vile and vain thoughts when we are alone from idle words when we are in company and from an empty carriage and unprofitable expence of time whether we be alone or in company And since thou hast appointed man to labour and the day to labour in Keep us we pray thee from idleness and neglect of our Callings from infidelity and depending on our labour and industry from discontent if we live hardly by it and from intemperance state-pride covetousness and worldly confidence if we thrive and prosper in it Let all our dealings through thy grace O God that art the God of all grace be just and equal without over-reaching and as there shall be occasion let us be charitable according to our ability without grudging And be pleased to set and keep our hearts in so good a frame that notwithstanding our worldly occasions We may be watchful to do and ready to receive any spiritual good and let our desire be to be in that company that will give occasion of both with the shunning not only of wicked but unprofitable Society Enable us we humbly pray thee to adorn our Profession by providing for honest things not only in the sight of the Lord but in the sight of men Let thy fear O God who art great and terrible be upon our hearts and before our eyes all the day long that so we may presume to do nothing which it will or should grieve us to think upon at night Let there be cause rather to bless thee in the Evening as for thy goodness toward us so for some goodness in us and that the day hath not passed without using our Talents so as to bring in some advantage to our great Lord mean-while being here before thee to confess how good thou art every way unto us we would not go out of thy presence without praising thee our most merciful God for ordaining such peace for us as that we may with safety both abide at home and go abroad about all our occasions It is of thy great goodness that we are not forced to go in by-ways for fear of violent men but the high-wayes are freely occupyed and we have cause to rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord towards the Inhabitants of his Villages who now dwell without fear in such undefenced places In special we bless thee our gracious God for that Government whereby we enjoy this peace and liberty humbly beseeching thee to settle still amongst us and ever to preserve over us a religious and righteous and rightful Magistracy for our present tranquillity and felicity And ever to establish amongst us an able and faithful Ministry for the saving of our souls and our everlasting happiness in the day of the Lord Jesus for whom we bless thee in whom we enjoy and joy in thee and to whom with thee O Father and the Holy Spirit we acknowledged to be due and desire from our souls to give all Glory Majesty Dominion and Power now and evermore Amen A Family-Prayer for the Evening O Most holy and most glorious Lord God we poor and polluted creatures acknowledge our selves altogether unworthy to be admitted into thy presence so much as to confess our sins yet since thou art pleased to offer thy self unto us in Jesus Christ under the name of a Father assuring us that If we confess our sins thou art faithful and just to forgive us our sins we are therefore bold in him to come before thee confessing O Father that whereas at first we were made very good and very like God Now through our own fault and fall every one of us is shapen in Iniquity and in sin did our mother conceive us And besides this corruption of nature enough of it self to condemn us Against Thee Against thee only for there is but one Law-giver have we sinned in the whole course of our lives Justly O Lord mayest thou draw up an heavy charge against us for our sins of omission upon which our Saviour will pass his last Sentence for we cannot but acknowledge that we have left made light of and like leaking vessels let slip many Sermons Our fruits after much seed sowen have been so few that we deserve our stripes should be many unto which this other evil is added that we have often sleighted the Lords Supper either by not caring to receive it or by neglecting to prepare for it We have idled away also or profaned many Sabbaths at least we have gone heavily under the service of that day which we should call a delight And whereas heart-searching is exceeding needful for the well-ordering of our hearts and lives we confess that many examinations of our hearts and wayes for which thou hast hearkened we have neglected yea though this duty of Prayer by our selves and in our Families be so needful so beneficial and such an al-sanctifying service yet for a long time either we have been very careless and mindless of it or else careless and heartless in it But besides all these omissions and neglects of duty we do further confess that we have committed much evil and been guilty of much Rebellion against thy Majesty yielding ordinarily unto Satans temptations who never ceaseth to put fair colours upon the forbidden fruit rushing often into evil company and partaking with them in the unfruitful works of darkness and when we have been alone sadly and securely satisfying the lusts of our evil and distempered hearts especially in the evils more pleasing and sutable to our sinful natures In regard of all which and all other our many and great transgressions we deserve O most just God to be deprived of all thy blessings and to be laden with thy judgements as we have laden thee with our sins But whilest we are displeased with our selves for them and it is in our hearts desire not only to confess them but forsake them and turn to thee from them We beseech thee O Father of Mercies in the Name and for the merits of Jesus Christ to be merciful to us sinners laying every one of our sins for we are not able our selves to bear the least of them upon that Lamb of God on whom the Lord hath laid the Iniquity of us all freeing us also of thy free grace from all those evils which are either on us or due unto us for the same And that we may be hereof assured Give us we pray thee that most excellent grace of Faith without which the Word of Promise and of Pardon cannot profit that thereby receiving the forgiveness of our sins our spirits may rejoyce in God our Saviour which since we cannot do but in the Publicans way who said God be merciful to me a sinner that is in a way of repentance therefore do thou O Lord work and if any thing of godly sorrow be already wrought do thou more and more work so
begins at midnight and that Christ rose not much after midnight Referring this to the Authors mentioned in the margent that are large in it I shall only speak to the thing in hand which is that whensoever it begins it must be a day and such a day as our six dayes are for Gods dividing of the week into six dayes of labour and one intire day of rest must ever stand As therefore we may take the whole six for our labour so we must give the whole seventh to God There are still seven dayes in the week of which God never alloweth us more then six for our ordinary and earthly occasions Quest May not a man read a Letter or answer a Question or a Messenger on that day or do something in an earthly business falling in occasionally Answ 1. I shall not say that 's unlawful for sometimes such a necessity may arise about these earthly things or such a work of mercy may fall in to be performed on that day as may not be deferred in which regard there may be cause to speak and do such things as in themselves are not proper on that day out of such cases not permitted It 's one thing to yield to an extraordinary occasion another to make a common practice of turning aside securely from holy to common things upon the Lords day 2. Yet it belongs to our piety on that day to sabbatize as much as we may those things which are in their nature earthly and to get and use an holy art and skill to turn them heaven-ward which we still find in our Saviour who therefore saith of himself that he spake earthly things Joh. 3. 12. Not that he did use to talk of the world but he set forth heavenly things under earthly similitudes and did weave spiritual instructions within worldly resemblances What our Saviour did every day and every way he went that we should endeavour to do on the Lords day In which diversion and coming off from earthly things to heavenly and setting off heavenly with earthly though some be more happy yet all whose hearts are holy may if they mind it and will make a business of Religion speak one good word or another to let those know that interrupt them by some earthly occasion that even in the managing of such a business they put a difference between Gods day and their own days And so they that come with a worldly message to them may go away with a more heavenly mind from them and an heart better affected to the Lords day then they brought with them And lost any should think that this is a preciseness which an understanding man would not own I shall relate here the words of a foraign and very learned Divine on the Text we have in hand which are these The foolish wisdom of mortal men thinks it a small matter if some work especially some lighter work be done on the Sabbath better do so then worse but Gods will is that mens minds should be taken up on the Sabbath day with other I doubt not but he understands holy and heavenly cares which cares saith he if thou do never so little a thing of another kind are interrupted and by this very thing all use of Religion would be exploded and thrust out of dores unto which he further adds that Those things are to be done on the Sabbath which are sutable to the Sabbath and on the other side things vile and evil are to be taken heed of at all times Wolph Comment in Nehem. 13. 15 16. Quest But if the Sabbath must continue for a natural day of 24 hours What is to be done in the night of that day How shall that be sanctified or what can be done to distinguish it from other nights belonging to our common dayes Answ 1. I doubt not but that they that are conscientiously careful to observe our Gospel-Sabbath all the day will find out wayes to resolve themselves as concerning the night And all Christians would be advised if they propound such a question as this is to see they do it out of conscience and as seeking resolution not out of curiosity and as glad of an objection to make an opposition 2. Let the question be turned from the Sabbath to the working dayes thus Since I ought to labour in my ordinary Calling on the six dayes What shall I do in the night Here this answer may be returned I may and should when the dayes are shorter work part of the night and if there be extraordinary occasion I may work all the night but if I should do so ordinarily I should quickly be unable to do any thing in the day God therefore so requires labour six dayes as to give us leave yea to imply it is our duty to rest in the night because he hath given the night for that end Now if this answer will hold then may the like be said concerning the Sabbath day that is that the Sabbath night as well as other nights is appointed of God for rest but yet if it so fall out that we do not rest that night or in any part of it wherein we do not rest we are to remember that it is a part of time belonging not to a working day but to the Lords day and therefore that it is to be used accordingly that is in one thing or other sutable to a Sabbath and so as that what we do in the light and in the night of such a day may agree together which shall be further opened in the ensuing Answers 3. It is well expressed that the time of observing the Sabbath is our waking time for though we say that the whole 24 hours of that day be taken in of God and set a part for his use yet he may give us again what he pleaseth and he giveth us the night to rest in which may be reckoned among the works of necessity and mercy allowed on that day and that both in regard of the holy labours of that day for it is not an idle day which require rest the night before that we may serve God with more strength and vigour and the night after because of the expence of strength in such service and withall because of the labour of our ordinary Callings the next day which necessarily requireth the rest of the Sabbath night that for want thereof we may not be weakened in our worldly work for as God would not have us to trench on his day of Rest so it is not his mind that we should return faint and feeble to our day of labour 4. I add besides that though we are not to prevent rest and sleep that night by setting our hearts when we lie down upon serious and retentive thoughts yet if we cannot sleep God holding our eyes waking it appertaineth to the holiness of that time to resume and call to mind some godly meditations which is more easily done
Son of God with power and so that person in and by whom that which God had promised before in the holy Scripture was fulfilled and that 's it which makes the mercies of David sure mercies We find also a yea rather put upon the Resurrection Christ being thereby a Conquerour and our Justifier Rom. 4. 25. when as if Christ were not risen we were yet in our sins 1 Cor. 15. 17. All this may shew of how great weight the Resurrection is in the work of our Redemption and therefore how worthy it is to have a day set a part for the rememberance of it and therein for the remembrance of the Redemption it self and of our glorious Redeemer And that it was for that reason so set apart the testimony of St. Augustine is clear who thus witnesseth The Lords-day was declared to Christians or declared to be the Christians day by the Resurrection of our Lord and from that time it began to have its Festivity or to be the Christians Festival 2. We find A divine name or denomination The first day of the week being generally agreed upon to be that day which is called the Lords-day Rev. 1. 10. If we would know why it is called the Lords-day the like name given to the Sacrament of the Body and Bloud of Christ may inform us It s true it may be said to be the Lords-day because our Lord rose on it and so the Eucharist the Lords Supper because our Lord is remembred in it But besides this As we know the Sacrament to be the Lords Supper because he instituted it for the remembrance of his Passion So we have great cause to think that the first day of the week is called the Lords-day because our Lord appointed and took order to have it set apart for the remembrance of his Resurrection and our Redemption for the Lords-day doth not only imply an acting on it but an owning of it for his use even as the old Sabbath day being said to be the Sabbath day of the Lord Exod. 20. 8 10. was so called because God did appropriate it to himself as the special time of his service And this is the more confirmed because the Service of God was already used among the Christians on that day instead of the Sabbath as all the ancients Doctors witness and is to be gathered besides from Act. 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 2. in which places we find Christians assembling together and provision made for Collections for the Poor as on the day already known to be consecrated to God for such uses yea it is very probably conceived that since John could not be in his banishment present in body in the publick Congregation he therefore set himself to holy meditations that he might be present with them in spirit and whilest he was thus intent on Soliloquies with God as he was most fit for so he was suddenly taken with that divine rapture wherein those heavenly Revelations that the Scripture records were communicated to him In brief Nothing hath this Title Dominical in Scripture but either Christs day or Supper to shew that is taken alike in both saith a Bishop of great note Now we know that being applyed to the Supper it implies an Institution any why it should not do so also being applyed to the Day we know not 3. We find as hath been touched in that next before a divine Practice and Observation for it was observed as the noted day for Christian Assemblies and Exercises by the Apostolical Churches Act. 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 2. and therefore it was ordained to be so by the Apostles for who else guided those Churches I have given order saith the Apostles for those Collections that were on that day because their meetings were on that day for publike works of Piety and Charity Now If it were ordained by the Apostles then was it ordained by the infallible Spirit of Christ for what else guided the Apostles in their Church-constitutions I add lastly that if the Apostles directed the Churches to this day as being guided by that extraordinary and un-erring Spirit that they had then it was ordained and appointed by Christ himself for of that guiding Spirit it is that our Saviour saith He shall not speak of himself that is not of himself only without the Father and the Son but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak And again He shall receive of mine take of mine and shew it unto you Joh. 16. 13. 14 15. So that Athanasius that excellent light in the Church of God is like to be found as right as resolute in pronouncing roundly and plainly that the Lord translated the Sabbath into the Lords-day For the confirming of which that the translation of the Sabbath from the Jewish day to the first day of the week was by the Lord himself or divine Authority I thus argue The seventh-day Sabbath from the Creation was expresly commanded the people of God in the Old-Testament therefore the people of God in the New-Testament could not desist from the Observation of that day making it a working-day and take up a new day and make it of a working-day a perpetual holy day and that in all the Churches as this day hath been still continued in the Church-Catholick I say this could not be done unless by a new command of like authority either formal or virtual that is either in express words or collected by necessary and convincing arguments and evidences And this appears because every Law bindeth till it be repealed and repealed it cannot be but by an Authority equal to that by which it was first made especially with taking another day into its place and priviledge Who could so change the Sabbath but Christ himself the Lord of the Sabbath Unto this I add for further confirmation of the divine authority of the Christian Sabbath the constant observation of the Lords-day unto this day by the Christian Church which Christian Church if it have not observed a right day that is a day appointed of God for his Sabbath every week then hath it neglected in all this time and stands guilty of not observing the fourth Commandement for that Commandement requireth as hath been proved a weekly day of Gods appointment to the end of the world That which remaineth for the closing up of this necessary part of Christianity is An Exhortation to the reverent Estimation and Observation of the Christian Sabbath From 1. The Necessity 2. The Commedity 3. The Commendation of it 4. The Threats and Judgements of God denounced and executed on profaners of the Sabbath 5. The Promises Priviledges and Blessings assured to the reverent Observers thereof 1. The Necessity of a Sabbath Wherein it might suffice to say that the only wise God who never did any thing whereof there was no need instituted in the beginning of the World and afterwards prescribed in the
was manifestly and mightily declared to be the only-begotten Son of God Rom. 1. 3. Unto this may be added that this day hath been ever of high account in the Christian Church Let every one saith Ignatius that holy Martyr that loveth Christ keep the Lords day holy the Queen and Supreme of all dayes Hierom saith Among all dayes this day hath the primacy or holds the preheminence This is the day saith he that the Lord hath made let us rejoyce and be glad in it If we celebrate our birth-dayes saith Chrysostom How much more is this day to be observed which if any shall call the Birth-day of all mankind he shall not erre therein for we were lost and are found were dead and are alive were Enemies and are reconciled But it is with spiritual honour that this day is to be honoured not with feasting profuse drinking of Wine much less with drunkenness and dancing c. Chrysost Serm. de Eleemosyna I shall close up this with a later witness of the worth of the Sabbath yet not to be contemned it being the testimony of a very learned man and Martyr of Jesus Christ His words are these The Sabbath is the School-day wherein we are to come to the Lords School to be acquainted with the Lords law and will When therefore the Sabbath is so much commended in the Old Testament the Lords School is especially commended The Vniversity not of Plato or Aristotle but of the Omnipotent God is commended The knowledge of the Law and the understanding of the Covenant of God with Man is commended What was spoken therefore of the City of God we may apply to his Sabbath Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou day of God Nor is there any thing on Earth liker Heaven then the enjoyment and we may say the beat fiâ—al Vision of God on that day in those publike Ordinances and private Spiritual Exercises and Addresses unto which devout Christians devote themselves which may be confirmed unto us by this That the heavenly State and the weekly day of publique and private Worship go under one and the same name that is both are said to be a keeping of a Sabbath Heaven being in this here as that shall be in Heaven hereafter There followeth 4. The Judgements of God threatned against and inflicted upon Sabbath-profaners Here I shall make use of the Text in hand and Nehemiahs relation v. 18. which sheweth that their Sabbath-profanation was not only evil in them but was and they might fear it would be very evil to them The judgement described in this Scripture hath four sad things in it 1. It is hereditary As when a disease is hereditary and passeth from Father to child the pain of that disease is hereditary also so is it in this case Did not your Fathers do thus And where the sin is continued the judgement is entailed yea it is said further Did not God bring this evil upon us When there is a generation of Sabbath-breakers they pay for their Fathers sin and their own both together as it was in this long captivity And now they had cause to fear further judgement They being risen up in their Fathers stead an increase of sinful men to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel Numb 32. 14. 2. It is very harmful It is not only said this evill but all this evil for God chastiseth his people as their Congregation hath heard And they had heard besides what they heard at other times a little before these utmost miseries that the Lord for not hallowing the Sabbath would kindle a fire in the palaces of Jerusalem which should burn seventy years together and not be quenched We find in former times how severe the sentence of God himself was upon him that did but gather sticks on the Sabbath day And about the same time when they greatly polluted the Lords Sabbaths he said He would powr forth his fury upon them to destroy them in the Wildernesse wherein there were mighty slaughters made of them but all that evill was little to all this evill Neh. 9. 32. 36 37. for the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people saith the Prophet is greater then the punishment of the sin of Sodom that was overthrown in a moment And again Behold and see if there be any sorrow like my sorrow Godly Magistrates make laws for the holy observation of Gods holy day and ungodly Officers leave them unexecuted but the Supream Power will look to it and the highest God will animate his Laws by Executions which should make all of us fear and tremble and say If we rebell to day and Sabbath-breaking is Rebellion Ezek. 20. 13. Exod. 16. 28. God will be wroth to morrow Yea and that with the whole Congregation For 3. It is diffusive It spreads far Here is wrath Upon Israel Woe to him that commits Folly in Israel For that 's a people near to God and therefore should not be defiled So woe to him that brings trouble on Israel which Achan found for Israel is a people dear to God and therefore he would not have them to be wasted and consumed by those sins that send for general judgments An Ague is one thing the Pestilence another he that brings the Plague into a City may be an instrument of much mortality and misery Now Sabbath-pollutions are pestilential that is they destroy many and make havock in Israel They that set a City on fire are most mischievous persons to be an Incendiary is a name of infamy but Sabbath-breakers set the whole Nation on fire and for their sakes amongst other notorious and Israel-ruining sinners Zion is plowed as a field and Jerusalem becomes heaps for by reason of this sin God threatens such fury as shall consume his people and that he will accomplish his anger against them Ezek. 20. 13 21. 4. It is cumulative that is profaning the Sabbath layes on more weight on those who are heavy laden with the burthen of judgement already For here it is said by them that had been very long in a very sad condition Ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath-day There 's never so much affliction but God can send more and being further provoked by this sin he will send more seven times more They that be in a prosperous estate should keep the Sabbath that they may keep well when it is well and they that be in an evil case should keep it to prevent their being in a worse The wrath of the King of Heaven is as the roaring of a Lyon and more wrath is as a more dreadful roaring the fore-runner of renting Judg. 14. 5. with Hos 13. 8. In all this it is to be remembred that the fourth Commandement still continuing as there is now also a weekly Sabbath-day so there is a like Sabbath-danger
we may not therefore shift or shake off the former threats and judgements as not belonging to these times but rather consider that Whatsoever things were written or acts of divine Justice recorded aforetime were written for our learning and all those things which befel the transgressors of the Law of the Ten Commandements in former ages of the World happened to them us Types that is they are our examples and warnings and plainly lay before us what we also must expect to suffer if we do as they did even we upon whom the ends of the world are come for like sin like judgement Nor can any just reason be given why judgements of old for the breach of the fourth Commandement should not be our admonitions as well as those for the breach of the second Commandement which Paul mentioneth because there is not only much of that which is positive and not so clearly natural belonging to the second as well as to the fourth Commandement but also it is evident that as the second Precept for the way of Religion so the fourth for the Day is written among the Ten words of the Moral and ever-abiding Law of God with the finger of God himself Exod. 31. 18. That which remaineth to incite to Sabbath-sanctity is 5. The blessing and promises of God annexed and assured to that Day and the Observers ther of It is said in the Commandement The Lord blessed the Sabbath day It 's true that he blessed that seventh day whereon he rested but not as a Seventh day but as a Sabbath day and so the blessing is entailed as it were and passeth from the Jews Sabbath on the Christian Sabbath Now what is the meaning of this blessing but that it was Gods mind that it should be honourable and glorious amongst and have singular priviledge preheminency above other days for which end therefore he sanctified it that is set it apart to be wholly consecrated to Him and to his holy Service In which way it is not only lift up and honored above other dayes and so a blessed day but is a blessed day also to the people of God by the use and benefit of his Ordinances Psal 65. 4. wherein a blessedness is laid up In regard of this Prerogative of the day of Rest and Holiness a Christian seeing that day approach hath great cause to say with an holy chearfulness Come in thou blessed of the Lord And they that appear before God on that day to receive soul-sustenance from him may say within themselves as David's servants that sought bodily relief Let us now find favour in thine eyes for we are come in a good day in the Lords great Feast-day wherein they of his Family even the whole Houshold of Faith are abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house and are made to drink of the river of his pleasures It 's a day wherein we may be spiritually enriched for it is a blessed day the blessing of the Lord maketh rich It is a day wherein the people of God meeting and being united together in his service God commandeth the blessing Psal 133. 3. And wherein from our great Lord and head glorious high Priest the Oyl of Grace runs down abundantly as Aarons Oyl sometimes did to the very skirts that is to the very lowest of his true Members to make them joyful for it is the Oyl of gladness Psal 45. 7. and as the dew of Hermon to make them fruitful Psal 133. 1 2 3. The prerious promises inviting to and incouraging in the Sanctification of the Sabbath are presented to us from the mouth of the Lord by the Prophet Isaiah chap. 58. 13. 14. which Text of Scripture is so often made use of in this argument of the Sabbath that I cannot leave it though I have spoken much more then I thought to have done already withour looking a little into it For which purpose I shall 1. Speak something to both the verses in general 2. And something to that Sabbath-Piety described v. 13. 3. And then come to the Sabbath-promises v. 14. 1. Of the Text in general Wherein two things lie in the way to hinder the use that divers godly and learned Writers have made of it for establishing the Lords Sabbath-day now the Lords day 1. Some hold that the Sabbath is here named by way of allusion and by a Synechdoche and that the thing intended and designed in that description v. 13. and so in the promise v. 14. is to take men off from their own wits and wayes and to stir them up to obedience and holiness in the whole course of their lives And the truth is that in the Sabbath all Religion is wrapt up for God is eminently acknowledged worshipped professed and praised as the three first Commandements require upon that day And all other Commandements are better observed by the good knowledge of God dispensed and dispersed then especially in the Ministry of the Word acquainting men with their duties towards God and Man But we may not mistake here for albeit it be supposed that all Religion is spoken to yet it doth not follow from thence that the Sabbath day in the setting forth whereof the Text is so full is to be excluded nay rather it is thereby the better established As when a Father takes order in his last Will that his Son shall go to the University his meaning is that his Son shall be a Scholar but withall his mind is that he shall go to the University because that 's the way to make him a Scholar and therefore he expresseth nothing but that for that contains the other So it is here We may observe casting our eye upon this whole chapter that as in the former part of it the Prophet shewed their Religion was not to be placed in fasting so here he declareth that the observation of the Sabbath is not to be placed in resting to which the Jews used to ascribe so much but in the spiritual sanctification of that rest which indeed hath and ought to have an influence and to extend its vertue into our whole life to make it the more holy But now mark that as the Prophet before in his Doctrine of a Fast and his disciplining of their Fast did not exclude the day of their Fast and the observation thereof but saith plainly In the day of your Fast v. 3. so neither doth he here where he delivereth the doctrine of the Sabbath shut out the day of the Sabbath but only sheweth that the Rest and leisure of that day is to be bestowed in spiritual things appertaining to the substance and tending to the furtherance of true Religion 2. Some others may say that if the Text be to be understood of the weekly Sabbath yet it speaks to the Jews only not to us and of their day not of ours Unto which it may suffice to say that as the fourth Commandement belongs to us
Men that are every day abroad in the world and still receive wounds have more need of medicines laid up in the Soul-healing Scriptures Answ 3. Now for that part of the Objection wherein living in the world is spoken of all Christians are to be admonished to take heed that they cloke not their negligence and listlesness to the reading of the Word by the pretence of necessity nor shut out Piety by the argument or rather the imagination of Poverty All such things are answered in our Saviours counsel and direction for the best way of thriving in the world which is this Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you They that say Give us this day our dayly bread before they say Thy Kingdom come may thank themselves if they want the comfort both of that Bread and that Kingdom neither of them being sought in their due place Object 3. But what shall we do that are altogether unlearned and cannot read Answ 1. If you might have learned to read when you were little and would not account it your sin and repent of it and pray God to supply that want otherwise but if you had no means to enable you to read look upon that as your affliction which affliction those careless Parents provide for their children who will not learn them to read in their childhood when they may so easily do it Answ 2. Many there are that being grown up and desirous to read have learned and do learn to read that blessed Book of God If it be more hard for them to learn then for children as indeed it is yet desire and pains prayer may and do overcome the difficulty Say with tears Lord though I be not worthy to open and to read the Book neither to look thereon yet let free grace help and by weeping and praying out of ardent desire to see with thine own eyes the wonders of Gods Word thou mayst well hope God will satisfie thine hungry and thirsty Soul Mat. 5. 6. Answ 3. If thou canst not attain to read thy self yet hear those that can yea strive and take a course to hear them like that poor blind woman in the Book of Martyrs that being uncapable of learning to read her self because she was blind gave a peny or two pence to one another telling them aforehand how much they should read to her upon a price whereby she so profited that she was able to recite many Chapters of the New Testament and to plead for that true Religion for which she was at last a blessed sufferer in those Popish flames They that cannot attain to read have this comfort that it is said not only Blessed is he that readeth but it is added also And blessed are they that hear the words of this Prophesie Hear therefore diligently and write yea desire God to write what thou nearest in thy heart and when it is there read it over and over again by serious meditation Psal 62. 11. Object 4. Though I do read yet I cannot understand What profit is there in it then Answ So the Eunuch might say and did say How can I understand without a Guide But first this is an argument to thee against hearing it read as well as against reading thy self and so thou will shut out both Secondly Many things in Scripture thou mayest and doest understand Thirdly There are two reasons of reading the one is because thou doest understand the other that thou maist understand know therefore that reading what thou doest not understand with a desire to understand is a good way to have a Philip sent unto thee or to move the Lord to move thee to go to a Philip that so thou mayest understand yea Ministers are every where sent to help thee and cause thee by giving the sense to understand the reading And Fourthly If Christ know thou art desirous to know he will help thee to learn and that so as thou shalt see cause to say at last Lord now speakest thou plainly to me in thy Word and speakest no proverb John 16. 17 27. Object 5. But I come weary home with work Will you put me to reading then Answ First Our Saviour shews us that a Servant that comes weary from work is call'd to wait upon his Master before he eat and drink himself Luk. 17. 7 8. and that may teach us that we may not neglect rhe service of our great Lord though we come from the field weary Secondly Reading some part of Scripture is a work of another kind and may be accounted a recreation in regard of hard bodily labour Thirdly There is also a time after labour of refreshing in the use of the creatures by which nature may be so recovered as to be fitted for reading Fourthly He works very hard that will not read a Letter from his Friend from his Prince before he takes his rest If any say The case is not alike for such Letters as come to our hand day by day we have not seen before and therefore we read them without delay but having once perused them we do not still read them Now the Bible we read sometimes our selves and we hear it read often no need therefore to be ever reading it To this I answer that they that read the Book of God well and they that read it most will never make this objection for they know by good experience that the holy Scripture is so full and fathomless that every new reading of it with reverence and lifting up their hearts to God that he would open their eyes to see wonders out of his Word I say every such new reading of it brings a new light into the understanding a new heat into the heart and affections and puts a new life into an holy life As for those who know not this let them betake themselves to the diligent and dutiful reading of Scripture that they may at length know it And they that look upon reading as the receiving of their food will be ready to read often as they receive often the same sort of food The truth is Mens fasting takes away their stomack I mean it is their not reading that makes them unwilling to read for duties well performed bring in that delight which will make them still and make them easily performed To him that hath shall be given Luk. 8. 18. Lay aside therefore dear Christians all carnal excuses and do not use your Bible as you do your better clothes that is on the Lords-day and then lay it aside till the next Lords-day but look upon the words of Gods mouth as Job did that is as upon yea esteeming them more then your necessary food and that will be a motive to you to use it as you do your food to read ordinarily as you feed ordinarily that is twice a day though something may
more particularly note out a teaching by way of repetition and going over and over again as men do with Knives when they whet them that so as the Knife by such whetting is more keen and fit to cut so religious Instructions by often turning and returning them on the ears and tongues of children may pierce more deeply into their hearts for their better understanding and affecting of them Parents and those over others like the Heavens over our heads should be still as there is occasion and opportunity distilling and dropping down heavenly Instructions from their own understandings and hearts into their houses and upon their children and inferiours that so they may sink soak by little and little into their hearts for abundant after-fruit And I mention Inferiours that is others that are under the care and charge of Housholders together with Children because of that which is observed on this place out of the Hebrew Doctors to wit that though only children or sons are here named yet under this name they understand not the natural Sons only but Scholars also or Disciples because in Scripture Disciples are called Sons as the Sons of the Prophets so Solomon in the Book of the Proverbs still saith My Son And the extending of the command thus far is favoured by the words following Thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house walkest by the way sittest down risest up and why thus in the house but that the whole house may be edified whilest the holy light of Knowledge in Parents and Housholders is not put under a Bushel but by their Catechising set up in a Candlestick that it may enlighten the whole house which is further also confirmed by the approved example of Abraham in the story of whose Catechising not only his children are mentioned but his houshold also is added Gen. 18. 19. The other Text that I shall alleadge out of the Old Testament is Prov. 22. 6. Train up a child in the way he should go or as it is in the Margin in his way This Precept is well and plainly expressed thus Teach a Boy in the first Principles to wit of the Doctrine of Christ Train him up or as it is in the Margent of our Bibles Catechise him The Hebrew word signifieth the doing of the first things in any thing more particularly it is used for the instructing of others or the entring of them in or delivering to them the first elements and grounds especially of Religion to which it is here applyed It is rendred therefore by some Initiate a child or dedicate him to God being yet a child For further opening hereof It may not be amiss to observe that in former times they did use to dedicate unto God holy things by a sacred Dedication with certain sacred Rites and Ceremonies as the House of God 2 Chron. 7. 7. the Wall of Jerusalem Neh. 12. 27. especially the Altar Numb 7. 8. 2 Chron. 7. 9. So Judas and his Brethren with the whole Congregation of Israel ordained that the Feast of Dedication for the Altar they had newly set up should be kept from year to year 1 Mac. 4. 59. which we find in our Saviours time observed and countenanced with his presence Joh. 10. 22. Yea of old they did use to dedicate their own houses also with a more common but yet religious and pious Dedication as we see David did Psal 30. title to wit as accounting God himself the Lord of their Houses and themselve his Tenants at Will who were therefore to use their Houses as His and according to his will The substance of this we may say concerns us in these times also Now to apply this As godly men in former times have dedicated both holy things and their houses unto God when they were first made and set up so should Christian Parents look upon their children when they are newly brought into the world as those whom by their timely Teaching and Catechising they are to dedicate and consecrate unto that God from whom they have them Yet There is no cause so to limit it to little children or to Parents children as that it should not be extended to other young ones though not so young in the Family since the word that is rendred a child here is translated well otherwhere a young man And indeed Housholders are not only the Fathers of their children but of the Family The servant doth by good reason call the Master Father and that Father should instruct such sons in a way beseeming their age However the duty will further appear by proceeding further in the forecited Text which teacheth to train up a child in the way he should go or as it is in the Hebrew in the mouth of his way that is in the beginning or entry of his worldly race for so the Gate through which persons first enter into the City is called in Scripture the mouth of the City Others explain it thus according to the mouth of his way that is that measure of apprehension and that degree of capacity which he hath in his first entry into his way without delaying till he be grown up or pressing him above that which his age is able to reach Begin with him then as he is able to receive and conceive of things in those beginnings Heb. 6. 1. which hold forth the first light to guide him in his way for Understanding Piety and godly Behaviour is the way even of Younglings and being so it is good to set them forward in so happy a journey in the morning that they may take the whole day beforethem Object But a child hath not so much understanding as to receive and repeat with reverence the things of God and so the Catechising of him will be the taking of Gods Name in vain which is a plain sin Answ If this must hinder Catechising Who knows how long it will be hindred for even children well grown up being not catechised before are not like at their first teaching so to understand what is said to them as to recite and repeat it with due reverence It may something help in this that we find Christ himself instructing Nicodemus in the mystery of Regeneration when he was able to return him only this sorry and unbeseeming Answer How can a man be born again when he is old can he enter the second time into his mothers womb Yea after that we find our Saviour delivering a divine truth to those that were known to be his Disciples and who still accompanyed him and repeated themselves what he spake to them in the very same words wherein he delivered it and yet when all was done confessed they could not tell what he said yet we may not say that by reason of that their ignorance they took that Name of God in vain which is imprinted on every Word of God