THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN OR A Summary View of the Chief Heads OF PRACTICAL DIVINITY In order to The Begetting Preserving and Increasing the Life and Power of Godliness in the Hearts and Lives of Professors Laid down in a Plain and Succinct manner by way of Meditation Drawn up and principally intended for the Use and Benefit of the Citizens of Exeter and especially those that were his peculiar Flock By J. B. once their Pastor I have more Vnderstanding than all my Fathers for thy Testimonies are my Meditation Psal 119.99 Meditatio Mentis Ditatio A Mind well Imployed is Grace well Improved LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible on London-Bridge and are to be sold by Michael Hide Book-Seller at Exeter 1670. To the Candid Readers especially those that were his Usual Hearers in the City of Exeter Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplyed from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Timothy 1.2 Dearly Beloved in our best Beloved and Dearest Lord and Saviour KNowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle even as my Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me 2 Pet. 1.14 I have endeavoured that you may be able after my Decease to have those things always in Remembrance which I have Taught unto you In order to it I have Selected and Contracted the choisest and most necessary Truths to be Known Believed and Practised by you for the furthering of the Edification Consolation and Salvation of your Souls I have done all very briefly plainly and by way of Meditation If you desire to know the Reasons of my so doing and committing all to Writing you may be pleased to take this short Account First I have done it so briefly that I might not burden your Memories and that your Heads and Hearts might be the more intent on the most special things such as are of nearest and greatest Concernment to your Souls and I hope that I may say without Boasting that I have written Much in a Little and if you will but weigh well what I have Written you may find a great deal more Matter than Words I have backed all with Scripture-Proofs some with more some with less that so you might the more clearly see the Truth of all only citing the Text not the Words but only to some places that so the Book may not swell too big Secondly I have done it in so plain and familiar a Style that I might condescend to the Capacity of the meanest Schollar in Christ's School and because Truth when it is in the plainest Dress is most Comely It 's a signe of a Weak Stomack to mind more the Garnishing of the Dish than the Meat in it the sin of too many here and every where to Like the Dressing more than the Food and to look more to the Words than to the Matter and therefore my Endeavour hath been to do what the Wise Preacher did before me Eccles 12.10 The Preacher sought out Acceptable Words even Vpright Words of Truth that is profitable and Comfortable Words True and Faithful Words that so I might Prodesse magis quam placere non alta sed apta proferre not High words but Fit words because as Good Matter without Fit Words is but as Good Meat in a Sluttish Dish so Neat words without Solid Matter is but Copiosa egestas a Gaudy Poverty both together are most acceptable Thirdly I have done it by way of Meditation because it is only Meditation that brings home any Truth to the Heart and makes it useful and profitable the Bee which only lights on the Flower and doth not stay on it gathers no Honey it is her abiding a while on it that sucks out the Sweet of it That Person that takes a Cordial and holds it only a little while in his Mouth and then puts it out will find little benefit by it so will He that Hears and Reads the Word and never Meditates on it it 's only Meditation that makes every Truth sweet and profitable and because what Chrysostome sayes of Faith is true of Meditation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it doth make God and Christ his Precepts and Promises and all we See and Hear and Read to be ours it applies and digests and assimilates us into the Nature of those Spiritual and Heavenly things we meditate on 2 Cor. 3. ult Fourthly I have put all in Writing 1. Because as Abel by his Faith being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11.4 So this Treatise may speak and live when I am dead as Christ and his Apostles now in Heaven yet by their Doctrine Examples and Writings they preach unto the Saints on Earth 2. That so what hath slipped out of your car might be recalled by the eye Lam. 3.51 and the Eye might affect the Heart with what you have formerly heard A good mans Words may pass as Wind in the Aire when what he Writes may prove of weight on the Heart as the Apostle's words did 2 Cor. 10.10 Whence it is that Sacraments say some excel Sermons because in Sermons Truths are only Audible to the Eare but in Sacraments things are Visible to the Eye 3. Because by Writing Ministers they communicate their Labours not only to those at home but abroad and so profit more by their Writing than they do sometimes by their Preaching 4. Because by Writing a Ministers Labours are more permanent and abiding upon the Heads and Hearts of those that make use of them Sermons as one Well are as Showrs of Rain that Water for the present when-as Books are as Banks and Heaps of Snow that lye long on the Earth and keeps the Corn more warm in the Winter In all these respects I have put Pen to Paper and communicated these Meditations to your Eye as well as your Ear. If any object There are Books enough Printed and of this Subject also of Meditation I grant it I am of his Judgment who said For Polemical Tractates which hold up different Opinions A few are too many but for Practical Treatises which press to the Duties of Holiness Many are too few which made Austin to say Vtile est plures libros à pluribus fieri the more the better so long as they are helps to the promoting of Godliness The Reasons is obvious because we find by sad and general Experience though most are willing to know yet very few are forward to practise what they know and therefore all helps little enough to quicken them to Duty And the rather because what Aristotle said of his Ethicks is much more true of Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 's not Knowledge but practise that denominates and evidences any to be a truly knowing Christian and Religious Man He that knows Gods will and doth it not is a Lyar 1 Epistle John 2.4 A Fool Math. 7.27 and worse than so the more any knows without Practise the more like he is to the Devil who knows more than any but practiseth nothing besides there 's nothing will more aggravate the sin
worse soften or harden you will bring you neerer to Heaven or Hell and will be either the savour of life or death to you 2 Cor. 2.16 Secondly As you are entring into the publick Assemblies to think and say with Jacob How dreadful is this place It is no other than the Gate of Heaven to set your selves in the presence of the great God and carry your selves there with all fear and reverence seeing there are not only Men but the Angels and the Great and Holy God to take notice both of your inward and outward behaviour And see you stay and not depart without the Blessing Thirdly After the publick Assemblies as you go home to meditate on what you have heard when you come home search the Scriptures whether things are so to repeat and confer with those in your Family about it to press the remembrance and practise of what you have heard on your selves and them after this to go apart and spend the rest of the day in Examination what you have profited and in meditation on the Word and Works of God and that Eterâ—â—â— Sabbath you are to celebrate hereafter in Heaven where you shall keep a Sabbath not only without weariness but with infinite delight and then conclude the Sabbath with prayer and praise pray for a blessing on the truths made known to you and for the pardon of all those infirmities you have discovered before in and after duty in publick private or secret and that God would accept of your weak endeavours and unfeigned desires to honour him in and for the all-meritorious Intercession's sake of Jesus Christ And then praise God for one Sabbath more liberty of communion with Him his Presence with you assistance of you and blessing of his Ordinances to you and so end the day as you began it As you gave Him the first of your thoughts when you rose so give Him the last of your thoughts when you lie down that so your dreams may savour of your Sabbath-days exercises Thirdly After the Sabbath to hold forth in your lives and conversations all you have heard and prayed for that so the blessing of the Sabbath may bring a blessing on all your labours the Week following Amen The Second Duty is Prayer to God And here First before Prayer to meditate First On the infinite distance between God and you as Creatures especially such finful Creatures Eccles 5.2 Secondly To make your addresses to the Throne of Grace only in the Name Worthiness and Mediation of Jesus Christ Col. 3.17 Thirdly To take notice of the special sins you are to confess the evils you are to â—â—precate or pray against the good things you are to Petition and the Mercies you are to return thanks for Fourthly Because we know not how to pray as we ought To beg the Spirit of Grace and Supplication to help your infirmity and keep your hearts close to Him in duty Fifthly To remember that we pray for all men especially for Kings and all that are in Authority 1 Tim. 2.2 3. and for all Saints Eph. 6.18 Secondly In the time of Prayer remember to do it with humility and reverence Heb. 12. end In sincerity and truth John 4.24 With feeling and servency James 5.16 17. and in faith and love Heb. 11.6 1 Tim. 2.8 Thirdly After Prayer to look-after an Answer Live what you have prayed and labour in the use of the means for that you have prayed as you are commanded Prov. 2.3 4. The Third Duty is Hearing the Word First Before Hearing remember whom you go to hear not only Man but God who speaks in and by Man 2 Cor. 5.20 Secondly Because man can but speak to the Ear beg the Lord to give his Spirit that may speak to the heart Thirdly That the Spirit may make the Word effectual to the end God hath appointed it take heed you come not with prejudice against the Minister or the Word spoken by him James 1.21 1 Peter 2.1 Fourthly That you endeavour to bring humble honest and upright hearts to the hearing of the Word Luke 8.15 Micah 2.7 Doth not my word do good to him that walks uprightly Secondly In the time of Hearing First To set your selves in the special presence of God and remember He observes not only your outward but inward carriages with what hearts every one comes and sits before him 1 Sam. 16.17 Ezek. 33.31 Secondly To attend heedfully to the things that are spoken as Lydia did Acts 16. Thirdly To apply particularly what is spoken not to others but to your selves as John's hearers did Luke 3.10 Because what is spoken to one is intended to all Mark 13. last and unless it be applyed by faith it will not profit Heb. 4.11 Thirdly After Hearing First To discourse of what you have heard and not as the manner of too many is to talk presently of other Persons and Things Secondly To search the Scripture with the noble Beraeans whether things be so or no Acts 17.11 Thirdly To work all into your hearts and lives by Meditation Prayer and Practise because the promise of a blessing runs only to such Psal 103.17 and Luke 11.28 Otherwise without practise every Sermon will be preacht over by God and Conscience again at the last Day with such horror and terror as you will never be able to hear it John 12.48 The Fourth Duty is Reading of the Scriptures First Before it to think what a great blessing it is to enjoy this blessed Book and have liberty to look into it when 't is denied to many others not only amongst the Papists but amongst us through their own and their Parents neglect of learning them to read Secondly To remember that this is a duty that lies upon all Persons private as well as publick People as well as Ministers both to read the Scriptures First In respect of the express command of God Mal. 4.4 John 5.39 Col. 3.16 Secondly In respect of the great benefit and comfort that comes by it 2 Tim. 3. the 3 last Rom. 15 41. Psal 1.2 Revel 1.3 Thirdly In reading First To lift up an Ejaculation for understanding of it praying with David Psal 119.18 Open my eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law Secondly To read with Application as David Psal 40.8 It 's written of me that I should do thy will It was no where written so of David in particular only he applied the general command to his particular Thirdly After reading with David also to hide God's Word in your heart Psal 119.11 And see that you order your conversation according to it Vers 9. The Fifth Duty is Receiving the Lord's Supper First Before it to see whether you can finde your selves in a state of grace and that you have those Sacramental graces of knowledge faith repentance obedience love and an appetite to this Ordinance all which are required to qualifie and fit Souls for communion with Jesus Christ in that Ordinance This duty of Self-examination you may see
to make provision for him at last falling sick and drawing towards his end a Servant of his came to visit him and asking him how he did Oh saith he I am going to another World Master said he you were wont here to send Provision before you to your Houses here have you done so for another House your eternal House Oh no said he that is my folly and misery 3. He is a fool that will hazzard and adventure his life for a toy and a trifle and put off a business for the present of greatest consequence to another day when yet he knows not whether he shall have another day and yet this is the greatest folly of worldly wise men though they hear often that there 's but one thing necessary in the World in comparison whereof all other things are unnecessary viz. the Salvation of the Soul yet will hazzard that to gain the World and put off that to the last and weakest hour when they can scarce think upon any thing else but pain and then when 't is too late lament their great folly and madness in it Thirdly Meditate on the duties you ow to God for the Creatures and the uses you are to make of the Creatures I shall but name a few As 1. To contemplate those glorious Attributes of God which shine forth in the Creatures as his Eternity Omnipotency infinite Wisdom and unsearchable goodness to Mankind in making a World and all things in it for him and him for himself and that first Because it 's expresly commanded Eccles 7.13 Job 37.14 2. The practise of the Saints Psal 77.11 12. Psal 143.5 6. all Gods People Psal 111.2 3. Because it 's the end wherefore God made Man and gave him a reasonable Soul not onely that he should barely view the Creatures but contemplate his glorious Attributes that shine forth in them There 's no skilful Artificer that will take it well to have his skill not taken notice of in the works he doth much less will God and it will exceedingly agravate mens sin and condemnation at last that they have so much taken notice of and admired the works of men and so little taken notice of the great and glorious Works of God in the Creation of this glorious Fabrick of Heaven and Earth 2. Duty to learn those good things in the Creatures which they do teach us in and by the instinct of Nature for all the World is but a great School to teach us the knowledge of God Rom. 1.20 Creatio Mundi Scriptura Dei Universus Mundus Deus Explicatus as one saith well The whole Creation is a Scripture of God the Heaven the Earth and the Sea 3. Great Leaves of that Book the Creatures contained in them as so many Lines by which God would read a Divinity-Lecture to us all the Creatures but a Ladder made of many steps to raise us up to God and as it were a pair of Spectacles whereby we may read God and the invisible things of God more clearly and plainly Jenkins on Jude But what are those things the Creatures teach us They all teach us Obedience Love Unity and dependance upon God a desire of freedom from that bondage our sin hath brought upon them 1. They all teach us Obedience to God for they all keep their station in which God hath set them they all do what God commands them and leave undone what he forbids them 1. They all keep their station the Sun rejoyceth to run its course the Sea keeps within its Banks the Earth standeth fast upon her Foundation onely Man is fallen from it 2. They do whatsoever God commands them Psal 19.1 The Heavens declare the Glory of God c. the Sea and the Winds and all fulfil his Word Psal 148.8 3. They leave undone what he forbids them the Fire burns not the Sea stands on heaps the Sun stands still and goes backward ten degrees the Fire descends and the Water ascends at his command all the Creatures have an ear to hear their Creator only Man is deaf Yea and mark farther they not onely obey their Creator but they obey him in a right manner For 1. they serve him only and not us any further and longer then we serve him therefore he is called the Lord of Hosts because all is at his command to teach us as to obey him so him only and men no further then they obey God 2. They serve him chearfully Psalm 19. The Sun rejoyceth as a Gyant to run his course and so ought we for the abundance of all his goodness to us or else are threatned to serve our enemies in the want of all things Deut. 2.8 3. They serve him constantly day and night and are never weary of doing him service so neither ought we 1 Cor. 15. last Be stedfast unmoveable c. Gal. 6.9 Be not weary of well doing c. 4. They serve the Lord freely by the instinct of Nature how much more should we by the instinct of Grace 5. They waste and consume themselves in the service of us to teach us to spend our selves and be spent for God 2. They all teach us to love God as being all fruits and tokens of his love to us and refuse to love us if we neglect to love him the Sun denies its Shine the Clouds their Rain and the Earth its Fruits they teach us also as to love God so to love others for God's sake especially those that are nearly related to us for they generally love those of the same kind and are very tender over their Mates and to their young ones 3. They all teach us unity amongst our selves for they all combine and conspire in one for the good of the whole they all prefer the good of the whole above their own particular the Fire will descend and the Waters ascend rather then there shall be a vacuum in Nature though they be of contrary qualities yet they do not trouble but help one the other the Fire warms the Air the Air preserves the Water the Water moistneth the Earth one Element is a good Neighbour to the other and all to teach us we should not be hurtful but helpful one to another and prefer the publick before our own private good 4. They all teach us dependance on God for being and well-being Psal 147.9 10. The eyes of all things look up to thee c. To teach us to look up to God and to have our dependance upon him for our selves and ours and to be careful about nothing Phil. 4.7 Matth. 6.26 to the end 5. They all teach us a desire and longing to be freed from that bondage our sins have brought upon them and our selves Rom. 8.19 22. And shall the Creatures sigh and groan under our burdens and we not under our own A third Duty is this To bewail the first sin of ours which brought such vanity and vexation upon the Creatures God at first looked down upon all that he had made and loe