heart that is we must exercise the graces of Gods holy Spirit in singing as well as in praying labouring to express the same affection in singing the Psalm as David had in penning the same as if it be a Psalm of Confession then to express some humility and brokenness of heart and spirit in singing it If it be a Psalm of prayers and petitions then must our affections be fervent If a Psalm of praises and thanksgivings then must our hearts be chearful And thus must the affection of the heart be ever suitable to the quality of the Psalm 3 It must be to the Lord that is as in the sight and presence of the Lord and to his honour and glory As the Apostle expresseth it in the next verse Whatsoever yee do in word or deed do it as in the name of Christ so to the praise and glory of God making his glory the main end and aim of what you do III. Another private Duty to be performed with our Family is Prayer For if this duty ought to be performed every day twice at least viz. in the morning and evening then especially on the Lords Day which the Lord hath wholly consecrated to his worship and service The Directions for the right manner of performing this duty of Prayer so as it may be an acceptable service and sacrifice unto God you may finde in Chapter second about the latter part thereof IV. Reading the Scriptures is another Duty to be performed in and with our Family that so they may bee acquainted with the Body of the Scriptures yea and with the Precepts and Promises the Directions and Consolations of the Word for their direction and comfort Directions for the more profitable reading of the Scriptures see Chap. 4. These are the Private duties of Piety to bee performed on the Lords Day Besides the Publick and Private there are likewise secret duties to be performed by every one alone in their Closets or Chambers which are briefly these 1 Reading some part of Gods Word or other good Books 2 Meditating of what you have heard or read that day which is an excellent means to make the Word both read and preached profitable unto you For as meat though it be never so wholsome nourisheth us not if it be not concocted and digested so is it with the Word of God the food of our souls if it be not by meditation concocted and digested it will nothing at all profit us but being by meditation digested it will then prove effectual to the nourishing of our souls 3 Examining your selves as of your former life conversation so especially of your carriage the last week and of the manner of your performing the duties of the day and as you should be humbled for your faylings therein so you should resolve with the assistance of Gods grace to be more watchful over your selves for the time to come and to be more careful in sanctifying the Lords Day by a conscionable manner of performing the duties thereof 4 Praying unto God is another duty to be performed by you in secret as well as publickly and privately yea you should double and treble your Prayers on the Lords Day Under the Law we read how the Lord required double Sacrifices on the Sabbath Day for besides the daily Sacrifices two Lambs more were appointed to be offered up on the Sabbath day four in all to shew the holiness of the day And in like manner ought you to double your spiritual sacrifices of Prayer and Praises on the Lords Day earnestly beseeching him for Christs sake to pardon as your sins in general so in special the manifold infirmities and imperfections which have passed from you in the performance of your holy seâ—vices and to enable you by his Spirit to perform them for the time to come with more life and vigor with more fervency and affection Having thus shewed you both the Publick Private and Secret duties of Piety to be performed on the Lords Day Come we now to the Works of Mercy which is another Head of duties which ought to be performed on thatday and therefore to duties of Piety you must adde Works of Mercy on the Sabbath day in a conscionable performance of both which consisteth the true sanctification of the Sabbath And because man consists of two Parts viz. of Soul and Body and both of them are subject to many Maladies therefore the Works of Mercy may be brought to these two Heads 1 Such as concern the Soul 2 Such as concern the Body of your Neighbour I The Works of Mercy which concern the Soul of your Neighbour are these and such like 1 To instruct the ignorant in Points of Doctrine needful and necessary to be known herein Iob expressed his charity as Eliphas testifieth of him Thou hast instructed many viz. in the knowledge of God 2 To draw Sinners to repentance by setting before them as the severity of Gods Justice against all impenitent Sinners so the freeness of his grace and riches of his mercy to all penitenâ— Sinners 3 To comfort such as are comfortless through an apprehension of the number and hainousness of their sins by setting before them the All-sufficiency of Christs Sacrifice and the gracious offers in the Gospel to all who find their sins a burthen to them 4 To exhort and stirre up such as have begun well to hold on patiently and constantly whereunto the Apostle exhorteth us Let us saith he consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works or to whet on to love and good works as the word in the Original properly signifieth 5 To reprove and rebuke such as are scandalous and offensive in their waies Thus Iohn reproved Herod for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for many other evils 6 To resolve the doubtful 7 To strengthen and establish such as are weak in grace These indeed in one respect may be called works of Piety namely as they are instructions directions and consolations gathered out of the holy Scriptures But in another respect they are works of mercy namely as they tend to the good of your neighbours souls In which the poorest that are may be rich in good works II. The works of mercy which concern the body of our neighbour are these and such like 1 Relieving such as are in want The Apostle enjoyning the Corinthians to lay up some thing in store every first day of the week which is the Lords Day implieth that that is a very fit season not only to do such works of mercy which are then offered unto us but also to prepare for other times And surely if every one would every Lords Day set apart something out of his commings in that week for a stock to give to charitable uses much good might be done thereby For as men by this means will have more to give than otherwise they will finde in their hearts to do on the week days So they will give both more
peace and comfort rest and salvation is to bee had Such therefore as having found their hearts affected with grief and sorrow for their sins do rest satisfied therewith and seek not out for Jesus Christ they are like to sit down without Christ and so fall short both of true peace here and of salvation hereafter 7 Others bottome their hope of salvation upon their partial repentance I mean their leaving and forsaking some sins when in the mean time they wittingly live in the practice of other sins which in truth is but a seigned and hypocritical repentance like that of Herods who upon Iohn Baptists preaching is said to leave many sins but yet would by no means part with his Herodias his darling and beloved sin Nay though your repentance bee true and full yet if you stay there and not look beyond it unto Jesus Christ you will fall short of salvation 8 Others bottom their hope of Salvation upon their Works of Charity thinking to purchase Heaven by their good Works and so wholly exclude Christs merits which they ground upon that sentence of Absolution pronounced by our Saviour at the Day of Judgement unto his Elect wherein hee giveth Heaven to them who have expressed their charity to his poor members in feeding cloathing them and the like whereas our Saviour instanceth in these Works of Charity as the fruites of their faith whereby they did evidence their faith to be a true and lively faith which manifested its life by those works of charity so that works of charity in themselves can be no good ground to bottom your salvation upon but only faith in Jesus Christ which is ever accompanied with works of charity if true and sound 9 Others bottom their hope of Salvation upon the Mercy of God They will confess themselves to be poor wretched sinful Creatures but they hope the mercy of God will pardon their sins and accept their poor services Thus many make the Mercy of God to eik out their own righteousness and so both put together they think will be a means of attonement and reconciliation with God yea and of obtaining eternal life and salvation But such doe wonderfully mistake the proper work of Gods Mercy which is not to eik out our righteousness but to shew us our unrighteousness and misery and then to shew us Jesus Christ the perfection of his righteousness the all-sufficiency of his Sacrifice with his willingness to receive all poor Sinners that will come unto him and then to stirre up our hearts to receive Jesus Christ as our Priest Prophet and King and to rest upon him for life and for salvation And thus might I goe on shewing you the many false and rotten foundations upon which the greatest part of men doe build their hopes of Salvation whereas in truth Christ is the only true solid foundation whereon we can safely build the hope of our Salvation And therefore saith the Apostle Other foundation can no man lay thâ—â— that is laid the Lord Iesus Christ intimating Christ to be the only true foundation So that he is the wise Christian that builds his hope of salvation only upon that rock the Lord Jesus Christ. And so I pass from the first fundamental Principle to the second namely II. That beleeving in Christ is the only means as of partaking of Christ so of salvation by him This was typified by the means of the Israelites cure of the sting of the fiery Serpents and that was by looking upon the brazen Serpent for as the Israelites by looking upon the brazen Serpent were perfectly cured of the sting of the fiery Serpents In like manner all poor Sinners sensible of the sting of Sin by looking with the eye of faith upon Jesus Christ lifted up upon the Cross shall be perfectly cured of the sting of their sins This application of that Type our Saviour himself maketh for saith he As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life So that beleeving in Jesus Christ is the only means of partaking of Christ and of salvation by him What this faith is which maketh us partakers of Christ and of Salvation by him I have formerly shewed in the Directions for the worthy receiving of the Lords Supper How should the consideration hereof stirre you up to labour above all things to beleeve in Jesus Christ that is to goe wholly out of your selves unto Jesus Christ and to receive him as he is offered in the Gospel Mind this work most of all for it is the All in all to your Salvation and yet how doe the greatest part of you minde your pleasures and your profits more than this Can they give you an interest in Christ or a right to Salvation Why then should your pleasures and your profits be so minded and sought after by you even more than faith which only can give you an interest in Christ and a right unto salvation in and thorow him Surely it is a thing to be lamented that men should so much mind worldly things and in the mean time forget spiritual things That they should be so politick for their bodies and so foolish for their souls That they should with Martha be so much troubled about earthly things and not with Mary mind this one thing necessary but resolve hence forward to give no rest to your souls till you have attained to this saving grace of faith The means God hath sanctified thereunto may be brought to three Heads 1 The removing of some lets and impediments 2 The embracing of some truths 3 The practising of some Duties The lets and impediments are of two sorts 1 Such as keep Natural men and women from beleeving in Jesus Christ. 2 Such as keep off many a sincere broken-hearted Sinner I. The lets and impediments that keep off Natural men and women from beleeving in Jesus Christ are these and such like 1 A love of their lusts For this men generally know that as Dagon fell down before the Ark so their lusts must fall down before Jesus Christ they know that when Christ is received into the heart by faith their lusts must be cast out for Christ will not be received into that heart which is full of base and sinful lusts Now mens lusts are dear unto them and very unwilling they are to part with them they had as lieve part with Christ as part with their lusts This our Saviour intimateth where he saith Light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light where by Light is meant principally Iesus Christ with his Gospel and by darkness mens lusts which they prefer before Jesus Christ and will not part with them for the gaining of Christ with all the benefits of his Death and Passion Oh that any man should bee so sottish as to prefer a base sinful lust before Jesus Christ Surely that man
grace is past and thâ—t it is now too late having so long stood out against the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ. For the removal of this I shall propound four things to your serious consideration 1 It is not for any man to say his day of grace is past for that is one of those secrets which belong only unto God to know And we must not meddle with Gods secrets but check our selves for it 2 If thou hast stood out against Christ hitherto thou hast now therefore the more reason to come in and cloze with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ. 3 If thou hast an heart desirous to cloze with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ it is certain thy day of grace is not yet past Christ still knocks at the door of thine heart therefore now resolve to open unto him 4 Consider that Christ hath several seasons of bringing men home to himself some hee brings home to himself in the latter end of the day who questionless refused him in the former part thereof and therefore so long as life lasteth do not say it is too late but stir up thy self to receive Jesus Christ as hee is offered in the Gospel and to rest upon him and his merits alone for life and salvation Having thus shewed you the Lets and Impediments to be removed II. I proceed now to the truths to be imbraced which are these 1 That every man out of Christ is in a wretched miserable condâ—tion liable to the wrath of God to the curse of the Law to all judgements and plagues here and to eternal death and condemnation hereafter with the Devils and damned in Hell flames Yea every Christless man and woman hang over the very mouth of Hell by the rotten thred of their lives which is ready every moment to crack and then what can be expected but an irrecoverable downfall into Hell 2 That no man is able to help himself out of this wretched miserable condition for as the Apostle speaketh We are not sufficient of our selves so much as to think a good thought much less can we doe any thing of our selves to free our selves from so great a bondage and slavery as sin hath brought us into 3 That God himself out of his free grace and rich mercy did send his own Son out of his bosome into the world to take our Nature upon him that therein he might redeem us out of our wretched miserable condition 4 That Christ is an all-sufficient Saviour who by his Death hath made full satisfaction to Gods Justice for all our sins and therefore is able to save us to the uttermost to the uttermost of our sins yea to the uttermost of our fears and doubts 5 That Iesus Christ is willing to receive and embrace all poor sinners who will but goe unto him and cast themselves and the burthen of their sins upon him as appears by his manifold gracious invitations unto poor Sinners who are but sensible of their sins to come unto him 6 That there is no way or means of Salvation but only by beleeving in Jesus Christ and beleeving is necessary to salvation in two respects 1 As it is the Command of God that we should beleeve in the name of his Son Jesus Christ as 1 Ioh. 3. 23. This is his Commandement that we should beleeve on the name of his Son Iesus Christ. 2 As it is the condition or means that God hath set down for the obtaining of eternal life and salvation as Ioh. 3. 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Hence it is that unbelief is made the only ground and reason of mens Damnation Though men shall be punished for all other sins yet not beleeving is the ground and reason why they perish by their sins because beleeving in Jesus Christ is the only means of Salvation These are the Truths to be embraced III. Come we now to the Duties to be practised 1 Upon a serious apprehension of thy miserable condition without Christ labour to stirre up in thy soul some affectionate longing restless desires after the Lord Jesus Christ that thou maist in truth from thine heart say Oh that Christ were mine oh that upon any terms my Soul might enjoy him This is the lifting up of the doors and gates of the Soul that so the King of glory mâ—y enter in and dwell there 2 Being convinced that there is no way or means of Salvation but only by going out of thy self unto Jesus and casting thy self upon him Adventure thy soul upon Christ cast thy self into his arms and be sure thou give not way to carnal reasonings to doubtings and temptations from the number and hainousness of thy sins or from thine unworthiness but reason from the entent and freeness of Gods offer of Christ and from Christs willingness to receive all poor Sinners that will but adventure their souls upon him saying with Iob Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Job 13 15. and with Ester I will go if I perish I perish I will perish trusting upon Jesus Christ. 3 Diligently frequent the publick Ministery of the Word it being the ordinary means God hath sanctified for the working of faith in our hearts according to that of the Apostle Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God And the hearing of the Gospel is called the hearing of faith because by hearing the Doctrin of Faith the Spirit works the grace of faith in our hearts This is the still Voyce in which he speaks to the hearts of Sinners and when God by his Spirit doth begin to work upon thine heart in the hearing of the Word doe thou second the work of Gods Spirit by oft meditating thereon and applying it unto thy self more and more And whensoever any sin is pressed home upon thy Conscience by the Minister and awakens thee labour to drive the nayl home to the head strive to maintain the power of it upon thine heart all the week after 4 Be earnest with God in Prayer that whatsoever he denieth thee he would not deny thee the saving grace of faith Faith is not of our selves it is the free gift of God as the Apostle teacheth us Now the means God hath sanctified for the obtaining of every good gift is Prayer As therefore thou desirest faith earnestly begge it of God resting assured that he will not deny thee if thou dost from thy heart ask it in the name of his Son Jesus Christ. Oh therefore be not wanting to thy self herein but seeing faith may be had for asking ask and ask again and with patience wait upon God for the inclining thine heart to close with the tenders and offers of Jesus Christ. Prescribe him not any time for as hee worketh on whom hee pleaseth so hee worketh when hee pleaseth
prayer say with thy self Lord what need have I of a Saviour I see thou mayest condemn mee for my most holy services and therefore I go wholly out of my self unto Iesus Christ resting upon his perfect Righteousness and all-sufficient Merits for life and for salvation CHAP. III. Of Ejaculatory Prayers BEsides thy solemn Morning Prayer it will bee good to send up Ejaculatory Prayers and Praises unto God and that frequently upon all occasions By Ejaculatory Prayers and Praises I mean The sudden lifting up of the heart unto God upon some present occasion either in way of Petition or Thanksgiving Which kinde of Prayers wee finde commanded under those general Precepts of praying alwaies and praying without ceasing The meaning whereof is not that thou shouldest wholly and only attend on prayer so as to neglect the word and other duties of piety or the ordinary works of thy calling But that besides thine ordinary and set times of prayer thou shouldest alwaies have a praying frame of spirit bee ready upon all occasions to lift up thine heart unto God in some short Ejaculations For the more profitable pressing of this kinde of prayer I shall 1 Give thee some Motives to quicken thee up to a frequent performance thereof 2 Add some Cautioâ—â— The Motives may bee drawn to three heads 1 The Excellency 2 The Necessity 3 The Utility of this kinde of Prayer I. The Excellency of Ejaculatory Prayer appeareth In that at all times and in all places even in our converses with men wee may thereby converse with God and injoy an holy familiarity with him and yet others in our company take no notice thereof And when we are about the works of our Calling we may without any hinderance thereof lift up our hearts to God in some short Ejaculatory Prayer for his assistance and blessing which though they are but as Parentheses in our worldly imployments yet will prove very advantagious to us therein II. Another Motive may bee taken from the Necessity of these Ejaculatory Prayers and that 1 In regard of the sudden dangers and plunges whereunto the people of God are many times brought which will not afford time for continued prayer 2 In regard of the manifold slips and infirmities of the people of God which put them upon praying for the pardon and forgiveness of them 3 In regard of the manifold mercies blessings and deliverances which unexpectedly thou receivest from God there is frequent occasion of Ejaculatory Prayers and thanksgivings unto him III. A third Motive may bee taken from the Utility of those Ejaculatory Prayers which appeareth 1 From Gods gracious acceptation and remuneration of the same whereof the Scripture giveth abundant instances and examples As of Davids Ejaculatory Prayer against Achitophel that God would turn his counsel into foolishness was graciously accepâ—ed and granted in defeating the same The like wee read of Nehemiah's Ejaculatory Prayer unto God to incline the heart of the King to grant his request which was graciously heard and answered So also the poor penitent Theef's Ejaculatory Prayer unto Christ Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy Kingdome Holy Ejaculations are the Spiritual breathings of a gracious heart which as they are very pleasing unto God so exceedingly advantagious unto Christians for though they are very short and sudden yet seldome do they return empty 2 These Ejaculatory Prayers are a special means for the improving of every opportunity and occurrence of Providence to thy spiritual advantage Herein bee careful to observe these two Cautions 1 Content not thy self with these Ejaculatory Prayers and Praises as if they were sufficient at thy lying down and rising up and that thou needest not to trouble thy self with any longer prayers Oh let not thy Ejaculatory Prayers justle out either thy closet or family prayers but as God in his Word requireth the one as well as the other do thou make conscience of every one of them in their time and place 2 Beware of formal and prophane Ejaculations which come from the lip but not from the heart as Good Lord and Good God or The Lord bless mee and Lord have mercy upon mee with such like which can bee no better than a taking of the name of God in vain in that they are uttered customarily in a way of form meerly from the teeth outward for which without true and unfeigned repentance God will not hold thee guiltless CHAP. IV. Of Reading the Scriptures in private ANother duty to be performed alone is Reading of the Scriptures And indeed the Word and Prayer should go hand in hand together as the Christians daily exercise For every thing is sanctifâ—ed by the Word of God and Prayer Appoint therefore some set time in every day for the reading of the Word The morning is the freest when our spirits and wits are freshest By reading three chapters a day the whole Bible may bee read over in a year But I would not so strictly tye any to this as still to go on in reading some part of the Scriptures every day And if extraordinary occasion hinder thine ordinary task double it another time For by the holy Scriptures onely wee may attain to the knowledge of the whole will of God For the more profitable pressing this duty I shall 1 Give you some Rules and Directions to bee observed 1 Before the reading of the Scriptures 2 In reading of the Scriptures 3 After the reading of them 2 Give you some Motives to quicken you to a frequent reading of them I. The Rules and Directions to be observed before reading are these 1 Go about it with all holy reverence as in the sight and presence of God beleeving it to bee the Word of God written by holy men as they were moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost as the Apostle Peter expresseth it when therefore thou settest thy self to read the Word say to thy self I will hearken what the Lord will speak unto mee therein 2 Lift up thine heart in prayer unto God as for the Spirit of Illumination to open the eyes of thine understanding that thou mayest rightly conceive his Word so for wisdome to apply memory to retain faith to beleeve and grace to practise what thou shalt read II. The Rules and Directions to bee observed in reading of the Word are these 1 Read the holy lives and actions of Gods Children not onely as matters of history but as patterns of imitation for for this end are they recorded unto us as St. Paul testifieth Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning 2 In reading the Promises and Threatnings the Exhortations and Admonitions and other parts of the Scripture so apply them to thy self as if God by name had delivered the same unto thee whereby the Word will become very profitable unto thee For thus will promises to others incourage thee threatnings against others restrain thee from sin exhortations to others stir thee up to thy duty and admonitions
manner of performing this duty both certain General Rules must be observed and also Particular according to diverse circumstances General Rules are these 1 Hee that reproveth another must lift up his heart in prayer unto God that hee would so guide his tongue and move the others heart that his reproof may bee profitable unto him For without Gods blessing all our admonitions and reproofs will prove but words spoken in the air 2 Our reproof must bee done in love aiming therein at our brothers good and not at all at his disgrace For 〈◊〉 the Apostle speaketh All things must bee done in love And as 〈◊〉 things so especially this of reproof Concerning Particular Rules both the state of the party reproving and of the party reproved and the quality of the sin together with time and place must bee observed 1 The state and condition of the party reproving must bee observed As they who have authority over others have greater liberty to reprove so if they have to deal with notorious scandalous offenders they then may and must do it 1 With authority as the Apostle exhorteth Rebuke with authority 2 Sharply So the Apostle commandeth Rebuke them sharply The word in the Greek translated sharply properly signifieth cuttingly or to the quick Ely failed herein though hee reproved his sons for their wickedness yet it was not sharply and to the quick but with too much gentleness and mildness 2 The mind and â—isposition of the party reproved must be observed For if hee bee flexible and ingenuous hee must with mildness bee reproved even with the spirit of meekness as the Apostle Paul expresseth it But yet severity must bee used when lenity prevails not 3 The state and condition of the party reproved is to bee observed For 1 If it bee our Superiour it must be done with all reverence and humility rather beseeching and exhorting than plainly rebuking as Naamans servants did their Master 2 If the party to be reproved be our equal then it must bee done without all bitterness even with all love Reproof is a bitter pill and therefore it must alwaies be rolled with Sugar expressing much meekness of spirit and compassion of heart shewing in the hatred of our brothers sin our love of his person 4 The quality of the sin reproved must likewise bee observed 1 Private offences must bee privately reproved For saith our Saviour If thy brother trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone But open and scandalous offences must be reproved openly For saith the Apostle Them that sin viz. openly and with scandal rebuke before all i. e. before the whole assembly of the Church that others also may fear 2 Sins directly tending to Gods dishonour must bee reproved with an holy zeal and indignation Christ thus often reproved the Scribes and Pharisees And thus Peter reproved Simon Magus 5 The seâ—â—onableness of the time must with great wisdome bee observed To rebuke a drunkard in his drunkenness is folly Abigal knew as much and therefore said nothing to Nabal in his drunken fit but in the morning when the wine was gone out of him So neither is it seasonable to reprove a man for his passion in his passion wait rather for a fit time till a mans fit and passion bee over 6 The seasonableness of the place must likewise bee observed Unless it bee for due and just censure let it not bee in publick Assemblies open streets with the like But if by the way thou observest a man sin whom thou knowest not whether ever thou shalt see him again or no then as privily as thou canst thou maist meekly rebuke him Thus shalt thou manifest thy Zeal for Gods glory thine hatred of sin and thy care for thy brothers salvation CHAP. XIV Directions to the Rich. AS the Apostle Paul knew how to bee abased and how to abound how to bee full and how to bee hungry i. e. hee had learned in the School of Christ how to carry himself Christian-like in a rich and in a poor estate So it will bee a point of special wisdome in us to know how to carry our selves Christian-like through variety of conditions how to mannage every estate For your better help herein I shall give you some Directions 1 How to carry your selves Christian-like in a rich and full estate 2 How to carry your selves Christian-like in a poor and mean estate I. Look up unto God and often think of him as the author and donor of all the good things thou dost injoy When thou hast gotten wealth say not This I have gotten by my own wisdome and policy by mine own travel pains and indeavour But say with Iob This the Lord hath given acknowledge his hand of providence in what thou hast This direction the Lord giveth his own people by Moses When thou art grown rich say not in thine heart my power and the might of my hand hath gotten mee this wealth but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is hee that giveth thee power to get wealth Noting wealth and riches to bee the special gift of God II. Bless God for what thou hast This duty likewise the Lord required of his own people When thou hast eaten and art full then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God III. Labour to see Gods special love to thee in common mercies For what good will the injoyment of any thing do thee unless thou canst see Gods love as well as his bounty therein Quest. How may I know that these outward mercies which I do injoy are bestowed upon mee in love and favour Answ. 1 If they inflame thy heart with a love to God causing thee to love him the more because hee hath been so bountiful unto thee 2 If thou findest in thy self a willingness to honour God in the use of those good things thou hast received from him by laying out a portion thereof towards the maintenance of Gods worship or the releef of Gods poor then thou hast a comfortable evidence that they are bestowed upon thee in love 3 If it bee the grief of thine heart that thou dost not answer the loving kindness of the Lord towards thee that thy conversation is so unsuitable to his gracious dispensations towards thee This is an evident sign that what thou hast received from God was bestowed upon thee in love IV. Beware of being puffed up with Pride For wealth and riches are very apt to make men proud as the Apostle intimateth 1 Tim. 6. 17. Charge them that are rich in this world that they bee not high minded implying that riches are very apt to make men high-minded to think of themselves above what is meet especially such as are raised out of nothing unto a great estate V. Therefore labour to bee humble under thine abundance to be low in thine own thoughts when thou art high in the world which indeed will prove thy
the better strengthening of their hearts and faith as Psal. 6. 2 3. III. When God shall exercise you with any losses crosses or afflictions labour to bear them Christianâ—like to that end observe these rules 1 Bear them sensibly the Lord expects we should be sensible of the waight of our afflictions hee would not have us as Stoicks or Stocks which are not affected with his stripes but like Children he would have us sensible of the smart of the rod. Thus was Iob. There are two Extreams whereunto we are very prone to run in times of afflictions the one is a despising of afflictions the other is a fainting under them both which are hinted to us by the Author to the Hebrews My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him these are the two extreans we are carefully to avoyd in times of afflictions 1 Not to despise or slight the chastisement of the Lord saying If God will have my estate let him have it if hee will have my Husband or Wife or Child let him have them this is a despising of the chastening of the Lord a little regarding yea a contemning thereof as the Greek word implieth which is very displeasing unto God 2 Not to faint under our losses crosses and afflictions as when Children dye then the spirit of the Parent to dye also or when the Husband dyeth then the spirit of the Wife to dye also this is a fainting under the burthen of our afflictions as if they were unsupportable not to be indured as the notation of the Greek word implieth 2 If you would bear your afflictions Christian-like bear them with patience and silence according to the example of David who when God laid his hand upon his back he presently laid his hand upon his mouth as appeareth by his own expression I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it This patient silent bearing of Afflictions is opposed to two things 1 To an inward repining at the Dispensations of God towards you 2 To an outward complaining and murmuring at them both which you must carefully avoyd 1 You must carefully avoyd all inward repinings at the dispensations of Gods Providence towards you whatsoever storms are without you yea and blow upon you yet your hearts within you should be calm and quiet what though the Lords dealings with you be very sharp yet you ought not to repine at them but quietly and silently to submit thereunto acknowledging the equity of Gods proceeding with you that as he is righteous in all his ways so in particular towards you and thereupon to say with good old Ely It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good and with our blessed Saviour Father not my will but thy will be done And if you bear your afflictions thus quietly you shall bear them with much more ease at present and find them more profitable in the end 2 As you must carefully avoyd all inward repining so likewise all outward complaining and murmuring under the sad dispensations of Gods providence As you must not entertain any hard thoughts of God as if he punished you above your deservings or more than you are able to bear so neither must you express any discontented words against the Lords dealings with you for though a Christian may mourn under sad Providences yet may hee not murmâ—â—e at them though he may groan yet not grumble but quietly bear all losses crosses and afflictions both in opposition to all inward repining and outward murmuring 3 If you would bear your afflictions Christian-like you must bear them willingly and cheerfully To help you herein take these few considerations 1 That no afflictions befall any without the wise ordering Providence of God as Eliphas implieth when he saith That affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth evil spring out of the ground Truly there is not a Warrant comes to Arrest thy Body with Pain or Sickness but it comes under the Hand and Seal of thy heavenly Father there is not a Habeas Corpus comes to remove thy Yoke-fellow Child or Friend but it is signed by thy heavenly Father This consideration hath been a ground of comfort unto the people of God in all their afflictions The Lord said Iob hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. And this must needs be a ground of comfort yea and joy unto all the people of God especially if you shall consider in the next place 2 That the end God aims at in your afflictions is to doe you good yea some special good that could not be done so well in any other way The Lord chasteneth us for our profit saith the Apostle every Cross will bring with it some blessing or other if the fault be not in our selves yea the greatest cross will bring the greatest blessing 3 As God doth intend our good thâ—reby so when it hath effected that good which God intended thereby hee will soon remove your affliction from you for the Lord taketh no delight or pleasure in your pains or sufferings but delighteth in mercy and therefore will not neither can he suffer his afflicting hand to lye longer upon you than in his wisdome he seeth to be needful and necessary for the effecting of that good which he intends you thereby and therefore if your afflictions seem long unto you know it is no longer than needs must and that that good for which God sent it is not yet effected 4 That God will either proportion your afflictions to the measure of your strength or your strength to the measure of your affliction laying no more upon you than he will enable you to bear according to that of the Apostle God is faithful and will not suffer you to bee tempted above what you are able to bear IV. If you would bear you afflictions Christian-like you must bear them fruitfully by labouring to make a sanctified use and improvement of them whereby they will become comfortable blessings unto you for a sanctified affliction is a great blessing Q. What course should I take to have my afflictions so sanctified unto me that I may be able to say with David It is good for me that I have been afflicted A. I. In every Affliction take notice of the displeasure of God against thee for though the Lord doth sometimes afflict his Children for the trial and exercise of their Graces rather than for any displeasure he hath conceived against them as in Iobs case it was yet usually he strikes not till he be provoked by our Sins and therefore it will be thy wisedome in every affliction to take notice of the displeasure of God against thee II. Search into thine own heart and labour to find out the cause of Gods displeasure against thee for it is not for nought that God afflicts thee something or other is amiss in thee which God would have