long as Hel is Hel and God is God Section 10. How we should stirre up our selves in sanctifying the Lords day IN sanctifying the Lords day it is our duty to stirre up our selves both in longing for it before it comes and highly prizing it when it is come n Isa 58.23 making it the ioy and reioycing of our hearts It is recorded of the godly Jewes before our Saviours time that they called the Sabbath o Wemes Christ Syn. p. 76. Desiderium dierum the desire of dayes the most desired day Every moment of this day should bee precious as having Gods blessing more immediately annexed unto it and unto all those duties performed in it having as it were his Image and Superscription more lively portrayed and engraven upon it and therefore to be improued by us to our uttermost in all the parts and duties of that day Section 11. How wee are to stirre up our selves in our partaking of the Sacraments IN the use of the Sacraments it is our duty to stir up our selves 1. In regard of the Sacrament of Baptisme How to stir up our serve to make use of our baptisme to our selves and our children both to our selves and our children and that in these respects 1. By calling to minde what wee and our children are by nature children of wrath both wee and they all of us like still-borne children borne p Ephes 2.3 dead in trespasses and sinnes q Ezec. 16.6 weltring in the blood of the sins of our first parents empty of all grace prone to all wickednesse though as then not able to put it forth in outward Act no more then young Vipers or then the Cubs of wild beasts which yet when wee grow up to ripenesse and strength are ready to breake forth to doe any mischiefe if wee be not restrayned 2. By interesting our selves and our children in the Covenant of Promise whereof Baptisme is the Seale This is done by dedicating and resigning up our selves and them to be Gods people as Hee in the Covenant r Gen. 17.7 offereth himselfe to bee a God to us and ours and withall praying for our selves and them that we and they might Å¿ Gen. 17.18 live in his sight How should it provoke us to wrestle with God to convey a Covenant and Sacrament of life unto our children since wee have conveyed to them nothing but sinne and wrath and the fruit of both which is death 2. By growing up our selves and training up our children to keepe the Covenant on our parts that the Lord may delight to t Gen. 8.19 bring the blessing of the Covenant upon us and ours 3. By walking in the purity of Gods Ordinances with a pure and an honest heart for want of the former Gods wrath burst forth against Gedeons children Iudg. 8 27. and against Eli and his 1 Sam. 3.13 For want of the latter against Amaziah 2 Chron 2 5.2 which David sought to prevent by giving his sonne Salomon better counsell 1 Chr. 28.9 2. In receiving the Lords Supper How to stir up ourselves in the right use of the Lords Supper it is our duty to stir up our selves 1. By considering the great need we stand in of such an Ordinance what need Christ to be dispenced to us as Bread to strengthen us and Wine to quicken us if we were not of our selves weake and dull and even starved creatures without him 2. u 1 Cor. 11.28 By examining and searching out the feeblenesse of our best graces and the strength of our manifold corruptions that so as by searching into the sores and wounds of the body the body is payned and grieved so by searching into the sores and wounds of our soules our hearts may be inwardly pricked and afflicted 3. By reforming our selves and our families before wee come to partake in this Supper For if wee bee uncircumcised our selves we discovenant our selves and them as on the contrary if the Master of the Family bee a true beleever the Covenant is made with him and his houshold Therefore when Zacheus was converted Christ sayd This day is Salvation come to this house Luke 19.9 for as much as hee also is the Sonne of Abraham And hence wee read in the Acts when the master of a Family was turned to the faith that he was baptized and his whole houshold and therefore also it lyes upon us not to leave them at home so nor to bring them with us uncircumcised so farre as it lyes in us to use the means for their good Exod. 12.48 Christ was carefull to a 1 Ioh. 13 8 10. wash his Disciples feet to purifie their hearts against the Sacrament Such new wine as Christ is would bee put into new bottles 4. By beholding Christ in the Sacrament as it were crucified before our eyes that we might mourne the more seriously in remembrance of the sins by which we have pierced b Zac. 12.10 him 5. By admiring at the wonderfull goodnesse of God to our soules who when we were as c 2 Sam. 9.8 with 19.28 dead dogge as Mephibosheth said to David yet the Lord is pleased to set us at his owne Table to feed us with the Body and Blood of his owne Sonne and thereby to make us one body and spirit with his Sonne giving him to us and us to him that wee might partake in all the precious blessings hee hath purchased for us both for this life and for a better and therefore we are to feed upon him with faith and exceeding joy for all his abundant goodnesse to us herein 6. By setting up Christ whole Christ in our hearts as our King Priest and Prophet that he being received into us may rule us and teach us and pacifie us and purifie us and f Gal. 2.20 live our whole life in us Lastly by cleaving the more to our brethren in al love and deare affection whom wee see to communicate with us in the same Christ 1 Cor. 10.17 2 Cor. 12.13 and called of God to partake in the same Table with us Section 12. How to stirre up our selves in laying hold on the Promises IT is our duty to stirre up our selves to conceive confidence in our hearts in taking hold of God as hee hath offered himselfe in his Covenant Promises the speciall thing mentioned here in the Text and a point of great use through the whole course of our lives on which I shal a little more insist opening the phrase what it is to take hold on God and shewing how the Scripture calleth for this duty The phrase is put for the Act of beleeving which because it is to bee performed by the whole man and all the powers of it and is the great Act of all others and includes all others therefore it is set forth to us in Scripture by all the severall Acts of each member or faculty in a man So elsewhere it is called Seeing 1 Pet. 2.3 performing
at the Throne of grace whose ayme and end was meerly thy profiting And thus beseeching the Lord in mercy to guide us with the Spirit of wisdome and meekenesse in writing and reading that we may be able to give up a comfortable account of both in the great day of our reckonings I rest Thine in the Lord Iesus Christ H. WHITFELD The Contents of the severall Chapters of this Treatise CHAP. 1. THe Coherence and resolution of the Text. page 1 CHAP. 2. That Gods people doe charge themselves with more secret sins than any else doe p. 13 CHAP. 3. How Gods children should seeke unto God in evill times when he gives tokens of his displeasure p. 29 CHAP. 4. That the worke of a Christian in respect of a spirituall estate lyes most with himselfe p. 39 CHAP. 5. About this Christian duty of stirring up our selves and what it is to stirre up ones selfe in Christian duties p. 66 CHAP. 6. What the maine duties are about which we are to stirre up our selves p. 73 Section 1. Of stirring up our selves in the most weighty businesse of our owne and others salvation p. 74 Sect. 2. Of stirring up our selves against our owne sins p. 89 Sect. 3. Of stirring up our selves against the sinnes of others p. 94 Sect. 4. Of stirring up our selves when we come to God in prayer for our selves p. 99 Sect. 5. Of stirring up our selves when we come to pray for others p. 102 Sect. 6. Of stirring up our selves in praysing God p. 106 Sect. 7. Of stirring up our selves in standing for God and his honour p. 109 Sect. 8. About stirring up our selves in the reading hearing of Gods holy Word p. 116 Sect. 9. About stirring up our selves in Meditation p. 122 Sect. 10. Of stirring up our selves in sanctifying the Lords day p. 129 Sect. 11. Of stirring up our selves in our partaking of the Sacraments p. 131 Sect. 12. How to stirre up our selves in laying hold on the Promises p. 138 Sect. 13. Of stirring up our selves in the duties of love and mercy p. 151 Sect. 14. Of stirring up our selves in regard of our Christian race p. 154 Sect. 15. How we are to stirre up our selves when our last end approacheth p. 157 CHAP. 7. Shewing the grounds of this Duty of stirring up our selves p. 164 CHAP. 8. Where the doctrin of stirring up our selves is applyed in the severall uses of it p. 170 CHAP. 9. Shewing some Motives unto this duty of stirring up our selves p. 204 CHAP. 10. Shewing some Rules and Meanes by which we might attaine to this stirringnesse of heart p. 217 SOME HELPES TO STIR UP TO CHRISTIAN DVTIES ISA. 64.7 And there is none that calleth upon thy Name that stirreth up himselfe to take hold on thee CHAP. I. The Coherence and Resolution of the Text. THese words are part of a Confession and Confession part of a prayer which the Prophet poures out unto God upon occasion of the sad and desolate estate of the Church of God to be caused by the Caldeans which the Prophet foreseeing in spirit speaketh of it as present For it may appeare by the sad expostulation which the Prophet maketh with God in the latter end of the former Chapter that God had given up his people to the errour of their wales and to the hardnesse of their hearts and which much aggravated their misery and calamity God had taken away the meanes of their Reformation which were the holy Ordinances of his Worship by giving up his Sanctuary to be trodden downe of the Adversaries so that now they were overwhelmed both with Spirituall and outward Iudgements together inward desertions and outward desolations both of Church and Common-wealth Chap. 63. vers 17 18. Now looke as when the Cisternes are dry and the Conduit-pipes are broken men are wont to have recourse to the Fountaine for supply of living water so in this dry and dead estate of the Church when the wayes of Gods people were foule and their hearts worse and themselves left destitute of all meanes of redresse and succour the Prophet looketh up to God in heaven and because the succour they stood in need of was a work of great power and glory hee bursteth forth into a vehement and earnest prayer calling unto God to come out of heaven to worke their Salvation and Redemption for them with his mighty and glorious power Oh saith hee that thou wouldest rent the heavens and come downe that the mountaines might flow downe at thy presence meaning that God would suddenly and strongly shew forth the might of his glorious power in their behalfe that so those mountaines of difficulties which hindered their deliverance and restitution might be removed or at leastwise melt and give way to them v. 1. Now this prayer of the Prophet which taketh up this whole Chapter consisteth of three principall parts 1. Of a Petition vers 1. to the 5. 2. Of a Confession vers 5 6 7. 3. Of a Deprecation vers 8. to the 12. which endeth the Chapter In the Petition which is the first part of the prayer the Prophet earnestly provoketh God to manifest his glorious power and fierce wrath against their adversaries his glorious power is expressed vers 1. That hee renting the heavens and comming downe the mountaines might flow at his presence His fierce wrath vers 2. That as when melting fire burneth the fire causeth the water to boyle So the fire of Gods wrath burning against their adversaries as drosse though mountaines of drosse yet they might boyle and melt and wast away This petition the Prophet worketh upon God with an holy and spirituall wrastling by a threefold argument 1. From the glory of Gods great Name that so hee might make his Name knowne to his Adversaries and the Nations might tremble at his presence Vers 2. 2. From the ancient terrible and glorious power which God shewed forth in their deliverance out of Egypt and in the promulgation of the Law vers 3. When thou diddâ—st saith he terrible things which we looked not for thou cammest down the Mountaines flowed at thy presence 3. From the unspeakeable unconceiveable riches of the grace of the Gospell which from the beginning God hath prepared for his people that wait for him vers 4. and so the Apostle expoundeth the place 1 Cor. 2.9 The second part of this Chapter and of the Prophets prayer is the Confession that he maketh and that of two things 1. Of Gods readinesse to shew mercy vers 5. 2. Of their unpreparednesse to receive mercy in respect of any desert of their owne vers 5 6 7. Gods readinesse to shew mercy is expressed in the beginning of the fifth verse Thou meetest him that reioyceth and worketh righteousnesse those that remember thee in thy wayes Their unpreparednesse to receive mercy is expressed first generally and then particularly Generally in regard of their sinnes and of Gods just displeasure against them for their sinnes in the next words which yet he qualifieth with
to every word of God x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4.15 cleaving inseparably to every truth binding them close to the soule y Deu. 32.46 Set your hearts saith Moses to all the words which I testifie amongst you this day which you shall command your children to observe to doe all the words of this Law for it is not a vaine thing for you because it is your life and through this you shall prolong your dayes 3. For Ministers and such as are to preach the Word it is their duty to z In Bucholsero vivida omnia fuerunt vt vida vox vivida oculi vividae manus gestus omnes vividi Mel. ad in vit ipse p. 556. stirre up themselves in the carefull discharge of this their weighty calling 1. The Names given in Scripture doe all imply laboriousnesse and great intention They are called a Ezec. 3.17 Watchmen b Ier 23.4 Shepheards c 1 Cor. 3.10 Builders d Mal. 3.1 Messengers e Tit. 1.7 Stewards c. 2. Their worke set them as dealing with the precious soules of men and to call home wandring lost sinners cals for so much They are to Preach with all f Acts 18 2-28 diligence g 2 Tim. 4.2 earnestnesse and instancy in season out of season with courage and freedome of spirit h Isa 58.1 Ier. 28.17 fearelesse of the face of man With great i Phil. â— 8 earnest desire of the salvation of Men and the people committed to them This made the Apostle Saint Paul to enter into great k Col. 2.1 conflicts and combatings for the Colossians and to bee pained and afflicted as a woman in l Gal. 4.19 travell O me thinkes what should not one doe to keepe one soule from perishing everlastingly if any m Hic est ille Farellus qui nullis difficultatibus fractus nullis minus convitiis verberibus denique inflictus teritus Mempel-garoenses Aquilâ—enses Lausanenses Geneâ— eâ—ses Noacomenses Christo Lucrifecit M l. Adam Decad. in vita Farel p. 115. paynes and study would doe it if denying a mans credit profit pleasure and ease would doe it if stooping and yeelding and laying our hands under their feet would do it if prayers and teares would doe it or if like Clouds we should sweat our selves to death so soules might bee brought home to God it were a blessed way of dying Section 9. Of stirring up our selves in Meditation THe minde being quieted and composed and deepe silence and attention being caused in the whole man thy spirit being awed with the presence of God draw forth the subject matter thou wouldst meditate of and to stirre thee up in the duty take these two helpes First in things that are good and of a divine and heavenly nature labour to see them at their best present them to thy selfe in their prime and beauty To give some Instances 1. If thou wouldst meditate of God labour to see him in the glory of his Attributes as Moses saw him Exod. 34.5 6. 2. If thou wouldst meditate of Christ ay me at the highest and most raised apprehensions of his excellency see him in his Nature and Offices or hanging on the Crosse or sitting at the right hand of God as Steven saw him Acts 7.55 and Isa chap. 9. view him in those places wherein Paul represents him Heb. 1. and Col. 1.13 to 21. 3. If thou wouldst meditate of heaven and the glory of it labour by the eye of faith to penetrate into it and to see it at the best as Paul saw it being caught up into the third heaven 2 Cor. 12.12 and as Peter represents it 1 Pet. 1.4 4. If thou wouldst meditate of Gods Love to thee in Christ See it at the best in the dimensions of it in the bredth length heighth and depth of it Ephes 3.18 19. Thinke from whence thou art brought to what things advanced thy selfe digged out of the rubbish and ruines of forlorne mankinde and placed as a living stone in Gods building 1 Pet. 2.5 as a brand pluckt out of the fire Zach. 3.2 and like Ionah from the belly of hell cast up upon the dry land and made a childe of God and heire of life 5. If thou wouldst meditate on the Promises looke on them at their best as most fresh and greene as they grow out of the heart of God and brest of Christ their native and proper seat out of whom they are but as fading and dying things They being in their full strength and vigor as ever the same yesterday and to day and for ever what Gods people have heretofore found them to bee they are still the same unto us like silver tryed and purified seven times Psnl 12.6 and have as much life and comfort in them as formerly in Abrahams Heb. 11.13 or in Davids time what ever they could speake of them Gods people in this age of the world are able to report the same Secondly if thou wouldst meditate on things which are in their nature simply evill labour to see them at their worst Take for instances 1. If thou wouldst meditate of sinne and the nature of it see it at its worst even worse than the Divell himselfe for what made him a Divell but sinne it was sinne spoyled him he was a glorious Angell till hee was acquainted with sinne Thinke it is that which is most contrary to the most holy Nature of God and is the sole Object of all his hatred whereas his love is dispersed to severall things his Selfe his Sonne his Children c. Thinke it is that which makes the greatest separation betweene God and us and to be without God in this world which onely makes a man accursed which all miseries of themselves can never doe This blots out the Image of God stamped on us at our first Creation which being lost all Paradise could not make Adam happy This conformes us to the Image of the Divell and causeth us to have communion with him who is Gods greatest enemy This is it that grieves Gods most Holy Spirit and sends him sad to heaven when wee resist his motions and rush into evill 2. If thou wouldst meditate of Gods wrath looke upon it as at the worst as it keepes burning and glowing those everlasting flames and can blow the coales of a thousand hels more the least sparke of which let fall into the Conscience sets all on a flame which without the sprinkling of Christs blood and the teares of true Repentance can never bee quenched 3. If thou wouldst meditate of the state of a soule that is lost thinke of it as at worst even as of a forlorne helpelesse hopelesse creature covered with shame and horror and lying amidst the pangs throbs throws of guiltinesse which is the Worme that never dyes Mark 9.44 of whom all mercy pitty and comfort have taken their leaves for ever being there to remaine in that dungeon of fire so