they say and a book of remembrance shal be written of it before the Lord. Cornelius was a most devout benefactor and the Angel tell him that his prayers and alms were come up in remembrance before God It is a mercy that God will remember us though it be with a rod to correct us but it is a rich favour indeed if he remember us with a staffe to support and comfort us As our remembrance of God or men is the summe of all we do for them Remember me saith Joseph to Phaaroh's Butler that is speak a good word for me do me the favour as work out my deliverance But the chief Butler did not remember Joseph but forgat him that is he did nothing for him Even so Gods remembrance is the summa totalis of his goodnesse to us He remembers us indeed for he pities us and spares us and pardons us supplyes us in all our necessities and supports us in all our extremities he will not leave us in our straights nor leave us in our sins and if we do or suffer any thing for him he hath a book of remembrance and it shall be written down At the last day it is said the books shall be opened and is not this one of those books and the dead shall be judged out of those things which were written in those books according to their works Jesus Christ will read to all the world the good works of his people out of that book I was anhungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in â—â—ked and ye clothed me You never did anything for God but he hath put it down in his book it is very just and equall then that what he hath done for you should be written down in your book Thirdly it is very necessary you should keep such a Journall and that in three regards 1. In regard of the badnesse of your memory Memoriaprimùm senescit say Physicians The memory decayes first old men and dying men will tell you so but the memory of a benefit sooner the memory of divine favours soonest of all Some things we can hardly forget as our sorrows and our pleasures It was about 20 yeers ere Esau could forget the sorrow he conceived for the losse of the blessing and the injury Jacob did him in getting it away from him And he was so mindfull of his pleasures that he forgat his bread And there be some things we can hardly remember â—as our faults and our friends It was two full years saith the story ere Pharaoh's Butler could remember Joseph or call his faults to minde for which he suffered imprisonment Many O Lord my God saith David are thy wonderfull works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to 〈◊〉 ward they cannot be reckoned up in order to thee if I should declare and speak of them they are more then can be numbred Then certainly many of these mercies that God hath vouchsafed to us would quite be forgotten did we not keep such a Diary by us 2. It is necessary that thereby we prevent the great fin of forgetfulnesse To forget God is a mother fin a root-fin What will not that man be what will not he doe that forgets God He is a very wicked man The wicked shall be turned into hell saith the Psalmist and all the nations that forget God He is a proud man and I am sure a proud man is a wicked man Through the pride of his countenance he will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts his thoughts are not of him or his thoughts are not of him or his thoughts are that there is no God He that forgets God forgets that God is He that forgets God is an hypocrite and an hypocrite is a very wicked man Consider this ye that forget God But who were they Such as took Gods name into their mouths and yet hated instruction and cast Gods words behinde them He that forgets God is a most unthankfull person and an unthankfull man is a most wicked man Dixeris ingratum dixeâ—is omnia Call a man an unthankfull man and call him any thing There was a little City saith Solomon besieged by a great King and a poor wise man delivered that City by his wisdome yet no man remembred that poor wise man It was a wicked part to forget that man but most wicked it is to forget God When Tamerlane that victorious Emperor had beaten Bajazet in battle and taken him prisoner he sent for him and amongst other questions asked him Whether ever he were thankfull to God for making him so great a King he answered that he never so much as thought of him which was a most wicked speech of a wicked man 3. It is necessary to prevent the great danger of forgetting God To forget God is a provoking sin He that forgets God sins not at an ordinary rate and therefore shal be punished not after an ordinary manner Consider this ye that forget God saith the Lord lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you Eli forgat God and so did Saul and Jeroboam they forgat the great things God had done for them and did not God plague them and their posterity Forgetfulnesse of God makes him rage not onely against the work of his hands but the sheep of his pasture David forgat God and so did Solomon and how severely were they punished The one by his Son who rebelled against him the other by his Servant that pluckt the greatest part of the Kingdome from his posterity A Souldier of Philip King of Macedonia having begg'd the lands of one that had entertained him kindly was branded with Ingratus hospes on the forehead to his perpetual shame It is reported of Caesar and Alexander two of the most valiant Souldiers that ever the world had that the one would never give to and the other forgive an unthankful man Because saith the Lord Pharaoh King of Aegypt saith the river that is Nilus is mine owne I have made it for my self therefore will I dry up the river and cause the fish to stink What became of Herod the proud who after his oration and the peoples acclamation The voyce of a god and not of a man gave not the glory to God the Angel of the Lord â—mote him and he was eaten of worms and gave up the Ghost He that forgets God is unthankful to God and he that is unthankful forfeits all mercies as the not paying of Custome forfeits all a Merchants goods It is written of one Timotheus the Son of Conon a noble Citizen of Athens that after he had proudly said in a great assembly Haec ego feci non fortuna These things I have done and not Fortune which that people adored as God he never prospered but lost all the glory he had gotten A poor
others have exceeded against God in their transgressions as Job hath it and the judgements both spirituall and temporall of our times else we may be equally destroyed and sure shall not keep a faithfull Journall There is a book of three leaves thou shouldest read dayly to make up this Diary the black leaf of thy own and others sins with shame and sorrow the white leaf of Gods goodnesse mercies with joy and thankfulnesse the red leaf of Gods judgments felt feared threatned with fear and trembling But what needs this waste may some say of time and paines it's too strict and precise a practice a hard saying at least a duty too legall for Gopel liberty Answ 1. Gods law is a law of liberty to a gracious heart None of his commands grievous yea and each command requires not only the duty it self but the help and means to that duty to be observed as Divines generally hold Now this Diary is a Directory and help to praise and thankfulnesse yea indeed to the whole practicall part of Religion The Pharisee was thankfull for spirituall mercy and our righteousnesse by Christ must exceed Scribes and Pharisees upon the penalty of the losse of heaven Luk. 18. Mat. 5. 20. 2. Nor is this imposed on all upon pain of damnation or so exacted as the totall of all mercies providences must be registred Who can number the stars or sands Gods blessings or our sins the most eminent of the first magnitude are to be noted down as all our sins are to be laid to heart but especially the most hainous 3. If thou fearest to be overstrict in practicall godlinesse sure without fear thou wilt be soon over loose and carelesse thou fearest not to be strict for thy estate and outward concernments why art thou lesse carefull for thy soul many not exact in casting up their books they have cast them up thy Audit will be strict so should thy accounts be 4. Lastly the ingenuity of grace in the soul cals for thus much not only to endevour what may safely carry thee to heaven but that which may most advance Gods glory and thy souls prosperity and happinesse God kept a Diary in the Creation of the world Gen. 1. to president this practise to us Yea he keeps a Book of Remembrance for us that think upon his name he numbers our hairs bottles our tears writes us upon the palms of his hands forgets not any of our works of love to his name Registers our names in heaven and shall we write down his name works love in water in the dust on earth Shall he lay up our drosse and not we his gold Shall he remembring us blesse curses to us and shall we by ingratitude and forgetfulnesse of him curse his blessings to us He hath called us to inherit a blessing and to blesse them that curse us and shall not we blesse our blessed God that blesses us So much the more now as we expect and desire some settlement of truth and peace Bring in your tallies of old if you look for new mercies to be put upon your account But why do I detain thee so long without in the portall of a Preface go in set thee close to this divine Arithmemetick sums are best cast up in solitarinesse retire into thy self set thy heart on Gods wayes to thee and on thine own wayes to him I heartily desire thy thriving in this spirituall soul-trade Study not only the notionall Numeration Addition and Multiplication of particulars recited and set down in this Christian Journall but above all look to the rule of Practise which in this is the true Golden rule indeed I may say to conclude of this Book as one of the Scripture They are words to be lived and practised not read only And as another of the 119 Psalm They are good and true Catholicks indeed who follow both sound faith and good manners This musicall lesson of Praise and Thankfulnesse must be well practised Which that thou mayest do both make thy Journall and thy life and journey to heaven answerable to such a Journall go to him and set out in his strength Who is the wonderfull numberer as Daniel styles him who can teach thee to number thy dayes sins Gods dispensations to thee and others yea and how to profit by all even the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Way Truth and Life without whom we can do nothing and by whom we can do all things In whom craving thy prayers and praises for him that is lesse then then the least of all his servants and mercies yet is and rests Ironmonger-lane London Octob. 12. 1655. thy soul-friend and servant in him our common Saviour John Fuller In Reverendi viri Mr. Johannis Bedle Tractatum pium eruditum viz. Grati erga Deum animi AStronomi populo colllecta Diaria vulgant Theiologi haec reliquas vincit Ephemeridas Dat chartis loca visa suis spontaneus exul Alter ut incertos dirigat inde pedes Ad superas Coeli namque hîc via lactea sedes Hinc pia mens foelix carpere discat iter Scribitur heu nimiùm vitiatur casta papyrus Nugarum levium pondere praela gemunt Quas bis tinctorum vel quas lymphata Trementûm Secta parit libros jurgia dura replent At pietas candorque nitent hâ—c Codice pectus Exhibet authoris pagina quaeque sui Quicunque inspicies è nato nosce parentem Ore refert patrem Quod docet ipse facit C. G. Books lately Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the signe of the Three Crowns over against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside DR Richard Sibbs his Commentary upon the Second Epistle to the Corinthians published for publick good by Tho. Manton in Folio Mr. John Cotton his Exposition on the First Epistle of John with Doctrines Reasons and Uses in Folio There will be shortly extant a Book Entituled Cathechizing Gods Ordinance or A short Treatise concerning that Ancient approved and soul-edifying Ordinance of Catechisme by Mr. Zach. Crofton Minister of the word at Buttolphs without Algate London in Octavo Curteous Reader THou mayest expect within a short time to see published some new Pieces of Mr. William Fenners who was so famous when living and his works though he is dead hath such a sweet though silent voice T. P. ERRATA PAge 3. l. 27. though r. thought p. 5. l. 22. favour r. favours p. 9. l. 6. put out all after the word Journies l. 7. r. in the second verse p. 16. l. 4. for huge r. whose l. 6. for are r. if p. 18. l. 10. and a reall p. 26. l. 1. for praise r. paines p. 44. l. 17. for lanes r. caves p. 45. l. 3. r. from strength to strength THE JOURNALL OR DIARY Of a Thankfull Christian NUMB. 33. 2. And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandement of the Lord. CHAP. I.
faln into hell if I had not faln into â—in Onesimus therefore departed saith St. Paul to Philemon that thou mightest receive him an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an eternall So it is in the Originall And thus if our sins were heavy Gods mercies would be weighty and worth the recounting Were our fins often in our eyes Gods praises would not be long out of our mouths We that see we have deserved nothing would be thankfull for every thing and rather then his mercies should be forgotten would keep some remembrances by us of Gods goodnesse to us who is every day mindfull of us 2. Remember oftne your low and poor condition It is little peradventure that yâ—â— haâ—â— but was it not lesse God commands his people this duty Remember that thou wast a serâ—ant in the land of Aegypt This they were enjoyned to do when they came yearly to offer up their basket of first-fruits to the Lord. Thus they must say A Syrian ready to perish was my Father and he went down into Aegypt and â—ojourned there with a few c. 〈◊〉 King of Sicily who was by birth but a Potters Son would alwayes be served at his Table with earthen vessels that he might ever be mindful of his low mean condition at first Jacob did so With my staff I came over this Jordan His condition was low when the earth was his bed a stone his pillow and the heaven his canopie over his head he is thankfull for this because he forgâ—t not his low estate He that well remembers what he once wanted will not forget to be thankful for what at present he enjoys Humility is a good spur to thankfulness I have read of two garments in Scripture of excellent use First the garment of humility Be 〈◊〉 with humility saith Peter and the garment of praise Christ is said to appoint to them that mourn in Zion the garment of praise for the spirit of heavynesse The under garment is commonly plain and of lesse worth but the upper is very costly Let humility be like the first It is no matter how vile we be in our own eyes but let praise be the upper garment Be ye rooted and built up in Christ faith the Apostle and established in the faith abounding therein with thanksgiving He that is rich in faith and low in humility will make his upper garment costly will be abundant in praises 3. Labour to understand a mercy aright Endevour to discern the height and breadth of a providence weigh every benefit bestowed skilfully The reason why the Israelites remembred not the multitude of Gods mercies was saith the Psalmist because they understood not his wonders in Aegypt Moses told them that they had seen all that the Lord had done before their eyes in the Land of Aegypt unto Pharaoh and unto all his servants and unto all the land The great temptations which thine eyes have seen the signes and thâ—se great miracles And yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to bear unto this day It is true they had eyes and ears but they wanted an understanding heart to perceive and discern God in all Hence it comes to passe that as a proud man will not be mindfull so an ignorant man cannot remember God and be thankfull It is good therefore not onely to remember our low and sinfull estate that we may be humble but to understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord that we may record his favours The reason why the Disciples forgâ—t what Christ had done done and therefore mistook him when he had them take â—eed of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadduces was they did not understand the miracles of the five loaves amongst the five thousand nor the seven loaves amongst the foure thousand nor how many baskets they took up They did not well understand nor seriously consider the mighty power of his divine nature by which he did all that You shall do well therefore to understand a mercy fully in all the causes circumstances manner and means of working Sometimes he works without means and then his works are miraculous sometimes by weak means and then his works are wonderfull sometimes by contrary means so that losses enrich us divisions unites us and our routing in battle makes us conquerors and then his works are glorious Hence the Lord commanded his people to understand why he gave them that good Land to possesse it not for their righteousnesse for they were a stiffe-necked people but for his Name sake and for the wickednesse of those Nations which were driven out before them It is not an easie matter for men to hit right oâ— the true reason of Gods dispensations of mercy or judgement Hence Samuel advised the people of Israel to consider that is to weigh ponder wel in their hearts what great things God had done for them Now we all know things that are not known and therefore lightly valued are soon forgotten when matters that are looked at as things of price and worth are laid up very carefully It is good therefore when our thoughts dwell upon mercies Omnis festinatio caca swift passengers cannot be serious observers a transient thought is too mean for a standing mercy one mercy enjoyed deserves more serious thoughts then a million of miseries do one hearty tear our mercies are from God our calamities from our selves Understand this well and consider this seriously you cannot be unmindful of the loving kindnesse of the Lord. 4. Would you write down the great things of God in a book that you might never forget them Take speciall notice of the actings of God in the wayes of his gracious providence whilest they are new and fresh in memory together with the workings of your hearts whilest they are so considered Oh! what vows covenants purposes resolutions are made and entertained then Omne novum valde mutat saith Scaliger New things fresh mercies make a wonderful change upon mens spirits for the present Omnia subita videntur majora saith Cicero All sudden and unexpected passages seem very great at first fight and work very much upon the heart Observe then what joy what thankfulnesse what meltings what resolutions And what you doe doe quickly strike while the iron is hot Qui tardâ— fecit diu noluit saith Seneca He that is slack in his performances was but unwilling in his resolutions Oh! remember your first love when you were newly converted and brought home to God how zealous lively active forward and savoury were you in the wayes of God So much the Lord tells his people by the Prophet Hosea that at their restitution and Gods reconciliation with them they should sing at in the dayes of their youth as they did when they came out of Aegypt Then sang Moses and Aaron A converted condition is a singing condition God takes special notice of this I remember thee saith the