will without Gods restraining or renewing grace at some time or other dispose us unto And herein more particularly the blindenesse of our understandings our wicked imaginations and fleshly reasonings the perversnesse of our wills the hardnesse and earthinesse of our affections the insensiblenesse of our consciences the depravation of all our faculties 2. The malice and subtilty of the Devil who as a roaring lyon walks about seeking whom he may devour and is still provoking us to those evils which are most suitable to our particular occasions and dispositions Watching for advantage against us desiring to fift and winnow us as wheat and therefore we had need to pray that we may be sober and vigilant having upon us the whole armour of God whereby we may withstand the wiles of the Devil that we may constantly resist him being stedfast in the faith taking heed of the depths of Satan That we do not fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil That the God of Peace would bruise Satan under our feet 3. The allurements or terrours of the world either by profits pleasures honours on the one hand or losses dangers troubles disgrace persecution on the other The rain descending the floods coming the windes blowing and beating upon us The evill customes and examples of the generation wherein we live the slavish hopes and fears of men Besides these kindes of temptation we are likewise to pray against the degrees of it suggestion consent practice delight habitual custome and necessity That God would enable us always to watch and pray lest we fall into temptation And because every man hath some particular sin or temptation to which he is more especially exposed belonging either to his age temper calling therefore he should endeavour to observe and finde out and more fully to inlarge himself in his deprecation against that 3. The last sort of evil to be prayed against is that of Punishment The kindes of which were mentioned before under the head of Confession and are likewise reducible under that other head concerning Protection and therefore it will be needlesse here to make any particular recital of them In the general we are to pray against all those judgements which may be inflicted upon us either in our bodies friends names estates Against those more eminent miseries of Sword Famine Pestilence which three being of a publike nature concerning the Nation and community in which we live may be more particularly insisted upon under the head of Intercession against distraction and sorrow of minde trouble of conscience the losse of Gods holy Ordinances and eternal damnation That no evil may befal us neither any plague come nigh our dwellings That he would not rebuke us in his anger neither chasten us in his displeasure That he would not cast us away from his presence nor take his holy Spirit from us Those judgements ought to be more particularly deprecated with which we are at any time frighted or afflicted CHAP. XVII Of comprecation for spiritual good things The sanctification of our Natures the obedience of our Lives NExt to Deprecation against evil may succeed Comprecation for that which is good Now because good things may be wanting either in whole or in part or in respect of Duration and some intermissions therefore we should petition not onely for the things themselves but also for the increase and continuance of them Good is either Spiritual Temporal In asking of spiritual good things the first and chief matter to be prayed for is the sanctification of our natures That Gods Kingdome may come into our hearts That he would give unto us a new heart and put a new spirit within us That he would take from us our stonie heart and bestow upon us hearts of flesh That he would put within us the law of the Spirit of life which may make us free from the law of sin and death That we may put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse That we may be regenerate and become new creatures being born again of that incorruptible seed the Word of God That God would grant us according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inward man That he would establish our hearts unblameable in holinesse before God even our Father at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints That the Spirit of Christ may dwell in us That we may continue in the grace of God and in the faith grounded and setled and may not be moved away from the hope of the Gospel Of this kinde is that Petition of David for himself Create in me a clean heart O Lord and renew a right spirit within me And the Apostle for others The God of Peace sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soule and body may be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here we are more particularly to insist on the renovation of our several Faculties Parts answerable to what we did acknowledge concerning the Depravation of them in the Confession of our Original sin As first for our faculties 1. That we may be transformed by the renuing of our mindes that we may be able to have a spiritual discerning of the things of God being wise to that which is good but simple and harmlesse to that which is evil 2. That he would purge our consciences from dead works to serve the living God that they may be tender of his glory and our own good truly performing the offices which belong unto them both in accusing and excusing us according to several occasions 3. That he would circumcise our hearts that we may set our affections on things above and not on earthly matters that we may not be deceived with false appearances but may approve the things that are most excellent 4. That he would reforme and sanctifie our wills that we may in every thing submit them unto his delighting to do his will Not seeking our own wills but the Will of him that sent us 5. That he would rectifie our memories making them more faithful in retaining all such holy Lessons as we shall learne in recalling them to minde according to several opportunities that we may be alwayes ready to stir up our mindes by way of remembrance that we may never forget God And so for our Parts or outward man that we may become the Temple of God where his Spirit may dwell That we may present our bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is our reasonable service That all our parts and members may be instruments of righteousnesse unto holinesse In which desires we may strengthen our faith with such arguments as these 1. God only is able for this great work In us dwelleth nothing that is good It is he that must
in those callings wherein we should provide for our selves and our families or else too much hastening to be rich by violence and oppression craft or over-reaching by being unfaithful in our words and promises Not so upright and sincere in our dealings with others not conscionable in paying their dues When we are not wise and moderate in the use of these outward things Not so discreet in laying out the Talents committed to our stewardship too sparing and parsimonious unto good purposes too lavish about dishonest and unnecessary occasions The ninth Commandment does forbid those vices which concern our own or our neighbours reputation as Slander Credulity Hearing of tale-bearers Censuring Sinister suspitions Flattery Silence in defending c. Against this we sin not only when we do publickly concur with others in false judgement against our neighbours But also When we are not charitable in our speaking hearing thinking of others Subject to reviling scornful slanderous speeches very ready to speak ill and to spread the faults of our neighbours when it does no way concern us or is like to benefit others Willing to entertain Back-biters Tale-bearers Scoffers ready to listen unto any report that tends unto the defamation of others too much affected unto flattering tongues and deceitful lips Busie and medling in the affairs of others where we are not concerned Full of Credulity and rash belief in judging of ill rumours too liable unto uncharitable suspitions apt to interpret good things ill and doubtful matters in the worst sense Not so careful in upholding our neighbours credit by admonishing exhorting rebuking him according to our Callings and opportunities Subject to arrogant high conceits of our selves and yet very negligent in those ways wherby we may establish our reputations Not labouring to be such as we would seem to be Not endeavouring to keep a good conscience before God and a good report before men Not avoiding all appearances of evil The tenth and last Commandment does forbid any concupisence against our neighbour though before the consent of the will whether by covetousnesse self-love evill thoughts envie Against this we sin when we have not such a holy disposition in our mindes unto the duties of charity as God hath required When we are apt to favour and entertain the temptations that are suggested to us When our mindes are full of evill fancies and wicked perturbations arising from our corrupted natures When we delight our selves in any evill imagination keeping it close and rolling it in our thoughts though our mindes perhaps do not consent to the acting of it CHAP. XII Sins against the Gospel NExt to these transgressions against the Law we ought to enumerate our sins against the Gospel which for the general kindes of them are reducible to these two heads Unbelief Impenitence 1. Our Vnbelief in the several degrees of it Not labouring to acquaint our selves with the duties promises priviledges of the Gospel though it does contain the best glad tidings and of the greatest consequence that can possibly be imagined Our not assenting to it according to its full latitude being easily carried about with every winde of doctrine any wilde erroneous fancie apt to turn aside unto our own crooked wayes And to have our minde corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Not being sound in the faith Our not loving and esteeming of it Not sufficiently admiring that miracle of divine bounty wherein the Love of God was more especially commended and manifested towards us in that he sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him Our too much slighting and under-valuing the great love and merits of our blessed Redeemer Treading underfoot the Son of God prophaning the blood of the Covenant and doing what we could to make Christs passion of none effect Being apt to prefer drosse and dung before the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. Not counting him all in all Not rejoycing in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the Attonement Not glorying alone in Christ and him crucified Not counting his favour and loving-kindnesse to be better then life Not claiming his promises as our heritage esteeming them the joy of our hearts Not looking upon them as being unsearchable riches exceeding great and precious Our not living by faith in all estates and conditions Not embracing the promises of the Gospel with so much readinesse nor adhering to them with so much stedfastness as the excellency and certainty of them does require Not improving and applying this rich treasure of Gospel-promises unto the various changes of this temporal life in respect of Prosperity Adversity being very apt to be altogether immersed in sensitive external things without reflecting upon those advantages we might from thence enjoy in this regard And so for our spiritual life being apt to rely on our own righteousnesse and self-justifications thereby endeavouring as much as in us lies to deprive Christ of his Saviour-ship Not owning of Christ in all his offices not willing to accept of him as well for our Lord as our Saviour And this heart of unbelief does prove unto us a root of Apostasie making us to depart from the living God 2. Our Impenitency in that when God had in some measure discovered unto us our own miserable condition by reason of the Covenant of Works we have not yet humbled our selves in any proportion to the multitude or greatnesse of our sins Nor applied our selves with any fervency of heart unto the onely means of pardon and reconcilation in the Covenant of Grace Not being inquisitive after our sins not endeavouring to examine and finde out our particular failings but rather to hide and excuse them Not being humbled and grieved for them as considering that wretched injustice folly unkindnesse that we have expressed by them Not resolving and striving against them not improving all advantages for the avoiding and subduing of them Refusing to repent though God has vouchsafed us time and means Though light be come into the world yet loving darkness rather then light Receiving the grace of God in vain Turning it into wantonness Tempting grieving quenching the holy Spirit of God whereby we should be sealed to the day of redemption Hardning our selves by a custome and delight in sin and by this means Treasuring up for our selves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God 'T is here to be observed that though these two sins be more immediately and directly against the Gospel yet the other breaches of the Law before mentioned are in some sense reducible also under this head Evangelical obedience including Legal as subordinate to it and the Law being the rule of Gospel conversation And for this reason I am the more brief upon this head We should here likewise remember that all these offences before enumerated are
is circumstantial or ceremonial Obedience and Mercy being better then sacrifice Sins against the clear light of nature or reason are in many respects worse then those that are discovered to us by the written Word The more obligations are broken the greater still is the sin as when our offence is not onely against the Word of God but likewise against the Law of Nature Conscience particular Promises and Vows 2. By examining the latitude and comprehensiveness of any kinde of sin though it may more especially referre to the breach of some one Commandment yet if we search into its utmost compasse and extent we shall finde that it does also refer unto divers others So the sins of the second Table do not only intrench upon one another but also upon those of the first Table by reason of that disobedience which is in them unto the Command of God 3. By distinguishing the degrees of sin the first Consent being not so bad as the Act nor the Act so bad as the Custome and delight A particular offence being not so bad as an habitual reigning sin that wastes the conscience 3. That which does more especially concern us in our Confessions is the aggravation of particular sins Because a general view of them is more apt to produce a confused stupor and amazement rather then any proper and genuine humiliation Every man hath some black dayes in his Calendar some more notorious sin whereof he hath been guilty He should in his private humiliation endeavour to call those to fresh remembrance and set them before him Not forgetting that horrour and dread which appeared to him when God did first discover them to his conscience And therefore it will concern us to labour after a more distinct discovery of the heinousnesse of our particular offences which will best appear by examining them according to their divers circumstances Now the Circumstances of actions are usually reckoned to be these seven 1. The Person 2. The Place 3. The Thing 4. The Means 5. The End 6. The Manner 7. The Time 1. The Person is considerable under a twofold capacity either for the Person Offended Offending 1. The Person offended the Creator and Governour of the world so eminent for his Greatnesse and Majesty which does adde much to the offence An ill word against the King being high Treason whereas the greatest offence against another is not so much So that it may be very helpfull to set forth the heinousnesse of any sin to consider who it is that is offended by it Not only our Brethren Superiours Equals Inferiours or our selves but the great God who is able with the blast of his mouth with a frown of his countenance to ruine us eternally and cast us into hell And it must needs argue extream folly for men to contend with their Maker to provoke him to jealousie as if they were stronger then he So infinite in holinesse and knowledge of pure and piercing eyes abhorring sin infinitely and yet necessarily beholding it Though men may stop their eares or shut their eyes against what they dislike yet God cannot go out of the hearing or seeing of sin He hears every one of our vain and sinful words He sees into the secret corners of our hearts the least glimpse of any sinful contrivement which we our selves can scarce take notice of and should we provoke the eyes of his glory So terrible in his Justice and Majesty who shall one day come with thousands of his glorious Angels in flaming fire to render vengeance upon all those that know him not or obey him not So merciful and gracious unto us The Lord our Redeemer the holy One of Israel our King Our Father who hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace And shall we return evil for good and hatred for his good will Shall we thus requite the Lord Is not he our Father that bought us hath he not made us and established us The Person offending a frail creature of a dependant being preferred out of nothing to the noble condition of the humane nature One that hath taken upon him the Profession of Religion ingaged himself to the duties of Christianity by a solemn Vow in Baptism participated the means of Grace in a greater measure then others and hath had so much experience of Gods more especial favour towards him One who is called a Christian and rests in the Gospel and makes his boast of Christ and knows his will and approves the things that are more excellent c. 2. The Place where we have enjoyed the liberty and sunshine of the Gospel In the land of uprightness dealing unjustly In that very place which hath so much abounded with temporal and spiritual blessings flowing with milke and honey and that which is more nourishing and pleasant to the soul then either of these to the body The Word and Ordinances of God in sincerity and power 'T is recorded of the Israelites Psal. 106 7. that They provoked God at the sea even at the red sea which is repeated with an Emphasis as being the place of mercy where they had lately seen so miraculous a deliverance which circumstance did adde a great aggravation to their rebellion 3. The Thing that which we have so often relapsed into against which we have so frequently resolved being in it self it may be of a more foule and scandalous nature c. Hitherto does belong the aggravations which concern the kinds of sin which were mentioned before 4. The Means with hypocritical pretences making Religion the veile for our unlawful desires fighting against God with those abilities with which we should serve him Abusing that health wealth strength wit and all the other Talents we have received not only neglecting to improve them unto the glory of the Giver but wastefully lavishing of them so that we cannot with the foolish servant give God his own again using them as weapons against him thereby resisting his Spirit and Ordinances 5. The End for lying vanities the short pleasures of sin which are not without some mixture of sorrow in the very injoyment of them and do afterwards fill the soul with guilt and fear Forsaking the Fountain of living waters and hewing out unto our selves broken Cisterns that will hold no water Spending our money for that which is not bread and our labour for that which satisfieth not Prosecuting those things whereof we might be ashamed the end of which will be death 6. The Manner how which is capable of much amplification it being a great addition to the heinousnesse of any sin when it is committed either Out of ignorance when we have had means of being better informed Out of impudence against the dictates of nature the light of reason and education some taste and relish of spiritual things the checks of conscience former promises and resolutions
After much consideration and debate with our own hearts Against our own experience and observation of many judgements that have been inflicted upon such a sinne Against many examples much patience the means of remedy in which respects the sins of men are much worse then those of the devil for he never sinned against example being the first offender nor against patience being immediately upon the first offence cast into hell nor against remedy there being no possible means allowed him for his recovery Out of base ingratitude against the frequent and favourable motions of the blessed Spirit Despising the riches of Gods goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering whereby we should have been led to repentance After frequent relapses which do multiply the guilt of sin like the increase of figures though the first fault be but as one yet the second relapse makes it as ten the third as an hundred the next as a thousand and so on according to this multiplied proportion Out of presumption and forestalling of pardon making the mercy of God to lead us unto sin Out of much obduratenesse and pertinacy casting his laws behinde our backs and hating to be reformed Drawing iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with cart-ropes Treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath as if we would weary God with our iniquities with much forwardnesse and constancy notwithstanding the great trouble and difficulty there hath been in the service of sin without any or with very small temptation with much cheerfulnesse and delight as if there had been pleasure in destruction with much eagernesse and desire drinking inquity like water working all uncleannesse with greedinesse with an high hand as if we would reproach the Lord refusing to return unto him with mad impudence provoking God to his Face as if we were stronger then he 7. The Time when Not only in our childehood but in our man-hood not only when we sate in darknesse in the dayes of our unregeneracy but since he hath called us into his marvellous light since the glorious Gospel hath shined into our hearts having perhaps but lately suffered under such an affliction and received such a special deliverance upon which we did renew our Covenant with God by fresh resolutions of strict and circumspect walking Each of these circumstances may be otherwise more largely amplified according to the several natures of those sins to which they are applied in our confessions but by that which hath been already said it may sufficiently appear how the distinct understanding and consideration of them may be very useful in this businesse CHAP. XIV Of our acknowledging the punishments that are due to sin WHen we have thus acknowledged our sins by an Enumeration and Aggravation of them we are in the next place to own the punishments that are due unto them thereby the better to affect us with sorrow and indignation at those evil courses which will expose us to so many fearful dangers That thus remembring our doings which were not good we may loath our selves for our abominations Acknowledging that we are not worthy the least of his mercies or truth that he hath shewed unto us Desiring to abhorre our selves and repent in dust and ashes Thus the Prodigal in his submission to his father first he acknowledges his offence I have sinned against heaven and against thee and then he ownes the punishment And am no more worthy to be called thy son There being a natural consequence betwixt these two For if God spared not the Angels that sinned but delivered them into chaines of darknesse to be reserved unto judgement if he spared not the old world but brought a flood upon them if the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were turned into ashes being condemned unto a dreadfull overthrow that they might be examples to those that after should live ungodly if God spared not the natural branches but cut them off for their disobedience and unbelief we may certainly then conclude that though sentence against other evill works be not executed speedily yet they shall not go unpunished But evill shall hunt the wicked person to overthrow him And therefore besides the confession of our sins it is also requisite that we own and acknowledge the punishments that are due unto us for them Now these punishments are either External Internal Eternal 1. The External are those that concern the outward man either in Body Friends Name Estate 1. In our Bodies 'T were but justice if God should deprive us of our health if he should smite us with a consumption and a feaver with an inflammation and an extream burning with the botch of Egypt with the Emrods and with the Leprosie whereof we cannot be cured if he should send upon us sore sicknesses and of long continuance if he should suffer us with Job to be so wholly overspread with sores that we should become loathsome to our own selves That we should chuse strangling and death rather then life It were but justice if he should strike us blinde or deaf or lame if he should take from us those senses by which we have so much dishonoured and provoked him if he should deprive us of those limbs and members which we have used as instruments of sin and weapons of unrighteousnesse 2. In respect of our Friends We might justly expect that God should cast us into a forlorn destitute condition when there should be none to relieve or pitty us He might take from us the help and comfort of our Friends either turning their hearts against us or depriving us of them by death 3. In regard of our Names and Credit He might give us over to those notorious scandalous censures by which we should be made ashamed to live and afraid to die He might justly make us an astonishment and a proverb and a by-word amongst all Nations To be laughed to scorn and had in derision of them that are round about us He might blot out our names from under heaven 4. For our Estates If God should lay judgement to the line and righteousnes to the plummet he might number every one of us to the sword and to captivity and to ruine Depriving us of our liberty peace plenty It were but justice if he should suffer us to be shut up in some prison or dungeon where we could not enjoy the mercies that we possesse If he should lead us into captivity sell us unto some cruell slavery and bondage Scatter us abroad amongst all the Kingdoms of the earth Causing us to wander about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented Being dispersed in the deserts and mountains in dens and caves of the earth If he should take from us that peace quietness comfort which we have formnrly enjoyed filling us with confusion and trouble giving us over to the rage and malice of our enemies Causing the Sun to go
thee 2 An expression of our desire to fly utterly out of our selves to renounce all our own righteousnesse How should man be just with God if he should contend with us we could not answer for one of a thousand If thou shouldst be extreame to mark what is done amisse O Lord who may abide it but there is mercy and forgivenesse with thee that thou mayest be feared thou knowest our frame and considerest that we are but dust frail infirme creatures and therefore thou dost not expect perfection from us if we could have no sin we should have no need of a Redeemer we are of our selves altogether impotent and unclean and our righteousnesse as filthy rags 3. A promise of amendment for the future Renuing our Covenant with God by fresh resolutions of astrict and holy conversation Professing our desire to fear his name and to be engaged to him by an everlasting Covenant never to depart from him again O that my wayes were so directed that I might keep thy Commandments alwayes O that thou would'st inable us to repent and be converted that our sins may be bletted out when the times of refreshing shall come It is the desire of our soules to walk more holily and humbly before thee for the future to keep a stricter watch over our own hearts and wayes 4. A brief application unto our selves of such mercies and promises as belong to those that believe and repent Though we have not expressed the dutiful affections of children yet God cannot renounce the tender compassions of a Father and if earthly Parents can give good things to their children will not he be much more ready to be gracious to his With the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption And we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sins He hath promised to hear and grant the requests that are put up in faith that he will have respect to those of an humble and contrite heart that those who do not hide their sins but confesse and forsake them shall finde mercy That he delighteth not in the death of a sinner but rather that he should be converted and live That the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart he will not despise And now O Lord thou art that God and thy words be true and thou hast promised such mercies unto thy servants therefore now let it be unto us according to thy word We desire to lay hold on that word of promise that thou wilt heal our backslidings and love us freely that thou wilt not turn away from us to do us gond but wilt put thy fear into our hearts that we shall not depart from thee O think upon thy servants as concerning this word of thine wherein thou hast caused us to put our trust Truly our hope is even in thee 'T is the desire of our souls to seek after thee and to come unto thee and thou never failest them that seâ—k thee Of those that come unto thee thou puttest away none O be pleased to establish this word of thine unto thy servants and let them not be disappointed of their hope Though the wages of sin be death yet this is our comfort that the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Scripture is very copious in other pertinent expressions for each of these heads and to some of these the most proper matter for Transition is reducible CHAP. XVI Conrerning Deprecation of evill with several Arguments to back our requests of this nature THe chief heads of matter for Petition are summarily comprehended in the Lords Prayer as hath been shewed before All Petition is either for Our selves Deprecation Comprecation Others Intercession In petitioning for our selves the first thing to be explained is Deprecation which concerns the prevention or removal or lessening of evill The first evill to be prayed against is that of sin and therein we should deprecate both the Guilt Power 1. The guilt of sin is that imputation whereby we are obliged to the wrath of God and all the curses of the Law and therefore we have great need to pray that he would forgive us our debts That he would blot out our Transgressions as a cloud That he would open unto us the fountain for sin and for uncleannesse That he would have compassion upon us subduing our iniquities and casting our sins into the depths of the sea That we may be justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ That he would cleanse us from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit That he would blot out the hand-writing that is against us and take it out of the way nailing it to the Crosse of Christ. Of this kinde we have sundry Deprecations in Scripture So David Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses for they have been ever of old Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions for thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great Lord be merciful unto me heal my soul for I have sinned against thee Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash me throughly from mine iniquities and cleanse me from my sin Purge me with Hysope and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter then Snow Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities O remember not against us our former iniquities help us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy name Deliver us and purge away our sins for thy names sake Look thou upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name Take away all our iniquities and receive us graciously Heal our back-slidings and love us freely Now because this is one of the chief wants against which we should petition therefore we should endeavour to back our requests in this kinde with such Arguments as may serve to stir up our fervency and strengthen our faith in this desire 1. From the mercy of God who desires not the death of a sinner but at what time soever he shall truly repent hath promised to forgive him He hath commanded us to ask daily pardon as well as daily bread shewing thereby that as the best man shall continually need pardon so he is more ready to give it then we are to ask it He has intreated us to be reconciled unto him He does invite and call us when we are impenitent and therefore he will be much more ready to embrace and accept of us when we desire with repentance to return unto him He would not have us send our neighbour away empty when that which he
liberality Almes Hospitality Restitution By this we are taught to pray that we may not wrong or defraud our brethren by any outward act of oppression injustice or deceit That our hearts may not be troubled with any sollicitous or carking cares that our conversation may be without covetousnesse being content with such things as we have trusting in his promise that he will never leave us nor forsake us that they who seek the Lord shall lack nothing that is good Remembring how he hath commanded us to cast all our care upon him and how he provides for the fowles of the aire and the beasts of the field and that in our greatest discontents we are in much better condition for the world then many of his blessed Saints and Martyrs who were forced to wander up and down in sheep-skins and goat-skins and that we enjoy more then our blessed Saviour himself did who though he were Lord of the world yet had not whereon to rest his head That he would teach us how to abound and to want and in all estates to be content That he would moderate our desires to these earthly things that we may not too much love the world nor the things of the world that we may covet earnestly the best things seeking first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof expecting other matters as additions thereunto To esteem godlinesse for the greatest gain and as for these outward things not to desire any abundance of them but if we have food and rayment to be therewith contented That we may be just and upright in the wayes of getting wealth that we may not go beyond or defraud any one as knowing that the Lord is the revenger of all such being diligent in our callings working with our own hands the thing which is good that we may be able to give to them that need Being consciencious in repaying that we owe in making restitution of that wherein we have wronged any one That he would give us hearts to use and enjoy the estates which we possesse Power to eat thereof and to take our portion and to rejoyce in our labour That we may be wise and faithful in laying out the talents committed to our trust Not lavishing of them by any idle and vaine expences as knowing that we are but stewards of our estates being to give an account of them to our Lord and Master Not niggardly and sparing towards any work of charity Not trusting in uncertaine riches but in the living God that we may do good be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for our selves a good foundation against the time to come that we may lay hold on eternal life Making our selves friends of unrighteous Mammon which may hereafter receive us into everlasting habitations Laying up for our selves treasures in heaven Considering that he who soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he who soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully The ninth Commandment does referre to duties which concerne our Neighbours or our own reputations From this we may learne to pray that we may be tender and charitable in upholding the credit of others willing to speak and hear and judge the best of them Covering their infirmities in love Not back-biting with our tongues nor taking up a reproach against our Neighbours Not speaking evil of any one but being gentle shewing all meeknesse to all men That we may not be willing to listen unto and hearken after any rumour which tends to the defamation of our Neighbour but may rather rejoyce in their good report Disliking all flatterers Tale-bearers and such other persons as do usually raise and spread ill rumours That we may not be pragmatical or censorious in the affaires of others where we are not concerned But may study to be quiet and to do our own businesse being careful to pull the beam out of our own eyes before we find fault with the mote in others Doing nothing through strife or vain-glory but in lowlinesse of minde each one esteeming of others better then of himself That we may be lowly in our own eyes Not thinking of our selves more highly then we ought to think that we may be careful by all good means to advance our own reputations Valuing a good name above great riches labouring to be such as we would seem to be walking circumspectly not as fools but as wise approving our selves unto him who trieth the hearts Avoiding all appearances of evill and following matters of good report The tenth Commandment does require a sincere and upright heart to our selves and our Neighbours By this we are directed to pray that God would cleanse our souls from that evill concupiscence so natural unto them endowing us with a sincere inclination to all the duties of charity That he would make us more watchfull over our own senses and hearts in keeping out and extinguishing all those evill fancies and imaginations which may arise within us And to this purpose that he would bestow upon us the whole Armour of God whereby we may cast down all fleshly reasonings and imaginations and bring into subjection every thought unto the obedience of himself That we may make a Covenant with our thoughts not to please our selves in the speculation of any sins not to think of them without soathing and detestation That we may never make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof that our hearts may be dis-ingaged from the world That he would give unto us the Spirit of wisdome to discern in what things we are most obnoxious to temptation and to be most vigilant over our hearts in respect of those particulars That we may keep our hearts with all diligence That we may never envy our neighbours well-being nor rejoyce at his sufferings CHAP. XXII Of the graces that are more particularly required in the Gospel NExt to the Precepts of the Law we are to consider the duties which the Gospel does require of us namely that we should repent and believe That we should be careful to perform to continue and increase in all those particular duties and graces which are comprehended under these two general heads So that from hence we are directed to pray 1. For Repentance That since God hath in love to our souls vouchsafed unto us in his Gospel this Priviledge of repentance which the Covenant of Works did not admit of that he would also give us hearts for it granting us repentance unto life That he would convince us of the danger and folly and pollution of our sins enabling us to mourn over them bestowing upon us broken and contrite spirits Dissolving our stony hearts into that godly sorrow which worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of That we may search and try our wayes and turn unto the Lord Bringing forth fruits
in his corrections To observe and understand his meaning in the troubles that befal us that we may accordingly apply our selves to meet him in his ways These occasions for particular intercession are distinguishable into several kindes comprehending all manner of inward or outward exigences all difficulties and doubts in respect of any weighty businesse or temptation but the two chief kinds of them are troubles of conscience sicknesse of body 1. If the occasion be trouble of Conscience and spiritual desertions in such cases the petitions arguments before-mentioned in our deprecation against the guilt of sin are fitly applyable to which may be added such other desires as these That God would inable them to beleeve and consider that feares and doubts and temptations are an unavoidable part of our Christian warfare that not only his dearest servants Job David c. but also his only Sonne Christ himself hath suffered under them That he being touched with a feeling of our infirmities might be ready to help us in the time of need That God is faithful and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able but will with the temptation also make away to escape that we may be able to bear it He hath promised that he will not contend for ever nor be alwayes wroth lest the spirits of men should fail before him the souls which he hath made that though for a small moment he doth forsake us yet with great mercies will he gather us though in a little wrath he doth hide his face from us for a moment yet with everlasting kindnes will he have mercy upon us The Lord upholdeth those that fall and raiseth up all those that be bowed down He is nigh unto them that be of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit That as for our infirmities the best men in this life are not without them nor shall they be imputed to us If we do that which we would not it is no more we that do it but sin that dwelleth in us as for our wilful sins if they be particularly repented of and forsaken though they be as red as scarlet yet he will purge us from them if we do count them as a burden and come unto Christ for help he will ease us of them That God in the New Covenant does undertake for both parts that our hopes are not now to be grounded upon our own works or sufficiency but upon the infallible promise of God and the infinite merits of Christ that if we were without sin or could do any thing perfectly we should not in that respect have need of a Mediatour From all which considerations those who are afflicted with spiritual desertions may receive sufficient comfort in respect of their sins past and for the future we should pray in their behalf That God would inable them to put on the breast-plate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation That they may labour to keep a good conscience to be observant of all those experimenss which they have had of Gods love unto them for experience worketh hope Unto this head concerning comfort against the dejections of mind and trouble of conscience those expressions of the Psalmist may be fitly applied My soul is sore vexed but thou O Lord how long Return O Loâ—d deliver my soul O save me for thy mercy sake Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted the troubles of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my distresses look upon mine affliction my pain forgive me all my sins O keep my soul and deliver me let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee Let integrity and uprightnes preserve me O hide not thy face from me neither cast thy servant away in displeasure Make thy face to shine upon thy servant O save me for thy mercy sake Withhold not thou thy tender mercy from me O Lord let thy loving kindnes thy truth continually preserve me for inumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more then the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me Be pleased O Lord to deliver me O Lord make haste to help me Be merciful unto me O Lord be merciful unto me for under the shadow of thy wings shall be my refuge until my calamities be overpast In the multitude of the sorrowful thoughts within me let thy comforts O Lord delight my soul. Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation That I may see the good of thy chosen and rejoyce with the gladness of thy people and glory with thine inheritance Do thou save me O Lord for thy name sake for I am poor and needy and my heart is wounded within me 2. If the occasion be Sicknesse of Body in this case we ought to intercede for others That God would teach them quietly to submit unto his afflicting hand as considering that diseases do not arise meerly from naturall or accidentall causes without the particular appointment and disposal of his wise providence which doth extend to the very hairs of our head much more to the dayes of our lives and the health of those dayes and that he is faithful and true having ingaged his promise that all conditions though never so troublesome Tribulation and anguish and sicknesse and death it self shall work together for the good of those that belong unto him That he would sanctifie their pains and troubles unto them giving them a true sight of their sins an unfeigned sorrow for them and a steadfast faith in the merits of Christ for the remission of them That he would recompence the pains and decays of their bodies with comfort and improvement in their souls That as their outward man does decay so their inward man may be renued daily That he would fit them for whatever condition he shall call them unto That Christ may be unto them both in life and death advantage That if it be his will he would recover them from their paines and diseases and restore them to their former health That he would direct them to the most effectual means for their recovery and blesse unto them those that have been or shall be used to that end Of this kinde are those petitions of the Psalmist for himself Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed for in death there is no remembrance of thee and who will give thee thanks in the pit What profit is there in my bloud if I go down into the pit shall the dust praise thee shall that declare thy truth Shall thy loving kindnesse be declared in the grave or thy
faithfulnesse in destruction Shall thy wonders be known in the dark or thy righteousnesse in the land of forgetfulnesse Hear my prayer O Lord give ear unto my cry hold not thy peace at my teares O spare me a little that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more seen I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me Let I pray thee thy merciful kindnesse be my comfort let thy tender mercies come unto me that I may live Thus does Job petition for himself Are not my days few cease then and let me alone that I may take comfort a little before I go whence I shall not return even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death And thus the Prophet Jeremiah Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved for thou art my praise For the better strengthening of our faith and fervency in this desire there are such considerations as these He hath commanded us to call upon him in the time of trouble and hath promised to deliver us 't is in his power alone to kill to make alive to bring down to the grave and to raise up again He hath stiled himself the God of Salvation to whom belong the issues of death He can give powâ—r to the faint and to them that have no might increase of strength He has profest that the death of his Saints is dear and precious in his sight He hath promised to strengthen them upon the bed of languishing and to make their bed in their sicknesse He hath said that the prayer of faith shall save the sick He hath permitted us concerning his sons his daughters to command him thereby implying that in our intercessions for one another we may be as sure of successe as we are of those things which are in our own power to command To which may be added our former experience of his truth mercy in the like cases from all which we may be encouraged to come with boldnesse to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy in the time of need But if he hath otherwise determined and the days of their warfare be accomplished that then he would fit them for death and make them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of his Saints in light that they may be willing to depart and to be with Christ which is far better then still to be exposed to the evil to come to sinful temptations paines and diseases of the body troubles and vexations of the vain world especially considering that now death hath lost its sting and is swallowed up in victory And that it was the end of our Saviours passion to deliver them who through the fear of death have been all their life-time subject to bondage That neither death nor life nor things present nor things to come shal be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. That by this means we must be brought to enjoy the beatifical vision of God the blessed company of innumerable Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect That he would be pleased to shine graciously upon them with his favour and reconciled countenance to fill their hearts with such divine joyes as belong unto those that are heires of a celestial kingdome and are ready to lay hold on everlasting life That this light affliction which is but for a moment may work for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory That when this their earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved they may have an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens That his blessed Angels may convey their soules into Abrahams bosome Now as in such cases we should thus intercede for others so likewise may we hence take fit occasion to pray for our selves That in the diseases and paines of others we may consider the frailties of our own conditions the desert of our own sins and may magnifie his special mercy in sparing of us so much and so long That we may be more seriously mindful of our later ends as knowing that he will bring us also to death and to the house appointed for all the living and that when a few dayes are come we shall go the way whence we shall not returne That we are but strangers and pilgrims in this world dwelling in houses of clay being here to day and not to morrow in the morning and not at night that our dayes on earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding our years passe away as a tale that is told Our life is but as a vapour that appears for a while and then vanisheth away coming forth as a flower that is suddenly cut down flying as a shadow that continueth not Our times are in the hands of God all our dayes are determined the number of our moneths is with him He hath appointed our bounds that we cannot passe Lord let me know mine end and the measure of my dayes that I may know how fraile I am So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome That he would give unto us the Spirit of judgement whereby we may discerne the true difference betwixt this spanne of life and the vast spaces of immortality Betwixt the pleasures of sin for a season and that everlasting fulnesse of joy in his presence Betwixt the vain applause of men and the testimony of a good conscience That in the present days of health and peace and prosperity we may treasure up for our selves such spiritual strength comforts as may hereafter stand us in stead when we come to lie upon our death-beds when all other contentments shall vanish away and prove unable to help us when the conscience of well-doing in any one action shall administer more real comfort to the soul then all our outward advantage or enjoyments whatsoever That our conversations may be in heaven from whence we may continually expect the coming of our Lord and Saviour That all the dayes of our appointed time we may wait till our change shall come That since we all know and cannot but be amazed to consider of that dreadful day of judgement when every one must appear before the Tribunal of God to receive an eternal doome according to his works that therefore he would make us such manner of persons as we ought to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat that we may labour diligently to be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse CHAP. XXVII Concerning Thanksgiving by enumeration of Temporal favours THe third and last part of Prayer is Thanksgiving This according
to the method proposed may be connected with the former by some fitting Transition which for the matter of it may consist of some such considerations as these 1. Our confidence of obtaining the things we petition for by our experience of former mercies though they are many and great things which we are suiters for yet when we reflect upon Gods continual bounty towards us and how much we do every day receive from him we have no reason to doubt of his favour but still to depend upon him in every condition 2. The danger of ingratitude in hindering the successe of our petitions He that is not careful to pay his old debts cannot expect so much credit as to run upon a new score Under the Law when any one came before God to make any special request for himself he was to bring with him a peace-offering that is an offering of thanks for the favours he had already enjoyed thereby to prepare himself for what he expected The matter of our Thanksgiving is reducible to these two general heads 1. The Enumeration of mercies 2. The Amplification or heightning of them 1. In our Enumeration of mercies those particulars before mentioned in our Confessions Deprecations Petitions will each of them administer some help both in respect of matter expression according as our conditions may be in respect of freedom or deliverance from those evils which we confesse or deprecate or the enjoyment of those good things which we have petitioned for and upon this account I shall not need to be so large upon this head as the former 2. The Amplification or heightning of mercies may be either in General by their multitude greatnesse continuance which is capable of a distinct enlargement by its self Or else in particular by their circumstances degrees contraries which are to be insisted upon in the mention of those particular mercies to which they belong In the Enumeration of mercies we are to take notice of those that are either Ordinary Occasional By Ordinary I understand such as we enjoy in our common course without relation to any particular necessity or deliverance these again are either Temporal Spiritual Temporal are those which concern our well-beings in this life as we are men whether in our Private Publick capacities The Private or personal favours which we are to acknowledge do belong either Generally to the whole man in respect of his being nature birth education preservation or more Particularly in regard of his Soul Body Friends Name Estate In the recital of the mercies which we enjoy we are not to be unmindeful of those common favours which are bestowed upon us in respect 1. Of our Creation and Beings that God did not suffer us to beswallow'd up in our primitive nothing 2. Our noble Natures that we were not made senslesse things but endowed with living souls Men and not beasts He might have made us wormes and no men of a despicable perishable condition whereas he hath created us after his own image but little lower then the Angels capable of injoying eternity with himself in the heavens Crowning us with glory and honour putting all things in subjection under our feet 3. Our Birth that we are free-born not slaves of generous not base and ignominious parentage that we were brought forth in a place and time of Religion He might have sent us into the world without the pale of the Church in some place of idolatry or ignorance amongst the blaspheming Turks or wilde Americans We might have been born in those bloody times of persecution and martyrdom And therefore we have reason to acknowledge it for a great mercy that he hath brought us into this world both when and where his Gospel hath been professed and flourished 4. Our Education by honest loving careful Parents and Tutors under good Magistrates pious Ministers in Religious families We might have been forlorn exposed to the wide world as many others are following the dictates of our own corrupt natures without any restraint upon us We might have been put under the Tuition of such Governours as by their Negligence Example Advice would have encouraged us in evil courses and therefore we ought to acknowledge it for a great mercy that we have had such Religious and ingenuous education 5. Our Preservation God might have cut us off in the womb and being children of wrath he might from thence have cast us into hell and therefore we have reason to praise him in that he hath covered us in our mothers womb where we were fearfully and wonderfully made and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth Being cloathed with skin and flesh fenced with bones and sinews Where he granted us life and favour and by his visitation hath preserved our spirits He took us out of the womb and made us hope when we were yet on our mothers breasts We were cast upon him from the womb and he is our God from our mothers belly He might many times since justly have snatched us out of this world with our sins and fears upon us It is from the Lords mercies that we are not yet consumed because his compassions faile not There may be many now in hell who have not been so great sinners as we and therefore we are bound to magnifie his name for his good providence over us through the whole course of our lives That he hath hitherto made us to dwell in safety and watched over us in journeys sicknesses and common dangers whereby so many others have been surprized and swept away round about us For defending us under the shadow of his wings and protecting us by his blessed Angels more particularly for his preservation of us the Night Day past 1. The Night past for refreshing our bodies with rest and sleep For lightening our eyes that we slept not to death For bringing us to the light of another day and that notwithstanding those many opportunities which we have formerly abused It is a good thing to give thanks unto thee O Lord and to sing praises unto thy Name O thou most high to shew forth thy loving kindnesse in the morning and thy faithfulnesse every night He might have made our beds to be our graves surprized us with our last sleep He might appoint wearisome nights for us so that when we lie down we should say When shall we arise and the night be gone and should be full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day When we expect that our bed should comfort us our couch ease our complaint then he might scare us with dreams and terrifie us through visions and therefore we have very great reason to praise him for our freedome in this kinde that when we lie down he makes our sleep sweet unto us 2. The Day past that he hath not given us over to the sinfulnesse of our own natures the subtiltie and malice of the Devil the