among those that cannot pray Iohn and Christ taught their Disciples Mat. 6. Luk. 11. to pray Tit. 4. Special Directions for secret Prayer § 1. Direct 1. LET it be in as secret a place as conveniently you can that you may not be Direct 1. disturbed Let it be done so that others may not be witnesses of it if you can avoid it and yet take it not for your duty to keep it unknown that you pray secretly at all for that will be a snare and scandal to them § 2. Direct 2. Let your voice be suited to your own help and benefit if none else hear you If it be Direct 2. needful to the orderly proceeding of your own thoughts or to the warming of your own affections you may use a voice But if others be within hearing it is very unfit § 3. Direct 3. In secret let the matter of your prayers be that which is most peculiarly your own Direct 3. concernment or those secret things that are not fit for publick prayer or are there passed by Yet never forgetting the highest interest of Christ and the Gospel and the World and Church § 4. Direct 4. Be less sollicitous about words in secret than with others and lay out your care about Direct 4. the heart For that 's it that God most esteemeth in your prayers § 5. Direct 5. Do not through carnal unwillingness grow into a neglect of secret prayer when you Direct 5. have time Nor yet do not superstitiously tye your selves to just so long time whether you are fit or at leisure from greater duties or not But be the longer when you are most fit and vacant and the shorter when you are not To give way to every carnal backwardness is the sin on one side and to resolve to spend so long time when you do but tire your selves and sleep or business or distemper maketh it a lifeless thing is a sin on the other side Avoid them both § 6 Direct 6. A melancholy person who is unfit for much solitariness and heart-searchings must be much Direct 6. short if not also seldomer in secret prayers than other Christians that are capable of bearing it And they must instead of that which they cannot do be the more in that which they can do As in joyning with others and in short ejaculations besides other duties but not abatâ—ing their piety in the main upon any pretence of curing melancholy CHAP. XXIV Brief Directions for Families about the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. OMitting those things which concern the publick administration of this Sacrament for the Reasons before intimated Tom 2. I shall here only give you some brief Directions for your private duty herein § 1. Direct 1. Understand well the proper ends to which this Sacrament was instituted by Direct 1. Christ and take heed that you use it not to ends for which it never was appointed The true ends Q. What are the Ends of the Sacramâ—nâ— Matth. 26. 28. Mar. 14. â—4 Luâ— â—2 â—0 1 Cor. 11. 25. Heb. 9. 15 16 â—â— 1â— 1 Cor. 10. 16 24. Joh. 6. 32 35 51 58. are these 1. To be a solemn commemoration of the Death and Passion of Jesus Christ to keep it as it were in the eye of the Church in his bodily absence till he come 1 Cor. 11. 24 25 26. 2. To be a solemn renewing of the holy Covenant which was first entred in Baptism between Christ and the Receiver And in that Covenant it is on Christs part a solemn delivery of Himself first and with Himself the Benefits of Pardon Reconciliation Adoption and right to life eternal And on mans part it is our solemn acceptance of Christ with his Benefits upon his terms and a Delivering up our selves to Him as his Redeemed ones even to the Father as our Reconciled Father and to the Son as our Lord and Saviour and to the Holy Spirit as our Sanctifier with Professed Thankfulness for so great a benefit 3. It is appointed to be a lively objective means by which the spirit of Christ should work to stir up and exercise and increase the Repentance Faith Desire Love Hope Ioy Thankfulness and new-obedience of Believers by a lively Representation of the evil of sin the infinite Love of God in Christ the firmness of the Covenant or promise the greatness and sureness of the mercy given and the blessedness purchased and promised to us and the great obligations that are laid upon us And that herein Believers might be solemnly called out to the most serious exercise of all these 1 Cor. 11. 27 28 29 31. 1 Cor. 10. 16 17 â—1 1 Cor. 11. 25 26. 2 Cor. 6. 14. Act 2 42 46. 20. 7. graces and might be provoked and assisted to stir up themselves to this Communion with God in Christ and to pray for more as through a sacrificed Christ. 4. It is appointed to be the solemn profession of Believers of their Faith and Love and Gratitude and obedience to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and of continuing firm in the Christian Religion And a badge of the Church before the world 5. And it is appointed to be a signe and means of the Unity Love and Communion of Saints and their readiness to communicate to each other § 2. The false mistaken ends which you must avoid are these 1. You must not with the Papists think that the end of it is to turn Bread into no bread and Wine into no wine and to make them Really the true Body and blood of Jesus Christ. For if sense which telleth all men that it is still Bread and wine be not to be believed then we cannot believe that ever there was a Gospel or an Apostle or a Pope or a man or any thing in the world And the Apostle expresly calleth it Bread three times in three verses together after the consecration 1 Cor. 11. 26 27 28. And he telleth us that the use of it is not to make the Lords Body really present but to shew the Lords death till be come that is As a visible representing and commemorating sign to be instead of his bodily presence till he come § 3. 2. Nor must you with the Papists use this Sacrament to sacrifice Christ again really unto the Father to propitiate him for the quick and dead and ease souls in Purgatory and deliver them out Rom. 6. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 3. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Heb. 9. 26. 10. 12 26. Heb. 9. 24. of it For Christ having dyed once dyeth no more and without killing him there is no sacrificing him By once offering up himself he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and now there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin Having finished the sacrificing work on earth he is now passed into the Heavens to appear before God for his Redeemed ones § 4. 3. Nor is it any better than odious impiety to receive the Sacrament to
confirm some confederacies or oaths of secresie for rebellions or other unlawful designes as the Powder-plotters in England did § 5. 4. Nor is it any other than impious prophanation of these sacred Mysteries for the Priest to constrain or suffer notoriously ignorant and ungodly persons to receive them either to make themselves Non absque probatione examine paâ—em ilâ—un praebendum esse neque nâ—vâ—s nâ—que vâ—â—er bus Chrianâ—s Quod siquis est fornâ—â—a ' oâ— aâ—t ebriosus aut idoâ—is serviens cum ejusmodi etiam communem cibum capere vetat Aposlo'us nedum coelesti mensa communicare saith a Iesâ—itâ— Acosta l. 6. 10. And after Neque enim ubi perspecta est superstitionis antiquae aut ebâ—iositatis aut foedae consuetudâ—â—â—â—s maculâ— â—d â—ltare Indus debet admitti nisi contraria opera illam manifeste diligenter eluerit Christianis concedatur sed non-Christianâ— dignis morâ—buâ— subâ—â—aâ—atur p. 549. believe that they are indeed the Children of God or to be a means which ungodly men should use to make them godly or which infidels or impenitent persons must use to help them to Repentance and faith in Christ. For though there is that in it which may become a means of their conversion as a Thief that stealeth a Bible or Sermon Book may be converted by it yet is it not to be used by the receiver to that end For that were to tell God a lye as the means of their Conversion For whosoever cometh to receive a sealed pardon doth thereby profess repentance as also by the words adjoyned he must do and whosoever Taketh and Eateth and drinketh the bread and wine doth actually profess thereby that he Taketh and applyeth Christ himself by faith And therefore if he do neither of these he lyeth openly to God And lies and false Covenants are not the appointed means of Conversion Not that the Minister is a lyar in his delivery of it For he doth but conditionally seal and deliver Gods Covenant and benefits to the Receiver to be his If he truly Repent and Believe But the Reciever himself lyeth if he do not actually Repent and Believe as he there professeth to do § 6. 5. Also it is an impious prophanation of the Sacrament if any Priest for the love of filthy lucre shall give it to those that ought not to receive it that he may have his fees or offerings or that the Priest may have so much money that is bequeathed for saying a Mass for such or such a soul. § 7. 6. And it is an odious prophanation of the sacrament to use it as a League or bond of faction to gather persons in to the Party and tye them fast to it that they may depend upon the Priest and his faction and interest may thereby be strengthened and he may seem to have many followers § 8. 7. And it is a dangerous abuse of it to receive it that you may be pardoned or sanctified or saved barely by the work done or by the outward exercise alone As if God were there obliged to give you grace while you strive not with your own hearts to stir them up to Love or desire or faith or obedience by the means that are before you Or as if God would pardon and save you for eating so much bread and drinking so much wine when the Canon biddeth you Or as if the Sacrament conveyed grace like as Charmes are supposed to work by saying over so many words § 9. 8. Lastly It is no appointed end of this Sacrament that the Receiver thereby profess himself certain of the sincerity of his own Repentance and faith For it is not managed on the ground of such certainty only by the Receiver much less by the Minister that delivereth it But only he professeth that as far as he can discern by observing his own heart he is truly willing to have Christ and his benefits on the terms that they are offered and that he doth consent to the Covenant which he is there to renew Think not therefore that the Sacrament is instituted for any of these mistaken ends § 10. Direct 2. Distinctly understand the parts of the Sacrament that you may distinctly use them Direct 2. and not do you know not what This Sacrament containeth these three parts 1. The Consecration Q. What are the parts of the Sacrament of the Bread and Wine which maketh it the Representative Body and Blood of Christ. 2. The Representation and Commemoration of the Sacrifice of Christ. 3. The Communion or Communication by Christ and Reception by the people § 11. I. In the Consecration the Church doth first offer the creatures of Bread and Wine to be accepted of God to this Sacred Use And God accepteth them and blesseth them to this use which he signifieth both by the words of his own Institution and by the Action of his Ministers and their Benediction They being the Agents of God to the people in this Accepting and Blessing as they are the Agents of the people to God in Offering or Dedicating the creatures to this use § 12. This Consecration having a special respect to God the Father in it we acknowledge his three grand Relations 1. That he is the Creator and so the Owner of all the Creatures for we offer them to him as his own 2. That he is our Righteous Governour whose Law it was that Adam and we have broken and who required satisfaction and hath received the sacrifice and attonement and hath dispensed with the strict and proper execution of that Law and will rule us hereafter by the Law of Grace 3. That he is our Father or Benefactor who hath freely given us a Redeemer and the Covenant of grace whose Love and favour we have forfeited by sin but desire and hope to be Reconciled by Christ. § 13. As Christ himself was Incarnate and true Christ before he was sacrificed to God and was sacrificed to God before that sacrifice be communicated for life and nourishment to souls so in the Sacrament Consecration must first make the Creature to be the flesh and blood of Christ representative and then the sacrificing of that flesh and blood must be represented and commemorated and then the sacrificed flesh and blood communicated to the Receivers for their spiritual life § 14. II. The Commemoration chiefly but not only respecteth God the Son For he hath ordained that these consecrated Representations should in their manner and measure supply the room of his Bodily presence while his body is in Heaven and that thus as it were in effigie in representation he might be still Crucified before the Churches eyes and they might be affected as if they had seen him on the Cross. And that by faith and Prayer they might as it were offer him up to God that is might shew the Father that Sacrifice once made for sin in which they trust and for which it is that they expect all the acceptance of their persons with God
and hope for audience when they beg for mercy and offer up prayer or praises to him § 15. III. In the Communication though the Sacrament have respect to the Father as the Joh. 3. 5. 1 Cor. 12. 12 â—3 1 Cor. 15 45. Gal. 3. 14. 4. 6. Eph. 2. 22. principal Giver and to the Son as both the Gift and Giver yet hath it a special respect to the Holy Ghost as being that spirit given in the flesh and blood which quickeneth souls without which the flesh will profit nothing And whose Operations must convey and apply Christs saving benefits to us Ioh. 6. 63. 7. 39. § 16. These three being the parts of the Sacrament in whole as comprehending that sacred Action and participation which is essential to it The material Parts called the Relate and correlate are 1. Substantial and Qualitative 2. Active and passive 1. The first are the Bread and Wine as signs and the Body and Blood of Christ with his graces and benefits as the things signified and given The second are the Actions of Breaking Pouring out and Delivering on the Ministers part after the Consecration and the Taking Eating and Drinking by the Receivers as the sign And the thing signified is the Crucifying or Sacrificing of Christ and the Delivering himself with his benefits to the believer and the Receivers thankful Accepting and using the said gift To these add the Relative form and the ends and you have the definition of this Sacrament Of which see more in my Univers Concord p. 46 c. § 17. Direct 3. Look upon the Minister as the Agent or Officer of Christ who is commissioned by Direct 3. him to seal and deliver to you the Covenant and its benefits And take the Bread and Wine as if you heard Christ himself saying to you Take my Body and Blood and the pardon and Grace which is thereby purchased It is a great â—â—â—â—p in the application to have Mercy and pardon brought us by the hand of a commissioned Officer of Christ. § 18. Direct 4. In your preparation before hand take heed of these two extreams 1. That you Direct 4. come not prophanely and carelesly with common hearts as to a common work For God will be sanctified in them that draw near him Lev. 10. 3. And they that eat and drink unworthily not discerning the Lords Body from common bread but eating as if it were a common meal do eat death to Quinam auteâ—â— indigâ—i ineptive sint quibus Angelorum panis praebeatur sacerdoâ—um ipsoâ—um audâ—ta confessione â—aeâ—erisque perspectis judicium esto Acosta â— 6. c. 10. p. 549. themselves instead of life 2. Take heed lest your mistakes of the nature of this Sacrament should possess you with such fears of unworthy receiving and the following dangers as may quite discompose and unfit your souls for the joyful exercises of faith and Love and Praise and Thanksgiving to which you are invited Many that are scrupulous of Receiving it in any save a feasting gesture are too little careful and scrupulous of Receiving it in any save a feasting frame of mind The first extream is caused by Prophaneness and negligence or by gross ignorance of the nature of the Sacramental work The later extream is frequently caused as followeth 1. By setting this Sacrament at a greater distance from other parts of Gods worship than there is cause so that the excess of Reverence doth overwhelm the minds of some with terrours 2. By studying more the terrible words of eating and drinking damnation to themselves if they do it unworthily than all the expressions of Love and mercy which that blessed feast is furnished with So that when the Views of infinite Love should ravish them they are studying wrath and vengeance to terrifie them as if they came to Moses and not to Christ. 3. By not understanding what maketh a Receiver worthy or unworthy but taking their unwilling infirmities for condemning unworthiness 4. By Receiving it so seldom as to make it strange to them and increase their fear whereas if it were administred every Lords day as it was in the Primitive Churches it would better acquaint them with it and cure that fear that cometh from strangeness 5. By imagining that none that want Assurance of their own sincerity can receive in faith 6. By contracting an ill habit of mistaken Religiousness placeing it all in poâ—ing on themselves and mourning for their corruptions and not in studying the Love of God in Christ and living in the daily Praises of his name and joyful Thanksgiving for his exceeding mercies 7. And if besides all these the Body contract a weak or timerous melancholy distemper it will leave the mind capable of almost nothing but fear and trouble even in the sweetest works From many such causes it cometh to pass that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is become more terrible and uncomfortable to abundance of such distempered Christians than any other ordinance of God And that which should most comfort them doth trouble them most § 19. Quest. 1. But is not this Sacrament more holy and dreadful and should it not have more preparation Quest. 1. than other parts of worship Answ. For the degree indeed it should have very careful preparation And we cannot well compare it with other parts of worship as Praise Thanksgiving Covenanting with God Prayer c. because that all these other parts are here comprized and performed But doubtless God must also be sanctified in all his other worship and his name must not be taken in vain And when this Sacrament was received every Lords day and often in the week besides Christians were supposed to live continually in a state of general preparation and not to be so far from a due particular preparation as many poor Christians think they are § 20. Quest. 2. How often should the Sacrament be now administred that it neither grow into contempt Quest. 2. or strangeness Answ. Ordinarily in well disciplined Churches it should be still every Lords day For 1. We have no reason to prove that the Apostles example and appointment in this case was proper to those times any more than that Praise and Thanksgiving daily is proper to them And we may as well deny the obligation of other institutions or Apostolical orders as that 2. It is a part of the seâ—led order for the Lords days worship And omitting it maimeth and altereth the worship of the day and occasioneth the omission of the Thansgiving and Praise and lively commemorations of Christ which should be then most performed And so Christians by use grow habited to sadness and a mourning melancholy Religion and grow unacquainted with much of the worship and spirit of the Gospel 3. Hereby the Papists lamentable corruptions of this ordinance have grown up even by an excess of reverence and fear which seldom receiving doth increase till they are come to Worship Bread as their God 4. By seldom communicating men are
words of the Institution are read and the Bread and Wine are solemnly Consecrated by separating them to that sacred use and the acceptance and blessing of God is desired admire the mercy that prepared us a Redeemer and say O God how wonderful is thy Wisdom and thy Love How strangely dost thou glorifie thy mercy over those sins that gave thee advantage to glorifie thy justice Even thou our God whom we have offended hast out of thy own treasury satisfied thy own justice and given us a Saviour by such a Miracle of Wisdom Love and Condescension as men or Angels shall never be able fully to comprehend so didst thou love the sinful world as to give thy Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life O thou that hast prepared us so full a remedy and so pretious a gift sanctifie these creatures to be the Representative Body and Blood of Christ and prepare my heart for so great a gift and so high and holy and honourable a work § 53. 5. When you behold the Consecrated Bread and Wine discern the Lords Body and reverence it as the Representative Body and Blood of Iesus Christ and take heed of prophaning it by looking on it as common Bread and Wine Though it be not Transubstantiate but still is very Bread and Wine in its Natural Being yet it is Christs Body and Blood in representation and effect Look on it as the consecrated Bread of life which with the quickning Spirit must nourish you to life eternal § 54. 6. When you see the Breaking of the Bread and the Pouring out of the Wine let Repentance and Love and Desire and Thankfulness thus work within you O wondrous Love O hateful sin How merciful Lord hast thou been to sinners and how cruel have we been to our selves and thee Could Love stoop lower Could God be merciful at a dearer rate Could my sin have done a more horrid deed than put to death the Son of God How small a matter hath tempted me to that which must cost so dear before it was forgiven How dear payed my Saviour for that which I might have avoided at a very cheap rate At how low a price have I valued his blood when I have sinned and sinned again for nothing This is my doing My sins were the thorns the nails the spear Can a murderer of Christ be a a small offendor O dreadful justice It was I and such other sinners that deserved to bear the punishment who were guilty of the sin and to have been fewel for the unquenchable flames for ever O pretious Sacrifice O hateful sin O gracious Saviour How can mans dull and narrow heart be duly affected with such transcendent things or Heaven make its due impression upon an inch of flesh Shall I ever again have a dull apprehension of such Love Or ever have a favourable thought of sin Or ever have a fearless thought of Iustice O break or melt this hardned heart that it may be somewhat conformed to my crucified Lord The tears of Love and true Repentance are easier than the flames from which I am redeemed O hide me in these wounds and wash me in this pretious blood This is the Sacrifice in which I trust This is the Righteousness by which I must be justified and saved from the Curse of thy violated Law As thou hast accepted this O Father for the world upon the Cross Behold it still on the behalf of sinners and hear his blood that cryeth unto thee for mercy to the miserable and pardon us and accept us as thy Reconciled Children for the sake of this Crucified Christ alone We can offer thee no other Sacrifice for sin and we need no other § 55. 7. When the Minister applyeth himself to God by Prayer for the efficacy of this Sacrament that in iâ— he will give us Christ and his Benefits and pardon and justifie us and accept us as his reconciled Children joyn heartily and earnestly in these requests as one that knoweth the need and worth of such a mercy § 56. 8. When the Minister delivereth you the consecrated Bread and Wine look upon him as the messenger of Christ and hear him as if Christ by him said to you Take this my broken body and blood and feed on it to everlasting life and take with it my sealed Covenant and therein the sealed testimony of my Love and the sealed pardon of your sins and a sealed gift of life eternal so be it you unfeignedly consent unto my Covenant and give up your selves to me as my Redeemed ones Even as in delivering the possession of House or Lands the deliverer giveth a Key and a twig and a turfe and saith I deliver you this house and I deliver you this land so doth the Minister by Christs authority deliver you Christ and pardon and title to eternal life Here is an Image of a sacrificed Christ of Gods own appointing which you may lawfully use And more than an Image even an Investing instrument by which these highest mercies are solemnly delivered to you in the name of Christ. Let your hearts therefore say with Ioy and Thankfulness with faith and Love O matchless bounty of the eternal God! what a gift is this and unto what unworthy sinners And will God stoop so low to man and come so neer him and thus reconcile his worthless enemies Will he freely pardon all that I have done and take me into his family and love and feed me with the flesh and blood of Christ I believe Lord help mine unbelief I humbly and thankfully accept thy gifts Open thou my heart that I may yet more joyfully and thankfully accept them Seeing God will glorifie his Love and mercy by such incomprehensible gifts as these behold Lord a wretch that needeth all this mercy And seeing it is the offer of thy Grace and Covenant my soul doth gladly take thee for my God and Father for my saviour and my sanctifier And here I give up my self unto thee as thy Created Redeemed and I hope Regenerate one as thy Own thy Subject and thy Child to be saved and sanctified by thee to be beloved by thee and to Love thee to everlasting O seal up this Covenant and pardon by thy Spirit which thou sealest and deliverest to me in thy Sacrament that without reserve I may be entirely and for ever thine § 57. 9. When you see the Communicants receiving with you let your very hearts be united to the Saints in love and say How goodly are thy tents O Jacob How amiable is the family of the Nâ—â—b 24. 5. Psal 13. 15. 4. 16. 2 3. Iuk 19 8. Psal. 84. 10. Lord How good and pleasant is the unity of brethren How dear to me are the pretious members of my Lord though they have yet all their spots and weaknesses which he pardoneth and so must we My goodness O Lord extendeth not unto thee but unto thy Saints the excellent ones on earth in
my mouth Mal. 3. 18. Psal. 1. 15. 4. Affect not a dead and heartless way of worship which tendeth not to convince and waken the ungodly nor to make men serious as those that have to do with God § 9. Direct 8. Let the manner of your worshipping God be suited to the matter that you have in hand Direct 8. Remember that you are speaking either to or of the Eternal God that you are employed about the everlasting salvation of your own or others souls that all is high and holy that you have to do See then that the Manner be answerable hereunto § 10. Direct 9. Offer God nothing as a part of Worship which is a lye much less so gross a lye as Direct 9. to be disproved by the common senses and Reason of all the world God needeth not our Lye unto his glory What worship then do Papists offer him in their Mass who take it for an article of their faith Rom. 3. 7. that there is no Bread or Wine left after the Consecration it being all Transubstantiate into the very Body and Blood of Christ. And when the Certainty of all mens senses is renounced then all certainty of faith and all Religion is renounced for all presuppose the certainty of sense § 11. Direct 10. Worship not God in a manner that is contrary to the true nature and order and Direct 10. operations of a rational soul. I mean not to the corrupted nature of man but to Nature as Rational in it self considered As 1. Let not your meer Will and inclination over-rule your understandings Read Plutarch of Superstition and say not as blind Lovers do I love this but I know not why or as Children that eat unwholsome meat because they love it 2. Let not passion overtop your Reason Worship God with such a zeal as is according to knowledge 3. Let not your Tongues lead your hearts much less over-go them Words may indeed reflect upon the Heart and warm it more but that is but the secondary use the first is to be the expressions of the Heart You must not speak without or against your hearts that is falsly that by so speaking you may better your hearts and make the words true that at first were not true unless it be when your words are but reading-recitations or narratives and not spoken of your selves The Heart was made to lead the tongue and the tongue to express it and not to lead it Therefore speak not to God either the words of a Parrot which you do not understand or the words of a lyar or Hypocrite which express not the meaning or desires or feeling of your hearts but first understand and feel what you should speak and then speak that which you understand and feel § 12. Quest. How then can a prayer be lawful that is read or heard from a Book Answ. There is in Reading the Eye and in Hearing the Ear that is first to affect the Heart and then the Tongue is to perform its office And though it be sudden yet the passage to the Heart is first and the passage from the heart is last and the soul is quick and can quickly thus both Receive and be Affected and express it self And the case is the same in this whether it be from a Book or from the words of another without book For the soul must do the same as quickly in joyning with another that speaketh before us without a book as with it § 13. Direct 11. Understand well how far Christ hath given a Law and Rule for worship to his Direct 11. Church in the holy Scriptures and so far see that you take it as a perfect Rule and swerve not from How far the Scriptureis the Law or Rule of Worship and Discipline and how far not it by adding or diminishing This is a matter of great importance by reason of the danger of erring on either side 1. If you think that the Scripture containeth not any Law or Rule of Worship at all or not so much as indeed it doth you will deny a principal part of the Office of Christ as the King and Teacher of the Church and will accuse his Laws of insufficiency and be tempted to worship him with a humane kind of worship and to think your selves at liberty to worship him according to your own imaginations or change his worship according to the fashion of the Age or the Countrey where you are And on the other side if you think that the Scripture is a Law and Rule of Worship more particular than Christ intended it you will involve your selves and others in endless scruples and controversies and find fault with that which is lawful and a duty because you find it not particularly in the Scriptures And therefore it is exceeding needful to understand how far it is intended to be herein our Law and Rule and how far not To handle this fully would be a Dâ—gression but I shall briefly answer it § 14. 1. No doubt but Christ is the only Universal Head and Law-giver to his Church and that Legislation Isa. 2. 3 1. 10. 42. 4. Mic. 4. 2. Heb. 3. â— 3 5. Heb. 10. 28. Acts 7. 37 38. Acts 3. 23. Psal. 19. 7. Isa. 5. 24. is the first and principal part of Government And therefore if he had made no Laws for his Church he were not the full Governour of it And therefore he that arrogateth this power to himself to be Law-giver to the Church universal as such doth usurp the Kingly Office of Christ and committeth Treason against his Government unless he can prove that Christ hath delegated to him this chief part of his Government which none can do There being no Universal Law-giver to the Church but Christ whether Pope or Council no Law that is made by any meer man can be universally obligatory Therefore seeing the making of all Universal Laws doth belong only to ☜ Christ we may be sure that he hath perfectly done it and hath left nothing out of his Laws that was fit to be there nor nothing at liberty that was fit to be determined and commanded Therefore whatsoever is of equal Use or Consideration to the Universal Church as it is to any one part of iâ— and to all times as it is to any time of the Church should not be made a Law by man to any part of the Church if Christ have not made it a Law to the whole because else they accuse him of being defective in his Laws and because all his subjects are equally dependant on him as their King and Iudge And no man must step into his Throne pretending to amend his work which he hath done amiss or to make up any wants which the chief Law giver should have made up § 15. 2. These Laws of Christ for the Government of his Church are fully contained in the holy Scriptures For so much as is in Nature is there also
Love of God and therefore it is Best 20. The grand impediment to all Religion and our Salvation which hindereth both our Believing Loving and Obeying is the inordinate sensual inclination to Carnal self and present transitory things cunningly proposed by the Tempter to ensnare us and divert and steal away our hearts from God and the life to come The understanding of these Propositions will much help you in discerning thr Nature and Reason of Religion DIRECT II. Diligently labour in that part of the life of faith which consisteth in the constant use of Christ as the Means of the souls access to God acceptance with him and comfort from him And think not of coming to the Father but by him § 1. TO talk and boast of Christ is easie and to use him for the increase of our carnal security and boldness in sinning But to live in the daily Use of Christ to those Ends of his Office to which he is by us to be made use of is a matter of greater skill and diligence than many self 〈…〉 Professors are aware of What Christ himself hath done or will do for our salvation is â—â—â—â— directly the thing that we are now considering of but what Use he requireth us to make of him Paul Sâ—aiiger Thes. p. 725. Christus solus quidem secundum utramque naturam di 〈…〉 Id. p 725. in the life of saith He hath told us that his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed and that except we eat his flesh and drink his blood we have no life in us Here is our Use of Christ expressed by eating and drinking his flesh and blood which is by faith The General parts of the work of Redemption Christ hath himself performed for us without asking our Consent or imposâ—â—g upon us any Condition on our parts without which he would not do that work As the Sun doth illustrate and warm the earth whether it will or not and as the Rain falleth on the Grass without asking whether it consent or will be thankful so Christ without our consent or knowledge did take our nature and fulfill the Law and satisfie the offended Law-giver and Merit grace and conquâ—â— Satan Death and Hell and became the Glorified Lord of all But for the exercise of his graces in us and our advancement to communion with God and our living in the strength and joyes of faith he is himself the Object of our Duty even of that Faith which we must daily and diligently exercise upon him And thus Christ will profit us no further than we make Use of him by faith It is not a forgotten Christ that objectively comforteth or encourageth the soul but a Christ believed in and skilfully and faithfully Used to that end It is Objectively principally that Christ is called Our wisdom 1 Cor. 1. 30. The knowledge of him and the mysteries of Grace in him is the Christian or Divine Philosophy or Wisdom in opposition to the vain Philosophy which the Learned Heathens boasted of And therefore Paul determined to know nothing but Christ crucified that is to make oftentation of no other knowledge and to glory in nothing but the Cross of Christ and so to preach Christ as if he knâ—w nothing else but Christ. See 1 Cor. 1. 23. 2. 2. Gal. 6. 14. And it is Objectively that Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by faith Ephes. 3. 17. Faith keepeth him still upon the heart by continual cogitation application and improvement As a friend is said to dwell in our hearts whom we continually love and think of § 2. Christ himself teacheth us to distinguish between Faith in God as God and faith in himself Namquâ—â—mpâ—â—â—â—nâ— involute non â—â—â—â—haec soâ—um sed qâ—â—â—â—unquâ— Divinae â—â—eâ—ae prâ—dunt credit de quibus tamen nâ—n omnibus interrâ—gatur quod eâ— expresse â—â—iâ—e omnia illi minime opus sit omnia 5. c 6. p. 461. Christian Religion beginneth not at the Highest but the Lowest with Christ incarnate teaching dying â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 1â—1 out of Iâ—â—tâ—r as Mediator John 14. 1. Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God or Believe ye in God â— believe also in me These set together are the sufficient cure of a troubled heart It is not Faith in God as God but Faith in Christ as Mediator that I am now to speak of And that not as it is inherent in the understanding but as it is operative on the heart and in the life And this is not the smallest part of the life of faith by which the just are said to live Every true Christian must in his measure be able to say with Paul Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me The Pure Godhead is the Beginning and the End of all But Christ is the Image of the invisible God the first born of every creature and by him all things were created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things do consist And he is the Head of the Body the Church who is the beginning the first born from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence Col. 1. 16 17 18 19. In him it is that we who were sometime far off are made nigh even by his blood For he is our Peace who hath recâ—nâ—iled both Iew and Gentile unto God in one body by the Cross having slain the â—nâ—ity thereby and came and preached peace to them that were far off and to them that were â—igâ— For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father so that now we are no more i◠〈…〉 s and forâ—â—igners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes. 2. 1â— â—â—â—â—â—â—6 17 18. In him it is that we have beldness and access with confidence through faith in him Epâ— â—â—â—â—â— He is the Way the Truth and the Life and no man cometh to the Father but by him John 14. 6. It is by the blood of Iesus that we have boldness and liberty â— to enter into the holiest by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh Because we have so Great a Priest over the House of God we may draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith c. Heb. 10. 19 20 21 22. By him it is that we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and boast in hope of the Glory of God Rom. 5. 1 2. So that we must have all our Communion with God through him § 3. Supposing what I
is here a great encouragement to the soul to think that Jesus our great High Priest doth make all his Children Priests to God They are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people that they should shew forth the prayses of him that hath called them out of darkness into his marvellâ—us light An holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. 5 â— Even their broken hearts and contrite Spirits are a sacrifice which God will not despâ—se Psal. 51. 17. He knoweth the meaning of the Spirits groans Rom. 8. 26 27. § 19. 16. The strength of corruptions which molest the soul and are too often strugling with it and too much prevail doth greatly discourage us in our approach to that God that hateth all the workers of iniquity And here faith may find relief in Christ not only as he pardoneth us but as he hath conquered the Devil and the world himself and bid us be of good cheer because he hath conquered and hath all power given him in Heaven and Earth and can give us victorious grace in the season and measure which he seeth meetest for us We can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth us Go to him then by faith and prayer and you shall find that his grace is sufficient for you § 20. 17. The thoughts of God are the less delightful to the soul because that Death and the Grave do interpose and we must pass through them before we can enjoy him And it is unpleasing to nature to think of a separation of soul and body and to think that our flesh must rot in darkness But against this faith hath wonderful relieâ— in Iesus Christ. For asmuch as we were partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part with us that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death even the Devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Hâ—b 2. 14 15. O what an encouragement it is to faith to observe that Christ once dyed himself and that he rose from the dead and reigneth with the Father it being impossible that death should hâ—ld him And having conquered that which seemed to conquer him it no more hath dominion over him but he hath the Keyes of Death and Hell we may now entertain death as a disarmed enemy and say O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Yea it is sanctified by him to be our friend even an entrance into our Masters joy it being best for us to depart and be with Christ Phil. 1. 23. and therefore death is become our gain v. 21. O what abundance of strength and sweetness may faith perceive from that promise of Christ John 12. 26. If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be As he was dead but now liveth for evermore so hath he promised that because he liveth therefore shall we live also John 14. 19. But of this I have written two Treatises of Death already § 21. 18. The terror of the day of Iudgement and of our particular doom at death doth make the thoughts of God less pleasing and delectable to us And here what a relief is it for faith to apprehend that Iesus Christ must be our Judge And will he condemn the members of his body Shall we be afraid to be judged by our dearest friend by him that hath justified us himself already even at the price of his own blood § 22. 19. The very strangeness of the soul to the world unseen and to the inhabitants and employments there doth greatly stop the soul in its desires and in its delightful approaches unto God Had we seen the world where God must be enjoyed the thoughts of it would be more familiar and sweet But faith can look to Christ and say My head is there he seeth it for me he knoweth what he possesseth prepareth and promiseth to me and I will quietly rest in his acquaintance with it § 23. 20. Nay the Godhead it self is so infinitely above us that in it self it is inaccessible and it is ready to amaze and overwhelm us to think of coming to the incomprehensible Majesty But it emboldneth the soul to think of our Glorified Nature in Christ and that even in Heaven God will everlastingly condescend to us in the Mediator For the Mediation of Redemption and acquisition shall be ended and thus he shall deliver up the Kingdom to the Father yet it seems that a Mediation of fruition shall continue For Christ said to his Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory John 17. 24. We shall rejoyce when the marriage of the Lamb is come Rev. 19. 7. They are blessed that are called to his Marriage Supper v. 9. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple and the Light of the New Ierusalem Rev. 21. 22 23. Heaven would not be so familiar or so sweet to my thoughts if it were not that our glorified Lord is there in whose Love and Glory we must live for ever O Christian as ever thou wouldst walk with God in comfortable communion with him study and exercise this Life of faith in the daily use and improvement of Christ who is our Life and Hope and All. DIRECT III. Gr. Dir. 3. Understand well what it is to believe in the Holy Ghost and see that he dwell To believe in the Holy Ghost and live upon his Grace and operate in thee as the Life of thy soul and that thou do not resist or quench the Spirit but thankfully obey him § 1. EAch person in the Trinity is so believed in by Christians as that in Baptism they enter Scrutari temeritas est credere pietas nesse vita Bernard de consid ad Eâ—geâ— l. 5. distinctly into Covenant with them which is to Accept the Mercies of and perform the 〈…〉 each person distinctly As to take God for Our God is more than to believe that there is a God â—nd to take Christ for Our Saviour is more than barely to believe that he is the Messiah so to Believe in the Holy Ghost is to take him for Christs Agent or Advocate with our souls and for our Guide and Sanctifier and Comforter and not only to believe that he is the third person in the Trinity This therefore is a most practical Article of our Belief § 2. If the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost be the unpardonable sin then all sin against the Holy Ghost must needs have a special aggravation by being such And if the sin against the Holy Ghost be the greatest sin then our duty towards the Holy Ghost is certainly none of our smallest duties Therefore the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit and our duty towards him and sin against him deserve not the least or
soul came from him and therefore naturally should tend to him It is from him and for him and therefore must Rest in him or have no Rest. We delight in the house where we were born and in our Native country and in our parents and every thing inclineth to its own Original And so should the soul to its Creator § 8. Direct 7. Corrupt not your Minds and appetites with contrary delights Addict not your selves to fleshly pleasures Tast nothing that is forbidden Sorrow it self is not such an enemy to spiritual Delights as sensual sinful pleasures are O leave your beastly and your childish pleasures and come and feast your souls on God Isa. 55. 1 2 3. Away with the Delights of lust and pridâ— and covetousness and vain sports and gluttony and drunkenness if ever you would have the solid and durable Delights Think not of joyning both together Bethink your selves Can it be any thing but the disease and wickedness of thy heart that can make a play or a feast or drunken wanton company more pleasant to thee than God What a heart is that which thinketh it a toil to meditate on God and Heaven and thinks it a pleasure to think of the baits of pride and covetousness What a heart is that which thinks that sensuality wantonness and vanity are the pleasure of their families which must not be turned out and that Godliness and Heavenly discourse and exercises would be the sadness and trouble of their families which must not be brought in lest it maâ—r their mirth That think it an intollerable toil and slavery to Love God and Holiness and Heaven and to be imployed for them and thinks it a delightful thing to Love a whore or excess of meat or drink or sports Can you say any thing of a man that is more disgraceful unless you say he is a Devil It were not so vile for a child to Delight more in a Dog than in his Parents or a Husband to delight more in the ugliest Harlot than in his Wife as it is for a man to delight more in fleshly vanities than in God Will you be licking up this dung when you should be solacing your souls in Angelical pleasures and foretasting the delights of Heaven O how justly will God thrust away such wretches from his everlasting presence who so abhor his ways and him Can they blame him for denying them the things which they hate or set so light by as to prefer a lust before it If they were not haters of God and Holiness they would never be so averse even to the Delights which they should have with him § 9. Direct 8. Take heed of a Melancholy habit of body For Melancholy people can scarce delight Direct 8. in any thing at all and therefore not in God Delight is as hard to them as it is to a pained member to find pleasure or a sick stomack to delight in the food which it loaths They can think of God with trouble and fear and horror and despair but not with delight § 10. Direct 9. Take heed of an impatient pievish self-tormenting mind that can bear no cross and Direct 9. of overvaluing earthly things which causeth impatience in the want of them Make not too great a matter of fleshly pain or pleasure Otherwise your minds will be called to a continual attendance on the flesh and taken up with continual desires or cares or fears or griefs or pleasures and will not be permitted to solace themselves with God The soul that would have pure and high Delights must abstract it self from the concernments of the flesh and look on your body as if it were the body of another whose pain or pleasure you can choose whether you will feel when Paul was rapt up into the third Heaven and saw the things unutterable he was so far freed from the prison of sense that he knew not whether he was in the Body or out of it As the separated souls that see the face of God and the Redeemer do leave the Body to be buried and to rot in darkness and feel not all this to the interrupting of their joys so faith can imitate such a Death to the world and such a neglect of the flesh and some kind of elevating separation of the mind to the things above If in this near conjunction you cannot leave the Body to rejoyce or suffer alone yet as it self is but a servant to the soul so let not its pain or pleasure be predominant and controll the high operations of the soul. A manly valiant believing soul though it cannot abate the pain at all nor reconcile the flesh to its calamity yet it can do more notwithstanding the pain to its own delight than strangers will believe § 11. Some women and passionate weak-spirited men especially in sickness are so pievish and of such impatient minds that their daily work is to disquiet and torment themselves One can scarce tell how to speak to them or look at them but it offendeth them And the world is so full of occasions of provocation that such persons are like to have little quietness It is unlike that these should delight in God who keep their minds in a continual ulcerated galled state uncapable of any delights at all and cease not their self-tormenting § 12. Direct 10. It is only a life of faith that will be a life of holy heavenly Delight Exercise your Direct 10. selves therefore in believing contemplations of the things unseen It must not be now and then a glance of the eye of the soul towards God or a seldom salutation which you would give a stranger but a walking with him and frequent addresses of the soul unto him which must help you to the Delights which Believers find in their communion with him § 13. Direct 11. Especially let faith go frequently to Heaven for renewed matter of delight and Direct 11. frequently think what God will be to you there for ever and with what full everlasting delight he will satiate your souls As Heaven is the place of our full delight so the foresight and foretast of it is the highest delight which on earth is to be attained And a soul that is strange to the foresight of Heaven will be as strange to the true Delights of faith § 14. Direct 12. It is a great advantage to Holy Delight to be much in the most Delightful parts of Direct 12. worship as in Thanksgiving and Praise and a due celebration of the Sacrament of the Body and blood of Christ Of which I have spoken in the foregoing Directions § 15. Direct 13. A skillful experienced Pastor who is able to open the treasurie of the Gospel and Direct 13. publickly and privately to direct his flock in the work of self-examination and the heavenly exercises of faith is a great help to Christians spiritual delight The experiences of believers teach them this How oft do they go away refreshed and
acceptance of their work O that we would do that honour and right to true Religion as to shew the world the nature and use of it by living in the cheerful Praises of our God and did not â—each them to blaspheme it by our mis-doings I have said the more of the excellency and benefits of this work because it is one of your best helps to perform it to know the Reasons of it and how much of your Religion and Duty and comfort consisteth in it and the forgetting of this is the common cause that it is so boldly and ordinarily neglected or slubbered over as it is § 23. Direct 2. The keeping of the heart in the admiration and glorifying o◠〈◊〉 according to Direct 2. the forâ—-going Directions is the principal help to the right praising of him with 〈…〉 ps For out of the hearts abundance the mouth will speak And if the Heart do not bear itâ— part no praise is mâ—lâ—dious to God § 24. Direct 3. â—ead much those Scriptures which speak of the praises of God especially the Psalms Direct 3. and furnish your memories with store of those holy expressions of the excellencies of God which he himself hath taught you in his Word None knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God who teacheth us in the Scriptures to speak divinely of things divine No other diâ—lâ—ct so well becometh the work of praise God that best knoweth himself doth best teach us how to know and praise him Every Christian should have a treasury of these sacred materials in his memory that he may be able at all times in Conference and in Worship to speak of God in the words of God § 25. Direct 4. Be much in singing Psalms of praise and that with the most heart-raising cheerfulness Direct 4. and melody especially in the holy assemblies The melody and the conjunction of many serious holy souls doth â—end much to elevate the heart And where it is done intelligibly reverently in conjunction with a rational spiritual serious Worship the use of Musical Instruments are not to be scrupled or refused any more than the Tunes and Melody of the Vâ—ic◠§ 26. Direct 5. Remember to allow the praises of God their due prâ—portion in all your prayers Direct 5. Use not to shut it out or forget it or cut it short with two or three words in the conclusion The Lords Prayer begins and ends with it and the three first Petitions are for the glorifying the Name of God and the coming of his Kingdom and the doing oâ— his Will by which he is glorified and all this before we ask any thing directly for our selves Use will much help you in the Praise of God § 27. Direct 6. Especially let the Lords Day be principally spent in Praises and Thanksgiving for the Direct 6. work of our Redemption and the benefits thereof This day is separated by God himself to this holy work And if you spend it ordinarily in other Religious duties that subserve not this you spend it not as God requireth you The thankful and praiseful Commemoration of the work of mans Redemption is the special work of the day And the celebrating of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ which is therefore called the Eucharist was part of these laudatory exercises and used every Lords Day by the Primitive Church It is not only a holy day separated to Gods Worship in general but to this Eucharistical Worship in special above the rest as a day of Praises and Thanksgiving unto God And thus all Christians ordinarily should use it § 28. Direct 7. Let your holy conferâ—â—ce with others be much about the glorious Excellencies Direct 7. Works and Mercies of the Lord in way â—f praise and admiration This is indeed to speak to Edification and as the Oracles of God Eph. 4. 29. that God in all things may be glorified 1 Pet. 4. 11. Psal. 29. 9. In his Temple doth every one speak of his glory Psal. 35. 28. My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praises all the day long Psal. 145. 6 11 21. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts They shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power to make known to the Sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious Majesty of his Kingdom My mouth shall speak of the praises of the Lord and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever Psal. 105. 2 3. Talk ye of all his wondrous works glory ye in his holy name § 29. Direct 8. Speak not of God in a light unreverent or common sort as if you talkt of common Direct 8. things but with all possible seriousness gravity and reverence as if you saw the Majesty of the Lord. A common and a holy manner of speech are contrary That only is holy which is separated to God from common use You speak prophanely in the manner how holy soever the matter be when you speak of God with that careless levity as you use to speak of common things Such speaking of God is dishonourable to him and hurts the hearers more than silence by breeding in them a contempt of God and teaching them to imitate you in sleight conceits and speech of the Almighty Whereas one that speaketh reverently of God as in his presence doth ofttimes more affect the hearers with a reverence of his Majesty with a few words than unreverent Preachers with the most accurate Sermons delivered in a common or affected strain When ever you speak of God let the hearers perceive that your hearts are possessed with his Fear and Love and that you put more difference between God and man than between a King and the smallest Worm so when you talk of death or judgement of Heaven or Hell of holiness or sin or any thing that nearly relates to God do it with that gravity and seriousness as the matter doth require § 30. Direct 9. Speak not so unskilfully and foolishly of God or holy things as may 〈…〉 pt the hearers Direct 9. to turn it into a matter of scorn or laughter Especially understand how your p 〈…〉 are suited to the company that you are in Among those that are more ignorant some weak discourses may be tolerable and profitable For they are most affected with that which is delivered in their own Dialect and Mode but among judicious or captious hearers unskilful persons must be very sparing of their words lest they do hurt while they desire to do good and make Religion sâ—em ridiculous We may rejoyce in the scorns which we undergo for Christ and which are bent against his holy Laws or the substance of our duty But if men are jeered for speaking ridiculously and foolishly of holy things they have little reason to take comfort in any thing of that but their honest meanings and intents Nay they must be humbled for being a dishonour to the name of godliness
do your self right For he whom you commend is either superior or inferior to you If he be inferior if he be to be commended then you much more If he be superior if he be not to be commended then you much less Lord Bacon Essay 54. pag. 299. may have the preheminence as a dwarf that makes another seem a proper man They are less troubled that God and the Gospel is dishonoured by the infirmities insufficiencie and faults of others than that their glory is obscured by worthier men though God be honoured and his work promoted Whereas the humbled person wisheth from the bottom of his heart that all the Lords people were Prophets that all men could preach and pray and discourse and live much better than he doth himself though he would also be as good as they He is glad when he heareth any speak more judiciously powerfully and convincingly than he rejoycing that Gods work is done whoever do it For he loveth Wisdom and Holiness Truth and duty not only because it is his own but for it self and for God and for the souls of others A Proud man envieth both the parts and work and honour of others And is like the Devil repining at the gifts of God and the better and wiser any one is the more he envieth him He is an enemy to the fruits of Gods beneficence as if he would have God less Good and bountiful to the world or to any but himself and such as will serve his party and interest and honour with their gifts His eye is evil because God is Good If others be better spoken of than himself as more learned able wise or holy it kindleth in his breast a secret hatred of them unless they are such whose honour is his honour or contributeth thereto Whereas the holy humble soul is sorry that he wants what others have but glad that others have what he wants He loveth Gods gifts where-ever he seeth them yea though it were in one that hateth him He would not have the world to be shut up in a perpetual night because he may not be the Sun but would have them receive that by another which he cannot give them and is glad that they have a Sun though it be not he Though some preached Christ of envy and strife of contention and not sincerely to add afflictions to his bonds yet Paul rejoyced and would rejoyce that Christ was preached Phil. 1. 15 16 17 18. § 46. Sign 4. When the Proud man is praying or preaching his eye is principally upon the hearers Sign 4. and from them it is that his work is animated and from them that he fetcheth principally the fire or motives of his zeal He is thinking principally of their case and all the while fishing for their love and approbation and applause And where he cannot have it the fire of his zeal goeth out Whereas though the humble subordinately look at men and would do all to edification yet it is not to be Loved by them so much as to exercise Love upon them nor to seek for honour and esteem from them so much as to convert and save them And it is God that he chiefly eyeth and regardeth and from him that he fetches his most powerful motives and it is his approbation that he expecteth His eye and heart is so upon the auditors as to be more upon God He would feed the sheep but would please the Lord and Owner of them § 47. Sign 5. A Proud man after his duty is more inquisitive how he was liked by men and what Sign 5. they think or say of him than whether God and Conscience give him their approbation He hath his scouts to tell him whether he be honoured or dishonoured This is the return of prayer that he looks after This is the fruit of preaching which he seeks to reap But these are inconsiderable things to a serious humble soul He hath God to please his work to do and sets not much by humane judgement § 48. Sign 6. A Proud man is more troubled when he perceiveth that he is undervalued and misseth Sign 6. of the honour which he sought than that his preaching succeeds not for the good of souls or his Clâ—mens Alex. stâ—om l. 1. c. 4. Aâ—t â—ideli Christiano docentâ— veâ— unicum sufficere auditorem prayers prevail not for their spiritual good Every man is most troubled for missing that which is his end To do good and get good is the end of the sincere and this he looks after and rejoyceth if he obtain it and is troubled if he miss it To seem good and wise and able is the Proud mans end And if the people honour him it puffs him up with gladness as if he were a happy man And if they slight him or despise him he is cast down or cast into some turbulent passion and falls a hating or wrangling with them that deny him the honour he expects as if they did him a hainous wrong As if a Physicion should want both skill and care to cure his patients but hateth and revileth them because they prefer another that is abler and will not die to secure his honour or magnifie his skill for killing their friends The Proud mans honour is his Life and Idol § 49. Sign 7. The Heart of the Proud is not enclined to humbling duties to penitent confessions Sign 7. and lamentations for sin and earnest prayer for grace and pardon but unto some formal observances and lip-labour or the Pharisees self-applause I thank thee that I am not as other men nor as this Publican Not but that the humblest have great cause to bless God for their spiritual mercies and his differencing grace But the Proud thank God for that which they have not for sanctification when they are unsanctified and for justification when they are unjustified and for the assured hope of Glory when they are sure to be damned if they be not changed by renewing grace and for being made the heirs of Heaven while they continue the heirs of Hell And therefore the proud are least afraid of coming without right or preparation to the sacrament of the Body and blood of Christ They rush in with confident presumption When the humble soul is trembling without as being oft more fearful to enter than it ought § 50. Sign 8. Proud persons are of all others the most impatient of Church discipline and uncapable Sign 8. of living under the Government of Christ. If they sin they can scarce endure the gentlest admonition But if they are reproved sharply or cuttingly that they may be found in the faith you shall perceive that they smart by their impatience But if you proceed to more publick reproof and admonition and call them to an open confessing of their sin to those whom they have wronged or before the Congregation and to ask forgiveness and seriously crave the prayers of the Church you shall then see the power of Pride
of Christs Body and Blood aright But besides all these what a deal of duty have you to perform to Magistrates Pastors Parents Masters and other superiours to subjects people children servants and other inferiours to every neighbour for his soul his body his estate and name and to do to all as you would be done by And besides all this how much have you to do directly for your selves for your souls and bodies and families and estates Against your ignorance infidelity pride selfishness sensuality worldliness passion sloth intemperance cowardize lust uncharitableness c. Is not here matter for your thoughts § 15. Direct 15. Overlook not that life full of particular mercies which God hath bestowed on your Direct 15. selves and you will find pleasant and profitable matter for your thoughts To spare me the labour of 15. All our particular Mercies repeating them look back to Chap. 3. Dir. 14. Think of that mercy which brought you into the world and chose your Parents your place and your condition which brought you up and bore with you patiently in all your sins and closely warned you of every danger which seasonably afflicted you and seasonably delivered you and heard your Prayers in many a distress which hath yet kept the worst of you from death and Hell and hath Regenerated justified adopted and sanctified those that he hath fitted for eternal life How many sins he hath forgiven How many he hath in part subdued How many and suitable helps he hath vouchsafed you From how many Enemies he hath saved you how oft he hath delighted you by his word and grace what comforts you have had in his Servants and ordinances in your relations and callings His mercies are innumerable and yet do your meditations want matter to supply them If I should but recite the words of David in many thankful Psalms you would think Mercy found his Thoughts employment § 16. Direct 16. Foresee that exact and righteous judgement which shortly you have to undergo Direct 16. and it will do much to find you employment for your thoughts A man that must give an account to 16. The account at Judgement God of all that he hath done both good and evil and knoweth not how soon for ought he knows before to morrow me thinks should find him something better than vanity to think on Is it nothing to be ready for so great a day To have your justification ready your accounts made up Your Consciences cleansed and quietted on good grounds To know what answer to make for your selves against the accuser To be clear and sure that you are indeed Regenerate and have a part in Christ and are washed in his blood and reconciled to God and shall not prove hypocrites and self-deceivers in that trying day when it is a sentence that must finally decide the question whether we shall be saved or damned and must determine us to Heaven or Hell for ever and you have so short and uncertain a time for your preparation will not this administer matter to your Thoughts If you were going to a Judgement for your lives or all your estates you would think it sufficient to provide you matter for your thoughts by the way How much more this final dreadful judgement § 17. Direct 17. If all this will not serve the turn it 's strange if God call not home your thoughts Direct 17. by sharp afflictions and methinks the improvement of them and the removal of them should find some 17. Our Afflictions employment for your thoughts It 's time then to search and try your ways and turn again unto the Lord Lam. 3. 4. To find out the Achan that troubleth your peace and know the voice of the rod and what God is angry at and what it is that he calleth you to mind To know what root it is that beareth these bitter fruits and how they may be sanctified to make you conformable to Christ and partakers of his holiness Heb. 12. 10. Besides the exercise of holy patience and submission there is a great deal of work to be done in sufferings to exercise faith and honour God and the good cause of our suffering and to humble our selves for the evil cause and to get the benefit And if you will not meditate of the Duty you shall meditate of the pain whether you will or not and say as Lam. 3. 17 18 19 20. I forgate prosperity and I said My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord Remembring mine affliction and my misery the wormwood and the gall My soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me Put not God to remember you by his spur and help your meditations by so sharp a means Psal. 78. 33 34 35. Therefore did he consume their days in vanity and their years in trouble when he â—lew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God and they remembred that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer § 18. Direct 18. Be diligent in your callings and spend no time in idleness and perform your labours Direct 18. with holy minds to the glory of God and in obedience to his commands and then your thoughts will 18. The business of your Calling have the less leisure and liberty for vanity or idleness Employments of the body will employ the Thoughts They that have much to do have much to think on For they must do it prudently and skillfully and carfully that they may do it successfully and therefore must think how to do it And the urgency and necessity of business will almost necessitate the thoughts and so carry them on and find them work Though some employments more than others And let none think that these Thoughts are bad or vain because they are about worldly things For if our Labours themselves be not bad or vain then neither are those thoughts which are needful to the well-doing of our work Nor let any worldling please himself with this and say My thoughts are taken up about my calling For his calling it self is perverted by him and made a carnal work to carnal ends when it should be sanctified That the thoughts about your labours may be good 1. Your Labours themselves must be good performed in obedience to God and for the good of others and to his glory 2. Your Labours and thoughts must keep their bounds and the higher things must be still preferred and sought and thought on in the first place And your Labours must so far employ your thoughts as is needful to the well-doing of them but better things must be thought on in such labours as leave a vacancy to the Thoughts But diligence in your calling is a very great help to keep out sinful thoughts and to furnish us with thoughts which in their place are good § 19. Direct 19. You have all Gods spiritual helps and holy ordinances to feed your meditations Direct 19. and
moderation in the heart and cureth those bloodshotten eyes which are unable till cured to discern the truth It helpeth us to knowledge and to that which is more edifying and keepeth knowledge from puffing us up And experience will tell you at long running that among Antients and Moderns Greeks and Latines Papists and Protestants Lutherans and Calvinists Remonstrants and Contraremonstrants Prelatists Presbyterians Independents c. commonly the Moderaters are not only the best and most charitable but the wisest most judicious men § 61. Direct 19. With all your Readings still joyn the reading of the Scriptures and of the most Direct 19. holy and practical Divines not fantastical Enthusiastick counterfeits Paracelsian Divines but those that lead you up by the solid doctrine of faith and Love to true Devotion and Heavenly mindedness and conversation § 62. This must be your bread and drink your daily and substantial food without this you may soon be filled with air that cannot nourish you and prove in the end as sounding brass and tinkling Cymbals These will breed strength and peace and joy and help you in your Communion with God and hopes of Heaven and so promote the End of all your Studies There is more life and sweetness in these than in the things that are more remote from God and Heaven § 63. Direct 20. Lastly Do all as dying men promise not your selves long life lest it tempt you Direct 20. to waste your time on things least necessary and to loiter it away or lest you lose the quickning benefit which the sight of death and eternity would yield you in all your studies § 64. The nearer you apprehend your selves to death and Heaven the greater help you have to be mortisied and Heavenly This will make you serious and keep up right intentions and keep out wrong ones and powerfully help you against temptations that when you have studied to save others you may not be cast-awayes nor be cheated by the Devil with the shell and leaves and flowers while you go without the saving fruit § 65. I have spoken the more on this subject of Governing the Thoughts because it is so great and excellent a part of the work of man and God doth so much regard the heart and the Spirit of Christ and Satan so much strive for it and grace is so much employed about it and our Happiness or misery Joy or sorrow is greatly promoted by our Thoughts And more I would have said but that in the third Chapter and in my Treatise of the Divine Life there is much said already And for a Method and Directions for particular Meditations I have given it at large in the fourth Part of the Saints Rest from whence it may easily be taken and applyed to other subjects as it is there to Heaven It is easie to write and read Directions but I fear lest slothfulness through the difficulty of Practice will frustrate my Directions to the most But if any profit by them my labour is not lost CHAP. VII Directions for the Government of the Passions § 1. THE Passions are to be considered 1. As in themselves and the sin of them as respecting God and ourselves only And so I am to speak of them here 2. As they are a wrong to others and a breach of the commandments which require Love and duty towards our Neighbour And so I shall speak of them after § 2. Passions are not sinful in themselves for God hath given them to us for his service And there is none of them but may be sanctified and used for him But they are sinful 1. When they are misguided and placed on wrong objects 2. When they darken reason and delude the mind and keep out truth and seduce to error 3. When they rebel against the Government of the will and trouble it and hinder it in its choice or prosecution of good or urge it violently to follow their bruitish inclination 4. When they are unseasonable 5. Or immoderate and excessive in degree 6. Or of too long continuance 7. And when they tend to evil effects as to unseemly speeches or actions or to wrong another § 3. Passions are Holy when they are devoted to God and exercised upon him or for him They are Good when 1. They have right objects 2. And are guided by Reason 3. And are obedient to the well-guided will 4. And quicken and awake the Reason and the will to do their duty 5. And tend to good effects exciting all the other powers to their office 6. And exceed not in degree so as to disturb the brain or body Tit. 1. Directions against all sinful Passions in general § 4. Direct 1. TRust not to any present actual resistance without any due Habitual mortification of Direct 1. Passions and fortification of the soul against them Look most to the holy constitution of your mind and life and then sinful Passions will fall off like scabs from a healthful body when the blood is purified § 5. No wonder if an unholy soul be a slave to Passion when the Body is inclined to it For such a one is under the power of selfishness carnality and worldliness and from under the Government of Christ and his spirit and wanteth that life of Grace by which he should cure and subdue the corruptions of nature The way for such a one to master passion is not to strive by natural selfish principles and reasons which are partial poor and weak but to look first to the main and to seek with speed and earnestness for a New and sanctified heart and get Gods Image and his spirit and renewing quickning Grace This is the only effectual conqueror of Nature A dull and gentle disposition may seem without this to conquer that which never much assaulted it the tryal of such persons being some other way But none conquereth Satan indeed but the spirit of Christ. And if you should be free from passion and not be free from an unholy carnal worldly heart you must perish at last if you seemed the â—almest persons upon earth Begin therefore at the foundation and see that the Body of sin be mortified and that the whole tree be rooted up which beareth these evil bitter fruits and that the Holy victorious new-nature be within you and then you will resist sin with Light and Life which others resist but as in their sleep § 6. Direct 2. More particularly let your souls be still possessed with the fear of God and live as in Direct 12. his family under his eye and Government that his authority may be more powerful than temptations and your holy converse with him may make him still more regarded by you than men or any creatures And then this Sun will put out the lesser lights and the thunder of his voice will drown the whisperers that would provoke you and the humming of those wasps which make you so impatient God would make the creature nothing and then it would do
continually in that case your selves If you should be still so what were you good for or what could you enjoy or what comfort would your lives be to you Why if a long pain be so bad a short one is not lovely Keep not wilfully so troublesome a malady in your mind § 6. Direct 4. Observe also what an enemy it is to the body it self It inflameth the blood and Direct 4. stirreth up diseases and breedeth such a bitter displeasedness in the mind as tends to consume the strength of nature and hath cast many into Acute and many into Chronical sicknesses which have proved their death And how uncomfortable a kind of death is this § 7. Direct 5. Observe how unlovely and unpleasing it rendereth you to beholders deforming the Direct 5. countenance and taking away the amiable sweetness of it which appeareth in a calm and loving temper If you should be alwayes so would any body love you or would they not go out of your way if not lay hands on you as they do anything that is wild or mad You would scarce desire to have your picture drawn in your fury till the frowning wrinkles and inflamed blood are returned to their places and have left your visage to its natural comeliness Love not that which maketh you so unlovely to all others § 8. Direct 6. You should love it the worse because it is a hurting passion and an enemy to Love and Direct 6. to anothers good You are never angry but it inclineth you to hurt those that angred you if not all others that stand in your way It putteth hurting thoughts into your mind and hurting words into your mouths and enclineth you to strike or do some mischief And no men love a hurtful creature Avoid therefore so mischievous a passion § 9. Direct 7. Nay mark the tendency of it and you will find that if it should not be stopt it would Direct 7. tend to the very ruine of your brother and end in his blood and your own damnation How many thousand hath anger murdered or undone It hath caused Wars and filled the world with blood and cruelty And should your hearts give such a fury entertainment § 10. Direct 8. Consider how much other sin immoderate anger doth incline men to It is the great Direct 8. crime of drunkenness that a man having not the government of himself is made lyable by it to any Proâ—rium est magnitudinis verae non sentire se esse percussum Qui non irâ—scitur inconcussus injuria persistit qui irascitur motus est Sexec de Ira. l. 3. c. 5. wickedness And so is it with immoderate anger How many Oaths and Curses doth it cause every day How many rash and sinful actions What villany hath not anger done It hath slandered railed reproached falsly accused and injured many a thousand It hath murdered and ruined Families Cities and States It hath made Parents kill their Children and Children dishonour their Parents It hath made Kings oppress and murder their Subjects and Subjects rebell and murder Kings What a world of sin is committed by sinful anger throughout all the world How endless would it be to give you instances David himself was once drawn by it to purpose the murdering of all the family of Nahal Its effects should make it odious to us § 11. Direct 9. And it is much the worse in that it suffereth not a man to sin alone but stirreth up Direct 9. others to do the like Wrath kindleth wrath as fire kindleth fire It s two to one but when you are angry you will make others angry or discontent or troubled by your words or deeds And you have not the power of moderating them in it when you have done You know not what sin it may draw them to It is the Devils bellows to kindle mens corruptions and sets hearts and families and Kingdoms in a flame § 12. Direct 10. Observe how unfit it maketh you for any holy duty for prayer or meditation or Direct 10. any communion with God And that should be very unwelcome to a gracious soul which maketh it unfit to speak to God or to be employed in his Worship If you should go to prayer or other Worship in your bedlam passion may not God say as the King of Gath did of David Have I need of mad men Yea it unfitteth all the family or Church or society where it cometh for the Worship of God Is the family fit for prayer when wrath hath muddied and disturbed their minds Yea it divideth Christians and Churches and causeth confusion and every evil â—am 3. 15 16. work § 13. Direct 11. It is a great dishonour to the grace of God that a servant of his should shew the Direct 11. world that grace is of no more force and efficacy that it cannot rule a raging passion nor so much as keep a Christian sober that it possesseth the soul with no more patience nor fear of God nor Government over it self O wrong not God thus by the dishonouring of his Grace and Spirit § 14. Direct 12. It is a sin against Conscience still repented of and disowned by almost all when Direct 12. they come to themselves again and a meer preparation for after sorrow That therefore which we fore-know we must repent of afterwards should be prevented and avoided by men that choose not shame and sorrow § 15. Object 1. But you 'll say I am of a hasty cholerick nature and cannot help it Object 1. Answ. That may strongly dispose you to anger but cannot Necessitate you to any thing that is sinful Answ. Reason and Will may yet command and master passion if they do their Office And when you know your disease and danger you must watch the more § 16. Object 2. But the provocation was so great it would have angered any one Who could choose Object 2. Answ. It is your weakness that makes you think that any thing can be great enough to discharge Answ. a mans reason and allow him to break the Laws of God That would have been small or nothing to a prepared mind which you call so great You should rather say Gods Majesty and dreadfulness is so great that I durst not offend him for any provocation Hath not God given you greater cause to obey than man can give you to sin § 17. Object 3. But it is so sudden that I have no time of deliberation to prevent it Object 3. Answ. Have you not Reason still about you And should it not be as ready to rule as passion to Answ. rebell Stop passion at first and take time of deliberation § 18. Object 4. But it is but short and I am sorry for it when I have done Object 4. Answ. But if it be evil the shortest is a sin and to be avoided And when you know before hand Answ. that you must be sorry after why will
8. marry than to burn 1 Cor. 7. 9. It is Gods Ordinance partly for this end Marriage is honourable and the bed undefiled Heb. 13. 4. It is a resemblance of Christs Union with his Church and is sanctified to believers Eph. 5. 1 Cor. 7. Perhaps it may cast thee upon great troubles in the world if thou be unready for that state as it is with Apprentices Forbear then thy sin at easier rates or else the lawful means must be used though it undo thee It s better thy Body be undone than thy soul if thou wilt needst have it to be one of them But if thou be marryed already thou art a monster and not a man if the remedy prevail not with thee But yet the other directions may be also serviceable to thee § 26. Direct 9. If less means prevâ—il not open thy case to some able faithful friend and engage Direct 9. them to watâ—h ever thee and tell them when thou art most endangered by the temptation This will shame thee from the sin and lay more engagements on thee to forbear it If thou tell thy friend Now I am tempted to the sin and now I am going to it he will quickly stop thee Break thy secresie and thou losest thy opportunity Thou canst do this if thou be willing If ever thy Conscience prevail so far with thee as to resolve against thy sin or to be willing to escape then take the time while Conscience is awake and go tell thy friend And tell him who it is that is thy wicked companion and let him know all thy haunts that he may know the better how to help thee Dost thou say that this will shame thee It will do so to him that it s known to But that is the benefit of it and that 's the reason I advise thee to it that shame may help to save thy soul. If thou go on the sin will both shame and damn thee and a greater â—hame than this is a gentle remedy in so foul and dangerous a disease § 27. Direct 10. Therefore if yet all this will not serve turn Tell it to many yea rather tell it all Direct 10. the Town than not be â—ured And then the publick shame will do much more Confess it to thy Pastor and desire him â—penly to beg the prayers of the Congregation for thy pardon and recovery Begin thus to crave the fruit of Church Discipline thy self so far shouldst thou be from flying from it and spâ—rning against it as the desperate hardened sinners do If thou say This is a hard lesson remember that the suffering of Hell is harder Do not say that I wrong thee by putting thee upon scandal and open shame It is thou that puttest thy self upon it by making it necessary and refusing all easier remedies I put thee on it but on supposition that thou wilt not be easilier cured Almost as Christ puts thee upon cutting off a right hand or plucking out a right eye lest all the body be cast into hell This is not the way that he commandeth thee first to take he would have thee avoid the need of it but he tells thee that its better do so than worse and that this is an easie suffering in comparison of Hell And so I advise thee if thou love thy credit forbear thy sin in a cheaper way but if thou wilt not do so take this way rather than damn thy soul. If the shame of all the Town be upon thee and the Boys should hoot after thee in the Streets if it would drive thee from thy sin how easie were thy suffering in comparison of what it is like to be Concealment is Satans great advantage It would be hard for thee to sin thus if it were but opened Tit. 2. Directions against inward filthy Lusts. § 1. Direct 1. BEcause with most the temperature of the Body hath a great hand in this sin Direct 1. your first care must be about the body to reduce it unto a temper less inclined to lust And here the chief remedy is fasting and much abstinence And this may the better be born because for the most part it is persons so strong as to be able to endure it that are under this temptation If your Temptation be not strong the less abstinence from meat and drink may serve turn For I I would prescribe you no stronger Physick than is needful to cure your disease But if it be violent and lesser means will not prevail it s better your bodies be somewhat weakened than your souls corrupted and undone Therefore in this case 1. Eat no Breakfast nor Suppers but one meal a day unless a bit or two of Bread and a sup or two of Water in the morning and yet not too full a dinner and nothing at night 2. Drink no Wine or strong Drink but Water if the stomach can bear it without sickness and usually in such hot bodies it is healthfuller than Beer 3 Eat no hot Spices or strong or heating or windy meats Eat Lettice and such cooling Herbs 4. If need require it be often let blood or purged with such purges as copiously evacuate serosity and not only irritate 5. And oft bath in cold Water But the Physicion should be advised with that they may be safely done § 2. If you think this course too dear a cure and had rather cherish your flesh and lust you are not the persons that I am now Directing for I speak to such only as are willing to be cured and to use the necessary means that they may be cured If you be not brought to this your Conscience had need of better awakening I am sure Christ saith that when the Bridegroom was taken from them his Disciples should fast Mar. 2. 19 20. And even painful Paul was in fasting often 2 Cor. 6. 5. 11. 27. and kept under his body and brought it into subjection lest by any means when he had Preached to others himself should be a castaway 1 Cor. 9. 27. And I am sure that the ancient Christians that lived in solitude and eat many of them nothing but bread and water or meaner fare than Act 10. 30. 14 23. â—uâ— â— 37. bread did not think this cure too dear Yea smaller necessities than this engaged them in fasting 1 Cor. 7. 5. This unclean Devil will scarcely be cast out but by prayer and fasting Mar. 9. 29. § 3. And I must tell you that Fulness doth naturally cherish Lust as fewel doth the fire Fulness of bread prepared the Sodomites for their filthy lusts It s no more wonder that a stuffed paunch hath a lustful fury than that the water runs into the Pipes when the Cistern is full or than it is wonder to see a dunghill bear weeds or a Carrion to be full of crawling Magots Plutarch speaks of a Spartan that being asked why Lycurgus made no Law against Adultery answered There are no Adulterers with us But saith the other what if
7. All sports are unlawful which take up any part of the Time which we should spend in greater works such are all those that are unseasonable as on the Lords-Day without necessity or when we should be at prayer or any other duty And all those that take up more time than the end of a recreation doth necessarily require which is too common § 12. Qual 8. 8. If a Recreation be Prophane as making sport of holy things it is a mocking of 2 King â—3 23. God and â— villany unbeseeming any of his creatures and laying them open to his heaviest vengeance The children that made sport with calling the Prophet Bald-head were slain by Bears § 13. Qual 9. 9. They are unlawful sports which are used to the wrong of others as Players that defame and reproach other men And Hunters and Hawkers that tread down poor mens corn and hedges § 14. Qual 10. 10. It is sinful to make sport of other mens sinning or to act it our selves so as to become partakers of it which is too common with Comoedians and other prophane wits § 15. Qual 11. 11. Unclean obscene recreations are unlawful When filthiness or wantonness is represented without a due expression of its odiousness or with obscene words or actions Eph. 5. 3. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness let it not once be once named among you as becometh Saints neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jeasting c. § 16. Qual 12. 12. Those sports are unlawful which occasion the multiplying of idle words about them and engage the Players in foolish needless unprofitable Preaching § 17. Qual 13. 13. And those sports are sinful which plainly tend to provoke our selves or others to sin As to lust to swearing and cursing and railing and fighting or the like § 18. Qual 14. 14. Those also are sinful which are the exercise of Covetousness to win other mens money of them Or that tend to stir up covetousness in those you play with § 19. Qual 15. 15. Cruel recreations also are unlawful As taking pleasure in the beholding of Dueliers Fighters or any that abuse each other or any other Creatures that needlesly torment each other § 20. Qual 16. 16. Too costly recreation also is unlawful when you are but Gods stewards and must be accountable to him for all you have it 's sinful to expend it needlesly on sports § 21. Qual 17. 17. Unnecessary recreations forbidden by our lawful Governours are unlawful If they were before lawful to thee yet now they are not because your King your Pastor your Parents your Masters have power to rule and restrain you in such things and you must obey them § 22. Qual 18. 18. Lastly if have the choice of divers recreations before you you must choose the fittest And if you choose one that is less fit and profitable when a fitter might be chosen it is your sin Though that which you choose were lawful if you had no other § 23. By all this it is easie to judge of our common Stage-Plays gaming Cards Dice and divers Qu. What to think of common Stage-plays Gaming Cards Dice c. other such kind of sports If they have but any one of these evil qualifications they are sinful And when are they used without very many of them 1. They are too commonly used by men that never intended to fit themselves for their work and duty by them Yea by men that live not at all to the Pleasing and Glorifying of God and know not what it is to be obediently addicted to his service Yea by men that live not in any constant honest labour but make a very trade of their recreations and use them as the chief business of the day § 24. 2. They are sports unfit for the ends of a lawful recreation as will easily appear to the impartial Hor. For it is either your Bodys or your Minds that need most the recreations Either you are sedentary persons or have a Calling of Bodily Labour If you are sedentary persons as Students Scribes and divers others then it is your Bodys that have most need of exercise and recreation and Labour is fitter for you than sport or at least a stirring labouring sport And in this case to sit at Cards or Dice or a Stage-Play is instead of exercising your bodies to increase the need of exercising them It stirreth not your parts it warmeth not your blood it helpeth not concoction attraction assimilation c. It doth you much more harm than good as to your very health But if you are hard Labourers and need Rest for your Bodys and recreation for your minds or are lame or sickly that you cannot use bodily exercise than surely a hundred profitable exercises are at hand which are more suitable to your case You have books of necessity to read as the word of God and books of profit to your souls and books that tend to increase your knowledge in common things as History Geography and all Arts and Sciences And should not these be any of them pleasanter than your Dice and Cards and Plays § 25. 3. At least it is plain that they are not the fittest recreations for any man that intends a lawful end If you are Students or idle Gentlemen is not walking or riding or shooting or some honest bodily labour rather that joyneth pleasure and profit together a fitter kind of exercise for you Or if you are Labouring persons and need only pleasure for your minds should you not take pleasure in God in Scripture in holy conference meditation or good books Or if indeed you need a relaxation from both these have you not profitable History or Geography to read Have you not Herbs and Flowers and Trees and Beasts and Birds and other Creatures to behold Have you not Fields or Gardens or Medows or Woods to walk into Have you not your near Relations to delight in your Wives or Children or Friends or Servants May you not talk with good and wise and chearful men about things that are both pleasing and edifying to you Hath God given you such a world of lawful pleasures and will none of them nor all of them serve your turns without unlawful ones Among the Ep. of Bonifac. Mog There is a Council held under Carloman King of France which saith in the Kings name Nec non illas Venationes sylvatiâ—as vagationes cum canibus omnibus servis Deâ— interdiximus Similiter ut accipitres falcones non habeant And sure these are better than Cards and Dice which yet some Priests now use too much or at least unfit ones which therefore are unlawful All these are undoubtedly lawful But Cards and Dice and Stage-Plays are at best very questionable Among wise and learned men and good men and no small number of these they are condemned as unlawful And should one that feareth God and loveth his salvation choose so doubtful a sport before such abundance of undoubtedly lawful ones
read Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law And the command of Authority is not a contemptible obligation § 7. 6. It is granted by all that more than this is due to God and the life that is in every Christian telleth him that it is a very great mercy to us not only to servants but even to all men that one day in seven they may disburden themselves of all the cares and business of the world which may hinder their holy communion with God and one another and wholly apply themselves to learn the will of God And nature teacheth us to accept of mercy when it is offered to us and not dispute against our happiness § 8. 7. Common experience telleth us that where the Lords Day is more holily and carefully observed Knowledge and Religion prosper best and that more souls are converted on those dayes than on all the other dayes besides and that the people are accordingly more edified And that where ever the Lords Day is ordinarily neglected or mispent Religion and Civility decay and there is a visible lamentable difference between those places and families and the other § 9. 8. Reason and experience telleth us that if men werâ— leâ—t to themselves what Time they should appoint for Gods publick Worship in most plâ—â—es it would be so little and disordered and uncertain that Religion would be for the most part banished out of the now Christian world Therefore there being need of an Universal Law for it it is probable that such a Law there is And if so it can be by none but God the Creator Redeemer and Holy Ghost there being no other Universal Governour and Law-giver to impose it § 10. 9. All must confess that it is more desirable for Unity and Concord sake that all Christians hold their holy Assemblies on one and the same day and that all at once through all the world do worship God and seek his Grace than that they do it some on one day and some on another § 11. 10. And all that ever I have conversed with confess that if the holy spending of the Lords Day be not necessary it is lawful and therefore when there is so much to be said for the Necessity of it too to keep it holy is the safest way Seeing this cannot be a sin but the contrary may And Licâ—nce is encouragement enough to accept so great a mercy All this set together will satisfie a man that hath any spiritual sense of the concernments of his own and others souls § 12. Object But you will say That besides the name it is yet a controversie whether the whole day Object should be spâ—nt in holy exercises or only so much as is meet for publick communion it being not found in antiquiâ—y that the Churches used any further to observe it Answ. No sober man denyeth that works of necessity for the preservation of our own or other mens Answ. lives or health or goods may be done on the Lords Day so that when we say that the whole day is to be spent holily we exclude not eating and sleeping nor the necessary actions about Worship as the Priesâ—s in the Temple are said to break the Sabbath that is the external rest and to be blameless But otherwise that it is the whole day is evident in the Arguments produced The antient Histories and Canons of the Church speak not of one part of the day only but the whole All confess that when Labour or sinful sports are forbidden it is on the whole day and not only on a part And for what is alledged of the custome of the antient Church I answer 1. The antienâ—est Churches spent almost all the day in publick Worship and Communion They begun in the morning and continued without parting till the evening The first part of the day being spent in teaching the Catechumens they were then dismissed and the Church continued together in preaching and praying but especially in those laudatory Eucharistical Offices which accompany the celebration of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. They did not then as Gluttons do now account it fasting to forbear a dinner when they supped yea feasted at night It being not usual among the Romans to eat any dinners at all And they that spent all the day together in publick Worship and Communion you may be sure spent noâ— part of it in Dancing nor Stage-playes nor worldly businesses 2. And Church History giveth us but little account what particular persons did in private nor can it be expected 3. Who hath brought us any proof that ever the Church approved of spending any part of the day in sports or idleness or unnecessary worldly business Or that any Churches or persons regardable did actually so spend it 4. Unless their proof be from those many Canons of our own and other Churches that command the holy observation of it and forbid these playes and labours on it which I confess doth intimate that some there were that needed Laws to restrain them from the violation of it 5. Again I say that seeing few men will have the faces to say that playes and games or idleness are a duty on that day it will suffice a holy thankful Christian if he have but leave to spend all the day for the good of his soul and those about him and if he may be reading and meditating on the Word of God and praying and praising him and instructing his family while others waste that time in vanity especially to servants and poor men that have but little other leisure all the year to seek for knowledge or use any such helps for their salvation As to a poor man that is kept hungry all the Week a bare liberty of feasting with his Landlord on the Lords day would satisfie him without a Law to constrain him to it so is it here with a hungry soul. § 2. Direct 2. Remember that the work of the day â—â— in general to keep up knowledge and Religion Direct 2. in the world and to own and honour our Creater Redeemer and Regenerater openly before all and to have communion with God through Christ in the Spirit by Receiving and Exercising his Grace in order to our Communion with him in Glory Let these therefore well understood â—e your Ends and in these be you exercised all the day and stick not hypocritically in bodily rest and outward duties Remember that it is a day for heart-work as well as for the exercise of the tongue and ear and knees and that your principal business is with Heaven Follow your hearts therefore all the day and see that they be not idle while your bodies are exercised Nothing is done if the Heart do nothing § 3. Direct 3. Remember that the special work of the day is to celebrate the memorial of Christs Direct 3. Resurrection and of the whole work of mans Redemption by him Labour therefore with all diligence
thing in it steal again into your hearts and seem Direct 7. too sweet to you If your friends or dwellings or lands and wealth or honours begin to grow too pleasant and be over-loved your thoughts will presently be carryed after them and turned away from God and all holy affection will be damped and decay and grace will fall into a consumption It is the Love of money that is the root of all evil and the love of this world which is the mortal enemy of the Love of God Keep the world from your hearts if you would keep your graces § 19. Direct 8. Keep a strict Government and watch over your fleshly appetite and sense For the Direct 8. loosing of the reins to carnal lusts and yielding to the importunity of sensual desires is the most ordinary Rom. 8. 13. Rom. 13. 13 14. way of wasting grace and falling off from God § 20. Direct 9. Keep as far as you can from Temptations and all occasions and opportunities of sinning Direct 9. Trust not to your own strength And be not so fool-hardy as to thrust your selves into needless danger No man is long safe that standeth at the brink of ruine If the fire and straw be long near together some spark is like to catch at last § 21. Direct 10. Incorporate your selves into the Communion of Saints and go along with Direct 10. them that go towards Heaven and engage your selves in the constant use of all those means which God hath appointed you to use for your perseverance Especially take heed of an idle slothful unprofitable life And keep your graces in the most lively exercise For the slothful is Brother to the waster And idleness consumeth or corrupteth our spiritual health and strength as well as our bodily Set your selves diligently to work while it is day and do all the good in your places that you are able For it is acts that preserve and increase the habits And a Religion which consisteth only in doing no hurt is so lifeless and corrupt that it will quickly perish § 22. Direct 11. Keep alwayes in thine eye the doleful case of a Backslider which I opened Direct 11. before O what horror is waiting to seize on their consciences How many of them have we known that on their death-beds have lain roaring in the anguish of their souls crying out I am utterly forsaken of God because I have forsaken him There is no mercy for such an apostate wretch O that I had never been born or had been any thing rather than a man Cursed be the day that ever I hearkned to the counsel of the wicked and that ever I pleased this corruptible flesh to the utter undoing of my soul O that it were all to do again Take warning by a mad besotted sinner that have lost my soul for that which I knew would never make me satisfaction and have turned from God when I had found him to be good â—nd gracious O prepare not for such pangs as these or worse than these in endless desperation § 23. Direct 12. Make not a small matter of the beginnings of your backsliding There are very Direct 12. few that fall quite away at once the misery creepeth on by insensible degrees You think it a small matter to cut short one duty and omit another and be negligent at another and to entertain some pleasing thoughts of the world or first to look on the forbidden fruit and then to touch it and then to taste it but these are the way to that which is not small A thought or a look or a taste or a delight hath begun that with many which never stopt till it had shamed them here and damned them for ever CHAP. XXVII Directions for the Poor THere is no condition of life so low or poor but may be sanctified and fruitful and comfortable to us if our own misunderstanding or sin and negligence do not pollute it or imbitter it to us If we do the Duty of our condition faithfully we shall have no cause to murmurr at it Therefore I shall here direct the Poor in the special Duties of their condition and if they will but conscionably perform them it will prove a greater kindness to them than if I could deliver them from their poverty and give them as much riches as they desire Though I doubt this would be more pleasing to the most and they would give me more thanks for money than for teaching them how to want it § 1. Direct 1. Understand first the use and estimate of all earthly things that they were never made Direct 1. to be your portion and felicity but your provision and helps in the way to Heaven And therefore they Prov. 28. 6. Jam. 2. 5. are neither to be estimated nor desired simply for themselves for so there is nothing good but God but only as they are Means to the Greatest Good Therefore neither Poverty nor Riches are simply to be rejoyced in for themselves as any part of our happiness But that condition is to be desired and rejoyced in which affordeth us the greatest helps for Heaven and that condition only is to be lamented and dislikt which hindereth us most from Heaven and from our duty § 2. Direct 2. See therefore that you really take all these things as matters in themselves indifferent Direct 2. and of small concernment to you and as not worthy of much love or care or sorrow further than they conduce to greater things We are like runners in a race and Heaven or Hell will be our End and therefore woe to us if by looking aside or turning back or stopping or trifling about these matters or burdening our selves with worldly trash we should lose the race and lose our souls O Sirs what greater matters than poverty or riches have we to mind Can those souls that muâ—â— shortly be in Heaven or Hell have time to bestow any serious thoughts upon these impertinencies Shall we so much as look at the temporal things which are seen instead of the things eternal that are unseen 2 Cor. 4. 18. Or shall we whine under those light afflictions which may be so improved as to work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory v. 17. Our present life is not in the abundance of the things which we possess Much less is our eternal life Luke 12. 15. § 3. Direct 3. Therefore take heed that you judge not of Gods Love or of your happiness or misery by Direct 3. your riches or poverty prosperity or adversity as knowing that they come alike to all and Love or hatred Eccles. 2. 14. 9. 2. 9. 3. is not to be discerned by them except only Gods Common Love as they are common mercies to the body If a Surgeon is not to be taken for a hater of you because he letteth you blood nor a Physicion because he purgeth his Patient nor a Father because he
life and consequently rejected Christ as a Saviour and the Holy Ghost as a sanctifier and all the mercy which he offered you on these terms Quest. 8. If this hath been your case are you now unfeignedly grieved for it Not only because it hath brought you so near to Hell but also because it hath displeased God and deprived you of that Holy and comfortable life which you might all this while have lived and endangered all your hopes of Heaven Do you so far Repent as that your very Heart and Love is changed so that now you had rather have a Holy life on earth and the sight and enjoyment of God in the Heavenly Joyes for ever than to have all the pleasure and prosperity of this world Do you hate your sins and loath your self for them and truly desire to be made Holy Are you firmly Resolved that if God do recover you to health you will live a new and Holy life that you will forsake your fleshly worldly life and all your wilful sins and will set your self to learn the will of God and call upon him and live in the holy Communion of Saints and make it your chief care to please God and to be saved Quest. 9. Are you willing to these ends to Give up your self absolutely now to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as your Reconciled Father your Saviour and your Sanctifier to be sanctified and Iustified and saved from your sins and from the wrath of God and live to God in Love and Holiness And are you willing to bind your self to this by entring into this Covenant with God renouncing the Flesh the World and the Devil Either your Heart is willing and sincere in this Resolution and Covenant or it is not If it be not there is no hope that your sin should be pardoned and your soul be saved upon any other or easier terms And for all that God is merciful and Christ died for sinners it was never his intent to save one impenitent unsanctified soul But if your Heart unfeignedly consent to this I Matth. 28. 19 â—0 2 Cor. 6. 10 17 18. have the commission of Christ himself to tell you that God will be your Reconciled God and Father and Christ will be your Saviour and the Holy Spirit will be your Sanctifier and Comforter and your sins are pardoned and your soul shall be saved and you shall dwell in Heaven with God for ever God did consent before you consented He shewed his Consent in purchasing and making and offering you this Covenant Shew your unfeigned Consent now by accepting it and giving up your self unreservedly to him and you have Christs Blood and Spirit and Sacrament to seal it to you The flesh and the world have deceived you but Trust in Christ upon his Covenant terms and he will never deceive you And now alas what pity is it that a soul that is in so miserable a case and is lost for ever if it have not help and speedy help should be deprived of all this Grace and Glory and only for want of Repenting and Consenting What pity is it that a soul that is ready to go into another world where mercy shall never more be offered it should rather go stupidly on to hell than Return to God and Accept his mercy Do but truly Repent and Consent to this Covenant and all the mercies of it are certainly yours God will be your God and Christ and the Spirit and pardon and Heaven and all are yours The Lord open and perswade your heart that you may not be undone and lost for ever for want of accepting the mercy that is offered you And now I know it would be comfortable to you if you could be fully assured that you are forgiven and shall be saved In a matter of such unspeakable moment how jâ—yful would a well-grounded certainty be to any man that hath the right use of his understanding I tell you therefore from God that there is no cause of your doubting on his part but only on your own There is no doubt to be made whether God be merciful nor whether Christ be a sufficient Saviour and sacrifice for your sins nor whether the Covenant be sure and promise of pardon and salvation to all true penitent believers be true All the doubt is whether your faith and Repentance be sincere or not And for that I can but tell you how you may know it and I shall open the Truth to you that I may neither Deceive you nor causlâ—sly Discomfort you If this Repentance and Change which you now profess and this Covenant which you have made Matth. 13. 19 20 21 22 23. Rom. 8. 7 8 9. Heb. 12. 14. Joh. 3. 3 5 6. Matth. 18. 3. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Eph. 6. 24. 1 Cor. 16. 22. Luk. 14. 26 27. with God 1. Do come only from a present fear and not from a changed renewed heart 2. And if your Resolutions be such as would not hold you to a holy life if you should recover but would die and fade away and leave you as were before when the fear is past then is it but a forced hypocritical Repentance and will not save you if you so die Though a Minister of Christ should Absolve you of all your sins and seal it by giving you the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ for all this you are lost for ever if you have no more For Absolution and the Sacrament are given you but on supposition that yâ—ur faith and Repentance be sincere And if this Condition fail in you the Action of the holiest Minister in the world will never save you But 1. If your Repentance and Covenant come not only from a present fear but from a Renewed Heart which now Loveth God and Christ and Heaven and Holiness better than all the Honours and Riches and Pleasures of the flesh and world and had rather have them even on Gods terms 2. And if this change be such as if you should recover would hold you to a Holy Life and not die or dwindle into hypocritical formality when the fright is over then I can assure you from the word of God that if you die in this Repentance you shall certainly be saved And though Late Repentance have so many difficulties that it too seldom proveth true and sound and it is an unspeakable madness to cast our salvation on so great a hazard and to defer that till such a day as this which should be the principal work of all our lives and for which the greatest care and diligence is not too much Yet for all that when Conversion is indeed sincere it is alwayes acceptable how late soever And a returning prodigal shall find Luk. 15. 19 20 21 22. Joh. 6. 37. better entertainment with God than he could possibly expect And never will Christ cast out one soul that cometh to him in sincerity of heart The Lord give you such a Heart and all is yours Amen
more plainly expressed than nature hath exprest it All is not Christs Law that is any way exprest in Scripture but all Christs Laws are exprest in the Matth. 28. 20. Scriptures Not written by himself but by his Spirit in his Apostles whom he appointed and sent ☜ to Teach all Nations to observe what ever he commanded them who being thus commissioned and enabled fully by the Spirit to perform it are to be supposed to have perfectly executed their commission and to have taught whatsoever Christ commanded them and no more as from Christ And therefore as they taught that present age by Voice who could Hear them so they taught all ages after to the end Rom. 13. 9. Matt. 22. 37. Isa. 8. 16. 20. Acts 8. 25. Acts 15. 35 36. Acts â—6 17 18. 1 John 1. 9. Nâ—heâ—â— 1. 6. Lâ—v. 16. 21. Pâ—â—l 4. 6. Psal. 50. 14. 69 30. 100. 1 2 4. Eph. 5. 19. Psal. 9. 11. 95. 1. Luke 11. â— 3. c. Matth. 2â— 1â— 1 Câ—r 11. 27. 24 25 26 28. 1 Cor. 14. 5 1â— â—6 2 Cor. 10. 8. 13. 10. Rom. 15. 2. 1 Cor. 14. 40. Rom. 14. 15 2â— 1 Cor. 9. 20 21 22. 1 Cor. 8. 10. 10. 19 28. 2 Cor. 6. â—6 of the world by writing because their voice was not by them to be heard § 16. 3. So far then as the Scripture is a Law and Rule it is a perfect Rule But how far it is a Law or Rule it s own contents and expressions must determine As 1. It is certain that all the Internal worship of God by Love fear trust desire c. is perfectly commanded in the Scriptures 2. The Doctrine of Christ which his Ministers must read and preach is perfectly contained in the Scriptures 3. The grand and constantly necessary points of Order in preaching are there also expressed As that the opening of mens eyes and the converting of them from the power of Satan to God be first endeavoured and then their Confirmation and further Edification c. 4. Also that we humble our selves before God in the confession of our sins 5. And that we pray to God in the name of Christ for mercy for our selves and others 6. That we give God Thanks for his mercies to the Church our selves and others 7. That we Praise God in his excellencies manifested in his Word and Works of Creation and Providence 8. That we do this by singing Psalms with holy joyfulness of heart 9. The matter and order of the ordinary prayers and praises of Christians is expressed in the Scripture As which parts are to have precedency in our estimation and desire and ordinarily in our expressions 10. Christ himself hath determined that by Baptizing them into the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost men be solemnly entered into his Covenant and Church and state of Christianity 11. And he hath himself appointed that his Churches hold communion with him and among themselves in the Eucharistical administration of the Sacrament of his Body and blood represented in the breaking delivering receiving and eating the consecrated Bread and in the pouâ—ing out delivering receiving and drinking the consecrated Wine 12. And as for the mutable subservient circumstances and external expressions and actions and orders which were not fit to be in particular the matter of an Universal Law but are fit in one place or at one time and not another for thâ—se he hath left both in Nature and Scripture such General Laws by which upon emergent occasions they may be determined and by particular Providences he â—itteth things and persons and times and places so as that we may discern their agreeableness to the descriptions in his General Laws As that all things be done Decently in Order and to Ediâ—ication and in Charity Unity and Peace And he hath forbidden Generally doing any thing undecently disorderly to the hurâ—â—â— destruction of our brethren even the weak or to the division of the Church 13. And many things 2 Commandment Col. â— 18 c. 1 Joh. 5. 21. Rev. 2. 14. he hath particularly forbidden in Worship as making to our selves any graven Image c. and Worshipping Angels c. § 20. And as to the order and Government of the Church for I am willing to dispatch all here together this much is plainly determined in Scripture 1. That there be Officers or Ministers under Mat. 28. 19. Rom. 10. 7 8. Act. 14. 23. Act. 2. 42. 20. 7 28. â—ph 4. 11 14. Mal 2. 7. 〈…〉 3. 17 21. 1 Coâ— 12. 17 28. Câ—â— 1. â—8 Act. 2â— â—â— 1 Thes. 5. 12. Hâ—b 13. 7 17. Act. â— 37. â— 37 38. 3. 20. 23. 1 Cor. 10. 16. 9. 13 14. Act. 20. 2 Cor. 2. 11. Heb. 12. 15. Deut. 10. 8. 2 â—iâ— 4. 1 2 3. Matth. 18. 15 16 17. 2 Thes. 3. 1 Cor. 5. 11. 2 Joh. 10. 11. â—â— 3. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 3 4 5 6 7 8. Rom. 16 17. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Luk 10 16. 12. 42. Act. â—3 â—3 Tâ—t 1. 5 9. 1 Tim. 3. 5. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2. 3 4. Rev. 1. 10. Act. 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16 2. Christ to be the stated Teachers of his people and to Baptize and Administer the Sacrament of his Body and Blood and be the Mouth and Guide of the people in publick Prayers thanksgiving and praises and to bind the impâ—nitent and loose the penitent and to be the Directers of the flocks according to the Law of God to life eternal And their Office is described and determined by Christ. 2. It is required that Christians do ordinarily Assemble together for Gods publick worship and be Guided therein by these their Pastors 3. It is required that besides the unfixed Ministers who employ themselves in converting Infidels and in an itinerant service of the Churches there be also stated fixed Ministers having a special charge of each particular Church and that they may know their own flocks and teach them publickly and from house to house and the people may know their own Pastors that are â—ver them in the Lord and honour them and obey them in all that they teach them from the Word of God for their salvation 4. The Ministers that Baptize are to judge of the capacity and fitness of those whom they Baptize whether the Adult that are admitted upon their personal profession and Covenanting or Infants that are admitted upon their Parents profession and entering them into Covenant 5. The Pastors that administer the Lords Supper to their particular flocks are to discern or judge of the fitness of those persons whom they receive newly into their charge or whom they admit to Communion in that Sacrament as members of their flock 6. Every such Pastor is also personally to watch over all the members of his flock as far as he is able lest false teachers seduce them or satan get advantage of them or any corruption or root of bitterness spring up
taken upon a particular occasion must be generally or strictly interpreted Rule 44. unless there be special reasons for a restraint from the Matter End or other evidence As if you are afraid that your Son should marry such a Woman and therefore swear him not to marry without your Consent He is bound thereby neither to marry that Woman not any other Or if your servant haunt one particular Alehouse and you make him forswear All Houses in General he must avoid all other So Dr. Sanderson instanceth in the Oath of Supremacy p. 195. § 67. Rule 45. He that Voweth absolutely or implicitly to obey another in all things is bound to obey Rule 45. him in all lawful things where neither God nor other superiour or other person is injured unless the nature of the relation or the ends or reasons of the oath or something else infer a limitation as implyed § 68. Rule 46. Still distinguish between the falshood in the words as disagreeing to the Thing sworn and Rule 46. the falshood of them as disagreeing from the swearers mind The former is sometime excusable but the later never There are many other Questions about Oaths that belong more to the Chapter of Contracts and Justice between man and man and thither I refer them CHAP. VI. Directions to the People concerning their Internal and Private Duty to their Pastors and the improvement of their Ministerial Office and Guifts THe Peoples Internal and Private duty to their Pastors which I may treat of without an appearance of â—ncroachment upon the work of the Canons Rubricks and Diocesans I shall open to you in these Directions following § 1. Direct 1. Understand first the true Ground and Nature and Reasons of the Ministerial Direct 1. Office or else you will not understand the Grounds and Nature and Reasons of your duty to them The Diâ—â—â—â— 2. of Church-Government Ch. 1. And universal Coâ—coâ—d Nature and Works of the Ministerial Office I have so plâ—inly opened already that I shall referr you to it to avoid repetition Hâ—re are two sorts of Reasons to be given you 1. The Reasons of the necessity of the Ministerial work 2. Why certain persons must be separated to this work and it must not be left to all in common § 2. 1. The Necessity of the work it self appeareth in the very Nature of it and enumeration of the parts of it Two sorts of Ministers Christ hath made use of for his Church The first sâ—rt was for Of the differencâ— between fixed and uâ—fixed Ministers see my Disp. 2. 〈…〉 Church-Government and Ios. Acoâ—â—aâ— 5. â— 21. 22. dâ— Missionibus the Revelation of some New Law or Doctrine to be the Churches Rule of Faith or Life And these were to prove their authority and credibility by some Divine attestation which was especially by Miracles and so Moses revealed the Law to the Jews and Christ and the Apostles revealed the Gospel The second sort of Ministers are appointed to Guide the Church to salvation by opening and applying the Rule thus already sealed and delivered And these as they are to bring no new Revelations or Doctrines of faith or Rule of life so they need not bring any Miracle to prove their call or authority to the Church For they have no power to deliver any new Doctrine or Gospel to the Church but only that which is confirmed by Miracles already And it is impudency to demand that the same Gospel be proved by new Miracles by every Minister that shall expound or preach it That would make Miracles to be no Miracles § 3. The work of the ordinary Ministry such as the Priests and Teachers were under the Law The Work of the Ministry and ordinary Pastors and Teachers are under the Gospel being only to Gather and Govern the Churches their work lay in Explaining and Applying the Word of God and delivering his Sacraments and now containeth thâ—se particulars following 1. To Preach the Gospel for the Conversion Rom. 10. 7 14. Mar. 16. 15. of the unbelieving and ungodly world And that is done partly by expounding the words by a Translation into a tongue which the hearers or readers understand and partly by opening the sense Matth. 28. 19 20. and matter 2. In this they are not only Teachers but Messengers sent from God the Father Son and Holy Ghost to charge and command and intreat men in his Nâ—me to Repent and believe and be reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 19 20 21. to God and in his Name to offer them a sâ—alâ—d pardon of all their sins and title to eternal life 3. Those that become the Disciples of Christ they are as his Stewards to receive into his Acts 26 17 18. Eph. 2. 19. house as fellow Citizens of the Saints and of the Houshold of God and as his Commissioned Officers Acts 2. 37 38 39 40. to solemnize by Baptism their enterance into the holy Covenant and to receive their engagement to God and to be the Messengers of Gods Engagement unto them and by Investiture to deliver them by that Sacrament the pardon of all their sin and their title by Adoption to â—ternal life As a house is delivered by the delivery of a Key or Land by a Twig and Turfe or Knighthood by a Sword or Garter c. 4. These Ministers are to gather these Converts into solemn Assemblies and ordered Churches Tit. 1. 7. 1 â—or 4. 1 2. Matth 28. 19 20. for their solemn worshipping of God and mutual edification communion and safe proceeding in their Christian course 5. They are to be the stated Teachers of the Assemblies by expounding and applying that Word which is fit to build them up 6. They are to be the Guides of the Congregation Acts 20. 32. 1 Cor. 3. 11 12. in publick Worship and to stand between them and Christ in things pertaining to God as subservient to Christ in his Priestly Office And so both for the people and also in their names to put Acts 14. 23. 2 Tim 2. 2. Acts 13. 2. 2. 41 42. 6. 2 Acts 20. 7 28. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Titus 1. 5. Acts 20 20 31. â—ol 1. 28. Eph 4 11 12. Mal. 2. 7. 1 Tim. 5. 17. up the publick Prayers and Praises of the Church to God 7. It is their duty to Administer to them as in the Name and stead of Christ his Body and Blood as broken and shed for them and so in the frequent renewals of the holy Covenants to subserve Christ especially in his Priestly Office to offer and deliver Christ and his benefits to them and to be their Agent in offering themselves to God 8. They are appointed to Oversâ—e and Govern the Church in the publick Ordering of the solemn Worship of God and in râ—buking any that are there disorderly and seeing that all things be done to edification 9. They are appointed as Teachers for every particular Member of the Church to have private
he may not be forced nor constrained with terror but only perswaded to return entirely to the truth A Bishop cannot cure men with such authority as a Shepheard doth his sheep For of all men Christian Bishops may least correct the faults of men by force pag. â—26 but Ministerial And though the Papists make a scorn of the word Minister it is but in that pride and pâ—ssion and malice which maketh them speak against their knowledge For their Pope himself calleth himself the Servant of Gods Servants and Paul saith 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 3. 5. Who then is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed 2 Cor. 3. 6. Who made us able Ministers Matth. 20. 26. Mar. 10. 43. See Psal. 103. 21. 104. 4. Isa. 61. 6. Jer. 33 21. Joel 1 9 13. 2 17. of the New Testament 2 Cor. 6. 4. In all things approving our selves as the Ministers of God Even Magistrates yea and Angels are not too good to be called and used as the Ministers of God for the good of his servants Rom. 13. 3 6. Heb. 1. 7. and to minister for them shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1. 14. Yea Christ himself is so called Rom. 15. 8. And therefore you have no more excuse for your disobedience than for refusing his help that would pull you out of fire or water when you are perishing You see here that your Pastors cannot command you what they list nor a Cor. 11. 23. Acts 26 26 Rom. 15. 16. Ephes. 3. 7. Col. 1. 23 25. 1 Tim. 4. 6. 1 Thess. 3. 2. Col. 1. 7. how they list They have nothing to do with the Magistrates work nor can they usurp the Power of a Master over his Servants nor command you how to do your work and worldly business except in the Morality of it In the fifteen particulars before mentioned their work and office doth consist and in those it is that you owe them a rational obedience § 8. Direct 2. Know your own Pastors in particular and know both what you owe to a Minister as a Minister of Christ in common and what you owe him moreover as your Pastor by special relation and charge When any Minister of Christ delivereth his Word to you he must be heard as a Minister of Christ and Direct 2. not as a Private man But to your own Pastor you are bound in a peculiar relation to an ordinary â—unâ—â—â—â— nes in â—â—câ— sia pâ—rpâ—tuâ—e sunt dâ—ae Presbyterorum Diaâ—ororumn Presbyt râ—s voco cum omni Ecclesia veteri eos qui Ecclesiam pascunt verbi pâ—aedicatione Sacramentis clavibus quae Juâ—e Divinâ— sunt individua Croâ—ius dâ— Imperio pag. 267. c. 10. and regular attendance upon his Ministry in all the particulars before mentioned that concern you Your own Bishop must in a special manner be obeyed 1. As one that laboureth among you and is over you in the Lord and admonisheth you and preacheth to you the Word of God watching for your souls as one that must give account 1 Thess. 5. 12. Bish. Ier. Tailor of Repentance Pâ—ef I aâ—â—ure we caâ—not give account of soâ—ls of which we have no notice Heb. 13. 7. 17. and as one that Ruleth well and especially that laboureth in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5. 17. teaching you publickly and from house to house taking heed to himself and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made him an Overseer not ceasing to warn every one night and day with tears Acts 20. 19 20 24 28 31 33. Preaching Christ and warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that he may present every man perfect in Christ Col. 1. 28. 2. He is to be obeyed as the Guide of the Congregation in the management of Gods publick worship you must seriously and reverently joyn with him every Lords Day at least in the publick Prayers and Praises of the Church and not ordinarily go from him to another 3. You must receive from him or with him the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ which of old was administred every Lords Day and that only in the Church where the Bishop was Iâ—nat Epis. ad Phiâ—ad Viâ— Meads Disâ— of Churches p. 48 49 50. that is in every Church of the faithful for as Ignatius most observably saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 UNUM ALTARE OMNI ECCLESIAE ET UNUS EPISCOPUS CUM PRESBITERIO ET DIACONIS IN EVERY CHURCH there is ONE ALTAR and ONE BISHOP WITH THE PRESBYTERY and DEACONS So in his Epist. ad Magnes Come all as one to the Temple of God as to one Altar as to one Iesus Tertull. de Coroa Miâ—iâ— c. 3. Christ And saith Tertullian Eucharistae Sacramentum nec de aliorum manu quam praesidentium sumimus We take not the Sacrament of the Eucharist from the hand of any but the President 4. You must have recourse to him especially for the resolution of your weighty doubts in It is very observable that Acosta saith l. 6. c. 12. that they found it an old custome among the Indians to confess their sirs to the Priests before the Gospel came thither private 5. You must hear your Bishops and Repent when in Meekness and Love they convince and admonish you against your sins and not resist the Word of God which they powerfully and patiently lay home to your Consciences nor put them with grief to cut you off as impentient in scandalous sins from the Communion of the Church 6. You must after any scandalous sin which hath brought you under the censure of the Church go humble your selves by penitent confession and crave absolution and restoration to the Communion of the Church 7. Your publick Church-alms should ordinarily be deposited into the Bishops hands who relieveth the See more in Dr. Hammond ibid. Orphans and Widows and is the Curator or Guardian to all absolutely that are in want saith Ignatius to Polyâ— cited by Dr. Hammond on 1 Cor. 12. 28. 8. You must send for him in your sickness to pray with you and advise you See Dr. Hammond on Iames 5. 14. And on 1 Cor. 12. 28. he saith Polycarp himself speaking of the Elders or Bishops saith They visit and take care of all that are sick not neglecting the Widows the Orphans or the poor And Dr. Hammond on Iam. 5. 14. sheweth out of Antiquity that One part of the Bishops Office is Vid. Canon Aâ—ost 5. 32. Concil Antâ—och c. â— â—â— Concil Carthag 4. Caâ— 35. set down that they are those that Visit all the sick Not but that a stranger may be made use of also but ordinarily and especially your own Bishop must be sent for Because as you are his special charge and he watcheth for your souls as one that must give account Heb. 13. 17. So it is supposed
members of the visible Church The Integral and accidental Union I pass by now 2. Besides this Union of the Universal Church with Christ the Universal Head there is in all Particular organized Churches a subordinate Union 1. Between 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. the Pastor and the flock and 2. Between the People one towards another which consisteth in these their special Relations to each other 3. And there is an Accidental Union of many particular Churches As when they are United under one Civil Government or Consociated by their Pastors in one Synod or Council These are the several sorts of Church-Union Direct 2. § 4. Direct 2. Understand also wherein the Communion of Christians and Churches doth consist that you may know what it is that you must hold to In the Universal Church your Internal Communion with Christ consisteth in his communication of his spirit and grace his word and mercies unto you and in your returnes of Love and Thanks and Obedience unto him and in your seeking to him depending on him and receivings from him Your Internal Communion with the Church or Saints consisteth in mutual Love and other consequent affections and in praying for and doing good to one another as your selves according to your abilities and opportunities Your external communion with Christ and with most of the Church in Heaven and Earth is not mutually visible and local For it is but a small number comparatively that we ever see But it consisteth in Christs visible communication of his word his officers and his ordinances and mercies unto you and in your visible learning and reception of them and obedience to him and expressions of your Love and Gratitude towards him Your external communion with the Universal Church consisteth in the Prayers of the Church for you and your prayers for the Church In your holding the same faith and professing to Love and Worship the same God and Saviour and Sanctifier in the same holy ordinances in order to the same eternal end § 5. Your external Communion in the same particular Congregations consisteth in your assembling together to hear the Preaching of Gods word and to receive the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ and pray and praise God and to help each other in knowledge and holiness and walk together in the fear of the Lord. § 6. Your Communion with other neighbour Churches lyeth in praying for and counselling each other and keeping such correspondencies as shall be found necessary to maintain that Love and Peace and Holiness which all are bound to seek according to your abilities and opportunities § 7. Note here that Communion is one thing and subjection is another It is not your subjection to other Churches that is required to your communion with them The Churches that Paul wrote to at Rome Corinth Galatia Ephesus Philippi c. had Communion together according to their capacities in that distance but they were not subject one to another any otherwise than as all are commanded to be subject to each other in humility 1 Pet. 5. 5. The Church of Rome now accuseth all the Christians in the World of separating from their Communion unless they will take them for their Rulers and obey them as the Mistres Church But Paul speaketh not one syllable to any of the Churches of any such thing as their obedience to the Church of Rome To your own Pastors you owe subjection statedly as well as communion and to other Pastors of the Churches of Christ fixed or unfixed you owe a temporary subjection so far as you are called to make use of them as sick persons do to another Physicion when the Physicion of the Hospital is out of the way But one Church is not the Ruler of another or any one oâ— all the rest by any appointment of the King of the Church § 8. Direct 3. By the help of what is already said you are next distinctly to understand how far Direct 3. you are bound to Union or Communion with any other Church or person and what distance separation or division is a sin and what is not that so you may neither causlesly trouble your selves with scruples What Unity is among all Christians Gal. 3. 20. 4. 5 6. Ephes. 4. 5. 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. nor trouble the Church by sinful Schism § 9. I. There must be a Union among all Churches and Christians in these following particulars 1. They have all but One God 2. And One Head and Saviour Jesus Christ. 3. And One Sanctifier the Holy Ghost 4. And One Ultimate End and Hope even the fruiâ—â—on of God in Heaven 5. And one Gospel to teach them the Knowledge of Christ and contain the promise of their salvation 6. And one kind of faith that is wrought hereby 7. And one and the same Covenant 1 Pet. 1. 16 Eph. 4. 11 12 13. of which Baptism is the seal in which they are engaged to God 8. And the same Instrumental founders of our faith under Jesus Christ even the Prophets and Apostles 9. And all members of the Eph. 2. 20 21 19. same Universal Body 10. And all have the same new nature and Holy disposition and the same Holy Affections in Loving God and Holiness and Hating sin 11. They all own as to the essential 1 Joh. 3. 11 14 23 parts the same Law of God as the Rule of their faith and life even the sacred Canonical Scriptures Psal. 122. 2. 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. Joh 3. 6. Heb. 10. 25. 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. 12. Every member hath a Love to the whole and to each other especially to the more excellent and useful members and an inclination to holy Communion with each other 13. They have all a propensity to the same holy means and employment as Prayer learning the word of God and doing good to others All these things the True living members of the Church have in sincerity and the rest have in Profession Râ—m 12. 1. Eph 2. 10 11. What 〈…〉 sity â—â—l be in the Church 1 Joh. 2. 12 13 14 § 10. II. There will be still a diversity among the Churches and particular Christians in these following points without any dissolution of the fore-described Unity 1. They will not be of the same Age or standing in Christ but some babes some young men and some fathers 2. They will not have the same degrees of strength of Knowledge and of Holiness some will have need to be fed with milk and be unskilful in the word of Righteousness 3. They will differ in the kind and Heb. 5. 11 12 13. measure of their gifts some will excell in one kind and some in another and some in none at all Mat. 17. 2. 13. 3â— Rom. 14. 1 2 21. 4. They will differ in their natural temper which will make some to be more hot and some more mild some more quick and some more dull some of more regulated wits and some more scattered and
best preserve the Churches peace But if the true nature of Pastoral or Ecclesiastical Government were well understood it would put an end to all these Controversies Which may be mostly gathered from what is said before To which I will add this little following Quest. Wherein consisteth the true nature of Pastoral Church Government Answ. 1. NOt in any use of the sword or corporal â—orce 2. Not in a power to contradict Gods word 3. Not in a power co-ordinate with Christs to do his proper work or that which hath the same grounds reasons and nature 4. Not in an unquestionable Empire to command things which none must presume to examine or judge of by a discerning judgement whether they be forbidden by God or not 5. Not now in making a new word of God or new Articles of faith or new universal Laws for the whole Church 6. Not in any thing which derogates from the true power of Magistrates or Parents or Masters But 1. It is a Ministerial power of a Messenger or Servant who hath a commission to deliver his 1 Cor. 4. 1 2. Masters commands and exhortations 2. As it is over the Laity or flocks it is a power in the sacred Assemblies to Teach the people by 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3. Mat. 28. 19 20. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2 3 5. office and to be their Priests or Guides in holy Worship 3. And to Rule the Worship-actions for the time length method and orderly performance of them 3. As to particular persons it is the power of the Church Keys which is 1. To judge who is meet to be by Baptism taken in to the Church 2. To reprove exhort and instruct those that by vice or ignorance in order to Repentance or Knowledge or confirmation do need the Pastoral help 3. To judge who is to be forbidden Church-communion as impenitent or at â—east with whom that Church must be forbidden to communicate 4. To judge who is meet for Absolution as a penitent 5. To deliver men personally a sealed pardon from Christ in his two Sacraments 6. To visit the sick and comfort the sad and resolve the doubting and help the poor This is the true Church Government which is like a Philosophers or Schoolmasters in his School among volunteers supposing them to have no power of the rod or violence but only to take in or put out of their Schools And what â—eed is there of an Universal Patriarchal or National Head to do any of this work which is but the Government of a personal Teacher and Conductor and which worketh only on the Conscience 4. But besides this there is a necessity of Agreeing in the right management of this work which needeth no new Head but only the Consultations of the several Bishops or Pastors and the Magistrates civil rule or extrinsick Episcopacy as Constantine called it 5. And besides this there is need to Ordain Pastors and Bishops in the Church And this is not done by any sorce neither but 1. By Judging what men are fit 2. By perswading the people to consent and receive them and 3. By Investing them by a Delivery of possession by Imposition of hands Now for all this there needs no humane species of Bishops or Churches to be made 6. Besides this there is need of some oversight of these Pastors and Ministers and fixed Bishops when they are made and of some General care of Pastors and people if they decline to Heresies errours vices or lukewarmness But for this 1. When Magistrates have done their part 2. And neighbour Ministers to one another 3. And the consociated Bishops to the particular ones 4. And unfixed Ministers have done their part in the places where occasionally they come If moreover any General Pastors or Arch-bishops are necessary to rebuke direct and perswade the Bishops or their flocks by messengers Epistles or in presence no doubt but God hath appointed such as the successours of the Apostles Evangelists and other General Ministers of those first times But if no such thing be appointed by Christ we may be sure it is not necessary nor best If it were but considered that the Ruling power in the Church is so inseparable from the Teaching power that it is exercised by Teaching and only by Gods word either generally or personally applyed and that upon none but those that willingly and by consent receive it it would quiet the world about these matters And O that once Magistrates would take the Sword wholly to themselves and leave Church power to work only by its proper strength and virtue and then all things would fall into joynt again Though the Ithacians would be displeased Quest. 58. Whether any part of the proper Pastoral or Episcopal power may be given or deputed to a Lay man or to one of any other office or the proper work may be performed by such Answ. 1. SUch Extrinsical or Circumstantial or Accidental actions as are afore-mentioned may be done by deputies or others As calling the Church together summoning offenders recording actions c. 2. The proper Episcopal or Pastoral work or office cannot be deputed in whole or part any other way than by Communication which is by Ordination or making another to be of the same office For if it may be done by a Lay man or one that is not of the same order and office then it is not to be called any proper part of the Pastoral or Episcopal office If a Lay man may Baptize or administer the Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood or may ordain or excommunicate ecclesiastically or Absolve meerly because a Bishop authorizeth or biddeth him Then 1. What need Christ have made an office work of it and persons be Devoted and Consecrated to it 2. And why may not the peoples election and the Kings Commission serve to enable a Lay man to do it For if Commanding only be proper to the Bishop or Pastor and executing be common to Lay men it 's certain that the King may Command all Bishops and Pastors to do their office work And therefore he may command a Lay man to do that which a Bishop may command him to do 3. And is it not a contradiction to say that a man is a Lay man or of another Order who is Authorized by a Bishop to do a Bishops work or office When as the office it self is nothing as is oft said but an Obligation and Authority to do the work If therefore a Bishop authorize and oblige any other man to do the proper work of a Bishop or Pastor to ordain to baptize to give the Sacrament of the Eucharist to Excommunicate to absolve c. he thereby maketh that man a Bishop or a Pastor whatever he call him Obj. But doth not a Bishop preach per alios to all his Diocess and give them the Sacraments per alios c Answ. Let not the phrase be made the Controversie instead of the Matter Those other persons are either
Sacrifice and Altars therefore we may use the same in Greek And our Translation or English names are not intolerable If Priest come from Presbyter I need not prove that If it do not yet all Ministers are subordinate to Christ in his Priestly Office as essentially as in the rest And Rev. 1. 6. 5. 10. 20. 6. it is said that we are or shall be made Priests of God and unto God And 1 Pet. 2. 5. we are an holy Priesthood and ver 9. a royal Priesthood If this be said of all then especially of Ministers And the word Sacrifice is used of us and our offered Worship 1 Pet. 2. 5. Heb. 13. 15 16. Phil. 4. 18. Ephes. 5. 2. Rom. 12. 1. And Heb. 13. 10. saith We have an Altar whereof they partake not c. And the word is frequently used in the Revelations Chap. 6. 9. 8. 3 5. 16. 7 c. in relation to Gospel times We must not therefore be quarrelsome against the bare names unless they be abused to some ill use 4. The antient Fathers and Churches did ever use all these words so familiarly without any question or scruple raised about them either by the Orthodox or any Hereticks that at present I can remember to have ever read of that we should be the more wary how we condemn the bare words lest thence we give advantage to the Papists to make them tell their followers that all Antiquity was on their side Which were very easie for them to prove if the Controversie were about the Names alone Extreams and passionate imprudence do give the adversaries great advantages 5. The names of Sacrifice and Altar were used by the Antient Churches not properly but meerly in allusion to the Jewish and Heathen Sacrifices and Altars together with a tropical use from the Christian reasons of the Names As the Lords Supper is truly the Commemoration of Christs Sacrifice And therefore called by Protestants A Commemorative Sacrifice so that our Controversie with the Papists is not Whether it may be called a Sacrifice But whether it be only the Sacrament of a Sacrifice or a Sacramental Commemorative Sacrifice or also a Real proper Sacrifice of the very body and blood it self of Christ. For we acknowledge That This is a Sacrifice is no more tropical a speech than This is my body and blood 6. Yet it must be noted that the Scripture useth the word Sacrifice about our selves and our Thanksgivings and prayses and works of Charity rather than of the Lords Supper and the word Priests of all men Lay or Clergy that offer these foresaid Sacrifices to God Though the antient Doctors used them familiarly by way of allusion of the Sacrament and its administrators 7. In a word as no Christian must use these or any words to false ends or senses or deceiving purposes nor yet to scandal so out of these cases the words are lawful And as the Fathers are not to be any further condemned for using them than as the words which they foresaw not have given advantage to the Papists to bring in an ill sense and doctrine so those that now live in Churches and Countreys where the publick professed doctrine doth free them from the suspicion of a Popish ill sense should not be judged nor quarrelled with for the terms But all sober Christians should allow each other the liberty of such phrases without censoriousness or breach of charity or peace Quest. 123. May the Communion-Tables be turned Altar-wise and Railed in And is it lawful to come up to the Rails to Communicate Answ. THe answer to this is mostly the same with that to the foregoing question 1. God hath given us no particular Command or prohibition about these circumstances but the General Rules for Unity Edification Order and Decency Whether the Table shall stand this way or that way here or there c. he hath not particularly determined 2. They that turn the Table Altar-wise and Rail it in out of a design to draw men to Popery or in a scandalous way which will encourage men to or in Popery do sin 3. So do they that Rail in the Table to signifie that the Vulgar or Lay-Christians must not come to it but be kept at a distance when Christ in his personal presence admitted his disciples to communicate at the Table with himself 4. But where there are no such ends but only to imitate the Antients that did thus and to shew reverence to the Table on the account of the Sacrament by keeping away Dogs keeping Boyes from sâ—ting on it And the professed doctrine of the Church condemneth Transubstantiation the Real Corporal presence c. as ours doth In this case Christians should take these for such as they are Indifferent things and not censure or condemn each other for them nor should any force them upon those that think them unlawful 5. And to communicate is not only lawful in this case where we cannot prove that the Minister sinneth but even when we suspect an ill design in him which we cannot prove yea or when we can prove that his personal interpretation of the place name scituation and rails is unfound For we assemble there to communicate in and according to the professed doctrine of Christianity and the Churches and our own open profession and not after every private opinion and error of the Minister As I may receive from an Anabaptist or Separatist notwithstanding his personal errors so may I from another man whose error destroyeth not his Ministry nor the Ordinance as long as I consent not to it yea and with the Church profess my dissent 6. Yet caeteris paribus every free man that hath his choice should choose to communicate rather where there is most purity and least error than with those that swarve more from regular exactness Quest. 124. Is it lawful to use Davids Psalms in our Assemblies Answ. YEs 1. Christ used them at his last Supper as is most probable And he ordinarily joyned Matth. 26. 30. Mark 14. 26. Luke 4. 16. 6. 6. John 6. 59. 18. 20. Mark 1. 21. 23 29. 3. 1. 6. 2. 1 Chron 16. 7. Psalm 105. 2. 95. 2. James 5. 13. 1 Chron. 16. 9. with the Jews that used them And so did the Apostles 2. It is confessed Lawful to read or say them Therefore also to sing them For saying and singing difference not the main end 3. They are suitable to our use and were the Liturgy of the Jewish Church not on a Ceremonial account but for that fitness which is common to us with them 4 We are commanded in the New Testament to sing Psalms And we are not commanded to compose new ones Nor can every one make Psalms who is commanded to sing Psalms And if it be lawful to sing Psalms of our own or our neighbours making much more of Gods making by his Spirit in his Propheâ—s Object They are not suitable to all our cases nor to all
all true Worshippers in the world 16. Yea it will tempt men at last to be weary of their own Religion because they will find it an unsatisfactory uncomfortable tiresome thing to do their own superstitious work 17. And they will tempt all that they draw into this opinion to be weary of Religion also And truly had not Gods part which is wise and good and pleasant prevailed against the hurtfulness of mens superstition which is foolish bad and unpleasant Religion had ere this been cast off as a wearisome distracting thing or which is as bad been used but to delude men 18. Yea it will tempt men at last to Infidelity For Satan will quickly teach them to argue that if Scripture be a perfect particular Rule for forty things that were never there then it is defective and is not of God but an undertaking of that which is not performed and therefore is but a deceit 19. And the notoriousness and ridiculousness of this error will tempt the prophane to make Religious people a scorn 2o Lastly And Rulers will be tempted in Church and State to take such persons for intolerable 〈…〉 cieties and such whose principles are inconsistent with Government And no thanks to this 〈◊〉 if they be not tempted to dislike the Scripture it self and instead of it to fly to the Papists Traditions and the Churches Legislative Soveraignty or worse But here also remember that I charge none with all this but those before described Quest. 136. How shall we know what parts of Scripture Precept or Example were intended for universal constant obligations and what were but for the time and persons that they were then directed to Answ. IT is not to be denyed but some things in Scripture even in the New Testament are not Laws much less universal and perpetual And the difference is to be found in the Scripture it self As 1. All that is certainly of universal and perpetual obligation which is but a Transcript of the Universal and perpetual Law of Nature 2. And all that which hath the express Characters of Universality and Perpetuity upon it And such are all the substantial parts of the Gospel As Except ye Repent ye shall all perish Luke 13. 3 5. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven John 3. 3 5. He that believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16. 16. Without Holiness none shall see God Heb. 12. 14. Go preach the Gospel to all Nations baptizing them c. teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you Matth. 28. 19 20. Abundance such Texts have the express Characters of Universality and Perpetuity which many call Morality 3. And with these we may number those which were given to all the Churches with commands to keep them and propagate them to posterity 4. And those that have a plain and necessary connexion to these before mentioned 5. And those which plainly have a full parity of reason with them And where it is evident that the Command was given to those particular times and persons upon no reasons proper to them alone but such as were common to all others I deny not but as Amesius noteth after others many ceremonial and temporary Laws are urged when they are made with natural and perpetual motives But the reasons of making them were narrower what ever the reasons of obeying them may be On the other side Narrow and temporary precepts and examples 1. Are void of all these foresaid characters 2. They are about Materials of temporary use 3. Or they are but the ordering of such customes as were there before and were proper to those Countreys 4. And many speeches are plainly appropriated to the time and persons 5. And many actions were manifestly occasional without any intimation of reason or purpose of obliging others to imitation For instance 1. Christs preaching sometimes on a Mountain sometimes in a Ship sometimes in a House and sometimes in the Synagogues doth shew that all these are lawful in season on the like occasion But he purposed not to oblige men to any one of them alone 2. So Christs giving the Sacrament of his Body and Blood in an upper room in a private house after Supper to none but Ministers and none but his family and but to twelve and on the fifth day of the Week only and in the gesture of a decumbent leaning sitting all these are plainly occasional and not intended as obliging to imitation For that which he made a Law of he separated in his speeches and commanded them to do it in remembrance of him till his coming And Paul expoundeth the distinction 1 Cor. 11. in his practice So the promise of the Spirit of Revelation and Miracles is expounded by the event as the feal of the Gospel and Scripture proper to those times in the main So the primitive Christians selling their estates and distributing to the poor or laying it down at the Apostles feet was plainly appropriated to that time or the like occasions by the Reason of it which was suddenly to shew the world what the belief of Heaven through the promises of Christ could make them all and how much their Love was to Christ and one another and how little to the world And also by the cessation of it when the persecutions abated and the Churches came to any setlement Yea and at first it was not a thing commanded to all but only voluntarily done So the womens Vail and the custome of kissing each other as a token of Love and mens not wearing long hair were the customes of the Countrey there ordered and improved by the Apostles about sacred things but not introduced into other Countreys that had no such custome So also Anointing was in thâ—se Countreys taken for salubrious and refreshing to the body and a ceremony of initiation into places of great honour Whereupon it was used about the sick and Gods giving the gift of healing in those times was frequently conjunct with this means So that hence the anointing of the sick came up and the antient Christians turned it into an initiating Ceremony because we are Kings and Priests to God Now these occasions extend not to those Countreys where Anointing neither was of such use or value or signification So also Pauls becoming a Jew to the Jews and being shaved and purifying himself and circumcising Timothy are evidently temporary complyances in a thing then lawful for the avoiding of offence and for the furtherance of the Gospel and no obligatory perpetual Law to us And so most Divines think the eating of things strangled and blood were forbidden for a time to them only that conversed with the Jews Acts 15. Though Beckman have many Reasons for the perpetuity not contemptible So the Office of Deaconesses and some think of Deacons seemeth to be fitted to that time and
selfishness and pride and sensual pleasing of the fleshly appetite and fancy These are the most common radical and most mortal damning sins Direct 10. Take certain times to call your selves to a special strict account As 1. At your preparation Direct 10. for the Lords Day at the end of every Week 2. In your preparation for the Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood 3. And before a day of Humiliation 4. In a time of sickness or other affliction 5. Yea every night review the actions of the foregoing day He that useth to call his conscience seriously to account is likest to keep his accounts in order and to be ready to give them up to Christ. Direct 11. Make not light of any sin which you discover in your self-examination But humble Direct 11. your selves for it before the Lord and be affected according to its importance both in its guilt and evil signification Direct 12. And let the end of all be the renewed exercise of faith and thankfulness and resolutions Direct 12. for better obedience hereafter That you may see more of the need and use of a Saviour and may thankfully magnifie that Grace which doth abound where sin abounded and may walk the more watchfully and holily for the time to come Tit. 3. Directions for Self-judging as to our Estates to know whether we are in a regenerate and justified state or not Direct 1. IF you would so judge of the state of your souls as not to be deceived come not to Direct 1. the tryal with an over-confident prejudice or conceit of your own condition either as good or bad He that is already so prepossessed as to resolve what to judge before he tryeth doth make his tryal but a means to confirm him in his conceit Direct 2. Let not self-love partiality or pride on the one side or fear on the other side pervert Direct 2. your judgement in the tryal and hinder you from the discerning of the truth Some men cannot see the clearest evidences of their unsanctified hearts because self-love will give them leave to believe nothing of themselves which is bad or sad They will believe that which is good and pleasant be it never so evidently false As if a Thief could be saved from the Gallows by a strong conceit that he is a true man or the conceit that one is learned would make him learned Others through timerousness can believe nothing that is good or comfortable of themselves Like a man on the top of a Steeple who though he know that he standeth fast and safe yet trembleth when he looketh down and can scarce believe his own understanding Silence all the Objections of an over-timerous mind and it will doubt and tremble still Direct 3. Surprise not your selves on the sudden and unprepared with the question whether you Direct 3. are justified or not but set about it as the most serious business of your life A great and difficult question must have a well studied answer and not be answered hastily and rashly If one should meet you in the Street and demand some great and long account of you you would desire him to stay till you review your memorials or have time to cast it up Take some appointed time to do this when you have no intruding thoughts to hinder you and think not that it must be resolved easily or quickly upon the first enquiry but by the most sober and judicious consideration and patient attendance till it be done Direct 4. Understand the tenour of the Covenant of Grace which is the Law that you must Direct 4. judge of your estates by for if you mistake that you will err in the conclusion He is an unfit Judge who is ignorant of the Law Direct 5. Mistake not the nature of true faith in Christ. Those that think it is a believing that Direct 5. they are actually pardoned and shall be saved do some of them presume or believe it when it is false and some of them despair because they cannot believe it And those that think that faith is such a recumbency on Christ as alwayes quieteth the mind do think they have no faith when they have no such quietness And those that think it is only the resting on the blood of Christ for pardon do take up with that which is no true faith But he that knoweth that faith in Christ is nothing else but Christianity or consenting to the Christian Covenant may know that he Consenteth even when he findeth much timerousness and trouble and taketh not up with a deceitful faith Direct 6. Remember in your self-judging that the Will is the Man and what you truly would Direct 6. be that you are in the sense of the Covenant of Grace Direct 7. But remember also that your Endeavours must prove the truth of your Desires and that Direct 7. idle wishes are not the denominating acts of the Will Direct 8. Also your successes must be the proof of the sincerity of your Endeavours For such Direct 8. striving against sin as endeth in yielding to it and not in victory is no proof of the uprightness of your hearts Direct 9. Mark what you are in the day of tryal For at other times it is more easie to be Direct 9. deceived And record what you then discover in your self What a man is in tryal that he is indeed Direct 10. Especially try your selves in the great point of forsaking all for Christ and for the Direct 10. hopes of the fruition of God in Glory Know once whether God or the Creature can do more with you and whether Heaven or Earth be dearer to you and most esteemed and practically preferred and then you may judge infallibly of your state Direct 11. Remember that in melancholy and weakness of understanding you are not fit for Direct 11. the casting up of so great accounts but must take up with the remembrance of former discoveries and with the judgement of the judicious and be patient till a fitter season before you can expect to see in your selves the clear evidence of your state Direct 12. Neither forget what former discoveries you have made nor yet wholly rest in them Direct 12. without renewing your self-examination They that have found their sincerity and think that the next time they are in doubt they should fetch no comfort from what is past do deprive themselves of much of the means of their peace And those that trust all to the former discoveries of their good estate do proceed upon unsafe and negligent principles and will find that such slothful and venturous courses will not serve turn Direct 13. Iudge not of your selves by that which is unusual and extraordinary with you but by Direct 13. the tenour and drift of your hearts and lives A bad man may seem good in some good mood and a good man may seem bad in some extraordinary fall To judge of a bad man