Word To this end keep your eyes steddy on the Preacher And as hee passeth from point to point think briefly on the point which is past which will exceedingly help your memory 4 Faith is another virtue requisite to the profitable hearing of the Word I say Faith whereby we do not only beleeve that which is taught us out of the Word to be true but also apply it unto our selves as if it were in special directed unto us The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation saith the Apostle but to whom even to every one that beleeveth And saith the Author to the Hebrews The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it In whose heart there is true Faith that man will apply the whole Word of-God unto himself whether it be the threatnings of the Law to terrifie him from sin or the sweet promises of the Gospel to allure him to holiness and so maketh much profit of every Sermon hee heareth Thus much for your hehaviour in the publick Congregation But you must not rest here thinking you have thereby sanctified the Sabbath day For there are likewise both Private and Secret duties of Piety required to a true sanctification of the Lords Day of which you ought to be as careful and conscionable as of the publick duties in the publick Congregation For God requires the whole day and not a part onely As therefore you would not be contented your servants should work for you only an hour or two on each of the six daies So neither should you yeeld less unto God than you require for your selves By Private duties of Piety I mean such as are perfoâ—med in a private Family And by Secret such as are done in some secret and retired place between God and ones self alone Now the Private duties of Piety which are especially required of such who are Parents and Masters of Families and wherein every member thereof are to joyn are these I. Repeating the Sermons they have heard with their family and examining them one after another what they remember explaining the same unto them which is commended to us by the practice and example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who when he was come home said unto his Disciples Have yee understood all these things viz. that he had preached to the multitude And St. Mark saith When they were alone hee expounded all things to his Disciples Wherupon one observeth That Christ by his example doth instruct every Master of a family how to carry himself in reference to those under his charge on the Lords Daies after their departure from the publick Congregation And truly a treble benefit will follow hereupon 1 In respect of your selves for the more you build up others the more your selves are built up in Knowledge Faith and every grace of God 2 In respect of your children and servants for it will make them to hearken more attentively to that which is delivered in the publick Congregation if they know they shall be called to an account for the same when they come home 3 It would much help both your selves and servants in the understaâ—ding and beleeving of that which you have heard in the publick if at home you would repeat it and confer of it and examine the proofs that have been delivered for the confirmation of it II. Another private duty is singing of Psalms for this may and ought to be performed in your families as well as in the Congregation This David commends for one duty of the Sabbath as Psal. 92. 1. The title of the Psalm is A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath day And thus it begins It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord to sing praises unto thy Name O most High This Ordinance being questioned by some and denied by others I shall 1 Prove the lawfulness thereof 2 Give you some directions for the right manner of performing the same First the lawfulness of singing Psalms doth appear both from Scripture Example and Reasons 1 For Scripture-proofs there are many both in the Old and New Testament but not to mention those in the Old Testament which may not prove so convincing In the New wee finde it commanded by the Apostle to the Ephesians Speak to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. And saith the Apostle Iames Is any among you afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalms Where you see it is in express terms commanded and that as a Gospel duty 2 We finde it commended both by the example of our Saviour and the practice of the Apostles and other Saints of God in the Primitive times 1 By the example of our Saviour of whom it is recorded that as at other times so the night in which he was betrayed hee sung a Psalm together with his Disciples And when they had sung an Hymn or Psalm they went out into the Mount of Olives 2 By the practice of the Apostles and other Saints in the Primitive times For wee read That at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God and the prisoners heard them Plinius Secundus though an Heathen who lived about two hundred years after Christ testified of Christians that they had their morning songs using to rise before day to sing Psalms 2 Reasons commending this duty may be taken from the benefits accompanying the same For 1 By this duty joyntly performed our own spirits will bee much quickened and enlivened 2 Wee shall thereby quicken and enliven the spirits of others 3 We shall all thereby be made the more chearful in serving God which may be one reason why Paul and Silas joyned singing of Psalms with their prayers 4 It manifesteth an holy zeal that wee bear unto our God and witnesseth that we are not ashamed to profess and praise his holy Name and therefore our tongue doth with chearfulness sound out aloud the praises of God This holy zeal did David express saying I will give thanks unto thee O Lord. among the Heathen and sing praises unto thy name Having thus proved the lawfulness of this duty by Scripture Example and Reason II. Come we now to the Directions for the right manner of performing the same which are set down by the Apostle in these words Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 1 First therefore it must be in the heart or with the heart i. e. our hearts must go with our voices the one must be lift up as well as the other For God is a Spirit and therefore will be worshipped with our hearts and spirits as well as with our bodies And truly singing with the voice without the concurrence of the heart and spirit is no more pleasing to God than a sounding brass or tinkling Cymbal 2 As we must sing with the heart so with grace in the
applying of the mind to some spiritual or heavenly subject discoursing thereof with thy self to the end thine heart may bee warmed thine affections quickened and thy resolutions heightned to a greater love of God hatred of sin c. Come we now to the Rules and Directions for the right manner of performing the same To this end I shall treat 1 Of the Time when this duty is to be performed 2 Of the Place where Of the Manner of setting about it and performing it 1 Touching the Time when this duty is to be performed and how often it is hard to give any set or certain Rule For difference must bee made between such as are rich and wealthy who have much spare â—ime and poor men who live by their daily labour and have â—ittle time to spare from the same for the performance of holy and religious duties Now such as have time and leisure and are at their own dispose ought to bee frequent in the exercise of this duty How frequent such should be I will not undertake to determine because mens several occasions may vary it But in general that it be frequent the Scripture requireth And truly the more frequently it is performed the more easie and delightful will it be unto thee Questionless every one whether hee be rich or poor Master or Servant ought to make conscience of performing this duty on the Lords day which being appropriated to spiritual duties doth especially challenge this which is so eminently spiritual For the choice of other daies and set times therein it must be left to Christian prudence which will teach thee what time thou canst best spare from thine ordinary imployments and when thou art best disposed and fitted for the performance of the same II. The next thing to bee considered is the Place for this duty ought to be private in some private retired place where thou mayst be free from company and whatsoever may distract thee For when thou art most retired from the world then art thou most fit to have communion with God Therefore Isaac when hee would meditate and by Meditation converse with God walked alone into the fields And David meditated upon his bed as himself tells us III. For the Manner of setting upon this duty I. Having with-drawn thy self from worldly company thou must for the time wholly lay aside all worldly thoughts for otherwise it may and will fall out that when thou art separated from the company and society of men thou mayest be in a croud of worldly businesses through thy worldly and wandring thoughts II. In the entrance upon this duty lift up thine heart in some short prayer unto God for his direction assistance and blessing thereon III. Having thus prepared thy self in some measure then pitch upon the subject matter whereupon thou intendest to meditate such as may be fit for thy souls nourishment Herein observe these Directions 1 Let the subject matter of thy Meditation bee wholly spiritual and divine Thus any part of the Scripture is a fit subject for thy Meditation as also God or any of his Attributes as 〈◊〉 Omnipotency Eternity Immutability Omâ—ipresence Omnisciency 〈◊〉 Wisdome Mercy Iustice Love Faithfulness and other excellencies of God As also the blessed and happy estate wherein our first Parents were created by God and that miserable estate whereinto they implunged themselves and all their posterity by their disobedience against God in eating the forbidden fruit and the state of Redemption by Jesus Christ and the transcendent love of Christ in undergoing a bitter cursed death for us 2 Let the particular subject thou pitchest upon for thy Meditation be suitable to thy present state and condition and to that end in setting upon this duty it will be thy wisdome to observe the frame and temper of thy heart If thou findest thine heart sad and heavy then fix thy Meditation upon thy sins that so thou mayest turn thy sorrow and sadness for outward things into a sorrow for thy sins But if thou findest thine heart lightsome and chearful then fix thy Meditations on the incomprehensible love of God or on the freeness of his grace or on the bounty of God especially towards thy self 3 Having pitched thy thoughts upon some particular subject suitable to the present frame and temper of thine heart continue thy thoughts upon it till thou hast found thy heart warmed and thine affections quickened therewith which indeed is the main and principal end of this exercise 4 Having spoken of preparation to the work come wee now to the work it self which consists of three particular heads 1 The first I may call Cogitation whereby I mean a discoursing of the understanding about the subject matter pitched upon a calling to minde of several truths that belong thereunto As if the subject of thy Meditation be Death then call to mind and seriously think as of the certainty of Death so also of the uncertainty thereof both in regard of the Place where the Manner how and the Time when And then to argue the necessity of a continual expectation ofâ— and preparation for Death 2 The second is Application to make some close application to thy self of those truths thou hast called to mind for the warming of thine heart and quickning of thine affections 3 The third and last particular is Resolution a resolved purpose of heart to do this or that or to leave this or that As if the subject of thy Meditation hath been Death and finding thine heart thorowly affectâ—â— with the apprehension thereof especially of the uncertainâ— of the time of thy death resolve thereupon to be the more careful in imbracing every opportunity of doing good thinking it may be the last that will be afforded unto thee as also to live in a continual expectation of and preparation for death by a daily renewing thy peace with God Having thus given some Rules and Directions for the better helping thee in this heavenly exercise of Divine Meditation III. I shall now give thee an Example and Pattern thereof according to the former Rules and Directions for the better clearing it to thee Suppose the subject thou propoundest for thy Meditation be Sin then having lifted up thine heart unto God in prayer for his Direction and Assistance First Fall upon the duty of Cogitation calling to minde some plain truths which apperâ—ain thereunto As I. Think of the nature of sin How it is a transgression of the Law of God II. Of the kinds of sin viz. Original and Actual 1 Let out thine heart in a serious Meditation of that corruption of nature which thou and every man brought with him into the world and how it is not onely a sin but an heinous sin comprehending in it the seeds of all sins even of the most abominable that can be imagined 2 Let out thine heart in a serious Meditation of thine actual sins and of the several kinds of them viz. Evil Thoughts evil Words and evil Actions III.
them in their wicked and prophane courses For it is a great incouragement unto wicked men to go on in their wicked and sinful courses when as they are countenanced with the society of the godly Now for the better fitting and preparing thy self for profitable converse when thou art in company I shall onely give thee these two advises 1 That thou mayest bee the better furnished with matter for useful discourse often and seriously meditate with thy self on some general head of Divinity as of our wretched and miserable condition by nature of the all-sufficiency of Christs sacrifice of the vanity and uncertainty of all earthly things of the shortness of this life of the day of judgement By often contemplating of theâ—â— things or the like with thy self in secret thou wilt be bettâ—â—â—â—abled to talk and discourse of them 〈…〉 of others and that to their good and edification as well as to thine own 2 Before thou goest into company bee earnest with God in prayer for grace so to order thy conversation and discourses that they may tend as to the glory of his name so to thine own and others good and spiritual advantage These things thus premised come wee now to the Directions for the good government of thy self when thou art in company which I shall lay down 1 More generally 2 More particularly 1 In reference to thy behaviour in good company 2 In reference to thy behaviour in bad The general Directions for thy behaviour in company are these I. Let thy carriage and conversation bee humble willing to communicate thy counsels comforts and experiences to the poorest and meanest Christians and to partake of their counsels comforts and experiences not disdaining to learn any good thing of those who in several respects are much thine inferiours II. In all thy conversings with men labour to bee fruitful and profitable both to thy self and others by receiving and doing all the good thou canst 1 To thy self by receiving all the good thou canst from others To this end when thou art in the company of others diligently observe in what gifts and graces any doth excel for God hath dispensed various gifts unto his people all are not alike qualified and then labour to draw forth those gifts and graces to thine own spiritual good and advantage 2 To others by communicating unto them such good things as thou conceivest most suitable unto their present state and condition The more good thou communicarest unto others the more will God communicate unto thee III. Often lift up thine heart unto God in some short ejaculatory prayer that hee would open thy lips that thy mouth may shew forth his prayse that hee would inable thee so to speak that thy words and discourses may tend to the good and edification of others ministring grace to the hearers Having thus given thee general Directions for thy behaviour in comâ—â—â— come wee now to the more particular directions 〈…〉 good company I. When thou art in good company trifle not away thy time with worldly conferences and discourses as the common fault of too too many is whereof Saint Bernard complained in his time But let the subject of thy discourse rather be some spiritual matter II. Labour to turn the current of worldly discourses into spiritual to that end watch every opportunity which may occasion any digression from worldly matters into some spiritual and heavenly subject III. Bee ready to communicate and impart such spiritual gifts and graces as thou hast received Hast thou any competent measure of saving knowledge communicate thy knowledge unto others by acquainting them with the mysteries of salvation Hast thou found comfort after thy spiritual troubles and desertions Hast thou found support under thy trials and temptations Hast thou found gracious answers and returns to thy prayers Hast thou got the victory over any lust or corruption freely and willingly communicate and impart unto others the experiences thou hast had of Gods Mercy Power and Goodness in thy several straights and exigencies directing them to such waies and courses wherein thy self hast found much good and benefit This wee finde expresly commanded The particular directions referring to our behaviour in bad company are these I. When by reason of some common occasion thou art in bad company for otherwise as wee shewed before thou art by all means to avoid it see that thy conversation bee with a Dove-like innocency blameless and harmless according to that exhortation of the Apostle in Philip. 2. 15. The truth is there is scarce a better means to propagate the Gospel and to fasten it on the affections of natural men than the fair carriage and honest conversation of the Professors thereof It is as the odout of Christs oyntment the fragrancy whereof draws the affections of others II. Be careful that thou partake not of their sins Which Direction the Apostle giveth saying Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness Hee meaneth that they should no way communicate or be partakers with their sins which hee calleth works of darkness Quest. How may wee bee said to partake with others in their sins Answ. â—en partake of others sins as by provoking them to sin so by approving their sin Men approve others sins openly or covertly â— Openly by Word or Deed. By Word 1 When they commend others for their sins 2 When they patronize and defend them in their sins 3 When they soothe them up and flatter them therein Men approve others sins by Deed when they be companions and agents with them in the same sins Covertly men approve others sins when they tacitly consent unto them Hee may be said tacitly to consent that either revealeth not the sin hee knows when hee ought or shews no dislike of it when hee beholds it And this oftentimes is as hurtful in respect of the offender as ill counsel for as evil speech moveth men to sin so evil silence leaveth men in sin III. Grieve and mourn for the sins thou discernest amongst them It is noted oft and commended as a special grace in sundry of Gods Saints that they have been greatly troubled in themselves at the dishonour done to God even by the sins of others as Moses Nehemiah David Ieremiah and others IV. When thou observest any wickedness committed by thy neighbour reprove him for the same which duty wee finde much pressed upon Gods people in the Scriptures Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wiâ—e rebuke thy brother and not suffer sin upon him Wherein are implied two things 1 That hee who doth not reprove his brother when hee seeth him do amiss doth indeed hate him and not love him for there is no love like the love of reproof 2 That by not reproving thy brother thou sufferest him to run on and continue in his course of sin which will at last prove his destruction For the right
amended and reformed and considering that the Lord doth not only in general correct us for Sin but visiteth our special Sins with special Judgements and Afflictions therefore whensoever the Lord visiteth thee with Sickness or exerciseth thee with any affliction know it is thy duty to make a strict search and diligent enquiry into thine own heart for the special Sin or Sins God aims at therein to find out the plague of thine own heart Thus did the people of God under their sad affliction yea they called upon one another to the practice of this duty Let us search and try our wayes said they Lam. 3. 40. for as a Disease can never be well cured till the cause thereof be first found out and discovered so neither can any affliction bee sanctified and removed till that which hath occasioned it be in some sort found out and discovered For the better discovery of the particular Sin or Sins God aims at in thine afflictions take these few rules and directions 1 When God visiteth thee or any of thy dear relations with Sickness or exerciseth thee with any Affliction or doth but shake his Rod over thee set thy self as in his sight and presence and then examine thy Soul and Conscience thorowly make an exact survey and search into every corner thereof to find out the particular Sin God aymeth at 2 Take notice what sin thy Conscience doth first bring to thy remembrance for Conscience is Gods Deputy to convince thee and to tell thee that by living in the practice of such and such a Sin or in the omission of such a Duty thou hast justly brought upon thee such a Judgement as thou mayst see in the example of Iosephs brethren who for their cruelty towards their brother adjudged themselves worthy of all the â—iseries which they suffered for their Consciences it seems in their distress chiefly checked them for that therefore they had good ground to suspect that to bee the cause of their present distress under every Cross and Affliction therefore listen to the voyce of Conscience which will deal impartially with thee 3 Take special notice of the kind of thine affliction for it is Gods usual manner to punish Sin in kind by way of retaliation observing an analogie proportion and similitude between the quality of the Sin and the punishment which hee inflicteth and so leadeth us as it were by the hand that we may come to find and feel it by his guidance and direction for mens punishment often bears the image and superscription of their sin upon it Thus God oftentimes punisheth Drunkards with Dropsies and Covetous men with Theeves who rob them as they have robbed others Thus God often punisheth our prophaning of his Sabbaths by inflicting some judgement upon us on that day and our careless neglect of Family-Duties by taking away a Family-relation Thus there is oftentimes a proportion between mens Practices and Gods Punishments by comparing whereof we may many times come to find out the particular Sin or Sins for which God afflicts us 4 When Gods afflicting hand is upon thee consider for what Sin especially thou hast often been reproved either by the motions of Gods Spirit or by the admonitions of his Ministers or by the checks of thine own Conscience and yet hast refused to reform the same thereupon suspect that Sin in special to be the sin at which the Lord aymeth in thy present affliction for it is usual with God to proceed from words to blows to make us give more diligen◠〈◊〉 thereunto 5 Be earnest with God in Prayer that hee would help thee in this search that he would discover and make known unto thee the Sin or Sins at which he especially aymeth thus did Iob Shew me saith he wherefore thou contendest with me i. e. for what Sin or Sins thou dost thus afflict me And afterwards he cries out in his afflictions Make me to know my transgression and my sin In like manner doe thou in thine affliction fly unto God by Prayer beseeching him to shew unto thee wherefore he doth so contend with thee and to make known unto thee what is thy transgression and thy sin that hath provoked his displeasure against thee III. Having foâ—nd out the particular Sin God aâ—med at in thine affliction then goe and confesse it unto God in Prayer with the aggravating ciâ—cumstances thereof freely judging and condemning thy self before God for the same with a broken and contrite heart And to such as confess their sins there is a promise of forgiveness made To thy confessions adde earnest and fervent Prayer unto God for the pardon and forgiveness of thy sins for and through the merits of Jesus Christ. IV. Wherein soever upon thine examination thou findest thy self to have been faulty thou must endeavour to amend and reform for as the end of thy search is to discover what is amiss in thee so the end of thy discovery is to amend and reform what hath been amiss in thee And truely without this it will little avail thee to pray unto God for the removal of thine Affliction for the Lord himself noteâ—h continuance in sin to be the chief cause of the continuance of his hand of affliction upon his people Isa. 9. 12 13. V. Though Afflictions are special opportunities for Spiritual advantages yet seeing they are not of themselves able to work any good in thee without the special assistance of Gods Spirit working together with them be earnest with God in Prayer for a sanctified use and improvement of them that as he doth afflict thee so he would teach and instruct thee by his holy Spirit how to make a good use thereof to the spiritual advantage of thine own soul. In all thy addresses unto God in Prayer begge of him that no affliction may pass away unsanctified and pray more for the sanctification of them than for their removal VI. In the time of thy affliction vow and promise unto God better obedience for the time to come that thou wilt bee more careful in the avoyding of those sins for the commission whereof and in the performing of those Duties for the omission whereof thy Conscience checks thee David speaks of Vowes which he had made unto God in the day of his trouble and distress and truly this vowing unto God newness of life better obedience and a greater watchfulness over our selves for the time to come is a necessary duty to be oft performed by us especially in the time of our Sickness and that in regard of the weakness of our flesh for howsoever in our sicknesses and afflictions there may be good motions purposes and intentions in our minds yet through the weakness of â—our flesh we are apt to start from them Now a Promise and Vow is a special means to keep us from starting from our good motions and purposes VII Be careful to perform the Vowes aâ—d Promises thou makest unto God in the day of