had faith they should not doubt of their iustification nor of Gods love to them in Christ But many doubt that they have no faith or if they have any it is so little that it cannot be sufficient to carry them through all oppositions to the end unto salvation First if you have any faith though no more then as a graine of Mustard-seed you should not feare your finall estate nor yet doubt of Gods love for it is not the great quantitie and measure of faith that saveth but the excellent property and use of faith if it be true though never so small For a man is not saved by the worth of his faith by which he beleeveth but by the worth of Christ the person on whom hee beleeveth Now the least true faith doth apprehend whole Christ as a little hand may hold a Iewel of infinite worth as well though not so strongly as a bigger The least infant is as truly a man as soone as ever it is endued with a reasonable soule as afterward when it is able to shew forth the operations of it though not so strong a man even so it is in the state of Regeneration Now you should consider that God hath Babes in Christ as well as â—ld men feeble minded as well as strong sicke children as well as whole in his familie And those that have least strength and are weakest of whom the holy Ghost saith they have a little strength in comparison yet they have so much as through God will enable them in the time of greatest trials to keepe Gods Word and that they shall not deny Christs Name Also know God like a tender father doth not cast off such as are little feeble and weake but hath given speciall charge concerning the cherishing supporting and comforting of these rather than others And Christ Iesus hee will blow up and not quench the least sparke of faith This which I have said in commendation of little faith is onely to keepe him that hath no more from despaire Let none herby please or content himselfe with his little faith not striving to grow and be strong in faith If he do it is to be feared that he hath none at all or if he have yet he must know that hee will have much to doe to live when he hath no more than can keepe life and soule together and his life will be very unprofitable and uncomfortable in comparison of him that hath a strong faith But you will say you are 1 so full of feares and doubtings 2 you are so fearefull to dye and to heare of our comming to iudgement and 3 you cannot feele that you have faith you cannot feele joy and comfort in beleeving wherefore you feare you have no faith First if you having so sure a word and promise doe yet doubt and feare so much as you say it is your great sinne and I must blame you now in our Saviours name as he did his Disciples then saying Why are you fearefull why are yee doubtfull O yee of little faith But to your reformation and comfort observe it he doth not argue them to be of no faith but onely of little faith saying O yee of little faith Thus you see that some feares and doubtings doe not argue no faith Secondly Touching feare of death and judgement some feare doth not exclude all faith Many out of their naturall constitution are more fearefull of death than others Yea pure nature will startle and shrink to think of the separation of two so neare and so ancient and such deare friends as the soule and body have been Good men such as David and Hezekiah have shewed their unwillingnesse to die And many upon a mistaking conceiving the pangs and paines of death in the parting of the soule out of the body to be most torterous and unsufferable are afraid to dye Whereas unto many the neerer they are to their end the lesse is their extremitie of paine and very many goe away in a quiet swoone without paine And as for being moved with some feare at the thought of the day of Iudgement who can thinke of that great appearance before so glorious a Maiesty such as Christ shall appeare in to answer for all the things he hath done in his body without trembling The Apostle calleth the thoughts thereof the terror of the Lord. Indeede to bee perplexed with the thoughts of the one or other argueth imperfection of faith and hope but not an utter absence of either You have other and better things to doe in this case than to make such dangerous conclusions viz. that you have no faith c. upon such weake grounds You should rather when you feele this over-fearefulnesse to die and come to Iudgement labour to finde out the ground of your error and study and indevour to reforme it Vnwillingnesse to dye may come from these causes First From too high an estimation and from too great a love to earthly things of some kinde or other which maketh you afraid and too loath to part with them Secondly You may bee unwilling to die because of ignorance of the super abundant and inconceivable excellencies of the happinesse of Saints departed which if you knew you would bee willing Thirdly Feare of death and comming to Iudgement doth for the most part rise from a conscience guilty of the sentence of condemnation being without assurance that when you dye you shall goe to heaven Wherefore if you would be free from troublesome feare of death and Iudgement Learne 1 to thinke meanely and basely of the world in comparison of those better things provided for them that love God and use all things of the world accordingly without setting your heart upon them as if you used them not 2 While you live here on earth take your selves aside oft times in your thoughts and enter into heaven and contemplate deeply the ioyes thereof 3 Give all diligence to make your calling and election and right unto heaven sure unto your selves But let me give you this needfull Item that you be willing and ready to judge it to be sure when it is sure and when you have cause so to judge Let your care bee onely to live well joyning unto faith vertue c. and you cannot but dye well Death at first appearance like a Serpent seemeth terrible but by faith you may see this Serpents sting taken out which when you consider you may for your refreshing receive it into your bosome The sting of death is sinne the strength of sinne is the Law but the Law of the spirit of life in Christ hath freed you from the law of sinne and of death I confesse that when you see this pale horse death approaching it may cause nature to shrinke but when you consider that his errant is to carry you with speede unto your desired home unto a state of glory how can you
with God out of Phil. 4 5. Now out of those Sermons and from fresh meditations and collections I have compiled into a short sum so much as I thinke may be sufficient to satisfie your desire touching these demands The best way to please God and the nearest readiest way to heaven also to get a chearefull and quiet heart in the mean time till you come thither is To walke with God in vprightnes being carefull in nothing but in every thing by prayers and supplications with thankesgiving to make your requests knowne unto God Whiâ—â— if you doe The peace of God â—â—ich passeth all understanding shall so establish and guard your heart and mind in and through Christ Iesus that you may live in an Heaven upon earth and may bee ioyous and comfortable in all estates and conditions of life whatsoeuer That you should walke with God in vprightnes is commended to you in the cloud of Examples of Enoch Noah Iob David Zacharias and Elizabeth with many other renowned in Scripture And is commanded to Abraham and in him to all the faithfull Gen. 17. 1. To live by faith which is to frame your life according to the will of GOD revealed in his Word the obiect of faith and to walke with God are all one Enoch was said to have walked with GOD what was this else but to beleeve and rest on God whereby he pleased him For according to what we live according to that we are said to walke The morall actions of mans life are aptly resembled by the Metaphor of Walking which is a moving from one place to another No man while â—e liveth here is at home in the â—lace where he shall be There â—â—e two coÌ„trary homes to which every man is alwaies going either to Heaven or to Hell Every â—…ction of man is one pace or step whereby he goeth to the one place or the other The holinesse or wickednesse of the action is the â—everal way to the place of happinesse or place of Torment So that Gods owne children while they live in this world as pilgrims and strangers are but in the way not in the Countrey which they seeke which is heavenly This life of saith and holinesse what is it but a going out of a mans selfe and a continuall returning to God from the way of â—in and death and a setled going forward in all those acts of obedience which God hath ordained to be the way for al his children to walk in vnto eternal life A godly life is said to be a walking with God in respect of foure things that concur thereunto First whereas by sinne we naturally are departed from God and have gone away from his waies which he hath appointed for us we by the new and living way of Christs death and resurrection and by the new and living workâ— of Christs spirit are brought neare to God and are set in the wayes of God by Repentance from dead works and by faith towards God in Christ Iesus which are the first principles of true Religion necessarily to be presupposed to be the first steps in this walking with God Now to beleeue to continue in the faith is to walke in Christ therefore to walke with God Secondly the revealed will of God is called Gods way because in it God doth as it were come forth of the secret of his holy Maiesty to shew his people their 〈…〉 to him so takes them aâ—… to himselfe according to â—…t in the Ps Righteousnes shall before him and shall set us in the 〈…〉 of his steps Now this way of righteousnesse revealed in the â—…ord is the rule of a godly life â—ee which walketh according â—â— God 's law is said to walk beâ—â—re God compare 1 King 8. 25. with 2 Chr. 6. 16. So that he which walketh according to Gods wil in the passages turâ—ings of his life keeping himselfe to this rule walketh with God Thirdly he that liveth a godly life walketh after the Spirit not after the flesh Hee is led by the Spirit of God having him for his guide wherfore in this respect â—he is said to walke with God Fourthly that a man may live godly it is requisite that by the eye of saith he see God present before him in all his actions thinking of him oft vpon al occasions remembring him in his wayes Setting the Lord alwayes before him as David did Seeing him that is invisible as Moses did Doing all things as S. Paul did preach as of God in the sight of God Now hee that so walketh that hee alwayes observeth Gods presence and keepeth him stil in his eye in the course of his life and that not only with a generall habitual but as much as he can with an actual inteÌ„tion to please and glorifie God this man must needs be said to walke with God Would you in a word know when you walke with GOD 1 When you daily goe on to repent of sinnes past beleeve in Christ Iesus for pardon and beleeve his Word for direction 2 When you walk not according to the will of man but of God 3 When you walke not after the flesh but after the spirit 4 When you set God before you walk as in his sight â—…en you walke with before afâ—â—r and according to God That â—ou may walke with God conâ—â—der these arguments farther convince and induce you First you are commanded to â—alke as Christ walked and it concernes you so to doe if you would approve your selfe to be member of his body for it is nonstrous nay impossible that â—he head should go one way and â—he body another Now our Savior observed al the three later â—â—quisiâ—es of walking with God The former namely justifying â—aith and repentance belonging â—ot to him because hee was without Sinne. Secondly it is all which the â—ord requireth of you for al his â—ove goodnesse shewed unto â—on in creating preserving reâ—eeming and saâ—ing you For what doth the Lord require of â—ou but to doe iustly and to love â—ercy and to walke humbly with our God Thirdly if you walke with God and keepe close to him you shall bee sure to goe in the right way in that good old way which is called the way of holinesse in a most streight most neere and to a spirituall man most pleasant way whose paths are peace which endeth in the rest of your soule For God teacheth his children to chuse this way And if they happen to erre or to doubt of their way they shall heare the voyce of Gods Spirit behinde them saying This is the way walke in it Fourthly if you walke with God you shall walke safely you shall not need to feare though ten thousands set themselves against you For his presence is with you and for you His holy Angels encampe about you
your selfe to sleep at night you must as Christ foreshadowed David did have thoughts on â—…d and set him alwayes before 〈…〉 When I awake I am still with 〈…〉 saith David in the night remembred God and his hope 〈…〉 meditation was on Gods word â—…iah in the person of all the â—…hful saith With my soule have â—…sired thee in the night yea with 〈…〉 spirit within me will I seeke â—…e early 〈…〉 In the Instant of awaking let our hart be lift up to God with â— thankfull acknowledgement â—f his mercy to you For it is he â—…at giveth his beloved sleepe â—ho keepeth you both in soule and body while you sleepe Who â—…enueth his mercies every morning for while you sleepe you â—…e as it were out of actuall posâ—â—ssion of your selfe all things â—…se Now it was God that kept â—ou and all that you had restoâ—ing them againe with many â—ew mercies when you wake 2. Arise early in the morning if you be not necessarily hindred following the example of our Savior Christ and of the good housewife in the Proverbs For this ordinarily wil make much for the health of your body and for the thrift both of your temporall and spirituall state for hereby you shall have the day before you and shall gaine the most and the fittest times for exercises of Religion and for the workes of your calling 3. In the time betwixt your awaking and arising if other pertinent profitable thoughts offer not theÌ„selves it will be useful to think upon some of these I must awake from the sleepe of Sinne to Righteousnesse as well as out of bodily sleepe unto labour in my calling The night is far spent the day is at hand I must therefore east off the works of darknesse and put on the armour of light I must walke honestly as in the day I am by the light of grace and kowledge to arise and walke in it 〈…〉 well as by the light of the Sun 〈…〉 walke by it Think also of your waking out of the sleepe of death â—…d out of the graue at the â—…und of the last Trumpet even 〈…〉 your blessed resurrection unto â—…ory at the last day It was one 〈…〉 Davids sweet thoughts speaâ—…ing to God When I awake I â—…ll be satisfied with thy likenesse When you arise and apparell â—our selfe lose not that prime â—ime when your wit is freshest with uncertaine impertiâ—ent boundlesse and fruitlesse â—houghts as it is the fashion of most men and women for to â—oe This is a fit time to thinke upon the cause why you have need of apparell namely the fall and sinne of your first Paâ—ents which from them is derived to you For before their fall their nakednesse was their comelinesse and seeing it they were not ashamed It will likewise be to good purpose to consider what base stuffe thâ— wise providence of God hath appointed to bee the matter oâ— apparell The riâ—ds of plants thâ— skinnes haire or wooll of bruiâ— beasts and the Spittle of thâ— Silkworm very excrements and cast apparell of vnreasonable creatures Which as it doth magnifie the wisdome power and goodnes of God in chusing and turning such meane things to such excellent use so it should humble and keepe downe the pride of man For what man who is in his wits will bee proud of the badge of his shame even of that arparell for which under God he is beholding to very plants and beasts Now also is a good time to cal to mind what rules â—reto be observed that you may apparell your selfe so as becommeth one that professeth godlines namely That your apparell for matter and fashion doc suite with your enerall and speciall calling and â—ith your â—sstate sex and age That your wearing your appaâ—ell be for health honostic and â—comelinesse 3 That you rather goe with 〈…〉 lowest than with the highest of your state and place 4. That the fashion be neither strange immodest singular or â—idiculous 5. That you be not over curions or overlong taking up too much time in putting it on 6 Neither the making nor wearing of your apparell must savour of pride lightnes curiositie lasciâ—iousnesse prodigalitiâ— or base covetousnesse But it must be such as becommeth holinesse wisedome thrift and honesty and such as is well reported of 7 Follow the example of those of your ranke and meanes which are most soâ—er most frugall and most discreet While you apparel your selfe it wil be seasonable and profitable also by this occasion to raise your thoughts and to fixe them upon that your apparell which doth cloath and adorne your inward man which is spirituall and of a divine matter which never is cut of fashion which never weareth out but is alwaies better for the wearing Thinke thus If I goe naked without bodily apparell it will be to the shame of my person and to the hazard of my health and life But how much more will the filthy nakednesse of my soule appeare to the eyes of men of Angels and of God himselfe whose pure eyes cannot abide filthinesse whereby my soule will be exposed to most deadly temptations and my selfe to Gods most severe Iudgements except I have put on and doe keepe on mee the white linnen of Christs Spouse the righteousnesses of the Saints that is Iustification by faith in â—…st and sanctification of every 〈…〉 by the Spirit of Christ â—…nd because every day you â—…be assaulted with the world â—…esh and the devill you shall â—…veli to consider whether you â—…e put on and doe improve 〈…〉 coat of male that complete arâ—… prescribed â—…hen it shall happen that you 〈…〉 use your looking-glasse and â—xperience find that it serveth â—iscover and to direct you â—…w to reforme whatsoever is â—…omely and out of order in â—…r body you may hereby reâ—…mber your selfe of the necessiâ—… and admirable use of the mirâ—…r and glasse of Gods Word and â—…spell of Christ both read and â—…ached for the good of your â—…le For this being understood 〈…〉 beleeved doth not onely â—…w what is amisle in the soule 〈…〉 how it may bee amended 〈…〉 insome measure will enable you to amend for it doth noâ— onely shew you your owne face but the very face and glory 〈…〉 God in Christ â—esus which bâ— reflexe upon you will through the Spirit worke on you a moâ—â— excellent effect than on Mos face in the Mount which yet wâ—… so glorious that the people couâ—… not endure to behold it For 〈…〉 this Gods glory which by faitâ— you behold in the Word yoâ— shall be changed into the same 〈…〉 mage from glory to glory even 〈…〉 by the Spirit of the Lord. Touching these things whicâ— I have prescribed to be though upon when you arise and pâ—… on your apparell in the morning and those other which I shâ—… prescribe when you put off yoâ—… apparel at
way and affoordeth meanes to attain both through the commands and promises thereof in the doctrine of faith and repentance Now therefore bring your self to the Gospell Try your selfe thereby first whether your first faith and repentance were sound then set upon reforming getting pardon of particular and later offences But learne to put a difference betweene the Commandements of the Gospell and of the Law the Law exacteth absolute obedience The gracious Gospell doth through CHRIST accept of the truth of Faith and Repentance so that there be an endevour after their perfection It would be too long to shew you at large the signes of unfained Faith and Repentance I will for the present onely say this Have you been humbled heretofore and through the promises and commandement of the Gospell which biddeth you beleeue have you conceived hope of mercy relying on Christ for it and thereupon have had a â—â—ue change in your whole man so that you make God your utmost end and out of hatred oâ—… and love unto Christ and â—is wayes have had a will in all things to live honestly and to â—…devour in all things to keepe alwayes a good conscience to wards God and man desiring the sincere milke of the Word to grow by it loving the brethren desiring and delighting in communion with them then be you confident that your first faith repentance and new obedience was sound If upon tryall you finde that they were not sound then you must begin now to repent and beleeve it is not yet too late Touching reformation and obtaining of pardon and power of your particular sinnes doe thus Consider the Commandement which biddeth you to repent and amend Consider the Commandements which bid you to come unto Christ when you are weary and beavie laden with your sin beleeving that through him they shall be pardoned and subdued to this end Consider that Christ hath fully satisfied for such and such a sinne yea for all sinne and that you have many promises of grace and forgivenesse yea a promise that God will give you grace to beleeve in him that you may have your sinnes forgiven Consider that there is vertue and power in Christs death and resurrection appliable by faith through his holy Spirit for the mortifying the old man of sinne and quickning the new man in grace as well as merit to take away the guilt and punishment of your sinne Improve this power of Christ in you unto an actuall breaking off your sinnes and living according to the wil of Christ which is done by mortifying the old man of sinne and by strengthning the new and inner man of grace In mortifying your sinne doe thus Take all your sinnes especially your bosome sins those to which the disposition of your nature and condition of your place doth most incline you your strongest and Captaine sinnes and with them the body of corruption in you the originall and mother-sinne smite at them strike at the very roote arraigne them condemne them in your selfe dragge them all to the Crosse of Christ and nayle them thereunto that is by Faith see them all nayled with Christ to the Crosse whereon he was crucified and beleeve that not onelyin respect of their guilt but also of their raigning power they are al crucified with him dead and buried as is signified to you lively in your Baptisme When you see that your old man is crucified with Christ that the body of sinne should be destroyed you will take courage against sinne and will refuse to serve it sith by Christ you are freed from the dominion of it When you thus by faith put on the Lord Iesus Christ you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Grieve heartily for your sinnes conceive deadly hatred against them displeasure against your selfe for them These like a corrasiue will eate out the core and heart of sinne Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it but be sober in the use of all earthly things this by little and little will starve sinne Avoid all obiects and occasions of sinne yea abstaine from the appearance of it this wil disarme sinne When you feele any motion unto sinne whether it rose from within or came from without resist it speedily and earnestly by the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God as your Saviour did and as Ioseph did for which cause it must dwell plentifully in you Thus you shall kill sinne That you may strengthen the inner man by the Spirit whereby you may not onely mortifie the deeds of the flesh but bring forth the fruits of the Spirit doe thus First Apply Christ risen from the dead for you particularly beleeving that God by the same power quickneth you and raiseth you together with Christ to walke in newnes of life reckoning your selfe now to be alive unto God being dead unto sinne become the servant of righteousnesse This beleeving in Christ embracing and relying upon the precious promises of the Gospell doth draw downe Christ into your heart and doth more and more incorporate you into him by it he by his Spirit dwelleth in you wherby of his life grace you receive life and grace and so as the Apostle saith are made partaker of the divine nature flying the corruption which is in the world through lust Affect your heart with ioy unspeakeable and with peace in beleeving considering that you are iustified through our Lord Iesus Christ this Ioy of the Lord as a cordiall will exceedingly strengthen grace in the inner man Take heed of quenching or grieving the Spirit but nourish it by the frequent use of holy meditation prayer hearing and reading of the Word receiving the Sacraments by a Christian Communion with such as feare God and by following the motions of the Spirit of God which you shall know to be from it when the thing wherunto it mooveth is both for matter circumstance according to the Scripture the Word of the Spirit This is to be led of the Spirit and this will be to walke in the Spirit and then you shal not fulfil the lusts of the flesh Vpon your fasting day you shal doe well to renew your Covenant with God and in some cases so that it be done advisedly to enter into a particular vow to leave some grosse sinne with the occasions of it and to doe some necessary neglected dutie and to embrace all furtherances thereof This also will much strengthen your resolution against sinne and for holinesse There remaineth yet one principall work wherein a chiefe busines of the day of your fast lyeth for which all formerly spoken to maketh way and by which with the former meanes you may attaine to true reformation of your selfe reconciliation with your
of worke be done whether servile or any other Quest But are we under the Gospell tied unto as strict a rest as the Iewes Answ We are bound to keepe as strict and as holy a Rest as the fourth Commandement tied them but not to that strictnesse which some appendixes to the Law which were onely Ceremoniall or Iudiciall did binde them such as dressing their meat on the Eve not kindling a fire putting a man to death for gathering sticks c. These as it is probable were not onely peculiar to the Iews but for that present time onely while they were in the Wildernes and lived upon Manna And forbidding to kindle a fire seemeth to be a speciall restraint for that time to shew that God preferred the holy keeping of the Sabbath before the materiall building of his Tabernacle whereabout the kindling of fire was needfull see Exod. 31. 7. 14. and chapt 35. 2. 3. 5. c. But if these bound the Iewes at all times then they were part of that yoke and pâ—dagogie of the Iewes of which Peter saith neither they nor their fathers were able to beare all which were done away in Christ and doe not binde us Fourthly it is not enough that you observe a rest but you must keepe an holy Rest Which that you may doe you must in your awaking put difference between it and other dayes not thinking on worldly busines no more then will serve for a generall providence to preserve them from hurt or losse Both in your lying awake and rising this morning make use of the directions before shewing you how to awake and rise with God Rise early if it will stand with your health and not binder your fitnesse for spirituall exercises through drowsinesse afterward that you may shewforth Gods loving kindnes in the morning Double your devotions on the Lords day as the Iewes did their morning and evening sacrifice on the Sabbath day Prepare your selfe for the publike holy services by reading by meditation and by casting away all filthinesse that is repenting of every grosse sinne and casting away the abounding of naughtinesse that is let no sinne be allowed or suffered to reigne in you Then pray for your selfe and for the Minister that GOD would give him a mouth to speake and you an heart to heare as you both ought to doe All this before you shall assemble in the Congregation Being thus prepared bring your people with you to the Church Ioyne with the Minister and Congregation Set your selfe as in the speciall presence of God following the example of good Cornelius with all reverence attending and consenting saying Amen with understanding faith and affection to the prayers uttered by the Minister attending unto beleeving and obeying whatsoever by the Minister is commanded you from GOD. Afterward by meditation by conference and if you have opportunity by repetitions call to minde and wisely and firmely lay up what you have learned The like care must be had before at and after the Evening exercise If Baptisme be administred stay and attend unto it 1 To honor that holy Ordinance with the greater solemnity 2 And in charity to the persons to be Baptised joyning with the Congregation in heart prayer for them and in a joyfull receiving them into the Communion of the visiblë Church 3 Also in respect of your selfe For hereby you may call to mind your owne Baptisme in which you did put on Christ which also doth lively represent the death buriall and resurrection of Christ together with your crucifying the affections and lusts being dead and buried with him unto sinne and rising with him to newnesse of life and to hope of glory understanding clearly that the Bloud and Spirit of Christ signified by waeter doth cleanse you from the guilt dominion of sin to your Iustification and Sanctification Remembring moreover that by way of Sealing your Baptisme did in particular exhibit and apply to you that beleeve Christ with all the benefits of the CovenaÌ„t of grace ratified in his blood minding you also of this that it doth not onely seale Gods promises of forgivenesse grace and salvation to you but that also it sealeth and bindeth you to the performance of your promise and vow of faith and obedience which is the branch of the Covenant to be performed according as was professed on your part Recourse to your Baptisme is an excellent strengthner of your weake faith and an occasion of renewing of your vow you having broken it and of resisting temptations considering that they are against your promise and vow in Baptisme When there is a Communion receive it as oft as without interrupting the order of the Church in populous Congregations you may But be carefull to receive it worthily It is not enough that you be borne within the Covenant and that you have beene Baptised but you must have knowledge of the nature of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper both that it is by divine institution and that it is a signe and seale of the righteousnesse of faith signifying to you by the breaking and giving of the bread and by pouring out and delivering the wine the wounding bloud-shedding and death of Christ in whom the Covenant of grace is established presenting also and sealing unto you by the elements of bread and wine the very body and bloud of Christ with all the benefits of the new Covenant of which you receive indeed livery and seizon in the act of receiving by Faith whereby you also grow into a neerer union with Christ your head and communion with all his members your brethren Besides there must be a speciall preparation by examining your selfe making your peace with God before you receive which that you may the better doe read Chap. 5. Sect. 2. Also make your peace at least be at peace and in charity with your neighbour by an hearty acknowledging your fault so far as is fit and making recompence if you have done him wrong and by forgiving and forbearing revenge if he have done you wrong In the act of administring and receiving joyne in confession and prayers and attend to the actions of the Minister when he breaketh the bread powreth out the wine and by blessing setteth it apart for holy use by faith behold Christ by representation wounded bleeding and crucified before your eyes for you looking upon him whom your sinnes condemned and pierced to the death rather than his accusers Pilat and those which nailed him to the Crosse and which ran a speare into his side who were though malicious but instruments of that punishment which Cod with other tokens of his wrath did execute upon him though in himselfe a Lambe without spot justly for your sin he being your surety This looking upon him whom you have pierced should partly dissolve you into an holy griefe for sinne
but chiefly considering that by this his passion he hath made full satisfaction for you and withall seeing God and Christ himself by the hand of his Minister truely giving Christs â—…ery body and bloud sacramentally to signifie and seale it unto you it should raise your heart â—o an holy admiration of the love of God and of Christ and it â—hould stirre you up in the very â—ct of taking the bread and wine 〈…〉 a reverend and thankefull reâ—â—iving of this his body and bloud 〈…〉 faith discerning the Lords boâ—…e gathering assurance hereby â—…at now all enmitie betweene â—…od and you is done away and â—…at you by this as by spirituall â—…od and life shall grow up in â—…m with the rest of his mystiâ—…ll body unto everlasting life After that you have received untill you bee to joyue in pubâ—…ke prayse and prayers affect â—…ur heart with ioy and thankefulness in the assurance of the pardon of all your sinnes and of salvation by Christ yea more than if you being a bankrupt should receive an acquittance sealed of the Release of all your debts and with it a Wil and Testament wherein you should have a Legacie of no lâ—sse than a Kingdome sâ—aled with such a seale as doth give cleare proofe of the fidelitie ability and death of the Testator or then it having been a traitour you should receive a free and sulâ— pardon from the King seaâ—ed with his own seale together with an Assurance that â—â—â—aâ—h adopted you to bee his câ—ild to be married to his sonne the hâ—ire of the Crowne This is your case when by faith you receive the bread wine the body and bloud of the Lord. Thinkâ— thus therefore with joy and rejoycing in God oh how happiâ—… am I in Christ my Saviour Gâ—… who hath given him to death foâ—… me and also given him to me how shal he not with him give me all things also even whatsoever may pertaine to life godlinesse and glory Who shall lay any thing to my charge c Who or what can separate me from the love of CHRIST c Resolve withall upon a constant and an unfained endevour to performe all duties becomming one thus acquitted thus redeemed pardoned and advanced and this in token of thankfulnesse even to keepe covenants required to be performed on your part undoubtedly expecting whatsoever God hath covenanted and sealed on his part Ioyne in publike prayse and prayer heartily and in a liberall contribution to the poore if there be a Collection After the Sacrament If you feele your faith strengthned and your soule comforted nourish it with all thankfulnesse If not yet if your Conscience can witnesse that you endevoâ—ed to prepare as you ought and to receive as you ought be not discouraged but wait for strength and comfort in due time Wee doe not alwaies feele the benefit of bodily food presently but stirring of humors and sense of disease is sometimes rather occasioned yet in the end being well digested it strengthnetâ—â— so â—â— is oft with spirituaâ—l food corruption may stirre and temptations may arise more upon the receiving then before especially sith Satan if it be but to vexe a tender-hearted Christian will â—ereupon take occasioÌ„ to tempt with more violence But if you resist these and stand resolved to obey and to rely upon Gods mercy in Christ this is rather a signe of receiving worthily so long as your desires and resolutions are strengthned and you thereby are made more carefully to stand upon your Watch. Endeavour in this case to digest this spirituall food by further meditation improving that strength you have praying for more strength remembring the Commandement which biddeth you to be strong and you shall be strengthned Lastly If you finde your selfe worse indeed or doe feele Gods heavy hand in speciall sort upon you following upon your receiving and your Conscience can witnesse truly that you came not prepared or that you did wittingly and carelesly faile in such or such a particular in receiving it is evident you did receive unworthily In which case you must heartily bewaile your sin confesse it to God aske and beleeve that he will pardon it and take heed that you offend not in that kinde another time Vpon the Lords day you must likewise bee readie to visit and relieve the distressed Take some time also this day to looke into your by past life and chiefly to your walking with God the last weeke asbeing in freshest memory and bee sure to set all straight betweene God and you Last of all on every opportunitie take good time to consider Gods workes what they are in themselves what they are against the wicked what they are to the Church and to your selfe and to yours And in parricular take occasion from the Day it selfe to thinke fruitfully of the Creation of your Redemption Sanctification and of your eternall Rest and glory to come For God in his holy wisedome hath sâ—t such a divine print upon this our Lords day that at once it doth minde us of the greatest workes of God which either make for his glory or his Churches good As of the Creation of the World in six dayes hee resting the seventh which specially isattributed to the Father And of mans redemption by Christ of whose resurrection this Day is a remembrance which is specially attributed to the Sonne Also of our sanctification by the Spirit for that the observation of the Sabbath is a signe and meanes of holinesse which worke is specially attributed to the holy Ghost Lastly of your and the Churches glorification which shall be the joynt work of the blessed Trinity when we shal ceasefrom al our works and shall rest and bee glorious with the same glory which our Head Christ hath with the Father to whom be glorie for ever and ever Amen Doe all these with delight raising up your selfe hereby to a greater measure of holinesse and heavenly mâ—naeâ—nesse Doe all this the rather because there is not a clearer signe to distinguish you from one that is prophane than this of conscionable keeping holy the Lords Day Neither is there any ordinarie means of gaining strength and growth of grace in the inward man like this of due observing the Sabbath For this is Gods great Mart or Faire day for the soule on which you may buy of Christ wine milke bread marrow and fatnesse gold white raiment eye-soelve even all things which are necessary and which will satisfie and cause the soule to live It is the speciall day of Gods hearing of suites and receiving petitions It is his speciall day of proclaiming and sealing of Pardons to penitent sinners It is Gods speciall day of publishing and sealing your Patent of eternall life It is a blessed day sanctified for all these blessed purposes Now lest this urging of the moralitie of the Sabbath and so strict an observation of the Lords day in spending the whole day in holy
meditation holy exercises and workes of mercie excepting onely necessary repasts and a generall providence over their estate should be thought as it is by some to be meerely â—ewish and to be onely the private opinion of some few Zelots more nice then wise Know that in all things wherein weâ— are tyed by a commandement common to us and the Iewes to observe that as the Iewes did by vertue of that commandement is not to bee Iewish as to forbeare to kill and to commit adulâ—erie and such like The same reason is for keeping the fourth Commandement which as hath beene proved is one of the Motals Besides know that the observing the Lords day by vâ—rture of the fourth Commandement and the change of the 〈…〉 day unto the Lords day to â—e by divine institution and that it should bee kept strictly holy as I have shewed you is the professed doctrine of this our Church of England And I would that all would know and see that the taking away of the morality of the fourth Commandement unloosing the conscience from the immediate bonds of Gods Commandement and tying the conscience to observe a day for Gods solemne worship only by humane constitution doth overthrow true Religion and the power of Godlinesse and opens a wide gap to Atheisme proâ—anenesse and all licentiousnesse As daily experience doth shew in those Countries where the moralitie of the Sabbath is not maintained and in such places where the Lords Day is not holily and duely observed CHAP. VII Shewing how to end the day with God VVHen you have walked with God from morning untill night whether on a common day a day of Fast or on the Lords Day according to the former directions it remaineth that you conclude the day well when you would give your selfe to rest at night Wherefore First looke backe and take a strict view of your whole carriage that day past Reforme what you finde amisse and rejoyce or be grieved as you finde you have done wel or ill as you have gotten or lost in grace that day Secondly sith you cannot sleep in safetie if God who is your keeper doe not wake and watch for you and though you have God to watch when you sleepe you cannot be safe if hee that watcheth be your enemy Wherfore you shall do wel if at night you not onely conclude the day with your Family by reading some Scripture and by prayer but you must alone renew and confirme your peace with GOD with prayer with like preparation therto as you received directions for the morning commending and committing your selfe to Gods tuition by prayer with thanksgiving before you goe to bed Then shall you lye downe in safety All this being done yet while you are putting off your apparell when you are lying downe and when you are in bed before you sleepe it is good that you commune with your owne heart If other good and apt meditations offer not themselves some of these will be seasonable 1. When you see your selfe stript of your apparell consider what you were at your birth and what you shall be at your death when you put off this earthly Tabernacle if not in the meane time how that you brought nothing into this world nor shall carry any thing out naked you came out of your mothers wombe and naked shall you returne This will be an excellent means to give you sweet content in any thing you have though never so little and in the losse of what you have had though never so much 2. When you lye downe you may thinke of lying downe into your winding-sheete and into your grave For besides that sleepe and the bed doe aptly resemble death and the grave who knoweth when he sleepeth that ever he shall awake againe to this life 2. You may thinke thus also If the Sunne must not goe downe upon my wrath lest it become hatred and so be worse ere morning then it is not safe for me to lye downe in the allowance of any sinne lest I sleepe not onely the sleepe of naturall death but of that which is eternall for who knoweth what anight wil bring forth Now it is an high point of holy wisedome upon all opportunities to thinke of and to prepare for your latter end 4 Consider likewise that if you walke with God in uprightnesse your death unto you is but to fall into a sweet sleepe an entring into rest a resting on your bed for a night untill the glorious morning of your happy Resurrection 5. Lastly if possibly you can fall asleepe out of some heavenly meditation Then will your sleepe be more sweete and more secure your dreams fewer or more comfortable your head will be fuller of good thoughts and your heart will be in better plight when you awake whether in the night or in the morning Thirdly being thus prepared to sleepe you should sleepe onely so much as the present state of your body requireth you must not be like the sluggard to love sleepe neither must you sleepe too much for if you doe that which being taken in its due measure is a restorer of vigor and strength to your body and a quickner of the spirits wil make the spirits dâ—l the braine soâ—tish and the whole body lazie and unhealthy And that which God hath ordained for a furtherance through your sinne shal become an enemy to your corporall and spirituall thrift Thus much of walking with God in all things at all times CHAP. VIII How to walke with God alone SECTION 1. THere is no time wherein you shall not be either alone or in Company in either of which you must walke in all well-pleasing as in the sight of God Touching being alone First Affect not solitarinesse be not alone except you have just cause namely when you set your selfe apart for holy duties and when your needfull occasions do withdraw you for out of these cases two are better then one saith Salomon and woe be to him that is alone 2. When you are alone you must be very watchfull stand upon your guard well armed lest you shall fall into manifold temptations of the Divell For solitarinesse is Satans opportunity which he wil not lose as the manifold examples in Scripture and our daily experience doth witnesse Wherefore you must have a ready eye to observe and an heart ready bent to resist all his assaults And it will now the more concerne you to keep close to God and not lose his company that through the weapons of your Christian warfare you may by the power of Gods might quit your selfe and stand fast 3. Take speciall heede lest when you be alone you your selfe conceive devise or plot any evill to which your nature is then most apt And beware in particular lest you commit alone by your selfe contemplative wickednesse which is when by feeding your fancy and pleasing