make of them by renouncing them as they would be provision for your lusts and by devoting your selves and them to God The use of their sweetness is to draw your souls to taste Et siâ—uâ— in patria Deâ—s est speculum in quo reiucent creaturae sic è converso in via creaturae sunt speculum quo creator videtur Paul Scaâ—iger in Ep. Câ—th l. 14. Thes. 123. p. 689. by faith the heavenly sweetness They are the Looking-glass of souls in flesh that are not yet admitted to see things spiritual face to face They are the provender of our bodies our travelling furniture and helps our Inns and solacing company in the way they are some of Gods Love-tokens some of the lesser pieces of his Coin and bear his Image and superscription They are drops from the Rivers of the eternal pleasures to tell the mind by the way of the senses how good the Donor is and how amiable and what higher Delights there are for souls and to point us to the better things which these foretell They are messengers from Heaven to testifie our Fathers care and love and to bespeak our thankfulness love and duty and to bear witness against sin and bind us faster to obedience They are the first Volume of the Word of God The first Book that man was set to read to acquaint him fully with his Maker As the Word which we read and hear is the Chariot of the Spirit by which it maketh its accesses to the soul so the delights of sight and taste and smell and touch and hearing were appointed as an ordinary way for the speedy access of heavenly love and sweetness to the Heart that upon the first perception of the goodness and sweetness of the creature there might presently be transmitted by a due progression or deep impression of the goodness of God upon the soul That the creature being the Letters of Gods Book which are seen by our eye the sense even the Love of our great Creator might presently be perceived by the mind and no letter might once be lookt upon but for the sense no creature ever seen or tasted or heard or felt in any delectable quality without a sense of the Love of God That as the touch of the hand upon the strings of the Lute do cause the melody so Gods touch by his mercies upon our hearts might presently tune them into Love and Gratitude and Praise They are the Tools by which we must do much of our Masters work They are means by which we may refresh our brethren and express our love to one another and our love to our Lord and Master in his servants They are our Masters stock which we must trade with by the improvement of which no less than the Reward of endless Happiness may be attained These are the Uses to which God gives us outward mercies Love them thus and Delight in them and Use them thus and spare not yea seek Even Dyonisius the Tyrant was bountiful to Philosophers To Plato he gave above fourscore Talents Laert. in Platoâ—e and much to Aristippus and many more and he offered much to many Philosophers that refused it And so did Croesus them thus and be thankful for them But when the creatures are given for so excellent a use will you debase them all by making them only the fuell of your lusts and the provisions for your flesh And will you love them and dote upon them in these base respects while you utterly neglect their noblest use You are just like children that cry for Books and can never have enouw but its only to play with them because they are fine but when they are set to learn and read them they cry as much because they love it not Or like one that should spend his life and labour in getting the finest clothes to dress his Dogs and Horses with but himself goeth naked and will not wear them § 33. Direct 12. Remember that God hath promised to provide for you and that you shall want Direct 12. nothing that is good for you if you will live above these worldly things and seek first his Kingdom and the righteousness thereof And cannot you trust his promise If you truly believe that he is God Matth. 10. 30. Luke 12. 7. and that he is true and that his particular providence extendeth to the very numbring of your hairs you will sure trust him rather than trust to your own forecast and industry Do you think his provision is not better for you than your own All your own care cannot keep you alive an hour nor cannot prosper any of your labours if you provoke him to blast them And if you are not content with his provisions nor submit your selves to the disposals of his love and wisdom you disoblige God and provoke him to leave you to the fruits of your own care and diligence And then you will find that it had been your wiser way to have trusted God § 34. Direct 13. Think often on the dreadful importance and effects of the Love of Riches or a Direct 13. worldly mind 1. It is a most certain sign of a state of death and misery where it hath the upper The mischiefs of a worldly mind Look upon the face of the calamitous world and enquire
and let them find that thou art not to be spoken with nor at leisure to do nothing but wilt rather seem uncivil and morose than be undone And wouldst thou do thus for a transitory prosperity or life and doth not life eternal require much more will thy weighty business in the world resolve thee to put by thy friends thy play-fellows and sports and to shake off thy idleness and should not the business of thy salvation do it I would desire no more to confute the distracted Time-wasters when they are disputing for their idle sports and vanities and asking what harm is in Cards and Dice and stage-plays or tedious feasts or complementing adorning idleness than if I could help them to one sight of Heaven and Hell and make them well know what greater business they have to do which is staying for them while they sleep or play If I were just now in disputing the case with an idle Lady or a sensual belly-slave or gamester and he were asking me scornfully what hurt is in all this if one did but knock at his door and tell him The King is at the door and calls for you it would make him cast away his game and his dispute Or if the house were on fire or a Child faln into fire or water or Thieves breaking in upon them it would make the Ladies cast by the other Lace or Ribband Or if there were but a good bargain or a Lordship to be got they could be up and going though sports and game and gawdery were cast off And yet the foresight of Heaven and Hell though one of them is even at the door will not do as much with them Because Heaven is as nothing to an unbeliever or an inconsiderate sensless wretch And as it is nothing to them when it should move them it shall be nothing to them when they would enjoy it Say not Recreation must be used in its season I know that necessary whetting is no letting But God and thy own Conscience shall tell thee shortly whether thy Recreation feastings long dressings and idleness were a necessary whetting or refreshment of thy Body to fit it for that work which thou wast born and livest for or whether they were the Pastimes of a voluptuous fleshly bruit that lived in these pleasures for the love of pleasure Verily if I lookt but on this one unreasonable sin of Time-wasting it would help me to understand the meaning of Luk. 15. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Prodigal is said to Come to himself and that conversion is the bringing a man to his wits § 9. Direct 2. Be not a stranger to the condition of thy own soul but look home till thou art acquainted Direct 2. what state it is in and what it is in danger of and what it wanteth and how far thou art behind hand in thy provisions for immortality and then be an idle Time-waster if thou canst Could I but go down with thee into that dungeon Heart of thine and shew thee by the light of truth what is there could I but let in one convincing beam from Heaven which might fully shew thee what a condition thou art in and what thou hast to do with thy remaining Time I should have no need to dispute thee out of thy childish fooleries nor to bid thee be up and doing for thy soul no more than to bid thee stir if a Bear were at thy back or the house in a flame about thy ears Alas our ordinary Time-wasters are such as are yet unconverted carnal wretches and are all the while in the power of the Devil who is the chief master of the sport and the greatest gainer They are such as are utter strangers to the regenerating sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost and are yet unjustified and under the guilt of all their sins and certain to be with Devils in Hell for ever if they die thus before they are converted This is true sinner and thou wilt shortly find it so by grace or vengeance though thy blind and hardened heart now rise against the mention of it And is this a case for a man to sit at cards and dice in or to sport and swagger in The Lord have mercy on thee and open thy eyes before it is too late or else thy Conscience will tell thee for ever in another manner than I am telling thee now that thou hadst need to have better improved thy Time and hadst greater things to have spent it in What for a man in thy case in an unrenewed unsanctified unpardoned state to be thus casting away that little Time which all his hopes lie on and in which if ever he must be recovered and saved O Lord have mercy on such sensless souls and bring them to themselves be fore it be too late I tell thee man an enlightened person that understandeth what it is and hath escaped it would not for all the Kingdoms of the world be a week or a day in thy condition for fear lest death cut off his hopes and shut him up in Hell that very day He durst not sleep quietly in thy condition a night lest death should snatch him away to Hell and canst thou sport and play in it and live securely in a sensual course O what a thing it is to be hoodwinkt in misery and to be led asleep to Hell who could perswade men to live thus awake and go dancing to Hell with their eyes open O if we should but imagine a Peter or a Paul or any of the blessed to be again brought into such a case as one of these unsanctified sinners and yet to know what now they know what would they do would they feast and game and play and trifle away their time in it or would they not rather suddenly bewail their former mispent time and all their sins and cry day and night to God for mercy and fly to Christ and spend all their time in Holiness and obedience to God! Alas poor sinner do but look into thy heart and see there what thou hast yet to do of greater weight than trimming and playing I almost tremble to think and write what a case thou art in and what thou hast to do while thou livest as if thou hadst Time to spare If thou know not I will tell thee and the Lord make thee know it Thou hast a hardened heart to be yet softened and an unbelieving heart to be brought to a lively powerful Belief of the word of God and the unseen world Thou hast an unholy Heart and life to be made Holy if ever thou wilt see the face of God Heb. 12. 14. Matth. 18. 3. Ioh. 3. 3 5 6. Thou hast a Heart-full of sins to be mortified and subdued and an unreformed life to be reformed And what abundance of particulars do these Generals contain Thou hast a pardon to procure through Jesus Christ for all the sins that ever thou didst commit and all the duties which ever thou
that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken up Therefore be ye also ready For in such an hour as ye think not the son of man cometh Mar. 13. 33. Take ye heed watch and pray for ye know not when the time is § 19. Direct 12. Never forget what attendance thou hast while thou art idling or sinning away thy Direct 12. Time How the patience and mercy of God are staying for thee And how Sun and Moon and all the creatures are all the while attending on thee And must God stand by while thou art yet a little longer abusing and offending him Must God stay till thy Cards and Dice and Pride and worldly unnecessary cares will dismiss thee and spare thee for his service Must he wait on the Devil and the world and the flesh to take their leavings and stay till they have done with thee Canst thou marvel if he make thee pay for this If he turn away and leave thee to spend thy time in as much vanity and idleness as thou desirest Must God and all his creatures wait on a careless sinner while he is at his fleshly pleasures Must life and time be continued to him while he is doing nothing that is worthy of his Life and time The long suffering of God did wait on the disobedient in the days of Noah 1 Pet. 3. 20. But how dear did they pay for the contempt of this forbearance § 20. Direct 13. Consider soberly of the ends for which thy life and Time are given thee by God Direct 13. God made not such a creature as man for nothing He never gave thee an hours Time for nothing The life and time of bruits and plants is given them to be serviceable to thee But what is thine for Dost thou think in thy Conscience that any of thy Time is given thee in vain When thou art sluging or idling or playing it away dost thou think in thy Conscience that thou art wisely and honestly answering the ends of thy Creation and Redemption and hourly preservation Dost thou think that God is so unwise or disregardful of thy Time and thee as to give thee more than thou hast need of Thou wilt blame thy Tailor if he cut out more cloath than will make thy garments meet for thee and agreeable to thy use And thou wilt blame thy Shoomaker if he make thy shoos too big for thee And dost thou think that God is so lavish of Time or so unskillful in his works of providence as to cut thee out more Time than the work which he hath cut thee out requireth He that will call thee to a reckoning for all hath certainly given thee none in vain If thou canst find an hour that thou hast â—othing to do with and must give no account for let that be the hour of thy pastime But if thou knewest thy need thy danger thy hopes and thy work thou wouldst never dream of having Time to spare For my own part I must tell thee if thou have Time to spare thy case is very much different from mine It is the daily trouble and burden of my mind to see how slowly my work goes on and how hastily my Time and how much I am like to leave undone which I would fain dispatch How great and important businesses are to be done and how short that life is like to be in which they must be done if ever Methinks if every day were as long as ten it were not too long for the work which is every day before me though not incumbent on me as my present duty for God requireth not impossibilities yet exceeding desirable to be done It is the Work that makes the Time a mercy The Time is for the Work If my work were done which the good of the Church and my soul requireth what cause had I to be glad of the ending â—â— my Time and to say with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Remember then that God never gave thee one minute to spend in vain but thy very ease and rest and recreations must be but such and so much as fit thee for thy work and as helps it on and do not hinder it He redeemed and preserveth us that we might serve him in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our lives Luke 1. 74 75. § 21. Direct 14. Remember still that the Time of this short uncertain life is all that ever you shall Direct 14. have for your preparation for your endless life When this is spent whether well or ill you shall have no more God will not try those with another life on earth that have cast away and mispent See mâ— Book called Now or Never this There is no returning hither from the dead to mend that which here you did amiss What good you will do must Now be done And what Grace you would get must Now be got And what preparation for Eternity you will ever make must Now be made 2 Cor. 6. 2. Behold now is the accepted time Behold now is the day of salvation Heb. 3. 7 13. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts But exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned by the deceitfulness of sin Have you but one life here to live and will you lose that one or any part of it Your Time is already measured out The glass is turned upon you Rev. 10. 5 6. And the Angel lifted up his hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever that Time should be no longer Therefore whatever thy â—and findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor devise nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest Eccles. 9. 10. What then remaineth but that the Time being short and the fashion of these things passing away you use the world as if you used it not and redeem this Time for your eternal happiness 1 Cor. 7. 29. § 22. Direct 15. Remember still that sin and Satan will lose no time and therefore it concerneth Direct 15. you to lose none The Devil your adversary goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5. 8. Be sober therefore and vigilant to resist him V. 7 9. If he be busie and you be idle if he be at work in spreading his Nets and laying his snares for you and you be at play and do not mind him it is easie to fore-tell you what will be the issue If your enemies be fighting while you sit still or sleep it is easie to prognosticate who will have the Victory The weeds of corruption are continually growing sin like a constant spring is still running The world is still enticing and the flesh is still inclining to it
strength are in their vigour and do not yet fail you And who should go fastest or work hardest but he that hath the greatest strength You may now get more by diligence in a day than hereafter you can get in many How few prove good Scholars or wise men that begin not to learn till they are old Fly youthful lusts therefore 2 Tim. 2. 22. Remember your Creator in the days of your youth Eccl. 12. 1. If you be now trained up in the way you should go you will not depart from it when you are old Prov 22. 6. O that you could but know what an unspeakable advantage and benefit and comfort it is to come to a ripe age with the provisions and furniture of that wisdom and holiness and acquaintance with God which should be attained in your youth and what a misery it is to be then to learn that which you should have been many years before in practising and to be then to begin to live when you must make an end much more to be cast to Hell if death should find you unready in your youth or to be forsaken of God to a hardened age Happy they that with Timothy and Obadiah do learn the Scripture and fear God in their Childhood and from their youth 1 King 18. 12. 2 Tim. 3. 15. § 63. Sort 2. Necessity maketh it incumbent on the weak and sick and aged in a special manner Sort 2. to Redeem their Time If they will not make much of it that are sure to have but a little and if they will trifle and loyter it away that know they are near their journeys end and ready to give up their accounts they are unexcusable above all others A Thief or Murderer will pray and speak good words when he is going out of the World Well may it be said to you as Paul doth Rom. 13. 11 12. Now it is high time to awake out of sleep when your salvation or damnation is so near It is high time for that man to look about him and prepare his soul and lose no time that is so speedily to appear before the most Holy God and be used for ever as he hath lived here § 64. Sort 3. It is specially incumbent on them to Redeem the Time who have loytered and Sort 3. mispent much time already If Conscience tell you that you have lost your youth in ignorance and vanity and much of your age in negligence and worldliness it is a double crime in you if you Redeem not diligently the Time that is left The just care of your salvation requireth it unless you 1 Pet. 4. 3. are willing to be damned Ingenuity and duty to God requireth it unless you will defie him and resolve to abuse and despise him to the utmost and spend all the time against him which he shall give you The nature of true Repentance requireth it unless you will know none but the Repentance of the damned and begin to Repent the mispending of your Time when it s gone and all is too late § 65. Sort 4. It is specially their duty to Redeem the Time who are scanted of time through poverty Sort 4. service or restraint If poor people that must labour all the day will not Redeem the Lords day and those few hours which they have they will then have no time at all for things spiritual servants that be not Masters of their time and are held close to their work had need to be very diligent in Redeeming those few hours which are allowed them for higher things Sort 5. § 66. Sort 5. Thâ—se that enjoy any special helps either publick or private must be specially carefull to improve them and Redeem the Time Do you live under a convincing powerful Ministry O improve it and Redeem the Time for you know not how soon they may be taken from you or you from them Do you live with Godly Relations Parents Husband Wife Masters in a Godly Family or with godly fellow-servants friends or Neighbours Redeem the time get somewhat by them every day you know not how short this season will be Do you live where you have Books and leisure Redeem the time This also may not be long Had not Ioshua been horribly unexcusable if he would have loitered when God made the Sun stand still while he pursued his enemies O loiter not you while the Sun of mercy patience means and helps do all attend you § 67. Sort 6. Those must especially Redeem the Time who are ignorant or graceless or weak in Sort 6. grace and have strong corruptions and little or no assurance of salvation and are unready to dye and have yet all or the most of their work to do If these loiter they are doubly to blame sure the Ephes. 2. 2. Time past of your lives may suffice to have loitered and done evil 1 Pet. 4. 3. Hath not the Devil had too much already Will ye stand all the day idle Mat. 20. 6. Look home and see what you have yet to do How much you want to a safe and comfortable death Hos. 10. 12. Sow to your selves in righteousness reap in mercy break up your fallow ground for it is time to seek the Lord till he come and rain righteousness upon you § 68. Sort 7. It much concerneth them to Redeem the Time who are in any office or have any Sort 7. opportunity of doing any special or publick good especially Magistrates and Ministers of Christ. Your life will not be long your office will not be long O bestir you against sin and Satan and for Christ and holiness while you may God will try you but a time Let Obadiah hide and feed the Prophets when he is called to it and while he may that God may hide him and not think to shift off duty and save himself to a better time saith Mordechai to Esther Esth. 9. 13 14. Think not with thy self that thou shalt escape in the Kings house more than all the Iews For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise from another place but thou and thy Fathers house shall be destroyed and who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this Are you Ministers O preach the Gospel while you may Redeem the time All times are your season so great a work and the worth of souls commandeth you to do it in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4. 2. A man that is to save many others from drowning or to quench a fire in the City is unexcusable above all men if he Redeem not time by his greatest diligence and speed § 69. Sort 8. Lastly it is specially incumbent on them to Redeem the time who being recovered Sort 8. from sickness or saved from any danger are under the obligation both of special mercy and special promises of their own who have promised God in the time of sickness or
of the Letters Syllables and Words without understanding the sense and end yet those that with holy and illuminated minds come thither to behold the footsteps of the Great and Wise and bountiful Creator may find not only matter to employ but to profit and delight their thoughts They may be rapt up by the things that are seen into the Sacred admirations reverence Love and praise of the glorious Maker of all who is unseen And thus to the sanctified all things will be sanctified and the study of common things will be to them Divine and Holy § 11. Direct 11. Be not a stranger to or neglectful disregarder of the wonders of providence in Direct 11. Gods administrations in the world and thou wilt find store of matter for thy thoughts The dreadfulness 11. Providence about the World of Iudgements the delightfulness of mercies the mysteriousness of all will be matter of daily search and admiration to thee Think of the strange preservations of the Church of a people hated by all the world how such a flock of Lambs is kept in safety among so many ravenous Wolves Think of Gods sharp afflictions of his offending people of his severe consuming judgements exercised sometimes upon the wicked when he means to set up here and there a monument of his justice for the warning of presumptuous sinners Go see how the wicked are deceived by befooling pleasures Prov. 1. 52. and how the prosperity of fools destroyeth them how they flourish to day as a green Bay-tree â—â—â—â—â—7 or as the flower of the field and then go into the Sanctuary and see their end how to morrow they are cut down and withered and the place of their abode doth know them no more Go see how God delighteth to abase the proud and to scatter them in the imagination of their hearts to put down the mighty from their seats and to exalt them of low degree to fill the hungry with good things and to send the Rich empty away Luk. 1. 51 52 53. How great are his signs and how mighty are his wonders His Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom Dan. 4. 3. He ruleth in the Kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will vers 26. 32. For wisdom and might are his and he changeth the times and the seasons he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings he giveth wisdom to the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding Dan. 2. 20 21 22. He revealeth the deep and secret things he knoweth what is in darkness and the light dwelleth with him The Lord is known Psâ—â— 1â—5 â—â— Sâ—e Pâ—â—â—â— 1â—4 1â—5 1â—6 107. 122. 124 135. 136. 145. 1â—7 1â—8 14â— by the judgements which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hand Psal. 9. 16. Mâ—rk how the upright are afflicted daily and how the feet of violence trample on them and yet how they rejoyce and adhere to that God who doth afflict them and pitty and pray for their miserable persecutors and oppressors and how all things do work together for their good Rom. 8. 28. Wonderful are all the works of God sought out of them that have pleasure therein Psal. 111. 2. The Histories of former ages and the observation of the present may shew thee a world of matter for thy thoughts § 12. Direct 12. Understand all the lineaments and beauty of Gods Image upon a holy soul the Direct 12. excellency and use of every Grace and the harmony of all and thou wilt have store of profitable matter 12. Gods Image for thy thoughts Know the nature of every Grace and the place and order of it and the office use and exercise of it and the means and motives the opposites dangers and preservatives of it Know it as Gods Image and see and Love thy Maker and Redeemer and Regenerator in it Know how God loveth it and how useful it is to our serving and honouring him in the world and how deformed and vile a thing the soul is that is without it Know well what Faith is what wisdom and prudence are what Repentance and humility and mortification are what Hope and fear and desire and obedience and meekness and temperance and sobriety and chastity and contentation and justice and self-denyal are especially know the nature and force of Love to God and to his servants and to neighbours and to enemies Know what a holy resignation and devotedness to God is and what is watchfulness diligence zeal fortitude and perseverance patience submission and peace Know what the worth and use the helps and hinderances of all these are and then your Thoughts will not be idle § 13. Direct 13. If thou be not a stranger to the spirit of grace or a neglecter of his daily motions Direct 13. and perswasions and operations on thy heart the attendance and improvement of them will keep thy thoughts 13. The daily moâ—ions of the spirit from rusty idleness and a vagrant course It is not a small matter to be daily entertaining so noble a guest and daily observing the offers and motions of so great a benefactor and daily receiving the gifts of so bountiful a Lord and daily accepting his necessary helps and daily obeying the saving precepts of so great and beneficent a God! If you know how insufficient you are without him to will or to do to perform or to think or purpose any good and that all your sufficiency is of him If you knew that it is the great skill and diligence requisite in all that will Sail successfully to the desired Phil. 2. 13. 2 Cor. 3. 5. 2 Cor. 12. 9. Land of Rest to know the Winds of the Spirits helps and to set all your Sails to the right improvement of them and to bestir you while such gales continue you would find greater work than wandering for your thoughts § 14. Direct 14. Be not ignorant or neglective of that frame and course of holy duty to God and Direct 14. man in which all your lives should be employed and you cannot want matter to employ your thoughts 14. All our Duty to God and Man upon Your pulse and breath and natural motions will hold on whether you think of them or not But so will not moral holy motion for that must be rational and voluntary You have all the powers of soul and body to exercise either upon God or for God You must know him fear him love him obey him trust him worship him pray to him praise him give thanks to him bewail your sins and hear his Word and reverently use his Name and Day And is not the understanding and learning how to do all this and the seasonable serious practice of it all sufficient to keep the Thoughts from idleness O what a deal of work doth a serious Christian find for his thoughts about some one of these about praying aright or hearing or receiving the Sacrament
of Christs Body and Blood aright But besides all these what a deal of duty have you to perform to Magistrates Pastors Parents Masters and other superiours to subjects people children servants and other inferiours to every neighbour for his soul his body his estate and name and to do to all as you would be done by And besides all this how much have you to do directly for your selves for your souls and bodies and families and estates Against your ignorance infidelity pride selfishness sensuality worldliness passion sloth intemperance cowardize lust uncharitableness c. Is not here matter for your thoughts § 15. Direct 15. Overlook not that life full of particular mercies which God hath bestowed on your Direct 15. selves and you will find pleasant and profitable matter for your thoughts To spare me the labour of 15. All our particular Mercies repeating them look back to Chap. 3. Dir. 14. Think of that mercy which brought you into the world and chose your Parents your place and your condition which brought you up and bore with you patiently in all your sins and closely warned you of every danger which seasonably afflicted you and seasonably delivered you and heard your Prayers in many a distress which hath yet kept the worst of you from death and Hell and hath Regenerated justified adopted and sanctified those that he hath fitted for eternal life How many sins he hath forgiven How many he hath in part subdued How many and suitable helps he hath vouchsafed you From how many Enemies he hath saved you how oft he hath delighted you by his word and grace what comforts you have had in his Servants and ordinances in your relations and callings His mercies are innumerable and yet do your meditations want matter to supply them If I should but recite the words of David in many thankful Psalms you would think Mercy found his Thoughts employment § 16. Direct 16. Foresee that exact and righteous judgement which shortly you have to undergo Direct 16. and it will do much to find you employment for your thoughts A man that must give an account to 16. The account at Judgement God of all that he hath done both good and evil and knoweth not how soon for ought he knows before to morrow me thinks should find him something better than vanity to think on Is it nothing to be ready for so great a day To have your justification ready your accounts made up Your Consciences cleansed and quietted on good grounds To know what answer to make for your selves against the accuser To be clear and sure that you are indeed Regenerate and have a part in Christ and are washed in his blood and reconciled to God and shall not prove hypocrites and self-deceivers in that trying day when it is a sentence that must finally decide the question whether we shall be saved or damned and must determine us to Heaven or Hell for ever and you have so short and uncertain a time for your preparation will not this administer matter to your Thoughts If you were going to a Judgement for your lives or all your estates you would think it sufficient to provide you matter for your thoughts by the way How much more this final dreadful judgement § 17. Direct 17. If all this will not serve the turn it 's strange if God call not home your thoughts Direct 17. by sharp afflictions and methinks the improvement of them and the removal of them should find some 17. Our Afflictions employment for your thoughts It 's time then to search and try your ways and turn again unto the Lord Lam. 3. 4. To find out the Achan that troubleth your peace and know the voice of the rod and what God is angry at and what it is that he calleth you to mind To know what root it is that beareth these bitter fruits and how they may be sanctified to make you conformable to Christ and partakers of his holiness Heb. 12. 10. Besides the exercise of holy patience and submission there is a great deal of work to be done in sufferings to exercise faith and honour God and the good cause of our suffering and to humble our selves for the evil cause and to get the benefit And if you will not meditate of the Duty you shall meditate of the pain whether you will or not and say as Lam. 3. 17 18 19 20. I forgate prosperity and I said My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord Remembring mine affliction and my misery the wormwood and the gall My soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me Put not God to remember you by his spur and help your meditations by so sharp a means Psal. 78. 33 34 35. Therefore did he consume their days in vanity and their years in trouble when he â—lew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God and they remembred that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer § 18. Direct 18. Be diligent in your callings and spend no time in idleness and perform your labours Direct 18. with holy minds to the glory of God and in obedience to his commands and then your thoughts will 18. The business of your Calling have the less leisure and liberty for vanity or idleness Employments of the body will employ the Thoughts They that have much to do have much to think on For they must do it prudently and skillfully and carfully that they may do it successfully and therefore must think how to do it And the urgency and necessity of business will almost necessitate the thoughts and so carry them on and find them work Though some employments more than others And let none think that these Thoughts are bad or vain because they are about worldly things For if our Labours themselves be not bad or vain then neither are those thoughts which are needful to the well-doing of our work Nor let any worldling please himself with this and say My thoughts are taken up about my calling For his calling it self is perverted by him and made a carnal work to carnal ends when it should be sanctified That the thoughts about your labours may be good 1. Your Labours themselves must be good performed in obedience to God and for the good of others and to his glory 2. Your Labours and thoughts must keep their bounds and the higher things must be still preferred and sought and thought on in the first place And your Labours must so far employ your thoughts as is needful to the well-doing of them but better things must be thought on in such labours as leave a vacancy to the Thoughts But diligence in your calling is a very great help to keep out sinful thoughts and to furnish us with thoughts which in their place are good § 19. Direct 19. You have all Gods spiritual helps and holy ordinances to feed your meditations Direct 19. and
good Nor is he most beloved of God who hath rolled over the greatest number of good thoughts in his mind or of good words in his mouth no nor he that hath stirred up the strongest passions hereabouts but he that Loveth God and Heaven best and hateth sin most and whose will is most confirmed for Holiness of life He that goeth about his labour in obedience to God may have as much comfort as another that is meditating or praying But neither labour nor prayer is matter of comfort to an ungodly carnal heart Yea if decay of memory or natural ability take you off both Action and Conâ—â—mplation you may have as much acceptance and solid comfort in a patient bearing of the Cross and an obedient ☜ cheerful submission to the holy Will of God Tit. 5. Directions to the Melancholy about their Thoughts IT is so easie and ordinary a thing for some weak-headed persons to cast themselves into Melancholy Read more after Paâ—t 3. against Despair by over-straining either their Thoughts or their Affections and the case of such is so exceeding lamentable that I think it requisite to give such some particular Directions by themselves And the rather because I see some Persons that are unacquainted with the nature of this and other diseases exceedingly abuse the name of God and bring the profession of Religion into scorn by imputing all the affects and speeches of such Melancholy persons to some great and notable operations of the spirit of God and thence draw observations of the methods and workings of God upon the soul and of the nature of the legal workings of the spirit of bondage As some other such have divulged the prophecies the possessions and dispossessing of Hysterical Women as I have read especially in the Writings of the Fryars I do not call those Melancholy who are rationally sorrowful for sin and sensible of their misery and sollicitous about their recovery and salvation though it be with as great seriousness as the faculties can bear As long as they have sound Reason and the imagination fantasie or thinking faculty is not crazed or diseased But by Melancholy I mean this diseased crazynes hurt or errour of the imagination and consequently of the understanding which 〈◊〉 dicunt â—â—p entem nunquam sanitate mentis excâ—dere Incidere tamen aliquando in imaginationes absurdas propter atraebiâ—is redundantiam sive ob delâ—rationem non quidem deviatione rationis verum ex imbecilâ—itate naturae Laert. in Zâ—â—one is known by these following signes which yet are not all in every Melancholy person § 2. 1. They are commonly exceeding fearful causlesly or beyond what there is cause for every thing which they hear or see is ready to increase their fears especially if fear was the first cause as ordinarily it is 2. Their fantasie most erreth in aggravating their sin or dangers or unhappiness every ordinary infirmity they are ready to speak of with amazement as a heynous sin And every possible danger they take for probable and every probable one for certain and every little danger for a great one and every calamity for an utter undoing 3. They are still addicted to excess of sadness some weeping they know not why and some thinking it ought to be so and if they should smile or speak merrily their hearts smite them for it as if they had done amiss 4. They place most of their Religion in sorrowing and austerities to the flesh 5. They are continual self-accusers turning all into matter of accusation against themselves which they hear or read or see or think of quarrelling with themselves for every thing they do as a contentious person doth with others 6. They are still apprehending themselves forsaken of God and are prone to despair They are just like a man in a Wilderness forsaken of all his friends and comforts forlorn and desolate their continual thought is I am undone undone undone 7. They are still thinking that the day of Grace is past and that it is now too late to repent or to find mercy If you tell them of the tenour of the Gospel and offers of free pardon to every penitent believer they cry out still too late too late my day is past not considering that every soul that truly repenteth in this life is certainly forgiven 8. They are oft tempted to gather despairing thoughts from the doctrine of Predestination and to think that if God have reprobated them or have not elected them all that they can do or that all the world can do cannot saâ—e them and next they strongly conceit that they are not elected and so that they are past help or hope not knowing that God electeth not any man separatedly or simply to be saved but conjunctly to believe repent and to be saved and so to the end and means together and that all that will repent and choose Christ and a holy life are elected to salvation because they are elected to the means and condition of salvation which if they persevere they shall enjoy To Repent is the best way to prove that I am elected to Repent 9. They never read or hear of any miserable instance but they are thinking that this is their case If they hear of Cain of Pharaoh given up to hardness of heart or do but read that some are vessels of wrath fitted to destruction or that they have eyes and see not ears and hear not hearts and understand not they think This is all spoken of me or this is just my case If they hear of any terrible example of Gods judgements on any they think it will be so with them If any dye suddenly or a house be burnt or any be distracted or dye in despair they think it will be so with them The reading of Spira's case causeth or increaseth Melancholy in many the ignorant Author having described a plain Melancholy contracted by the trouble of sinning against Conscience as if it were a damnable despair of a sound understanding 10. And yet they think that never any one was as they are I have had abundance in a few weeks with me almost just in the same case and yet every one say that never any one was as they 11. They are utterly unable to Rejoyce in any thing They cannot apprehend believe or think of any thing that is comfortable to them They read all the threatnings of the word with quick sense and application but the Promises they read over and over without taking notice of them as if they had not read them or else say They do not belong to me The greater the mercy of God is and the riches of grace the more miserable am I that have no part in them They are like a man in continual pain or sickness that cannot rejoyce because the feeling of his pain forbiddeth him They look on husband wife friends children house goods and all without any comfort as one would do that is going to be executed for some
against or perswading you to mortifie § 17. Direct 5. Look on the worst of the creature with the best and foresee what it will be when it Direct 5. withereth and what it will appear to you at the last I have applyed this against worldliness before Chap. 4. Part 6. and I shall afterwards apply it to the lustful love Bring your beloved creature to the grave and see it as it will appear at last and much of the folly of your Love will vanish § 18. Direct 6. Understand well the most that it will do for you and how short a time you must Direct 6. enjoy it and flatter not your selves with the hopes of a longer possession than you have reason to expect If men considered for how short a time they must possess what they dote upon it would somewhat cool their fond affections § 19. Direct 7. Remember that too much Love hath the present trouble of too much care and the future trouble of too much grief when you come to part with what you love Nothing more createth Direct 7. care and grief to us than inordinate Love You foreknow that you must part with it and will you now be so glued to it that then it may tear your flesh and heart Remember you caused all that your selves § 20. Direct 8. Remember that you provoke God to deprive you of what you overlove or to suffer it Direct 8. to grow unlovely to you Many a mans horse that he over-loved hath broke his neck And many a mans child that he over-loved hath dyed quickly or lived to be his scourge and sorrow And many a Husband or Wife that was over-loved hath been quickly snatcht away or proved a thorn or a continual grief and misery § 21. Direct 9. If there be no other means left prudently and moderately embitter to thy self the creature which thou art fond on which may be done many ways according to the nature of it By Direct 9. the seldomer or more abstemious use of it or by using it more to benefit than delight or by mixing some mortifying humbling exercises or mixing some self-denying acts and minding more the good of others c. § 22. Direct 10. In the practice of all Directions of this nature there must abundance of difference be made between a carnal voluptuous heart that is hardly taken off from sensual Love and a mortified Direct 10. melancholy or over-scrupulous person who is running into the contrary extream and is afraid of every bit they eat or of all they possess or wear or use and sometime of their very children and relations and ready to over-run their mercies or neglect their duties suspecting that all is too much loved And it is a very hard thing for us so to Write or Preach to one party but the other will mis-apply it to themselves and make an ill use of it All that we can write or say is too little to mortifie the fleshly mans affections And yet speak as cautelously as we can the troubled soul will turn it into gall to the increase of his trouble And what we speak to his peace and settlement though it prove too little and uneffectual yet will be effectual to harden the misapplying sensualist in the sinful affections and liberty which he useth Therefore it is best in such cases to have still a wise experienced faithful guide to help you in the application in cases of difficulty and weight Tit. 3. Directions against sinful Desires and Discontent § 1. I Shall say but little here of this subject because I have already treated so largely of it in my Read Mâ— â—â—â—â—roughs excellent â—reat called Tâ—â—â—â—â—â— of Coâ—tâ—ntâ—â—â—â—t And that excellent Tract of a Heathen Plutarch de tranquillitate animi Book of self-denyal and in that of Crucifying the World and here before in Chap. 4. Part 6. 7. against worldliness and Flesh-pleasing and here against sinful Love which is the cause § 2. How sinful Desires may be known you may gather from the discoveries of sinful Love As 1. When you Desire that which is forbidden you 2. Or that which will do you no good upon a misconceit that it is better or more needful than it is 3. Or when you desire it too eagerly and must needs have it or else you will be impatient and discontented and cannot quietly be ruled and disposed of by God but are murmuring at his providence and your lot 4. Or when you desire it too hastily and cannot stay Gods time 5. Or else too greedily as to the measure being not content with Gods allowance but must needs have more than he thinks fit for you 6. Or speciall when your desires are perverse preferring lesser things before greater desiring bodily and transitory things more than the mercies for your souls which will be everlasting 7. When you desire any thing ultimately and meerly for the flesh without referring it to God it is a sin Even your daily bread and all your comforts must be desired but as Provender for your Horse that he may the better go his journey even as Provision for your bodies to fit them to the better and more cheerful service of your souls and God 8. Much more when your desires are for wicked ends as to serve your lust or pride or covetousness or revenge they are wicked desires 9. And when they are injurious to others § 3. Direct 1. Be well acquainted with your own Condition and consider what it is that you have Direct 1. most need of and then you will find that you have so much grace and mercy to desire for your souls Meâ—â—em nullis imaginibus depâ—ctam habeat Nam si corde mundus ab universis imaginibus liber esse cupit nil penitus cum amore possidere nulli hommi per voâ—â—ntarium affectum singulaâ—â— familiaritatâ— nulluâ— ipsi adhaerâ—re debet Omnis namque familiaritas aut conversatio pure propter Dei amorem non inita variis imaginibus inficit perturbat hominum mentes cum non ex Deo sed ex carne originâ—m ducat Quisquis in virum spiritualem divinum proficere cupit is carnali vitâ penitus renunciata Deo â—oli amore adhaereat eundemque interiori homine suo peculiariter possideat quo habito mox omnis multiplicitas omnes imagines omnis inordinaâ—us erga creaturas amor fortâ—ter ab eo prostigabuntur Deus quippe per amorem intus possesso protinus ab universis homo imaginibus liberatur Deus spiritus est cujus imaginem nemo proprie exprimere aut â—ffigiare potest Thaulerus flor pag. 79 80. without which you are lost for ever and that you have a Christ to desire and an endless life with God to desire that it will quench all your thirst after the things below This if any thing will make you wiser when you see you have greater things to mind A man that is in present danger of his life will
from the ignorance or unbelief of some of these or not considering and applying them to the cause that is before you Psal. 9. 10. They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee § 4. Direct 2. Know God in Iesus Christ the Mediator and come to him by him And then you Direct 2. may have access with boldness and confidence Ephes. 3. 12. We have boldness to enter into the holiest by his blood by the new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh And having an High Priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 19 20 21 22. The sight of Christ by faith should banish immoderate fear Matth. 14. 27. Be of good chear it is I be not afraid § 5. Direct 3. Understand the tenour of the Gospel and the freeness of the Covenant of Grace and Direct 3. then you will there find abundant encouragement against the matter of inordinate fears § 6. Direct 4. Employ your selves as much as possible in Love and praise for Love expelleth tormenting Direct 4. fear there is no fear in Love 1 John 4. 18. § 7. Direct 5. Remember Gods particular mercies to your selves for those will perswade you that Direct 5. he will use you kindly when you find that he hath done so already As when Manoah said We shall surely dye because we have seen God his Wife answered If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received an offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things Judg. 13. 22 23. § 8. Direct 6. Labour to clear up your title to the promises and special interest in Christ. Otherwise Direct 6. the doubts of that will be still feeding and justifying your fears § 9. Direct 7. Consider what a horrible injury it is to God to think of him as you do of the Devil Direct 7. as an enemy to humble willing souls and a destroyer of them and an adversary to them that diligently seek him of whom he is a lover and rewarder And so to think of God as Evil and fear him upon Heb. 11. 6. such misapprehensions § 10. Direct 8. Observe the sinfulness of your fear in the effects how it driveth you from God and Direct 8. hindereth faith and love and thankfulness and discourageth you from prayer and Sacraments and all duty And therefore it must needs be pleasing to the Devil and displeasing to God and no way to be pleaded for or justified § 11. Direct 9. Mark how you contradict the endeavours of God in his Word and by his Ministers Direct 9. Do you find God driving any from him and frightning away souls that would fain be his Or doth he not prepare the way himself and reconcile the world to himself in Christ and then send his Embassadors 2 Cor. 5. 19. Luke 14. 17. Matth. 22. 8. in his name and stead to beseech them to be reconciled unto God and to tell them that all things are ready and compell them to come in § 12. Direct 10. Consider how thou wrongest others and keepest them from coming home to God When Direct 10. they see thee terrified in the way of piety they will fly from it as if some enemies or robbers were in the way If you tread fearfully others will fear there is some quicksand If you tremble when you enter the Ship with Christ others will think he is an unfaithful Pilot or that its a leaking Vessel Your fear discourageth them § 13. Direct 11. Remember how remediless as to comfort you leave your selves while you inordinately Direct 11. fear him who alone must comfort you against all your other fears If you fear your Remedy what shall cure the fear of your disease If you fear your meat what shall cure your fear of hunger If you fear him that is most Good and faithful and the friend of every upright soul what shall ease you of your fear of the wicked and the enemies of holy souls If you fear your Father who shall comfort you against your foes You cast away all peace when you make God your terrour § 14. Direct 12. Yet take heed lest under this pretence you cast away the necessary fear of God Direct 12. even such as belongeth to men in your condition to drive them out of their sin and security unto Christ and such as the truth of his threatnings require For a sensless presumption and contempt of God are a sin of a far greater danger Directions against sinful fear of the Devil § 1. Direct 1. Remember that the Devil is chained up and wholly at the will and beck of God He Direct 1. could not touch Iob nor an Ox nor an Ass of his till he had permission from God He cannot appear Job 1. to thee nor hurt thee unless God give him leave § 2. Direct 2. Labour therefore to make sure of the Love of God and then thou art safe Then thou Direct 2. hast God his Love and Promise alwayes to set against the Devil § 3. Direct 3. Remember that Christ hath conquered the Devil in his temptations on the Cross by Direct 3. his Resurrection and Ascension He destroyed through death him that had the power of death even the Devil that he might deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Heb. 2. 14 15. The Prince of this world is conquered and cast out by him and wilt thou fear a conquered foe § 4. Direct 4. Remember that thou art already delivered from his power and dominion if thou he Direct 4. renewed by the Spirit of God And therefore let his own be afraid of him that are under his power and not the free men and redeemed ones of Christ God hath delivered thee in the day that he converted thee from a thousand fold greater calamity than the seeing of the Devil would be And having been saved from his greatest malice you should not over-fear the less § 5. Direct 5. Remember what an injury it is to God and to Christ that conquered him to fear the Direct 5. Devil while God is your protector any otherwise than as the instrument of Gods displeasure It seemeth as much as to say I fear lest the Devil be too hard for God or lest God cannot deliver me from him § 6. Direct 6. Remember how you honour the Devil by fearing him and pleasure him by thus honouring Direct 6. him And will you not abhor to honour and please such an enemy of God and you This is it that he would have to be feared instead of God He glorieth in it as part of his dominion As Tyrants rejoyce to see men fear them as those that can destroy them when they will so the Devil triumpheth in your fears as his honour When God reprehendeth the
they would not buy a little forbidden poisonous pleasure with the price of future pain and sorrows and if they did not foolishly and over-tenderly refuse those holy necessary medicinal sorrows by which their greater overwhelming and undoing sorrows should have been prevented § 13. Direct 7. Look always on your Remedy when you look on your misery and when you find any Direct 7. dangerous sin or sign in you presently consider what is your duty in order to your recovery and escape It is an ordinary thing with pievish distempered natures when they are reproved for any sin to resist the reproof by excuses as long as they can And when they can resist no longer then they fall into despairing lamentations If they are so bad what then shall they do and in the mean time never set themselves against the sin and cast it off and return to their obedience that their comforts may return They will do any thing rather than amend The reason why God convinceth them of sin is that they may forsake it and they are sooner brought to any thing than to this Convince them of their pride or malice or worldliness or disobedience or slothfulness or passion and they will sooner sink in sorrow and despair than they will set upon a resolved reformation This is it indeed which the Devil desireth He can allow you grief and desperation but not to amend But is this best for you Or is it pleasing to God Deny not your sin but see withal that there is enough in Christ for your pardon and deliverance He hath appointed you means for your present recovery and he is ready to help you Ask what is your duty for your cure and set upon it without delay § 14. Direct 8. Remember your causes of Ioy as well as your cause of sorrow that each may have Direct 8. their due and your joy and sorrow may both be suited to their causes To which end you must labour for the exactest acquaintance with your own condition that possibly you can attain to If you are yet ungodly Act. 8. 8. your sorrow must be greater than your joy or else it will be irrational joy and pernitious to your souls and increase your after sorrow And you must not over-look so much cause of comfort as is afforded you in Gods patience and the offers of a saviour and of pardon and grace and life in him If you are truly Godly you must so mourn for sin and weakness and wants and crosses and afflictions of your selves and others as never to forget the unvaluable mercies which you have already received your part in Christ and life eternal your beginnings of grace and your reconciliation with God which allow and command you greatly to rejoyce And remember that no humiliations will excuse you from the observation and acknowledgement of all these mercies § 15. Direct 9. Read over all the commands of Scipture that make it your Duty to rejoyce in the Direct 9. Lord and exceedingly to rejoyce And make as much conscience of them as of other commands of God The same God commandeth you to Rejoyce who commandeth you to hear and pray and repent See Psal. 33. 1 Phil. 3. 1. 4. 4. Rom. 5. 2. Phil. 3. 3. 1 Thes. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 6. 8. 4. 13. Heb. 3. 6. 2 Cor. 6. 10. Rom. 12. 12. Psal. 32. 11. 132. 9 16. Rom. 14. 17. Psal. 5. 11. § 16. Direct 10. Befriend not your own excessive sorrows by thinking them to be your duty nor Direct 10. suspect not lawful mirth and joy as if it were a sin or a thing unbecoming you For if you take your sin for your duty and plead for it and your duty for your sin and plead against it you are far from the way of amendment and recovery And yet it is common with an afflicted weak impatient soul to fall into liking though not in Love with their inordinate sorrows and to justifie them and think that it is their duty still to mourn If these sorrows were of God we should be more backward to them And if our comfort were not more pleasing to God our natures would not be so backward to them as they are § 17. Direct 11. Love no creature too much and let it not grow too sweet and pleasant to you Else Direct 11. you are preparing for sorrow from the creature Love it less and you shall sorrow less All your grief for crosses and losses in goods estate in children and friends in reputation liberty health and life doth come from your over-loving them Value them but as they deserve and you may easily bear the loss of them He that maketh them his Idol or felicity will grieve for the want of them or the loss of them as a man undone that cannot live without them But he that hath placed his happiness and hopes in God and valueth the world no further than it tendeth to his ultimate end will no further grieve for the want of it than as he misseth it to that end 1 Tim. 6. 10. The love of money and coveting after it doth pierce men through with many sorrows Mark what you find your heart too much set upon and pleased in or hoping after and take it off quickly if you love your peace § 18. Direct 12. Learn to be pleased and satisfied in the will of God Trust your Heavenly Father Direct 12. who knoweth what you need It is some rebellion or crossness of our wills to the will of God which causeth our inordinate griefs and trouble Because we cannot bring our wills to his will nor make our reason stoop unto his wisdom nor think well of his providence unless he will suit it to our conceits and interests and lusts therefore so far as we are carnal we are ordinarily displeased and grieved at his ways If we might have had our own wills about our estates or names or children or friends or health or life we should not have been troubled at the present But because it is not our way but Gods way that is taken nor our will but Gods will that is done therefore we are grieved and discontent as if his way and will were worse than ours and God had wanted his foolish children to be his counsellors or they could have chosen better for themselves § 19. Direct 13. Afflict your selves no further than God or man afflict you But remember if you think Direct 13. Libâ—nter feâ— as quod necesâ—e est â—doâ—or patieâ—â—ia vinâ—itur Martiâ— Duâ—niens de Morib Tristitiam si poâ—es ne admiseris sin minus ne ostenderis Id. ibid. that you have too much already against your wills how foolish and self contradicting it is to lay a great deal more willfully upon your selves Is it slanders or reproach that men afflict you with Let it be so that toucheth not the heart Is it poverty crosses or losses that God afflicteth you with Let it be so
dreams and lustful dreams and hath its ill effects by night and by day § 4. Direct 2. Endeavour the cure of those sinful distempers of the mind which cause sinful dreams Direct 2. The cure of a worldly mind is the best way to cure worldly covetous dreams And the cure of a lustful heart is the best way to cure lustful dreams and so of the rest Cleanse the fountain and the waters will be the sweeter day and night § 5. Direct 3. Suffer not your Thoughts or tongue or actions to run sinfully upon that in the day Direct 3. which you would not dream sinfully of in the night Common experience telleth us that our dreams Cogitationeâ— sanctiores sequuntur somnâ—a blandiora delectabilioria Greg. Moral are apt to follow our foregoing thoughts and words and deeds If you think most frequently and affectionately of that which is good you will dream of that which is good If you think of lustful filthy objects or speak of them or meddle with them you will dream of them and so of covetous and ambitious dreams And they that make no conscience to sin waking are not like much to scruple sinning in their sleep § 6. Direct 4. Commend your selves to God by prayer before you take your rest and beseech him to Direct 4. set a guard upon your fantasie when you cannot guard it Cast the cure upon him and fly to him for help by faith and prayer in the sense of your insufficiency § 7. Direct 5. Let your last Thoughts still before your sleep be holy and yet quieting and consolatory Direct 5. thoughts The dreams are apt to follow our last Thoughts If you betake your selves to sleep Iturus in somnum aliquid tecum defer in memoria cogitatione in quo placide obdormies quod etiam somniare juvet sic tibi noâ— ut dies illuminatur in deliciis tuis placide obdormies in pace quiesces facilè evigilabis surgens promptus eris ad redeundum in id unde non totus discessisti with worldliness or vanity in your minds you cannot expect to be wiser or better when you are asleep than when you are awake But if you shut up your dayes thoughts with God and sleep find them upon any Holy subject it is like to use them as it finds them Yet if it be distrustful unbelieving fearful thoughts which you conclude with your dreams may savour of the same distemper Frightful and often sinful dreams do follow sinful doubts and fears But if you sweeten your last Thoughts with the Love of Christ and the remembrance of your former mercies or the foresight of eternal joyes or can confidently cast them and your selves upon some promise it will tend to the quietness of your sleep and to the savouriness of your dreams And if you should dye before morning will it not be most desirable that your last thoughts be holy § 8. Direct 6. When you have found any corruption appearing in your dreams make use of them Direct 6. for the renewing of your repentance and exciting your endeavours to mortifie that corruption A corruption may be perceived in dreams 1. When such dreams as discover it are frequent 2. When they are earnest and violent 3. When they are pleasing and delightful to your fantasies Not that any certain knowledge can be fetcht from them but some conjecture as added to other signs As if you should frequently earnestly and delightfully dream of preferments and honours or the favour of great men suspect ambition and do the more to discover and mortifie it If it be of riches and gain and money suspect a covetous mind If it be of revenge or hurt to any man that you distaste suspect some malice and quickly mortifie it So if it be of lust or feasting or drinking or vain recreations sports and games do the like § 9. Direct 7. Lay no greater stress upon your dreams than there is just cause As 1. When you Direct 7. have searcht and find no such sin prevailing in you as your dreams seem to intimate do not conclude that you have more than your waking evidence discovers Prefer not your sleeping signs before your waking signs and search 2. When you are conscious that you indulge no corruption to occasion such a dream suppose it not to be faulty of it self and lay not the blame of your bodily temperament or unknown causes upon your soul with too heavy and unjust a charge 3. Abhor the presumptuous folly of those that use to prognosticate by their dreams and measure their expectations by them and cast themselves into hopes or fears by them Saith Diogenes What fâ—lly is it to be careless of your waking thoughts and actions and inquisitive about your dreams A mans happiness or misery lyeth upon what he doth when he is awake and not upon what he suffereth in his sleep CHAP. IX See the Directions for holy Conference Tâ— 2. â—â— 1â— Directions for the Government of the Tongue Tit. 1. The General Directions § 1. Direct 1. UNderstand in general of what moment and concernment it is that the Tongue Direct 1. be well governed and used For they that think words are inconsiderable will use them inconsiderately The conceit that words are of small moment as some say of Thoughts that they are free doth cause men to use their Tongues as if they were free saying Our lips are our own who is Lord over us Psal. 12. 4. § 2. 1. The tongue of man is his glory by which expressively he excelleth the brutes And a The Greatness of the sins and duties of the Tongue Psal. 57. 8. Psal. 16. 9. Psal. 30 12. wonderful work of God it is that a mans tongue should be able to articulate such an exceeding number of words And God hath not given man so admirable a faculty for vanity and sin The nobler and more excellent it is the more to be regarded and the greater is the fault of them that do abuse it Hilary compareth them to an ill Barber that cuts a mans face and so deformeth him when his work was to have made him more neat and comely So it is the Office of the tongue to be excellently serviceable to the good of others and to be the glory of mankind The shame therefore of its faults is the more unexcusable § 3. 2. The tongue is made to be the Index or expresser of the mind Therefore if the mind Matth. 7 16 17 18. Matth. 12. 33 34. be regardable the tongue is regardable And if the mind be not regardable the man is not regardable For our Lord telleth us that the Tree is known by its fruit an evil Tree bringeth forth evil fruits and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh And Aristotle saith that Such as Lingua index menâ—is Aristippus being asked Quid differat sapiens ab insipiente Mitte inquit ambos nudos ad ignotos disces
Widow indeed and desolate trusteth in God and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day Night and day can be no less than Morning and Evening And if you say This is not Family-prayer I answer 1. It is all kind of Prayer belonging to her 2. And if it commend the less much more the greater Arg. 6. From Luk. 6. 14. 2. 37. 18. 17. Act. 26. 7. 1 Thes. 3. 10. 2 Tim. 1. 3. Rev. 7. 15. Nâ—h 1. 6. Psal. 88. 1. Josh. 1. 8. Psal. 1. 2. which shew that night and day Christ himself prayed and his servants prayed and meditated and read the Scripture Arg 7. Deut 6. 7. 11. 19. It is exprâ—sly commanded that Parents teach their Children the Word of God when they lye down and when they rise up And the parity of reason and conjunction of the word and prayer will prove that they should also pray with them lying down and rising up Arg. 8. For brâ—vity sake I offer you together Psal. 119. 164. David praised God seven times a day 145. 2. Every day will I bless thee Psal. 5. 3. my voiâ—e shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer to thee and will look up 59. 16. I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning 88. 13. In the morning shall my prayer prevent thee 92. 12. It is good to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises to thy name O mâ—st High to shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night 119. 147 148. I prevented the dâ—wning of the morning aâ—d cryed I hâ—ped in thy word mine eyes preveâ— the night watches that I might meditate on thy word 130. 6 My sâ—ul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning The Priests were to offer Sacrifices and thanks to God every morning 1 Chron. 23. 30. Exod 30. 7. 36. 3. Lev. 6. 12. 2 Chron. 13. 11. Ezek. 46. 13 14 15. Amos 4. 4. And Christians are a hâ—ly Priesthood to offer up sacrifices to God acceptable through Iesus Châ—ist 1 Pet. 2. 5 9. Expresly saith David Psal. 55. 17. Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice So Morning and Evening were Sacrifices and Burnt offerings offered to the Lord and there is at least equal reason that Gospel worship should be as frequent 1 Chron. 16. 40. 2 Chron. 2. 4. 13. 11. 31. 3. Ezr. 3. 3. 2 King 16. 15. 1 King 18. 29 36. Ezra 9. 5. And no doubt but they prayed with the Sacrifices Which David intimateth in comparing them Psal. 141. 2. Let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my hands aâ— the Evening sacrifice And God calleth for Prayer and praise as better than sacrifice Psal. 50. 14 15 23. All these I heap together for dispatch which fully shâ—w how frâ—quently Gods servants have been wont to Worship him and how often God expecteth it And you will all confess that it is reason that in Gospel times of greater light and holiness we should not come behind them in the times of the Law especially when Christ himself doth pray all night that had so little need in comparison of us And you may observe that these Scriptures speak of Prayer in general and limit it not to secresie and therefore they extend to all prayer according to opportunity No reason can limit all these examples to the most secret and least noble sort of prayer If but two or three are gathered together in his name Christ is especially among them If you say that by this rule we must as frequently pray in the Church-assemblies I answer The Church cannot ordinarily so oft assemble But when it can be without a greater inconvenience I doubt not but it would be a good work for many to meet the Minister daily for prayer as in some rich and populous Cities they may do I have been more tedious on this subject than a holy hungry Christian possibly may think necâ—ssary who needeth not so many arguments to perswade him to â—east his soul with God and to delight himself in the frequent exercises of faith and Love And if I have said less than the other sort of Readers shall think necessary let them know that if they will open their eyes and recover their appetites and feel their sins and observe their daily wants and dangers and get but a heart that Loveth God these Reasons then will seem sufficient to convince them of the need of so sweet and profitable and necessary a work And if they observe the difference between Praying and Prayerless families and care for their souls and for communion with God much fewer words than these may serve their turn It is a dead and graceless carnal heart that must be cured before these men will be well satisfied A better appetite would help their reason If God should say in general to all men You shall eat as oft as will do you good the sick stomach would say once a day and that but a little is enough and as much as God requireth when another would say Thrice a day is little enough A good and healthful Heart is a great help in the expounding of Gods word especially of his General Commandments That which men love not but are aweary of they will not easily believe to be their duty The new nature and holy Love and desires and experience of a sound believer do so far make all these Reasonings needless to him that I must confess I have written them principally to convince the carnal hypocrite and to stop the â—â—ouths of wrangling enemies CHAP. IV. General Directions for the Holy Government of Families § 1. THE Principal thing requisite to the right governing of Families is the Fitness of the Governours and the Governed thereto which is spoken of before in the Directions for the Constitution But if persons unfit for their Relations have joyned themselves together in a Family their first duty is to Repent of their former sin and rashness and presently to turn to God and seek after that fitness which is necessary to the right discharge of the duties of their several places And in the Governours of Families thâ—se three things are of greatest necessity hereunto I. Authority II. Skill III. Holiness and readiness of Will § 2. I Gen. Dir. Let Governours maintain their Authority in their Families For if once that be lost Direct 1. and you are despised by those that you should rule your word will be of no effect with them How to keep up Authorâ—ty you do but ride without a Bridle your power of Governing is gone when your Authority is lost And here you must first understand the Nature Use and Extent of your Authority For as your Relations are different to your Wife your Children and your Servants so
read Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law And the command of Authority is not a contemptible obligation § 7. 6. It is granted by all that more than this is due to God and the life that is in every Christian telleth him that it is a very great mercy to us not only to servants but even to all men that one day in seven they may disburden themselves of all the cares and business of the world which may hinder their holy communion with God and one another and wholly apply themselves to learn the will of God And nature teacheth us to accept of mercy when it is offered to us and not dispute against our happiness § 8. 7. Common experience telleth us that where the Lords Day is more holily and carefully observed Knowledge and Religion prosper best and that more souls are converted on those dayes than on all the other dayes besides and that the people are accordingly more edified And that where ever the Lords Day is ordinarily neglected or mispent Religion and Civility decay and there is a visible lamentable difference between those places and families and the other § 9. 8. Reason and experience telleth us that if men werâ— leâ—t to themselves what Time they should appoint for Gods publick Worship in most plâ—â—es it would be so little and disordered and uncertain that Religion would be for the most part banished out of the now Christian world Therefore there being need of an Universal Law for it it is probable that such a Law there is And if so it can be by none but God the Creator Redeemer and Holy Ghost there being no other Universal Governour and Law-giver to impose it § 10. 9. All must confess that it is more desirable for Unity and Concord sake that all Christians hold their holy Assemblies on one and the same day and that all at once through all the world do worship God and seek his Grace than that they do it some on one day and some on another § 11. 10. And all that ever I have conversed with confess that if the holy spending of the Lords Day be not necessary it is lawful and therefore when there is so much to be said for the Necessity of it too to keep it holy is the safest way Seeing this cannot be a sin but the contrary may And Licâ—nce is encouragement enough to accept so great a mercy All this set together will satisfie a man that hath any spiritual sense of the concernments of his own and others souls § 12. Object But you will say That besides the name it is yet a controversie whether the whole day Object should be spâ—nt in holy exercises or only so much as is meet for publick communion it being not found in antiquiâ—y that the Churches used any further to observe it Answ. No sober man denyeth that works of necessity for the preservation of our own or other mens Answ. lives or health or goods may be done on the Lords Day so that when we say that the whole day is to be spent holily we exclude not eating and sleeping nor the necessary actions about Worship as the Priesâ—s in the Temple are said to break the Sabbath that is the external rest and to be blameless But otherwise that it is the whole day is evident in the Arguments produced The antient Histories and Canons of the Church speak not of one part of the day only but the whole All confess that when Labour or sinful sports are forbidden it is on the whole day and not only on a part And for what is alledged of the custome of the antient Church I answer 1. The antienâ—est Churches spent almost all the day in publick Worship and Communion They begun in the morning and continued without parting till the evening The first part of the day being spent in teaching the Catechumens they were then dismissed and the Church continued together in preaching and praying but especially in those laudatory Eucharistical Offices which accompany the celebration of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. They did not then as Gluttons do now account it fasting to forbear a dinner when they supped yea feasted at night It being not usual among the Romans to eat any dinners at all And they that spent all the day together in publick Worship and Communion you may be sure spent noâ— part of it in Dancing nor Stage-playes nor worldly businesses 2. And Church History giveth us but little account what particular persons did in private nor can it be expected 3. Who hath brought us any proof that ever the Church approved of spending any part of the day in sports or idleness or unnecessary worldly business Or that any Churches or persons regardable did actually so spend it 4. Unless their proof be from those many Canons of our own and other Churches that command the holy observation of it and forbid these playes and labours on it which I confess doth intimate that some there were that needed Laws to restrain them from the violation of it 5. Again I say that seeing few men will have the faces to say that playes and games or idleness are a duty on that day it will suffice a holy thankful Christian if he have but leave to spend all the day for the good of his soul and those about him and if he may be reading and meditating on the Word of God and praying and praising him and instructing his family while others waste that time in vanity especially to servants and poor men that have but little other leisure all the year to seek for knowledge or use any such helps for their salvation As to a poor man that is kept hungry all the Week a bare liberty of feasting with his Landlord on the Lords day would satisfie him without a Law to constrain him to it so is it here with a hungry soul. § 2. Direct 2. Remember that the work of the day â—â— in general to keep up knowledge and Religion Direct 2. in the world and to own and honour our Creater Redeemer and Regenerater openly before all and to have communion with God through Christ in the Spirit by Receiving and Exercising his Grace in order to our Communion with him in Glory Let these therefore well understood â—e your Ends and in these be you exercised all the day and stick not hypocritically in bodily rest and outward duties Remember that it is a day for heart-work as well as for the exercise of the tongue and ear and knees and that your principal business is with Heaven Follow your hearts therefore all the day and see that they be not idle while your bodies are exercised Nothing is done if the Heart do nothing § 3. Direct 3. Remember that the special work of the day is to celebrate the memorial of Christs Direct 3. Resurrection and of the whole work of mans Redemption by him Labour therefore with all diligence
in the sense of your natural sin and misery to stir up the lively sense of the wonderful Love of God and our Redeemer and to spend all the day in the special exercises of Faith and Love And seeing it is the Christian weekly festival or day of Thanksgiving for the greatest mercy in the world spend it as a day of Thanksgiving should be spent especially in Ioyful Praises of our Lord and let the huâ—bling and instructing exercisâ—s of the day he all subordinate to these laudatory exercises I know that much time must be spent in teaching and warning the ignorant and ungodly because their poverty and labours hinder them from other such opportunities and we must speak to them then or not at all But if it were not for their meer necessity and if we could as well speak to them other dayes of the Week the Churches should spend all the Lords Day in such praises and thanksgivings as are suitable to the ends of the institution But seeing that cannot be expected methinks it is desirable that the antient custome of the Churches were more imitated and the morning Sermon being fuited to the state of the more ignorant and unconverted that the rest of the day were spent in the exercises of Thanksgiving to the Joy and encouragement of believers and in doctrine suited to their state And yet I must add that a skilfull Preacher will do both together and so declare the Love and Grace of our Redeemer as by a meet application may both draw in the ungodly and comfort those that are already sanctified and raise their hearts in Praise to God § 4. Direct 4. Remember that the Lords day is appointed specially for publick worship and personal Direct 4. Communion of the Churches therein see therefore that you spend as much of the day as you can in this publick worship and Church-communion especially in the celebration of that Sacrament which is appointed for the memorial of the death of Christ untill his coming 1 Cor. 11. 25 26. This Sacrament in the Primitive Church was celebrated every Lords day yea and ofter even ordinarily on every other day of the week when the Churches assembled for Communion And it might be so now without any hinderance to Preaching or Prayer if all things were ordered as they should be For those Prayers and instructions and exhortations which are most suited to this Eucharistical action would be the most suitable Prayers and Sermons for the Church on the Lords dayes In the mean time sâ—e that so much of the day as is spent in Church-communion and publick worship be accordingly improved by you and be not at that time about your secret or family services but take only those hours for such private duties in which the Church is not assembled And remember how much the Love of Saints is to be exercised in this Communion and therefore labour to keep alive that Love without which no man can celebrate the Lords day according to the end of the institution § 5. Direct 5. Understand how great a mercy it is that you have leave thus to wait upon God for the receiving and exercise of grace and to cast off the distracting thoughts and businesses of the world and Direct 5. what an opportunity is put into your hand to get more in one day than this world can affâ—rd you all your lives And therefore come with gladness as to the receiving of so great a mercy and with desire after it and with hope to speed and not with unwillingness as to an unpleasant task as carnal hearts that Love not God or his Grace or Service and are aweary of all they do and glâ—d when it is done as the Ox that is unyoaked Isa. 58. 13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a Delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own waies nor finding thine own pleasuâ—e nor speaking thine own words then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord The affection that you have to the Lords day much sheweth the temper of the heart A holy person is glad when it cometh as loving it for the holy exercises of the day A wicked carnal heart is glad of it only for his carnal ease but weary of the spiritual duties § 6. Direct 6. Avoid both the extreams of Prophaneness and Superstition in the point of your external rest And to that end Observe 1. That the work is not for the day but the day for the holy Direct 6. work As Christ saith Mark 2. 27. The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath It is appointed for our good and not for our hurt 2. The outward rest is not appointed for it self but as a means to the freedom of the mind for inward and spiritual employments And therefore all those outward and common labours and discourses are unlawful which any way distract the mind and hinder either our outward or inward attendance upon God and our edification 3. And whatever it was to the Jews no common words or actions are unlawful which are no hinderance to this communion and worship and spiritual edification 4. Yea those things that are necessary to the support of nature and the saving of the Life or health or estate and goods of our selves or our neighbours are needful duties on that day Not all those works which are truly charitable for it may be a work of mercy to build Hospitals or make Garments for the poor or Till their ground but such works of mercy as cannot be put off to another day and such as hinder not the duties of the day 5. The same word or action on the Lords day which is unlawful to one man may be lawful to another as being no hinderance yea a duty to him As Christ saith The Priests in the Temple break or prophane the Sabbath that is the outward rest but not the command and are blameless Matth. 12. 15. And the Cook may lawfully be employed in dressing meat when it were a sin in another to do it voluntarily without need 6. The Lords day being to be kept as a day of Thanksgiving the dressing of such meat as is fit for a day of Thanksgiving is not to be scrupled The primitive Christians in the Apostles time had their Love-feasts constantly with the Lords Supper or after on the Evening of the day And they could not feast without dressing meat 7. Yet that which is lawful in it self must be so done as consisteth with care and compassion of the souls of servants that are employed about it that they may â—e deprived of no more of their spiritual benefit than needs 8. Also that which is lawful must sometimes be forborn when it may by scandal tempt others that are loose or weak to do that which is unlawful not that the meer displeasing of the erroneous should put us out of the right
desired by qualifying our selves for it as if indeed they moved the mind of God to a real change Even as he that is in a Boat and by his hook layeth hold of the banck doth as truly by his labour get nearer the banck as if he drew the banck to him § 4. Direct 3. Labour above all to know that God to whom you pray To know him as your Maker Direct 3. your Redeemer and your Regenerater as your Owner your Ruler and your Father Felicity and End as All-sufficient for your relief in the infiniteness of his Power his Wisdom and his Goodness and to know your own dependance on him and to understand his Covenant or Promises upon what terms he is engaged and resolved either to give his mercies or to deny them He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. He that calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved But how shall they call on him on whom they have not believed Rom. 10. 13 14. § 5. Direct 4. Labâ—ur when you are about to pray to stir uâ— in your souls the moâ—t lively Direct 4. and â—â—riâ—uâ— bâ—lief of thâ—se uâ—seen things that your Prayers have respect to and to pray as if you saw them all the while Even as if you saw God in his Glâ—ry and saw Heaven and Hell the glorified and the damned and Iesus Christ your Mediator interceding for you in the Heavens As you would pray if your eyes beheld all these so strive to pray while you believe them And say to your selves Are they not as sure as if I saw them Are they not made known by the Son and Spirit of God § 6. Direct 5. Labour for a constant aâ—cuaintance with your selves your sins and manifold Direct 5. wants and necâ—ssiâ—ies and also to take an actual special notice of your case when you go to prayer If you get not a former câ—â—stant acquaintance with your own case you cannot expect to know it aright upon a suddâ—n as you go to pray And yet if you do not actually survâ—y your hâ—â—â—â—ts and lives when you go to prayer your souls will be unhumbled and want that lively sense of your necessities which must put life into your prayers Know well what sin is and what Gods wrath and Hell and Iudgement is and whâ—t sin you have committed and what duty you have omitted and failed in and what wants and corruptions are yet within you and what mercy and grace you stand in need of and then all this will make you pray and pray to purpose with all your hearts But when men are wilful strangers to themselves and never seriously look backwards or inwards to see what is amiss and wanting nor look not forwards to see the danger that is before them no wonder if their hearts be dead and dull and if they are as unfit to pray as a sleeping man to work § 7. Direct 6. See that you hate hypâ—crisie and let not your lips go against or without your hearts Direct 6. but that your hearts be the spring of all your words That you love not sin and be not â—â—th to 〈…〉 quum navis tâ—â—pestaâ—e qâ—â—â—â—e eâ—uâ— 1 lique Dâ—â—s invocarent Sâ—lâ—te inquit neâ—vâ—s â—â—c illi nâ—â—igarâ— sâ—ntâ—ant 〈…〉 p 55. leave it when you seem to pray against it and that you truly desire the grace which you ask and ask not for that which you would not have And that you be ready to use the lawful means to get the mercies which you ask and be not like those lazy wishers that will pray God to give them increase at harvest when they lye in bed and will neither plow or sow or that pray him to save them from fire or water or danger while they run into it or will not be at the pains to go out of the way O what abundance of wretches do offer up hypocritical mock-prayers to God! blaspheming him thereby as if he were an Idol and knew not their hypocrisie and searched not the hearts Alas how commonly do men pray in publick that the rest of their lives hereafter may be pure and holy that hate purity and holiness at the heart and deride and oppose that which they sâ—em to pray for As Austin confesseth of himself before he was converted that he prayed against his filthy sin and yet was afraid lest God should grant his prayers So many pray against the sins which they would not be delivered from or would not use the means that is necessary to their conquest and deliverance Let him that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Psal. 66. 18. See Ezek. 14. 3 4 14. Alas how easie is it for anâ— ungodly person to learn to say a few words by rote and to run them over without any sense of what he speaketh while the tongue is a stranger to the heart and speaketh not according to its desires § 8. Direct 7. Search your hearts and watch them carefully lest some beloved Vanity alienate Direct 7. them from the work in hand and turn away your thoughts or prepossess your affections so that you want them when you should use them If the mind be set on other matters prayer will be a heartless lifeless thing Alas what a dead and pitiful work is the prayer of one that hath his heart ensnared in the Love of money or in any ambitious or covetous design The thoughts will easily follow the affections § 9. Direct 8. Be sure that you pray for nothing that is disagreeable to the will of God and Direct 8. that is not for the good of your selves or others or for the honour of God And therefore take heed lest an erring judgement or carnal desires or passions should corrupt your prayers and turn them into sin If men will ignorantly pray to God to do them hurt it is a mercy to them if God will but pardon and deny such prayers and a judgement to grant them And it is an easie thing for fleshly interest or partiality or passion to blind the judgement and consequently to corrupt mens prayers An Ambitious or Covetous man will easily be drawn to pray for the grant of his sinful desires and think it would be for his good And there is scarce an heretical or erroneous person but thinketh that it would be good that the world were all reduced to his opinion and all the opposers of it were born down There are few zealous Antinomians Anabaptists or any other Dividers of the Church but they put their Opinions usually into their prayers and plead with God for the interest of their Sâ—cts and Errors And its like that the Jews that had a persecuting Zeal for God Rom. 10. 2. did pray according to that Zeal as well as persecute as its like Paul himself
prayed against the Christians while he ignorantly persecuted them And they that think they do God service by killing his servants no doubt would pray against them as the Papists and others do at this day Be specially careful therefore that your Iudgements and Desires be found and holy before you offer them up to God in prayer For it is a most vile abuse of God to beg of him to do the Devils work and as most malitious and erroneous persons do to call him to their help against himself his servants and his cause § 10. Direct 9. Come alwayes to God in the humility that beseemeth a condemned sinner and in Direct 99. the faith and boldness that beseemeth a Son and a member of Christ Do nothing in the least conceit and confidence of a worthiness in your selves but be as confident in every lawful request as if you saw your Glorified Mediator interceding for you with his Father Hope is the Life of Prayer and all endeavour and Christ is the Life of Hope If you pray and think you shall be never the better for it your prayers will have little life And there is no hope of success but through our powerful intercessor Therefore let both a Crucified and Glorified Christ be alwayes before your eyes in prayer Not in a Picture but in the thoughts of a believing mind Instead of a Crucifix let some such sentence of holy Scripture be written before you where you use to pray as Iohn 20. 17. GO TO MY BRETHREN and SAY UNTO THEM I ASCEND UNTO MY FATHER and YOUR FATHER TO MY GOD and YOUR GOD. Or Heb. 4. 14. We have a great High-Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Son of God ver 15 16. that was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy c. Heb. 6. 9 20. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and that entreth into that within the vail whither the fore runner is for us entred Heb. 7. 25. He is able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them John 14. 13 14. If ye ask any thing in my name I will do it Christ and the Promise must be the ground of all your confidence and hope § 11. Direct 10. Labour hard with your hearts all the while to keep them in a reverent serious Direct 10. fervent frame and suffer them not to grow remiss and cold to turn prayer into lip-labour and lifeless formality or into hypocritical affected seeming fervency when the heart is senseless though the voice be earnest The heart will easily grow dull and customary and hypocritical if it be not carefully watcht and diligently followed and stirred up The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Jam. 5. 16. A cold prayer sheweth a heart that is cold in desiring that which is prayed for and therefore is unfit to receive the mercy God will make you know that his mercy is not contemptible but worthy your most earnest prayers § 12. Direct 11. For the matter and order of your Desires and Prayers take the Lords Prayer Direct 11. Of the Method of the Lords Prayer see Ramus de Râ—lig Christ. l. 3. c. 3 Ludolphus de vita Christi par 1. c. 37. Peâ—kins iâ— orat dom Dr. Boys on the Liturgie p. 5 6 7. as your special Rule and labour to understand it well For those that can make use of so Brief an Explication I shall give a little help A Brief Explication of the Method of the LORDS PRAYER The Lords Prayer containeth I. The Address or Preface In which are described or implyed I. To whom the Prayer is made 1. Who he is GOD Not Creatures Saints or Angels 2. How Related to us He is OUR FATHER which comprehendeth fundamentally that he is 1. Our Creator And therefore 1. Our Owner or Absolute Lord. 2. Our Redeemer And therefore 2. Our Ruler or Supream King 3. Our Regenerater To the regenerate And therefore 3. Our Benefactor and Chief Good and so Our Felicity and Our End 3. What he is in his Attributes WHICH ART IN HEAVEN Which signifieth that therefore he is 1. Almighty and Able to grant all that we ask and to relieve and help us in every strait 2. All knowing Our hearts and wants and all things being open to his sight 3. Most Good from whom and by whom and to whom are all things the fountain the disposer and the End of all on whose bounty and influence all subsist And the present Tense ART doth intimate his Eternity In this one word is not only implyed all these Attributes of God but also our hearts are directed whither to look for their Relief and Directioâ— now and their Felicity for ever and called off from Earthly dependaâ—â—es and expectations of Happiness and Rest and to look for all from Heaven and at last in Heaven II. Who are the Petitioners Who are 1. Man as to his Being 2. By Relation Gods Children 1. By Creation So All are and therefore All may thus far call him Father 2. By Redemption As All are as to the sufficient Price and satisfaction 3. By Regeneration And so only the Regenerate are Children 1. His Own 2. His Subjects 3. His Beloved and Beneficiariâ—s that Live upon Him and to Him as their End 3. By Quality 1. Dependant on God 2. Necessitous 3. Sinners Yet 1. Loving God as their Father Yet 2. Loving themselves as Men Yet 3. Loving others as Brethren All which is signified in the word OUR II. The Prayer or Petitions In two Parts Of which I. The first Part is accoring to the Order of Estimation Intention and Desire and is 1. For the End simply which is GOD in the word THY repeated in every Petition 2. For the End respectively in the interest of GOD and that is in I. The Highest or Ultimate that is The Glory of God HALLOWED BE THY NAME II. The Highest Means of his Glory THY KINGDOM COME that is Let the World be subject to thee their Creator and Redeemer the Universal King III. The next Means being the effect of this THY WILL BE DONE that is Let thy Laws be fulfilled and thy disposals submitted to 3. For the Lower End even the subject of these Means which is the Publick Good of Mankind the World and Church IN EARTH that is Let the world be subjected to thee and the Church obey thee which will be the greatest blessing to them Our selves being included in the world And the measure and pattern is added AS IT IS IN HEAVEN that is Let the Earth be conformed as near as may be to the Heavenly pattern So that this Part of the Lords Prayer proceeding in the order of Excellency and Intention directeth us I. To make God our Ultimate Highest End and to desire his Interest first and
in this order 1. His Glory 2. His Kingdom 3. Obedience to his Laws II. To make the publick good of the world and the Church our Next End as being the Noblest Means III. To include our own Interest in and under this as the least of all Professing first our own Consent to that which we Desire first for others II. The second Part is according to the Order of Execution and is for Our selves beginning at the Lowest Ascending till the End first Intended be last Attained And it is I. For the support of our Nature by necessary means GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD This being Gods first gift presupposed both to Grace and Gloâ—y GIVE signifieth ouâ— Deâ—endance on God for all US our Charity that we desire relief for our selves and others DAILY or assubstantial BREAD our moderation that we desire not unnecessaries or superfluities THIS DAY the constancy of our dependance and that we desire not or care not too much for the future and promise not our selves long life II. For cleaâ—ing us from the gâ—â—lt of all sin past Repentance and Faith being here presupposed where is 1. The Petition AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS trespasses or sins 2. The Motive from our Qualification for forgiveness AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS Without which God will noâ— forgive us III. For future preservation 1. From the Means LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION that is Though thou maist justly try us yet pity our fraiâ—ty and neither caâ—se nor permit us so be tryed as may tempt us to sin and ruine 2. From the End BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL that is 1. The Evil Oâ—e Satan and his instruments 2. The Evil Thing 1. Sin 2. Misery which are Satans End He that would be saved from Hell and Misery must be saved from sin and he that would be saved from both must be saved from Satan and from Temptation Quest. But where are the Requests for positive Holiness Grace and Heaven Answ. 1. Repentance and Faith aâ—e supposed in the Petitioner 2. What he wanteth is asked in the three Petitions of the first Part that we with others may sanctifie Gods Name and be the subjects of his Kingdom and do his Will c. CHRIST and a State of Grace are Finally in the first Petition Formally in the second and Expressively in the third III. The Conclusion the Reason Terminatioâ— of our Desires in their Ultimate End here Praised Beginning at the Lowest and ascending to the Highest Containing I. What we Praise or the Matter or Interest of God I. His Universal Reign FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM administred variously agreeably to the subjects All owe this absolute obedience who commandest and executest what thou wilt II. His Own Perfections THE POWER both Right and All-sufficiency including his Omnisâ—â—ence and Goodness as well as Omnipoteâ—ce III. His incomprehensible Excellency and Blessedness as he is the Ultimate End of us and all things AND THE GLORY Rom. 11. 36. 1 Cor. 10. 31. II. Whom we Praise GOD in the word THINE In Him the first Efficient Cause of all things we begin His help as the Dirigent Cause we seek and in Him as the final Cause we terminate III. The Duration FOR EVER AND EVER To Eternity And AMEN is the expression of our Conject For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things To him be Glory for ever Ameâ— Rom. 9. 36. So that it is apparent that the Method of the Lords Prayer is Circular partly Analytical and partly Synthetical Beginning with GOD and ending in God Beginning with such Acknowledgements as are prerequisite to Petition and Ending in those Praises which Petition and Grace-bestowed tend to Beginning our Petitions for Gods Interest and the publick Good according to the order of Estimation and Intention till we come to the meer Means and then beginning at the lowest and ascending according to the order of Execution As the blood passing from the greater to the smaller numerous Vessels is there received by the like and repasseth to its fountain Such a circular Method hath Mercy and Duty and consequently our Desires Tit. 2. Some Questions about Prayer answered THe rest of the general Directions about Prayer I think will be best contrived into the resolving of these following Doubts § 1. Quest. 1. Is the Lords Prayer a Directory only or a Form of words to be used by us in Quest. 1. Prayer Answ. 1. It is principally the â—ule to guide our inward desires and outward expressions of them both for the Matter what we must desire and for the Order which we must Desire first and most 2. But this Rule is given in a Form of words most apt to express the said Matter and Order 3. And this form may fitly be used in due season by all and more necessarily by some 4. But it was never intended to be the only words which we must use no more than the Creed is the only words Selden in Eâ—tychii Alexanâ—r Orig. p. 42. 43. sheweth that before Ezra the Jews prayed without Forms and that Ezra and the Elders with him composed them a Form which had eighteen Benedictions and Petitions that is the three first and the three last for the Glorifying God and the rest intermediate for personal and publick benefits And pag. 48. that they might omit none of these but might add others that we must use to express the Doctrine of faith or the Decalogue the only words to express our Duty by § 2. Quest. 2. What need is there of any other words of Prayer if the Lords Prayer be Perfect Quest. 3. Answ. Because it is only a Perfect Summary containing but the general Heads And it is needful to be more particular in our desires For universals exist in particulars And he that only nameth the General and then another and another General doth remember but few of the Particulars He that shall say I have sinned and broken all thy Commandments doth generally confess every sin But it is not true Repentance if it be not Particular for This and That and the other sin at least as to the greater which may be remembred He that shall say I believe all the Word of God or I believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost may know little what is in the Word of God or what these Generals signifie and therefore our Faith must be more Particular So must Desires after Grace be particular also Otherwise it were enough to ask for mercy in the general If you say that God knoweth what those General words signifie though we do not I answer This is the Papists silly Argument for Latin Prayers God knoweth our Desires without any expressions or prayers at all and he knoweth our wants without our Desires But it followeth not that prayers or desires are unnecessary The exercise of our own Repentance and Desire doth make us persons fit to receive Forgiveness and the Grace desired when the Impenitent and those that desire it not are unfit
and hope for audience when they beg for mercy and offer up prayer or praises to him § 15. III. In the Communication though the Sacrament have respect to the Father as the Joh. 3. 5. 1 Cor. 12. 12 â—3 1 Cor. 15 45. Gal. 3. 14. 4. 6. Eph. 2. 22. principal Giver and to the Son as both the Gift and Giver yet hath it a special respect to the Holy Ghost as being that spirit given in the flesh and blood which quickeneth souls without which the flesh will profit nothing And whose Operations must convey and apply Christs saving benefits to us Ioh. 6. 63. 7. 39. § 16. These three being the parts of the Sacrament in whole as comprehending that sacred Action and participation which is essential to it The material Parts called the Relate and correlate are 1. Substantial and Qualitative 2. Active and passive 1. The first are the Bread and Wine as signs and the Body and Blood of Christ with his graces and benefits as the things signified and given The second are the Actions of Breaking Pouring out and Delivering on the Ministers part after the Consecration and the Taking Eating and Drinking by the Receivers as the sign And the thing signified is the Crucifying or Sacrificing of Christ and the Delivering himself with his benefits to the believer and the Receivers thankful Accepting and using the said gift To these add the Relative form and the ends and you have the definition of this Sacrament Of which see more in my Univers Concord p. 46 c. § 17. Direct 3. Look upon the Minister as the Agent or Officer of Christ who is commissioned by Direct 3. him to seal and deliver to you the Covenant and its benefits And take the Bread and Wine as if you heard Christ himself saying to you Take my Body and Blood and the pardon and Grace which is thereby purchased It is a great â—â—â—â—p in the application to have Mercy and pardon brought us by the hand of a commissioned Officer of Christ. § 18. Direct 4. In your preparation before hand take heed of these two extreams 1. That you Direct 4. come not prophanely and carelesly with common hearts as to a common work For God will be sanctified in them that draw near him Lev. 10. 3. And they that eat and drink unworthily not discerning the Lords Body from common bread but eating as if it were a common meal do eat death to Quinam auteâ—â— indigâ—i ineptive sint quibus Angelorum panis praebeatur sacerdoâ—um ipsoâ—um audâ—ta confessione â—aeâ—erisque perspectis judicium esto Acosta â— 6. c. 10. p. 549. themselves instead of life 2. Take heed lest your mistakes of the nature of this Sacrament should possess you with such fears of unworthy receiving and the following dangers as may quite discompose and unfit your souls for the joyful exercises of faith and Love and Praise and Thanksgiving to which you are invited Many that are scrupulous of Receiving it in any save a feasting gesture are too little careful and scrupulous of Receiving it in any save a feasting frame of mind The first extream is caused by Prophaneness and negligence or by gross ignorance of the nature of the Sacramental work The later extream is frequently caused as followeth 1. By setting this Sacrament at a greater distance from other parts of Gods worship than there is cause so that the excess of Reverence doth overwhelm the minds of some with terrours 2. By studying more the terrible words of eating and drinking damnation to themselves if they do it unworthily than all the expressions of Love and mercy which that blessed feast is furnished with So that when the Views of infinite Love should ravish them they are studying wrath and vengeance to terrifie them as if they came to Moses and not to Christ. 3. By not understanding what maketh a Receiver worthy or unworthy but taking their unwilling infirmities for condemning unworthiness 4. By Receiving it so seldom as to make it strange to them and increase their fear whereas if it were administred every Lords day as it was in the Primitive Churches it would better acquaint them with it and cure that fear that cometh from strangeness 5. By imagining that none that want Assurance of their own sincerity can receive in faith 6. By contracting an ill habit of mistaken Religiousness placeing it all in poâ—ing on themselves and mourning for their corruptions and not in studying the Love of God in Christ and living in the daily Praises of his name and joyful Thanksgiving for his exceeding mercies 7. And if besides all these the Body contract a weak or timerous melancholy distemper it will leave the mind capable of almost nothing but fear and trouble even in the sweetest works From many such causes it cometh to pass that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is become more terrible and uncomfortable to abundance of such distempered Christians than any other ordinance of God And that which should most comfort them doth trouble them most § 19. Quest. 1. But is not this Sacrament more holy and dreadful and should it not have more preparation Quest. 1. than other parts of worship Answ. For the degree indeed it should have very careful preparation And we cannot well compare it with other parts of worship as Praise Thanksgiving Covenanting with God Prayer c. because that all these other parts are here comprized and performed But doubtless God must also be sanctified in all his other worship and his name must not be taken in vain And when this Sacrament was received every Lords day and often in the week besides Christians were supposed to live continually in a state of general preparation and not to be so far from a due particular preparation as many poor Christians think they are § 20. Quest. 2. How often should the Sacrament be now administred that it neither grow into contempt Quest. 2. or strangeness Answ. Ordinarily in well disciplined Churches it should be still every Lords day For 1. We have no reason to prove that the Apostles example and appointment in this case was proper to those times any more than that Praise and Thanksgiving daily is proper to them And we may as well deny the obligation of other institutions or Apostolical orders as that 2. It is a part of the seâ—led order for the Lords days worship And omitting it maimeth and altereth the worship of the day and occasioneth the omission of the Thansgiving and Praise and lively commemorations of Christ which should be then most performed And so Christians by use grow habited to sadness and a mourning melancholy Religion and grow unacquainted with much of the worship and spirit of the Gospel 3. Hereby the Papists lamentable corruptions of this ordinance have grown up even by an excess of reverence and fear which seldom receiving doth increase till they are come to Worship Bread as their God 4. By seldom communicating men are
that you must there exercise II. What there is objectively presented before you in the Sacrament to exercise all these Graces III. At what seasons in the administration each of these inward works are to be done § 47. I. The Graces to be exercised are these besides that holy fear and reverence common to all Worship 1. A humble sense of the odiousness of sin and of our undone condition as in our selves and a displeasure against our selves and loathing of our selves and melting Repentance for the sins we have committed as against our Creator and as against the Love and Mercy of a Redeemer and against the holy Spirit of Grace 2. A hungring and thirsting desire after the Lord Jesus and his Grace and the favour of God and communion with him which are there represented and offered to the soul. 3. A lively faith in our Redeemer his death resurrection and intercession and a trusting our miserable souls upon him as our sufficient Saviour and help And a hearty Acceptance of him and his benefits upon his offered terms 4. A Ioy and gladness in the sense of that unspeakable mercy which is here offered us 5. A Thankful heart towards him from whom we do receive it 6. A fervent Love to him that by such Love doth seek our Love 7. A triumphant Hope of life eternal which is purchased for us and sealed to us 8. A willingness and resolution to deny our selves and all this world and suffer for him that hath suffered for our Redemption 9. A Love to our Brethren our neighbours and our enemies with a readiness to relieve them and to forgive them when they do us wrong 10. And a firm Resolution for future obedience to our Creator and Redeemer and Sanctifier according to our Covenant § 48. II. In the naming of these Graces I have named their Objects which you should observe as distinctly as you can that they may be operative 1. To help your Humiliation and Repentance you bring thither a loaden miserable soul to receive a pardon and relief And you see before you the sacrificed Son of God who made his soul an offering for sin and became a Curse for us to save us who were accursed 2. To draw out your Desires you have the most excellent gifts and the most needful mercies presented to you that this world is capable of Even the Pardon of sin the Love of God the Spirit of Grace and the hopes of Glory and Christ himself with whom all this is given 3. To exercise your Faith you have Christ here first represented as crucified before your eyes and then with his benefits freely given you and offered to your Acceptance with a Command that you refuse him not 4. To exercise your Delight and Gladness you have this Saviour and this Salvation tendered to you and all that your souls can well desire set before you 5. To exercise your Thankfulness what could do more than so great a Gift so dearly purchased so surely sealed and so freely offered 6. To exercise your Love to God in Christ you have the fullest manifestation of his attractive Love even offered to your eyes and taste and heart that a soul on earth can reasonably expect in such wonderful condescension that the greatness and strangeness of it surpasseth a natural mans belief 7. To exercise your Hopes of Life Eternal you have the price of it here set before you you have the Gift of it here sealed to you and you have that Saviour represented to you in his suffering who is now there reigning that you may remember him as expectants of his Glorious Coming to judge the world and glorifie you with himself 8. To exercise your self-denyal and resolution for suffering and contempt of the world and fleshly pleasures you have before you both the greatest Example and Obligation that ever could be offered to the world when you see and receive a Crucified Christ that so strangely denyed himself for you and set so little by the world and flesh 9. To exercise your Love to Brethren yea and enemies you have his example before your eyes that Loved you to the death when you were enemies And you have his holy servants before your eyes who are amiable in him through the workings of his Spirit and on whom he will have you shew your Love to himself 10. And to excite your Resolution for future Obedience you see his double Title to the Government of you as Creator and as Redeemer and you feel the obligations of Mercy and Gratitude and you are to renew a Covenant with him to that end even openly where all the Church are witnesses So that you see here are powerful objects before you to draw out all these Graces and that they are all but such as the work requireth you then to exercise § 49. III. But that you may be the readier when it cometh to practice I shall as it were lead you by the hand through all the parts of the administration and tell you when and how to exercise every grace and those that are to be joyned together I shall take together that needless distinctness do not trouble you 1. When you are called up and going to the Table of the Lord exercise your Humility Desire and Thankfulness and say in your hearts What Lord dost thou call such a wretch as I What! me that have so oft despised thy mercy and wilfully offended thee and preferred the filth of this world and the pleasures of the flesh before thee Alas it is thy wrath in Hell that is my due But if Love will choose such an unworthy guest and Mercy will be honoured upon such sin and misery I come Lord at thy call I gladly come Let thy will be done and let that mercy which inviteth me make me acceptable and gratiously entertain me and let me not come without the wedding garment nor unreverently rush on holy things nor turn thy mercies to my bane § 50. 2. When the Minister is confessing sin prostrate your very souls in the sense of your unworthiness and let your particular sins be in your eye with their heinous aggravations The whole need not the Physicion but the sick But here I need not put words into your mouths or minds because the Minister goeth before you and your hearts must concurr with his Confessions and put in also the secret sins which he omitteth § 51. 3. When you look on the Bread and Wine which is provided and offered for this holy use remember that it is the Creator of all things on whom you live whose Laws you did offend and say in your hearts O Lord how great is my offence who have broken the Laws of him that made me and on whom the whole Creation doth depend I had my Being from thee and my daily bread and should I have requited thee with disobedience Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son § 52. 4. When the
words of the Institution are read and the Bread and Wine are solemnly Consecrated by separating them to that sacred use and the acceptance and blessing of God is desired admire the mercy that prepared us a Redeemer and say O God how wonderful is thy Wisdom and thy Love How strangely dost thou glorifie thy mercy over those sins that gave thee advantage to glorifie thy justice Even thou our God whom we have offended hast out of thy own treasury satisfied thy own justice and given us a Saviour by such a Miracle of Wisdom Love and Condescension as men or Angels shall never be able fully to comprehend so didst thou love the sinful world as to give thy Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life O thou that hast prepared us so full a remedy and so pretious a gift sanctifie these creatures to be the Representative Body and Blood of Christ and prepare my heart for so great a gift and so high and holy and honourable a work § 53. 5. When you behold the Consecrated Bread and Wine discern the Lords Body and reverence it as the Representative Body and Blood of Iesus Christ and take heed of prophaning it by looking on it as common Bread and Wine Though it be not Transubstantiate but still is very Bread and Wine in its Natural Being yet it is Christs Body and Blood in representation and effect Look on it as the consecrated Bread of life which with the quickning Spirit must nourish you to life eternal § 54. 6. When you see the Breaking of the Bread and the Pouring out of the Wine let Repentance and Love and Desire and Thankfulness thus work within you O wondrous Love O hateful sin How merciful Lord hast thou been to sinners and how cruel have we been to our selves and thee Could Love stoop lower Could God be merciful at a dearer rate Could my sin have done a more horrid deed than put to death the Son of God How small a matter hath tempted me to that which must cost so dear before it was forgiven How dear payed my Saviour for that which I might have avoided at a very cheap rate At how low a price have I valued his blood when I have sinned and sinned again for nothing This is my doing My sins were the thorns the nails the spear Can a murderer of Christ be a a small offendor O dreadful justice It was I and such other sinners that deserved to bear the punishment who were guilty of the sin and to have been fewel for the unquenchable flames for ever O pretious Sacrifice O hateful sin O gracious Saviour How can mans dull and narrow heart be duly affected with such transcendent things or Heaven make its due impression upon an inch of flesh Shall I ever again have a dull apprehension of such Love Or ever have a favourable thought of sin Or ever have a fearless thought of Iustice O break or melt this hardned heart that it may be somewhat conformed to my crucified Lord The tears of Love and true Repentance are easier than the flames from which I am redeemed O hide me in these wounds and wash me in this pretious blood This is the Sacrifice in which I trust This is the Righteousness by which I must be justified and saved from the Curse of thy violated Law As thou hast accepted this O Father for the world upon the Cross Behold it still on the behalf of sinners and hear his blood that cryeth unto thee for mercy to the miserable and pardon us and accept us as thy Reconciled Children for the sake of this Crucified Christ alone We can offer thee no other Sacrifice for sin and we need no other § 55. 7. When the Minister applyeth himself to God by Prayer for the efficacy of this Sacrament that in iâ— he will give us Christ and his Benefits and pardon and justifie us and accept us as his reconciled Children joyn heartily and earnestly in these requests as one that knoweth the need and worth of such a mercy § 56. 8. When the Minister delivereth you the consecrated Bread and Wine look upon him as the messenger of Christ and hear him as if Christ by him said to you Take this my broken body and blood and feed on it to everlasting life and take with it my sealed Covenant and therein the sealed testimony of my Love and the sealed pardon of your sins and a sealed gift of life eternal so be it you unfeignedly consent unto my Covenant and give up your selves to me as my Redeemed ones Even as in delivering the possession of House or Lands the deliverer giveth a Key and a twig and a turfe and saith I deliver you this house and I deliver you this land so doth the Minister by Christs authority deliver you Christ and pardon and title to eternal life Here is an Image of a sacrificed Christ of Gods own appointing which you may lawfully use And more than an Image even an Investing instrument by which these highest mercies are solemnly delivered to you in the name of Christ. Let your hearts therefore say with Ioy and Thankfulness with faith and Love O matchless bounty of the eternal God! what a gift is this and unto what unworthy sinners And will God stoop so low to man and come so neer him and thus reconcile his worthless enemies Will he freely pardon all that I have done and take me into his family and love and feed me with the flesh and blood of Christ I believe Lord help mine unbelief I humbly and thankfully accept thy gifts Open thou my heart that I may yet more joyfully and thankfully accept them Seeing God will glorifie his Love and mercy by such incomprehensible gifts as these behold Lord a wretch that needeth all this mercy And seeing it is the offer of thy Grace and Covenant my soul doth gladly take thee for my God and Father for my saviour and my sanctifier And here I give up my self unto thee as thy Created Redeemed and I hope Regenerate one as thy Own thy Subject and thy Child to be saved and sanctified by thee to be beloved by thee and to Love thee to everlasting O seal up this Covenant and pardon by thy Spirit which thou sealest and deliverest to me in thy Sacrament that without reserve I may be entirely and for ever thine § 57. 9. When you see the Communicants receiving with you let your very hearts be united to the Saints in love and say How goodly are thy tents O Jacob How amiable is the family of the Nâ—â—b 24. 5. Psal 13. 15. 4. 16. 2 3. Iuk 19 8. Psal. 84. 10. Lord How good and pleasant is the unity of brethren How dear to me are the pretious members of my Lord though they have yet all their spots and weaknesses which he pardoneth and so must we My goodness O Lord extendeth not unto thee but unto thy Saints the excellent ones on earth in
Come to him therefore as the Saviour of souls that be may Teach you the will of God and Reconcile you to his Father and pardon your sins and renew you by his spirit and acquaint you with his Fathers Love and save you from damnation and make you heirs of life eternal For all this may yet possibly be done as short as your time is like to be And it will yet be long of you if it be not done The Covenant of Grace doth promise pardon and salvation to every Penitent Believer when ever they truly turn to God without excepting any hour or any person in all the world Nothing but an unbelieving hardened heart resisting his grace and unwilling to be Holy can deprive you of pardon and salvation even at the last It was a most foolish wickedness of you to put it off till now but yet for all that if you are not yet saved it shall not be long of Christ but you Yet he doth freely offer you his mercy and he will be your Lord and Saviour if you will not refuse him yet the match shall not break on his part see that it break not on your part and you shall be saved Know therefore what he is as God and Man and what a blessed work he hath undertaken to Redeem a sinful miserable world and what he hath already done for us in his life and doctrine in his death and sufferings by his Resurrection and his Covenant of Grace and what he is now doing at his Fathers right hand in making intercession for penitent believers and Heb. Rom. 5. what an endless Glory he is preparing for them and how he will save to the uttermost all that come to God by him O yet let your heart even leap for Joy that you have an allsufficient willing gracious Saviour whose Grace aboundeth more than sin aboundeth If the Devils and poor damned souls in Hell were yet but in your case and had your offers and your hopes how glad do you imagine they would be Cast your selves therefore in Faith and Confidence upon this Saviour Trust your souls upon his Sacrifice and Merit for the pardon of your sins and peace with God Beg of him yet the renewing grace of his spirit Be willing to be made holy and a new Creature and to live a holy life if you should survive Resolve to be wholly ruled by him and give up your self absolutely to him as your Saviour to be justified and sanctified and saved by him and then trust in him for everlasting happiness O happy soul if yet you can do thus without deceit § 8. Direct 4. Believe now and consider what God is and will be to your soul and what Love he Direct 4. hath shewed to you by Christ and what endless Ioy and Glory you may have with him in Heaven for For a new heart and the Love of God and a Resolution for a holy obedient life ever notwithstanding all the sins that you have done And think what the world and the flesh hath done for you in comparison of God Think of this till you fall in Love with God and till your hearts and hopes are set on Heaven and turned from this world and flesh and till you feel your self in Love with Holiness and till you are firmly Resolved in the strength of Christ to live a holy life if God recover you and then you are truly sanctified and shall be saved if you die in this condition Take heed that you take not a Repentance and good purposes which come from nothing but Fear to be sufficient If you recover all this may die again when your fear is over You are not sanctified nor God hath not your hearts till your Love be to him that which you do through fear alone you had rather not do if you might be excused And therefore your Hearts are still against it When the feeling of Gods unspeakable Love in Christ doth melt and overcome your hearts when the infinite Goodness of God himself and his mercies to your souls and bodies do make you take him as more Lovely and desirable than all the world when you so believe the Heavenly Joyes above as to desire them more than earthly pleasures when you Love God better than worldly prosperity and when a life of such ☜ Love and Holiness seemeth better to you than all the merriments of sinners and you had rather be a Saint than the most prosperous of the ungodly and are firmly resolved for a holy life if God recover you then are you indeed in a state of grace and not till then This must be your case or you are undone for ever And therefore meditate on the Love of Christ and the Goodness of God and the Joyes of Heaven and the happiness of Saints and the misery of worldlings and ungodly men meditate on these till your eyes be opened and your hearts be touched with a holy love and Heaven and Holiness be the very things that you desire above all and then you may boldly go to God and believe that all your sins are pardoned And it is not bare terrour but these believing thoughts of God and Heaven and Christ and Love that must change your hearts and do the work § 9. These four Directions truly practised will yet set you on safe ground as sad and dangerous as your condition is But it is not the hearing of them or the bare approbation of them that will serve the turn To find out your sinful miserable state and to be truly humbled for it and to discern the Remedy which you have in Christ and penitently and believing to enter into his Covenant and to see that your Happiness is wholly in the Love and fruition of God and to believe the Glory prepared for the Saints and to prefer it before all the prosperity of the world and Love it and set your hearts upon it and to resolve on a holy life if you should recover forsaking this deceitful world and flesh all this is a work that is not so easily done as mentioned and requireth your most serious fixed thoughts and indeed had been fitter for your youthful vigor than for a painful weak distempered state But necessity is upon you It must needs be yet done and throughly and sincerely done or you are lost for ever And therefore do it as well as you can and see that your hearts do not trifle and deceive you In some respect you have greater helps than ever you had before You cannot now keep up your hard-heartedness and security by looking at death as a great way off You have now fuller experience than ever you had before what the flâ—sh and all its pleasures will come to and what good your sinful sports and recreations and merriments will do you and what all the riches and greatness and gallantry and honours of the world are worth and what they will do for you in the day of your necessity You stand so
when the next sickness cometh to remember that they were unthankful for their last recovery and how falsly they dealt with God in the breaking of their promises Foresee this that you may prevent it Tit. 3. Directions for a Comfortable or Peaceable Death COmfort is not desirable only as it Pleaseth us but also as it strengtheneth us and helpeth us in our greatest duties And when is it more needful than in sickness and the approach of death I shall therefore add such Directions as are necessary to make our departure comfortable or peaceful at the least as well as safe Direct 1. Because I would make this Treatise no longer than I needs must in order to overcome Direct 1. the fears of Death and get a chearful willingness to dye I desire the sick to read over those twenty Considerations and the following Directions which I have laid down in my Book of Self-denyal And when the fears of death are overcome the great impediment of their comfort is removed § 2. Direct 2. Misunderstand not sickness as if it were a greater evil than it is but observe how Direct 2. great a mercy it is that Death hath so suitable a harbinger or fore-runner That God should do so much before he taketh us hence to wean us from the world and make us willing to be gone that the unwilling flesh hath the help of pain and that the senses and appetite languish and decay which did draw the mind to earthly things and that we have so lowd a call and so great a help to true Mr. Vinâ—s Mr. Capell Mr. Holli gâ—orth Mr Aâ—hhâ—ost Mr A bâ—osâ— M 〈…〉 Bâ—raell c. repentance and serious preparation I know to those that have walked very close with God and are alwayes ready a sudden death may be a mercy as we have lately known divers holy Ministers and others that have dyed either after a Sacrament or in the Evening of the Lords Day or in the midst of some holy exercise with so little pain that none about them perecived when they dyed But ordinarily it is a mercy to have the flesh brought down and weakned by painful sickness to help to conquer our natural unwillingness to dye § 3. Direct 3. Remember whose Messenger sickness is and who it is that calleth you to dye It is Direct 3. he that is the Lord of all the world and gave us the Lives which he taketh from us And it is he that must dispose of Angels and Men of Princes and Kingdoms of Heaven and Earth and therefore there is no reason that such Worms as we should desire to be excepted You cannot deny him to be the Disposer of all things without denying him to be God It is he that Loveth us and never meant us harm in any thing that he hath done to us that gave the life of his Son to Redeem us and therefore thinketh not Life too good for us Our sickness and death are sent by the same Love that sent us a Saviour and sent us the powerful Preachers of his Word and sent us his Spirit and secretly and sweetly changed our hearts and knit them to himself in Love which gave us a life of pretious mercies for our souls and bodies and hath promised to give us life eternal And shall we think that he now intendeth us any harm Cannot he turn this also to our good as he hath done many an affliction which we have repined at § 4. Direct 4. Look by faith to your dying buryed risen ascended glorified Lord. Nothing will Direct 4. more powerfully overcome both the poyson and the fears of Death than the believing thoughts of him that hath triumphed over it Is it terrible as it separateth the soul from the body So it did by our Lord who yet overcame it Is it terrible as it layeth the body in the grave So it did by our Saviour though he saw not corruption but quickly rose by the power of his Godhead He dyed to teach us believingly and boldly to submit to death He was buried to teach us not overmuch to fear a grave He rose again to conquer death for us and to assure those that rise to newness of life that they shall be raised at last by his power unto glory and being made partakers of the first resurrection the second death shall have no power over them He liveth as our Head that we might live by him and that he might assure all those that are here risen with him and seek first the things that are above that though in themselves they are dead yet their life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Col. 3. 1 2 4 5. What a comfortable word is that John 14. 19. Because I live ye shall live also Death could not hold the Lord of life Nor can it hold us against his will who hath the keyes of death and Hell Rev. 1. 18. He loveth every one of his sanctified ones much better than you love an eye or a hand or any other member of your body which you will not lose if you are able to save it When he ascended he left us that message full of comfort for his followers John 20. 17. Go to my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father to my God and your God which with these two following I would have written before me on my sick-bed John 12. 26. If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there also shall my servant be And Luke 23. 43. Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise O what a joyful thought should it be to a Believer to think when he is dying that he is going to his Saviour and that our Lord is risen and gone before us to prepare a place for us and take us in season to himself Iohn 14. 2 3 4. As you believe in God believe thus in Christ and then your hearts will be less troubled Ver. 1. It is not a stranger that we talk of to you but your Head and Saviour that loveth you better than you love your selves whose office it is there to appear continually for you before God and at last to receive your departing souls and into his hand it is that you must then commend them as Stephen did Acts 7. 59. § 5. Direct 5. Choose out some Promises most suitable to your condition and roll them over and over Direct 5. in your mind and feed and live on them by faith A sick man is not usually fit to think of very many things and therefore two or three comfortable promises to be still before his eyes may be the most profitable matter of his thoughts such as those three which I named before If he be most troubled with the greatness of his sin let it be such as these Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world
been tempted to But you are sure that Heaven is better than Earth and that it is far better for them to be with Christ. 6. You allwayes knew that your friends must die To grieve that they were mortal is but to grieve that they were but men 7. If their mortality or death be grievous to you you should rejoice that they are arrived at the state of Immortality where they must Live indeed and die no more 8. Remember how quickly you must be with them again The expectation of living long your selves is the cause of your excessive grief for the death of friends If you lookt your selves to die to morrow or within a few weeks you would lâ—ss grieve that your friends are gone before you 9. Remember that the world is not for one Generation only Others must have our places when we are gone God will be served by successive Generations and not only by one 10. If you are Christians indeed it is the highest of all your Desires and Hopes to be in Heaven And will you so grieve that your friends are gone thither where you most Desire and Hope to be § 19. Obj. All this is reason if my friend were gone to Heaven But he dyed impenitently and Object how should I be comforted for a soul that I have cause to think is damned Answ. Their misery must be your grief But not such a grief as shall deprive you of your greater Answ. Joyes or disable you for your greater duties 1. God is fitter than you to judge of the measures Helps to moderate our sorrow for the dâ—mned of his mercy and his judgements and you must neither pretend to be more merciful than he nor to reprehend his Justice 2. All the works of God are Good and all that is Good is amiable Though the misery of the creature be Bad to it yet the works of Justice declare the Wisdom and Holiness of God and the perfecter we are the more they will be amiable to us For 3 God himself and Christ who is the merciful Saviour of the World approve of the damnation of the finally ungodly 4. And the Saints and Angels in Heaven do know more of the misery of the souls in Hell than we do And yet it abateth not their Joyes And the perfecter any is the more he is like-minded unto God 5. How glad and thankful should you be to think that God hath delivered your selves from those eternal flâ—mes The misery of others should excite your Thankfulness 6. And should not the Joyes of all the Saints and Angels be your Ioy as well as the sufferings of the wicked be your sorrows But above all the thoughts of the Blessedness and Glory of God himself should over-top all the concernments of the creature with you If you will mourn more for the Thieves and Murderers that are hanged than you will rejoice in the Justice prosperity and honour of the King and the wellfare of all his faithful subjects you behave not your selves as faithful subjects 7. Shortly you hope to come to Heaven Mourn now for the damned as you shall do then or at least let not the difference be too great when that and not this is your perfect state A Form of Exhortation to the Ungodly in their Sickness or those that we fear are such DEar Friend The God that must dispose of us and all things doth threaten by this sickness to call away your soul and put an end to the time of your pilgrimage and therefore your friends that Love and pity you must not now be silent if they can speak any thing for your preparation and salvation because it must be Now or Never When a few days are past they must never have any such opportunity more If now we prevail not with you you are likely to be quickly out of hearing and past our advice and help for ever And because I know your weakness bids me be but short and your memory is not to be burdened with too much and yet your Necessity must not be neglected I shall reduce all that I have to say to you to these four heads 1. Of the change which you seem near to and the world which you are going to 2. Of the Preparation that must be made by all that will be saved and who they be that the Gospel doth Iustifie or Condemn 3. I would fain help you to understand which of these conditions you are in and what will become of your soul if it thus goeth hence And 4. If your case be bad I would direct you how you may come out of it and what is yet to be done while there remaineth any time and hope And I pray you set your heart to what I say for I will speak nothing but the certain truth of God revealed to the world by his son and spirit expressed in the Scripture and believed by all the Church of Christ. I. God knoweth the change is great which you are near You are leaving this world where you have spent the dayes of your preparation for eternity and leaving this flesh to corrupt and turn to common earth and must here converse with man no more You are going now to see that world which the Gospel told you of and you have often heard of but neither you nor we did ever see Before your friends have laid your body in the grave your soul must enter into its endless state and at the Resurrection your Body be joyned with it Either Heaven or Hell must be your lot for ever If it be Heaven you will there find a world of Light and Love and Peace A world of Angels and glorified souls who are all made perfect in Knowledge and Holiness living in the perfect flames of Love to their Glorious Creator Redeemer and Regenerater And with them you will be thus perfected your self your soul will see the Glory of God and be rapt up in his Love and filled with his Joyes and employed triumphantly in his Maâ— 13. 2 Thes 1. 6 7 8 9 10 11. praises and this for ever If Hell should be your portion you will there be thrust away as a hated thing from the face of God and there you will find a world of Devils and unholy damned miserable souls among whom you must dwell in the flames of the wrath of God and the horrours of your own Conscience remembring with anguish the mercy which you once rejected and the warnings and time which once you lost and at the Resurrection your Soul and Body must be reunited and live there in torment and despair for ever I know these things are but half believed by the â—ngodly world while they profess to believe them And therefore they must feel that which they refuseâ— to believe But God hath revealed it to us and we will believe our Maker You are now going to see the great difference between the end of Holiness and of sin between the Godly and the ungodly and to
united your Heart unto himself and turned it from sin to Holiness from the world to God and from Earth to Heaven and made you a new creature to live for Heaven as you did for earth Surely this is not so small and indiscernable a work or change but he that hath felt it on himself may know it It is a great work to bring a sinner to feel his unrighteousness and misery and to apply himself to Christ for Righteousness and life It is a great work to take off the heart from all the felicity of this world and to set it unfeignedly upon God and to cause him to place and seek his happiness in another world what ever become of all the prosperity or pleasure of the flesh It is thus with every true Believer for all the remnant of his sins and weaknesses And may you not know whether it be thus or not with you One of these is your case And it 's now time to know which of them it is when God is ready to tell you by his judgement If indeed you are in Christ and his Spirit be in you and hath renewed you and sanctified you and turned your heart and life to God I have then nothing more than Peace and Comfort to speak to you as in the following Exhortation But if it be otherwise and you are yet in a carnal state and were never renewed by the spirit of Christ Will you give me leave to deal faithfully with you as is necessary with one in your condition and to set before you at once your sin and your Remedy and to tell you what yet you must do if you will be saved IV. And first will you here lay to heart your folly and unfeignedly lament your sinful life before the Lord Not only this or that particular sin but principally your fleshly heart and life that in the main you have lived to this corruptible flesh and loved and sought and served the world before your God and the happiness of your soul. Alas friend did you not know that you had an immortal soul that must live in joy or misery for ever Did you not know that you were made to Love and serve and honour your maker and that you had the little time of this life given you to try and prepare you for your endless life and that as you lived here it must go with you in heaven or hell for ever If you did not believe these things why did you not come and give your Reasons against them to some judicious Divine that was able to have shewed you the Evidence of their truth If you did believe them alas how was it possible that you could forget them Could you believe a Heaven and a Hell and not regard them or suffer any transitory worldly vanity to be more regarded by you Did you know what you had to do in the world and yet is it all undone till now Were you never warned of this day Did never Preacher nor Scripture nor book nor friend nor conscience tell you of your end and tell you what would be the fruit of sin and of your contempt and slighting of Christ and of his grace Did you know that you must Love God above the world if ever you would be saved and that you must to that end be partaker of Christ and renewed by his spirit and yet would you let out your heart upon the world and follow the bruitish pleasures of the flesh and never earnestly seek after that Christ and spirit that should thus renew and sanctifie you Do you not think now that it had been wiser to have sought Christ and grace and set your affections first on the things above and to have made sure work for your soul against such a day as this than to have hardened your heart against Gods grace and despised Christ and Heaven and your salvation for a thing of nought You see now what it was that you preferred before Heaven what have you now got by all your sinful Love of the world where now is all your fleshly pleasure Will it all now serve turn to save you from death or the wrath of God and everlasting misery will it now go with you to another world Or do you think it will comfort a soul in Hell to remember the wealth which he gathered and left behind him upon earth would it not now have been much more comfortable to you if you could say My dayes were spent in Holiness in the Love of my dear Redeemer and in the hearty service of my God in praising him and praying to him in learning and obeying his holy word and will My business in the world was to please God and seek a better world and while I followed my lawful trade or calling my eye was chiefly on eternal life Instead of pleasing the flesh I delighted my soul in the Love and praise and service of my Redeemer and in the hopes of my eternal blessedness and now I am going to enjoy that God and happiness which I believ'd and sought Would not this be more comfortable to you now than to look back on your time as spent in a worldly fleshly life which you preferred before your God and your salvation Christ would not have forsaken you in the time of your extremity as the world doth if you had cleaved faithfully to him You little know what peace and comfort you might have found even on earth in a holy life How sweet would the word of God have been to you How sweet would prayer and meditation and holy conference have been Do you think it is not more pleasant to a true Believer to read the promises of eternal life and to think and talk of that blessed state when they shall dwell with God in Ioy for ever than it was to you to think and talk of worldly trash and vanity If you had used the world as a traveller doth the necessaries of his journey the thought of heaven would have offorded you solid rational comfort all the way O little do you know the sweetness of the Love of God in Christ and how good a Christian findeth it when he can but exercise and increase his knowledge and faith and Love to God and thankfulness for mercy and hopes of Heaven and walk with God in a heavenly conversation Do you not wish now that this had been your course But that which is done cannot be undone and time that is past can never be called back But yet there is a sure Remedy for your soul if you have but a heart to entertain and use it God so loved the world Joh. 3. 16 18. that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever Believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Iesus Christ being God and Man is the Mediator between God and man His death is a sufficient Sacrifice for our sins It is his Office to save all those that come to God by him Do but unfeignedly
life and consequently rejected Christ as a Saviour and the Holy Ghost as a sanctifier and all the mercy which he offered you on these terms Quest. 8. If this hath been your case are you now unfeignedly grieved for it Not only because it hath brought you so near to Hell but also because it hath displeased God and deprived you of that Holy and comfortable life which you might all this while have lived and endangered all your hopes of Heaven Do you so far Repent as that your very Heart and Love is changed so that now you had rather have a Holy life on earth and the sight and enjoyment of God in the Heavenly Joyes for ever than to have all the pleasure and prosperity of this world Do you hate your sins and loath your self for them and truly desire to be made Holy Are you firmly Resolved that if God do recover you to health you will live a new and Holy life that you will forsake your fleshly worldly life and all your wilful sins and will set your self to learn the will of God and call upon him and live in the holy Communion of Saints and make it your chief care to please God and to be saved Quest. 9. Are you willing to these ends to Give up your self absolutely now to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as your Reconciled Father your Saviour and your Sanctifier to be sanctified and Iustified and saved from your sins and from the wrath of God and live to God in Love and Holiness And are you willing to bind your self to this by entring into this Covenant with God renouncing the Flesh the World and the Devil Either your Heart is willing and sincere in this Resolution and Covenant or it is not If it be not there is no hope that your sin should be pardoned and your soul be saved upon any other or easier terms And for all that God is merciful and Christ died for sinners it was never his intent to save one impenitent unsanctified soul But if your Heart unfeignedly consent to this I Matth. 28. 19 â—0 2 Cor. 6. 10 17 18. have the commission of Christ himself to tell you that God will be your Reconciled God and Father and Christ will be your Saviour and the Holy Spirit will be your Sanctifier and Comforter and your sins are pardoned and your soul shall be saved and you shall dwell in Heaven with God for ever God did consent before you consented He shewed his Consent in purchasing and making and offering you this Covenant Shew your unfeigned Consent now by accepting it and giving up your self unreservedly to him and you have Christs Blood and Spirit and Sacrament to seal it to you The flesh and the world have deceived you but Trust in Christ upon his Covenant terms and he will never deceive you And now alas what pity is it that a soul that is in so miserable a case and is lost for ever if it have not help and speedy help should be deprived of all this Grace and Glory and only for want of Repenting and Consenting What pity is it that a soul that is ready to go into another world where mercy shall never more be offered it should rather go stupidly on to hell than Return to God and Accept his mercy Do but truly Repent and Consent to this Covenant and all the mercies of it are certainly yours God will be your God and Christ and the Spirit and pardon and Heaven and all are yours The Lord open and perswade your heart that you may not be undone and lost for ever for want of accepting the mercy that is offered you And now I know it would be comfortable to you if you could be fully assured that you are forgiven and shall be saved In a matter of such unspeakable moment how jâ—yful would a well-grounded certainty be to any man that hath the right use of his understanding I tell you therefore from God that there is no cause of your doubting on his part but only on your own There is no doubt to be made whether God be merciful nor whether Christ be a sufficient Saviour and sacrifice for your sins nor whether the Covenant be sure and promise of pardon and salvation to all true penitent believers be true All the doubt is whether your faith and Repentance be sincere or not And for that I can but tell you how you may know it and I shall open the Truth to you that I may neither Deceive you nor causlâ—sly Discomfort you If this Repentance and Change which you now profess and this Covenant which you have made Matth. 13. 19 20 21 22 23. Rom. 8. 7 8 9. Heb. 12. 14. Joh. 3. 3 5 6. Matth. 18. 3. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Eph. 6. 24. 1 Cor. 16. 22. Luk. 14. 26 27. with God 1. Do come only from a present fear and not from a changed renewed heart 2. And if your Resolutions be such as would not hold you to a holy life if you should recover but would die and fade away and leave you as were before when the fear is past then is it but a forced hypocritical Repentance and will not save you if you so die Though a Minister of Christ should Absolve you of all your sins and seal it by giving you the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ for all this you are lost for ever if you have no more For Absolution and the Sacrament are given you but on supposition that yâ—ur faith and Repentance be sincere And if this Condition fail in you the Action of the holiest Minister in the world will never save you But 1. If your Repentance and Covenant come not only from a present fear but from a Renewed Heart which now Loveth God and Christ and Heaven and Holiness better than all the Honours and Riches and Pleasures of the flesh and world and had rather have them even on Gods terms 2. And if this change be such as if you should recover would hold you to a Holy Life and not die or dwindle into hypocritical formality when the fright is over then I can assure you from the word of God that if you die in this Repentance you shall certainly be saved And though Late Repentance have so many difficulties that it too seldom proveth true and sound and it is an unspeakable madness to cast our salvation on so great a hazard and to defer that till such a day as this which should be the principal work of all our lives and for which the greatest care and diligence is not too much Yet for all that when Conversion is indeed sincere it is alwayes acceptable how late soever And a returning prodigal shall find Luk. 15. 19 20 21 22. Joh. 6. 37. better entertainment with God than he could possibly expect And never will Christ cast out one soul that cometh to him in sincerity of heart The Lord give you such a Heart and all is yours Amen
is simple or mixt simple when we only intend Gods worship immediately in the action And this is found chiefly in Praises and Thanksgiving which therefore are the most pure and simple sort of expressive worship Mixt worship is that in which we joyn some other intention for our own benefit in the action As in Prayer where we worship God by seeking to him for mercy And in reverent hearing or reading his Word where we worship him by a holy attendance upon his instructions and Commands And in his Sacraments where we worship him by Receiving and acknowledging his benefits to our souls And in Oblations where we have respect also to the use of the thing offered And in holy Vows and Oaths in which we acknowledge him our Lord and Judge All these are acts of Divine Worship though mixt with other uses § 3. It is not only worshipping God when our acknowledgements by word or deed are directed immediately to himself but also when we direct our speech to others if his Praises be the subject of them and they are intended directly to his Honour Such are many of Davids Psalms of Praise But where Gods Honour is not the thing directly intended it is no direct worshipping of God though all the same words be spoken as by others § 4. Direct 2. Understand the true Ends and Reasons of our worshipping God lest you be deceived Direct 1. by the impious who take it to be all in vain When they have imagined some false Reasons to themselves they judge it vain to worship God because those Reasons of it are vain And he that understandeth not the true Reasons why he should worship God will not truly worship him but be prophane in neglecting it or hypocritical in dissembling and heartless in performing it The Reasons then are such as thâ—se § 5. 1. The first ariseth from the Use of all the world and the nature of the Rational Creature in special The whole world is made and upheld to be expressive and participative of the Image and Benefits of God God is most perfect and blessed in himself and needeth not the world to add to his felicity But he made it to please his blessed Will as a communicative Good by communication and appearance that he might have creatures to know him and to be happy in his Light and those creatures might have a fit representation or revelation of him that they might know him And Man is Read Mr. Herberts Poem called Providence specially endowed with Reason and Utterance that he might know his Creator appearing in his works and might communicate this knowledge and express that Glory of his Maker with his Tongue which the inferiour creatures express to him in their being So that if God were not to be worshipped the end of mans faculties and of all the Creation must be much frustrated Mans Reason is given him that he may know his Maker His will and affections and executive powers are given him that he may freely love him and obey him and his tongue is given him principally to acknowledge him and praise him Whom should Gods work be serviceable to but to him that made it § 6. 2. As it is the Natural Use so it is the highest honour of the creature to worship and honour his Creator Is there a nobler or more excellent object for our thoughts affections or expressions And nature which desireth its own perfection forbiddeth us to choose a sordid vile dishonourable work and to neglect the highest and most honourable § 7. 3. The right worshipping of God doth powerfully tend to make us in our measure like him and so to sanctifie and raise the soul and to heal it of its sinful distempers and imperfections What can make us Good so effectually as our Knowledge and Love and Communion with him that is the chiefest Good Nay what is Goodness it self in the creature if this be not As nearness to the Sun giveth Light and Heat so nearness to God is the way to make us Wise and Good For the contemplation of his perfections is the means to make us like him The worshippers of God do not exercise their bare understandings upon him in barren speculations but they exercise all their affections towards him and all the faculties of their souls in the most practical and serious manner and therefore are likest to have the liveliest impressions of God upon their hearts And hence it is that the true worshippers of God are really the wisest and the best of men when many that at a distance are employed in meer speculations about his works and him remain almost as vain and wicked as before and professing themselves wise are practically fools Rom. 1. 21 22. § 8. 4. The right worshipping of God by bringing the Heart into a cleansed holy and obedient frame doth prepare it to command the body and make us upright and regular in all the actions of our lives For the fruit will be like the Tree and as men are so will they do He that honoureth not his God is not like well to honour his Parents or his King He that is not moved to it by his regard to God is never like to be universally and constantly just and faithful unto men Experience telleth us that it is the truest worshippers of God that are truest and most conscionable in their dealings with their neighbours This windeth up the spring and ordereth and strengtheneth all the causes of a good conversation § 9. 5. The right worshipping of God is the the highest and most rational Delight of man Though to a sick corrupted soul it be unpleasant as food to a sick stomach yet to a wise and holy soul there is nothing so solidly and durably contentful As it is Gods damning sentence on the wicked to say Depart from me Matth. 25. 41. 7. 23. so holy souls would lose their joyes and take themselves to be undone if God should bid them Depart from me worship me and love me and praise me no more They would be weary of the world were it not for God in the world and weary of their lives if God were not their Life § 10. 6. The right worshipping of God prepareth us for Heaven where we are to behold him and Love and worship him for ever God bringeth not unprepared souls to Heaven This life is the time that 's purposely given us for our preparation as the Apprenticeship is the time to learn your trades Heaven is a place of action and fruition of perfect Knowledge Love and Praise And the souls that will enjoy and Praise God there must be Disposed to it here and therefore they must be much employed in his Worship § 11. 7. And as it is in all these respects necessary as a means so God hath made it necessary by Psal. 45. 11. Psal. 66. 4. Psal. 80. 9. Psal. 95. 6. Psal. 99. 5 9. his command He hath made it oâ—r duty to worship him constantly and he
knoweth the reason of his own commands It is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Matth. 4. 10. If God should command us nothing how is he our Governour and our God And if he command us any thing what should he command us more fitly than to worship him And he that will not obey him in this is not like to obey him well in any thing For there is nothing that he can with less shew of Reason except against seeing all the Reason in the world must confess that worship is most due to God from his own Creatures § 12. These Reasons for the Worship of God being undenyable the Objections of the infidels and Object ungodly are unreasonable As Obj. 1. That our worship doth no good to God for he hath no need of it Answ. Answ. It pleaseth and honoureth him as the making of the world and the happiness of man doth Doth it follow that there must be no world nor no man happy because God hath no need of it or no addition of felicity by it It is sufficient that it is necessary and Good for us and pleasing unto God § 13. Obj 2. Proud men are unlikest unto God and it is the Proud that love to be honoured and Object praised Answ. Pride is the affecting of an undue honour or the undue affecting of that honour Answ. which is due Therefore it is that this affectation of honour in the Creature is a sin because all honour is due to God and none to the Creature but derivatively and subserviently For a subject to affect any of the honour of his King is disloyalty And to affect any of the honour of his follow subjects is injustice But God requireth nothing but what is absolutely his due And â—e hath commanded us even towards men to give fear and honour to whom they are due Rom. 13. 7. § 14. Direct 3. Labour for the truest knowledge of the God whom you worship Let it not be said Direct 3. of you as Christ said to the Samaritan Woman Joh. 4. 22. Ye worship ye know not what nor as it is said of the Athenians whose Altar was inscribed To the unknown God Act. 17. 23. You must know whom you worship or else you cannot worship him with the heart nor worship him sincerely and acceptably though you were at never so great labour and cost God hath no pleasure in the sacrifice of fools Eccl. 5. 1 4. Though no man know him perfectly you must know him truly And though God taketh not every man for a Blaspheamer and denier of his Attributes whom contentious pievish wranglers call so because they consequentially cross some espoused opinions of theirs yet real misunderstanding of Gods nature and attributes is dangerous and tendeth to corrupt his worship by the corrupting of the Worshippers For such as you take God to be such Worship you will offer him For your worship is but the honourable acknowledgement of his perfections And mistakingly to praise him for supposed imperfections is to dishonour him and dispraise him If to know God be your eternal life it must needs be the life of all your worship Take heed therefore of ignorance and errour about God § 15. Direct 4. Understand the office of Iesus Christ as our Great High Priest by whose Mediation Direct 4. alone we must have access to God Whether there should have been any Priesthood for sacrifice or intercession Heb. 8. 3. if there had been no sin the Scripture telleth us not expresly but we have great reason to conjecture there would have been none because there would not have been any reasons for the exercise of such an office But since the fall not only the Scriptures but the practice of the whole world doth tell us that the sinful people are unmeet immediatly thus to come to God but that they must come by the Mediation of the Priest as a Sacrificer and Intercessour So that either Nature teacheth sinners the Necessity of some Mediator or the Tradition of the Church hath dispersed the Knowledge of it through the World And certainly no other Priest but Christ can procure the acceptance of a sinful people upon his own account nor be an effectual Mediator for them to God Heb. 7. 27 28. Heb 9. 26 28. unless in subserviency to an effectual Mediator who can procure us access and acceptance for his own sake For all other Priests are sinners as well as the people and have as much need of a Mediator Heb. 10. 19 20 21 22. Heb. 10. 13 14. for themselves 1. See therefore that you never appear before God but as sinners that have offended him and have deserved to be cast out of his favour for ever and such as are in absolute necessity of a Mediator to procure their access and acceptance with God Come not to God without the sense of sin and misery 2. See also that you come as those that Have a Mediator in the Heb. 6. 20. Heb. 7. 25 26. Matth. 1â— 5. Joh. 11. 42. presence of God even Jesus our High Priest who appeareth before God continually to make intercession for us Come therefore with holy boldness and confidence and joy having so sure and powerful a friend with God the beloved of the Father whom he heareth alwayes § 16. Direct 5. Look carefully to the state of thy soul that thou bring not an unholy heart to Worship Direct 5. the most Holy God Come not in the Love of sin nor in the hatred of Holiness For otherwise thou hatest God and art hated of him as bringing that before him which he cannot but hate And it 's easie to judge how unfit they are to worship God that hate him and how unlike they are to be accepted by him whom he hateth Psal. 5. 3 4 5 6 7. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee The foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all the workers of iniquity Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies and in thy fear will I worship towards thy holy Temple Psal. 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Psal. 15. 1 2. Who shall abide in Gods tabernacle but he that walketh Lâ—v. 10 3. uprightly and worketh righteousness God will be sanctified in them that come nigh him and are unsanctified persons fit for this and can the unholy offer him holy worship The carnal mind is enmity against God is it fit then to serve and honour him Rom. 8. 7 8. See 2 Cor. 6. 15 16 17 18. Let him that nameth the name of Christ depart from
Dâ—â—r l. 1. p. 46. â—aâ—th that Possi 〈…〉 s believed that Epiâ—urus thought there was no God but put a sâ—orn upon him by describing him like a man idle careless c. which he would not have done if he had thought there was a God to any of his creatures 3. God is Omnipresent and therefore you may every where lift up holy hands to him 1 Tim. 2. 8. And you must alwayes worship him as in his sight 4. God is Omniscient and knoweth your Hearts and therefore let your Hearts be employed and watched in his worship 5. God is most wise and therefore not to be worshipped ludicrously with toyes as children are pleased with to quiet them but with wise and rational worship 6. God is most Great and therefore to be worshipped with the greatest reverence and seriousness and not presumptuously with a careless mind or wandring thoughts or rude expressions 7. God is most Good and Gracious and therefore not to be worshipped with backwardness unwillingness and weariness but with great Delight 8. God is most Merciful in Christ and therefore not to be worshipped despairingly but in joyful Hope 9. God is True and faithful and therefore to be worshipped believingly and confidently and not in distrust and unbelief 10. God is most Holy and therefore to be worshipped by Holy persons in a Holy manner and not by unholy hearts or lips nor in a common manner as if we had to do but with a man 11. He is the Maker of your Souls and Bodies and therefore to be worshipped both with soul and body 12. He is your Redeemer and Saviour and therefore to be worshipped by you as sinners in the humble sense of your sin and misery and as Redeemed ones in the thankful sense of his Mercy and all in order to your further cleansing healing and Recovery 13. He is your Regenerater and Sanctifier and therefore to be worshipped not in the confidence of your natural sufficiency but by the Light and Love and Life of the Holy Ghost 14. He is your Absolute Lord and the Owner of you and all you have and therefore to be worshipped with the absolute resignation of your self and all and honoured with your substance and not Hypocritically with exceptions and reserves 15. He is your Soveraign King and therefore to be worshipped according to his Lawes with an obedient kind of worship and not after the Traditions of men nor the will or wisdom of the flesh 16. He is your Heavenly Father Mat. 15. 2 3 6. Mar. 7. 3. to 14. Col. 2. 8 18 2â— and therefore all these Holy dispositions should be summed up into the strongest Love and you should run to him with the greatest readiness and Rest in him with the greatest Ioy and thirst after the full fruition of him with the greatest of your Desires and press towards him for himself with the most servent and importunate suites All these the very Being and Perfections of God will teach you in his worship And therefore if any controverted worship be certainly contrary to any of these it is certainly unwarranted and unacceptable unto God § 8. Direct 7. Pretend not to worship God by that which is destructive or contrary to the Ends of Direct 7. worship For the aptitude of it as a means to its proper end is essential to it Now the Ends of worship are 1. The Honouring of God 2. The Edifying of our selves in Holiness and delighting our souls in the contemplation and praises of his perfections 3. The communicating this Knowledge Holiness and delight to others and the increase of his actual Kingdom in the world 1. Avoid then all that pretended Worship which dishonoureth God not in the opinion of carnal men that judge of But with the Ba 〈…〉 Aâ—â—â—â—a the 〈…〉 p. 2. 9. â— 2. 〈…〉 riâ—u signa oâ—â—â—â—â— exteâ—num cultum diligenter câ—â—are His quippe delectâ—ntur d 〈…〉 homines animaleâ— N. B. â—donec paulatim aboleatur memoria gustus praeteritorum So Gâ— â—issiâ— sâ—â—â—â—h iâ— viâ—a Gâ—eâ— Nâ—oâ—as that they turned the Pagans Festivals into Festivals for the Martyrs to please them the better Which Bâ—dâ— and many others relate of the practice of those times him by their own misguided imaginations but according to the discovery of himself to us in his works and Word Many Travellers that have conversed with the soberer Heathen and Mahometan Nations tell us that it is not the least hinderance of their conversion and cause of their contempt of Christianity to see the Christians that live about them to worship God so ignorantly irrationally and childishly as many of them do 2. Affect most that manner of worship caeteris paribus which tendeth most to your own right information and holy resolutions and affections and to bring up your souls into nearer communion and delight in God And not that which tendeth to deceive or flatter or divert you from him nor to be in your ears as sounding brass or a tinkling Cymbal or as one that is playing you a lesson of Musick and tendeth not to make you better 3. Affect not that manner of worship which is an enemy to knowledge and tendeth to keep up Ignorance in the world Such as is a great part of the Popish worship especially their reading the Scriptures to the people in an unknown tongue and celebrating their publick prayers and praises and Sacraments in an unknown tongue and their seldome preaching and then teaching the people to take up with a multitude of toyish Ceremonies instead of knowledge and rational worship Certainly that which is an enemy to knowledge is an enemy to all Holiness and true obedience and to the Ends of worship and therefore is no acceptable worshipping of God 4. Affect not that pretended worship which is of it self destructive of true Holiness Such as is the preaching of false doctrine not according to godliness and the opposition and reproaching of a holy life and worship in the misapplication of true doctrine and then teaching poor souls to satisfie themselves with their Mass and Mass Ceremonies and an Image of worship instead of serious Holiness which is opposed Prov. 24. 24. He that saith to the wicked thou art Righteous him shall the people curse Nations shall ahhor him And if this be done as a worship of God you may hence judge how acceptable it will be Isa. 5. 20. Wo unto them that call Evil Good and Good Evil that put darkness for light and light for darkness that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter To make people believe that Holiness is but Hypocrisie or a needless thing or that the Image of Holiness is Holiness it self or that there is no great difference between the godly and ungodly doth all tend to mens perdition and to damn men by deceiving them and to root out Holiness from the earth See Ezek. 22. 26. 44. 23. Jer. 15. 19. If thou take forth the pretious from the vile thou shalt be as
paribus by an unnecessary thing to occasion divisions in the Churches But where one part judgeth Church Musick unlawful for another part to use it would occasion divisions in the Churches and drive away the other part Therefore I would wish Church-musick to be no where set up but where the Congregation can accord in the use of it or at least where they will not divide thereupon 2. And I think it unlawful to use such streins of Musick as are Light or as the Congregation cannot easily be brought to understand Much more on purpose to commit the whole work of singing to the Choristers and exclude the Congregation I am not willing to joyn in such a Church where I shall be shut out of this noble work of praise 3. But plain intelligible Church-musick which occasioneth not divisions but the Church agreeth in for my part I never doubted to be lawful For 1. God set it up long after Moses Ceremonial Law by David Solomon c. 2. It is not an instituted Ceremony meerly but a natural help to the minds alacrity And it is a 1 Sam. 18. 6. 1 Chron. 15. 16. 2 Chron. 5. 13. 7. 6. 23. 13. 34. 22. Psal. 98. 99. 149. 150. duty and not a sin to use the helps of nature and Lawful art though to institute Sacraments c. of our own As it is lawful to use the comfortable helps of spectacles in reading the Bible so is it of Musick to exhilerate the soul towards God 3. Jesus Christ joyned with the Jews that used it and never spake a word against it 4. No Scripture forbiddeth it therefore it is not unlawful 5. Nothing can be against it that I know of but what is said against Tunes and Melody of Voice For whereas they say that it is a humane invention so are our Tunes and Metre and Versions Yea it is not a humane invention As the last Psalm and many other shew which call us to praise the Lord with instruments of musick And whereas it is said to be a carnal kind of pleasure they may say as much of a Melodious harmonious confort of Voices which is more excellent Musick than any Instruments And whereas some say that they find it do them harm so others say of melodious singing But as wise men say they find it do them good And why should the experience of some prejudiced self-conceited person or of a half-man that knoweth not what melody is be set against the experience of all others and deprive them of all such helps and mercies as these people say they find no benefit by And as some deride Church-musick by many scornful names so others do by singing as some Congregations neer me testifie who these many years have forsaken it and will not endure it but their Pastor is fain to unite them by the constant and total omission of singing Psalms It is a great wrong that some do to ignorant Christians by putting such whimseyes and scruples into their heads which as soon as they enter turn that to a scorn and snare and trouble which might be a real help and comfort to them as well as it is to others Quest. 128. Is the Lords day a Sabbath and so to be called and kept and that of Divine institution And is the seventh day Sabbath abrogated c. Answ. ALL the Cases about the Lords day except those practical directions for keeping it in the Oeconomical part of this Book I have put into a peculiar Treatise on that subject by it self and therefore shall here pass them over referring the Reader to them in that discourse Quest. 129. Is it Lawful to appoint humane Holy dayes and observe them Answ. THis also I have spoke to in the foresaid Treatise and in my Disput. of Church-Govern and Cer. Briefly 1. It is not lawful to appoint another weekly sabbath or day wholly separated to the Commemoration of our redemption For that is to mend pretendedly the institutions of God Yea and to contradict him who hath judged one day only in seven to be the fittest weekly proportion 2. As part of some dayes may be weekly used in holy assemblies so may whole days on just extraordinary occasions of prayer preaching humiliation and thanksgiving 3. The holy doctrine lives and sufferings of the Martyrâ— and other holy men hath been so great a mercy to the Church that for any thing I know it is lawful to keep anniversary Thanksgivings in remembrance of them and to encourage the weak and prâ—voke them to constancy and imitation 4. But to dedicate dayes or Temples to them in any higher sence as the Heathens and Idolaters did to their Hero's is unlawful or any way to intimate an attribution of Divinity to them by word or Worship 5. And they that live among such Idolaters must take heed of giving them scandalous encouragement 6. And they that scrupulously fear such sin more than there is cause should not be forced to sin against their Consciences 7. But yet no Christians should causelesly refuse that which is lawful nor to joyn with the Churches in holy exercises on the dayes of thankful commemoration of the Apostles and Martyrs and excellent instruments in the Church Much less peâ—ulantly to work and set open Shops to the offence of others But rather to perswade all to imitate the holy lives of those Saints to whom they give such honours Quest. 130. How far is the holy Scriptures a Law and perfect Rule to us Answ. 1. FOr all thoughts words affections and actions of Divine faith and obedience supposing still Gods Law of Nature For it is no Believing God to believe what he never revealed nor no Trusting God to trust that he will certainly give us that which he never either directly nor indirectly promised Nor no obeying God to do that which he never commanded 2. The Contents will best shew the Extent Whatever is Revealed promised and commanded in it for that it is a perfect Rule For certainly it is perfect in its kind and to its proper use 3. It is a perfect Rule for all that is of Universal Moral necessity That is Whatever it is necessary that 1 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 20. 2 Tim. â— 15. Rom. 15. 4. 16. 26. Joh. â— 3â— Act. 1â— 2. 11. Joh. 19. 24 28 36 37. man believe think or do in all ages and places of the World this is of Divine obligation Whatever the World is Universally bound to that is All men in it it is certain that Gods Law in Nature or Scripture or both bindeth them to it For the World hath no Universal King or Lawgiver but God 4. Gods own Laws in Nature and Scripture are a perfect Rule for all the duties of the understanding thoughts affections passions immediately to be exercised on God himself For no one else is a discerner or judge of such matters 5. It perfectly containeth all the Essential and Integral parts of the Christian Religion so
enough to implant it in all the hearers why do your Children go so long to School and after that to the Universities and why are you so long Preaching to all your Parishioners Sure you preach not novelties to them as long as you live And yet thirty or fourty years painful preaching even of the same fundamentals of Religion shall leave many ignorant of them in the best Parishes in the Land There must be a right and ripe disposition in the hearers or else the clearest reasoning may be uneffectual A disused or unfurnished mind that hath not received all the truths which are presupposed to those which you deliver or hath not digested them into a clear understanding may long hear the truest reasons and never apprehend their weight There is need of more adoe than a bare unfolding of the truth to make a man receive it in its proper evidence Perhaps he hath been long pre-possessed with contrary opinions which are not easily rooted out Or if he be but confident of the truth of some one opinion which is inconsistent with yours no wonder if he cannot receive that which is contrary to what he so verily believeth to be the truth There is a marvellous variety of mens apprehensions of the same opinions or reasons as they are variously represented to men and variously pondered and as the natural capacity of men is various and as the whole course of their lives their education company and conversation have variously formed their minds It is like the setting together all the parts of Watch when it is in pieces If any one part of many be misplaced it may necessitate the misplacing of those that follow without any wilful obstinacy in him that doth it If in the whole frame of sacred Truth there be but some one misunderstood it may bring in other mistakes and keep out many truths even from an honest willing mind And who is there that can say he is free from errour Have not you perceived in your selves that the truths which you heard an hundred times over to little purpose when you were Children were received more convincingly and satisfyingly when you were men And that you have found a delightful clearness in some points on a sudden which before you either resisted or held with little observation or regard And yet it is common with the scandalizers of souls to cry out against all that conform not to their opinions and will as soon as they have heard their reasons that they are stubborn and refractory and wilful and factious and so turn from arguments to Clubs as if they had never known themselves or others nor how weak and dark the understandings of almost all men are But they shall have judgement without mercy who shew no mercy And when their own errours shall all be opened to them by the Lord they will be loth they should all be imputed to their wilful obstinacy And perhaps these very censorious men may prove themselves to have beenonthe wrong side For Pride and uncharitableness are usually erroneous § 34. Direct 12. Engage not your selves in an evil cause For if you do it will engage you to Direct 12. draw in others You will expect your friends should take your part and think as you think and say as you say though it be never so much against truth or righteousness § 35. Direct 13. Speak not rashly against any cause or persons before you are acquainted with Direct 13. them or have well considered what you say Especially take heed how you believe what a man of any Sect in Religion doth speak or write against his Adversaries of a contrary sect If experience had not proved it in our dayes beyond contradiction it would seem incredible how little men are to be believed Psal. 119. 69. in this case and how the falsest reports will run among the people of a Sect against those whom the interest of their opinion and party engageth them to mis-represent Think not that you are excusable for receiving or venting an ill report because you can say he was an honest man that spoke it For many that are otherwise honest do make it a part of their honesty to be dishonest in this They think they are not zealous enough for those opinions which they call their Religion unless Vix equidem credar sed cum sint praemia falsi Nulla â—atam dâ—bet testis habere fidem Oâ—iâ— l. Rom. 3. 7 8. Jam. 3. 14. â—â—â—â—â— â— 8. they are easie in believing and speaking evil of those that are the Adversaries of it When it may be upon a just tryal all proveth false And then all the words which you ignorantly utter against the truth or those that follow it are scandals or stumbling blocks to the hearers to turn them from it and make them hate it I am not speaking against a just credulity There must be humane belief or else there can be no humane converse But ever suspect partiality in a party For the interest of their Religion is a more powerful charm to the Consciences of evil speakers than personal interest or bribes would be How many Legends tell us this how easily some men counted Godly have been prevailed with to Lie for God § 36. Direct 14. Take heed of mocking at a Religious life yea or of breaking any jeasts or scorns Diâ—â—â—â— 14. at the weaknesses of any in Religious exercises which may possibly reflect upon the exercises themselves Many a thousand souls have been kept from a holy life by the scorns of the vulgar that speak of it as a matter of derision or sport Reading the Scriptures and holy conference and prayer and instructing our families and the holy observation of the Lords day and Church-discipline are commonly the derision of ungodly persons who can scorn that which they can neither confute nor learn And weak people are greatly moved by such senseless means A mock or jear doth more with them than an argument They cannot endure to be made a laughing-stock Thus was the name of a Crucified God the derision of the Heathens and the scandal of the World both Jews and Gentiles And there is scarce a greater scandal or stumbling block at this day which keepeth multitudes from Heaven than when the Devil can make it either a matter of danger or of shame to be a Christian or to live a holy mortified life Persecution and Derision are the great successful scandals of the World And therefore seeing men are so apt to be turned off from Christ and Godliness never speak unreverently or disrespectfully of them It is a prophane and scandalous course of some that if a Preacher have but an unhansome tone or gesture they make a jeast of it and say He whined or he spoke through the nose or some such scorn they cast upon him which the hearers quickly apply to all others and turn to a scorn of Preaching or Prayer or Religion it self Or if men differ from each other
escape Direct 6. that need or poverty which is the temptation to this sin of theft Idleness is a crime which is not to be tollerated in Christian Societies 2. Thess. 2. 6 8 10 11 12. Now we command you brethren in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition which he received of us For you know how ye ought to follow us for we behaved not our selves disorderly among you neither did we eat any mans bread for nought but workt with labour and travail night and day that we might not be chargeable to any of you Not because we have not power but to make our selves an ensample to you to follow us For when we were with you this we commanded you that if any would not work neither should he eat For we hear that there are some among you which walk disorderly working not at all but are busie bodies Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Iesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread Eph. 4. 28. Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing which is good that he may have to give to him that needeth He that stealeth to maintain his Idleness sinneth that he may sin and by one sin getteth provision for another You see here that you are bound not only to work to maintain your selves but to have to give to others in their need § 8. Direct 7. Keep a tender conscience which will do its office and not suffer you to sin without Direct 7. remorse A feared sensless Conscience will permit you to lye and steal and deceive and will make no great matter of it till God awaken it by his grace or vengeance Hence it is that servants can deceive their masters or take that which is not allowed them and buyers and sellers over-reach one another because they have not tender Consciences to reprove them § 9. Direct 8. Remember alwayes that God is present and none of your secrets can be hid from him Direct 8. What the better are you to deceive your neighbour or your master and to hide it from their knowledge as long as your Maker and Judge seeth all When it is him that you most wrong and with him that you have most to do and he that will be the most terrible avenger What blinded Atheists are you who dare do that in the presence of the most righteous God which you durst not do if men beheld you § 10. Direct 9. Forget not how dear all that must cost you which you gain unlawfully The reckoning Direct 9. time is yet to come Either you will truly Repent or not If you do it must cost you remorse and sorrow and shameful confession and restitution of all that you have got amiss And is it not better forbear to swallow that morsel which must come up again with heart-breaking grief and shame But if you Repent not unfeignedly it will be your damnation It will be opened in Judgement to your perpetual confusion and you must pay dear for all your gain in Hell Nâ—ver look upon the gain therefore without the shame and damnation which must follow If Achan had foreseen the stones and Gehezi the Leprosie and Ahab the mortal arrow and Iezebel the licking of her blood by Dogs and Iudas the hanging or precipitation and Ananias and Saphira the sudden death or any of them the after misery it might have kept them from their pernicious gain Usually even in this life a curse attendeth that which is ill gotten and bringeth fire among all the rest § 11. Direct 10. If you are poor consider well of the mercy which that condition may bring you and Direct 10. let it be your study how to get it sanctisied to your good If men understood and believed that God doth dispose of all for the best and make them poor to do them good and considered what that good is which poverty may do them and made it their chief care to turn it thus to their gain they would not find it so intolerable a thing as to seek to cure it by fraud or thievery Think what a mercy it is that you are saved from those temptations to overlove the world which the Rich are undone by And that you are not under those temptations to intemperance and excess and pride as they are And that you have such powerful helps for the mortification of the flesh and victory over the deceiving World Improve your poverty and you will scape these sins § 12. Direct 11. If you are but willing to escape this sin you may easily do it by a free Confession Direct 11. to those whom you have wronged or are tempted to wrong He that is not willing to forbear his sin is guilty before God though he do forbear it But if you are truly willing it is easie to abstain Do not say that you are willing till necessity pincheth you or you see the bait For if you are so you may easily prevent it at that time when you are willing If ever you are willing indeed take that opportunity and if you have wronged any man go and confess it to him in the manner as I shall afterward direct And this will easily prevent it For shame will engage you and self preservation will engage him to take more heed of you Or if you have not yet wronged any but are strongly tempted to it if you have no other sufficient remedy go tell him or some other fit person that you are tempted to steal and to deceive in such or such a manner and desire them not to trust you If you think the shame of such a Confession too dear a price to save you from the sin pretend no more that you are truly willing to forbear it or that ever you did unfeignedly repent of it Tit. 2. Certain Cases of Conscience about Theft and Injury § 1. Quest. 1. IS it a sin for a man to steal in absolute necessity when it is meerly to save his Quest. 1. life Answ. The case is very hard I shall 1. Tell you so much as is past controversie and then speak to the controverted part 1. If all other unquestionable means be not first used it is undoubtedly a sin If either labouring or begging will save our lives it is unlawful to steal Yea or if any others may be used to intercede for us Otherwise it is not stealing to save a mans life but stealing to save his labour or to gratifie his pride and save his honour 2. It is undoubtedly a sin if the saving of our lives by it do bring a greater hurt to the Common-wealth or other men than our lives are worth 3. And it is a sin if it deprive the owner of his life he being a person more worthy and useful to the common good These cases are
own case whatever censures for it I incur When I was first awakened to the regard of things spiritual and eternal I was exceedingly inclined to a vehement Love to those that I thought the most serious Saints and especially to that intimacy with some one which is called Friendship By which I found extrordinary benefit and it became a special mercy to my soul. But it was by more than one or two of the fore-mentioned wayes that the strict bond of extraordinary Friendship hath been relaxed and my own excessive esteem of my most intimate friends confuted And since then I have learned to love all men according to their real worth and to let out my love more extensively and without respect of persons acknowledging all that is good in all But with a double Love and honour to the excellently wiâ—e and good and to value men more for their publick usefulness than for their private suitableness to me and yet to value the ordinary converse of one or a few suitable friends before a more publick and tumultuary life except when God is publickly Worshipped or when publick service inviteth me to deny the quiet of a private life And though I more difference between man and man than ever I do it not upon so slight and insufficient grounds as in the time of my unexperienced credulity nor do I expect to find any without the defects and blots and failings of infirm imperfect mutable man Quest. 10. What qualifications should Direct us in the choice of a special bosome friend Quest. 10. Answ. 1. He must be one that is sincere and single hearted and not given to affectation or any thing that is much forced in his deportment plain and open hearted to you and not addicted to a hiding fraudulent or reserved carriage 2. He must be one that is of a suitable temper and disposition I mean not guilty of all your own infirmities but not guilty of a crosness or contrariety of disposition As if one be in love with plainness of Apparel and frugality in dyet and course of life and the other be guilty of curiosity and ostentation and prodigality If one be for few words and the other for many If one be for Labour and the other for Idleness and frequent interruptions If one be for serving the humours of men and the other for a contempt of humane censure in the way of certain duty these disparities make them unfit for this sort of bosome friendship 3. He must not be a slave to any vice For that which maketh him false to God and to betray his own soul may make him false to man and to betray his friend 4. He must not be a selfish person that is corruptly and partially for himself and for his own Carnal ends and interest For such a one hath no true love to others but when you seem cross to his Own interest his pleasure wealth or honour he will forsake you For so he doth by God himself 5. He must be Humble and not notably proud For Pride will make him quarrelsome disdainful impatient and quite unsuitable to a humble person 6. He must be one that 's throughly and resolvedly Godly For you will hardly well center any where but in God nor will he be useful to all the ends of friendship if he be not one that Loveth God and holy things and is of a pious conversation Nor can you expect that he that is false to God and will sell his part in him for the pleasure or gain of sin should long prove truly faithful unto you 7. He must be one that is judicious in Religion that is not of an erroneous heretical wit nor ignorant of those great and excellent Truths which you should ost confer about But rather one that excelleth you in solid understanding and true judgement and a discerning head that can teach you somewhat which you know not and is not addicted to corrupt you with false opinions of his own 8. He must be one that is not Schismatical and embodied in any dividing Sect For else he will be no longer true to you than the interest of his party will allow him And if you will not follow him in his conceits and singularities he will withdraw his love and despise you And if he do not yet he may endanger your stedfastness by the temptation of his love 9. He must be one that hath no other very intimate friend unless his friend be also as intimate with you as with him Because else he will be no further secret and trusty to you than the interest or will of his other friend will allow him 10. He must be one that is Prudent in the management of business and especially those which your converse is concerned in else his indiscretion in words or practice will not suffer your friendship to be long entire 11. He must be one that is not addicted to loquacity but can keep your secrets Otherwise he will be so untrustly as to be uncapable of doing the true office of a friend 12. He must have a zeal and activity in Religion and in all well-doing Otherwise he will be unfit to warm your affections and to provoke you to love and good works and to do the principal works of friendship but will rather cool and hinder you in your way 13. He must be one that is not addicted to levity unconstancy and change or else you can expect no stability in his friendship 14. He must not much differ from you in Riches or in poverty or in quality in the world For if he be much Richer he will be carryed away with higher company and converse than yours and will think you fitter to be his servant than his friend And if he be much poorer than you he will be apt to value your friendship for his own commodity and you will be still in doubt whether he be sincere 15. He must be one that is like to live with you or near you that you may have the frequent benefit of his converse counsel example and other acts of friendship 16. He must be one that is not very covetous or a Lover of Riches or preferment For such a one will no longer be true to you than his Mammon will allow him 17. He must be one that is not pievish passionate and impatient but that can both bear with your infirmities and also bear much from others for your sake in the exercise of his friendship 18. He must be one that hath so good an esteem of your person and so true and strong a Love to you as will suffice to move him and hold him to all this 19. He must be yet of a publick Spirit and a lover of good works that he may put you on to well doing and not countenance you in an idle self-pleasing and unprofitable life And he ought to be one that is skilful in the business of your Calling that may be fit to censure your work and amend it and