I give them such meat as they can never digest Let me not read Authors as the Butter-fly goeth to flowers onely to gild her wings but as the Bee to gather honey and bring it home to the hive for the supply of her young Lord let me never be guilty by painting the windows of hindring the light of thy glorious Gospel from shining powerfully into the hearts of men and women My prayer is 3 Prudently That I may not strengthen the hands of sinners nor sadden the hearts of the godly but be able to distinguish between the vile and the precious and accordingly give them their several portions That I may give milk to babes and strong meat to stronger men order my prescriptions suitable to their particular constitutions use the needle of the Law to make way for the thread of the Gospel and lead my sheep as Jacob drove his flock as they were able to bear it and as Christ taught his as they were best able to hear him 4 Powerfully O that I might not onely preach prudently but also powerfully That my Sermons may be delivered not as Prologues to a Play as matter of sport or pastime but as the Message of an Herauld with all imaginable seriousness and fervency as containing Conditions of Life and Death The Word is an hammer but it will never break the stony heart if lightly laid on What is preached coldly is heard carelesly Lord let me not like the Moon give some light without any heat but cause me to lift up my voyce like a Trumpet to give as fire heat as well as light to be eaten up with the zeal of thine House to beseech poor souls to be happy with as much fervency as if I were begging for my life and to preach so successfully that I may raise up much spiritual seed to my Elder Brother I wish 2 To pray for his people That all my Parishoners without exception may have so deep a share in my affection upon a Religious account that without ceasing I may make mention of them always in my prayers That my hearts desire and prayer to God both in secret private and publique for poor and rich may be that they may be saved O let me daily offer Sacrifice for them confess their iniquities bewail their misery and cry mightily to God for mercy Lord let me prevail with thy Majestie to speak to their hearts and I shall prevail with them to hearken to thee yea I shall stand before thee at the last day with courage and say Behold here am I and the children which thou hast given me Because the small keels of children are quickly overturned when they meet with the high winds of temptations 3 To cathechise as they sail along in the Sea of this World if they be not ballasted with the principles of the Oracles of God I pray That I may be a diligent Instructer of babes and a faithful Teacher of the simple That I may season through Gods help those new vessels with the precious water of life that they may retain their savour to their old age That the younger amongst my people may from their childehood know the holy Scriptures be wise to salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus I wish 4 To administer the Saments That in the Administration of the Sacraments I may have an impartial regard to the fitness and meetness of the subjects lest I set those precious Seals of the Covenant of Grace to blanks whereby they should signifie nothing especially that about the Lords Supper as I would not be partaker of other mens sin nor be an instrument of furthering their eternal suffering I may be tender and walk altogether by the rule of Scripture O let me never pollute that Sacred Ordinance by giving it to prophane persons nor be so prodigal of my dearest Saviours blood and body as to give those holy things to Dogs and to cast those Pearls before Swine who will trample them under their feet Ah it is much better that such scandalous sinners should be angry with me on earth for my wholesome severity then curse me for ever in Hell for my foolish pity and soul-damning flattery I wish That like a faithful Shepherd 5 To visit his flock and to admonish advise and comfort as occasion shall be I may often visit my flock and warn every one night and day with tears and not as a careless non-Resident expose them to the rage and cruelty of the devouring Wolf by my absence from them or by my negligence when present among them lest another day when it s too late they cry to me and complain of me Sir if thou hadst been here our Souls had not dyed The Priest under the Law visited the suspected or leprous houses enquired how it was with them and as he found it so gave sentence O that I might under the Gospel visit diseased hearts and diligently enquire how things stand betwixt the great God and their poor souls and give them suitable savoury and profitable advice Though I therefore desire a great Auditory because among many Fish there is the greater probability that the baits of the Gospel will take and catch some yet therefore I should desire a small Parish because thereby I am in the greater capacity to deal with every one in it in particular about the concernments of their everlasting peace Lord let thy strict Command frequently come into my minde I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season Reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I wish 6 To give a good example in his conversation That I may be as the Baptist both a Burning Light in my Sermons and a Shining Light in my Conversation lest my works give the lye to my words Whilst I as Mercury direct others in the right way but walk not in it my self The Priests under the Law had their Vrim and Thummim signifying purity of Doctrine and sanctity of life a bell and a pomgranate a Bell and a pomgranate typifying that Preaching and practice must go together O that I might preach as powerfully by my life as by my lips and like a faithful nurse avoid the scandals of distempers and even forbear those meats which I love though lawful in themselves when not expedient not onely for my own sake but also for their sakes to whom I give suck Nazianzen saith of him that was the voyce of one crying in the Wilderness That he was all voice a voice in his habit a voice in his diet a voice in his conversation 2 Titus 7. Lord enable me in all things so to shew my self a pattern of good works to my people 1 Tim. 4.12 to be such an example to beleivers in word in conversation in charity in
like Moses three strokes fetch water out of a rock Ah couldest thou that hast heard of this God by the hearing of the ear but see him with the seeing of the eye thou wouldest quickly abhor thy self in dust and ashes How ugly how loathsom would sin be couldst thou behold the Glory Holiness and Grace of that God whom thereby thou hast offended Ah how great an evil must that be which is so opposite and offensive to the greatest good Think also on the blood of the dearest Jesus which was let out by thy lusts and surely when thou beholdest those knives before thee which made those bloody mortal wounds in his blessed body Anger and Grief will both strive within thee for the mastery Meditate on thy wants He that is ignorant what he ailes cannot complain at least so as to be relieved The messenger who knoweth not the errand upon which he comes must expect to be sent back as wise as he came Do as the good Huswife when she is going to market where provision is to be had doth First she considereth with her self what her family needs what food what cloaths what her Husband what her Children what her self and accordingly disposeth her monâ—y at Market so when thou art going to God by prâ—yer who is able to supply all thy necessities consider what thou wantest what pardoning mercy what purifying mercy what sin thou didst lately foil and art afraid it will recover again that thou mayst beg strength to pursue the victory what lâ—st lately got the better of thee that thou maist intreat pardon of it and power against it what grace thou art defective in either in reference to thy calling or relations or any condition that thou mayst request God to bestow it on thee what new providence hath befallen thee or new work is laid upon thee that thou mayst beseech God to give the sutable grace and power This consideration of thy wants with the weight of them will make thee more urgent and instant with God for supply they that feel hunger how hard will they beg for bread poor prisoners that are ready to famish for want of food how earnest are they for relief Bread bread for the Lords sake Remember the poor prisoners for the Lords sake Confideration of thy soul-necessities and of what infinite concernment the releif of them is to thee will make thee feel thy wants and then thou wilt be importunate with God for mercy A man that considereth not his indigencies is like a full stomack that loaths the honey comb Consider thy Meâ—cies meditate on the several particular passages of Gods providence towards thee from thy birth to this moment how many devils thou hast been delivered from how many journeys thou hast been preserved in that seasonable succour God hath sometimes sent thee in dangers what sutable support he hath afforded thee in distress what counsel he hath given thee in doubts what comforts he hath vouchsafed thee in sorrows and darkness Make past mercies by meditation present with thee How many years hast thou lived and every moment of thy life hast breathed in mercy Do not forget former favours bestowed on thee or thine The Civet box when the Civet is gone still retains it scent the vessel when the liquor is gone hath still a savour of it So when thy mercies are past and spent thou shouldest still have the scent and savour of them in thy spirit Meditate upon the number of thy present mercies personal domestical national temporal spiritual How many are the mercies which thou enjoyest in bed at board at home abroad Thy house thy barns thy children thy body thy soul are all full of blessings thou hast many positive many privative mercies Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts to us ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee If I would declare and speak them they are more then can be numbered Psal 40.4 Think of them particularly meat swallowed down whole doth not yield such nourishment as when it is cut into small pieces If jewels are bundled up together their riches and worth are hid they must be viewed and considered one by one then their value will appear Meditate on the nature of them how freely they are bestowed When thou wast Gods enemy he fed thee and cloathed thee and maintained thee as when a man turneth his back upon the Sun the Sun even then refresheth him with his beams so when thou didst depart away from God he even then followed thee with goodness like the fountain he giveth his pleasant streams to thee gratis For alas thou art less then the least of all Gods mercies worse then any loathsome Toad or poisonous Serpent This will be an excellent file to set off the mercies of God in their lively lovely colours that David so great a King should do so much for such a dead Dog as Mephibosheth did exceedingly affect his heart 2 Sam. 7. So do thou think with thy self What am I and what is my Fathers house that the Lord should do so much for me Meditate upon the fulness and greatness of thy mercies What distinguishing mercies are thy Body-mercies they are more then God oweth thee and more then he bestoweth upon others Alas many want health liberty food rayment sleep limbs senses reason and possibly thou enjoyest them all But Oh! of what concernment are thy Soul-mercies the image of God the blood of Christ eternal Life the Gospel of thy Salvation Sabbaths Sacraments and seasons of grace God hath not dealt so with every people as with this Nation nor with every person as with thee Thou art as the Psalmist phraseth it laden with benefits hast such a weight such a burthen of benefits upon thy back that thou canst hardly stir or stand under them Hast thou not blessings of the womb blessings of the field blessings of the Throne blessings of the foot-stool blessings in thy going out blessings in thy coming in which way canst thou look and not see blessings where canst thou tread and not stand on blessings thy whole life is in this respect a bundle of blessings these thoughts before prayer may stir thee up to bless the giver If thou shouldst bless men when they curse thee much more shouldst thou bless God when he blesseth thee Meditate on the God to whom thou art to pray Consider his Majesty and greatness Nehemiah calls him The great and terrible God Nehem. 1.5 He is so great the Heavens and heavens of heavens cannot contain him that the Earth Heavens and Ocean are in comparison of him as nothing yea less then nothing and vanity Think of his attributes and infinite excellencies God is in Heaven and thou art on Earth therefore let thy words be few Eccles 5.2 As God riseth in our thoughts self falleth That Sun discovereth all our dust O how are we ashamed of our drops when we stand by this Ocean This serious apprehension of thy
Hearing or Reading and I must tell thee that it concerneth thee now to be very watchful for many Birds wait to peck up the corn as soon as the Husbandman hath sowed it Our Saviour telleth us He that received seed among thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this World and the deceitfulness of riches choak the Word and he becometh unfruitful Mat. 13.32 As High-way men watch the honest Countreyman as he cometh from the Fair where he hath sold his Cattel and filled his purse and then set upon him and rob him So do the cares of the world dog the honest Christian as he cometh from the Word where he got some Spiritual treasure and then fall upon him to plunder him Besides Satan is so subtle that he will be sure to haunt the soul after reading or Hearing the Word When any one heareth the Word then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart Mat. 13.19 The season then is worthy our observation When the Christian hath made a good meal then the Devil tryeth all his wiles and tricks to make him vomit it up again Servants when they carry full cups of wine in the midst of unlucky boys must be wary and watchful or they will spill it Some people take physick and though it doth them some good at present yet all is quickly marr'd by their neglect of those rules which should be observed afterwards The Word possibly when thou heardst it made some work among thy affections the beauty of Christs person was displayed before thine eyes and thy heart began to fall in love with thy Saviour the extremity of his passion was described to thee and thine heart began to loath the cause thereof thy sins Well now then thy conscience is a little warmed and awakened and the pores of thy soul opened shouldst thou go into the cold presently all would come to nothing If water be taken from the fire when it is a little warm it cooleth quickly he that would have it boil must rather encrease the fire There are two things which God requireth of thee after hearing and reading the Word namely Prayer and Practice 1. Prayer Petition for a blessing upon the Word and Thanksgiving for the blessing of the Word Petition for a blessing upon the Word After the seed is sown the influence of Heaven must cause it to spring up and ripen or otherwise there will be no harvest Paul may plant and Apollo water but God must give the encrease 1 Cor. 3.6 The Minister preacheth thou hearest but it is the Lord who teacheth to profit Thou mayest like Mary have Christ before thee in a Sermon and yet not know him till he discover himself to thee The Eunuch could read of Christ in the Prophet but could not reach Christ till God came to his Chariot There is a twofold light requisite to a bodily vision light in the eye and light in the air the former cannot as we experience in the night do it without the latter There is also a twofold light necessary to Spiritual sight beside the light of understanding which is in a man there must be Illumination from the Spirit of God or there will be no beholding the Lord in the glass of the Word When the Disciples had heard Christs Doctrine they were not able to understand or profit by his preaching and therefore they cry to him Lord open to us this parable When thou hast read or heard the Word go to God and say Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments Encline my heart unto thy Testimonies and not unto covetousness Psal 119.33 to 37. Intreat God to write his Law on the fleshly tables of thine heart Bernard observes bodily bread in the Cupboard may be eaten of Mice or moulder and waste but when it is taken down into the body it is free from such danger If God enable thee to take thy soul-food down into thine heart it is safe from all hazards Thanksgiving Consider what a distinguishing mercy what a precious treasure the Word of God is how without it thou hadst for ever been both unholy and unhappy how by it thou mayst eternally be both gracious and glorious and without question thou wilt finde cause to bless the giver for such a rare and profitable gift The Apostle ranketh this favour amongst the blessings of the highest form What advantage hath the Jew or what profit is there of Circumcision Much every way chiefly that unto them were committed the Oracles of God And the Psalmist mentioning this differencing-differencing-Mercy concludeth it with Praise ye the Lord Psal 147.2 ult The light of the Sun Moon and Stars is of such concernment to men that without them the beauty of the old Creation would be buried in darkness and therefore the children of God have given the Most High the credit of those greater and lesser Candles Psal 136.7 8 9. nay they have seen eternal love by those luminaries The light of Gods Law and Word is of infinitely more worth for by it the glory and beauty of the new Creation and that curious piece of mans Redemtion is seen and known What honor then doth God deserve for this favour Ptolomy King of Egypt was at great cost and charge to have the Law of the Jews translated by the Septuagint into Greek Euseb Hist. lib 5. cap. 8. Thou hast the Old and New Testament both at a cheap and easie raâ—e Thou mayest read thy Fathers Will in thy Mother Tongue thou hast in it a suitable Medicine for every Malady seasonable succour in all thy Miseries the costliest Cordials and choicest comforts without Money and without Price and surely all this deserveth thanks and praise Didst thou but know the misery of those places and persons who want the Word surely thy heart could not but be affected with thy mercy in the enjoyment of the word It is sometimes described by Famine I will send a famine not of bread and water but of hearing the Word of the Lord Amos 4. How dreadful are the concomitants and consequents of Famine what shrivel'd cheeks hollow eyes pale visages fainting hearts and trembling limbs have men in a famine they seem rather like walking Ghosts and moving carcasses then living creartures The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst the young child asketh bread and no man breaketh it unto them Their visage is blacker then a coal they are not known in the streets their skin cleaveth to their bones it is withered it is become like a stick The hands of the pitiful Women have sodden their own children they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people Lam. 4.4 8 10. These friend are the woful fruits of a bodily famine but a soul famine is the sorer
is one that eats the word now as meat eaten becomes one with the body and takes the same form with it the body and meat are so much the same that they are one and you cannot know them asunder So the Word is well heard when it becomes one with the Christian when they are both of the same form the hearer is delivered up into the likeness and form of the Scripture the Word of God may be read in every leaf in every line of the volume of his life Our blessed Saviour describing good hearers tells us they are such as bring forth fruit some thirty some sixty some an hundred fold Mat. 13.23 And elsewhere he compares the obedient hearer to the man who built his house upon a Rock which stood firm and immoveable in the midst of all winds waves and weather and the man that heareth and doth not practice to him who built upon the sands which house quickly fell when the winds blew and the waves beat Mat. 7. latter end His meaning and intention Reader was to quicken thee and me to minde subjection to the Word without which we must perish Suppose thou art never so great an hearer yet if not a doer thou deceivest thine own soul Alas what will become of the frequent hearer when the non or negligent doer shall be thrown to hell I have read a story of two men who walking together found a young Tree laden with fruit they both gathered and satisfied themselves at present One of them took all the remaining fruit and carried it away with him the other took the tree and planted it in his own ground where it prospered and brought forth fruit every year so that though the former had more at present yet this had some when he had none They who hear the Word and have large memories and nothing else may carry away most of the Word at present yet he that possibly can remember little who carrieth away the tree plants the Word in his heart and obeys it in his life shall have fruit when the other hath none The practical memory is the greatest mercy It is reported of a good man that coming from a Lecture and being demanded Whether all were done he should fetch a deep sigh and say All is said but all is not done Reader when thou hast heard the word consider though the Sermon be at an end yet there must not be an end of the Sermon Practice which is the heart of hearing is still behinde Observe the properties of those persons to whom and their posterity God will be propitious The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting and his righteousness to childrens children To such as keep his Covenants and remember his Commandments to do them Psal 103.17 18. They are described by their act they lay the word up they remember his Commandments and by their end to lay the word out in their lives to do them A good husband having received a bag of money locketh it up safe that none may rob him of it and as occasion is fetcheth it down and layeth it out some for food some for cloathes some for rent some for servants wages some for this some for that as his necessities require So Friend do thou lay up the precious Treasure of the word safe in the Cabinet of thine heart and bring it out as thy occasions call for it in thy life Art thou in adversity fetch out the Promises for thy comfort broach that strong liquor which was purposely tunned up for thee against a groaning hour This is my comfort in mine affliction for thy word hath quickned me Psal 119.15 Art thou in prosperity bring forth the precepts for thy carriage Look to that Card and Compass by which thou mayest sail eavenly and trim notwithstanding those high winds and swelling waters Thy Word is a light to my feet and a lamp to my paths Psal 119.4 Wouldst thou resist and conquer Satans Temptations The word is a Shield which as they say of Vulcans Armour is full proof against all thrusts and darts By the words of thy mouth I have kept my self from the pathes of the destroyer Psal 17.4 Nay fetch but this Sword of the Spirit out of Gods Armory and the Devil will run like a Coward he is more afraid of it then Leviathan his name-sake is of the Sword-fish which some write he dreadeth more then all the fish in the Ocean Thy Saviour gave Satan such a wound with the Sword of the word that he feeleth it to this day If thou wouldst overcome the worlds insinuations dâ— but feed on the word and thou wilt scorn thâ— scraps of the world As the Greeks in their sailing to fetch the Golden Fleece when the Syrens endeavoured to inchant them with their Songs found help against those assaults by hearkning to Orpheus pipe So when that Harlot the World striveth to bewitch thee with her pleasant voyce and poysonous breath thereby to hinder thy pursuit of the Golden Crown of Righteousness do but hearken to those Spiritual Songs that ravishing Musick those high and noble delights which are in the Gospel and thou wilt finde assured help That thy corruptions within thee may be subdued let still the Word of God be consulted Thou mayest finde in it such a bit and curb as will bridle thy youthful most headstrong lusts By what means may a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy Word Psalm 119.11 If thine evil humors be never so many and filthy yet the Word like the Catholicon Drug is instead of all purges That thy Relation duties may be performed the holy Scriptures must be fetcht out and minded Whether thou art an Husband or Wife or Parent or Child or Master or Servant to defray the charge of all those duties thou mayest take enough out of the Word of God It is a well drawn Picture that looks on all that look on it and it guides thee by its eye how to order and govern thy feet on what ground soever thou standest whether on the higher ground of a Superior the plain even ground of an equal or the lower ground of an Inferior He that layeth up the word for these purposes and bringeth it out in these practices is the right profitable hearer for he Remembreth the Commandments of God to do them Some hear and jear they go to a Sermon as to a Stage-play to laugh and be merry Others hear and fret and fume as those that live under the Torrid Zone curse the very Sun Others hear and forget what would do them most good their memories are true to the flesh but treacherous to the spirit they are like Vessels made of Ivy which some say if wine and water be poured into them will leak out the wine and keep in the water Others hear and admire but Reader if thou wouldst not have the word to witness against thee when thou shalt be judged by it for thine everlasting life or death
that are in his inferior family His children have till they leave But Reader Where is the place of this good this great provision is it not in Gods House in his holy Temple in the publique Worship Great Princes bestow their Largesses and shew their Bounty Glory and Magnifience before much people If thou wouldst know where Believers have seen their best sights where they have heard their most ravishing sounds where they have made their most delightful meals it was in the House of God They have seen thy goings O God in the Sanctuary Psal 68.24 They have heard the joyful sound of thy Word They have been abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy House Do but consider Davids tears and grief for want of and his fervent prayers for the fruition of publike Ordinances even then when he had opportunities for private performances and surely thou wilt esteem the Ministery of the Word no mean mercy See his sorrow when he was driven from Gods Sanctuary When I remember these things my soul is poured out for I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the House of God Psal 42.3 4. My soul is poured out that is I am overwhelmed with grief and even ready to dye when I compare my present condition with my former happiness in the fruition of Religious Assemblies There is an Elegancy in the phrase Poured out the word is applyed to water or any liquid thing and in Scripture signifieth abundance Joel 2.28 My life is ready to be poured out as water upon the ground which cannot be gathered up again when I remember my former mercies and consider my present misery How bitterly and passionately doth he plead with Saul If the Lord hath stirred thee up against me let him accept an Offering but if they be the children of men cursed be they before the Lord for they have driven me out this day from the Inheritance of the Lord 1 Sam. 26. 19. How pathetically doth he bemoan it to his own soul Wo is me for I dwell in Meshech and my habitations are in the Tents of Kedar The loss of his Father Mother Wives Children Lands Liberty nay of his very Life would not have gone so near his heart as the loss of publique Ordinances As his sorow was great for the want so was his suit most earnest for the enjoyment of them How many a prayer doth he put up for the liberty of the Tabernacle Psal 43.3 4. 27.4 It is the one thing the principal special request which he begs of God One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life and verse 8. how hard doth he pray for this priviledge Thou saidst Seek ye my face my heart said unto thee Thy face Lord will I seek To seek the face of God in a general sense is taken for the substance of Religion or to seek God Psal 24.6 but by the face of God in a strict sense is meant the Ark of God and place of his residence Now David at this time being deprived of this inestimable benefit in the ardency of his zeal presseth God with all the arguments he could devise to restore him to that happiness among the rest he urged God with his own words Thou hast commanded me to worship thee in thy Tabernacle to appear before thee that is my desire and delight my heart would seek and see thy face there Thus he presseth God for performance on his side that he might be enabled to obey Gods precept Where God denyeth publique Ordinances there he himself will be a little Sanctuary to his chosen Ezek. 11.16 But where he affords them he expects that they should be attended Christ himself went often into the Synagogues Peter and John went up into the Temple at the hour of prayer Acts 3.1 On the Sabbath we went out of the City by a rivers side where prayer was wont to be made Acts 13.23 and Paul reasoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath Acts 18.4 Those that by their practices contemn publique Worship have neither Christ nor his Apostles for their pattern One of the Jewish Rabbies hath a saying He that dwells in a City where there is a Synagogue and cometh not to Prayers Merito dicitur vicinus malus is deservedly stiled a bad neighbour Beader if thou forsakest the Assemblies of the Saints how useful soever thou mayest be to others bodies yet thou art a bad neigbour in neglecting soul-service The Lord Jesus Christ as he was faithful as a Son in his own house took special care to provide and prepare such publique servants as might give every one their meat in due season The Ministers of the word are his publique Officers appointed by himself to have the oversight of his Saints They are both Fathers to beget and Tutours to bring up his Sons and Daughters They are his Stewarts to dispense publiquely the mysteries of the Gospel of peace But little do they think who set light by publique Ordinances what a price Christ paid that he might enable and qualifie them for his Churches profit The gifts he bestoweth on Pastors are not the least sign of his good will to his people Wherefore he saith When he ascended up on high he gave gifts to men And he gave some Apostles and some Profits and some Evangelists and some Pastours and some Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Ephes 4.8 11.12 13. As Kings on the day of their Coronation usually appear in all their Majesty and magnificence and do some famous act as of a general pardon or the like which may speak their love and respect to their Subjects So Jesus Christ when he rode Triumphantly in the Chariot of his ascension into Heavens glorious City to sit and reign there at the right hand of the Majesty on High gave abilities to Ministers endowed them with answerable gifts and graces that they might dispense the Ordinances of God powerfully and profitably as a special fruit of his passion for and a singular testimony of his affection to his Church I would wish thee therefore to be present at and to continue to the end of publique Ordinances David would be a Door-keeper in the House of God Because a Door-keeper is first in and last out Friend if thou wert feasting some Noble person thou wouldst not rise from Table unless necessity forced thee before all were taken away and thanks returned I must tell thee that when thou art feeding with the blessed Potentate it is much below good manners to turn thy back upon him without his leave and blessing Fifthly If thou wouldst make Religion thy business on a Lords day Tune thine
glory Fourthly On the Kingdom of the house of David his annointed Fifthly That he would send Elias the Prophet Sixthly That he would make them worthy of the days of the Messiah and of the life of the World to come After this prayer the Guests with soft and low voices said unto themselves Fear ye the Lord all ye his holy ones because there is no want to them that fear him The young Lions want and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall want no good thing Alas alass how few Gentiles spend half that time in devotion at their Tables which the pious among the Jews did Many go from their food as the Cow from her fodder taking no notice of the Author of it and like the Idolatrous Israelites they sit down to eat and drink and rise up to play Exod. 32.6 They sit down to Eat and Drink and rise up to play the Beast to play the Atheist Remember every creature of God is good if it be received with thanksgiving 1 Tim. 4.4 but this thanksgiving must not be onely in thy words but also in thy works thy unblameable conversation and thy charitable contribution must speak thy thankfulness When the Master hath fed the Servant he expects that he should go about his business and do the work appointed him That strength which thou receivest from God must be improved for God It s good to bless God with thy lips but best of all to bless him with thy hands and in thy life God will judge of thy thankfulness by thy conversation Think thus with thy self This is the God that feedeth me that satisfieth me with good things how sweet how comfortable are his mercies What sweet refreshment have I had from the creatures when some better then my self want food Others have it but their lives abhor bread and their souls dainty meat Job 3.20 Why should I not love fear and trust and serve this God! I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living O be ashamed to live at Gods cost and to do Satans work Be not like the young Mulets which when they have sucked their fill turn up their heels and kick at their Dam. Further thy duty is to manifest thy thank fulness by supplying the wants of the needy Job would not eat his morsels alone but the Fatherless had a share with him Job 31.16 17. The forementioned Author observes that the Heathen were not forgetful when they were feeding of their absent friends Gods hand is open to thee why should thy heart and hands be shut against the hungry bellies and naked backs Thy goods extend not to Gods Person therefore they must to Gods poor Psa 16.2 Have a Monitor within thee to call upon thee when at meals Remember the poor Remember the poor Remember poor Christ and hungry Christ and naked Christ by this test he will try thee for thine eternal estate and upon the neglect of this he will sentence thee to the eternal fire Mat. 25.41 If thou art a rich person do thou frequently mind this duty Great House-keepers must be Good House keepers All must contribute according to their abilities to the poors necessities but where God gives much he requires much he expecteth an harvest sutable to the seed he soweth It is credibly reported of Mr. Sutton Founder of Suttons Hospital that he used often to repair into a private garden Fullers Church Hist of Brit. where he poured forth his prayers unto God and amongst other passages was overheard frequently to use this expression Lord thou hast given me a liberal and large estate give me also an heart to make a good use it I am confident an heart to use wealth aright is a greater mercy then the greatest heap of wealth I had rather have a little with an heart to improve it for God then much then millions without such an heart Make thee friends of the unrighteous Mammon that when that failes thee thou mayst be received into the Celestial habitation Iustin lib. 51. When Dionysius the Syracusian Tyrant saw what heapes of gold and silver his Son had hoarded up in his closet he asked him what he meant to let it lie there and not to make friends with it to get the Kingdom after his death O Son saith he thou hast not a spirit capable of a Kingdom The rust of many a rich mans wealâ—h will eat his heart with pain and torment in the other World and the Apostle calls upon such to weep and houl for the miseries that are coming upon them James 5.1 2 3 4. God findeth fault with them that could fare on the finest bread and fattest flesh themselves and yet forget the afflictions of others Amos 6.5 How many riotous rich men are there that though they cannot eat and drink all with sobriety will rather spoil it by gluttony and drunkenness then let the poor have part with them like Children who will rather crumble away their food then impart any to their fellows O how justly was the rich man denyed a drop in the other world when he denyed a crum in this world Willet Hexap in Levit. How many covetous Muck-worms like Hogs are nourished onely to be destroyed they are good for nothing whilst they are alive the Hog is neither good to draw as the Ox nor to bear as the Horse nor to cloath us as the Sheep nor to give milk as the Cow nor to keep the House as the Dog but good onely to be kild Such are these scraping wretches good for nothing till they come to the Knife Like barren trees they do but cumber the ground and serve for no use till they are cut down for the unquenchable fire And truely their hearts will never bewail him dead whose bowels did not bless him alive His life did not deserve a prayer nor his death a tear who laid out that to serve his pride which God laid in to serve the poor Reader if God have dealt thee a considerable portion of outward good things consider that thou art but Gods Factor he is the Merchant The Factor knoweth that the goods transported to him are his Masters goods and he must dispose them according to directions from his Master All thine estate is Gods thou art but his servant his Factor he gives thee order in his word to dispose it thus and thus to such poor members of Christ so much to one and so much to another and he will shortly reckon with thee how thou obeyest his directions and if thou forbearest charity now thou wilt then be counted and found as real a theif before the whole world as ever servant was that put hundreds into his own purse which his Master appointed him to pay to other persons Withhold not thy goods from the owners thereof Pro. 3.27 from them to whom it is due either by the law of justice or by the law of love Rom. 13.8 And truly Charity is the best way to plenty He gets
and proficency is your work Heavenly mindedness and Humility which are the greatest glory of our English Gentry are excellent helps to growth in grace Children that feed on ashes cannot thrive Silly Pismires that continually busie themselves about their hoards and heaps of earth never grow bigger Indeed great persons are liable to great temptations Flies will strive to fasten upon the sweetest Conserves The longest robes are aptest to contract most dirt Satan as some write of the Irish to take their enemies digeth trenches in the earth as it were and covereth the surface of it with the green turfs of carnal comforts and contentments which men treading upon and taking to be firm ground fall in to their ruine But your sight of the glory to be revealed by the Prospective glass of faith will help you to wink more on these withering vanities Ah what a muckheap to that is all the wealth of this lower world Naturalists tell us that the Loadstone will noâ— draw in the presence of the Diamond Sure am the world notwithstanding all its pomp and pride glory and gallantry hath but little influence upon Christians when they behold their undefiled inheritance Humility is also helpful to proficiency in holiness The lofty mountains are barren when the low valleys abound in corn As the Spleen swelleth the whole body consumeth as pride groweth the new man decayeth This high wind raiseth strange tempests in the soul He giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5.6 God layeth these richest mines in â—ge lowest parts of the earth Trees even in time of drought whose roots are deep in the ground bear fruit when corn and grass wither Christians like the Sun in the Zenith must shew least when at the highest and as branches fully laden bend the more downward Why should the mudâ— wall swell because the Sun shineth on it We may say of every mercy and excellency we enjoy as the Prophet of his hatchet Alas Master for it is borrowed 2 Kings 6.5 If ye please also to peruse the ensuing Tractate possibly it may be some small furtherance to you in your course of Christianity The intent of it is to discover and direct how Religion the great end for which we are born and the great errand upon which we are sent into the World may be made our principal business and how our Natural and Civil Actions and all oâ—r seeming diversions may be so managed that they may like an elegant Parenthesis not at all spoil but rather adorn the sense of Religion I hope the worth of the matter handled notwithstanding my weakness in the manner of handling it will make it acceptable to you I could wish the face of the Discourse were clean I may safely say it is far from being painted and pardon me if I suffer the stream now to run in two Channels Such as it is I humbly tender Sir to your favourable eye whose happiness it is to inherit your Ancestors graces as well as their riches It was counted a great honor to the Family of the Curio's that there were three excellent Orators in it one after another and to the Family of the Fabii Plutarch that there were in it three Presidents of the Senate successively It is your glory to descend not onely of a Father who walked with God and of a Grandfather who it is hoped dyed in the faith but also of a great Grandfather who was famous for serving the will of God in his generation The holy Apostle speaketh to the glory of Timothy concerning his unfeigned faith which dwelt first in his Grandmother Lois and his Mother Eunice 2 Tim. 1.5 To the glory of free-grace I mention it Holiness in your house did not run onely in the masculine race your tender Mother was like Dorcas full of good works and a dutiful Daughter to the Father of mercies and your Honoured Grandmother yet alive is an old Disciple of the holy Jesus O how much are you bound to the Lord that grace should thus run in a blood Boleslaus King of Poland when he was to speak or do any thing of concernment would take out a little picture of his Fathers that he carried about him and kissing it would say I wish I may speak or do nothing at this time unworthy thy name Sir it is your priviledge to reap the benefit of their Precious Prayers and your piety more and more to imitate their Gracious patterns How exactly should you walk having such lights so near to direct you And how Accurately should you write in every line of your life having such fair copies before your eyes It is no small advantage likewise * Daughter to the right Honorable the Lord Pagit Madam to your fair hands who are a branch of a Noble and Honorable stock but your birth from above is your present greatest credit and will be your future chiefest comfort Alexander must derive his Pedigree from the gods or else he thinketh himself ignobly born To be born of God to have heavenly blood running in your veins to be the Spouse of the dearest Saviour to have your name written in the Book of Life will stand you instead and as many figures amount to millions in an hour of death and dreadful day of judgement when civil and natural priviledges though now favours will stand for cyphers and signifie nothing The Jews indeed tell us that women are of an inferiour creation and therefore suffer them not to enter their Synagogues but appoint them galleries without but they speak more truly and wisely who call women the second edition of the epitome of the world Souls have no Sexes in Christ there is neither male nor female Persevere honored Lady in your pious course to confute those painted carcasses who spend all their time in priding and pleasing their brittle flesh and neglect their immortal spirits to publish to the World that greatness goodness are not inconsistent O 't is a rare and lovely sight to behold Honor and Holiness matched and married lodging and livlng together As a Diamond well set in a golden Ring is most sparkling and as light in Stars of the greatest magnitude is most glorious and shining so Grace is often most amiable in persons that are most Honorable The Exceeding Advantage your Ladyship hath this way of doing God much service is an awakening argument to endeavours after much sanctity It is a farther encouragement that you are joyned to a loving Yoke-fellow who will draw equally with you in the road to Canaan That you may both walk in the day of your lives like Zachariah and Elizabeth that Peerless Pair as one calleth them in all the Commandments of the Lord blameless that when the night of death shall overtake you you may expire like the Arabian Phoenix in a bed of sweet Spices the graces and comforts of the Spirit leaving a sweet savour behinde you that your children may be heirs to your Spiritual riches and see the eternal felicity of
good of others Fire in the chimney warmeth the whole room but it is burning hot on the hearth Grace in a Saint will make him useful to sinners but chiefly though not solely to his own soul Timothy be not like a burning glass to put others into a flame whilst thou thy self remainest unfired but work hard to exalt holiness in thine own heart Exercise thy self Vnto godliness Godliness is taken in Scripture either strictly or largely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verum rectum dei culium significat maxi â—â— socris Scrip 〈◊〉 Hâ—braea phâ—asi timor domini vocatur Svâ—us interp justitiam vo cat Est in loc 1. Strictly and then it includeth onely the immediate worship of God or obedience to the First Table and is distinguished from righteousness Tit. 2.11 12. so ungodliness is distinct from unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 2. Largely And then it comprehendeth our duty to our neighbour as well as to God and obedience to the Second as well as the first Table so righteousness is religion and in our dealings with men we may do our duty to God it s taken thus 1 Tim. 6.6 and in the Text. The good Husbandman makes no balks in the field of Gods precepts Timothy must make it his trade to pay God and men their due He must not like the Pharisees seem as tender of the First Table as of the apple of his eye and trample the second as dirt under his feet they prayed in Gods house all day to prey upon the widows house at night nor as some whom the world call honest men who will not wrong their neighbours of the least mite and yet wickedly rob God of many millions they steal from him both time and love and trust and bestow them on earthly trifles the bird that will flye well must use both wings the Waterman if he would have his boat move rightly must ply both oars the Christian if he would make any thing of his heavenly trade must minde both Tables The Truth that I shall draw from the Text is this That Godliness ought to be minded as every ones main and principal business Exercise thy self unto godliness Religion must be our cheif occupation The great Trade that we follow in this world must be the Trade of Truth It is observable that the more noble and singular a being is the more it is imployed in a suitable working God who is the highest in perfections is not onely the holiest but the most constant and diligent in his operations Hitherto my Father worketh and I work Joh. 5.17 His work indeed is without weariness his labour without the least lassitude as they say of Heaven Coeli motus quies all Gods working days are Sabbaths days of rest but he is a pure act and he is every moment infinitely active from and for himself Angels are next to God in being and so are next to him in working They do God the most service and they do him the best service they serve God without sin and they serve him without ceasing he makes his Angels spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire Heb. 1.7 spirits are the most active creatures with life fire is the most active creature without life a flame is the most operative part of the fire Thus active are Angels in working for God Some by fire understand lightnings by spirits winds As winds and lightnings presently pass through the earth so Angels presently fulfil Gods holy Will Now as he hath given man a more excellent being then the rest of the visible world so hath he called him to follow after and abound in the most excellent work God hath appointed contemplation or vision to be mans reward in heaven To see God as he is and to know him as he is known of him but service and action to be his work on earth to exercise himself to godliness Some read that Job 5.7 thus Man is born to work as the sparks flie upward Indeed it is the decreed lot of all mankind to labour Adam was called to industry in his state of innocency Gen. 2.15 and since mans fall Non est panis cujusquam proprius nec summi quidem re gis nisi strenue laboret in vocatione sua Rol. 1 Thess 3.6 his work which was before his pleasure is now his punishment if he eat not his bread in the sweat of his brow or his brains he steals it He that like a body louse lives upon others sweat is like Jeremiahs girdle good for nothing But the main work which God commandeth and commendeth to the children of men is to glorifie him upon earth by exercising themselves to godliness This is Gods precept and this hath been the Saints practice This is Gods precept Work out your salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 In which words we have the Christians end eternal life Salvation and the means to attain it diligent labour work out your salvation he had need to labour hard that would attain Heaven Non dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operaminised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acurate magnoque cum studâ—o operamini cum mâ—â—ta dilâ—gentia solicitudine pergite vestram operari salutem A Lapid in Phil. 2. Godliness must be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his by-business but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his main business The Jews have a proverb alluding to Manna which was to be gathered the sixth day for the seventh because on the seventh none fell from heaven He that gathereth not food on the Sabbath eve shall fast on the Sabbath day Intimating thereby that none shall reign in Heaven but such as have wrought on earth This hath been the Saints practice Our conversation is in heaven Phil. 3.18 Though our habitations be on earth yet our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our negotiation is in heaven As a Merchant that lives in London drives a great trade in Turky or the remotest part of the Indies So Paul and the Saints traded and traffiqued afar off in the other world above even when their abodes were here below Godliness was their business Christianity was minded and followed as their principal trade and calling It is the calling of some to plough and sow and reap The Christian makes and follows it as his calling to plough up the fallow ground of his heart to sow in righteousness that he may reap in mercy Hos 10.12 The trade of others is to buy and sell the godly man is the wise Merchant trading for goodly pearls that sells all to buy the field where the pearl of great price is Matth. 13.43 For the Explication of this Truth That religion or godliness ought to be every ones principal business I shall speak to these three things First What Religion or godliness is Secondly What it is for a man to make Religion his business or to exercise himself to Godliness Thirdly Why every Christian must mind Godliness as his main business CHAP. III. What Godliness is FOr the first what Religion is
the Thames in which all sorts of commodities are brought up for the releif of the Citizens of Zion Some say of Cornucopia that it hath all things necessary for food in it Prayer hath in it all things pertaining to this life and a better It is said of the Pope He can never want money while he can hold a pen His writing of Pardons and Indulgencies filleth his coffers It is more true of the Christian he need never want if he will but pray Prayer is a key to Gods own coffers wherein there are infinite and all sorts of comforts I have no friends said a good woman but I have a prayer and so long as I have a praying heart God will find a pitying heart and a helping hand It is but ask and receive seek and find knock and it shall be opened Matth. 7.7 8. The child presenteth his petition to his Father and at the foot of it there is Fiat quickly written Prayer is like the Spaniards Plate fleet which returns home worth thousands and millions A Courtier will sometimes get more by a petition to his Prince in a morning then some Tradesmen do all their lives A regenerate person being in favour at Court gaineth more by a morning 〈◊〉 then a wicked man though he works hard gets while he liveth I never said to the seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain Some asked but the cure of their bodies when God healed their bodies and souls too he hath forced many an unexpected favour upon an upright fervent prayer Prayer is not onely a Storehouse of mercies but a Fort-royal to defend the soul against miseries as some write of the herb Panaces it is good for all diseases When Satan entred the field against Paul the Apostle held up this shield of prayer to defend himself against his fiery darts For this I besought the Lord thrice 2 Cor. 12.7 Prayer hath stormed and surprised more Cities conquered and routed more Armies then old mens heads or young mens hands then all the policy and power on earth Prayer is like the ring which Queen Elizabeth gave to the Earl of Essex bidding him if he were in any distress send that ring to her and she would help him God commandeth his people if they be in any perplexity to send this ring to him Call upon me in the day of trouble I will hear thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psa 50.15 O what a priviledge dost thou enjoy Reader in having freedom of access to the Throne of Grace The Persian Kings took state upon them and enacted that none should come uncalled upon pain of death But the gates of Heaven as the Aediles at Rome are always open Thou hast liberty night and day of presenting thy petitions in the name of â—hrist to the King of the whole earth and needst not fear so thy prayers be according to Scripture directions so much as a chiding for thy presumption The poets say that Litae Prayers are Jupiters Daughters and always about the Throne If it be esteemed such a favour to have an earthly Princes ear what a favour art thou invested with that hast the ear of the blessed and onely Potentate Elisha offered his courteous Host a great kindness when he asked her wilt thou be spoken for to the King 2 Kings 4.13 Some purchase that liberty as the chief Captain his Roman freedom with a great sum but thou mayst speak to the King of Kings thy self and be welcome and needst not be at the charge of having either Saints or Angels thy mediatours or any of those Heavenly Courtiers to bring thee into the Kings presence The Son of God himself will do it for thee gratis In him we have boldness Ephes 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liberty of speech freedom to speak all thy mind to lay open thy very inwards to God If thou art in doubts about thy spiritual estate and about thy title to the inheritance of the Saints in light thou mayst by prayer go to him who is marvellous in counsel and have his advice for nothing If any disease appear in thy soul which thou fearest may endanger its life at least hinder its peace and health thou mayst by prayer knock up the true Physician at mid-night and prevail with him to hasten to thy help and cure If thou art surrounded with many and bloody Enemies that thou knowest not what to do nor where to go thou mayst by prayer send post to Heaven and thou needst not fear but Christ will meet the Messenger half was and come in timely to thy rescue If thou art bound wiâ—h the bond of iniquity and like Peter watched narrowly night and day nay though thou art encompassed round with the black guard of Hell lest thou shouldst make an escape yet prayer without ceasing would knock off thy chains break open the Prison doors and in spight of all the Legions of Devils that kept thee set thee at liberty If thou art like the Psalmist over-whelmed with sorrow this sighing into Gods eares by prayer will ease thy heart When the Glass of thy soul is so full of those strong spirits fear and grief that it threatneth to burst thou mayst give it vent by prayer to God and there will be no danger Whilst thou art in this valley of teares thou art encompast with Enemies hast many and urgent necessities doubts and dangers but prayer like Moses will go before thee ingage him on thy side that will overcome them all and guide thee all the way through the Wilderness of this World to the very borders of Canaan and never leave thee till thou comest to enter into the place of praiâ—e But Reader the more richly this Vessel of prayer is laden the more careful and skilful must the Pilot be that steers it lest it suffer Ship-wrack Queens that have great heirs in their wombs must be tenderly used lest they miscarry If prayer be so bountiful a friend as thou hast heard thou oughtest to be the more fearful of abusing it Princes who allow firourites their eares yet expect that they should know their distance and ask in such a maâ—â— as they appoint and such things for the matter as will be consistent with their honour to give or else instead of a grant they may meet with a repulse and a sharp reproof Haman though he were so intimate with the King that he had his Hand and Seal at pleasure found by woful experience what it was to abuse the Kings favour by desiring the satisfaction of his own lust in that which was exceedingly to the Kings loss The Incense under the Ceremonial Law was a tipe of prayer Let my prayer come before thee like Incense but if it had not been made exactly both for matter and manner according to Gods own prescription who himself gave special direction about it Exod. 30.34.35 36. as sweet as the Spices were it had been loathsom and unsavoury to him the burning of Incense had been but as the
blessing of an Idol Isa 66.3 I shall therefore for thy right management of this duty which is of such weight and importance to thee speak to these three particulars 1. To the Antecedents or those things which must go before prayer 2. To the Concomitants or those things which must accompany prayer 3. To the Consequents or those things which must follow after prayer 1. To the Antecedents of prayer Preparation is necessary before prayer Zopher acquainteth Job how his prayers might come to be prevalent If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hand unto him Job 11.13 The heart is the Forge where these Vessels for the Sanctuary are formed and fashioned and made in secret the tongue is but the thop wherein they are exposed to publique view therefore the heart must do its work well before the tongue can commend its ware the heart must indite a good matter before the tongue will be as the pen of a ready writer God commandeth us both to look to our hearts and mouths when we are in his house be not rash with thy mouth to utter any thing before God and keep thy feet when thou art in the House of God Eccles 5.1 2. The former is a bridle for our mouths and expressions the latter is a guard for our hearts and affections In reference to the Antecedents 1. Some things which will further the duty must be used 2. Some things which will hinder the duty must be refused First Those things which will further the duty are meditation and the stirring up of grace Meditation will be helpful to the matter of prayer The quickning and stirring up of grace will be helâ—ful to the manner of the duty First Meditation Meditation fits the soul for supplication Meditation fils the soul with good liquor and then prayer broaches it and sets its a running David first mused and then spake with his tongue Lord make me to know mine end Psa 39.3.4 Nay to assâ—re us that meditation was the Mother which bred and brought forth prayer he calls the child by its parents name Give ear to my words O Lord consider my meditation Psa 5.1 Meditation is like the chargeing of a piece and prayer the discharging of it Isaac went into the field to meditate Gen. 24.63 The Septuag the Geneva translation and Tremelius in his marginal Notes on it read it to pray and the Hebrew word Suach used there signifieth both to pray and meditate whereby we may learn that they are very neer a kin like twins they lie in the same womb in the same word meditation is the best beginning of prayer and prayer is the best conclusion of meditation When the Christian like Daniel hath first opened the windows of his soul by contemplation then he may kneel down to prayer Prayer is a building which reacheth up to Heaven meditation layeth in all the costly materials which are requisite for this building He that would make any riddance of his work must take care that all his materials be brought in before-hand if they be to fetch when he comes to work he will make long and tedious Church-work indeed Something thou art to meditate on relating to thy self somthing relating to God Those things which relate to thy self are thy sins wants and mercies There are three parts of prayer though I know some reckon the first rather an adjunct Confession Petition and Thanksgiving Now meditation gives each of these the work which they are to do like a faithful Steward it gives every one their proper and peculiar portion Meditation on our sins helpeth in confession Meditation on our wants helpeth in petition Meditation on our mercies helpeth in thanksgiving A Christian ought to keep a Catalogue at least in the Table book of his heart of these three particulars David did so He Registred his unrighteousness or the wrong he had done to God my sin is ever before me Psa 51.3 He thought much upon his wants and sufferings He often cryeth out I am poor and needy Psa 109.21 Psa 25. my sorrow is ever before me Psa 38.17 And for Gods mercies he did not write them in the Sand but he treasured them up in his memory Thy loving kindness is before mine eyes Psa 26.3 And though some of them were stale ancient mercies yet they were not sowre to Davids taste he did not throw them away as Old Almanacks out of date I will remember the days of old the years of antient times Psa 77. Rather then God should not be paid his thanks for favours to his Fore-fathers David would take the Debts from their score and set them upon his own File Confession of sin must be with shame and sorrow petition for mercy must be with faith and fervency Thanksgiving must be with admiration of God and delight in God Now it is meditation of our sins wants and miseries which provides fuel for the fire of these graces to work upon and which they break out into an Heavenly flame Meditate on thy sins Thy duty in prayer is to Indict Arraign and Condemn and Execute those Malefactors and Transgressors of the Royal Law which can never be done till they are apprehended If thou wilt kill those Foxes that spoil the Vine those lusts which hinder thy regenerate part from thriving thy care must be by meditation to hunt them out of their lurking holes and take them Thy wounds which stink and are so unsavoury to God must by serious consideration be searched and felt before they can be healed When thou art going to prayer do as Jehu when he went to sacrifice to Baal send out and fâ—â—châ—n all thy false Worshippers those Enemies of the true God that deny his supremacy and bowed the knee to the World or the flesh and then by an humble penitential confession and self judging cut them off Who ever bewailed his sins that did not know their sinfulness or who ever was ashamed that did not see his own nakedness When the Jews came to know that they were the betrayers and Murderers of the Lord Jesus then they were pricked to the heart O do that for thy self which God will do for many others set thy sins in order before thine eys thine original and thine actual thine omissions and commissions thy personal and relative thy secret and publique thy sins about natural civil or spiritual actions thy sins under mercies and against afflictions Say to thy conscience as Samuel to Jesse Are all thy Sons here Are all thy â—ins here if any be wanting to thy knowledge cause it to be sent for and brought and sit not down to Sacrifice before it come when this is done put them all into their own colours accent them with their several aggravations consider what light what love what motions of Gods spirit what convictions of thy own spirit they were committed against Above all meditate on the infinite Majesty Purity and Mercy of that God against whom thou hast sinned Those three Attributes duly weighed would
what fire was his Sacrifice offered O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord defer not for the Lords sake That wine is best which is fullest of these heavenly spirits Winter fruits are sowre and unplesant to men and so are cold petitions to God Dan. 9.13 Reader when thou art praying for pardon how shouldst thou even poure out thy soul Alass when thou considerest if God do not pardon I perish eternally if sin be imputed I am damned how should thy heart cry out Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness after the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out mine iniquities again Wash me from mine iniquities and cleanse me from my sin and again Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities once more Deliver me from blood guiltiness O God thou God of my salvation Psa 51.1 2 11 14. When thou art begging grace and purity with what earnestness shouldst thou pray beleiving how destructive sin is to thy precious soul and how offensive to the jealous just and Almighty God and in what absolute necessity thou standest in of holiness without which thou canst never see God As when the Clock strikes the Wheels within move notably we may hear them run round so when thy tongue is pleading with God for remission of sins and repentance towards God for the Son of God the Spirit of God and thine everlasting Salvation how should thine heart move what work should there be among thine affections to enforce those weighty petitions This fervency is necessary to prepare thy soul for the mercy thou desirest What men get lazily they spend lavishly but that food which a devout woman longeth for she prizeth much and eateth with most delight When one whispered Demostenes in the ear that he was beaten and desired him to plead his cause the Orator would not believe him till at last the man cryed out Now saith he I feel your cause It is the intension of the Spirit which giveth efficacy to our petitions It is not the length of the arm but the strength of it which draweth the bow so as to make the arrow fly fast and far Fervency to prayer is as wings to the Bird by which it mounteth up to heaven The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous prevaileth much James 5.16 When prayers are drivel'd like rhume out of a mans mouth they fall down at his feet The Mother will let the childe alone if it onely whimper and whine a little in the cradle but when it crieth outright then she hasteth to take it up This poor man cryed was not dull and drowsie there is his fervency and the Lord heard him and delivered him out of all his troubles Psal 34.9 here is his prevalency There is no getting to the Indian Mines by the cold Northerz Seas though because it is a shorter cut some have attempted that way but they lost their labour Other duties are a serving God Prayer is a seeking God Now they that seek him early shall finde him Prov. 8.17 A low voice doth not cause a loud eccho neither doth a lazy prayer procure a liberal answer Sleepy requests cause but dreams meer fancied returns Where there is a cushion of ease under the knees and a pillow of idleness under the elbows there is little work to be done When Daniel had been fervent all day at prayer an Angel is sent to him at night with an answer Importunity prevaileth with an unjust Judge much more with a righteous and gracious God Though God be Almighty yet a fervent prayer through his grace hath held his hands Let me alone Exod. 32. Who holdeth the Lord saith Austin Moses earnest cry was the cord which I may speak with reverence fastned Gods hands Prayer is a sword to wound both sin and Satan but fervency is the edge of it doing the execution Zeph. 18.2 Cor. 12. For this I besought the Lord thrice When a man strikes his Enemies with his full strength then the wounds are made The lack of this fervency is the loss of many prayers The lazy petition tires before it comes half way to Heaven indeed it is eaten up as the cold honey of Wasps and Flies of wandring thoughts when fervent prayers like honey boiling over the fire is free from such ill guests An idle prayer like a lazy beggar wandreth and gaddeth up and down and as a rowling stone gathereth no moss The working of the affections in prayer like Davids harp allayeth those Devils which would disturb the Christian in this duty When a man is intent upon the God to whom he prayeth and eager after the mercies for which he prayeth though the World whisper him in the ear he cannot hear though Satan jog him by the elbow he will not heed him But here a caution will be seasonable The fire of thy fervency must be from Heaven not such strange fire as Nadab and Abihu offered to the Lord I mean it must not be the voice of nature an earnest cry for the enjoyment of creatures but the voice of the Spirit an importunate desire for conformity to and communion with the Lord Jesus Christ We read of those that howled upon their beds for corn and wine and oyl Hosea 7.17 Many like children roar are much out of quiet disturb others with the noise they make but it is for clouts for a Babey Who will shew us any good The voice of a Saint must be as of a wise son at full age for the inheritance Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me The Petitioner herein must be very careful he that rides apace had need to be sure that he is in the right way or else the freer his horse is the more he wandreth to his loss The greater the fire is the more watchful we must be that it be kept within the chimney the more earnest our affections are the more we must minde what our petitions be The promises of God must be the foundation of our prayers What he promiseth to give I may pray to receive Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope Psal 119.49 but its dangerous for the building to jet out upon the Kings high-way beyond the foundation this may cause the house to fall or be taken down Because godliness hath the promise of this life I am bound to pray Give me this day my daily bread Temporal good things must be part of the matter of my prayer but because God promiseth these things conditionally so far onely as he seeth fit for his honor and my comfort therefore I must pray for them conditionally The Apish childe that crieth and squeeketh for the knife to be its own carver and will not be satisfied with its Parents feeding it deserveth the rod our prayers both for the matter and the manner must run parallel with Gods promises Prayer is a putting Gods promises into suit but he that sueth a Bond must minde the condition
ejaculatory prayer for his Murderers Father forgive them for they know not what they do and as an answer to it we find some thousands of them presently converted Truely Reader I would commend these ejaculations as an excellent receipt for all companies and in all conditions If thou art a stranger to it thou dost not know the vertue of it It is as some write of the herb Panaces a universal remedy for all diseases a special though cheap preservative both against the evil of sin and suffering This is the best way to avoid dangers to overcome difficulties and to prosper us in our lawful designs Gen. 24.12 When thou receivest a sudden mercy hearest unexpected good news thou mayst presently rear an Altar and offer up a Sacrifice of praise to God If thou art protected through grace from any transgression in which thou wast falling or afflictions of which thou wast affraid thou mayst suddenly dispatch a Messenger to Heaven with thanks who will be more welcome there then thou art aware of So did a good Servant Gen. 24.26 and a godly Souldier and governour Iudg. 7.15 I will bless the Lord at all times saith David his praise shall be continually in my mouth When thou art in a suddain plunge thou mayst dart up a thought to God for counsel or protection these short breathings would prepare thee for a long race There are indeed some seasons for prayer which must by no means be slighted when the Spirit of God stirreth in thee and cometh for thee then make haste to God Courtiers watch for convenient seasons to present their petitions to their Kings and will be sure to lay hold of such seasons If the King himself offer any discourse relating to their requests then they will close and strike in When the Spirit of God in a morning or evening or in the day time commandeth thee to go and cry to God for pardon and life I speak of regular motions for no other come from the Spirit then is a fit time to present thy requests he sendeth for thee for that end Take heed of delaying or denying Thou saidst seek ye my face my heart said thy face Lord will I seek Suitors have their mollissima tempora fandi their special times of wooing Hester waited once and again for a fit time to beg her life and the lives of her people of the King and when Ahashuerus put her upon it gave her an opportunity she then did it and prevailed Whatsoever actions thou entrest upon whether Civil Natural or Religious let prayer be to thee as the Baptist to Christ the messenger to prepare the way before thee Bonaventure that Seraphical Doctor being asked by Aquinas How he got such Divine knowledge pointing to a Crucifix in his study said Ille est liber meus by praying to that Crucifix A Christian by praying to God in the name of a crucified Christ may get saving knowledge Be confident of this those mercies will be most savoury which come flying to thee upon the wings of prayer Those favours are suspicious which steal in at a window and come not in at the door of prayer How sweet was that water to Sampson whieh streamed to him in the channel of prayer Judges 15.19 he called the name of it En-hakkore the well of him that prayed Jacob saw God smiling in Esau's smooth countenance because prayer was the Sun which scattered and cleared that sky When thou canst say of the mercy which God giveth thee as Hannah of Samuel For this childe I prayed saith she he is the travel of my soul as well as of my body he is the fruit of my heart as well as of my womb when thou must say For this blessing I prayed many a time did I weep and make supplication and lo I have prevailed Such a mercy will be a double mercy a Samuel indeed Asked of God and Dedicated to God As Jesus Christ was more welcome to Mary his Mother when she and his Father had sought him sorrowing so those blessings especially spiritual will be received with most joy which were sought with most sorrow What thou winnest with prayer thou wilt wear with prayer But it may be Reader thou art one that art so far from constant praying that the garment of the Atheist will fit thy back very well They call not upon God Psal 14.4 if so bethink thy self for thou livest like a Beast as Nebuchadnezzar did though thou hast the shape of a man They are become brutish and have not sought the Lord Jer. 10.21 Brutes are like Mutes O it is a dreadful condition to be possessed with a dumb Devil When men once grow speechless it s a sign death is hard by If that bloody Butcher can but muzzle thy mouth and with cords hinder thy crying expect the stroke of the ax Or possibly that livery which Eliphaz made for Job though it was much below him yet will become thee Thou restrainest prayer before God Job 15.4 The pulse of thy soul faulters thou layest by thy prayers as some do their best cloathes till they go to Church again or for some Holy-day O this is a sad sign that prayer which should be thy element is thy torment Friends that love one another long to converse together and take all opportunities of sending to and hearing from each other Hadst thou any love to the blessed God it would be so with thee But as painfulness in speaking often argueth unsound inwards so thy inconstancy in praying giveth thee cause of suspecting thy spiritual unsoundness and insincerity CHAP. XIV The Subsequent duties after Prayer THirdly I shall speak to the consequents or those duties which must follow after prayer and they are principally two Watching and Working 1. Watching for an answer Pious prayers are precious commodities and who unless a mad man or a fool will throw away what is of value and worth When thou hast shot thine arrow observe where it lights and how near it flew to the mark Wise men when they have delivered their petitions to their Prince watch and wait sometimes a year together all the while longing and looking for an answer Thy requests to God are of infinite concernment thy Heaven thy eternal happiness is involved in them with what holy impatience then shouldst thou desire an answer In the morning I will direct my prayer unto thee and will look up Psa 5.3 The words discover Davids posture in prayer and his practice after prayer His posture in prayer I will direct my prayer unto thee Disponam tibi Calvin The word is an allusion to an Archer or to a General as some observe on it 1. To an Archer and then the meaning is I will be up betimes and take as good aim as I can possibly at the mark and so draw my bow and direct my arrow that I may hit it 2. To a General and then it importeth thus much I will rise early and set my requests to God as Souldiers
the mark considereth what the reason was whether he did not shoot too high or too low or too much on the right hand or too much on the left hand takes the same Arrow again onely reformeth his former error and winneth the wager Secondly Working is necessary after prayer as well as Watching Begging and Digging must go together Thy duty is to pray as knowing assuredly that thou canst do nothing of thy self and yet to work as if thou wert to do all by thine own power He that doth not indeavour in a lawful use of those meant which God affordeth him to attain the mercies he needeth and asketh doth tempt not trust God and may expect a rod sooner then releif A good use may be made of that story A Carter having over-thrown his Cart sat in the way crying help Hercules help Hercules was counted by the Heathen a God for his strength O Hercules help At length one appeared to him in Herculus shape with a good Cudgel in his hand and beat him handsomely saying Ah thou silly lazy fellow dost thou call to me for help and sit still thy self arise and set to thy shoulder do thy part and I will do the rest If thou prayest for thy dayly bread be thou diligent in thy calling or else expect a crop out of the Ocean If thou prayest against some particular sins avoid the occasions of those sins If it be against Drunkenness avoid evil company If it be against Pride avoid and discourage such as will flatter thee for otherwise thou dost as he that runneth into the fire and prayeth to God that it may not burn him such a man mocketh God but himself most if thou prayest for Holiness and Grace hear read meditate watch use the means and expect a good issue from God Observe David his prayer was Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keep the door of my lips Psa 141.3 But now because he had committed the main charge of this unruly prisoner his tongue to God desiring him to lock the double doors of his lips and teeth fast upon it and to have a main guard always watching before the doors least it should break through and attempt an escape doth he therefore sleep himself thinking the prisoner was safe enough no he himself would be upon the guard I said I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a a bridle while the wicked is before me Psal 39.1 2. David as he desired God to put a good bit into the mouth of this wanton beast so he would himself keep a strict hand and rein him in A good Wish about prayer wherein all the forementioned particulars are epitomized PRayer is one of my nearest and solemnest approaches to the most high God The Introduction to prayer analyzed and one of my choicest priviledges on this side the place of praise wherein I may go to my God at all times and acquaint him what I ail where it is well where it is ill with my poor soul I wish in general that I may never suffer this key to Gods own treasury to rust for want of use nor to be ineffectual to the opening of the Divine bounty by my unskilfulness in turning it that neither by my unfitness for the duty miscarriage at the duty nor misbehaviour after the duty I may demean my self unworthy of so great a favour so high an honor and so good a Master In particular I wish that I may at least morning and evening before I enter upon this ordinance The antecedents to prayer 1. Meditation Of sins whether in my closet or family make a privy search for those Barabasses which have moved sedition in my soul and murthered my dearest Saviour and that I may have such a sight of them all in their horrid nature and bloody colour that I may arraign them at the Tribunal of God with confusion of face and contrition of heart and may with all possible ardency plead for their execution Of wants I wish that my necessities may ever be in my memory that as the sick childe I may point readily to the place of my pain when ever I go to make my moan to my heavenly Father and that affected with the weight and importance of them I praying feelingly may pray the more fervently I wish that the many and weighty mercies which I unworthy Wretch enjoy Of mercies may be written so firmly in my minde and presented to me before prayer in the various and lively colours of their freeness fulness and seasonableness that I may never steal the custom of thanks from my God which is all he desires for those rich and full vessels which he sendeth me in every day but may pay him this impost of Praise and Glory with all uprightness and alacrity I wish that my Graces may never be like Jonah Quickning of grace asleep when I am to call upon my God but as the Heavenly Host they may be moving in their several places and fighting in their courses against my spiritual Enemies O that like holy Bradford I might never leave confession without sorrow for sin petition without some sense of the worth of mercies nor thanksgiving Laying asâ—â—â— what may hinde prâ—yâ—â— without some solace and joy in God the Author and Fountain of all my happiness I wish that I may draw nigh to God with a pure conscience and before I go to desire the lovely portion of his friends All sin in general give a bill of divorce to all my lusts and at least banish from the bed of my heart those enemies of his which would not have him to reign over me I wish that I may never desire mercy at his hands with the least degree of malice in my heart Anger but may love as Saints because they are Christs seed so sinners and them that hate me for Christs sake and as a special medicine against that poison whatsoever friend I should forget in my prayers I wish I may resolve before hand to remember in particular my Enemies to beg of God that he would pardon sanctifie and save them I wish that my affections may not as Sauls person Worldly thoughts be hid among the stuff of Worldly affairs when I should be busie about the concernment of an eternal crown but that I may leave those servants always at the door behind while I go in to speak to the King of Nations Concomitants of prayer and may all the time of the duty serve and seek the Lord my God without distraction I wish that I may be specially careful to look up to the Master of requests Person must be justified the Lord Jesus Christ First for the justification of my person and then for the acceptation of my prayer and that I may be so enabled with the hand of faith to put on the glorious robes of his perfect righteousness that neither the nakedness
do thou hear and amend Charles the great did set his Crown upon the Bible intimating thereby that his Crown his carriage as a King should be according to the commands of the word O do thou hide this word in thine heart that thou mayst hold it forth to thy companions by the hand of an holy conversation Walk according to this Rule A good Wish about the word wherein the former heads are epitomized THe holy Scriptures being of such authority The Introduction as the hand writing and heart of God himself and so singular a mercy to me that by the guidance of this Star I am directed as the wise men to Jesus Christ I wish in general that I may set an high price upon every part thereof that every peice may be currant with me for his sake whose Image and superscription it beareth O that my carriage before at and after hearing may witness to God and my conscience Preparation for hearing that I esteem the law of his lips above thousands of Gold and Silver In particular I wish that as the Jews when they went to hear the law Preparation for hearing by laying aside evil frames sanctified themselves and washed their cloaths so before I go to read or hear the word I may sanctifie my soul and wash my heart from all superfluity of naughtiness and with meekness receive that ingrafted word which is able to save my soul Prejudice I wish that like Jehoshaphat I may prefer one Micaiah before four hundred false Prophets yet that I may ever make a difference betwixt an evil Ministers Preaching and practice and even when the Minister is full of grace may so distinguish between the treasure and the vessel as not to vallue the Message for the Messengers sake but to bid the workman welcome for the words sake I wish that I may be so sensible of my owninability to profit by this holy ordinance By prayer and of the speakers impotency to Preach home to my conscience that I may cry mightily to my God that he would open my heart to receive the word with all affection and so direct the Arrows which the Preacher taketh out of the quiver of Scripture that they may hit and pierce my dearest corruptions Consideration I desire that the consideration of the words excellency may cause me to prize it highly Of its necessity may make me to improve it diligently and of its efficacy may move me to go to hear as a Prisoner going to a bar to be tryed for my everlasting life or death Good ends in hearing I wish that the weight of the word may sink so deep into my heart that I may never hear Sermons to pick flowers of Oratory or to please my fancy but to receive virtue from Christ for the drying up my issue of sin and that I might cleanse my ways by taking heed thereto according to Gods Word Worldly thoughts laid by That the noise of the World may never hinder me from hearing the voiee of my God At hearing I wish that when I come into the place of worship I may set my self solemnly as before the Judge of quick and dead Seriousness as in Gods presence and as in the presence of the Lord with fear and awe give audience to his word If I were hearkening to an earthly Prince I would be serious O with what reverence should I hear from the blessed and onely Potentate Because without application the word will be unprofitable Application of it I wish that I may never draw a curtain before my own Picture but overlooking others may see my own face in the glass of the law O that by faith I may so take down the hook of the word as to be caught and taken by it Renovation by it My prayer is that the Gospel may come to me not in word onely but in power also that I may go to it as clean paper for any inscription as soft wax for any impression which my God shall be pleased to make upon me O that I might behold the Lord so effectualy in that glass as to be changed into his Image from glory to glory In special I wish that my sins may be placed by me in the front of this spiritual battle as Uriah purposely to be slain and that those smooth stones which are taken out of the silver streams of the Sanctuary may be thrown by so skilful and powerful a hand that they may sink deep into the foreheads of those uncircumcised ones After hearing Petition for a blessing to their death and destruction I wish that after the seed is sown I may beg that the showres of Heavens blessing may accompany it that it may spring up in the fruits of righteousness to the glory of my God and good of my precious soul And because the Gospel is a dish which is not set on every Table Thanksgiving for the Word though free grace bestoweth it on me I wish that I may rise from this spiritual food before I have given thanks to the Master of the feast Practice I desire finally that as I looked like a Saint in hearing I may live like a Saint after I have heard that those blossoms of good purposes which sprouted forth while the Minister was preaching may ripen into practice that whatsoever characters others are known by to be Christians I may be known by this ear mark to be one of Christs sheep even by hearing his voyce so as to follow him wheresoever he goeth Though others like petty Chapmen deal onely in some particular commodities and those such as will serve their own turns I desire that I may deal with the Word by whole-sale and esteem all Gods Precepts concerning all things to be right O that I might order my whole conversation aright and at the last see the salvation of my God! Amen CHAP. XVIII How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in receiving the Lords Supper and 1. Of the Nature of that Ordinance and preparation for it VVHen God had caused his everlasting Decree to fall in labour and had delivered it by giving the world a being and upon infinite consultation had formed Man to be his Vice-Roy over all the works of his hands he embarqued him with all abilities needful for such a voyage in the bottom of the Covenant of Works Adam set forth fully furnished with skill and richly fraught with all the Fortunes Hopes and Happiness of Mankinde but he had scarce lanched out of sight before Satan who knew very well the worth of the prize envying man the Haven of bliss to which he was sailing and envying God who was the owner the honor of such of a venture raised a storm whereby the Vessel through the unfaithfulness of Adam the Pilot ran upon a Rock and miscarried O what a joyful spectacle was that to Satan What a doleful sight to Adam to behold himself and all his posterity
him and grace 1. Faith must look out for Christ Consider that Jesus Christ is the very soul of the Sacrament without him it is but the carcass of an Ordinance Christ and the Scripture bring comfort Christ and prayer cause spiritual profit Accedat Christus ad elementum fiet Sacramentum Christ and the elements make a Sacrament Christ and the Sacrament make a rare feast Therefore be sure thou look out for Christ Rest not in the bread and wine but look farther When thou sittest at the Table let the speech of thine heart be Saw ye him whom my soul loveth Turn to God and say as they to Philip Sir I would fain see Jesus Lord I would fain see Jesus Christ Let neither word nor prayer nor elements nor all things content thee without Christ As Isaac told his Father Father behold here is the wood and the fire but where is the Lamb for a burnt offering So do thou look up to thy Heavenly Father Father behold here is the Preacher and here is the Scripture here is the bread and here is the wine but where is the body and blood of my Saviour Lord where is the Lamb for a Sacrifice Father Father Where is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World If the Angels that are present at the Sacrament should speak to thee give them occasion for the same language which they gave the Woman at the Sepulchre We know whom thou seekest thou seekest Jesus which was Crucified come see the place where the Lord lay Come see the promise see the elements in which the Lord lyeth Mat. 28.5 6. If the Spirit of God seeing thee so eager and earnest for a sight of Christ should put by the hangings behind which the Lord Jesus hid himself purposely to be sought and present him to thee with his glorious retinue of graces and comforts with the precious fruits of his grievous passion and bespeak thee thus Chear up poor Christian behold the Lamb of God Behold King Jesus with the Crown of thorns wherewith his foes crowned him in the day that he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with greifs Behold King Solomon with the crown wherewith his Father crowned him in the dâ—â— of his Espousals and in the day of the gladness of his heart O Friend what would such a sight be worth to thee I am confident thou wouldst value it above all the silver in the World Well be of good comfort do but look for him and he will look after thee Say to him as the Spouse Make haste my Beloved be thou like the Hart and Roe upon the Mountains of Spices Make no tarrying O my God and doubt not but he will answer thee almost as he doth his Spouse in a sense of mercy not of judgement Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to thee according to thy faith Reader act Maries part and thou shalt meet with Maries portion When Mary went to the Sepulchre John 20.13 she looketh into it seeth the linnen but not the Lord and presently falleth a weeping O saith she they have taken away my Lord They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him Jesus Christ could now no longer absent himself he heard the voice of her weeping and gave her a gracious meeting Mary saith Christ Rabboni saith Mary Now her heart cleaves to him and her hands clasp about him and she hears that golden Message Go to my brethren and tell them I go to my Father and your Father So when thou comest to the Table and seest the linnen and not the Lord Jesus be not satisfied O dart up thy complaints to Heaven Lord I came not to see the linnen I came not for the bread and wine I came to see Jesus Christ O Lord what shall I do they have taken away my Lord and I know not where to finde him Ah Lord whâ—â— is the Word to me without Christ but as a conduit without water and what is the element to me without Christ but as a cup without wine O what wilt thou give me if I go from thy Table Christless Thou mightest be confident that Jesus Christ would hear such sighs and would hasten away to bless and kiss thee 2. Faith must look up to Christ for grace Look up to Christ as a Treasury of grace for the supply of all thy necessities and put thy hand of faith into this Treasury and thou shalt take out unsearchable riches Austin puts the question how a Christian may put out a long arm to reach Christ in Heaven and answers Crede tenuisti Believe and thou hast taken hold of him Christ is a full breast faith is the mouth which draweth and sucketh the breast and getteth spiritual nourishment out of it The blessed Saviour is a precious and deep mine but faith is the instrument whereby we dig the gold out of it As the Spanish Ambassador said of his Masters Treasury in comparison of that Treasury of S. Mark in Venice In this among other things my Masters Treasury differeth from yours in that my Masters Treasury alluding to his Indian Mines hath no bottom as I see yours to have For thy comfort know that the riches in Christ are inexhaustible and his bags are bottomless He can supply all thy needs Philip. 4.13 When thou art at this Ordinance look on Christ as a Fountain running over with the Water of Life and the Sacrament as a Channel cut out by Christ himself to convey Living Water to thy soul Thou art diseased go in this Ordinance to Christ as a Physician to heal thee Thou art an indigent beggar go to Christs Door I mean the Sacrament with an expectation of a large dole Do not sit down in despondency as the Patriarchs in a scarcity of food but since thou hast heard there is corn in Egypt bread enough in thy Fathers house sufficiency of grace in Jesus Christ go make haste to this son of Joseph who is Lord of the Countrey and hath the command of all the store houses in the Land and will load thee with more then thou canst desire Are thy wants many he hath infinite wealth Hast thou no Money to buy no Merits to offer why he selleth without money and without price They that bring Money have it returned back in their sacks for he takes none Whosoever will may drink of the Water of Life freely Revel 22.17 The Sacrament is as a Conduit which receiveth water from the River therefore when thou hast brought the Vessel of thy soul to the Conduit thy work must be by faith to turn the Cock and then it will run freely and fill thy Vessel be sure that thou minde the promise This is my Body This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood Thy faith will be celestial fire to extract the quintessence and spirits of the Promise 3. Faith must receive Christ and apply him to thy soul When thou puttest forth
the hand of thy body to take the bread and wine do thou put forth the hand of faith to receive the body and blood of Christ This is one principal act of Faith like Joseph of Arimathea to take Jesus down from his Cross and lay him in the new Tomb of thine heart Like Thomas put thy finger of faith into his side and cry out My Lord and my God Be not discour aged O penitent soul Are thy sins many His mercy is free Are thy sins weighty His merits are full Thou comest for bread and will thy Saviour give thee a stone He took notice of thy ferious preparation for this Ordinance and will he frustrate thine expectation at it Did he ever send hungry soul empty away The law of man provides for the poor in purse and will not the Gospel of Christ provide for the poor in spirit Is not his commission to bind up the broken hearted and can he be unfaithful Why shouldst thou mistrust truth it self Let me say to thee as the Disciples to the blind man Be of good chear he calleth for thee See how he casteth his eyes upon thee with a look of love as once upon Peter Observe he stretcheth out his Armes wide to embrace thee He boweth down his head to kiss thee He cryeth to thee as to Zacheus I must abide at thy house in thy heart to day O make haste to receive him and make him a feast by opening the doors of thy soul that the King of Glory may enter in Say to Christ Lord though I am unworthy that thou shouldst come under my roof yet thou art so gracious as to knock at the door of my heart and to promise if I open that thou wilt come in and sup with me and then call to him as Laban to Abrahams Steward Come in thou blessed of the Lord why standest thou without I have prepared lodging for thee Gen. 24. Truly Reader shouldst thou having mourned unfeignedly for thy sins now by unbeleif hang off from thy Saviour thou woulst much dishonour him and disadvantage thy self Christs greater things are for them that beleive If thou wilt now beleive thou shalt see the glory of God I am very consident if thou hadst been by the Cross broken heart when thy Saviour suffered and shouldst have kneeled down before him and said Dearest Saviour Why art thou now wrastling with the wrath of Heaven and rage of Hell He would have answered To satisfie poor soul for thy sins Again Why dost thou dye such a cursed death He would have said To take the curse of the law from thy back that so thou mightest inherit the blessing Once more Let not my Lord be angry and I will speak this once Blessed Redeemer Why didst thou cry out I thirst and drink Gall and Vinegar Thou mightest have heard such a reply To assure thee Thirsty sinner that I am sensible of thy thirst being scorched with that fury which is due to thy sins and that thou mightest drink of that love which is better then Wine But stay O weary thirsty soul but a while and by and by thou shalt see this side opened and blood issuing out to quench thy thirst O put the mouth of faith to that wound and what thou shalt suck thence shall do thee good for ever Reader I have read that the Souldier who peirced Christs side was blind and that the blood flying out upon him recovered his sight Sure I am that this blood sprinkled on thy conscience will purge it from dead works to serve the living God O therefore bathe thy soul in this blood when thou art at the Sacrament say to God as the Eunuch to Philip Here is water what hindereth but I may be Baptized Lord here is blood here is a fountain what hindereth but I may wash in it Rom. 3.24 1 Joh. 1.7 Heb. 9.14 Gal. 6.14 Heb. 12.13 True Lord my person is unrighteous but thy blood is justifying blood My heart is polluted but O Christ thy blood is sanctifying blood My lusts are many and strong but thy blood is mortifying blood My soul is lost but sweetest Saviour thy blood is saving blood This Justifying Sanctifying Saving blood I drink I apply for these ends O let this blood be upon me and my children for ever AWay despair my gracious Lord doth hear Though Winds and Wave assault my keel He doth preserve it Herbert the bag he doth steer Ev'n when the Boat seems most to reel Storms are the Triumph of his Art Well may he close his eyes but not his heart Hast thou not heard what my Lord Jesus did Then let me tell thee a strange story The God of power as he did ride In his Majestick robes of glory Resolv'd to light and so one day He did descend undressing all the way The Stars his tire of light and rings obtain'd The Clouds his bow the fire his spear The Skie his Azure mantle gain'd And when they ask'd what he would wear He smil'd and said as he did go He had new cloaths a making here below When he was come as travellers are wont He did repair unto an Inn Both then and after many a brunt He did endure to cancel sin And having giv'n the rest before Here he gave up his life to pay our score But as he was returning there came one Who ran upon him with a Spear He who came hither all alone Bringing no man nor armes nor fear Recio'd the blow upon his side And straight he turn'd and to his Brethren cryd If ye have any thing to send or write I have no bag but here is room Vnto my Fathers hands and sight Beleive me it shall safely come That I shall mind what you impart Look you may lay it very near my heart Or if hereafter any of my friends Will use me in this kind the door Shall still be open what he sends I will present and somewhat more Not to his hurt sighs will convey Any thing to me Heart-despair away 2. The second Grace to be called forth is love And truly if thou hast acted thy faith in his Passion for and affection to thy soul I shall not in the least doubt but thy love to him will play its part The Creatures some tell us follow the Panther being drawn after her by her sweet odours When Jesus Christ out of infinite love offered up himself a Sacrifice for thy sins surely the sweet savour thereof may draw thy heart after him Because of the savour of thy good oyntments therefore the Virgins love thee Cant. 1.4 There is nothing in Christ but what may well command thy love He is the fairest of ten thousand He is altogether lovely But his bloody sufferings for thee and his blessed love to thee one would think are such Loadstones that if thou wert as cold and hard as steel would draw thy soul both to desire him and to delight in him Meditate a little more on his love to thee Publicans and
So God giveth others outward portions some of the good things of this life but to thee O Christian he giveth a Benjamins mess his image his spirit his son himself a worthy portion a goodly heritage because he loveth thee Others have a little meat and drink and wages but thou hast the inheritance Others like Jehosaphats younger Sons have some Cities some small matters given them but thou like the first born hast the Kingdom the Crown of glory others feed on bare elements thou hast the Sacrament others stand without doors and thou art admitted into the presence Chamber others must fry eternally in Hell flames and thou must enjoy falness of joy for evermore O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever To him that chose thee before the foundation of the World for his mercy endureth for ever To him that called thee by the word of his grace for his mercy c. To him that gave his onely Son to dye for thy sins for his mercy c. To him that entred into a Covenant of grace with thee for his mercy endureth for ever To him that hath provided for thee an exceeding and eternal weight of glory for his mercy endureth for ever O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Remember the poor on that day Gods bounty to thee in spirituals may well provoke thy mercy to others in carnals The Jews at their Passover released a Prisoner in remembrance of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage Surely at the Lords Supper when thy heart is warmed with Gods compassion to thee thy hand should be enlarged in contribution to the poor in remembrance of thy redemption out of slavery to sin and Satan The Primitive Christians had their collections for the poor and the Lords Supper both on a day On the first day of the week Because the Saints like the wall being then heated by the Sun should reflect that heat on the passengers on others Acts 20.7 2 Cor. 16.1 Thy cup runneth over O let others drink with thee Thy Charity may make thy Coffer lighter but it will make thy crown heavier It was a notable expression of one who having given much away was like to want and asked what she would do I repent not of my charity for what I have lost in one World I have gained in another 2. Faithfulness The Sacrament is a strong engagement to sanctity Sacramentum est juramentum At the Lords Supper thou takest a new Oath of Allegiance to the King of Saints whereby every wilful iniquity after it becomes perjury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuam a Hedge The Greek word for an Oath cometh from a word signisieth an Hedge to shew that an Oath should keep men in and prevent their wandering out of the field of Gods word It is the character of an Harlot She forgetteth the Covenant of her God Prov. 2.17 I know that the Devil will come to sit with thee after Supper Flies love to settle on the sweetest perfumes When Israel had drunk of the Rock which followed them which Rock was Christ then Amalek fought them When Jesus Christ had received the Sacrament of Baptism then the Devil pursued him with his fierce assaults When thou hast been at the Table expect the Tempter That subtle theif will hear of the new treasure of grace which is brought into thy house thy heart and will use all his pollicy and power to rob thee of it thy care must be by stronger Bolts and Locks then ordinary by greater diligence and watchfulness then before to secure it Surely Reader If thou didst but find the Saviour in the Sacrament thou canst not but fear sin after the Sacrament Thou hast seen what sin cost Christ didst thou not at the Table see the Lord Jesus hanging on the Cross Didst thou not thus bespeak thy soul Look O my soul who hangeth there Alass it is thy dearest Redeemer See his bloody head bloody hands bloody back belly his body all over bloody But O his bleeding soul Dost thou not hear his lamentation My God My God why hast thou forsaken me What thinkest thou is the cause of all this Ah t is thy sins which is the source of all these sorrows And canst thou joyn with them or love those lusts that hate the Lord Canst thou wound him whom God hath wounded and crucifie the Lord Jesus afresh Hath not thy Saviour suffered enough already O here is a Medicine instar omnium instead of all to kill those diseases of thy soul It is said of the Souldiers of Pompey that though he could not keep them in the Camp by any perswasion yet when Pompey threw himself upon the ground and told them If ye will go ye shall trample upon your General Then saith Plutarch in the life of Pompey they were overcome Truely if nothing will disswade thee from sin yet this consideration that it is a trampling upon thy blessed Saviour should prevail with thee Though thou shouldst be marching never so furiously yet as Joabs Souldiers when they saw the dead body of Amasa stay'd their march and stood still when thou seest the mangled wounded peirced crucified body of thy Saviour thou shouldst stop proceed no further How many arguments mayst thou find in this ordinance to be close in thy obedience The greatness of Christs love calleth for graciousness in thy life The love of Christ constraineth 2 Cor. 5.14 Other Motives may perswade but this compelleth If deliverance from the yoke of Pharoah were such a bond to obedience what is deliverance from sin wrath hell mayst not thou Reader say with the Jews After such a deliverance as this should I again break thy Commandements woulst thou not be angry with me till thou hast consumed me Ezr. 9.13 They that receive such courtesies if any men the World sell their liberty and ought to be Christs servants 〈…〉 Friend hath God wiped off the old score wilt thou run again in debt did Christ speak peace to thee at the Table and wilt thou turn again to folly O Reader when thou art tempted to sin say with the Spouse I have washed my feet how shall I defile them I have washed my soul how shall I pollute it with sin I have given my self wholly to God before Angels men and how can I do this great wickednes sin against my God against my Saviour against my Covenant There is a beast some write which if she be feeding doth but turn her head about forgeteth what she was doing O do not thou after thou hast fed on the bread of life forget what thou wast doing but as at the Sacrament thou hast remembred Christs death so do it after by dying to sin all the days of thy life O do not use this ordinance as Papists do the Popes Indulgences to purchase a new licence to sin Judas went from the Supper to betray his Master Absolom
Fathers writeth that the Primitive Christians were so holy in their talk at their Table that one would have thought they had been at a Sermon Non tam caenam caenant quam disciplinam Tertul. Apologet cap. 39 not at a Supper Plato gives rules for the writing down the Table Talk of men thereby to make them more serious Luthers Colloquia Mensalia Printed in a large Folio do abundantly prove that he was not idle when he was eating but that his Table was his Pulpit where he read many profitable Lectures There is scarce a meeting of ungodly men to eat but the Devil hath his Dish among them Psa 35.16 The Drunkards have a song of David to sugar their Liquor The Gluttons have some Taunts to fling at Saints as Sauce to their meat At Herods Birth-day Banquet one Dish served in was the Baptists head Should not friend God have his dish at thy Table When thou art eating bread let thy meditation and expression be like his who sat at Table with Jesus Christ Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God Luk. 14.15 Consider Gods bounty and mercy in feeding thee and cloathing thee when many hungry bellies and naked backs are abroad in the World how many would be glad of thy scraps when thou hast asked God leave for his creatures thou mayst taste his love in the creatures Mayst thou not gather and conclude if the Streams are so refreshing and satisfying what refreshment and satisfaction is there in the well of living waters If bread be so savoury to an hungry body how sweet how savoury is the bread which came down from heaven to an hungry soul Lord give me evermore that bread Do as the Jews They did eat and delighted themselves in thy great goodness Nehem. 9.21 When thou art feeding thy body delight thy soul in Gods great goodness Thus like Mary when Christ was at meat thou mayst break thy box of precious Ointment and perfume the whole room with its fragrant smell 3. In returning thanks when thou hast eaten Thy duty is to begin thy meales with prayer and to end them with praise Thou canst not give God his due price for mercies but thou mayst give him his due praise Though thou art never able to buy them of him yet thou art able to bless him for them If thou didst Dine at thy Neighbours Table thou wouldst think thy self very unmannerly to turn thy back upon him without any acknowledgment of and thankfulness for his courtesie Every meal thou makest is at Gods cost for shame be so civil as to thank him for his kindness Saints are compared to Doves Isa 60.8 especially for their eyes Thou hast Doves eyes Cant. 5. Now Doves after every grain they peck look upward as it were giving thanks When God opens his hand thou mayst well open thy lips When thou hast eaten and art full Joel 2.26 thou shalt bless the Lord thy God Deut. 8.10 Do not like the fed Hauk forget thy Master or like them that go to the Well as soon as they have fild their Buckets at it turn their backs upon it Why shouldst thou forget God when he remembreth thee When thou shalt have eaten and be full then beware least thou forget God Deut. 6.11 12. Let not thy fulness breed forgetfulness you think him a surly beggar who if he receive but a small peice of bread shall fling away from your doors and give you no thanks The Primitive Christians did break bread from house to house and did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praysing God Some understand it of Sacramental others of Corporal bread Acts 2.46 47. The Lord Jesus was known by his actions or expressions in giving of thanks Luk. 24.31 Nay the Heathen would acknowledge their Dunghil deities in those outward mercies Dan. 5.4 They drank Wine and praysed the gods of Gold and of silver and of brass of iron of wood and of stone Wilt not thou do as much for the true God as they for their false Gods O let him have all thy praise who sendeth in all thy provision God takes it very ill when we do not own and honour him as the Author of our Meat and Drink Because Israel was so prided with her Pronounces Possessives My bread and my water my wool and my flax mine oyl and my drink God turnes them all into privatives For she did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oyl therefore will I return and take away my Corn in the time thereof and my Wine in the season thereof and recover my wool and my flax Hosea 2.5.8 9. Trumpeters love not to sound in those places where they are not answered with a considerable Eccho God delights not to bestow mercies on those persons who will not return him sutable praise those that return things borrowed without thanks must expect the next time they need to be denyed I have read a story in the writings of an eminently pious Minister who was an eye and ear witness of the truth of it of a young man who lying upon his sick bed was always calling for meat but as soon as he saw it was brought to him at the sight of it he shook and trembled dreadfully in every part of his body and so continued till his food was carried away and thus being not able to eat he pined away and before his death acknowledged Gods Justice in that in his health he had received his meat ordinarily without giving God thanks The despisers of Gods benificence have been patterns of his vengeance He hath remembred them in fury who have forgotten his favours Some write of the Jews that in the beginning of their Feasts the Master of the House took a cup of Wine in his hand and began its consecration after this manner Blessed be thou O Lord our God the King of the World Ex P. Fagi in Deut. 8. which createst the fruit of the Vine this they called Bircath hajaiin the blessing of the cup possibly to this David alludeth in Psa 116.13 14. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord after the cup the Master of the House took the bread and consecrated it thus Blessed be thou O Lord our God the King of the World which bringest forth bread out of the Earth this they called Bircath halechem At the end of the Feast the Master called to his Friends Let us bless him who hath fed us with his own and of whose goodness we live and concluded with a large Thanksgiving wherein he blest God First For their present Food Secondly For their deliverance from Egyptian bondage Thirdly For the Covenant of Circumcision Fourthly For the Law given by the Ministry of Moses And then he prayed that God would have mercy On his people Israel Secondly On his own City Jerusalem Thirdly On Sion the Tabernacle of his
who cannot hear what is spoken by reason of the clacking and noise which is made there Christ calleth and the Spirit of God cryeth to them but their eares are stopt with earth that they hear not As we say of fire and water they are good Servants but bad Masters Keep them within their bounds and they are exceeding useful but when they go beyond their bounds how hurtful are they What mischief hath fire done in England what sad work hath water made in Holland The same is true of our particular callings they are faithful Servants but they are dreadful Masters Keep them within their limits and they are helpful to our selves our relations and our neighbours but suffer them once to transgress their bounds and they will make miserable work they will rob God wrong the soul nay often ruine it eternally When those that were born slaves and servants come once to be Kings and Commanders they are ever the worst Tyrants Now if thou wouldst not have thy particular calling to incroach upon thy general take heed that it steal not away thy heart nor thy time 1. Take heed that thy particular calling steal not away thy heart from thy general calling If the Mistris keep her distance and maintain her authority over her maidens she may find them obedient and serviceable but if she grow fond of them and familiar with them they will grow saucy and incroach upon her Reader keep thy inward distance and maintain that authority which God hath given thee over the things of this life and then all will be well butif once thou doatest on them and delightest in them expect to have them thine hinderances in all holy exercises The World may have thy hands but it must not have thy heart Thy actions may be about thy particular calling but thy affections must be above it Set your affections on things above and not on things below Collos 3.2 Thy occupation is as the first Adam of the earth carthly but thy conversation must be like the second Adam the Lord from Heaven heavenly A Christian should follow the things of this World with such a slightness and indifferency of Spirit as Wicked men do the things of a better World The holy Angels behold our earthly affairs but as strangers to them It is happy for him that can carry himself towards his own estate as if it were another mans An heathen could say I do not give but onely lend my self to my business Surely then a Saint should go through th World as one in a deep study Rebus non me trodo sedcousmodo Senec de benef his mind being the whilst intent upon a better object Brutish Horseflies fasten on Dunghils Swallows make their nests of earth They who have no Heaven hereafter may give their hearts to the earth but Christian if thou lovest thy soul though riches increase set not thine heart upon them Love not the World nor the things of the World Psa 62.10 This is a certain truth the hotter thy love is to the World the colder it is to the Lord. When the sap of Worldliness is in a man he will never flame well heavenward The Ship may sail in the water and be safe but when the water getteth into the Ship it sinketh it Thou mayst work about thy earthly affairs and all may be well but if thine affairs once work themselves into thee then thou art in danger Thy God alloweth thee to warm thy self at the Sun of creature comforts but not to turn Persian and worship it The Riviers lightly salute the earth as they pass along and make no stay but pass forward to the Ocean Thy affections should but slightly touch the earth weeping for worldly crosses as if thou wepst not and rejoycing for Worldly comforts as if thou rejoycedst not and so pass on to the Ocean of thy happiness It s said Germanicus reigned in the Romans hearts Tiberius onely in the Provinces Thy general must reign in the City in thy heart thy particular calling onely in the Suburbs of thy hands Reader if the World ever get into the throne of thine inward man fare wel all Religon I have read of a custom among the Germans to know whether their children be bastards or not to throw them in Fluvium Rhenum into the River Rhine If they floated above then they acknowledged them to be their own but if the waters carried them away then they esteemed them as Bastards Truely Reader if thou canst float above the waters of thy worldly imployments thou art a child of God but if that carry thee away by lying near thy affections look to thy self and fear thy condition It is not the greatness of mans estate or employment so much as the nearness of it to his heart which will hinder holiness A small hat held near our eyes will hinder our sight of the Sun which a great mountain a far off will not do A little near the affections will hinder our sight of Christ when thousands far from the heart may as imployed further it Besides the closer we lay the flowers of our earthly mercies to our breasts the sooner they wither A nosegay in the hand will continue fresh and sweet as is generally observed much longer then when it is stuck in the bosome 2. That thy particular calling may not incroach upon thy general be careful that it steal not away thy time Thy piety Reader and thy prudence is so to order thine affairs relating to heaven and earth to God and thy family that they may not interfere or cross each other A wise foreceast will much help thee in this particular As to the winding a skein of silk he that begins at the right end will make quick riddance of it so to the dispatching of Wordly imployments that they may not prove heavenly impediments he that hath discretion to forecast them well may do very much However thy duty is to give the affairs of thy soul and thy God precedency I know the Devil and thy corrupt heart will often justle and quarrel with thy Closet and Family duties by suggesting to thee that they must of necessity be omitted because otherwise such and such concernments of thy calling upon which the welfare of thy self Wife and Children doth depend will be neglected As when Moses spake of the Israelites sacrificing to God then Pharoah spake of work to put them off so when thou art thinking of entring upon the performance of duties whether in secret or private thy back friend the evil one will send thee a message either by thy Wife or friend or thine unregenerate part that some other affairs of weight call for thy company elsewhere and therefore a dispensation must be granted thee at present as to thy solemn devotion Friend if thou lovest Jesus Christ take heed of hearkening to such temptations let the flesh but once obtain such a conquest over thee and thou shalt hear of it again it will pursue its victory to
Families page 523 Mind Religious duties in their Families page 529 Prayer must be in Families page 530 The Scriptures must be read in Families page 533 Psalmes must be sung in Families page 536 Governours of Families must give a good pattern page 538 All in a Family must be imployed page 549 The Governour of a Family must take care that his whole Family sanctifie the Lords day page 542 He must set up Discipline in his Family page 545 He must maintain love in his Family page 553 Godly Fear requisite in holy duties page 120 Fervency requisite in Prayer page 172 G THe things of God are the things of the greatest weight page 53 Godliness taken two ways page 8 9 Godliness Vide Religion Godly men meet with much opposition in the way to heaven page 65 Godliness must be our principal business page 94 95 In every part of our lives page 102 103 H A Good Harvest Gods gift page 485 486 It is our duty to Hear the word page 200 Evil Frames hinder us in Hearing page 205 Prejudice against the Preacher must be laid aside by them that would profit by Hearing page 206 to 211 The Heart must be affected with the weight efficacy and excellency of the word which we Hear page 212 Prayer requisite before hearing page 216 Right ends in Hearing to be minded page 221 False ends in hearing to be avoided page 220 Worldly thoughts hinder our Hearing page 221 222 We must hear as in Gods presence page 223 We must pray after we have Heard Vide the Word God looks much after our Hearts page 17 170 Heaven not to be obtained without diligence labour page 60 to 65 Humility required in prayer page 167 168 I IDolaters are zealous and prodigal page 418 419 Idleness the evils of it page 552 Intemperance a great sin page 417 The mischeifs of Intemperance page 418 419 Joy in God seasonable on a Lords day page 364 L LOrds day of divine institution page 337 338 God takes special notice how we keep the Lords day page 339 Preparation needful for a Lords day page 342 Wherein preparation to a Lords day consisteth page 343 to 346 Lords day a great priviledge page 348 Lords day a spicial season to get and increase grace in page 353 Publique Ordonances chiefly to be minded on the Lords day page 356 to 362 The whole Lords day to be sanctified page 372 Brief Directions for the Sanctification of the whole Lords day page 381 to 391 A good Wish about the sanctification of the Lords day page 391 A good Wish to the Lords day page 396 Lords day Vide Families and Meditation Love of Christ Vide Christs Love to Christians tried page 273 Love a help to Godliness page 553 M. MAn created for Religion Vide Epistles and page 39 Good Counsel about Marriage page 425 Meekness requisite in a Wife page 562 Meditation needful before prayer page 138 Meditation a duty on a Lords day page 377 Ministers must be godly page 6 and 498 A Minister must be industrious page 6 7. 502 People must pray for their Minister page 219 220 Ministers must act from right principles and for right ends page 499 500 Ministers must be able 501. Compassionate 504. Faithful 501 Full of courage 505. Ministers must Preach plainly purely prudently and powerfully page 507 to 510 Ministers must pray for their people page 510 Administer Sacraments 511. Chatechise 510. Visit people page 512 Ministers must be exceeding tende what example they give their people ib. Ministers must not be discouraged if their labours be not successful page 513 Ministers must give the glory of their success to God page 514 N HOw a Christian in Natural Actions may make Religion his business page 400 A good wish about Natural Actions page 441 O OBedience required page 322 341 Obedience must be in heart and life page 17 18 Obedience must be Canonical page 19 Ordinances their ends and use page 130 131 Ordinances Vide duties and Lords day P GOd hath an extrodinary respect for a Penitent soul page 277 278 Perseverance required page 35 Perseverance in prayer page 189 Pleasures Vide Recreations The excellency of Prayer page 137 138 The Prevalency of Prayer page 141 142 Prayer hath a twofold Preheminence above all other duties page 138 The Nature of Prayer page 140 The Antecedents to Prayer page 147 Meditation an help to Prayer page 148 Meditation of our sins wants and miseries needful before Prayer page 149 to 155 Meditation of God helpful to Prayer page 155 Quickening and stirring up of grace needful to Prayer page 157 Sin hindreth Prayer page 159 160 Anger hindreth Prayer page 161 Worldly Distractions hinder Prayer page 162 Gods Word must be the rule for the matter of our Prayers page 163 The Person Praying must be holy page 165 Prayer must be Vpright 170. Humble 167. Fervent 172 Constant page 178 What it is to Pray Continually page 180 A Caution about fervency in Prayer page 176 Its an ill sign to be Prayerless page 184 185 After Prayer wait for an Answer page 186 Means must be used for the obtaining our Prayers page 191 Preparation to Religious duties needful page 343 Preparation to Hearing Vide Hearing Preparation to the Lords day Vide Lords day R REcreations are lawful 446. they must not be our occupation 450 they must be used for good ends 454. In due season page 456 Recreations are unseasonable on a Lords day page 457 458 and in times of the Churches sufferings page 461 A good wish about Recreations page 462 Religion must be our business page 10 What Religion is page 13 14 The several derivations of the word Religion page 13 What it is to make it ones business 21. It implieth to give it precedency 22. To pursue it with industry 26. To persevere with constancy page 35 Why Religion must be made our business page 39 Religion is the end of mans creation page 40 Religion is a work of the greatest weight 45 to 49. It is Soul-work 49. It is God-work 52. It is Eternity-work page 57 The necessity of making Religion our business page 60 to 70 Religion much neglected page 72 The neglect of Religion bewailed page 73 79 Our greatest care must be about Religious duties page 108 Vide Godliness and Duties Repentance consisteth in mourning for sin and turning from sin page 276 280 S SAints called Lillies why page 268 Saints shamed by sinners page 88 89 92 93 Scripture a great mercy page 198 Vide Hearing and the Word Sacrament of the Lords Supper a seal of the Covenant page 251 The Sacrament a resemblance of Christs death 252. An evidence of his love 253. A great Supper in four respects page 253. The excellency of the Sacrament page 255 Much care about the Supper page 255 256 The danger of receiving the Supper unworthily page 256 to 262 Christ takes notice how men prepare for the Sacrament page 257 Preparation requisite before it 264 265. Wherein preparation for it consisteth page 266 to 279 Our dependance must be on Christ for assistance after our greatest preparation for the Sacrament page 282 Subjects to be meditated on at a Sacrament 285. Christs sufferings 286 to 293. Christs love 293 to 300. Our own sins ib. Graces to be exercised at the Sacrament 300. Faith in its threefold act 303 to 310. Love 312. Repentance page 315 What a Christian should do after a Sacrament page 319 320 Men to be very careful in the choice of Servants page 526 527 Sinners very zealous for sin page 87 88 89 Sobriety vide Temperance Sleep how to be ordered page 437. Its ends 440. Quantity page 437 Season page 439 Soul-work weighty page 49 The welfare of the body dependeth on the Soul page 51 The Souls excellency page 50 T. TEmperance commended page 416 Vide Natural Actions and Eating Thankfulness enjoyned 413 415. For the Word 236. For the Sacrament page 319 U. VNgodliness brancheth it self into Atheism and superstition page 1 2 Uprightness acceptable to God page 171 Unthankfulness page 408 W GOod Counsel about the Choice of a Wife page 525 526 Word why called the grace of God page 203 Gods power alone can make the Word effectual page 217 218 When the Word cometh with power then it profiteth page 229 Its woful to live under the Word and not to be changed by it page 231 We must bless God for his Word page 237 The Word must be obeyed page 240 241 242 Word Vide Hearing Worldlings eager for the World page 74 to 78 Our Worship of God must be inward and outward page 14 to 19 Man made for the Worship of God Vide Man God is very choice in his Worship page 109 110 Gods Worship must be according to his Word page 19 20 God alone the object of Worship page 16 Its ill to dally with Gods Worship page 112 Much Watchfulness required in the Worship of God page 113 Y YOuth Vide Family instruction FINIS