think before hand Thirdly He shewes what kinde of words the humble soule brings before God in prayer These three things I will breifly touch First The necessity of vocall prayer Take to you words Thinke it not enough to turne your hearts to God It is true importunity of affection moves God more then importunity of speech for he looks to the heart and reines and requires truth in the inward parts But though the heart be principall in the sacrifice yet it is not the sole agent All prayer is not included in conceived prayer God will have honour of the lips as well as of the heart he did not make man all soule and spirit as he made him part body and part soule so he will have honour of both Honour him in the heart that is the cheife else the other will not prevaile when we draw neere him with our lips if our hearts be farr from him But the heart is not the onely thing though it be the cheife get words to your selves get a good expression For this purpose God hath given man the use of speech not onely that he should converse with Men but wiâ—h God he converseth with men by intercourse of speech with God by prayer Prayer is the language of the heart God is delighted with that God is delighted with the language of prayer or else hee would not have set us so many formes in Scripture and all those dictates God could worke grace in the heart without Preaching but he useth outward meanes because men have bodies and soules and God can accept the prayer of the heart but God will have both parts Seek to God with the inward man and with the outward man David calls his tongue his glory for that end for the tongue is the interpreter of the heart the tongue is the Secretary of the minde it is that Ambassador that every poor contrite soule sends to God Those words that flye to Heaven and passe the Clouds are delivered and dictated by the tongue Therefore it is that God hath made some part of the body the interpreter to all the duties of piety Mourning is one part of repentance the interpreter of that affection of sorrow is the eye if the heart mourne the eye will weep Humiliation and dejection of spirit the casting downe of the soule that is another grace within and there is another interpreter without the knee is the interpreter of that grace if the heart be cast downe the body will the knee will bow Charity is another grace of the heart within the interpreter without is the hand if the heart be inlarged to wish well the hand will be inlarged to give to the poore And if the heart be inlarged with devotion the hands will spread the hand and eye move as the heart dictates and the knees bow as the heart dictates every part of the body is the interpreter of the soule Lastly Prayer it is a grace of the heart but it hath an interpreter without the tongue is the interpreter it is the Angell or Messenger of the understanding Clemens Alexandrinus calls it the Trumpet of the soule The tongue it is not onely the interpreter but the sollicitor The tongue is the sollicitor that the heart sends to Heaven God requires not the prayer of the lips because he cannot heare the prayer of the heart God forbid we should think so he knowes our thoughts before they are A mans silence is a cry to God he heard Moses when hee said nothing he heares the silence of prayer as well as the voice Tertullian well expresseth it he is not onely the beholder of the heart but the hearer of the heart The heart hath its language and every part of the body hath its language the eyes language is weeping and the hands language is lifting up and the knees language it is bowing and all comes from the language of the heart God understands the language of each part if the heart speake though the tongue be silent he understands that When a man lyes upon his death-bed and his speech is gone the hands are lifted up God heares that A man may pray with his eyes with his hands with his knees but he must not confine his prayer to these he may pray with his heart but hee must not confine prayer to the heart God will not onely have us say we pray within we pray to God and we wish well and never consider that God is over our heads we send up ejaculations but take to you words where is the witnesse of your mentall prayer Take to you words The point is this I will but name it Vocall Prayer is a great helpe to the ejaculations of the minde It hath great advantage in publike and in private prayer In publike prayer it is simply necessary there cannot be a combination of affections except there be vocall prayer we cannot read the language of the heart one of another There cannot be union of affections except there be one voice for all Nothing commends prayer more to God then unity if it be the prayer of unity the harmony of prayer cannot be preserved in a Congregation without vocall prayer except it be expressed by words and formes they are necessary that I shall shew after There must be vocall prayer used that the Congregation may be joyned together Therefore we pray in the last prayer We make our common supplications I take occasion because people take occasion to mistake it is not common because they are ordinary supplications but thus common supplications that concerne us all It is needfull also in private prayer it hath these three advantages First Prayer of the tongue it makes prayer a perfect burnt Sacrifice when the tongue joynes in words Prayer is a dart zeale points it and words feather it when it is poynted by zeale and feathered by words it flyes home when the inward and the outward man agree together when the strings of the heart and the language of the tongue speake one thing then there is a perfect Sacrifice offered to God Pray to him with the heart and with the lips Secondly The language of prayer is needfull to be exprest by the lips because words are as bellows to the affections they are a meanes to kindle good affections Words restraine affections that they shall not rove they confine the affections to holy and heavenly desires they not onely confine but as I sayd they kindle affections They are as bellows Prayer is as Incense zeale puts to the fire in prayer and words are the bellows that blow it up to make it flame they make this Incense not onely sume but flame If words be wanting prayer will coole of it selfe it is impossible that a man should continue and persevere in prayer except he use words because the affections will rove The heart is able to expresse pious ejaculations but to persevere in prayer without consining to formed words or where there is a habite of prayer without
lesse good to a greater good from the workes of our calling from the exercise of lesser things to an holie dutie Secondly repentance is a finall turning never to come back to sinne more it is alwayes a purpose to goe forwards to God and never to looke back to the point it is turned from Prayer is not a finall turning it is a temporarie turning wee leave secular workes to have recourse to God but when prayer is ended God allows and gives us leave to mannage the affaires of our calling so it be in a decent fashion it is not a finall turning yet both are turnings Prayer is a turning as Damscaene defines it Elevatio cordis ad deum a lifting up of the heart to God in that it is an elevation of the heart a turning of the heart wherein the devout soule flies above the thoughts and meditations of all earthly things and goes out of it selfe for the fruition and enjoyment of the comforts of Gods spirit that it may lay open its wants before God it is a turning of the heart and of the voyce and of every outward part of a man in prayer there the eye is turned by looking up the hands are turned by spreading before God the Knees are turned by bowing before his footestoole and the heart is turned by going out of it selfe Prayer leaves the world Transoendit mundum as St. Ambrose speakes it goes above the world above the Cloudes it rests not till it come to God prayer is a turning But more particularly repentance is a turning A Vniversall A Totall A Finall turning or change that is wrought in the mind in the actions of the bodie in the whole man Repentance workes a change in the whole man not in the substance of flesh as Ambrose speakes not a corporall visible change wrought in the substance of the soule or flesh or in the quantitie or dimensions of it Though repentance bring a change in that sometimes when it brings the bodie to meagernes and pyning but the change is wrought in the qualities of the mind and the actions of the bodie There is a perfect change First it is a generall universall turning In respect of the subject it workes a perfect change in every part a dark understanding before is turned to light a servile will is now turned to libertie rebellious affections are turned now to obedience a hard heart is turned to softnesse and meeknesse and so in the bodie the eye of wantonesse is turned to an eye of chastitie the uncircumcised eare is turned to an eare of obedience the rough hands as Esaus are turned to the hands of Jacob in every thing there is a change This is the first thing Wherin a true Christian differs from a formal a formal Christian is changed and turned but not universally in every part He turnes from some sin that he begins to loath by infirmitie of nature or because his purse will not hold out to maintaine it or the shame of the world cries him downe or for some sinister respects but he keepes his darling bosome sinne O his beloved sinne he will not part with He will heare in many things gladly and reforme as Herod he will take a half turne with Agrippa when Paul preached saith he almost almost he was wambling he could finde in his heart to turne but he was loath to leave his sinnes But it is otherwise with a true penitent as he turnes in earnest so he labours to make the change discernable in all parts he casts off all the raggs of old Adam he casts out all sinne he leaves not a horne or a hoofe behind Repentance is such a grace that it scrapes off all Leviathans skales It is a laver that washeth away all the Lepers spots it makes of an Aethiopian an Israelite it works not only a palpable but an universall change That is the first thing Secondly as it is universall in respect of the subject so it is total in respect of the act Repentance is such a turning as goes to the contrary point it is such a turning as keepes still a direct opposition And herein a true convert differs from a formall Christian the formall Christian he turnes side-wayes when he begins to have some detestation of sinne wrought in him he seemes to turne a little As a man that hath his back upon the North-point if he turne his back to the South he stands in direct opposition to that point he looked to before but if he turne his face to the East or West he may looke to the North or South at the same time he turnes but halfe but side wayes if he turne from the North to the East So a formall convert he turnes but he keepes a learing eye upon sinne he lookes to sinne and to God at the same time when he is in secret he lookes to sinne but when he is in company he lookes to God he lookes to Babylon and Jerusalem at the same time he will have his backe not upon the North but East or West that he may looke both wayes But a true Convert turnes point blank from the point he was in before to the contrarie because there is no communion between grace and sin there is no standing betweene them both Newtrall hovering hearts luke warme hearts that partake of both tempers such hearts God abhors more then cold prophane hearts The godly man will not doe so he knowes that grace and repentance stand in opposition and contrarietie and repugnancie with sin he gets cleare to the other point Sinne turns our backe upon God repentance sets our face to God sinne is a madnesse or distemper the phrensie of the soule repentance brings a man to his right minde it brings him to himselfe Sinne is an aberration from the marke so some words in Scripture signifie repentance on the contrarie it takes the point of the heart which is the arrow that we shoot up to Heaven in the sacrifice of Prayer and repentance and it turns it just upon the marke againe it sets it right to aime only at the glorie of God that wee may glorisie God in the latter part of our life as we have dishonoured him in the former repentance is a directing to the right marke Lastly Sinne is a deviation a turning out of the path of obedience and from the commandements repentance and so the word is here used is a turning to the right way a bringing of our feet to that path that God hath chalked to us Repentance as it is a generall turning in respect of the subject so it is totall in respect of the act That is the second thing Thirdly as it is totall in respect of the act so it is finall in respect of the time True repentance leaves sinne so as that it takes a long farewell it takes its great and last adieu of sinne it saith with the Spouse in the Canticles I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet
were not able to learne it he joynes these that we might learne to joyne them in our Prayers They are the things that God joynes therefore he joines them They are the things that the promises of God joyne therefore he joynes them They are the things that other Saints joyned therefore he joynes them God when he speakes of himselfe he joynes these The Lord the Lord gracious and mercifull pardoning iniquity c. They goe together in God can a man make a better prayer to God or more perfect then that that is taken from those Attributes and termes that are most emynent in God The Spirit of God joynes these together in God we may well joyne them in Prayer As Cyprian saith of the Lords Prayer it is good to come to the Lord in his owne words though there be no vertue in the words without the Spirit God will accept the words of his owne Son when we come in the name and words of Christ So here it is the Spirit of God that commenceth and makes our Suites it is the Spirit of God that frames our Bill that Dictates our Prayers He is the Counsellor of the Father he knowes what the Father will grant Shall we neglect to make such Prayers as the Spirit dictates Can you have sayth St. Austin a better to Coppy your Prayers then the Spirit of God Then here the Spirit of God joynes the grace and mercy of God we must joine them in our Prayers God will acknowledge the words of his Holy Spirit if we come to Christ in his owne words As they are the words that God joynes so they are the words that are joyned in the Promise I will be mercifull to their Transgressions and I will pardon their Sins In many of the Promises of God these two still meet Prayer builds upon a Promise when Prayer gets a promise it builds it goes up to Heaven upon promises there is the Ladder of promises It is impossible Prayer should miscarry that takes the direction of the promise God hath promised to pardon therefore prayer sues for it God hath promised to be gracious therefore prayer begs it These two are joyned in the promise therefore they should in our Prayers Thirdly they are the two that the Saints joyne God be mercifull to us and blesse us and be mercifull unto us he delights to put these two God be mercifull and mercifull God take away our sins and receive us graciously be mercifull in pardoning and be mercifull in powring out and diffusing the light of thy Countenance O! when the Saints set before us the Patterns of such Prayers it is comfortable to us such Patterns as they sped with when they were in our condition It is a great incouragement and comfort and assurance to a Christian when I come with the Prayer of David of the Prophets and Apostles O! It is a comfort when a soule can enlarge it selfe in those Heavenly words that the Spirit of God wrought in the hearts of the Saints in former times For this very purpose the Prophet records this Prayer that they might learne it then and we treasure it up now for it is full of the Jewells of Heavenly grace That shall serve to have spoken of that Take away iniquity and receive us graciously the reason why he adds this clause to the other There is one thing behind the Order but that I must reserve for another time SERMON V. Hosea 14.2 Take away all iniquitie and receive us graciously So will we render thee the Calves of our lips GOOD and evill are the two bounds that are set to all obedience That they are the hounds of obedience the Prophet David shews in Psa 37. where he reduceth all the duty of man to those two heads in shunning of evill and following that that is good Eschew evill and doe good and dwell for ever That they are the bounds of the grace of repentance the Prophet Ezekiell shews us Chap. 38. Cast away from you all your Transgressions make you a new heart and a new Spirit As the Apostle Paul Ephes 4. Put of the old man with the deeds thereof and be renewed in the spirit of your mind That they are the bounds of Prayer our blessed Saviour shews in those two parts Pray that you enter not into temptation there is the one Seeke first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof there is the other part Lastly that they are the bounds of the duty of thankfullnesse the Psalmist shewes againe in Psal 103. Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name that forgiveth all thine iniquities that Crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindenesse All the Saints of God they well know this that piety is excercised about these two these two are the hinges upon which the Door of piety turnes both backward and forward upon these it is that obedience turnes in the shunning of evill and pursuing of good upon these it is that Prayer turnes in deprecating evill and petitioning for good Lastly upon these two the worke of thankfullnesse turnes too in giving God praise for the diverting of evill and for the effusion of good And according to these limits we may see all these duties plainly set out in the text by the severall bounds of them Here is the worke of Repentance with the bounds thereof in that clause Turne to the Lord to set out to us as I shewed before both the terme from which we must turne the aversion of ill and the terme of happinesse to which we must turne that is the conversion to that that is good Put away your sins from you turne from them and then turne to the Lord. There are the bounds of repentance For the duty of Prayer with the bounds of that we have it in the next words Take away all iniquity there is the deprecation of that that is evill and receive us graciously there is the Petition we make for that that is good Lastly for the duty of thankfulnesse we have that in the last words with the bounds thereof So will we render If thou wilt take away sin we will render the prayse of that work and if thou wilt shew us thy Salvation we will render the praise of that worke Of the first of these we spake already and of the last I am to speake afterward and in the second I am conversant at this time The forme of Prayer the Prophet sets to the people according to the bounds of it in which I considered before these two parts There are the parts of the Prayer and the order of the parts The parts of the Prayer in those two First for the removall of sin Take away all iniquity I shewed you the reasons why he directs his prayer against sin why he would have them direct it against all sin why he Prayes against sin for the taking of it away The 2. part of the prayer is for the powring down of the grace they stood in
if we consider it as a Petition for the enlargement of the evidence and manifestation of grace so it is good For grace cannot be manifested till it be given there can be no demonstration of the pardon of sin till pardon be wrought and the greatest demonstration of the pardon of sin is this when Gods spirit is powerfull to subdue and crucifie sin Then it is this demonstration they beg in the second place pardon our iniquities and give us evidence that our sins are pardoned that thy spirit affist us continually to crucifie and subdue our sins bestow upon us grace and favour and make us know that we have it For as our happinesse consists in the pardon of our sins so the comfort consists in the enjoying of it It is true that grace and pardon of sin may be had where it is not at all times seene and felt and perceived but yet it cannot be enjoyed unlesse it be seene and felt we may have the thing but want the comfort sometimes He that wants the comfort for the time he wants the thing to himselfe and his apprehension Therefore when God hath pardoned and hath shewed grace the faithfull soul staies not there it is a Heaven upon Earth to have the comfort and assurance and evidence of grace that is the point that After the pardon of sin is had the faithfull soul staies not there but begs for assurance and after that for more assurances and still for more assurance Because there may be enlargement of assurance still as long as we are in these dayes of misery However it please our adversaries of Rome to make a mock of the certeinty of Salvation the assurance of grace they pin many scornes upon it in their writings though they be the Learned of them let them injoy their consolation it is to be feared that they will want the comfort that thus deride it The Saints in Scripture did not so they directed their prayers oft times not onely for the thing but for the comfort and assurance of it and as they rejoyced in the thing so much more in the assurance for the present Looke over those in the Old Testament and in the New Heare the tryumph of Job wherein he wonderously delights and refresheth himselfe I know that my Redeemer liveth and that I shall see him with these eyes There is no word of greater assurance then this I know Let their Thomas Aquinas speake his mind of that word upon those words I know whom I have beleived 2 Tim. 1. sayth he in this word I know there is a certainty and assurance of hope that hope that makes us not confounded there is a certainty in this word I know I know that my redeemer liveth Therefore David Psal 51. he prayes not onely God to cleanse and pardon and purifie his sins but then followes Make me to heare the voice of joy and gladnesse Cleanse me and make me understand that thou hast cleansed me make me have the comfort of it Thou hast told me already that my sins are pardoned I have the assurance of it by the Message sent by Nathan but there wants comfort and joy in the evident demonstration of it O make me to heare the voyce of joy and gladnesse that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce that I may have the evidence of thy spirit speaking to my heart Looke to the New Testament it is that perticular in which the Holy Apostle John delights and refresheth himselfe not onely in the thing but in the comfort to demonstrate the certainty 1 John 3. We know there is Pauls and Jobs word againe We know that we are translated from death to life it is God that hath pardoned our sins and wrought this gracious change There is a translation of the Old man to the New we are translated and we know it by the fruit and effect because we love the Brethren And in another place We know his spirit abides in us He not onely comes and goes but dwells he hath taken up his Habitation it continues with us we know it even by the Spirit there is the evidence from the effect because we love the Brethren we know it by that and from the cause we know it because we have the Spirit What is more then we know And what greater assurance then the Spirit Paul makes that the great evidence Rom. 8. We know that he hath given us of his spirit And that Spirit witnesseth what That our sins are pardoned that we are the Children of God that we are in the state of Adoption and Reconciliation The Spirit witnesseth to our Spirits Our spirits have the Testimony and the spirit adds a Testimony to that that by the mouth of two Witnesses every word of God might be established to the soule There is the evidnce of grace and the testimony of our spirit of the spirit of God The Apostle Paul is very freequent in setting words of weight to evince the certeinty I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor Angells nor Principallities nor powers nor any thing shall be able to seperate us from the love of God I am perswaded it is a word of great assurance I am confident it is as much as we know I am assured that neither life nor death that nothing can seperate this bond of union or cut this bond assunder There is no Sword that can cut betweene the beleiving soule and the spirit of God It is so neare a union that the love of God makes that nothing can come between I am confident I am assured that neither principallities nor powers nor any thing shall be able to seperate us from the love of God he had the evidence and he shewes that it might therefore be had Yet another place and that is that that before I named 2 Tim. 1. I know whom I have beleived It is not onely put in 2 Cor. 5. in the Singular but in the Plur all least men should have thought that Paul had it by illumination from God it was revealed to him from Heaven He knew whom he had beleived and that none could seperate him but shall we expect to have that assurance given us Therefore in the Corinths he takes in them We know he names some besides himselfe that is I and you Corinthians all beleivers or at least those that are eminent Beleivers if not at all times yet at some time if not at every time for the particular yet for the generall We know that when this earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be dissolved there is a House made without hands reserved in the Heavens He speakes of the translation from the Houses of Clay these bodies that we carry about us to those Houses that are cloathed on with immortality God hath provided a house and we know it and are assured of it The Apostles and Saints of both Testaments they laid a great deale of their comfort in this assurance therefore they gave Testimony to it And
of the commandements as worship praise obedience adoration they are all performed in heaven by the Saints and Angels it is in heaven the commandements put them together since the commandement was in heaven David looks after it there he knew there was but an imperfect custody of it in earth It is that that we pray for daily thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven When we look to the commandements let us look to heaven there they are perfect Holy David when he stretched out his hands to the commandements he reached not forward but upward and since they were in heaven he directs his affection and the strength of his resolution thither there is the reason of the first word the verbe is set with an Emphasis elevabo I will lift up But there is another emphasis upon the other my hands take it figuratively my hands that is my heart the hand is put for the affections because they are the instruments whereby the heart and affections work love is seen in the hand as well as in other parts he might very well put them for the whole man My hands will I lift up that is my selfe my heart Or take it properly he therefore mentions his hands as the excitements or signe or testimony of lifting up his heart because the heart that works in the outward man Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh the eye seeth and the hand worketh to shew that his heart was lift up to Gods commandements he saiâ—h he will lift up his hands so here is now the summe it is nothing but thus much the expression of the welcome the great welcome and dutifull entertainment that he gives to the commandements of God he presents God to his heart here as publishing the commandements offering them as a gift and hee reacheth out his hand to accept and take them as Galen saith well the hand is not only the instrument of invention but of assumption we take all by the hand he would take it of God a great gift that hee would bestow his commandements God offers and David accepts the dutifull welcome that he gives to the commandements of God may be parallel'd Heb. 12. Lift up the feeble knees and the hands that hang down so make streight steps to your paths Take all those parts in a spirituall sense the soule hath hands and feete as well as the body the feet of the soule are the affections the hands of the soule is reason the same that is the eye is the hand Holy David pursues it in the same impression he rouzeth up himselfe and strengthneth himselfe to keep Gods commandements he quickens every part after in other parts of the Psalm he hath taken order for other parts Hee takes order for his eyes Open mine eyes and I shall see wonders in thy law He takes order for his feet I remembred my wayes and turned my feet to thy testimonies That hee might shew that there was a dedication of his whole selfe to God he passeth by the strength of no part he served him with all his soule with all his heart and with all his strength he gives God the strength of every part he sets down his hands not my eyes or my heart only it is not only the ordering of his feet affections but the strength of the whole man I will lift up my hands to thy commandements which I have loved here is the sum and pattern that David sets forth it is a good pattern for us to imitate and in what should we imitate him Immitate David in resolution the reason we come so short in piety is because we are not armed with resolution we goe weakly and carelesly about the work of God we doe the work of salvation that concerns our souls negligently nothing will keep the soule in a better temper and keep a man more out of the way of sinne then oft to fortifie and strengthen the heart with resolution and what resolutions shall wee take the same that David takes what is that I will lift up my hands how doth he lift up his hands to Gods commandements To lift up our hands to Gods commandements is to apply our selves to the keeping and exercise of them the hands are the instruments of action and exercise not but that it must be done by the heart and every part but therefore he refers it to the hand because action is the life of Christianity that to keep the commandements of God there must be action and the hands are the instruments of action Origen well we lift up our hands when we lift up the works of our hands to the commandements of God and when doe wee lift up the workes of our hands saith he when we walk worthy of God and live according to his prescripts and rules this is to lift up our hands to Gods commandements I but our hands are feeble our hands are weak as Moses were Exod. 17. We read that Moses hands were heavy he could not hold them up so it is with many of us when we would walke in the ways of Gods commandements our feet are dull and feeble when we would work the works of God our hands are feeble heavy hands in worse case then Moses his hands were heavy through corporall infirmitie ours through spirituall the palsie hand through the decay of faith the withered hand by the declining of love and the hands manacled and pinioned and clog'd with the lusts of the flesh and the enticements of sin how then shall we doe to lift up our hands we must say as David in another place pray to God to strengthen us I will run the wayes of thy commandements when thou hast set my heart at liberty I will labour to keepe thy commandements to lift up my hands when thou shalt release me and enlarge me I will wash my hands in innocency because our hands are clog'd with sinne we must wash them in innocency bring clean and pure hands they are the only hands we can lift up we must not come with hands defiled with sinne Here is the resolution of David when he speaks of his hands they are to be understood by way of Idea that is pure hands clean hands holy hands charitable hands these were the hands that he would hold up to God I have done with the first part of his resolution I will lift up my hands to thy commandements the other that is behind in the last words I will meditate in thy statutes This is his second resolution the second branch and it is partly the same in effect with the former but it is varied and otherwise expressed Here is another name given to the word of God then in the former part there it was the Commandements here it is the Statutes Statute is more then precept the second name hee gives not for variety but as a word that is more emphatical it serves better for the expression of his purpose The commandements of
now the line that is conformable the line that makes the proportion to the other line the line that hath the similitude and Image of the other stamped on it that is it which is the redition the appodesis that which answers the former line in every proportion in every part So doe our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy upon us So here face answereth face and bone answereth bone There is mention of Masters and superiors in the first of a Heavenly Master in the second There is mention of Servants in the first of the Servants of God in the second of looking up in the first of waiting in the second of eyes corporall in the first of eyes spirituall in the second Onely this line exceeds the other in this one proportion it is drawne a little longer then the former because Gods mercies are of an infinite longitude there is nothing able to paralell them Vntill he have mercy upon us Of the first of these I spake in the Fore-noone and it was but halfe the Journey I meant then to have taken I shall now speake to the second part the proportionable redition it is the writing that matcheth the Coppie that was set in the former words If I had handled it then it would have been but halfe an houre I shall now lengthen it to the full and trust your memories with that I delivered The sum was but these two things The duty of Christians to know that they must dedicate to God as the faculties of their mind so the parts of their bodies their Tongue that is their glory and their eyes those are their Lamps and the light of their bodies and those are their perfections if they shine in the presence of God by looking up to him That was the first Secondly the duty that concernes you that are of the lower sort those that are in the condition of Servants of what sex soever that it is a conscionable performance that God expects at the hands of Servants to give faithfull and constant obedience and conformity in all things in a submission and subordination to God in all things to the will and inclination and direction of their Masters So here is the Coppie set and that is a good draught that must exceed it and that must be the labour of us that are to speak and heare of it and I will come directly to it and there are but these two parts of it which are two of the foure which I mentioned in the Fore-noone There is the paralell that answers the Coppie before So doe our eyes waite on the Lord our God And the Date and Duration of this duty how long it is to be continued Vntill he have mercy on us So these are the two things that now I am to speak of And the first of these is the Paralell that matcheth the Coppie the proficiency that Christians make by the documents they have from these temporall relations and it is set downe here by a great deale of advantage there is never a word but hath its emphasis and there is never a word but will require a reason to be given of it why it stands in this place Why our Eyes Why Waiting Why upon the Lord Why another name of excellency is added The Lord our God What is the extent of this So So our eyes waite which is the proportionable part I say there are reasons to be given of all these and instructions that will arise out of them First why he mentions eyes so our eyes waite For he might have varied it so our souls wait which is the chiefe scope and intention of the Psalmist But because he had mentioned the eyes of Servants before he mentions the eyes of Christians the Servants of God now So our eyes waite It shews us thus much that our eye is the Hand-maid of the soule that is exercised in all those duties of piety in which the soul is conversant If the soul look up the eye looks up So the eye is a faithfull Hand-maid The eye looks not downe when the soul looks up it not onely looks but waits Therefore he mentions the eye to shew that the eye of a Christian must be indefatigable in looking up to God It not onely beares a part with the soul in the act but in the constancy If the soule be breathing the eye will still be darting up beames of love and desire to those same Hills to which the soul looks therefore it may be added here the eye waits because it is but a perfunctory performance that is discharged by the eye a man would think I may appeale too to you it is a great part of your religion the lifting up the eye if religion be to be measured by that there is abundance of devotion Men now will not vouchsafe to bow the knee in prayer I put a difference between those that are in Pews and 〈…〉 are in the Isles and between standing and sitting for sitting is an 〈…〉 gesture in 〈…〉 is Heavenly 〈…〉 you stand for that purpose 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 in prayer it is 〈…〉 but they will not bow 〈…〉 it is but a reach 〈…〉 The reason you desire to 〈…〉 you 〈…〉 It â—uts me to goe on my self 〈…〉 aâ—â—ections and extravagant notions and that is that that must be set upon the skore of repentance it cuts me though I love not to look about yet to see people in prayer look every way is this to keep the eye waiting When the soul labours with God in prayer the eye will strive in fellowship with it it will embrace an act of constancy as well as fâ—rvency It is an evill Maid that leaves her Mistresse it is the highest delusion of God and deprivation of the comfort of our selves when we give our selves to gadding and yet come to Prayer therefore there is somwhat in this that he sayth the eye not onely the eye looking but The eye waiting the reason of the second word Now he leaves the similitude the first line for in the first line it is so as the eyes of Servants looke and the eyes of a Maiden looke here it is the eye waits There is good reason to wait is more then to looke to wait is to look constantly with patience and submission by subjecting our affections and wills and desires to Gods will that is to wait David in the second part in the second line he gives a better word he betters his Coppie There is the duty of a Christian to better his example the eyes of Servants look Davids eyes shall waite So doe our eyes wait It is true indeed this word is not in the Originall therefore you may observe it is in a small letter in your Bibles to note that it is a word of necessity added for the supply of the sence because the Holy Ghost left it not imperfect but more perfect that he put not in the Verb because it is left to every mans heart to supply a
Prayer what it is page 6 Commands to pray in affliction page 11 Promise made to prayer page ibid. Words of confession necessary in prayer page 50 Bounds of Prayer page 128 Thankefulness must be joyned with prayer page 149 Prayer begets love to God page 277 Looking up in prayer page 387 What the eye is in prayer page 390 See experience â—publique thankfulnesse vocall Praise Sinne hinders praise page 175 Judgments removed occasion praise page 177 Who are most ready to praise God page 178 See Grace Preparation Preparation to prayer necessary page 55 See meditation present presence Godly men blessed for the present page 224 Worldly men care onely for the present page 266 How to carry our selves in Gods presence page 373 Presumption Presumption to looke for pardon without repentance page 18 Promise Prayer builds upon promises page 124 The Crown conveyed by promise page 261 All blessings conveyed by promise page 623 Why heaven is by promise page ibid. To treasure up promises page 267 An implicite command in every promise page 312 See faith prayer support Providence A proofe of Christs divine providence page 471 Publick Publick calamities removed by prayer page 11 See Form Punishment Where sinne is forgiven punishment is removed page 102 Punishment how to be prayed against page 141 See chastisement pardon Pure God must have pure sacrifice of praise page 163 Q Qualification Promises made to qualifications page 273 Persons without qualifications have no interest in the promise page 274 R. Receive To receive what meant by it page 238 Relation Severall relations of a Christian page 339 Religion Lifting up the eyes to God an act of Religion page 387 Reparation The blessed reparation by Christ page 245 Repentance Repentance the parts of it page 4 Repentance sin cannot stand together page 15 Bonds of Repentance page 128 Repentance what acknowledgment it maketh page 311 See finall forgivenesse physick presumption totalll vaine universall Resolution Resolution necessary to obedience page 144 Resolution of David to be imitated page 320 Rest The rest of a Christian page 371 Restored To what wee are restored by Christ page 244 Reward Rewards encouragement to all sorts page 220 Rewards when given page 256 Right Christ hath right to all things page 451 Righteousnesse To suffer in the cause of righteousnesse page 212 S. Sacrifice Thanksgiving a sacrifice page 167 Every duty a sacrifice page ibid. Satan Satan tempts men page 247 Satan how he tempts page ibid. Saisfaction No satisfaction for sin but Christ page 103 Saving Mysteries of salvation saving speculations page 510 Sea Why it rains sometimes on the Sea and not on the land page 471 Selfe Selves Our selves the best sacrifice page 166 In obedience a man sacrificeth himselfe page 170 God to be loved for himselfe page 174 Every man should try himselfe page 249 God tries men that they may know what is in themselves page 251 Servant The least expression to a servant should suffice page 393 All kind of servants should be dutifull page 395 Complaint against servants page 396 Why men have unfaithfull servants page 397 Motives to servants to be faithful page 398 Christians should learn of mens servants page 410 Gods servants not so faithfull as mens page 411 Honour to be Gods servant page 415 Duties of good servants ib. page 430 Christians to exceed other servants page 417 See Eye Master owne Service The best service to be given to God page 408 Sharp Comfort against sharp sufferings page 232 Similitude The strength of a similitude wherein page 401 Simple Simple words to be used in confession page 46 Sin He that will offer sacrifice must lay aside sinne page 175 Single see Object Obedience Singular Why blessednesse is propounded in the singular page 226 Sion Sion double signification of it page 372 Slothfull Good Angels cannot be slothfull page 518 Sobriety Mysteries of salvation to be looked on with sobriety page 489 Son of man Why Ezekiel was called the son of man page 444 Soule The hands and feet of the soule page 319 The soule the whole man page 341 All perfections of the bodie in the soule ibid. Growth of the soule what page 342 The eye the hand-maid of the soul page 404 Souldiers Christians as souldiers need strength page 350 Speech Speech proper to man page 30 Why God hath given man speech page 51 Spirit Spirituall A form of prayer no stinting of the spirit page 66 Spirituall judgments worst page 140 Spirituals to be prayed for before temporals ibid. Difference in praying for temporalls and spirituals page 148 See alike vertue Stability Stability in the state of grace misunderstood page 69 Standing What standing hinders motion page 335 How a Christian doth both stand and move page 336 Stature Tall stature commendable page 370 Statutes The word of God why called statutes page 286 Sin nullifies Gods statutes page 322 Strength Strength and vertue equivalent page 344 Strength what it signifies page 346 Christians must grow to strength page 347 To see our need of strength page 348 Exhortation to get strength page 351 Strength how gotten page 352 From strength to strength what page 355 See Growth Soldier Traveller Sublime The commands of God sublime page 317 Perseverance makes grace sublime page 336 Mysteries of salvation sublime speculations page 507 Successe The most successfull way to remove judgments page 15 Suffering Love enableth to suffering page 269 How Angels joyed at Christs sufferings page 150 See Blessedness Crown Superiours Superiors care of Inferiours page 465 Support The promises support our graces page 265 Swearing Against prophane swearing page 180 T. Take away To take away sinne what page 101 Why the word to take away is used page 105 Temporals see Spirituals Temptation Kinds of temptation page 197 247 What temptations blessednesse belongs to page 206 Troubles why called temptations page 207 Temptations defined page 246 See Men Satan Testimonies The word of God called his testimonies why page 286 Thankfulnesse We should turn to God by the bond of thankfulnesse page 23 Bonds of thankfulnesse what page 128 Thankfulnesse due for all Gods mercies page 146 Thankfulnesse the order of it page 148 Thankfulnesse to close prayer page 150 Lifting up the eyes a sâ—gne of thankfulnesse page 389 See all daily legall pardon prayer Time The time when the Crown of life shall be given page 254 Why Christ kept not the Passeover in the appointed time page 461 Totall Repentance a totall turning page 8 Travellers Christians travellers page 349 Treasure All heavenly treasure in Gods word page 292 Tribulation Tribulation not to e severed from blessednesse page 222 Encouragements to suffer tribulations page 232 See Grace Triall Trie Tryall The end of tribulation for tryall page 246 Good temptations for tryall page 249 Why God makes tryall of men page 250 The Crown given when men are tryed page 255 See God Ignorance Self Troubles The good effects troubles should produce page 207 See Temptation Truth Gods truth testified in his promises page 263 See Universall Turning Different turnings to God page 6 Repentance what kind of turning it is page 7 Exhortation to turn to God page 26 See Universall Two Why Christ sent his Disciples by two and two page 456 V. Vaine Vaine to expect pardon without repentance page 19 Vertue Vertue stands at a distance page 344 Vertue in the eye of good men page 345 See morall strength vice Vices Vertues beset with vices page 27 Victory A Crowne the reward of victory page 230 Viâ—all see growth Universall Repentance an uniuersal turning page 7 Difference in the universality of turning ibid. Unprofitable Sinne unprofitable page 106 Untill Untill what meant by it page 419 Vocall Vocall prayer necessary page 51 See mentall Voyce The voyce necessary in publique prayer page 53 The voyce necessary in private prayer ibid. Vowes Vowes necessary in duties commanded page 145 Up Upper The heart an upper chamber how page 481 See Prayer Religion Use Men said not to have that they doe not use page 360 W. Waiting Waiting what it is page 405 Waiting for mercie equall page 406 All that is in God to be waited on page 407 Waiting not to be given over though God shew not mercie page 420 Exhortation to wait on God page 422 See Mercy Watch-man Hope as a watch-man page 267 Whole see Lips Man Will. The word called the will of God why page 285 Wisdome Wisdome of God shewed in his promise page 264 Within True joy is that within page 300 Witnesse No man can sin without witnesse page 288 Woe To whom Christ pronounceth woe page 229 Woman see Man Word Words Words to be taken in prayer and repentance why page 32 Impediments to words in prayer page 33 What words necessary to confession of sin page 44 What words to be used in prayer page 58 Conversing on Gods word begets love to him page 277 Severall names given the word of God page 285 The word highly to be esteemed page 295 The joy of a Christian from the word of God page 297 301 How to profit by the word of God page 326 See forcible heaven humble impression glorifie mournfull prayer simple treasure portion Work Work of a Christian what page 256 World Worldly To learn of worldly men to suffer page 234 The Crown given at the evening of the world page 257 The baits of the world dangerous page 351 See Blessednesse FINIS
words it is impossible to continue Thirdly It is the meanes to glorifie God more In prayer we glorifie God in body and soule It is not enough that we glorifie God within we may doe it within but who knowes it Then it is onely to our selves but when it is with the lips we doe it to others Even the Saints in Heaven use language in the glorifying of God they sing to the glory of God Halelujah that song of praise to God and expresse it by words because there may be a common participation that they may make an eccho Therefore David though he were a man that had a mentall gift of prayer yet he confined not himselfe to it I called to God with my voice and he heard my prayer I will sing of thy kindnesse for ever and with my mouth I will declare it Marke I will sing of it and declare it with my mouth and call to God with my voyce Therefore because there is a necessity of Vocall prayer to glorifie God that is the first reason the Prophet saith Take words that is the first duty Secondly He shewes the necessity of preparation It is not onely use words the Heathen that thinke to be heard for much babling they use words but they take not words What is that To study to single and cull out words before to cast about where to get words Looke into the closet of your heart and see what things you want see what acceptable formes the Saints used then come and humble your selves before God but take to you words The necessity of preparation in the duty of prayer is briefely layd downe by Solomon in Eccles 5. Be not rash to utter a thing before God for he is in Heaven That is Rush not upon prayer goe not into Gods presence before thou be fitted there must be holy preparation not onely before publike but private prayer Beloved we come to pray and the reason why our petitions are denyed is because our hearts rove He will never come into Gods presence with reverence one day that prepares not somewhat the day before that sets not worldly things aside the day before As in publike so in private prayer prepare before you come to Church and after How ever some would scare Christians out of piety they shall not scare Christians from their duty They say it is superstition for a man to humble himselfe before God when hee comes to the Church and Congregation they say hee must joyne with the Congregation there must not be a sequestration though it be never so short to fit himselfe It is true a man humbles and prepares himselfe before but now he comes to the performance of it I humble my selfe before but now I come to the performance give me such a heart as I may joyne with thy Servants to confesse our sins and to make knowne our wants And this must be superstition in their interpretation because we doe not joyne with the Congregation They make no conscience of it if they did they would not keepe their owne posture at the Creed they to sit and others stand I will be bold to say it is fancie The hearts of Christians must not be troubled whereby there comes a great deale of offence they run out of the Church if a Minister humble himselfe before God in the Pulpit what they please must be superstition No when we come before God there must be preparation David prayed before he prayed Let the lifting up of my hands be as Incense Micah studyed before he prayed Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and make my supplication What gesture shall I use and what preparation shall I make So should every good Christian and the reason is good prayer is weighty the tongue is slippery and the affections roving a man had need to hedge in his heart with all preparation If a man speak to men as I come to speak to you yet I dare not come without due preparation and yet I speak to men as my selfe much more when a man comes before God If a man when he speaks to men labours to shun Shelves and Solicismes of speech and to ingratiate his person and presse it home upon the hearts of his hearers how much more when he speaks before God that reads the language of the heart who is a God that heares prayer to whose presence all flesh comes Moses when he was to speak to Pharaoh durst not goe because he wanted words and was a man of flow speech and so Jeremie yet they were but to speake to men If any man say there was a necessitie because they went on Gods errand that was not the reason looke back to humane oratours Demosthenes Tullie see what preparation they made to speak before humane auditorie yet they would correct their errours and set every word in due place they would get words pick up phrases if any tittle of pronunciation were more advangious then other they would get that meerely to prevaile in civill causes for men how much more when we come to God in prayer and not only be orators but petitioners and for the best of his mercies for grace the richest jewell in all his Store-house and God that searcheth the heart and sees if the heart and Spirit be answerable to the tongue and hand a man had need to be prepared before-hand Therefore Abraham a man that had heavenly acquaintance with God he fitted himselfe before he would come in prayer see how many prefaces he useth six times he prayes and every prayer hath a preface Let not my Lord be angrie and I will speake Behold I have taken upon me to speake that am but dust and ashes He useth those holie prefaces to ingratiate himselfe with God knowing how great an honour it is for God to vouchsafe a mortall creature to speake to him so will we if we consider the greatnesse of Gods majestie we will pray that we may pray search and examine and see what blessings God hath bestowed and then we shall know what to give thankes for see what evill we have committed and then wee shall know what to mourne for see what judgements and temptations God hath removed and then wee shall know how to blesse him what sinnes we are prone to that wee may know what to pray against and see what temporall things wee need and then we may know what to beg this the Prophet would have Take words studie words before you come take not perfunctorie words use not such as come first to hand deale not so boldly and familiarly with the glorious presence of God speake to God as if you did speake to men nay as if you were to speake before the judge of all men Lastly here he gives a direction what words to use in prayer The language of prayer is of a great extent looke how many our wants are so many severall formes and dialects our prayer hath and looke how various mens hearts are so various is prayer but for