they exclaim against this as a Humane Invention which hath no Warrant from the Word of God 'T is true we have no Command totidem verbis for so doing no more have we for the Translation of the Hebrew Bible into English But doubtless if English-men ought to study the Scripture and read it 't is necessary that it be Translated into a Language they understand If David's Psalms may and ought to be Sung by Englishmen it is to be Translated into English or how can they Sing with the Understanding And why should it not be Sung in the English manner which is when 't is fitted with apt measure syllables and Meeter as English-men use in their Songs and not only them but also other Nations If it be Lawful to Translate the Hebrew Bible into Prose in reference to Reading why not into Meeter in reference to Singing As for the former I know none but the Papists that deny it who would thereby keep the People in Ignorance that their own Jugling should not be spied But doubtless if this Command of Searching the Scriptures and letting the Word of God dwell plentifully in us c. belong to English-men they must be Translated into the English Tongue that they may be able to do it which not one of a thousand could do in the Original Language Now God Commands us to Sing Psalms as well as Read the Scriptures which very few are able to do so long as they are lockt up in the Original Hebrew therefore the Translation is necessary And that they should be fitted with such Measures and quantity of Syllables as is necessary to make them fit to be Sung the more Melodiously by English men I know not why any should deny this for why may not Hebrew Verse and Meeter be turned into English Verse and Meeter I see not as well as Hebrew Prose into English Prose In the Hebrew they are fitted to be Sung and Poetically Compiled and many Verses together in some Psalms are in Meeter as the Skilful in the Tongue affirm as Buxtorfius in his Thesaurus and others And why should not the English have their manner of Singing as well as the Hebrews and other Nations And why should not the Translators preserve the Elegancy of the Original Language Which they cannot do if they should let slip and neglect those Poetical Fancies Accents Tones and Tunes which the Hebrews kept and with which the Psalms and other Poetical parts of Scripture are pen'd And therefore Poetry is no Humane Invention but used by the Holy Ghost himself in the Penning of the Scripture and may no doubt be used Lawfully by the Translator also But those that by a Common and Ordinary gift compose Psalms and Hymns both for Matter and Manner this is a Humane Invention especially if imposed upon the Church or read suddenly before Consideration be had before by the Church whether they are according to the Scripture yea or no. Nay the Translating of the Scripture may as well be called an Humane Invention as this Neither can it be called an Humane Imposition when none are compelled to Sing nor no punishment threatned for the neglect But some will say the Translation is full of Errors and therefore we cannot joyn in the Duty Alas what can be done of Man but it will appear to be done by Man The best Translation of the Scriptures is not without its faults and shall we therefore use none When Men do their endeavour God takes the Will for the Deed. The Septuagint Translation is abundantly faulty as the Learned know and often varies from the Hebrew-Text Yet Christ and his Apostles make use of it Nay in the Hebrew Copy as 't is observed in the Old Testament there are 800. divers Readings and in the Greek Testament above a Thousand God hath 't is true promised to keep his word to a tittle but not in this or that Copy or Translation but in the whole we have the whole Some say that Translating it into English Meeter there is often adding to and taking from contrary to God's absolute Command Deut 12. last But consider here is no Addition but an Explication no Duty added only the words altered the sense remaining and a Translation may admit of such a Cavil and all Expositions will hereby come under the Reproof You may as well say that Preaching opening and applying Scripture is adding to it for here are more words used Thus you see none have need to Scruple the Duty 5. Direct As concerning the Tune wherein those Scripture Psalms are to be sung for in this also is some Controversie For some charge it to be a Humane Institution foisted into God's Worship To this I say I shall add thus much That seeing God hath Commanded us to Sing with the Understanding which must needs be not in the Hebrew but the English Tongue and he gives us no Direction concerning the Tune wherein we must Sing By this 't is apparent 't is best to our own choice so that we transgress not against that general Direction given in the Word Let all things be done decently and in Order An English Psalm may doubtless have an English Tune so that it be grave decent and comely not lite wanton or frothy but such as becomes so Holy a Majesty and is suitable to so grave a Matter It appears plainly by Justin Martyr Tertullian and others that in their Times David's Psalms were put into Songs for their Edification and Eusebius Reports of some rejecting those used such Songs in the Church as would make Men afraid to hear them The Jews 't is confessed had their peculiar Tunes and Accents either set down by the Pen-man or added by the Singer but these are hid from us and I suppose fully known by no man Living and the little that remains cannot be accommodated to our English Version And therefore seeing that God hath given us a Language different from theirs and suffered us to serve him with words different from the words they served him with So likewise hath he given us Tunes and Tones different from theirs and no doubt will accept of them at our hands Every Nation and Language hath some proper and peculiar Dialect of their own and yet God accepts of all where the Heart is right And as he hath given us Liberty to Pray to him in our own words which we may gather from the Answers and Returns which many have of their Prayers So likewise no doubt he will accept of our Praises in our own Tunes which appears also by the Refreshings which many have found in this Duty God himself hath appointed the substance of his Worship and left the Circumstances to Humane Determination he hath Commanded the Preaching of the Word but for the Time and Place and other Circumstances he determined not In the Passeover he appoints what Meat to eat but left it to their own choice whether to drink Wine or water or any other Liquor So singing of
his servants upon is reasonable and easie and pleasant and delightful 't is the works of Piety and Charity that he requires to love God above all and our Neighbours as our selves These are the two great commands and upon these hang all the Law and the Prophets Mat. 22.37 c. Love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom 13.10 And is not this a pleasant and delightful duty and is it not reasonable that we should love God our great Benefactor in whom we live and move and have our being and our Brethren that are of the same flesh and blood To believe in him also is our duty and is it not reasonable when we can never prove that ever he deceived any To praise him also is our work this is an Angelical work fit for Heaven and Heaven-born Souls and will be the work of Eternity where Saints and Angels shall make up one quire to Trumpet out the prayses of God To hold communion with him this is a Christians happiness here and to converse with him in Glory is Heaven it self 'T is no wonder then that the Service of God is called perfect Freedom and his Servants are called his Free-men 1 Cor. 7.21 'T is no wonder that Christ tells us his Yoak is easie and his Burthen is light Mat. 11.30 for all those that feel it find it so through Divine Assistance I know to a Carnal Heart and unsanctified Soul it appears otherwise but 't is the Galls Sores and Putrified Corruption of Nature that makes it so the easiest Yoak upon a galled Neck seems uneasie Learn but this one Lesson get but this one Qualification to love God above all and all the rest will prove easie Love makes Labour light the Love of Christ constrained the Apostle Paul and made him willing not only to be bound but to dye for Christ then Prayer would be no difficult Duty for who would not willingly go to him he Loves and pour out his requests into his Bosom when he knows he shall have a supply and hath such promises as those ask and you shall have seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened to you Psal 50.15 Praise also then will be a delightful Duty how apt are we to Commend those we Love and speak well of them Hence it is that the Saints and Angels in Heaven are not weary of this work even to Eternity Communion with God is no toylful but delightful Duty for Union and Communion with God is the Souls Happiness nay 't is here a Heaven upon Earth and will be their Heaven for ever which is sweet here though much interrupted what will it be then when we enjoy him Face to Face and see him as he is here it fills the Heart full of such Joy as no Stranger shall ever meddle with Prov. 14.10 I know the world brags of their pleasures in the Devils Service and are afraid to be Christians for fear of losing them but this is but one of the Devils Lime-twigs in which he fetters them and one of the deceits of the Father of Lyes a true Christian finds by Experience more true Joy more ravishing delight in one days Communion with Christ than ever he did in the Service of sin for in the midst of laughter the sinners heart is sorrowful and the end of that mirth is Heaviness But a Believer may eat his Meat with Joy and drink his Wine with a merry Heart for God accepteth his Work Eccl. 9.7 And with joy they can draw waters out of these Wells of Salvation Isa 12.3 Yea shout for joy if he be of an upright Heart Psal 32.11 There is none in the world that has more true Cause of Joy than they have here they are under the Divine Protection of God and are sure to want nothing that is good and when this Earthly Tabernacle shall be dissolved they have a Kingdom prepared for them But what is the Devils work which he imploys his Servants about 'T is the basest drudgery the most servile Slavery the most sordid unreasonable Dangerous work in the world he sets them to hate God who is the chiefest good to hold up weapons of defiance against him from whom they have their Life and Breath and Being to Blaspheme his Name abuse his Creatures break his Commandments Persecute his Children both by Hand and Tongue pluck the Stars out of his Right Hand the Signet of his Finger the Apple of his Eye his Jewels those whom his Soul Loveth yea to de-throne him and set up the Devil in his place yea he makes them so mad upon it that they will venture Life and Limb in the Prosecution yea Liberty and Estate and Ruine their own Souls and as many more as they are able and will not be perswaded by Ministers Parents or their Godly Friends from such Courses when the Devil enters into these Swine they run headlong till they Ruine themselves 4. Motive Thou shouldst serve the Lord because he best deserves thy Service he hath done more for thee than all the World besides and that which all the World cannot do It was he that Created thee and gave thee a Being when thou wast nothing It was not long since there was nothing heard of thee and God had no need of thee he was Infinite in his Perfection and Glory before thou wast and thou hast added nothing to his Happiness and wilt not own him for thy Creator Yea he hath made thee a Rational Creature when he might have made thee a bruit Beast he made thee capable of Communion with himself yea in his own Image when he might have made thee a Dog or Toad or Serpent or the most despicable Worm that crawls under thy Feet what Excellent Faculties hath he bestowed upon thee As Undestranding Will Affections Memory Conscience and such like Yea he hath made thee Little lower than the Angels Psal 8.4,5 Thou wast the Clay and he was the Potter he might have made thee a Vessel of dishonour and shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Not only so but he hath given thee thy Limbs and thy Senses when thou mightest have been Blind or Lame or Deaf or Dumb and is not this a Mercy thou hast the use of Reason when others run raging in the street Mad Frantick or Lunatick Yea 't is he that maintains thee at his own Cost and Charges 't is his Corn and his Wine that feeds thee his Wool and his Flax that Cloaths thee 't is his Silver and his Gold that inriches thee all is his and all is his free-gift thou deservest not the Crumbs that fall under thy Table and is all this nothing Hos 2.5 c. Yea hadst thou these things of thy own they could do thee no good without his Blessing Food could not nourish nor Cloaths keep thee warm he gives thee Peace when thou mightest have been in bloody War Health when thou mighest have been on thy sick Bed and
the Sacrament but without Faith they cannot be laid hold upon 6. Direct Having shewed you what Preparation is necessary and also what Qualifications and how thou shouldst stand affected when thou comest to this Ordinance I shall next shew thee how to demean thy self in the very Act of Receiving For thy External behaviour or outward demeanour it should be such as is suitable to the Ordinance and to the presence of the Great God Reverent Grave Seemly and such as bespeaks Humility and self-abasing not Light and wanton and gazish but such as becomes a Guest at such a Table yet beware of such Voluntary or Superstitious Humility such as the Papists and some others use which hath no Footing in the vvord of God the surest way is to take the Scripture for our Guide But for thy Inward Carriage which is most to be regarded be sure thy Heart be not wanting for God cannot endure Heartless Service if this Instrument be not in Tune the Musitioner is bad here if any where God calls Son give me thy Heart and nothing else will serve turn but the Heart and the Heart broken and bleeding Come with the Heart humbled God cannot endure a proud Person especially in an Ordinance that hold forth that which may humble thee here is Christ Crucified and his Blood shed for thy sin thou wast the Traytor that betrayed him the Judge that Condemned him and the Executioner that put him Death and will not this work upon thee Is it nothing to have Blood lying upon thee the Blood of the Innocent the Blood of a Friend the Blood of a King yea the Blood of the Son of God What ingenious Spirit but would melt at such a Consideration Every Sacramental Action of the Minister may further thy Meditation and help thee up to Heaven in thy Contemplation When thou beholdest the Minister who stands in the place of God setting apart and Consecrating the Bread and Wine by the Word and Prayer will not this bring to thy Mind the Love of God to thy Soul Who from Eternity set apart his only Son Jesus Christ to be thy Mediator and Advocate thy Surety and thy Saviour well may it be said God so Loved the World c. May not the thoughts of this furnish thee with Heart-raising Heart-warming Meditations And when thou seest thee Bread broken and the Wine poured out doth not this Lively represent the bitter Death and bloody Passion of the Son of God Jesus Christ thy sweet Saviour and Redeemer his Body was broken his precious blood was shed for the Remission of thy sins which otherwise could not have been forgiven Ah! what a wicked thing then is sin when nothing would satisfie Divine Justice but the death of the only begotten Son of God When the Bread and Wine thus separated thus set apart from common use are held forth to thee apprehend God himself giving Christ yea Christ offering himself with all his Treasures to be thy Husband thy Surety thy Mediator and thy Saviour Ah! what Soul-refreshing thoughts may this produce Well mayst thou say with David Lord what is Man that thou art mindful of him Or rather Lord what am I that thou regardest me and hast provided such a Feast of Fat things for me with Wine on the Lees When thousands are laid aside as good as I by Nature And when thou receivest the Elements at the Ministers hand let thy Faith lay fast hold and clasp fast about the Lord Jesus Christ and take him as given by God to be thy Husband and Resolve that the Devil and all his Instruments shall never draw off thy Affections from him but thou wilt all others being forsaken prove his faithful Spouse And when thou Eatest and Drinkest the Bread and Wine let thy Faith feed upon those Spiritual dainties hereby represented upon this Nectar and Ambrosia this Bread and this Water of Life Receive him and all the Benefits of the New Covenant by Faith and in the whole Action let thy Heart Close with God Father Son and Holy Ghost and let the whole bent of thy Soul be set upon him and by such Meditations stir up thy Heart to bless God and praise him for his Mercy and to Love him above all and to vow Obedience to him and as thou lookest upon thy sin with one Eye to hate and abominate it so look upon Christ with the other to keep thee from despair as he is offered up in the Sacrament a Sacrifice to satisfie Divine Justice and beg of God humbly yet believingly that he will accept of this Sacrifice as satisfactory for thy sin and pardon what is past and give thee power against Sin for the time to come Consider also the giving and receiving of this Sacrament is a further ratification of the Covenant as I said before wherein God offers Christ and all his Benefits and promises to be thy God and the God of thy Seed And thou promisest that thou and thine will Serve the Lord. Let this strengthen thy Faith in his Promises for he will never break his word and let it strengthen thy Resolution that thou wilt never break with him then this will be to thee an Happy Ordinance 7. Direct If thou wouldst receive Benefit by the Sacrament behave thy self well after thou hast received it All thy work is not done nay most is to be done when thou hast turned thy back upon the Congregation 't is not the making a Vow but the making it good the fulfilling of it that is the most of the work 't is not the preparing for the Duty or carrying thy self well in the Act of Receiving though this be necessary that is sufficient God expects some after-work A Servant that is refresht with wholsom meat and drink ought not to be Idle nor to spend his time vainly there is a greater tye lyes upon him to diligence and pains taking So he that comes from such a Feast and is refreshed with such Dainties should be more Active Lively Quick and Disposed to Spiritual Exercises plung not thy self too suddenly into worldly business distract not thy thoughts about things here below for as in sweats 't is dangerous to cool over-suddenly So 't is here when the Affections are raised to Heaven let them not suddenly grovel upon the ground when they are heated let not the cold wind of the World suddenly benumb them And when thou dost set about Worldly business remember there is a business of greater concernment lyes upon thy Hands and therefore do all in Subordination to God Redeem some time for Divine Meditation to consider what thou hast been about and with whom thou hast had to deal Thou hast been renewing that Covenant between God and thy Soul which was made in Baptism and therefore look to it that thou make it good It is better not to Vow than to Vow and not perform Consider whether God makes good his Promise Sealed by this Sacrament if not doubtless the fault is thine own God
and Promises of Reformation which they forget as soon as the danger is past and return with the Dog to the vomit and the washed Sow to her wallowing in the Mire CHAP. XIII Directions in Fasting THE next Duty I shall Direct you in is that Useful though much neglected Duty of Fasting which though in it self is no part of Divine worship neither is it Commanded for it self yet when 't is performed in a right manner and to a right End is a notable help in other Religious Duties and a good Spur to put us forward to worship God and fits us for his worship Now before I shew you what a Fast is I shall shew you what Fast I mean for there are Fasts of several sorts and 't is not the bare abstinence from Meat that is sufficient There are some necessary Fasts when men Fast whether they will or no as when they have nothing to eat and this is too oft the Poor mans and the Prisoners Fast but this is against their wills and so not thanks-worthy Again there is a Natural Fast when a man abstains from Food for want of a Stomack as the other did for want of Meat and this is the Sick mans Fast and oft-times the Rich man Fasts also this also is in-voluntary and deserves no praise There is also a Physical Fast undertaken for Healths sake this is not it we Treat of and there is a daily Fast when Men use the Creatures very temperately and moderately not to please or satisfie their Appetite but to maintain their Life and strength to do God service they eat to live and not live to eat and live to serve and praise God and this should be every Christians Fast There is also a Superstitious Fast such as the Papists use an abstinence from certain meats upon Religious Accounts when in the mean time they fully gorge themselves with other meats every way as nourishing and provoking to Lust and this upon the Account of Merit And there is also a Civil Fast when upon Politick Accounts some sorts of meats are forbidden at some times as with us Flesh in the Lent for the encouragement of our Trade of Fishing and for the preservation of Cattle There are some Miraculous Fasts as that of Moses and Elijah and of Christ himself all which Fasted forty days together and tasted no Food but these are for our Admiration not for our Imitation There is also a Spiritual Fast an abstinence from Sin which all should Imitate and there is a Hypocritical Fast such as the Pharisees used to be seen of Men Mat. 6.2 c. These hang down the Head like a bulrush Isa 58.5 And there is a Diabolical Fast wherein the Devils Service is promoted A Fast for strife and debate and to strike with the Fists of Wickedness Isa 58.4 Such a Fast Jezebel Proclaimed when under pretence of Religious Worship she took away Naboath's Life for his Vineyard 1 Kings 21.8 c. This is of the Devils Invention But there is a Religious Fast set apart upon a Religious Account for a man to Afflict his Soul and this is that we now speak to which is the Sanctifying or setting apart a day or some portion of time to the Lord upon some extraordinary Occasion by the voluntary abstinence from meat and drink and other Comforts of this Life as also from Labour and Worldly business so far as Mercy Comeliness and Necessity will permit for the more serious humbling of the Soul before God and pouring out our requests to him for the preventing or removing of Judgments felt or feared or the begging the Mercies we want or the continuance of those we enjoy That such a kind of Fast is Lawful the Scripture is evident it was Commanded Lev. 23.27,28 Exod. 33.5 Joel 2.15 Mat. 6.16,17 9.15 1 Cor. 7.5 And such a Fast was Observed Esther 4.16 Dan. 9.2,3,4 c. 1 Cor. 7.5 Acts 13.23 We have the Examples of the best men yea of Christ himself in so doing Nay Jews Turks Papists Protestants c. all agree in this that it is a Duty though they differ in the manner and Ends of the Duty Yet must we not look upon it as any part of Religious worship or desirable for it's own sake for 't is a thing indifferent in it self and 't is to be used so far forth as it conduceth to the main design of God's Honour and the good of the Soul and serves to the Ends propounded in the Scriptures which is the humbling of the Soul and making us more sensible of our wants and more fervent in our Prayers And Experience shews when it hath been joyned with fervent Prayer very great things have been wrought by it great Deliverances have been got great Mercies procured and great Judgments diverted Now this Religious Fast is either Publique or Private Publique when Commanded by Publique Authority and generally Observed as Joel 1.19 Jonah 2.7 2 Chron. 30.13 And Private when 't is performed by a Person or Family Esther 4.6 And of this Fast Christ speaks Mat. 6.17,18 Now that you may keep a Fast as it ought to be kept take these following Directions 1. Direct If thou wouldest prevaile with God in such a duty as this either to beg the mercy wanting for thy self or others or to divert the judgment felt or heard 't is necessary that thou be rightly qualified for the work for an unqualified Person is like to do but little good a fast as I told you was either publick or private that which is publick is commanded by Authority and here all men are enjoyned for to come and indeed 't is every mans duty because every man hath offended for high and low rich and poor noble and ignoble young and old one with another none are excepted no not the Bridegroom or the Bride nor the child that sucks upon the Mothers breast Joel 2.16 Gather the People sanctify the Congregation assemble the Elders gather the Children and those that suck the Breasts Let the Bridegroom go forth out of his Chamber and the Bride out of her Closet c. nay the very Beasts of the field are not exempted Jonah 3.7,8 Let nither man or beast heard or flock taste any thing let them not feed or drink water but let man and beast be covered with sack cloath and cry mightily unto God yea let them turn every one from his evil ways and from the violence that is in his hands who can tell if God will turn or repent c. In this fast the Minister most commonly is their mouth to God and Gods mouth to them yet they have need of qualifications for the duty for though he perform much of the external part of the duty yet the internal rests upon them thy heart should be qualified to put up an acceptable prayer to God great ones are not excepted from this duty for their sins are great yea perhaps greater and admit of greater aggravations than others do and their examples much