is the very spring upon which the holy conversation of the whole week is turned and moved And therefore it is observable that the Sabbath stands as it were betwixt the two Tables the last precept of the first Table and the Preface to the Second To shew us that it is the Bond of union between both Tables that without a severe sanctification of the Sabbath the Duties of both Tables will fall to the ground Whence in the Primitive times of Christianity the strict observation of the Sabbath was accounted the principall character of a true Saint And so it is even at this day there are such Christians for exemplary holiness as those which are taken notice of to make most conscience of sanctifying the Sabbath But so much for the second duty I come now to the Third Branch or Duty of Duties wherein sabbath-sanctification consists Sc. Honourable If thou call it or make it or keep it as an Honourable day Heb. Mecubbar which signifieth honourable or glorious The Duty implied is we must keep the Sabbath as the Honourable Glorious Day of Jehovah Truly glorious things are spoken of this Honourable Day The Jews were wont to call it the Queen of Days the week-days they called prophane days but the Sabbath after Gods example here they called Holy My Holy Day saith God it 's Gods peculiar One of ours now translated into his glorious rest honours it thus calling it The Map of heaven the golden spot of the week Vide Mr. Gee Swinnock in his good wish to the Lords day the market-day of the soul the day-break of eternal brightness the Queen of days the blessed amongst days the cream of time the Epitome of eternity Heaven in a glass the first-fruits of an everlasting and blessed Harvest and much more to that purpose The week-days are as it were the back-parts of the week made to carry burdens a meer Servant or Slave made to do the drudgery of the humane life The Sabbath is the face the seat of Majesty which God hath made to look upward and to contemplate the glory of the Heavens and of the maker thereof The week-days are like the Terrestrial Globe wherein are painted to us the Earth with the inferiour and more ignoble creatures The Sabbath is the Celestial Globe Heb. 12.22 23 24. wherein we have the prospect of Mount Sion the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and of an innumerable company of Angels of the general assembly and Church of the first-born and of God the Judge of all and of the spirits of just men made perfect and of Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant c. The beholding of these glorious visions truly beatifical are the work of a Sabbath Moreover to discover to you the glory of a Sabbath consider we another excellent passage in our quoted Author ut sup speaking of the Sabbath All the graces triumph in Thee All the Ordinances conspire to enrich Thee The Father ruleth Thee The Son rose upon Thee The Spirit hath overshadowed Thee Thus it is done to the Day which the Lord delighteth to honour on Thee light was created the Holy Ghost descended Life hath been restored Satan subdued the Grave Death and Hell conquered c. Much more might be added but rather The Question Question is When do we make the Sabbath or how may we make it to us an Honourable Glorious day Answer 1 Then we call the Sabbath Honourable when we make Honourable preparation for it To which purpose it is useful to mind seriously that word which stands as a watch-man at the door of the fourth Commandment Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy Remember It is like the Baptist the voice of one crying prepare ye the way of the Lord or that Eccl. 5.1 keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God c. It calls for solemn preparation for a Sabbath and the ordinances of a Sabbath a duty wofully neglected amongst Christians some little preparation people make for a Sacrament and it is to be feared there is more of superstition in it than Evangelical affection to the day consisting rather in a Ceremonial abstinence from meat and drinks than a serious separation of the heart and affections for communion with God But as to the Sabbath there is rarely any thing to separate between the drudgery of the week and the solemnities of the sabbath but a little sleep and that usually less than any other night is allowed people loading the Saturday-night with so many worldly affairs that the Lords-day-morning is too little to satisfie their sluggish indulgences of the flesh and there is not time either for closet or domestick devotion they cannot force themselves out of their bed time enough to join with the Congregation until half the publick worship be finished The Jews shall rise up against this generation and shall condemn them of whom it is reported they were so severe in their parascueves or preparations for the Sabbath which were precisely to begin at three of the clock in the afternoon Buxtorf that if the servants in the Family were cast behind in dispatching the servile labour of the Family the Master of the house though he were a Nobleman would not refuse to set his hand to the lowest drudgery that they might observe the punctual time of preparation this argued an honourable estimation of the Sabbath 2. Then we call it honourable when we give it honourable entertainment When we awaken our selves in such good time yet so as we may not indispose nature for the service of the day as David did Psal 108.2 awake my Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake right early I say to get up early in the morning Maâ—h 28.1 to meet our blessed Lord and Bridegroom coming from his Sepulchre to visit us That which is but fancied of the natural Sun its dancing upon Easter-day in the morning for joy of the Lords Resurrection I have known reallized by some excellent Christians whose hearts have not only leaped in them but themselves have hasted out of their beds and have leaped and skipped up and down in their chamber when the morning light of the Sabbath hath shined on them in remembrance of the Sun of Righteousness arising from the grave with healing under his wings Such extraordinary impulses and ravishments are not every Christians attainment and must not be imitated to the prejudice of the Body the spirit may be willing but the flesh is weak but certainly every Christian that hath the love of Christ shed abroad in his heart will be careful to abate himself somewhat of his wonted indulgences on that morning which was his redeemers Birth-day that he may have time to get on his wedding Garment by meditation Psal 2.7 reading and prayer that he may go forth to meet him whom his soul loveth in the publick solemnities of the Sabbath and bring him home with him into the chamber of her that conceived him
of it 1. It seems partly to be dictated by the light of nature for the heathen observed it especially when any fore calamity was either felt or feared by them As in the case of Nineveh when Jonah denounced destruction to the City they presently betook themselves to fasting both King Nobles and People yea the very Beasts must be concerned in it Jonah 3.7 8. So when they would make their prayers more prevalent in such cases they would join fasting with their prayers As Baals Priests when they cried to their God Baal to hear them The Text saith they cried all day until the evening sacrifice 1 Kings 18.19 So that they did not only pray but fast also As they used lustrations sacrifices festivals in their religious rites and worship of their Gods so sometimes they had their Jejunia and religious fasts As we have some account of this in Tertullian in his Book adversus Phychicos By which they thought to make some satisfaction for their sin and to reconcile to themselves the Deity they had offended or to obtain some special favour they had need of 2. It is a duty by Institution and that both in the Old and New Testament the fast of the seventh month was by direct institution in the Old Testament And at other times God call'd them to it Sanctifie a fast call an Assembly said the Prophet Joel chap. 1.14 And God is said to choose it Isa 58. Is not this the fast that I have chosen And God's declaring there in that Chapter the right way of observing it doth prove the duty it self to be of his own appointment And the New Testament requires it also for the duty is of a Moral nature and therefore the obligation of it remains only with this difference 1. We are not to use those rites and outward expressions of sorrow that were practiced in those times which belonged to the rigour of that legal ministration As Rending the garment Joel 2.13 putting on of sackcloth Neh. 9.1 covering with Ashes Dan. 9.3 bowing down the head Isa 58.5 Putting earth upon their head Neh. 9.1 and sometimes putting off their sandal or shoes and plucking off the hair Ezra 9.3 and making themselves bald Isa 22.12 And the Pharisees used disfiguring of their faces Mat. 6. But saith Christ to his Disciples when thou fastest anoint thy head wash thy face which in their fasting the Jews should forbear though used at other times as appears by Daniels fasting chap. 10.3 I ate no pleasant bread neither did I anoint my self at all But saith Christ do not ye do so but anoint thy head and wash thy face c. and so use not such visible signs of sorrow that thou may'st not appear to men to fast 2. We ought not to fast with that legal frame of spirit which was upon the Jews in those days for every duty in the days of the New Testament is to be managed with a spirit suiting the Gospel ministration 3. As to its sanction there may be also the addition of humane authority in the appointing of fasts especially publick fasts when the publick state of affairs may require it the duty in general being of God's institution and the voice of Providence calling people to it the Magistrate in this case may determine the time if it be general to a Nation Or the Pastors and guides of the Church with respect to the several Churches over which they preside For where a duty is required of God and the circumstance of time not determin'd there Christian prudence in Magistrates or Churches is to be the rule for determination As the particular times for Baptism and the Lord's Supper are left to Christian prudence to determine 2. The manner how a religious fast is to be observed And that both with respect to the outward and inward man And if some cannot hear a total abstinence some courser food may be used as in Tertullian's time they had their Xerophagiae so called from a dry kind of food used by them Tertullian de jejun adv Psithicos 1. With respect to the outward man 1. Abstinence from food is requisite and necessary so far as may consist with mercy to the body For the very name of a fast implies this abstinence and not only the Jews but the very Heathen in their fasts did injoin this abstinence upon themselves and others as appears by that of Nineveh Jonah 2.7 2. As also meaner apparel than what may be used at other times though not to put on Sackcloth yet to lay aside ornaments and richer dresses upon such a day When the Israelites would express their sorrow for the sad tidings of God's refusing to go before them It is said they laid aside their Ornaments Exodus 33.4 Though they had a command for it yet nature it self did teach it them As it did the King of Nineveh who laid aside his robe when he fasted and mourned Purple and scarlet and shining apparel are not suitable to such a duty nature it self being judg Non est conveniens luctibus ille color And verily those gay and gaudy dresses which multitudes garb themselves with at this day are no whit suitable to the sad times upon which God hath cast us 3. Yea and humble gestures also which may best express a solemn serious mind Though no particular gesture is absolutely commanded yet nothing ought to be discovered either in the countenance or any actions and gestures of the body that may be unsuitable to the nature of the day and the solemn duties thereof wherein partly the light of nature and the custom of the place may direct and regulate us The Jews had three sorts of gestures that were used in worship The one was bowing the head call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The other was bending the knee call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The third was prostration of the body call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But where there is no particular gesture determined there Christians are left to their liberty only it is to be guided by a due respect to the greatest advantage of the duty and with caution against any just offence 4. Abstinence from secular affairs is requisite for a fast is a solemn devoting a certain part of time to God and to an extraordinary attendance upon him And if meats and drinks are to be forborn for to give advantage to the duties of the day so also bodily labours and secular business upon the same account The Jewish fasts were reckoned among their Sabbaths and so they were days of rest from bodily labours And there was a severe punishment to be inflicted upon the men that did any work upon their solemn fasts of the tenth day of the seventh month as we read Levit. 23.30 The same soul will I destroy from among his people Though the rigour of that legal ministration is abated under the Gospel yet it holds still in the moral and equitable part of it that whatever may hinder the managing of
of that deadness their souls lie under and that if they be not awakned quickly they must be unconceivably and eternally miserable ask them what they have to say against the ways of God and what they have to plead for their neglecting their souls for Sin and for Satan tell them these things are matters of such weight that they need not much time to determine what must be done It 's a matter of such vast importance that it calls for the greatest speed diligence and care imaginable and that you can't be satisfied till you see this work done catechise and instruct them constantly at least once a week Let the Word sound daily in their ears and pray twice a day with them let some time be allowed them for secret duties and put them upon the performance of them spiritually and constantly Keep them not too long at work or in the Shop on Saturday-night The Jews had their preparation for the Sabbath and the ancient Christians did not fall short of them in their preparation for the Lords-day Let the Sabbath be carefully spent in secret family and publick duties and for the better direction in your duties upon that day I refer you to that excellent piece Mr. Wells his Practical Sabbatarian a Book it 's pity any great Family should want Cause your Servants to bear you company to hear the most powerful Preacher you can require an account of what they hear and let the Sermons be repeated in your Family and ask them what it was that did most affect their hearts and labour to press things home afresh upon their souls and if you perceive any good inclinations in them encourage them greatly and improve them all you can and if you do not see what you would presently be not quite discouraged and cast them off as hopeless Exhort them daily while it is called to day Heb. 3.13 and if you see them still dull hard-hearted and under a spirit of slumber be yet the more earnest who knows but a little more patience and compassion and zeal may prevail But if after long using the fore-mentioned means you find them still refractory stubborn and to slight your counsel and run on in sin and to grow worse and worse you must add sharp reproofs and if they do no good Prov. 29.19 but they make a mock at them and endeavour to jeer their fellow-servants out of their duty too then you must add blows to your words Prov. 26.3 Stripes are fit for the back of a fool and if neither exhortations reproofs nor corrections will prevail but they continue still like sons of Belial rebellious to God and you Psal 101. then remember your duty is to ease your house of them consider well what danger there is of their infecting the rest of your Servants and Children consult your own peace honour and profit Let not a lyar a company-keeper 2 Cor. 6.14 a vile person dwell in your house when you have used all possible means for his reclaiming what fellowship should light have with darkness remember that God hath made you a Prophet a Priest and a King in your own Family Thirdly Another duty of Masters is diligently and faithfully to instruct their Servants in their Calling conceal nothing of the mystery of your Art from them I mean of what is lawful for if you are skil'd in the Art of cheating you must unlearn that your selves and never teach them that which will hazard their ruin Some Masters are ready to hide the most profitable and ingenious part of their trade from their Servants Remember Sirs that Law and Nature Reason and Religion all command you to be faithful in this thing their Parents or Friends put them to you to teach them an honest Calling and you promised you would do it and it's dishonesty in the highest degree to fail in this Fourthly Be just compassionate and loving be as ready to commend and encourage them for doing their duty as to reprove them for the neglect of it let them want nothing that is fitting for them in the place they are in let their food be wholesom seasonable and sufficient Prov. 31.15 let their clothing be warm sweet and decent let their lodging be warm and sweet and wholesom not too far from your eye and ear let them have rest sufficient to recruit nature and to fit them for God's Service and yours And in case of sickness let them have such tendance physick and diet as they need You can't imagine what obligations you may by this lay upon your Servants to fidelity how acceptable this is to God and how much reputation it will get you among men See an excellent example in the Centurion Mat. 8.5 6. Col. 4.1 Job 31.13 Give unto your Servants that which is just and equal It was Job's commendation that he did not despise the cause of his hand-maid Use your tongues to sweetness a soft word sooner prevails than a hard blow or curse Be punctually faithful to your contract with them pay them their wages to the full it 's better to do more than less than your bargain In a word As the Elect of God put on bowels of pity Col. 3.12 Jam. 1.20 Eph. 4.26 and put off all these anger wrath malice cursing remember the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God Be angry for nothing but sin Remember a Christ-like Gospel-spirit is a spirit of love Gal. 5.22 and peace meekness and faithfulness with these things God and man are well pleased Fifthly Discharge your Servants with sweetness and love and do not grudg that they should have a livelyhood as well as you Send them out of your Family with the counsel the good will of a Father and reckon one that was a faithful Servant to you seven years deserves to be esteem'd next a Child ever after To this end it would not be amiss if you give him as good a report as he deserves to raise his reputation and credit and if you help him as far as you are well able in his setting up you will not repent it upon a Death-bed nor at the Day of Judgment In old time God did require That when a Servant served six years Deut. 15 13 14 he should not be sent away empty but saith the Text thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock out of thy floor and out of thy wine-press and that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him And I know not why this may not be practised still where the Master is wealthy and able and the Servant poor and deserving Col. 5 13. Rom. 13.9 10 1 Thes 4.9 Neither do I know where the Gospel gives us a discharge from the works of Charity and Mercy I come now to Exhort Masters to this work to perform their Duty And this I shall press with a few Motives First Consider what a Master God is to his Servants he is
which will one day be made good upon them and if they will not know what else they should yet let them know this that Because they are a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Of Sabbath Sanctification Serm. VI. Isaiah 58.13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the LORD honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own wayes nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words Then shalt thou delight thy self in the LORD and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy Father for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it THese two verses contain a modell of Sabbath Sanctification The 13. v. contains the Duties enjoyned The 14. v. contains the priviledges annexed The Duties are set forth unto us 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively The Negatively Duties are express't 1. Generally and Comprehensively 2. More particularly and distinctly The Generall in these words If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day Wherein there are three things 1. The thing forbidden i. e. The doing of our pleasures on the Sabbath God never appointed a Sabbath for the satisfaction of corrupt nature 2. The manner of doing or forbearing it and that is by turning away our foot from the Sabbath The meaning of which phrase may be 1. Either a turning away of our mind and affections from each objects to which corrupt will do strongly incline us The Affections are the feet of our souls Secondly Or an awful fear of trespassing upon the Sabbath for the satisfying of our carnal desires As men that are afraid of trespassing upon some great mans free-hold withdraw their foot and turn another way c. The Sabbath is Gods Free-hold of which God saith as once to Moses put thy shooes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground When we are tempted to any thing unworthy of the Sabbath we should make a stop and turn away that we may not transgress 3. The third thing in the General is the reason why we should be so afraid of incroaching upon Sabbath-time implied in this clause upon my holy day Wherein are two considerations 1. It is holy time 2. It is Gods time To take holy time and bestow it upon our own lusts it is profaneness To take Gods time and bestow it upon the uses of the flesh it is sacriledge It is not fit to make sacred time to serve any but sacred uses This is the general inhibition Secondly The more particular and distinct inhibition followeth in the end of the verse Wherein Three things forbidden in the particular 1. We are forbidden the doing of our own ways It is an Hebraism as much as in our English going our own ways i. e. following our carnal and sinful courses pursuing our own corrupt and sensual inclination 2. We are forbidden the finding of our own pleasure which is the same forbidden in the General ut supra only with this difference that there as I conceive pleasure is taken more largely so whatsoever is pleasing to unregenerate nature and inclinations whether they be bodily labour or Carnal recreations profit or pleasures sports or the works of our Callings we must not find them that is we must be so far from making provision for the satisfying of the sensual Appetite that we must not so much as own them when we meet them we must not suffer our selves to be tempted or insnared by them we must be to them when we meet them as if we had neither eyes nor ears nor hands nor feet we must not desire them or have any thing to do with them 3. We are forbidden the speaking of our own words that is our own impertinent discourses worldly contrivances or in the Apostles language All filthiness Eph. 5.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and foolish talking and jesting or any thing that is not convenient Christians should not only consult what is lawful but what is decent and ornamental to the Sabbath None of these things must be so much as named on our days much less on Gods days Christians look to it you may profane the Sabbath by your Words as well as your Works and by vain words as well as by vile words But there is one thing further observable that is the note of appropriation viz. thine own thine own ways thine own pleasure thine own words thine own what is that Answ In opposition to Gods ways Gods pleasures Gods words thereby utterly excluding not only wicked ways and sinful pleasures and profane words whatsoever which are unlawful at all times but even all such ways pleasures words and thoughts also which are the words of the mind which relate to our own private concernments whether personal or domestical of a worldly and secular nature which though they may be lawful upon other days duly circumstantiated yet by no means to be allowed of on Gods day unless they fall under the general exception of Gods own indulgence namely Necessity and Charity of which I shall speak more largely hereafter In a word Nothing may be done or spoken but what is of a divine or Sabbath nature and tendency upon pain of forfeiting our part in the blessed priviledges following verse 14. and so much for the negative part of Sabbath Sanctification I come to the Affirmative And shalt call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord Honourable and shalt honour him In these words also there be four branches or duties 1. We must call the Sabbath a delight 2. We must call it holy or the holy of the Lord. 3. We must call it honourable or glorious 4. We must not only call it honourable but must actually and really honour It or Him by a suitable deportment 1. If we would sanctifie the Sabbath acceptably we must call the Sabbath a delight Call i. e. account it so calling it is an act of the judgment or appreciative faculty a Delight or as some render it thy delights we must reckon the Sabbath inter Delicias as is said of Jerusalem Lam. 1.7 she remembred all her pleasant things surely her Sabbaths were some of those pleasant things it is said Her enemies did mock at her Sabbaths I but she did mourn They were her delightful things whereupon her heart was And so they must be to us But we must also remember to take in with the Day all the Ordinances and religious services and Duties of the day They must not only be done spiritualy holily and Vniversally but they must be done with delight and complacency we must prefer them to our chiefest joy yea the very approach of the Sabbath should be our delight so have all the Saints and servants of God in all ages
of the Church done they have been to them the very joy and life of their souls Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord our feet shall stand within thy gates O Jerusalem I never was â—â—re affected with joy and gladness in all my life then when I was wont to hear the people encouraging one another to assemble themselves to the publique worship of God in the house of God on Gods day O it did my heart good to hear with what alacrity and rejoycing they did provoke one another come let us go to the house of the Lord notably prophesied of in words at length Isa 2.2 3. verses many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem In the loss of Ordinances and Sabbaths they have been dead in the nest like Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not And in the recovery and enjoyment of them they have rejoyced as men rejoyce that divide the spoil see Psal 3. Psal 42. 43. 84. per totum Christians we must write after this copy and count the Sabbath not our Duty only but our Delight and priviledge 2. Affirmative duty The Holy of the Lord. We must call it i. e. ut sup count it keep it as Lichdosh Jehovah sanctum Domini One of the titles of Jesus Christ The Holy one of God we must observe the Sabbath as Holy time Holy yet not by constitution not essentially holy as Christ is holy nor inherently as the Saints are holy but holy by institution by sanction relatively holy the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it i. e. he set it apart for holy uses Deut. 5.12 keep the Sabbath-day to sanctifie it Nothing but holy things must be done in this holy time praying reading hearing singing of Psalms c. as Psal 92. which is both a precept and plat-form for Sabbath-sanctification meditation rejoycing in God and Thanksgiving as you may read at large Thirdly We must call it i. e. count it honourable or the glorious day of God Glorious upon several accounts 1. For Gods glorious resting upon that day Gods rest that is a glorious rest rest of God As things of God in scripture are great and glorious things 2. Glorious or Honourable by a glorious sanction Coyn with the Kings stamp upon it is counted Royal not for the mettal so much though it be of Silver or Gold but for the Image superscription and impression it beareth Every day in the week is Honourable because it is Gods Creation but the Sabbath is glorious for the inscription Jehovah hath set his Image upon it He did sanctifie it It hath Gods sanction upon it and that is glorious 3. It is Honourable for those glorious ends for which it was set apart and they are three 1. That God might sanctifie his people Ezekiel 20.12 moreover I gave them my Sabbaths for a sign between me and them not a ceremonial sign as some would dwindle it that have no more Religion in them than an old rotten Ceremony cometh to but a moral sign i. e. a Testimony Pledge or Covenant whereby it might appear that they were Gods people sanctified to his service and honour So it follows that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifieth them The Sabbath is Gods Medium to raise up to himself an holy people 2. That Gods people might sanctifie him so ver 41. I will be sanctified in you so Levit. 10.3 I will be sanctified in them that draw nigh me God sanctifieth us when he makes us holy we sanctifie God when we acknowledge him to be holy God sanctifieth us when he makes us what we are not we sanctifie him when we acknowledge him to be what he is These be glorious ends but 3. Another glorious end for which God made the Sabbath was that the Sabbath on Earth might be a type and figure of the Sabbath in Heaven That in this initial and imperfect Sabbath on earth we might see though in a glass darkly what the Saints and Angels are doing in Heaven without ceasing that we might peep into Heaven before we come thither and long and wait for that eternal Sabbath A day wherein God bows the Heaven and comes down and offers himself in ways of sweet and friendly Communion with his people Exod. 20. v. 23. Fourth Duty is As we must call and count it glorious so we must actually honour it or him it may be rendred both and indeed when we honour this day we glorifie God and we glorifie God when we make him our end in honouring his day Without both these we do take Gods Name in vain and do but mock God rather in pretending to keep a Sabbath than glorifie him We must set up God in his own day and in his own Institution And thus I have done with the opening of this blessed Model in the Duties of it I should come now to the Priviledges annexed but sufficient to the day is the travel thereof For the Improvement of this doctrinal Exposition I shall do these two Things 1. I shall endeavour the stating of some Cases of Conscience concerning the Sabbath 2. I shall raise some observations instead of more distinct Uses and application Case 1 If it be inquired what Sabbath it is that is here spoken of we shall not need to stick long upon the solution Some indeed of the Antisabbatical Doctors who love neither the Name nor Thing will needs expound it of the yearly Sabbath the day of the strictest rest among the Jews in their solemn convention for Humiliation and Atonement of which we read Levit. 16.31 and 23.27.31 But surely it is an unreasonable straitning of the text to confine it to this especially since the Prophet had sufficiently insisted upon that subject both by way of reproof and Exhortation in the former part of the chapter Here therefore I conceive we are to understand the Weekly Sabbath not only the seventh day Sabbath which was yet in being but the First day Sabbath also which was to succeed the Prophet being an Evangelical Prophet as one calls him the Evangelist Isaiah speaks of the Evangelical Sabbath which was to continue to the end of the world Rules drawn from the Negative part of this model Rules 1. Note in the first place that from the Creation of the world to this day God never suffer'd his Church to be without a Sabbath As soon as ever there was a Church though it was but in its infancy and confin'd within the narrow limits of a single-family and few souls therein God did immediately institute a Sabbath for it Gen. 2.3 And on the seventh day God ended all his works which
holy of the Lord twice in this 13. verse and this not in reference only to the seventh day but in reference to the first day of the week which this Evangelical Prophet had then by divine revelation in his eye How much more doth it concern us who are reserved to this glorious Administration under the Gospel to own the Divine right of the Evangelical Sabbath Surely it is the voice of the glorious Trinity that calls it my holy day God the Father by Creation God the Son by Redemption and God the Holy Ghost by Sanctification sending down a rich and plentiful effusion of Gifts and Graces upon the Apostles for the enabling them to go forth and convert the Gentiles by the preaching of the Gospel To deny God his own right is Sacriledge and Atheism We learn from hence that we must give God the whole Entire day my day saith God a few hours or the forenoon vvill not serve Gods turn but he challengeth the whole time as his own peculiar There is a great dispute amongst Divines when the Sabbath begins and when it ends the text determineth the controversie saith God all is mine The vvhole 24 hours is Sabbath look how many hours vve reckon to our days so many hours vve must reckon to Gods days also if vve vvill be ingenuous Obj. But vvho is able to spend the vvhole 24 hours in religious duties without any intermission Answ None neither is it required for neither do we our selves on our days spend the whole 24 hours in the imployments of our particular places and callings but vve allow our selves a sleeping time and a time for preparing our food and a time for eating and drinking and other refreshments of nature both for our selves and our relations and so doth God also provided always 1. That vve be not overlavish and prodigal in our indulgences to the flesh and the concernments of the outward man that vve exceed not our limits of Christian sobriety and moderation 2. Provided that we do not those things with common spirits we must eat and drink and sleep as part of the Sabbath-work with heavenly minds and Sabbath affections The occasional Sabbaths amongst the Jews gave them a greater latitude no more time of those days being counted holy than was spent in the publique service of the day which continued but from nine of the clock in the morning when the morning sacrifice was to be offered and ended at three of the clock in the afternoon at evening sacrifice But the weekly Sabbath was holy in the whole extent of it not indeed by constitution but by institution and consecration God blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it i. e. set it apart for divine and holy uses of which more infra In our sanctifying of the Sabbath Rule or Note we must have an equal respect to the negative prohibition as to the affirmative injunction i. e. to what is forbidden as well as what is commanded è contra And this is a rule which holds in the exposition of all the Commandments of the Law and of the Gospel Cease to do evil and learn to do good The negative and affirmative precept have such a mutual relation one to another that one doth infer the other and take away one and you destroy the other It is impossible to do what is commanded without due care of avoiding what is prohibited neither can that man rationally pretend to keep the Sabbath that lieth a bed all day because he doth not work not he that followeth his servile labour because possibly he may perform some religious duties What God hath joined together let no man put asunder Carnal sports and pleasures are as great a profanation of the Sabbath as the most servile labour and drudgery in the world Dicing and carding do as much violate the Law of the Sabbath as digging and carting playing as much as ploughing dancing and morrice-games as much as working in the smiths-forge Bowling and shooting as well as hewing of wood and drawing of water The reasons are clear for 1. Sports and pleasures are as expresly forbidden as bodily labour in our ordinary vocation for he that said thou shalt do no manner of work said also thou shalt not find thine own pleasures c. 2. Sports and pleasures are as inconsistent with a Sabbath frame of spirit as the grossest labour in our calling yea I 'le undertake that a man in his particular calling may more easily get good thoughts of God and of eternal life c. than a person that is drench't and immers't in vain delights and sports In such cases men are usually so intent upon their sports and pastimes that it is not easie to edge in a good serious thought in the midst of sensual delights Tota in toto tota in quâliâ—et parte A man in his carnal pleasures is like the soul in the body All in all and all in every part of their pleasing vanities pleasures do fox and intoxicate the brain when as labour is apt to make them serious and considerate 3. Reason Pleasures are as great diversions from the duty of a Sabbath as labours It is conceived Adam should have had a Sabbath in Paradise had he persisted in innocence why not because his dressing of the garden would have wearied him for weariness is the fruit of sin but his dressing of the garden would have been a diversion from attending his Creator in the Ordinances of a Sabbath 4. Carnal pleasures leave a defilement on the spirits and so do totally unfit the soul for communion with God That Character lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God how fully doth it agree to such kind of profaners of the Sabbath Pleasures draw off the mind from God and justly cause God to withdraw from the soul how totally doth this indispose to Sabbath work In heaven they cease not day and night saying holy holy holy c. Oh Christians never think of reconciling carnal pleasure and Communion with God together it is impossible 7th Obs Not speaking thine own words The Sabbath is polluted by words as well as by works Christ will judge men in the great day for their words and by them will he either justifie thee for sanctifying the Sabbath or condemn thee for profaning of it I am afraid it is the great controversie God hath with this nation not only profane but even professors are all guilty of not sanctifying the name and Day of God in their talk and discourses upon the Sabbath Day If Jesus Christ should join himself to our Tables Luke 24.15 16 17. or lesser companies as he did with the two Disciples going to Emaus and ask us what manner of communications are these which ye have one with another how might the question fill our faces with paleness and strike us speechless Alass who can tell what day it is by mens discourses and conferences one with another how vain foolish unprofitable and unsavory is most
come now to the Positive and Affirmative part There we saw what we are forbidden as that whereby the Sabbath is polluted Here we are informed what we are commanded as that whereby the Sabbath is sanctified i. e. kept holy to the Lord as we are enjoined keep the sabbath-Sabbath-day tâ— sanctifie it c. in these words following And shalt call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour Him c. In this Positive model are contained four great comprehensive branches or Duties wherein the sanctification of the Sabbath doth consist sc 1. We must call it our delight 2. We must call it Holy or the Holy of the Lord. 3. We must call it Honourable or Glorious 4. We must not only call the day an honourable day but we must really and actually honour God or honour the day The Heads are few but they are very comprehensive and such as will afford us in the opening of them much matter for our use and direction in the sanctification of the Sabbath although I intend in this exercise but briefly to touch upon some few particular heads or rules reserving the more full and ample enlargement thereof to some other opportunity The first is we must call the Sabbath a Delight or the pronoun supplied thy Delight Call it so we are not to account the Sabbath as an ordinary and common thing but to put a very high and precious valuation upon it as delightful the holy of the Lord and of honourable renown A delight thy delight we must call it so account it so or make it so The Sabbath must be a delectable thing to us a nest of sweetnesses the delight of our eyes the joy and rejoicing of our hearts a day wherein all our comforts and pleasures do concentre all our fresh springs must be in it And this I humbly conceive the Holy Ghost doth most significantly oppose unto the pleasures forbidden before in this same verse If thou turn away thy foot from doing thy pleasure c. q.d. must we be excluded and shut out from all pleasures and delights upon the Sabbath No saith the Holy Ghost sanctifie the Sabbath of Jehovah and thou shalt not need to fear the want of pleasure neither shalt thou need to be beholden to the flesh or the world for delights The Sabbath it self will be incomparably more sweet and delectable to thee than all the sensual and luscious contentments and satisfactions which this whole sublunary world can afford Make the Sabbath thy delight and thou shalt need to knock at no other door for pleasurable entertainments If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee call my Sabbath thy Delight he would make his day unto thee a spring of sweetness that shall alwaies be flowing out to eternal life a day well spent with God will fill the soul with joy unspeakable and full of glory Qu. But what shall we do that we may make the Sabbath our Delight or When may we be said to call it so or make it so 1. We then call the Sabbath our delight Rules or signs of making the Sabbath a delight when we can rejoice in the approach of the Sabbath See how holy David doth solace his soul in the joyful expectation of Communion with God when his banishment from the Ordinances did approach Psal 43.4 Then shall I go unto the altar of God unto God my exceeding joy Heb. the gladness of my joy 2. Our early stirring up of our selves to bid the Sabbath welcom to our hearts and habitations Psal 63.1 So the holy Prophet O God thou art my God early will I seek thee The earliness of his devotions shews the delight that he took in them truly the great indulgence that most Christians allow themselves in their bed on the Lords day is an infallible argument how little delight they take in Gods day or in the Ordinances thereof 3. Then we may be said to call the Sabbath our delight when we are universally careful to sanctifie God in all the institutions of the day both publique private and secret And are sollicitous so to Methodize and time them that they may not justle out or interfere with one another that is to say to be so early in our closet-devotion that the closet may not exclude or streighten the duties of the Family and so to perform the Domestick Duties that they may not trespass upon our attendance on the more solemn publick worship of God An universal respect to all the institutions of a Sabbath is an evident demonstration that we call the Sabbath our delight Psal 119.6 As David evidenceth to his own soul the sincerity of his Obedience Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy commandments 4. When we are angry with or impatient of any diversions from or disturbance in any duty or services of the day To be glad of a diversion argueth little love to or delight in the Sabbath I esteemed saith Job the words of his mouth more than my necessary food Job 23.12 Heb. appointed food 5. And lastly Then we call the Sabbath a Delight when the bare having of a Sabbath without the presence of God in the Sabbath and the Ordinances thereof will not satisfie us Psal 16. ult Delight springs principally from the presence of God In thy presence is fulness of joy This delight is promised as a reward in the verse following Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord. There is a Delight of Duty and there 's a Delight of dispensation and this is the reward of that that is Our work this is Gods work when a gracious heart sets it self to delight in a Sabbath and in the Ordinances thereof then often God is pleased graciously to come in and to fill the Ordinances and by it the soul with his own presence His Convincing presence Enlightning presence Converting presence Quickning presence Strengthning presence Comforting presence And when the soul cannot be satisfied unless it be in some measure sensible of Gods presence in some of these blessed respects or other then doth it really call the Sabbath a Delight Psal 63.1 Thus doth the holy Psalmist O God thou art my God early will I seek thee why what would he have it follows v. 2. to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in thy sanctuary It is not the sanctuary of God only but Communion with God in the sanctuary which Davids soul thirsted after This is to call the Sabbath a delight I come to the second duty We must call the Sabbath the holy of Jehovah Sanctum Domini Lichdosh Jehovah This title is very significant We must not only count the Sabbath holy but the holy of the Lord. It is as it were one of the Titles ascribed to the Son of God for so he is called thou wilt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption Acts 2.27 3.14
Cant. 3. This is to call the day Honourable Thirdly Then we call it Honourable when we have a precious esteem of every moment of Sabbath-time and jealous lest any drop of it should run waste even the filings of Gold and the dust of Diamonds are pretious No man can call the Sabbath Glorious that sets light by an hour or minute or moment of so Divine a creation Time is a ring of Gold but the Sabbath is the rich sparkling Diamond in it Davids heart smote him for cutting off but a lap of Sauls Royal coat So should ours for profaning or unprofitably wasting any part of Christ's day It is like his seamless coat and cannot be divided without sacriledge Fourthly The day is honourable when we have a singular esteem of all the Institutions and Ordinances of the day When Prayer is precious and the word Read Preached is precious when singing of Psalms is precious the Sacraments precious when every one in its time and order is observed with such due regard that none do justle out or exclude the other but one doth catch in the other as the links in a chain of Gold Fifthly When it is the grief of our souls that we can keep Sabbaths no better and strive cordially and conscientiously to keep the next better than we did the last Sixthly and lastly when we are careful that all ours as well as our selves keep Sabbaths this is a main clause in our obedience to the 4th commandment Thou thy Son and thy Daughter thy man-servant and thy maid-servant c. Every one in their several capacities must keep the Sabbath To be strict our selves in the duties of a Sabbath and careless what the rest of our Families do whether our children or servants steep or be idle dance or play at cards sing idle songs or take Gods name in vain c. This is not to call the Sabbath Honourable Deut. 5.14 Gen. 8.19 I know Abraham that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord. And shalt honour him or glorifie him From Cabad honorare The verb in the Hebrew Vecibbactto may be rendred It or Him but the sence seems to incline to the latter Him rather than It the day having had its title of veneration put upon it before honourable this may more properperly belong to God even to the whole blessed and glorious Trinity requiring at the hands of every one that enjoyeth this blessed priviledge of a Sabbath that they ascribe the honour and glory of it unto God and that is done 1. When we make divine Authority the sole ground of our separating and sanctifying the whole day to his peculiar Service and Worship without alienating any part or parcel of that holy time to our own carnal uses and purposes Keep the Sabbath day to sanctifie it there 's the duty as the Lord thy God commanded thee there 's the Authority 2. When as we make Gods command our ground so we make Gods glory our end When we make it our design to set up God Father Son and Holy Ghost in all his glorious and infinite perfections in our Adorations and Admirations upon that his holy day And that is done in a special manner when we make it the great business of a Sabbath To ascribe to each glorious Person in the Trinity the glory of his proper work and operation whereby he challengeth a title to and interest in the Sabbath ex gra 1. When we ascribe to God the Father the glory of the stupendious work of Creation and that is done by a due contemplation of all his glorious Attributes shining forth in this beautiful structure of heaven and earth celebrated by the Royal Psalmist in Psal 19. v. 1. The heavens declare the glory of the Lord and the firmament sheweth his handy work the transcendent excellencies of the glorious Jehovah are conspicuous and illustrious in this admirable Theatre of the world that is to say 1. His Power 1. In creating all things out of nothing 2. And that by a word of his mouth 2. His Wisdom In making all things in such a beautiful and exact manner and order Galen l. de usu partium As the great Physitian said of the body of man no man can come after God and say this might have been better so in the Fabrick of Heaven and Earth neither man nor Angels can say here is a Defect and there is a redundancy it had been better there had been more Suns and fewer stars more land and less Sea c. No when the divine prophet had stood and in his most serious contemplation looked through the Creation he could spye out nothing that could have been otherwise but breaks out in admiration O Lord how manifold are thy works In wisdom hast thou made them all he could see nothing from one end of the Universe to the other but what speaks infinite perfection In wisdom hast thou made them all and as the Omnipotency and wisdom of God is magnified in the Creation so also 3. His bounty in bestowing all this visible creation upon man for his use and benefit as one saith God made man last that he might bring him as a father brings his son into an house ready furnished This is one branch of our honouring God when we ascribe to God the Father the glory of the work of Creation Secondly When we ascribe to God the Son the glory of his most glorious work of Redemption wherein these particulars are wonderful 1. His inessable incarnation 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the mystery of godliness God manifest in the flesh i. e. The invisible God made visible in a bâ—dy of flesh This was a Mystery indeed A Son in Heaven without a Mother Gal 4.4 And a Son on Earth without a Father Secondly Christ his stupendious being made under the Law Behold he that made the Law was made under the Law under the Ceremonial Law that he might abolish it under the Moral Law The preceptive power of it that he might fulfill it that so every believer might have a Righteousness which he may call his own Rom. 10.4 The maledictive power of it that he might take it away Gal. 3.13 3. Christ his work of Redemption was principally transacted by his death and passion for therein he laid down pretium Redemptionis Acts 20.28 the price of Redemption which was his own precious blood 1 Pet. 1.18 19 20. 4. This great work and mystery of our Redemption was perfectly consummated in Christ his glorious Resurrection Col. 2.15 wherein he spoiled principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some render it in it and would refer it to his Cross but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be understood here in the masculine gender not in the neuter and so to be translanted in himself Christ rising from the dead like a conqueror lead
but for a sin when the greater should take place God hath made his Laws and our Duty to be the means of our own good It is no profaneness but duty to omit that which else would be a duty when a greater is to be preferred God calls it the Sacrifice of a Fool who knoweth not that he doth evil under the name of duty when Sacrifice is preferred before an obedient hearing of Gods Commands Eccl. 5.1 2 3. It was no want of holy zeal in Christ which made him bid the unreconciled leave thy Gift at the Altar and first go and be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy Gift Matth. 5.24 Some zealous Persecutors Censurers and Dividers now would think I spake like an ungodly person if I should say to them Let your Liturgy and your Prayers and your Worship stay till you have confessed and lamented your injuries to your Brethren and then come and offer your service to God and lift up pure hands to him without wrath and doubting yet is it no more than God often calls for to the hypocritical Jews Isa 1.11 c. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices when ye come and appear before me Who hath required this at your hands to tread in my Courts Bring no more vain Oblations Incense is an abomination to me When ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of bloud Wash you make you clean Relieve the oppressed Isa 58.2.3 c. They seek me daily and delight to know my ways as a Nation that did righteousness and forsook not the Ordinances of their God they ask of me the Ordinances of Justice they take delight in approaching to God Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not Have we afflicted our Soul and thou takest no knowledge Ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness Ye shall not fast as this day to make your voice to be heard on high Is it such a fast that I have chosen a day for a man to afflict his Soul to bow down his head as a bull-rush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him Wilt thou call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickedness and to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every yoke Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house When thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thy own flesh Then shall thy Light break forth as the Morning and thy health shall spring forth speedily and thy righteousness shall go before thee the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say Here I am It is a point that our Lord Jesus layeth a great stress upon He purposely healeth on the Sabbath day and tells the censorious Pharisees The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath that is the end which is man's good is to be preferred before the means nay it is no means and so no duty which is against it He defendeth his Disciples for getting themselves food as they passed in the Corn-fields and he teacheth them the lawfulness of the Priest's labour on the Sabbath and of David's eating of the Shew-bread and at two several times doth tell them that God will have Mercy and not Sacrifice and biddeth them go learn what that meaneth Mat. 4.13 and Mat. 12.7 And it is not only Pharisees but many better men who have need to go learn the meaning of that Sentence The meaning i◠this that caeteris paribus the great duties of the Law of Nature are to take place before the positive Institutions God's Institutions are for man's good whatever is a duty is also a means to the happiness of man and pleasing of God which is the end of all Love to God and 〈◊〉 greater than all the instituted means of them as such therefore 〈◊〉 no duty which is no means or is against the Instituter's end Preaching and Prayer must be omitted for some works of love and humane good Discipline is a duty when it is a means to the end for which it is ordained But when it would hinder or destroy that end the reputation of Religion and the glory of God's Holiness and the Churche's good it is no duty but a sin To omit a Sacrament to break the Rest of the Lord's day to forbear the Sacred Assemblies may be a duty when the good of men requireth them Ordination is a duty when it is a means to its proper end But if it were pleaded against those ends and order set against the thing ordered even the work of the Ministry the case would be altered When men mistake and mis-time and mis-place God's Institutions to the excluding of the great Moral duties which are their end and perswade men to that as a part of Religion which would certainly do more hurt than good they scandalously drive men away from Religion Thus imprudent scandalous Professors can backbite and reproach others and make them odious and destroy Christian Love and Peace and Concord on pretence of Zeal for Order Government Ceremonies Forms or for this or that Mode of Discipline or Worship not having learned what this meaneth I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice nor that Forms and External Institutions were made for man and not man for them And yet I know that this will not justifie the Familist or Hypocrite who thinks that he may do any thing to save his flesh Do you think it is not a scandal to Turks or other Infidels tempting them to deride or hate Christianity to find the Papists placing their Merits in hurtful Pilgrimages which waste that time which should be spent and in a multitude of unprofitable Ceremonies and in unwholesome food and injuries to health under the Names of Abstinence and Mortification By this Rule they may next perswade us that it will please God if men famish or hang themselves and consequently if they do so by others For we must love our Neighbour but as our selves God himself hath made all our Religion so suitable to our good that he expecteth not that we should take any thing for our duty but what he giveth us Evidence in the thing or security by his promise shall be our gain He that worketh upon self-love and winneth man by a Saviour and a glorious reward and proveth the goodness of all his Word and ways as to our happiness hath instituted none of his Ordinances to our hurt The Apostles had their power only to Edification and not the Destruction or hurt of Souls 2 Cor. 10.8 and 13.10 Let all things be done to Edifying 1 Cor. 14.26 is a word of greater comprehension
A SUPPLEMENT TO THE Morning-Exercise At CRIPPLE-GATE OR Several more Cases of Conscience Practically Resolved by sundry Ministers The Second Edition Our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and Godly sincerity not with fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our conversation in the World 2 Cor. 1.12 Conscientia est nescio quid divinum nunquam perit officium nostrum nobis semper ad memoriam revocat Doroth. Bibl. Pat. T. 4. p. 769. Quaerimus quomodo animus semper aequalis secundoque cursu eat propitius sibi sit sua laetus adspiciat hoc gaudium non interrumpat sed placido statu maneat nec attollens se unquam nec deprimens Seneca de Tranq anim p. 678. LONDON Printed for Thomas Cockerill at the Sign of the Atlas in Cornhil near the Royal-Exchange MDCLXXVI To that part of Christ's Flock to which I am more specially related Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour Beloved Christians AS I called in a Contribution of Help for the composing of a Legacy for others before my Civil Death so I now tender you A Supplement to that Exercise for your better liveliness of Spiritual Life I shall say nothing to commend these Sermons to you my Brethren are all herein unanimous to seek the Church's Profit not their own Applause only this I must say to prevent mistake viz. If any curious Reader shall find matter of Exception besides the Errors of Printing which I confess are too many the blame must be Personal because this joynt-work is no otherwise Social than as single Pearls strung together make one Neck-lace I easily grant here 's not yet a stating of all important Cases yet be this known to you whoever shall follow these Directions shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the work of the Lord nor miss of an abundant entrance into his Everlasting Kingdom Live up to what you have attained and you may be confident that what is further wanting God will as you want it supply it Be assur'd of this that you will get more skill and strength for all necessary Graces and Duties by an humble serious constant Course of Godliness than you possibly can do by captious Criticismes and wrangling Contentions about lesser things in which too many spend their Lives I herein appeal to your Consciences should not these Sermons answer expectation but according to your judgment either the Cases are ill chose or not well stated in that the Matter is either defective or redundant the Language too curious or too careless the Directions too common or too singular I appeal from your Passions to your Consciences and down-right charge you in the Name of my Master who must be your Judg that you read with other Spectacles These are not calculated to humour you but to better you These are not Duties to be cavil'd at but to be practised O that you may be effectually perswaded 1. That your Love to God Sermon 1 must be predominant and growing or you degrade your selves below the Beasts 2. That your Love to Man must be universal and spiritual Sermon 2 Sermon 3 or you can't evidence your Love to God 3. That your Love to the World must truckle under both be subservient to both and never be otherwise for if the World master you 't will â—â—in you Oh that your awakened Sermon 4 Consciences may now allarm you 4. To catch at Salvation while it is Sermon 5 offer'd lest you perish for ever Though 't is a vexed Problem 5. What Knowledg is necessary to Salvation yet can you satisfie your Consciences without diligent Endeavours to proportion your Knowledg to the Means you enjoy And to bring forth Fruits every day as those that in some Sermon 6 measure feel 6. What 't is to be in the Spirit on the Lord's Day and Sermon 7 8. that the Word 7. Preach'd and 8. Read may be so impress'd upon Heart and Life that it may be an infallible Evidence you are taught of God And when through weakness of the Flesh your Duties may prove Sermon 9 wearisom 9. Learn to refresh your selves with the Songs of Zion But would you have more particular Directions They are before you Sermon 10 Here you may learn true Christianity 10. In the daily Improvement of Sermon 11 your Baptism Here you may learn 11. How to propagate Religion to Posterity by riveting Truth upon your own Hearts and teaching it to Sermon 12 others but while you are giving Milk to Babes 12. Excuse not your selves upon any account whatsoever from frequent and hungry feeding upon stronger Meat Be you as willing to seal to the Conditions of the Covenant as you are desirous God should seal to the Promises of it But who is sufficient for these things Pour out your Hearts therefore and Sermon 13 list up your Souls to God in all manner of Prayer 13. Let extraordinary Sermon 14 Prayer answer that title 14. Your secret Prayer speak secret Communion Sermon 15 with God 15. Let your Family prayer bring down Blessings upon your Family that you be neither Holy nor Happy alone but that when your Family-relations shall cease they may bless God to Eternity that ever there were such Relations between you Now therefore Sermon 16 16. Let Husbands and Wives be the liveliest Emblems in the World of Sermon 17 Christ and his Church 17. Let Parents and Children be the Evidences and Pledges of God's special presence with this and the next Sermon 18 Generation 18. Let Masters and Servants adorn the Gospel by their exemplary Faithfulness to their Heavenly Master Thus doing Sermon 19 19. Your Thoughts will be cured and in them you 'l enjoy God Sermon 20 20. Your Tongues will in some sense be God's glory as well as yours But Sermon 21 then 21. You must cautiously avoid the catching Canker of Detraction Sermon 22 22. So you shaâ—l by your Conversations convince the World there 's an Excellency in Christianity And that all this may be as well acceptable Sermon 23 to God as approved of Men 23. Do all in the Name of Christ and Sermon 24 while you thus embarque with Christ 24. He 'l steer you safe between Presumption and Despair those Rocks upon one of which most perish Hereby also 25. You 'l make your Port with the chearing Joys of an Sermon 25 Heroick Faith 26. And keep above all Vexing Discontents with your Sermon 26 Worldly Condition 27. And what Afflictions God's wise Love shall Sermon 27 inflict you 'l be able to bear them with more than a Roman Courage 28. And though reproachful Reproofs may bear hard upon you you 'l not Sermon 28 fret but welcome them as a precious Balm But when you have done your best yet through the Remainders of Corruption Guilt will be contracted 29. You can't but be restless till it be removed 30. Then you Sermon 29 30. may rather hope for than
in looking after riches and honour and the vanities of the World Oh! but now now now pursue Salvation It is a must-be and if the present time be gone you may be undone for ever 2. Salvation is that which imports rest and satisfaction Salvation it is the Soul's quietation and ease Heaven is that center of the Soul you are never at rest till you come there Now the object of rest is speedily to be pursued How doth every thing hasten to its rest its center how doth the stone with eagerness hasten to the Earth when thrown from the top of an high steeple how swiftly doth the fire fly upwards to its rest to its center with what a rapid motion with what a fierce career do the Rivers run into the Sea they are going to their place the place of waters Is Heaven thy rest is Heaven thy center why is thy tendency to it so sluggish You owe unto life Eternal all those propensions and all those inclinations wherewith all the things of the World are carried to the centers The speed that the wicked make in getting to Hell proclaims that Hell is their proper place and center though not for rest but restlessness Shall every thing hasten to rest but thy Soul it was the speech of Naomi to her Daughter my Daughter shall I not seek rest for thee Oh that every one would say unto his Soul my Soul shall I not look after rest for thee in the bosom of God and the eternal fruition of himself the little Infant that cryes for sleep will rise up in judgment against a sinner that doth not look after the rest of his Soul That little Infant that cryes for sleep out-goeth thee in wisdom 3. It is a day of Salvation and the pursuing of Salvation is Opus grande a great work a vast employment many things are required to accomplish it many lusts to be subdued many duties to be discharged many temptations to be resisted many relations to be filled Now a great work must be begun betimes If you had but a little to do in the day you might lie in bed a great while in the morning but you have a vast work to do and therefore get up early Some poor Creatures will rise up early to washing a pitiful work to the cleansing of thy Soul a far greater work surely than to wash clothes If you had a thousand Souls they might all be employed for the obtaining of Salvation If every singer were a hand they might all be employed in getting of Salvation He that hath many Children to look after and a small Estate many to feed and cloath he saith I must rise early and sit up late None have so much business as a Christian The work of Christianity is never at an end The art of Religion is never learned There is still an c. still something remaining to be done Blessed Paul thought himself far from perfection I do not look upon my self as having attained the best have much more to be done than they have already done I have read of a famous Limner who when he had wrought his picture in the best and most curious manner would never write at the bottom feci but faciebam I did it not I have done it because he judged he had never wrought any picture so well but he might work it better and add something more of art to it A Christian's art is never complete while he liveth in this world nor ever did a Saint think himself a complete Artist How exceeding large are the commands of God! how little is our most and how bad is our best compared with the rule 4. This delaying in the pursuit of Salvation is a delaying to be freed from the greatest evil What is that the wrath of God guilt damnation hell Delaying to be freed from extreme miseries is confuted by constant experience what condemned Malefactor will delay to get free from his chains from his dungeon from the sentence of death what tormented person upon the rack will say I must consider before I accept of ease and when ease and riddance from the rack are offered if instantly he will accept thereof will say I will consider of it I will give answer of it hereafter if a dust fly into the eye thou hastest to get it out and wilt thou not hast to ease thy soul who ever deliberated whether he would come out of the fire or no 't is more mad to deliberate whether thou wilt be saved or no and get out of the state of damnation Here is no place for deliberation 't is no measuring cast 5. Salvation it is our Own concern it is Opus proprium our own business it is not another's It may be a slothful apprentice will be backward to rise in the morning when he is to do his Master's business but when he sets up for himself and is to gather an Estate for himself he will go about his business speedily Salvation is a work for your selves the gain thereof is your own gain Whatever you get here goes into your own purse Here if you are wise you are wise for your selves Prov. 9.12 Oh that we had more true self-love the common self-love in the world is imployed about our bodily self the shell the sheath of the true self which is the body Few men truly love their true self 't is a common proverb interest will not lye yet the Soul that delays Salvation his interest lyes He walks contrary to it and neglects that wherein all his blessedness doth consist make sorts of his own Salvation 6. It is a day of Salvation and Salvation recompences for all earliness and earnestness Salvation maketh amends for all the sufferings and services of time How poor how short and slight is our work compared with our wages If there could be any trouble in Heaven it would be this that we have laboured for it no more and no sooner upon Earth Thou hast no more to live on to Eternity than what thou layest up here As our obedience is small compared with our rule prescribed so it is very small compared with our recompence promised Though nothing can recompence for the neglect of Salvation yet Salvation can recompence for the neglecting of all other things Nor only doth it recompence for our neglecting of all things but for our being neglected of all persons and for all our reproaches for our early pursuing it all which will easily be confuted with this answer 't is better to be reproached and derided for being too speedy than damned for being too slow in entring into Heaven's way 't is more easy to bear the scorns of the World than the scourges of Conscience I conclude We can never regard Salvation too soon for we can never either injoy it or think we can enjoy it too long What Spiritual knowledge they ought to seek for that desire to be saved and by what means they may attain it Serm. V. Isaiah 27.11
this part of God's Worship Zeph. 3.15 17. In the beginning of the Christian Aera when the Gospel first made the World happy with its glorious shine we find the primitive Christians much taken up in this Duty Cyprian in his Epistle to Donatus Nec est hora Convivii Caelestis gratiae immunis Sonet Psalmis convivium Sobrium Cypr. adviseth That there may not be an hour of feasting without some Heavenly grace and let every sober feast be accompanied with Singing of Psalms And Chrysostome in his Commentary on the 41th Psalm admonishes all persons Countrey-men Marrines Weavers c. to sing Psalms and spiritual Songs Estius cries out Take notice of the custome of the Primitive Christians who did not only sing Psalms and Hymns in their publique Assemblies but in their private Families Eusebius relates That Plinius Secundus in an Epistle he wrote to Trajan the Emperour makes mention that the Christians of those times being gathered together before day Sang Hymns and Praises to Christ as to a God This was about the year 98 after the birth of our Saviour Those early and more pure times rejoyced in this Duty Nicephorus tells us that Chrysostome caused Psalms to be Sung for the suppression of the Arrian Heresie And Ruffin witnesseth That Basil commanded the people to meet for the pouring out of their prayers to God and for singing of Psalms to the Most High The worthy Junius informs us That the Eastern Church from the time the Sun of Righteousness arose in the East did propagate the practice of Singing of Psalms to successive Generations And Paulinus testifies Per omnes penè Occidentis provincias manasse refert Paulin. That this practice overspread every Province of the Western Church Holy Ambrose so zealously pressed this Duty of Singing Psalms that he would not allow times of persecution to be a sufficient excuse for the neglect of it But the Empress Justina raging against Ambrose He commanded the Common people to lye in the Church and there Sing Psalms and Hymns according to the practice of the Oriental Christians that they might not be sensible of their sorrows or tediousness And this Custome prevailed in after times and was scattered in other places the Churches in other parts imitating this Worthy Practice This then was the Genius of the primitive Times In the middle times of the Church Rabanus Maurus and Gregory the Great mention this service with great approbation and speak liberally of the practice of it But since the Reformation the universal practice of the Reformed Churches give free suffrage to the Duty of Singing Psalms and I need not cite Zanchy c. to give in their testimony our judgments being best discovered by our practises 3. In all places Moses praiseth God by singing in the Wilderness throughout the 15th Chapter of Exodus David practises this Duty in the Tabernacle Psal 47.6 Solomon in the Temple Psal 10.12 Jehosaphat in the Camp 2 Chron. 20.21 Christ and his Apostles in a particular Chamber Mat. 26.30 And Paul and Silas in an uncomfortable Prison Act. 19.25 We may say of Singing as the Apostle speaks of Prayer 1 Tim. 2.8 I will saith he that men pray every where lifting up holy hands Thus every place is now Commodious for lifting up pure voices and pure hearts to the Most High Where devout Christians meet in any convenient place to sing praises to the Lord they make up a Heavenly Quire 4. In all Conditions 1. In a time of chearfulness and inward joy The Apostle James commands us then to take the advantage of singing Psalms Jam. 5.13 Holy Singing is the best Exertion of inward rejoycing Joy may excite must not stifle this Duty A dilated heart is fittest for a raised voice 2. In a time of affliction Paul and Silas sang in Prison a place of sorrow and confinement Acts 16.25 A chain might bind their feet but not their tongue while others sleep they sing and turn their Dungeon into a Chappel Holy singing can nobilitate every Duty and raise it to a better Notion 3. In a time of Fear When some would press Luther with the dangers the Church was in and what a black Cloud hung over Zion he would presently call for the 46th Psalm to be sung and he thought that Psalm was a charm against all fears whatsoever And since Quemadmodum est emnium Deus olim uterque Sexus adâ—ibebatur ad laudes Dei canendas Rivet Importunas in Ecclesia lâ—quacitates Apostoli Domini in Ecclesiis Magistri med stiae gravitatis reprimore studentes ut mulieres in ipsis Caâ—erent sepien in coâ—cilio permiserunt Isid Pelus this Psalm is called Luther's Psalm his sacred spell against invading Fears 5. By all Sexes Miriam sings a Song to God Exod. 15.21 as well as Moses Rivet well observes God is the Lord of both Sexes and therefore both may sing his praises Every Sex may tune their hearts to proclaim their Thanksgivings to God And so Deborah may sing her song as well as Barak Judg. 5.1 Holy singing befits the Female as well as the Masculine Tongue though Women may not speak yet they may sing in the Church there is no silence imposed on them in this particular Rivet here takes notice Women are not to be driven from joining in Divine praises when the Apostle enjoyns singing of Psalms and Hymns upon all believers Col. 13.16 And here Isidore Polusiota well interposes Although the holy Apostles those masters of modesty will not permit womens loquacity and the loudness of their Tongues yet in the greatness of their Wisdom they do permit the loudness of their Voices in singing forth the praises of the Almighty Thus He. Women though they are removed by Apostical command from the Desk or Pulpit yet they are not debarr'd the Quire to join in that Harmony where God's praises are elevated And now we come to speak of that Honour which God hath put upon this Heavenly Duty And this will appear in three things viz. 1. God hath Honoured this duty with glorious appearances This we find upon record in 2 Chron. 5.13 And it came to pass as the Trumpeters and Singers were as one to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord and when they lift up their voice with Trumpets and Cymbals and Instruments of Musick and praised the Lord saying For he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Then the House was filled with a Cloud even the House of the Lord. The Cloud was a certain sign of Divine presence in those times A Cloud to rain blessings a Cloud because Divine brightness would over-power human sight a Cloud not to darken Service but to denote the certainty of God's approach 2. With Eminent Victories This we find upon record 2 Chron. 20.21 22. And when he had consulted with the people he appointed Singers unto the Lord that they should praise the Beauty of Holiness as they went out before the Army and to say
acceptance with God or in a condition of spiritual life that is the forerunner and earnest of a life of glory 2. But again if you consider the nature of the drink which he hath appointed it is wine and not water By it may be signified thus much that as there is no sort of drink so grateful to the palate so reviving and strengthning to the spirits so that spiritual life that the Soul is raised to by the Death of Christ is a life of the greatest pleasure and joy that is conceivable for as no liquor like Wine doth chear a sad drooping spirit so nothing doth so glad and chear the Soul as Faith in a Crucified Christ according to that of the Apostle Peter in whom though we have not seen 1 Pet. 1.8 yet believing we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory Thus much for the Duty this do 2. The end of the Duty and that is in remembrance of me Here are two things to be inquired into I. What reason was there for the instituting an Ordinance for his remembrance II. Why of all the acts and expressions of his love to sinners above all he would be remembred in his sufferings for us which is the special signification of this Supper 1 To the first I say you must call to mind that the time of instituting this supper was the night before that day he died Now the consequent of his Death was to be this that he should be taken from Earth to Heaven there to be personally present till the day of judgment Now that his Church on Earth might not forget him in this long absence he therefore appointed this supper for a frequent quickning them to the remembrance of him till he came again 2 To the other Question I Answer That the reasons why Jesus would have this act of his love to be especially remembred above all other may be these 1. Because his dying for his Church was the greatest act of love he ever shewed his Church Greater love saith Christ hath no man than this John 15.13 1 John 3.16 that a man lay down his life for his friends Again saith the Apostle Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us If a man should part with his liberty and suffer bonds or lay down his estate and become poor or leave his Country and become an exile for his friend these were all expressions of great love but none of them are comparable to laying down life and shedding ones blood for a friend This last is that wherein Christ hath eminently demonstrated his love to his Church this he glorieth in and this is that which he would never have his Church forget but frequently remember in this supper 2. Because that though he gave and still doth give very great testimonies of his love to us as in his Resurrection Ascension Intercession preparing Glory and lastly in his coming again to raise us justifie us and to take us to himself to behold and enjoy that Glory that he had with the Father before the World was yet this Ordinance is rather for the remembrance of his bloody Death for us than for the remembrance of any of the other blessings and why Because that all these other depend on this Christ could never have risen to our justification had he not died for the satisfaction of the Law and his Fathers Justice Nor would he have been admitted as an Intercessor nor have been allowed one mansion in Glory for any of us nor would his Father have suffered him to have returned again to take any one of us to himself if he had not by his death made our peace opened the new way into the Holy of Holies and purchased a glorious Resurrection and an Ascension to the Heavenly and eternal glory for us So that since all his other acts of love to his Church depend on this of his dying no wonder if he appointed this Supper for the remembrance of his death rather than any thing else he either did or promised to do for us The Conclusion is that since that the end of this Ordinance is so glorious and that is the remembrance of the greatest love that ever God the Father or Son shewed to us it cannot but cast a Lustre and Glory upon the duty of coming to this Supper and engage us to a chearful participation thereof 3. The Obligation to this duty and that is Christ's Command this is implied in the Text but exprest in the foregoing verse what saith the Apostle Paul I have received of the Lord that which also I declare unto you The Apostle doth but declare the Command is Christ's he is the Author of it It is Christ not Paul that said This do in remembrance of me Christ's Commands are the bonds by which we are tied up to Obedience if we break his bonds we are transgressors Remember who they were that conspired together saying Let us break his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from us they were such that the Lord hath in derision to whom he will one day speak in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure The commands of superiors set out all duty to inferiors and punish for neglect and the higher or greater the superior is the more authority hath the command and the greater punishment will be inflicted on the disobedient If disobedience to the word spoken by Angels received a just recompence of reward of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy that disobey the command of Jesus Christ If a Child's disobedience deserves the rod or a Servants the cudgel or a Subjects the axe or halter what doth disobedience to the Lord Jesus deserve that is greater than Father or Master or any earthly Soveraign whatever Take heed then my brethren of being found guilty of neglect of this duty that is bound upon you by the command of so great an authority as this of the Lord Jesus that hath said This do in remembrance of me 4. In the next place is to be considered the persons obliged and those are the Church of Christ so far as by Scriptural Qualifications they are capacitated to a participation thereof who are 1. Those that can discern the Lord's body in this supper the want of this the Apostle gives as the reason of unworthy receiving it 1 Cor. 10.29 and tells us they eat damnation to themselves Now there are two ways wherein the Lord's body may be said to be discerned in this supper 1. When the Understanding is spiritually enlightned to perceive the true nature and ends of this supper and thereby is enabled to see a greater difference between this and our ordinary meals for he that shall for want of knowledg therein come to this Table with no better preparations or to no other intents than when he goes to his own Table he doth certainly pervert the ends of the institution and prophanes the Ordinance and therefore cannot chuse
not the Christ but that I am sent before him He that hath the bride is the Bridegroom c. he must increase but I must decrease John would not suffer any envy or prejudice to remain in the hearts of his Disciples against Christ upon his account but seeks to check it presently But he being now not present with them the Pharisees more easily ingaged them in this opposition and objection against Christ about Fasting to join with them therein And the zeal that John's Disciples had for the reputation of their Master might somewhat incline them also to it for they saw the people following Christ which they thought might be some eclipse to it and consequently to their own as they were his Disciples And besides they knowing the austerity and abstinence that was practis'd by John his meat being locusts and wild honey such food as he found in the wilderness they might be more easily offended at that greater liberty that was taken by Christ and his Disciples about eating and drinking Especially at this time when their Master was in Prison they thought fasting might be more seasonable than going to a feast as Christ and his Disciples did at the house of Levi as Grotius observes upon the place Next we have Christ's reply to the Objection and he presents it in a parable as I said the parable of a Bridegroom who at his wedding hath his Bridemen and Bridemaids attending him in the wedding chamber who according to the Hebrew Dialect are here called the Children of the Bride-chamber And is it then a proper season for their fasting while they are in the wedding-chamber and the Bridegroom with them Wherein Christ doth represent himself as a Bridegroom and his Disciples as the Children of the Bride-chamber And he doth now represent himself thus the rather to put these Disciples of John in remembrance of their Masters speech when he call'd Christ the Bridegroom As we read John 3.29 He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom And should then his Disciples fast and mourn while Christ the Bridegroom was with them And their Master John he profest that he was the friend of this Bridegroom and rejoyced greatly to hear his voice John 3.29 And therefore why should they be offended at his Disciples that they did not fast and mourn when their Master John rejoiced and had his joy fulfill'd in hearing his voice as we read John 3.29 And herein Christ doth intimate to them that if they were indeed his Disciples and the children of the Bride-chamber they would not fast neither for the children of the Bride-chamber cannot fast while the Bridegroom is with them But he adds The days will come when the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast in those days And so I come to the Text. Wherein we may observe by the way 1. That Christ doth exempt his Disciples from observing those fasts that the Pharisees and John's Disciples were in the practice of Chemnitiu Harm in loco And the rather because they were observed especially on the Pharisees part Ex simulato pietatis studio out of ostentation of piety and for self-justification As he did exempt them from their other traditions so also from their fasts 2. That the Bridegroom was to be taken away which is to be understood of Christ's fleshly presence for his spiritual presence never was nor never will be taken away from his Church And this presence discontinues till his coming to judg the world and then the cry will be heard at Midnight Behold the Bridegroom cometh Mat. 25.6 The Bridegroom that was once visibly present on earth with his Disciples is so taken away that he will not be in that manner present with them again till his return from heaven And his taking away doth either respect the acts of men who by cruel hands took him from prison and from judgment and nail'd him upon the cross Isa 53 8. and took him out of the Land of the living Or else it respects the act of his Father who took him up into heaven after he had finisht his work here upon earth as it is said 1 Tim. 3. ult Received up into glory which is the more probable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though there is nothing in the original word to determine it to either sense 3. He also declares what the practice of his Disciples would be after his taking away Then shall they fast in those days so that he doth not deny the practice of Fasting to his Disciples but rather commends it only it was not at present seasonable as it afterwards would be Qu. But why should they fast after he was taken away Ans 1. Some say because till then the Holy Ghost was not given in such a degree as might fit them for such extraordinary duties Chrysost As Christ seems to intimate when upon this occasion he excuseth his Disciples as being not yet fit for such spiritual services No man putteth a piece of new Cloth into an old garment nor new wine into old bottles Mark 2.22 It 's true they might be able to keep fast days as the Pharisees did but Christ that values our duties by the frame of spirit exerted in them would not have them put upon extraordinary duties till they had a suitable measure of the spirit to enable them thereunto 2. Others and I think more properly understand the words of Christ with respect to the afflictions and persecutions that would come upon the Church after his ascension into heaven vvhich vvould give them great occasions of prayer and extraordinary supplications and vvhich vvould reduce them to such great sorrows and distresses vvhereby fasting vvould be not only seasonable but that principle of grace that vvould act them in other duties vvould also naturally lead them to it Not to take up again the practice of these Pharisaical Fasts as the Montanists would hence infer but the duty of Fasting as suited to Gospel times And these persecutions began early First by the Jews and then the Arrians and then the Heathen persecutions under the Dragon in the Roman Empire and then under the Beast with the seven heads and ten horns to whom the Dragon gave his seat and great power Rev. 13.2 And Christ foretold this to his Disciples before he vvas taken away That they that kil'd them would think they did God good service John 16.1 And that Nation should rise against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and there should be Famine Pestilence and Earthquakes Mat. 14.7 Now in these days should his Disciples fast Not that in these vvords Christ doth give an institution for fasting but declares what eventually would come to pass Neither doth he determine any particular days and times for fasting but only general during the absence of the Bridegroom they should fast in those days And indeed as soon as the Bridegroom was gone they began to have cause of mourning his absence it self was one great cause
as when he foretold them of it sorrow filled their hearts And so upon several other causes of sadness that should fall out afterwards there would be great occasion of fasting and mourning till his coming again Thus much for explication And because my subject is about fasting I shall not consider Christ in the relation of a Bridegroom as he is here stiled of vvhich might be made a long discourse vvhich vvould rather lead me to speak of Christian Festivals and spiritual joy than a religious Fast which is the subject I must attend unto Neither need I make any logical division of the Text. But instead thereof shall propose these three observations Obs 1. There are some times that are more particular seasons for Fasting Obs 2. That Christians ought wisely to observe what is the proper duty of the times and especially when they are call'd to the great duty of a Fast Obs 3. That fasting is a duty to be practised in the days of the New Testament even all the time of the Bridegroom's absence So that it is not a duty that was peculiar to the times of the Old Testament and the Mosaic poedagogy but is to be practised in the Gospel times The last I shall only insist upon and touch upon the other in the handling of it vvherein I shall take notice That Fasting may be considered either as 1. Meerly natural 2. Civil 3. Religious 1. As meerly natural vvhich is only an abstinence from food As the Greek vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Fast Grammatically imports no more but a not eating Which may arise sometimes from necessity and want of food as vvhen the people followed Christ in the wilderness and continued three days there and had nothing to eat and hereupon Christ wrought a miracle to feed them because he would not send them away fasting and they faint in the way Mat. 15.32 So when Paul was in his Voyage to Rome for want of provision he and his company fasted fourteen days Act. 27.33 Or else this natural fast is through want of appetite though food is present There may be an Atrophy upon Nature and man fasts only because he cannot eat Now this fasting is of no avail with God if a man eats not he is nothing the better and if he eats he is no whit the worse Bodily exercise profiteth nothing of it self As the Kingdom of God is not meats and drinks so neither is it abstinence from meats and drinks especially such abstinence as this that is not voluntary but upon necessity 2. Civil when there is a fasting upon a civil account with respect to some civil end As when the Magistrate doth impose abstinence from meats for a while for some civil good As Saul imposed it upon the people in his pursuit of the Philistines 1 Sam. 14. that his victory might not be hindred And such fasting sometimes may be imposed for the increase of provision and for the publick health 3. Religious When fasting is attended with duties of religion and is to some religious end For the end doth in such things as these specifie and denominate the Action And to give a particular Account of it take it thus A Religious Fast is the devotion of the whole man to solemn extraordinary attendance upon God in a particular time separated for that end for the deprecating his displeasure and for the supplicating of his favour joined with an abstinence from bodily food and other bodily delights and from secular affairs So that he that fasteth doth for that time separate himself to God and doth voluntarily dedicate a part of time to his more solemn service and doth put himself as it were under a Religious vow to abide solemnly with God in the duties of the fast he is ingaged in Now this Religious fast is either publick or private 1. Publick As when a whole City fasts as in the case of Nineveh or a whole Nation as in Jehoshaphat's case 2 Chron. 20.3 who proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah And the Prophet Joel calls to such a fast Joel 1.14 Sanctifie a fast call a solemn Assembly gather the Elders and all the Inhabitants of the Land into the House of the Lord c. when the occasion is publick so ought the fast to be 2. Private Which is either of a particular person of which Christ speaks Mat. 6.17 18. But thou when thou faste◠anoint thy head wash thy face that thou appear not to men to fast but to thy Father in se ret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly And of this private fast Anna is an instance of whom it is said Luke 2.37 That she served God in the temple with fastings and prayers night and day And Daniel another who tells us in three whole weeks he was mourning did eat no pleasant bread neither came flesh and wine into my mouth Dan. 10.2 3. And Cornelius is another Act. 10.30 And the occasion for private fasting is more peculiarly some private concerns unless the person that fasts be a publick person and then a private personal fasting may be upon a publick account as Daniels was Or of a particular family which the Apostle seems to speak of 1 Cor. 7.5 Where husband and wife being of the same family are advised by the Apostle not to defraud one another but by consent for a time to give themselves to fasting and prayer And when the Prophet Zachary speaks of families mourning apart Zach. 12.13 14. It may probably be meant of fasting join'd with mourning And though the word family may be understood patronimically and extend further than to a particular house yet it may by Analogy be apply'd to particular houses and the inhabitants therein Again a Religious fast is either stated or occasional 1. Stated as the fast of the seventh month and the tenth day of the month was a stated fast to Israel every year and the fasts the Jews observed in Babylon of the fourth fifth seventh tenth month mentioned Zach. 8.19 were stated fasts and the Pharisee in the Gospel boasted of his stated fasting I fast twice in the week Luke 19.12 Against which stated fasts I have nothing to speak or to censure any mens practice herein if the occasion still continues and it do not degenerate into formality 2. Occasional of which we have frequent instances as the fast observed by Esther and her Maidens and the Jews in Shushan was occasional And so that which I mentioned of Jehoshaphat was occasional And the fast in Nehemiah's time mentioned ch 9.1 was occasional These fasts did not pass into any Stated course of observation Having premised these distinctions I shall discourse of this religious fast 1. In the Sanction of it 2. The Manner of Observation 3. The occasion that requires and calls for it 4. The concern that abstinence from food hath in the right Observation of it 5. The abuse of the Ordinance in the wrong managing of it 1. First for the Sanction
any duty in that manner that is suitable and necessary thereunto ought to be laid aside but 5. To these I shall here add the external duties of religion and sacred ordinances to be used in the discharge of the work of the day 1. Is confession of sin a fast day is for atonement and therefore confession of sin is necessary As we read of Ezra when he heard of the sin of the Jews in their making affinity with the people of the Land he rent his garment and sat astonied till the evening sacrifice and made confession of their sin Ezra 9.7 8 9 10. So in Nehem. 9.1 2. we read the Children of Israel were assembled with fasting and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their Fathers And so Daniel in his solemn fast which he set himself to in the behalf of the Captivity now almost expired he makes an ample confession of sin as we read Dan 9.4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. And as a fast is an extraordinary duty so confession of sin ought to be more than ordinary in such a day and what may suffice at another time may not be sufficient then It ought to be more extensive with respect to the several kinds and acts of sin with respect to the aggravations of sin and with respect to the persons that are under guilt and with respect to the inward principles of sin in the heart out of which all actual sins do spring As Daniels confession of sin extended to the kinds of it the several aggravations of it and to the persons that were concern'd in it as their Kings Princes Fathers people of the Land those that were near and those that were far off as we find in that chapter And this confession of sin is requisite to the deeper humiliation of the soul to the condemnation of our selves and to the justifying of God whereby he may have the greater glory 2. Is supplication which is the imploring mercy from God either with respect to the pardon of sin committed or the preventing those judgments that are impending or the removing such as are inflicted As we find Daniel in the time of his fasting after his confession made earnest supplications for forgivenesses of sin v. 9. for the turning away God's anger and fury v. 16. for the shining of his face upon his sanctuary v. 17. for the repairing the desolations of their City call'd by his name v. 18. and for the people in general ibid. And therefore fasting and prayer are frequently mentioned together in Scripture Luke 2.37 Acts 10.30 Acts 14.23 24. 1 Cor. 7.5 though prayer in general comprehends confession and thanksgiving in it as well as supplication yet in a stricter acceptation petition for mercy doth most properly express the import of the word and the main matter of the duty And this the King of Nineveh enjoined in the fast appointed by him Jonah 2.8 Let man and beat be covered with sackcloath and cry mightily to God So that supplication and crying to God is another great part of the duty of the day 3. Hearing the word for the word is necessary both for the discovery of sin for our present humiliation and for the discovery of our duty with respect to future reformation both which are necessary to an acceptable fast And the word of the Gospel sets before men a door of hope that their sin may be pardoned and judgment removed It presents God not only as reconcileable but delighting in mercy It sets before men many instances of God's hâ—aring prayer and the prevalency of repentance and humiliation with him And particularly what acceptance solemn fasting hath found with him in several ages And all this mightily tends to the furthering the great duties of the day And it is observed of the fast kept by the children of Israel Nehem. 9.3 that they read in the book of the Law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day and another fourth part they confessed and worshipped if repentance spiritual mourning and soul humiliation be necessary to the day as I shall shew presently then the hearing the word may be of great use thereunto As when Josiah heard the words of the Law he rent his cloaths and humbled himself 2 Chron. 34.27 and Ahab upon the like occasion humbled himself though not in the like manner and we read how God appointed Jeremiah and Jeremiah Baruch to read the roll that was written from the mouth of God in the ears of the people upon their fasting day Jer. 36.6 and what was the cause of Ninevehs repentance and humiliation was it not Jonah's preaching as our Saviour speaks of it Math. 12.41 They repented at the preaching of Jonah though his preaching was only this yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed The word is effectual through Christ to bring the impenitent to repentance and to renew the exercise of repentance in those that have already repented which is a proper work for a fast day 4. Renewing our Covenant with God which in private fasts is to be done betwixt God and a man 's own soul and in publick fasts by the mouth of the preacher and the peoples consent thereunto And this Covenant is either the general Covenant that we renew or else a particular Covenant with respect to some particular duties that we ingage our selves unto Or else both together As in the publick fast observed by the children of Israel in Nehem. 9. both Princes and Nobles and people renewed their general Covenant to walk in God's Law which was given by Moses the servant of the Lord and particularly they covenanted not to give their Daughters to the people of the Land nor take their Daughters for their Sons as we read Nehemiah Chap. 10. ver 19 20. and the Covenant being written their Princes Levites and Priests did seal to it So if a Church or people have contracted guilt upon themselves by the omitting of some duties or the committing of any sins for which the Lord may have a controversie with them It is a proper work upon a day of fasting to ingage themselves to a reformation by a solemn renewing their Covenant with God And though we have not a particular Instance of this in the New Testament yet the Law of saith that requires men now to take hold of God's Covenant and in all cases to make use of it so in some special cases to renew it also Not that it needs renewing as to the substance or sanction of it on God's part but we are on our part to renew it with God by laying new ingagements and obligations upon our selves to carry it in all things according to the Law of this covenant in the restipulating part of it 5. The next duty of the day is Thanksgiving Though this seems not the proper duty of the day yet is not to be omitted for the due consideration of God's mercy tends to the aggravation of sin and so to make mens confessions and
humiliations more affectionate and evangelical As in that fast I mentioned before Neh. 9. The Levites did stand up among the people and begin the day with blessing God Blessed be thy glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise ver 5. and so they proceed to recite a catalogue of God's mercies even from the first call of Abraham to their settlement in the Land of Canaan which reacheth to ver 25. And all this was to bring in the Nevertheless mention'd v. 26. with the greater Emphasis to their humiliation Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against thee and cast thy Law behind their backs and shew thy Prophets c. and the same we may observe in Ezra chap. 9. He takes notice of the reviving God had given them in their bondage and the Nail in his holy place and the Wall in Judah and Jerusalem ver 8 9. the more to aggravate the peoples sin in doing according to the abominations of the Canaanites and mingling themselves with the people of the Land ver 1 2. The goodness of God is said to lead men to Repentance Rom. 2. And therefore mention is to be made of it upon a day when the exercise of Repentance is specially in season Yea Thanksgiving also is requisite as an attendant of supplication for the giving thanks for mercy received is an effectual way to obtain New mercy According to that known saying Efficacissimum genus rogandi est gratias agere Giving thanks for mercy received is the most effectual way to obtain new mercy Thanksgiving carries supplication in the spirit of it And if according to the Apostle Phil. 4. We are in every thing to make known our request with supplication and thanksgiving then when ever we come to God with Supplications we are to couple them with thanksgiving 6. The last duty I mention which is the Appendix to the rest is that of Alms-deeds for when we come to beg mercy from God we should not forget to shew it to men And he that stops his ear to the cry of the poor Prov. 21.13 he may cry but shall not be heard yea his prayers are so far from coming up as incense before God that they are an abomination Cornelius that was a man much in prayer and fasting also as is noted of him Act. 10.30 was full also of Alms-deeds Act. 10.31 and both together came up as a memorial before God Alms-deeds as they are not to be confined to a fast day so surely are not to be excluded He that vvill on such a day shut up his purse let him take heed least God shut up against him his ear his heart and his hand The People complain Isa 53.8 Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not God tells them they fasted but shewed not mercy and therefore fasted not aright and then tells them what was the fast that he had chosen ver 7. Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry and when thou seest the naked that thou cover them c. Certainly those duties that ought to follow our fasting or else it avails nothing with God ought not to be shut out of the duties of such a day if there be call and opportunity thereunto Thus I have shewn the duties of a fast day which are external with respect to the outward performance And next I shall shew what frame of spirit is requisite to such a day without which all these duties may be externally performed and yet the fast not accepted Rom. 2. ult For as the Apostle saith of Circumcision It is that of the heart and of the spirit so is that fasting that is well pleasing to God There may be confession supplication renewing the Covenant Thanksgiving Alms-deeds and yet if there be wanting a suitable frame of heart all this may be but as a body without the soul or matter without form that may have praise with men but none with God Now this frame of soul consists in 1. Self-debasement 2. Godly sorrow 3. Filial fear 4. Ingenuous shame 5. Inward purity 6. Evangelical faith and hope I shall speak briefly to them all 1. Is self-debasement God complains of the Jews fasting Isa 58.5 they did hang down their heads like a bulrush but their souls did not bow down within them We call a fast day a day of humiliation but we have the name but not the thing if the soul be not humbled What is it for the body to wear sackcloth if Pride cover the heart or to spread ashes under us if the soul lye not down in the dust or to fast from bodily food if the soul be not emptied of self-fulness 2. Godly sorrow A fast day is for afflicting the soul and how is the soul afflicted without true sorrow The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies a fast is derived from a root that signifies to afflict so essential is the afflicting the soul to the day It was a charge against the Jews Isa 58.2 Behold in the day of your fast ye find pleasure What kind of pleasure it was is not there mentioned but it was some sinful pleasure that was not congruous to the day Daniel speaks of his fast ch 10.3 I sat full three weeks mourning As at our funerals many enter the house of mourning and wear black but there is no mourning within nor no garment of heaviness covers their soul So do many enter the day and duty of fasting but no godly sorrow enters with them into it or attends them in it Every thing is beautiful in its season Eccl. 3.11 A fast day wants its beauty if no true sorrow attends it We make confession of sin but if there be no sorrow we feel not what is spoken and what will words of confession avail Ephraim is said to bemoan himself Jer. 31.18 And God is said to hear it and he bemoaned him also But how can we think God's heart should be affected with our confessions when our own are not The Jews upon their solemn days had their solemn sacrifices A fast day is a solemn day and it is not to be without its sacrifices and the great Sacrifice or Sacrifices of the day is a broken and contrite spirit psal 51. 3. Filial fear Natural fear hath sometimes brought a people to the duty and a filial fear is to be exercised in the performance of it as Jehoshaphat feared and then proclaimed a Fast 2 Chron. 20.3 And so did the King of Nineveh Jonah 2. when God's judgments are abroad we ought to fear and this fear should lead us to meet him in the ways of his judgment by prayer and fasting for all our serving God is to be coupled with fear Psal 2.11 our rejoycing is to be with trembling much more our mourning In a fast day we especially deprecate God's wrath and therefore we ought to have such a sense of it as may cause sacred fear There is no affection of the soul but ought to be
Elders for the Churches they commended them to the Lord with prayer and fasting Acts 14.23 4. For Conquest over some eminent Temptation This may be the occasion of a private fast when a private person lies under it or of a more publick fast if the temptation reacheth further As Christ speaks of some kind of Devils that are not cast out but by Fasting and Prayer And the Rule may reach to Soul-temptations as well as bodily possessions whereof our Saviour there speaks But I hasten 4. I shall next speak of the concern that abstinence from food hath in the duties of a fast 1. That hereby the soul may be more fit for its operations Jejunium purgat mentem sâ—blevat sensum carnem spiritui subjicit concupiscentiae nebulas dispergit as Austin speaks of it Tom. 10. Ser. 230. de Temp. the pampering and feeding the body is usually injurious to the free exercise of the soul And therefore the chastening it with due fasting may befriend the soul therein especially in such exercises wherein the soul is to have least communion with the body As the body ought not to be robbed for the serving of God of that which is necessary for it for God hates robbery for sacrifice so by undue providing for it we may rob the soul and rob God of that service which it ought to perform unto him The body is call'd by Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or bruta pars hominis the brute part of man And a brute is not so fit for man's service if he be kept either at too high or too low a rate nec suprà negotium nec infrâ negotium sed par negotio is a good rule for the body to be treated by and as Aquinas speaks abstinence from food upon a solemn fast is requisit ob elevationem mentis for the elevation of the mind that it may get loose from the sensitive part and so more freely ascend to things above As the Apostle kept his body in subjection that he might with more freedom run the race to obtain the Crown that is incorruptible 1 Cor. 9.26 27. Severity to the body may in some cases be mercy to the soul As David chastened his soul with fasting Psal 69.10 It was its sensitive part he immediately chastned that the rational and intellectual part might be more vigorous and active 2. In this bodily abstinence there is something of a self-judging in it for by abstaining for a while we judg our selves unworthy of returning to such refreshings and comforts of nature at all We are by abstaining from food to reckon our selves unworthy of it 3. By it we also express our sympathy with the Churches sufferings I mean in those fasts that are kept upon that account And nature seems to teach men this as when David would have had Vriah go to his own house when he was come from the Camp 2 Sam. 11.11 he answered The Ark and Israel and Judah are incamped in the open field shall I thou go to my house and eat and drink c. As by eating and drinking we express our gladness so by abstaining we properly express our sorrow and sympathy with others suffering Whiles David's child lay sick he fasted and would eat nothing but when the child was dead 2 Sam. 12.20 he then would declare his shaking off his sorrow by calling for food and eating 5. Lastly I shall speak of the abuse of a religious fast And this great Ordinance is several ways abused 1. There is a Pharisaical abuse of it by ostentation When men fast to put on a disguise of extraordinary devotion and sanctity as the Pharisees did thus and by disfiguring their faces and counterfeiting a solemn and dejected countenance and by mortified habits c. did seek to gain the reputation of extraordinary holiness among the people As the Pharisee in the parable among other things boasted of his often fasting I fast twice a week Strict piety hath such a real value in it that some that have it not yet will pretend to it as thinking to advance their reputation by it 1 Kings 21. 2. There is a mischievous abuse of it if I may so express it when mens hearts are full of malice mischief and cruelty and will hide it under the disguise of a religious fast As Jezebel when she was designing against Naboth's vineyard and life also she proclaims a fast and those Jews that are reproved Isaiah 58. they fasted and fasted but it was for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness They opprest the poor laid heavy yokes upon their necks and ruined them by their cruelties and yet were very zealous fasters as our Saviour speaks of the Pharisees who made long prayers for a pretence while they were devouring widows houses Math. 23.14 3. There is a formal abuse of it when men have not such sinful ends as I mentioned but yet rest in the externals of the day and care not to reach the spiritual part of the duty They go along with the several duties of the day but deest aliquid intùs there is that wanting within that is the proper work of the day They sit before God as his people as if they were humbling themselves before him 1 Cor. 11. but there is nothing in their hearts that answers before God to the outward shew they make before men Religious duties according to Scripture-language are not done if not done aright so that as the Apostle tells the Corinthians This is not to eat the Lord's supper because they did not eat aright so when men are formal in fasting this is not keeping a fast 4. There is a Popish abuse of it 1. By groundless fasting as on the vespers of their Saints days and their Quadragesima's fasting the holy time of Lent in imitation of Christ's fasting in the wilderness which was miraculous and so not imitable 2. By making fasting meritorious and that which is part of satisfactory pennance for the expiation of sin as Aquinas speaks expresly fasting is to be used ad satisfaciendum pro peccatis to make satisfaction for sin 3. By their prohibition of certain meats which God hath commanded to be received with thanksgiving and yet allowing others in their room Aquin. 22. Q. 147. Art 1. They forbid Carnes ova lacticinia but all sorts of fish and other viâ—nds and junkets are allowed Aquin. 22. Q. 148. Art 8. which are as inconsistent with the abstinence of a true fast as those that their Church prohibits but yet they have the salve of a dispensation in such cases and if men will open their purses they may gratifie their palats 5. Lastly fasting may be abused by too frequent use especially publick fasts It is an extraordinary duty and therefore not to be practised upon ordinary occasions The too ordinary use of it may take off from the reverence and solemnity of the duty We find the several publick fasts upon record in
upon it that may reflect sadness upon all your hearts where hath God a people especially in these European parts of the world but there is a distress upon them whether ye look into France Germany upper or lower Hungaria Silesia Polonia c. And doth not all this make fasting a duty in season when Nehemiah heard from certain that came from Judah that the Remnant left of the Captivity were in great affliction and that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down c. he sate down mourned fasted and prayed before the God of heaven Nehem. 1.4 and this he did though he himself was in a good Office in the Persian Court. Was our Condition ever so good at home yet we should lay to heart the afflictions of our brethren abroad For as we are to rejoice with them that rejoice so to weep with them that weep and what further calamities may yet break forth we know not but the sky looks still red and lowring and pourtends bad weather and it is our wisdom so to discern the face of the sky as to betake our selves to the proper duty of the times And thus to observe and serve the times is good Christian policy 3. Is the agitation of great affairs in the world an occasion for fasting this also requires it of us at this day Are not the Nations embroil'd in Wars both by Land and Sea are there not also some negotiations of peace on foot Is not the great Council of the Land to meet here at home and do not these extraordinary affairs call us to extraordinary duties that they may be all superintended and guided to an happy issue in the end 4. Is there not a strange stupidity and security upon the hearts of most men that they vvill not see the hand of God though they feel it and though God walks contrary to them yet they observe it not but rather walk contrary to him in a course of sin than meet him by repentance in the way of his judgments Now the less others are affected the more should we endeavour to affect our own hearts and to fast the more because they fast not at all and the more others are widening the breach to stand so much the more in the gap Ezek. 22.20 Now if we have these calls from God to this great duty of fasting and prayer let us not fail God herein and though we should obtain nothing for others yet we may deliver our own souls and we know the respect God had to those that sighed and mourned in Jerusalem that the Prophet was bid to set a peculiar mark upon them Ezek. 9.4 2 Chron. 20. And I shall only add this further word of encouragement i. e. That this extraordinary duty of Fasting hath been often answered with extraordinary success as Esthers fast when she went in to the King and Jehoshaphat's Fast when the Ammonites Moabites and Edomites invaded him and Ezra's fast ch 8.23 and upon Daniel's fasting he had the Angel Gabriel dispatched to him to give him understanding in the things he sought ch 9.22 and again upon his fasting in ch 10. he saw a vision wherein a man appear'd to him and told him that he was a man greatly beloved and from the first day that he set himself to understand and chasten himself before God his prayers were heard and sometimes where ordinary prayer hath not prevailed extraordinary hath had success which Christ intimates in saying This kind cannot be cast out but by fasting and prayer Mat. 17.21 Those that now fast and mourn in the Bridegrooms absence shall rejoyce with him for ever at his return then they shall feast but fast no more and the days of their mourning shall be ended as Christ said to his Disciples I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice and your joy no man taketh from you John 16.21 Though their present fasting and mourning hath a good in it beyond the worlds feasting and rejoycing yet the consequent of it makes it incomparably better The Bridegroom was once upon earth with his Church but departed and so gave her occasion of fasting and mourning but when he comes again he and his Church shall never fast and therefore fasting will then never come into season again as the fast of the 4th 5th 7th 10th month was to the house of Judah joy and gladness Zach. 8. so all the fasts kept by the people of God here on earth will be and that incomparably more joy and gladness to them in heaven and that for ever But to conclude all take these two Rules 1. Fasting being an extraordinary duty ought to be managed with an extraordinary exercise of grace Christ would have his Disciples endued with a greater measure of grace before he would put them upon this duty This new wine must be put into new bottles so that as Christ asked James and John concerned his Baptism are ye able to be baptized with my baptism so may we ask Christians now concerning fasting are ye able to keep a fast 2. Fasting ought to be followed with sincere and universal reformation elso it avails nothing The Jews fasting mention'd Isa 58. vvas rejected upon this account They vvent from their fasts to Strife Debate Oppression Covetousness and no wonder then that they complain and say why have we fasted and thou takest no notice Nay this reformation is so necessary that the denomination of a fast is attributed to it Isa 58.6 7. Is not this the Fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickedness to deal thy bread to the hungry c. If moral duties be neglected the practice of the strictest Institutions is unacceptable to God Quest How to manage secret Prayer that it may be prevalent with God to the comfort and satisfaction of the Soul Serm. XIV Math. 6.6 But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly WE have here our blessed Lord's instruction for the management of secret prayer the Crown and glory of a child of God wherein observe 1. The direction prescribed for our deportment in secret duty in three things 1. Enter thy closet the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesychius glosses by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a secret or recluse habitation and Suidas by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hiding place for treasures by a Metonymy The LXX such as we have it turn the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so frequently by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we need enquire no further as Gen. 43.30 Exod. 8.3 2 Sam. 13.10 1 Kings 1.15 and otherwhere for a chamber a parlour a bedchamber Sometimes the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foramen caverna a hole cleft or cavern in a rock as Isaiah 42.22 which they render also by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rima The Etymon of the word being derived 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from holes pits caves cut out in rocks shews that it notes secret places for retirements or repositories It 's accordingly rendred by secret chambers Math. 24.26 and by closets Luke 12.3 2. Shut the door or lock it as the word insinuates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a key is deduced and are both put together as appears by Rev. 3.7 and 20.1 3. implying that we must bar or bolt it 3. Pray to thy Father in secret Father which is pietatis potestatis appellatio as Tertullian notes a name hinting both piety and power to thy Father De Orat. noting both propriety and intimacy 2. A gracious promise which may be branch't into three parts 1. For thy Father sees thee in secret his eye is upon thee with a gracious aspect when thou art withdrawn from all the world 2. He will reward thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 retribuet reponet or as Ambrose reads it redder so the word is sometimes translated by rendring De Cain and Abel Math. 22.21 Rom. 2.6 13.7 by delivering Math. 27.58 Luke 9.42 by yielding or affording Heb. 12.11 Rev. 22.2 All which comes to this he will return thy prayers or thy requests amply and abundantly into thy bosom 3. He will do it openly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perspicuously and manifestly before the world sometimes and most plentifully and exuberantly before men and Angels at the great day secret prayers shall have open and publick answers 3. Here 's a demonstration of sincerity from the right performance of this duty set forth by the Antithesis But thou shalt not be as the hypocrites verse 5. When i. e. as often as thou prayest by thy self enter not thy house only thy hall or thy common chamber but thy closet the most secret and retired privacy Shut the door that others may neither discern thee nor rush in suddenly upon thee He shall reward thee i. e. he shall answer thee and perform thy request as a gracious return to thy secret sincerity God is pleased by promise to make himself a debtor to secret prayer It brings nothing to God but empty hands and naked hearts to shew that reward in Scripture sence does not slow in upon the streams of merit but grace It 's monkish divinity to assert otherwise for what merit strictly taken can there be in prayer the meer asking of mercy cannot merit it at the hands of God who out of our most sincere petitions being at best impregnated with sinful mixtures might take up matter enough to sling as the dung of our sacrifices in our faces Mal. 2.3 We halt like Jacob both in and after our choicest and strongest wrestlings But such is the grace of our heavenly Father who spies that little sincerity of our hearts in secret that he is pleased to accept us in his beloved and to smell a favour of rest in the fragrant perfumes and odours of his intercession Hence though I might draw forth several notes yet shall treat but of one containing the marrow and nerves of the Text. Obs That secret prayer duly managed is the mark of a sincere heart and hath the promise of a gracious return Prayer is the soul's colloquy with God and secret prayer is a conference with God upon admission into the privy chamber of heaven When thou hast shut thine own closet vvhen God and thy soul are alone with this key thou openest the chambers of paradise and enterest the closet of divine love When thou art immured as in a curious Labyrinth from the tumultuous world and entered into that garden of Lebanon in the midst of thy closet thy soul like a spiritual Daedalus takes to it self the wings of faith and prayer and flies into the midst of heaven among the Cherubims I may term secret prayer the invisible flight of the soul into the bosom of God out of this heavenly closet rises Jacobs ladder vvhose rounds are all of light its foot stands upon the basis of the covenant in thy heart its top reaches the throne of grace When thy reins have instructed thee in the night season with holy petitions vvhen thy soul hath desired him in the night then vvith thy spirit vvithin thee wilt thou seek him early Psal 16 7. Isa 26.9 When the door of thy heart is shut and the windows of thine eyes seal'd up from all vain and worldly objects Zach. 3.7 up thou mountest and hast a place given thee to walk among Angels that stand by the throne of God in secret prayer the soul like Moses is in the backside of the desart and talks with the Angel of the Covenant in the fiery bush Exod. 3.1 Gen. 24.63 1 Kings 19.4 v. 12. Here 's Isaac in the field at eventide meditating and praying to the God of his Father Abraham Here 's Elijah under the Juniper-tree at Rithmah in the wilderness and anon in the cave hearkning to the still small voice of God Here 's Christ and the Spouse alone in the wine cellar and the banner of love over her Cant. 2.4 Gersâ—n Eph. 5.18 John 1.48 where she utters verba dimidiata ubi bibit ebriam Sobrietatem spiritus but half words having drunk of the sober excess of the spirit Here we find Nathaniel under the fig-tree though it may be at secret prayer yet under a beam of the eye of Christ There sits Austin in the garden alone sighing with the Psalmist usque quo Domine Confess 1. l. 8. c 12. how long O Lord and listning to the voice of God tolle lege take up the Bible and read It 's true hypocrites may pray and pray alone and pray long and receive their reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from such whose observation they desire but take no true delight in secret devotion Mat. 23 14. Chrysost in loc Cant. 2.14 they have no spring of affection to God But O my dove says Christ that art in the clefts of the rock let me hoar thy voice for the melody thereof is sweet A weeping countenance and a wounded spirit are most beautiful prospects to the eye of heaven when a broken heart powrs out repentant tears like streams from the rock smitten by the rod of Moses law in the hand of a Mediator Oh how amiable in the sight of God Psa 130.1 out of the depths have I cried to thee as Chrysostom glosses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 draw sighs from the furrows of thy heart è sulco pectoris Let thy prayer become a hidden mystery of divine secrets like good Hezekiah upon the bed with his face to the wall Isa 38.2 5. that none might observe him or like our blessed Lord that grand example who retired into solitudes and mountains apart and saw by night the Illustrious face of his heavenly Father in prayer the reasons follow 1. Because a sincere heart busies it self about heart-work to mortifie sin to quicken grace to observe and resist
such a prayer as this O that the Lord would lengthen this triumphant day and the (c) Jos 10.12 Lord heard his voice The tribes beyond Jordan in a (d) 2 Chr. 5 23. battel with the Hagarites Jehoshaphat in a sore strait (e) 18.31 at Ramoth Gilead Sampson ready to perish at Lehi (f) Judg. 15.18 16 28. with thirst and when blind exposed to contempt in the Temple of Dagon David near (g) 1 Sam. 30.6 stoning at Ziglag and when flying from Absalom in the ascent of (h) 2 Sam. 15.31 Mount Olivet Elisha at Dothan compast with a Syrian host (i) 2 King 6.17 Lord open the young man's eyes In the midst of lawful and laborious callings Boaz to the reapers (k) Ruth 2.4 the Lord be with you we may pray that our Oxen (l) Psal 129.8 may be strong to labour no breaking in or going out nor no complaining in our streets It sanctifies the plow as Jerom said of the fields of Bethlehem quocunque te verteris Psal 144.14 ad Marcellum p. 129 T. 1. arator stivam teneus Alleluja decantat c. The tillers of the field and the dressers of vineyards sang David's psalms it keeps the shop and inclines the hearts of customers it bars the doors it quenches fire it blesseth thy children (m) Psal 147.13 within thee it preserves thy going out and coming in (n) 128.1 Jacob found it to rest upon his children going a journey (a) Gen. 43.14 to Egypt it closes the eyes with (b) Psal 3.5.4 8. sweet sleep it (c) Job 3â— 10 Psal 139.18 given Songs in the night and wakens the soul in the arms of mercy It sits at the helm when a (d) Psal 107.28 Jon. 1.6 storm rises at sea it gives strength to Anchors in roads and prosperous gales to the venturous Merchant When in the palace at dinner Nehemiah presents the cup to his prince he presents also a Michtam a golden (e) Neh 3.4 2 Chro. 34 27 Luke 17.5 Gen. 49.18 2 Chron. 2 4. Act. 7 60. prayer to the King of Heaven at the reading of the law Josiah was heard as to some secret cries to Heaven At a holy conference in a journey the Disciples occasionally pray Lord increase our faith Jacob on his dying pillow predicting future events to his children falls into a holy rapture I have wait ed for thy salvation O Lord. At sacred death in martyrdom Zechariah cries out the Lord look upon it and require it and Stephen under a showr of stones melts in prayers for the stony hearts that slung them Lord lay not this sin unto their chage and our blessed Saviour in his greatest agonies makes a tender hearted prayer Father forgive them they know not what they do Luke 23 34. 1 Sam. 1.17 and lastly in the distresses of others Eli puts a sudden petition for Hannah the God of Israel grant thee thy petition In these and many like cases the holy word stores us with patterns for ejaculation in all extremities which I cannot now digest and improve only in a few words lets take a view of the usefulness of such a sudden flight of the soul to Heaven 1. It helps us to a speedy preparative for all duties Lam. 3 4â— with such an ejaculation le ts lift our hearts with our hands to God in the Heavens 2. It is a guard against secret sins in the first risings and the first assaults of temptation 3. It suffers not divine mercies to slip by unobserved in a wakeful Christian and proves a fruitful mother of gratitude and praise 4. It sanctifies all our worldly imployments 1 Tim 4. â— 5. it fastens the stakes in the hedge of divine protection and turns every thing to a blessing 5. It s a Saints buckler against sudden accidents a present antidote against frights and evil tidings It s good at all occasions and consecrates to us not only our meals but every gasp of air c. 6. It s a sweet companion that the severest enemies can't abridge us of Outward ordinances and closet duties they may cut off the little (a) Ezr. 9 8. nail in the holy place they may pluck out But no labyrinth no prison not the worst of company can hinder this coelo restat iter in the very face of adversaries we may lift our souls to God No more of this le ts briefly conclude with some uses Vse Vse Cant. 4 12. To convince such of their dangerous state that neglect sacred duties that have no heart-communion that draw no water out of this sealed fountain But all they do is in publick only it 's a suspicious token of hypocrisie since the kernel and soul of religion lies so much in the heart and closet mark the phrase in the text how it varies thy Father that is in secret be sees in secret God's eye is open upon thee in the closet and if thy eye be open upon his thou mayst see a glorious beauty The excellency of grace lies in making conscience of secret sins and secret duties 2. To examine such as perform secret duty but not from a sincere principle like Amaziah 2 Chron. 25.2 that prays but not with a perfect heart like Ahab they mourn but with Crocodile tears such as do it only because they find precept or example for it and therefore to quiet conscience will into secret but converse only in the shell and trunk of a duty that rest in the naked performance but matter not whether they tast of the sweet streams that flow in from heaven in the golden pipe of an ordinance what account can such render that go into their closets but like Domitian to catch flies only Sueton. in Domit. c. 3. and when the doors are shut to the world their hearts are shut to heaven and communion with God He that sees in secret beholds the evil frame of such a heart and will one day openly punish it 3. To excite and awaken all to this excellent duty and to manage it in an excellent manner Would ye live delightfully would ye translate heaven to earth then keep up communion in secret prayer to know him to discern his face to behold the lustre of his eye that shines in secret Remember the glorious person that meets in your closets all the world yields not such a glittering beauty as a gracious person sees when he is in a happy frame at secret prayer Shut your eyes when ye come out for all other objects are but vile and fordid and not worth the glances of a noble soul O the sweetness the hidden manna that the soul tasts when in lively communion with God! Psal 31.19 Part of that which is laid up for Saints in glory let us a little relish our spirits with it 1. Consider what amorous agonies the soul delights to conflict with in serret fears that raise confidence humility that exalts tremblings that embolden bright clouds
conjunct Prayer of a domestick combination which is concerning Isaac Gen. 25.21 We read it And Isaac entreated the Lord for his Wife Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two words especially make for our purpose Ea praesente unà cum illa Junius Simul cum uxore cum qua communicabat preces Fagi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orare quidem significat sed non simpliciter quia assiduitatem importunitatem simul connotat precum multiplicationem Res convenit non enim dubium est tam longo tempore Isaacum saepiâ—â—s interpellasse Deum fretum spe promissionum Rivet in loc That vvhich is translated for his Wife might be read with his Wife in the presence of his Wife being vvith him and joining with him in this duty He prayed for and before his Wife it was then conjunct Prayer Isaac praying with his Wife The other vvord translated entreated signifieth to multiply powerful words in Prayer to pour out vvords in abundance and denoteth 1. The multiplying of his Prayers it was not only once but frequently that he pray'd with his Wife 2. The earnestness of his Prayer 3. The continuance and their perseverance therein till they had the mercy prayed for as follows and the Lord was entreated of him Isaac had been married near twenty years with Rebekah and so long without a child so that it seems they had been exercised in this duty for many years upon this account that Rebekah had no child for so long time for which they did unanimously and constantly offer up prayers to God and if they prayed together for issue should not you for the favour of God pardon of sin interest in Christ and eternal life By all you see that there was Family conjunct worship and praying to God by God's command and appointment and approved by God's acceptance of it Now let any one shew where God hath taken off this obligation if God hath any where said though I did appoint Adam to worship me in his Family and did accept of Abel 's offering that did as I commanded and did hear Isaac praying together with his wife yet now I will be prayed to in Families no more shew it if you can What book chapter and verse is it Obj. Will you say that the reason of their worshipping God in their Families at first was because there was no other to worship him with but when men did multiply and there were publick Assemblies men were not bound to do it Ans 1 Shew that Which is the Text that tells you that God's instituting of Publick Worship hath disobliged men from praying to God in their Families Ans 2 When men were multiplied Godly men did serve God in their Families Abraham did and Isaac did and Job did and Joshua did and Cornelius did Did they do it and were they not bound to do it What will you make of all the Worship and Prayers which these did give and offer up to God in their Houses If there was no obligation upon them they had not sinned if they had omitted it and it was no obedience when they did so Will you say either of these What! Were they Works of Supererogation No surely But when Aaron 's Priesthood was instituted Object then the obligation on Families ceased and after that the Israelites did not pray in their Houses Why will you speak without Book Shew me this either Answ I have proved an obligation by God's institution shew me where it is nulled and made void even after the Aaronical Priesthood was instituted But I say they did pray in their houses after this for after the institution of Aaron's Priesthood the Israelites celebrated the Passeover in their own Houses and that was not done without Prayer For though after the Priesthood was setled the Priests killed the Lamb yet after the Lamb was killed the Master of the house caused it to be brought back to his own house and did eat it with his Family Luke 22.7 8.9 10. And the Cup that was used at the Passeover whether it were Sacramental or no is controverted was blessed by the Master of the Family Weemes so that there was Prayer and Praise attending this celebration in their Houses conjunctly after the Priesthood was setled in which service they had also the expâ—ication of it why they kept it what was the meaning of the bitter herbs and why eaten with unleavened bread done in form of Catechizing Godw. Jew Antiq and in their Feasts the Master of the House prayed before and after after he gave thanks 1 For their present food 2 For their deliverance from Egyptian bondage 3 For the Covenant of Circumcision 4 For the Law given by the ministry of Moses then he prayed that God would have mercy 1 On his People Israel 2 On his own City Jerusalem 3 On Sion the Tabernacle of his Glory 4 On the Kingdom of the House of David his anointed 5 That he would send Elias the Prophet 6 That he would make them worthy of the days of the Messiah and of the life of the World to come Do you not call this conjunct Prayer and Praise thus done by the Master of the Family May we not now with confidence of the truth from all under this last Topick or Head of Argument frame this manner of reasoning Arg. 6. If serving of God and praying conjunctly to him in proper Families was commanded and appointed by God and never yet revoked then it is the duty of proper Families so to do But serving of God and praying to him conjunctly in proper Families was commanded and appointed by God and never yet revoked Therefore it is the duty of proper Families so to do Pareus Deorum cultor infrequem Insanientis dum sapientiae Consultus erro nunc retrorsum vela dare atque iterare cursus cogor relictos Horat. lib. 1. Od. 34. So much for the first Question Question Second Whether it be the duty of Families jointly to pray to God daily Aff. Some that are convinced that Family Prayer is a duty vvill sometimes practice it and yet but seldom some upon the Lord's Day and yet but once then in the Evening and that serves for all the week till the evening of the Lord's day next doth come Others pray once a day through the week but omit it in the morning when yet the very same reasons which should move them to do it at all should be cogent for more frequent performance of it and are so Though it be not determined expresly in the Scripture that Christian Families should pray together morning and evening every day yet in the general it is required that we should continue in Prayer Col. 4.2 which seems to be meant of Family Prayer For the Apostle had been speaking to Family relations Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants and treating of Family relative duties carrying on his speech still to the same persons saith continue in Prayer but such as
wish that God were angry with him for he is angry with him though for the present he do prosper but when it comes it will be the heavier The Poet gives a full answer to this Objection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sense I give thus Though wicked men feel not th'Almightie's blow Forthwith his wrath is sure when it is slow At length his plagues in greater loads shall lie On them their Wives and all their Progenie Question The last thing only now remains wherein I must be short What excuses are often brought for the non-performance of Family Prayer How answered Obj. All this while you do not give us any one express Scripture in so many words shew that and we will do it Answ This is objected either by openly profane or more sober men To the first I answer 1. Wilt thou do nothing but what thou hast an express command for in so many syllables Why then art thou so often drunk and dost thou so often swear and lye and take Gods Name in vain Where is thy command Nay is not all this against express command 2. Why dost thou not do that for which thou hast express commands Wilt thou repent be holy and believe in Christ and forsake thy sin if I can shew express commands from God for these Then read Ezek. 18.30 31. Acts 2.38 and 17.30 1 Joh. 3.23 Go thy way now and do these things sincerely and I shall not doubt but thou wilt see reason from what hath been said to set up Prayer in thy Family nor question but thou wilt do it But if thou wilt not repent and leave thy manifest and apparent sins when thou art expresly commanded to do so why should any man think thou wouldest do this if this were shewed to thee Yet know there is enough said to render thee inexcusable if thou wilt not do it Secondly to the more sober I answer Dum scripturam dicimus perf ctam non intelligimus ac si ad literam omnia quae ad salutem sunt necessaria continerentur sed quod quaedam per certam consequentiam ex illis quae clarè dicta sunt deduci debeant Maccov distin p. 9. Quicquid per bonam consequentiam ex scriptura deducitur illud ipsum est scriptura Quod elicitur ex Mose Davide dicuntur Moses David dixisse idem p 21. Scripturae â—im consistere non in verbis sed in sensu communiter dicitur sunt autem conclusiones in scriptura vel totidem verbis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel habent praemissas suas in scriptura expressas ex quibus evidenter deducuntur vel una tantùm posita praemissa in scriptura addita alia ex rationis principiis aut ex evidentia sensus conclusio etiam eruitur necessaria quae vim eandem habet cum propositionibus quae totidem verbis leguntur juxta regulam Quaedam in Scripturis sunt dicuntur quaedam in iisdem sunt etsi non dicuntur nempe totidem verbis Rivet Isag ad Scrip. cap. 17. That what is drawn from the word of God by just necessary and immediate consequence is the mind of God The sense of the Scripture is God's revealed Will. And you your selves allow some things to be a duty that are not expresly commanded in the Word of God I could give you instances in many particulars but because I am straitned for room and for plainness of the case I will instance but in this one which is a Woman's receiving of the Lord's Supper Is it the duty of some Women so to do No doubt But where is your express command or any express example that ever they did Look for it and produce it Will you say the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used 1 Cor. 11.28 signifying both man and woman shews the command for Womens eating at the Lord's Table but what if it be sometimes in Scripture used for the man only and the woman excluded as it is Joh. 7.22 ye circumcise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man being taken in one place for the man only how will you prove it is not so in the other but by Consequence True but where then is your express command Consequence must be allowed in this case and is abundantly sufficient For validity of Scripture-consequence much may be said but my length already commands me to forbear seeing there is as much Scripture and firm immediate consequence for your praying in your Family as a woman's receiving the Lord's Supper which is an acknowledged duty Object 2. But I pray alone in secret and that is sufficient Answ But it is not 1. One duty done doth not excuse you from the performance of another It hath been proved before to be your duty you ought then to do the one and not to leave the other undone 2. But do all in thy Family pray in secret every day dost thou watch them daily so narrowly as thou art sure they do every one So they should but yet notwithstanding conjunct Prayer is a duty also as hath before been shewn 3. Dost thou pray in secret So thou mightest have done if God had struck all thy Family dead in the night besides thy self Take heed thou dost not hereby cause God to strip thee of thy Relations and thy comfort in them with whom thou wilt not pray and send thee with a witness into a corner to pray by thy self alone 4. Dost thou pray alone So thou mightest have done if thou hadst lost thy tongue Hast thou a tongue only to buy and sell and talk of the world or of religion only and not to imploy it in conjunct praying to and praising of God in thy Family Read before 5. Dost thou pray alone I doubt thou dost It may be thou speakest more in that word alone than thou thinkest of Infaelix Iniqua lex amoris rerum nolle ut ament alii nolle ut ament alios non ità miserum pressum eligas amorem superest Deo amor dilatatus superest bonitas ut amot ametur cum abest à felle ut rivales optet Zelotypia gaudet Hoc interest inter Zelum humani amoris divini Zelus amantis Deum optat ut alii ament Zelus a mantis hominem ne alius amet ille socios quaerit iste fugit pro qualitate nimirum amatorum Socios ille quaerit quia superest bonitas amato cui amorem suum aequalem non putat coadjutores exoptat ut suppleat votis alienis proprium defectum iste non admittit collegas exiguum bonum timet ne desit sibi distributum etiam aliis perinde ac qui splendidum epulum paravit cui ipse non est satis convivas quaerit invitat plures gavisus consortio epulantium At misellus famelicus rusticus frustulum Hordeacei panis quia sibi non sufficit non distribuit aliis non palam comest ne alius qui appetat petat O
him and so in his own sense he was not wiser than others But will gold go in Heaven or in Hell There it is nothing worth When you have got much by your trading which keeps you from praying will it not make you loth to dye having laid up no better treasure elsewhere and vex you to the heart that for this you have lost God and Christ and Heaven and your souls and your riches too at last As Mr. Latimer in a Sermon before King Edward the Sixth relates of a rich man that was sick and one coming to him and seeing how he was told him he thought he could not recover but was a dead man who presently flew into a rage saying Must I die Send for the Physician wounds sides heart Must I die must I die wounds sides heart Must I die and leave all my riches and so continued crying out in this language till he dyed and are these the things you are so earnest for that you can find no time to pray for better A like passage Mr. Jeremy Burroughs on Psal 17.14 relates of one that once lived near to him that being sick call'd for his bags of silver and hugging them in his arms said Must I leave you must I leave you Pray for an interest in God and Christ and when you die being his and he yours you shall not leave him but be taken into fuller enjoyment of him Consider again as you cannot take them with you when you die so these things cannot comfort you in your Sickness As the same Author mentions another that on his sick bed call'd for his bags of gold which being brought he laid to his brest as near his heart as he could but after a while said Here take them again take them again these will not do these will not do What will not bags of gold do No they are trash and dirt to a dying man What will they not do They will not procure health to a sick man nor prolong life to a dying man nor speak peace to a troubled man nor procure Heaven for a graceless man No no it will not do it will not do and you shall find it will not do And are these the things you are so bent upon that you have no time for looking after these to pray to God for something that would do you good while you live when you die and after death Consider and be wiser 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theocrit Epig. It is a great mistake that Prayer will hinder you in your worldly Callings To drive a trade for Heaven and on Earth may both be done You cannot love both with a predominate love nor serve both as principal Masters but you may work for one and pray for the other When you are in a Journey doth it hinder you to stay and bait If you were travelling far if you bait daily you may come there in time but if you did not bait at all you would never get thither It is a true Proverb Prayer and Provender hinder no man Surely you forget that the success of all your labours depends upon the blessing and providence of God Cannot God blast your endeavours and blow upon your estates and cause you to put it into a bag with holes Hag. 1.6 Nothing is more likely to further you than Prayer 5. Tell me in good earnest and let thy Conscienee speak Non exiguum temporis habemus sed multum perdiâ—us sâ—tis longa vita in maximarum rerum consummationem largè data est si tota bene collocaretur sed ubi per luxum negligentiam defluit ubi nulli rei bonae impenditur ultima demum necessitate cogente quam ire non intelleximus transisse sentimus ità est non accepimus brevem vitam sed fecimus nec inopes ejus sed prodigi sumus Senec de brev vita dost thou not mispend more time every day than this duty would take up Art thou not longer in some impertinent company and longer in some unnecessary business or lingring and loytering at home or abroad or at some Club or other longer than Family Prayer may be profitably performed and yet say thou hast no time 6. What if God should visit thy Family with some lasting sickness and take thee and thy Servants too from your work and callings and make you spend that time in sickness in your beds from your labour which you would not spend in Prayer Must you find a time to be sick and dye and yet find no time to pray Ab quid respondere velit Châ—isto venturo de coelis Cum à te poscet rationem Ob boni remissionem Et mali commissionem Dies illa dies irae Quam conemur praevenire Obviáâ—que deo ire 7. Wilt thou tell God so when thou standest at his Judgment Seat Which of you is the man Stand forth that shall be accused at the Bar of God that he did not pray to God in his Family that will now say he will give God this answer then Lord I was so employed in the World and my Family too that we had no leisure for thy Service No not to look after Heaven nor to seek my favour and my love nor to beg for pardon and salvation Go get you gone Go get you down to a place of torment though you could find no time to pray to me I will find an eternity to plague and punish you Quantus tremor esi futurus Quando Judex est venturus Cuncta strictè discussuruâ— Quid tum miser tum dicturus Quem patronum rogaturus Quam vix justus sit securus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epict. Enchir. cap. 66. 8. Are you the better for your riches when you have by this labour got them or do you work so hard and spend your time even all your time for such things that when you have them you are no better You account him the best man in the Parish that hath the most riches and is the greatest but so doth not God no the Heathens would not neither but he that is most holy and loves God best and serves him most Those are goods indeed that make you good indeed but you are the worse by how much you spend your time more precious than all in time you get with the neglect of your duties unto God Nolo tollas cupiditatem sed mutes nolo perdas sed lucreris avarum cupiditas argentei nummi incitat ad cupiendum aureum pro quo relinquit argenteum namque ipse valor argentei est in aureo ideo plures aereos atque argenteos pro uno commutat aureo O locupletissimum qui ita suas cupiditates contrahitâ— Commutanda omnia pro Deo sunt totum gaudium nostrum latissimum in uno colligendum Nolo aliquid nimis severum nolo ut consumas cupiditates omnes sed ut resumas omnes in una sumas Nieremb de art volunt p. 369. 9. What if thou
an insinuation into their affections to engage children to love and delight in their duties by the sweetness of the lips to encrease their learning (c) 21. and encourage their honest endeavours with suitable rewards And on the other hand seasonable admonitions and remembrances in case of failures a frowning on their laziness and neglects of those offices wherein they should be employ'd which will keep them in awe though this must be done with great skil and vvariness lest it produce a slavish fear which slothful disingenuous and low spirits are apt to fall into and then absurdly to plead (d) Mat. 25.24 25 26. yet of the two it is better to fail on this hand than for a Christian Parent to omit warning of their children because both Law and Gospel require as vvas partly hinted before vve should not let sin either of omission or commission rest on our neighbour (e) Lev. 19.17 but should warn a brother (f) Gal. 6.1 much more a child and set him in joynt with a spirit of meekness I grant this duty of dayly inspection is very difficult but it is amiable and excellent it is of great latitude for Parents are evermore concernÌ„d to be eying of their children to see they do that which is necessary and comly both in religious and moral practice according to what is really best esteem'd in civil behaviour They must continually be watching them as to their praying reading hearing eating drinking playing visiting studying working sleeping c. to see they be not vain or idle because commonly there is but a little distance in time betwixt doing of nothing and doing of ill Children should be exercised with variety taught to sing Psalms (g) Deut. 31.19 21. Psal 148 12 13. as those good children vvere who made that short prayer to our Saviour Hosanna in Greek out of the Psalm (h) 118.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Save O Lord I beseech thee viz. blessed Messiah to pray in secret sometimes by and for themselves to be constant timely and revered at Family duties to be charitable respectful to the Embassadors of Christ to be attentive to the reading of Chapters and hearing of Sermons and thereupon to put Questions and give some account of their understanding of things and be not as Parrats that chatter vvithout knowledg to be observant of the Lord's days not left to themselves to play and do what they list for as Solomon observeth (i) Prov. 29.15 A child left to himself bringeth his Mother to shame she being either more indulgent in suffering him to get head or more affected with it when she seeth the evil of his idleness especiallly on the Lord's days But on other days at fit seasons such honest sports and recreations agreeing with the childrens temper are to be allow'd as do not alienate their minds from duty but promote health and chearfulness admit they be not with ungodly play-fellows from vvhom ribaldry and profaneness are easily learn'd but nothing that is good The Philosopher †Arist de Rep. l. 8. c. 17. did advise the educators of children to take heed they did not permit them to accompany vvith such of whom they would learn bad words hear smutty fables or be brought to look upon indecent and deformed pictures and that they did converse as little as may be with Servants And in eating and drinking Parents should with discretion lay restraints upon childrens appetites both as to the quantity and quality of food consonant to the rules of right reason that they transgress not the wholsom Laws of Temperance for the preservation of strength and activity of body and mind So for their studying and working c. a continued inspection is requisite that they do not neglect their time or mispend their talents vvhich that they may not do will usually need the Parents best skill and utmost diligence because of inbred pravity and untractableness Yet as one ‖ P. Du. Moul. hath well observ'd there be certain handles to take hold of these little souls in their tender years sith most of them are apt to be Shamefac'd Fearful Curious and Credulous which dispositions are to be attended by vigilant Parents with discretion and laid hold on to lead to vertue As on the other hand those hindrâ—ncâ—â— to good things which soon bewray themselves in little ones are to be watch'd over and curb'd such as Pride Wilfulness Lying and Intemperance that these evil inclinations may not be predominant Shame is to be manag'd to disswade from things dishonest Fear to keep in awe from consideration of punishment or loss of reward Curiosity to form in the mind right notions of things and Credulity to gain the consent to things honest and good and to make a right tincture which may abide Then on the other side vicious inclinations are to be timely curb'd As Pride arising from corrupt self-love to plant in young minds humility Wilfulness to engage unto teachableness Lying to make way for justice and fidelity and Imtemperance for the love of truth and sobriety that the understanding may rule the appetite Upon which account the same person suggests we should not promise children Junkets as the reward of their obedience but honour and praise which they should be made to love which is the great thing they of Japan †Gloriae studium cupiditatem teneris animis implantare consucverunt c. Varen de Regn. Jap p. 102. use to implant in the tender minds of their little ones proposing glory as the strong motive to perswade them unto obedience and good carriage I should not have insisted so long upon this but that I dare be bold to say it is through default of this part of Education I mean for want of watchfulness that the Children of many Parents amongst us fall so much short of the instructions received Their passions grow strong and the things that gratifie sense luscious their Parents heed not and so the hopeful fruit is blasted and spoiled for want of fence or as in some gardens where there be fine buds and fruits coming on that have been raised with great pains and charges they suffer Snails and Caterpillers to increase which in a short time devour that the Master's and Gardiner's eye and hand might easily at first have prevented by taking away the Caterpillers egs and killing of the Snails So you may see in some Families where there were great hopes of children as of the pleasant fruits on a fair tree ripening all lost for want of Parents and Governours narrow inspection or through a tender Mother's unlimited indulgence where she should keep a strict watch and through the connivance ‖ Imberbis juvenis tandem custode remoto Gaudet equis caniâ—usque aprici gramine campi Horat. or misplac'd kindnesses of some affectionate servants who to ingratiate with their young Masters or Mistresses take upon them to be wiser than those that love them best and secretly
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either such a stupid dejection of spirit as makes them fearful dull and unfit for any work so that they are like members stupified with narcoticks or such strong dolours of mind as even break their hearts which bring diseases and immature death or else as a sad and usual consequent a certain desperate contumacie when they find themselves under an incapacity through their Parents unusual indulgence or serenity of doing that which is right or of pleasing in their Relation they take the wretched boldness of doing wrong and displeasing yea many times they become like restive colts and winsing jades which fling and kick they do all the mischief they can and make head often times to irritate their Parents passions which is the height of impiety in Children who when come to this seldom take up till they have destroy'd them from whom they descended and ruin'd themselves soul and body 'T is most plain if God hath graciously given children unto his servants (f) Gen. 33.5 you Christian Parents who profess to be such are oblig'd in gratitude to his Heavenly Majesty for those favors to do your utmost so to order and manage these his gifts as he hath directed that they may indeed be fitted for the Donor's use and service They are not born with Bibles in their hands neither are the contents in their heads or hearts neither can they put forth to Sea without Card or Compass but you are by your Relation oblig'd to indoctrinate them to acquaint them with God and themselves to supply their wants as you can every way and no way to discountenance them for this is in effect to disparage the Divine favours and trample upon the Almighty's blessings 'T is to expose the tokens of his bounty and put them to the vilest uses (g) Lev. 19 29. Judges 19.23 24. to make them instruments of sin and subjects of wrath and bring shame to your selves (h) Gen. 19.8 33.34 Believe it Parents to neglect the Duties I have been insisting on is to throw away your crown and glory (i) Prov. 17.6 to pull down the stars in your own orb (k) Gen. 37.9 10. to despoil your own heritage and burn up the olive plants about your own table to unfeather the arrows in your own quiver (l) Psal 127.4 5. to cast into the rubbish the polish'd stones of your own Palace (m) 144.22 to rob your selves of that should give you rest and bereave your own souls of delight (n) Prov. 29.17 nay 't is to rob God for your Children are more his than your own they stand in a Foederal Relation unto him and you may not carry your selves towards them as you list (o) Ezek. 16.20 21. with Mat. 28.19 So that your own interest in them who are part of your selves your interest in their vertues God's interest in them as well as his will and pleasure should forcibly impel you to mind your office and fill up your Relation the unconscionable neglect of which will be as a bloody Dagger stuck up to the hilt in your own hearts Wherefore I beseech you endeavour all you can that your conduct of your Children be just and temperate with all gravity and prudence that it may be like the Childrens obedience which the Scripture calls for well-pleasing to the Lord so as they you your selves likewise may expect a blessed prolongation of your days (p) Deut. 32.46 47. I have at length dispathc'd vvhat I intend to say concerning the Duties themselves yet there remains something to be said to the III. General propos'd in Answer to the Complex Query viz. The manner or means of managing the duties of both Relations and this both more Generally and Particularly according to the mind of God in his Word 1. More Generally wherein that hath been already implicitly at least suggested which now will require only a brief intimation My Beloved Many we know are apt to be solicitous enough and too much as to their conversation in this world to observe the modes which obtain most at the Court It concerns us all certainly much more Children and Parents to discharge their duties after that mode which gains approbation in the Court of Heaven and therefore to take good heed to those helps for their direction concerning the manner of performance which we have in the Evangelical Institutes recorded in his Heavenly Majestie 's Imperial Court Therein both the Relatives are taught to perform the Duties I have been discoursing of from a principle of mutual love with a design to please God and comfort each other respectively in such a way as may adorn the Gospel (q) Col. 3.20 with Eph. 6.1 Phil. 1.27 Tit. 2 10. and maintain that charity which in this Relation should eminently proceed out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and faith unfeigned (r) 1 Tim. 15. This charity or love the Apostle tells us in this Chapter a little before my Text (s) Col. 3.14 Mat. 17.15 is the bond of perfectness or perfect bond and here if any where it is to meet at both ends yea bud forth and flourish in reciprocal delights and endearments (t) Gen. 45.10 46.29 30. Ez k. 24.25 Luke 15.20 22 32. Christian Parents and Children as much as may be should still be joyning in consort to keep up a mutual harmony yea and upon better principles endeavour to equal the most refined Moralists celebrated for this charity as Pomponius Atticus and his Mother who never fell out in sixty seven years as he himself tells the story To promote this there should be a free and frequent communication of secrets a giving and taking of loving warnings yea Parents in some circumstances should be willing to hearken to the submissive and prudent good advice of their children (u) 1 Sam. 19 6. Gen 11.31 with 12.1 Jos 24.2 and in a daily address to the Throne of grace a mutual pleading in faith the Covenant and Promises for each others interests (w) 2 Chron. 1.9 10 11 Psal 86.16 Rom. 9.3 10.1 Thus more generally 2. More Particularly some things may be said to the management of these duties according to Scripture still following the method of my Text severally to Children then to Parents 1. To Children such Directions as these following may be profitable for the well management of their duties viz. 1. Be throughly sensible of the mischief of disobedience and the benefit of obedience and therefore really believe the severe punishment of the former and the gracious rewards of the latter Be sure so much as there is of disobedience so much is wanting in some kind of natural affection and that usually hath monstrous attendants which direful judgments follow (x) Rom. 2.28 c. 2 Tim. 3.2 Deut. 21.20 21. Lev 20.9 Exod 21.17 Deut. 27.16 c. On the other side obedience qualifies for the best society and entitles to the promises here is the special
go down the wind and neglect his duty it may be faithfulness in you humbly to advise him in some such language as this Sir I intreat you give me leave in a few words to express my true affection respect and faithfulness to you and for God's sake take it not unkindly at the hands of your poor Servant if I acquaint you with that which I have with regret of heart observed too long in you many a good Customer we lose for want of your presence in the Shop your frequent absence makes us have little to do your credit to my sorrow God knows I speak it begins to grow much lower than it was wont to be my Mistress takes on heavily we have but few choice wares and no cash and little credit to fetch more and we can't hold long at this rate I beseech you Sir leave off your company-keeping and look into your Books and consider how things be O how loth am I to see you or yours do otherwise than well Sir I beseech you be not angry I come not to teach you but to intreat you and humbly to desire your serious consideration of what I shall further crave leave to speak Sir I beseech you forget not us your poor Servants we want your help in your Family your instructions your prayers your holy examples would be no small comfort to us In thus doing I am perswaded God would bless you your trade and credit might soon be recovered we should serve you with joy and bless God for you and you and yours fare the better for ever Now who but a mad man or incarnate Devil could choose but relish such sweet counsel as this though from a Servant Then you must be faithful in your deeds give nothing away without your Master's leave if you will be giving give what is your own give where and when God commands you and spare not labour to preserve and increase your Master's estate all you can by good and lawful means For this is that which is commanded by Christ in the Parable hath his gracious approbation and plentiful reward Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful in a little enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Your faithfulness must be further expressed by indeavouring all you can the good of your Master's children labour to instil into them good principles incourage them in the learning their Books and Catechism and obedience to their Parents do what you can to prejudice them against sin and by your sweet examples to be in love with God and godliness betimes I might add also Zech. 5.2 3. Tit. 2.10 it is no small expression of faithfulness to do all the good you can for your fellow-Servants give them good counsel pray for them help them all you may and carry it so before them that they may easily discern an excellency in you and that you have a loving design upon them and mean no more harm by all you speak or do but God's glory your Master's profit and comfort and their souls salvation Fourthly Be very diligent in your Master's business dispatch what he sets you about with what speed and expedition you can A slothful Servant is a wicked Servant by idleness and carelessness you may do your Master more wrong in a day than you may make up in a twelve-moneth Besides you must remember your strength and time is your Master's and all of it must be improved for him except so much as God calls for or your Master giveth you I come now to exhort Servants to the performance of these duties and that I may if possible prevail I shall lay before them a few Motives to inforce this duty Consider if you do conscientiously perform the fore-mentioned duties you will bring no little honour to your great Master which is in heaven you will shew the power of his precepts the beauty and excellency of his laws and make Religion to be thought well of by this you will leave a strange conviction of the worth of Grace upon the conscience of your Master Whereas if you should be faulty in any of the fore-mentioned particulars if you make any kind of profession it is ten to one if God and Religion do not presently suffer for your fault Is this your Saintship and it may be all the people of God may be railed at and wounded for your sake for God's sake be faithful in the performance of your duty and in so doing you will put to silence those that may condemn you and cause them to glorifie your Father which is in heaven Consult your own interest here it will be more in your way than you it may be at first imagine I might tell you what respect and love it must needs beget in the heart of your Master and when he hath opportunity he cannot but speak well of you it will bring you in a more considerable revenue of peace and content by this you discharge your duty and your conscience may have peace in it you draw others eyes and love and make you a lasting interest which in time may signifie more than at present you are aware of Consider your time is but short Suppose you suffer a little hardship Seven years will not last always yet a little while and you must have your liberty and then you and your Master may be Companions Methinks the thoughts of your time being out should make you the more patient and faithful remember that the longest time is but short and ere long it must be furled together and then it will be nothing who is Master and who is Servant but who is faithful Consider that reason honesty and ingenuity do all call upon you to be faithful and perform your duty Why should your Master give you meat drink clothing wages or a calling for nothing doth not honesty and common justice require that there should be some proportion between what he gives you and you him did you not promise and ingage to be a faithful Servant do not your Indentures bind you to it doth not ingenuity oblige you to be faithful to him who hath been ready to take care of you in sickness and in health and to tender you next a child I might add the command of God requires it but because I hinted that in the beginning I shall not here repeat it Consider how great a reward you shall have in the other world your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord there shall be a sure reward to the righteous Suppose your Master give you not that incouragement that your fidelity doth deserve yet be not disheartned you have a Master who is more ready to take notice of a little good in you than a great deal of bad I mean the great God Therefore be of good chear Col. 3.24 knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ Yet a little while and he will right the
mean while i. e. in this life while conscience bears witness accusing or excusing one another in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men i. e. and also at the day of judgment when conscience shall give in it's final Testimony upon God's examination of the secret counsels This place is properly meant of those reasonings concerning good and evil in men's Consciences agreeable to the Law of nature imprinted on them which shall excuse them if they practice accordingly or accuse them if they behave themselves contrary thereunto But it will hold in this Case for if those inward approbations of the the notions of good and evil will accuse us for our contrary practices they will also accuse us for our contrary thoughts Non solum opus sed mali operis cogitatio paenas luet Hieron in 1 Hos 7. Acts 8.22 Our good thoughts will be our accusers for not observing them and our bad thoughts will be indictments against us for complying with them 'T is probable the Soul may be bound over to answer chiefly for these at the last day for the Apostle chargeth Simon 's guilt upon his thought not his word and tells him pardon must be principally granted for that The tongue was only an Instrument to express what his heart did think and would have been wholly innocent had not his thoughts been first criminal What therefore is the principal subject of pardon would be so of punishment as the first incendiaries in a rebellion are most severely dealt with And if as some think the fallen Angels were stript of their primitive Glory only for a conceiv'd thought how heinous must that be which hath inrolled them in a remediless misery Having proved that there is a sinfulness in our thoughts let us now see what provocation there is in them Which in some respects is greater than that of our actions But we must take actions here in sensu diviso as distinguished from the inward preparations to them In the one there is more of scandal in the other more of odiousness to God God indeed doth not punish thoughts so visibly because as He is Governour of the world His Judgments are shot against those sins that disturb humane society but He hath secret and spiritual Judgments for these suitable to the nature of the sins Now thoughts are greater in respect 1. Of fruitfulness The wickedness that God saw great in the earth was the fruit of imaginations They are the immediate causes of all sin No Cockatrice but was first an egg It was a thought to be as God * Gen. 3.5 2 Cor. 11.3 that was the first breeder of all that sin under which the world groans at this day For Eve's mind was first beguiled in the alteration of her thought Since that the lake of inward malignity acts all it's evil by these smoaking steams Evil thoughts lead the van in our Saviour's Catalogue Matth. 15.19 as that which spirits all the black regiment which march behind As good motions cherish'd will spring up in good actions so loose thoughts favoured will break out in visible plague-sores and put fire unto all that wickedness which lyes habitually in the heart 2 Tim. 2.16 as a spark may to a whole stock of Gun-powder The vain babblings of the soul as well as those of the Tongue will encrease to more ungodliness Being thus the cause they include virtually in them all that is in the effect as a seed contains in its little body the leaves fruit colour scent which afterward appear in the plant The seed includes all but the colour doth not virtually include the scent or the scent the colour or the leaves the fruit So 't is here One act doth not include the formal obliquity of another but the thought which caused it doth seminally include both the formal and final obliquity of every action both that which is in the nature of it and in the end to which it tends As when a Trades-man cherisheth immoderate thoughts of gain and in the attaining it runs into many foolish and hurtful Lusts 1 Tim. 6 9. there is cheating lying swearing to put off the commodity all these several acts have a particular sinfulness in the nature of the acts themselves besides the tendency they have to the satisfying an inordinate affection all which are the spawn of those first immoderate thoughts stirring up greedy desires 2. In respect of Quantity Imaginations are said to be continually evil There is an infinite variety of conceptions as the Psalmist speaks of the Sea wherein are all things creeping innumerable both small and great and a constant generation of whole shoals of them that you may as well number the Fish in the Sea or the Atomes in the Sun-beams as recount them There is a greater number in regard of the acts and in regard of the objects 1. In regard of the acts of the mind 1. Antecedent acts How many preparatory motions of the mind are there to one wicked external act Yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Plutarch Moral p. mihi 500. how many sinful thoughts are twisted together to produce one deliberate sinful word All which have a distinct guilt and if weigh'd together would outweigh the guilt of the action abstractedly considered How many repeated complacencies in the first motion degrees of consent resolved broodings secret plottings proposals of various methods smothering contrary checks vehement longings delightful hopes and forestalled pleasures in the design All which are but thoughts assenting or dissenting in order to the act intended Upon a dissection of all these secret motions by the critical power of the word we should find a more monstrous guilt than would be apparent in the single action for whose sake all these spirits were raised There may be no sin in a material act considered in it self when there is a provoking guilt in the mental motion A hypocrite's religious services are materially good but poysoned by the Imagination skulking in the heart that gave birth unto them Prov. 21.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a wicked thought Ezek. 23.3.19 Yet she multiplied he◠whoredoms in calling to remembrance the days of her youth c. v. 21. the lewdness of her youth 'T is the wicked mind or thought makes the sacrifice a commanded duty much more an abomination to the Lord. 2. Consequent acts When a man's phancy is pregnant with the delightful remembrance of the sin that is past he draws down a fresh guilt upon himself as they did in the Prophet in reviving the concurrence of the will to the act committed making the sensual pleasure to commence spiritual and if ever there were an aking heart for it revoking his former grief by a renewed approbation of his darling lust Thus the sin of thoughts is greater in regard of duration A man hath neither strength nor opportunity always to act but he may always think and imagination can supply the place of action Or if the
thou shouldest not deal by another as thou wouldest not be dealt by thy self The Law then is good and the punishment is as great Thy Soul may go for an ill word consider of it has an evil word sufficient pleasure to compensate for eternal pain Sure it is wisdom to forbear such words if we may pay so dear for them 4. By considering the odiousness of it in others and in them we may see it in its true colours things are too near us to be aright discerned by us when they are observed in our selves A Lyar a False-witness a Back-bitâ—â—r a Tale-bearer how do you like such men Would you have your Child trained up in such things Why then will you allow them in your selves How came they to be more tolerable in you than other men Is it that it is no matter what becomes of you How comes it that you have cast off all care of and love to self that you would have every body better than your self 5. By reflecting upon the reproaches we have had from our own hearts for it and the inconveniencies we have suffered and the dammages others have reaped by it beyond our possible reparation is it not time then to take up 6. By remembring that God observes it and will Judg thee for it A Reverend man would awe thee if there was danger especially of the Pillory and how canst thou cast off the fear of God to talk before him so loosely How wilt thou like to have all thy vain and vile words read and aggravated at the last day It will be one part of that dayes work Jude 15 16. 2. There is matter that it is our Duty to Discourse of the general Nature of which I shall lay before you as 1. Such as though of a common and inferior Nature as referring to things of this Life yet is of consequence to our selves or Neighbours to be debated for the right understanding or better managing of our joynt or several concerns this as tending to Justice Charity Peace or the like by the good use it may be of is Sanctified and becomes our duty and we may not without sin decline it when duly provoked to it for as mean as these matters seem God hath concerned himself to make severe Laws that we worst not one another in them by which we are obliged to improve and imbetter each other as we can and surely most of all when by a word it may be done How does Job's Conscience approve him in his having been a faithful Counsellor Job 19.15 I was eyes to the Blind And what a Character does Christ give to the Peace-makers Mat. 5.9 They shall be called the Children of God And yet further the command to Worldly business six dayes in seven does more than allow Worldly Discourse especially when it hath a moral use So that as it is a vain Superstition of some not to touch these things so is it of others to decline necessary profitable talk of them as if it were a piece of Service to God to be useless unto men while by his providence we are among them Know then where by weakness your Brother needs advice and by a greater stock of wisdom you are able to give it it is his duty in order to the prudent management even of his Worldly affairs to ask it and yours as freely to give it for you therefore have it and cannot otherwise give a good account of it Caution Let me only caution that on this pretence you Lanch not out into Discourse of this Nature Unseasonably as on the Lord's Day unnecessarily for mere talk's sake immoderately to the burying of all other Discourse or hindering more important business of your own or Brother's it would also be carefully avoided that we intrude not our selves as busie-bodies into the Discourse of others matters while we are unconcerned and to Persons unconcerned for which we are like to go unthanked whereby our Brother may be wronged and no body is edified 2. It may be our duty to Discourse of what is done in the World wherein God's Justice Power Wisdom Faithfulness or Goodness is advanced One design of God's marvellous working is to furnish us with fit matter for talking His Signs in Egypt are particularly noted to have had this reference That they might tell in the Ears of their Sons and Sons Sons what things he had wrought in Egypt that they might know that he was the Lord Exod. 10.2 God's works are one of his Books that we should much confer about David pleases himself to see the whole World as set about a round Table conferring their Notes of what they had seen and observed of God in his works from Generation to Generation Psal 145.5 6. I will speak of the glorious Honour of thy Majesty and of thy wondrous works and men shall speak of the might of thy terrible Acts and I will declare thy greatness they shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness This seems to be talk for the Generality of men there is something in it peculiarly pleasing to all palats and an Example often affects when a Precept would be over-looked and I am confident if we could prudently Discourse of the works of God we might more advantage the profaner sort of men than by talking to them out of the Word for they are prejudiced against that and shut upon it streight as perceiving whereto that would but they are pleased with story and lye more open to it that there is greater hope e're they be aware of their being caught with it Psal 107.42 That this Discourse may be profitable take the following advice 1. Make wise Observation look with both Eyes on what happens look into it look after God in it and spy what Attribute is eminently glorified by it Psal 107.43 Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord. 2. Make faithful representations lye not for God The Romish Legends by their multitude of Fables have greatly minished the veneration of all Miracles One fly spoils a whole pot of Oyntment the same does one lye in a most useful History 3. Make Charitable Interpretations as to persons or parties be not too severe in censuring them that God makes Examples It was the fault and folly of the Jews Christ tells us they were out and we as well as they may be out let us be warned by them Luke 13.1 2 3. 4. And make pious applications and still put in your self as concerned where you note any thing to be learned 1 Cor. 10.5 11. Psal 90.11 12. Many profane the Providences of God by their slight Discourses of them without regard to God or his Glory in them but you on the other hand by observing Rules may hallow his Name and spread his fame 3. It is yet more especially our duty to be Discoursing to one another of what God hath said to the World for our mutual Direction Caution and
good Name is of absolute necessity to make a man considerably serviceable in the World when a Man hath once lost this the very good which he doth is despised and dis-regarded And this reason especially concerns you in the reproaching of three sorts of Persons which I do therefore in a special manner caution you against 1. In reproaching of Magistrates of Kings and Persons in Authority Magistrates though bad in themselves yet are to be looked upon as great blessings And if we had the Persian Experiment of absolute Anarchy but for a few days that every man might do that which seemed right in his own eyes we should all be sensible of this Truth Now the Magistrate's Reputation is the great Supporter of that Majesty and Authority which he bears and the Magistrates Authority is the Peoples benefit And therefore all Persons should be tender in this particular they should not expose Kings and Magistrates to contempt and scorn nor beget irreverence in People towards them And therefore they ought to take heed not only of divulging false reports concerning them but even such as possibly may be true they must take heed of publishing the secret miscarriages of Princes for this as I told you is a sin against any Man but much more against Persons in Authority 2. Against Ministers Their Fame is most necessary for their usefulness in the Word And therefore when a Man defames a Minister besides that Injury which is common to other men he doth this peculiar mischief he endeavours to rob the World of all the good which such a Person may do in it I cannot but take this occasion to vent my great grief and the scandal I justly take at those Ministers and Christians who if a Man differ from them in some Doctrines or Rites of less moment though otherwise never so eminent make it their business to disparage and bespatter him and think they do God good Service in blasting his Reputation representing him as a Papist Socinian Time-server c. In the fear of God consider the sinfulness of this practice Whatsoever good such a Person might do in convincing converting and building up of Souls so far as this is hindered by thy means the Blood of such Souls will fall upon thy head Nay which is more although good should not be hindered by it yet thou shalt answer for all that might have been hindered by it And for this reason Constantine the Great did profess that if he should know any secret miscarriage of a Minister he would cover it with a Mantle 3. Against good men or eminent Professors of Religion who I confess when they are bad are the vilest of Men and when their sins are known and publique they ought to be used with most severity and such shall have the hottest place in Hell who use Religion as a Cloak for their Villanies yet when the sins of such Persons are secret and scarce known we should take heed of spreading of them Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askelon not for their sakes but for the sake of Religion which infinitely suffers by their misdemeanours and the Reproaches which arise from them 4. This is a great Injury to other men in these particulars 1. Thou corruptest others by thy Example Especially Ministers and eminent Professors of Religion they should above all others avoid this sin because their Actions are presidential They that will not follow your counsel will imitate your Example and though our Saviour hath cautioned us concerning the Pharisees Mat. 23.3 What they bid or teach you observe and do but do not after their Works yet in spite of all that Christ hath said Men will take a contrary course they will not hear your Sermons but will diligently attend to your conversations O consider this every time another hears thee censuring and reproaching thy Neighbour thou dost in effect Preach and perswade him to this Practice Thou settest a Copy which other men may write after when thou art gone into another World and no man knows how far the contagion of such an evil Example may spread nor how great a fire a little spark may kindle 2. Thou art a disturber of Humane Society an Incendiary in the place where thou dwellest The Peace and tranquillity of Cities and Kingdoms is often disturbed by this means Whence come Wars and Fightings among you Come they not hence even from your Lusts that War in your Members They do not come from Men's Lusts as they remain in their own hearts for so they are secret and unknown to the World but as they break out first in their Lips and then in their hands 3. Thou art a great Enemy to the Church of God however thou maist seem to thy self or others a zealous Friend of it It is not easie for any man to conceive the great mischief which these Censures and Reproaches produce in the Church they break the peace of it and fill it with sharp contentions and Divisions Yea they strike at the being of it You know a Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand they do their part to pull down the glorious Building of the Church so as one stone should not be left upon another They Eclipse the glory of the Church which doth not consist in external splendour in Riches and Ornaments but in Love Peace and Unity among themselves This was Jerusalem's Beauty that it was Built as a City that is Compact together Psal 122.3 This hinders the growth and Progress of the Church and of Religion When Persons professing Religion allow themselves in such sins which are not only offensive to God but also odious in the World it fills the minds of men with powerful and invincible prejudices against Religious men and against Religion it self for their sakes I must tell you if the Professors of Religion would learn the Government of their Tongues and the right ordering of their Conversations it would be the likeliest means to propagate Religion in the World And Christians if ever you would do this do it now never was it more necessary or seasonable to wipe off those stains and blemishes which at this day lye upon Religion for the neglect of this Duty by the Professors of it And thrice blessed are all you that contribute to so glorious a work as the Restauration of that Beauty and Glory which Religion once had in some of our Remembrance But when the Tongues of Christians are Exercised in this sinful practice besides the particular injury to the Person Reproached it hinders the conversion and Salvation of others Consider I beseech you a little the greatness of this sin You think it a great Crime and so it was in Elymas the Sorcerer who when Sergius Paulus called for Barnabas and Saul and desired them to Preach to him the Word of God withstood them seeking to turn the Deputy from the Faith Acts 13.8 He did this by his words and thou dost it by thy Actions Thou dost
what the good works are which we must be alwayes ready to To speak evil of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekness to all men Tit. 3.1 2. The Scripture speaks more of this than I have leisure to recite See Gal. 5.23 and 6.1 1 Tim. 6.11 and 2 Tim. 2.25 1 Pet. 3.15 Jam. 3.13 Zeph. 2.3 Isa 29.19 Psal 141.4 and 76.9 and 147.6 and 37.11 3. And Patience both towards God and Man is a necessary Companion of Humility and Meekness This greatly differeth from Natural dulness and an insensible temperature When a man's Soul is partly so much awed by God's Authority and Presence and partly so much taken up with the great matters of his Service and partly so much contented with his favour and grace and the hopes of glory as to make light of all the Interests of the Flesh as such and therefore to bear patiently such losses and crosses and wants and sufferings as touch the Flesh as taking it for no great matter to lose all the World if we save our Souls this is true Patience by which God is glorified For by this men will see that Christians have indeed such great things in their hopes as set them quite above the transitory things of the Flesh and World But when they are much troubled at every Cross and Loss and whine and complain as if they were undone if they live in Poverty or Reproach and are at their wit's end in every danger and fret and storm at every ill word or every one that wrongeth them they are the shame of their Profession and scandals to the World It is not a sudden Anger which is the great sin of Impatience but an impotent disability to suffer in the Flesh in Estate or Name and a repining under every want which sheweth a Fleshly Worldly mind and a want of true believing the heavenly Felicity Though I confess that Pity must make some Excuse for many poor Women whose Natural temper maketh their Passions troubles and fears invincible He that said In your Patience possess your souls doth intimate that we have lost our selves and the government order and Peace of our Souls when we have lost our Patience Luke 21.19 See Eccl. 7.8 Jam. 5.7 8. 1 Pet. 2.20 1 Thes 5.14 Be patient towards all men 1 Tim. 6.11 Col. 1.11 Whatever Zeal you seem to have in Prayer in Preaching and for purity of Worship if you can bear wants and sickness and the loss of all the World no better than others you will appear no better in their Eyes for if you faint in the day of Adversity your strength is small Prov. 20.10 XII And as a special fruit of Humility An easie and thankful bearing of Reproof and readiness to confess a fault upon due conviction is a necessary duty to the Honouring of God It will shew men that you are Enemies to sin indeed and that you are not Hypocrites who weed only their Neighbours Fields and see the Mote in another's Eye and not the Beam which is in your own If the Righteous smite us by Reproofs it must be taken as a kindness and as a precious Balsome which doth not break our Head but heal us Psal 141.5 Not that we are bound to belye our selves in compliance with every man's censorious humour that will accuse us but we must be readier to censure our selves than others and readier to confess a fault than to expect a confession from others whom we Reprove Sincerity and serious Repentance will be honourable in that Person who is most careful to avoid sin and most ready penitently to confess it when he hath been overcome and truly thankful to those that call him to Repentance as being more desirous that God and his Laws and Religion have the glory of their Holiness than that he himself should have the undue glory of Innocency and escape the deserved shame of his sin It is one of the most dangerous Diseases of Professors and greatest scandals of this Age that Persons taken for eminently Religious are more impatient of plain though just reproof than many a Drunkard Swearer or Fornicator And when they have spent hours or dayes in the seeming earnest Confession of their sin and lament before God and Man that they cannot do it with more grief and tears yet they take it for a hainous injury in another that will say half so much against them and take him for a malignant Enemy of the godly who will call them as they call themselves They look that the chief business of a Preacher should be to praise them and set them above the rest as the only People of God and they take him for an Enemy that will tell them the truth But the scandal is greatest in those Preachers themselves who cannot endure to hear that they are sinners So tender and impatient of Reproof are some yea some that for their Learning and Preaching and Piety are ranked in the highest form or expect to be so that almost nothing but flattery or praise can please them and they can hardly bear the gentlest Reproof no nor a contradiction of any of their Opinions But they seem to tell men that it is their part and priviledge to be the Reprovers of others and to have no Reprover and to tell other men of sin and be themselves accounted Innocent and to call other men to Repentance for Particular sins while they themselves must have no other Repentance than in general to say that they a sinners and to proclaim to all that their Publick Confessions are formalities and that it is a Christ to heal the Souls of others that they Preach while they acknowledge but little work for his remedies on themselves But he that refuseth reproof doth err and he that hateth it is brutish how Learned or Reverend or Pious soever he would be accounted Prov. 11.17 and 12.1 He that regardeth reproof is prudent and he that hateth it shall die Prov. 15.5 10. As ready humble penitent confession of sin doth tend to our Pardon from God so doth it tend to our acceptation with Man When God and Man will condemn the Pharisee that justifies himself till Confession be extorted from him XIII It is another very Honourable fruit of Humility to have a learning disposition and not to be Magisterial and to be swift to hear and slâ—w to speak All Christ's Disciples must be as little Children Matth. 18.3 4. especially in a learning teachable disposition A Child doth not use to set his wit against his Master's or any other that will teach him nor to rise up against instruction as a Disputer that must have the better and be accounted the wisest but his daily business is submissively to learn A Genuine Christian is indeed communicative and willing that others should partake with him in the wisdom and happiness which God hath revealed to him But he is ready first to learn himself and knoweth that he must receive before he can communicate And
Divine meditation Faith is enlarged and grows up by converse with divine objects meditate upon these things 1. Christ's Deity Be well stored with Scriptural knowledg of this great truth set thy heart to it and let it be fixed in the midst of thy heart assure your selves that the eternal Godhead of Jesus is the most practical point in Heaven and will be so while Heaven is Heaven 2. Be intimately acquainted with Christ's righteousness that it is the only righteousness that can present us holy unreprovable unblameable in God's sight that it was his business in the world to bring in this everlasting righteousness that it is done and finished that he hath nothing to do with this righteousness now in Heaven but to cloath us with to present us in before God 3. Meditate on God's righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruine but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratifie our humors 8. Direct Be well skilled and settled as it becomes a Christian in the great article of justification before God thy Faith and duties and comforts depend might and main upon this Know that no servant of God be he Abraham Moses or Paul if God enter into judgment with him can stand justified in his sight God will not justifie us without a righteousness and that righteousness must be unblamable and therefore in all numbers perfect God will not call that perfect which is not so for his judgment is according to truth Rom. 2.2 where shall we find this perfect righteousness but in Christ who is Jehovah our righteousness Jer. 23.6 and made of God to us righteousness 1 Cor. 1.30 how shall this become ours but by imputation Rom. 4.6 how shall we receive this gift of righteousness but by Faith Rom. 5.17 be well skilled in the good old way go in the foot steps of the flock and feed besides the shepherds tents Believe it Sirs there is no way but Christ unto the Father his blood is that new and living way Heb. 10.19 there is no standing in God's presence but in him no acceptance but by him no comfort but from him Be wise and wary there are many adversaries Only give me leave to say this I think that the Socinians had never set up man's obedience for his righteousness if they had not with wicked hands quantum in illis first pulled down Chist's Deity and as they are abhorred for this blasphemy of blasphemies so I cannot abide them for dawbing over man's obedience in this affair so deceitfully and deceivingly viz. in saying it is not only causa sine quâ non in our justification as if the material cause or the matter which God imputes for righteousness were only a poor causa sine quâ non but no more now of this jugling 9. Direct If you would preserve a right understanding of the nature of Faith take heed of advancing it into Christ's place as if God should impute the act of Faith for righteousness or that God should impute Faith and obedience as the condition or matter of our righteousness and not Christ's obedience for both cannot be imputed if God imputed Christ's obedience then not ours if ours then not Christ's The nature of Faith consists in coming to Christ for righteousness and pardon only the man hurt with the fiery sting looks to the brazen Serpent for cure Fides que that Faith which is justifying takes in Christ as Lord with all the heart but qua justificat in the business of justifitation qua sic it looks only to Christ as crucified This plain old distinction will stand If the nature of Faith did consist in Christianity I say if this were true I believe all believers could be contented to have it so for any harm they should have by it for they willingly devote themselves to the obedience of God only they cannot make this Faith or Christianity to be the condition or matter of justification for this were to fall from grace to make of none effect the death of Christ and to drive Christianity and comfort out of the world 10. Direct Get and keep this Faith specially by a constant and conscionable living in duty and living above it Say to the commandements you are my rule and love and joy to Christ thou art my life Col. 3.4 'T is the height of Christianity to live in duties and to live above them 'T is quickly said 't is an easie matter to distinguish in the Schools or pulpit but to distinguish in the conscience practically to distinguish is not so easie qui novit distinguere inter legem evangelium sciat se esse edoctum à Deo Had I all the holiness of the Saints from the beginning to this day I would bless God for the least and prize it above all treasures yet I would lay all aside and be found in Christ In the midst of thy duties ask thy soul the question soul what is thy title thy plea If I were to dye this day what have I to plead in what shall I stand before God what have I to plead why I should not perish in hell ask thy self what is thy righteousness ask it solemnly frequently is it not Christ and he only this would much conduce to confirm thy Faith such a Faith that would bring in comfort The thoughts of this so affected Dr. Mollius that he seldom names Jesus with dry eyes 11. Direct Be much in secret prayer ejaculations this will breed acquaintance and that comfort the non exercise of this breeds a strangeness between God and the soul and that 's uncomfortable This and meditation who can hinder The soul is active breathings and thoughts are quick it is soon done it will never hinder your business and in this way the blessed spirit causeth us to know and believe the love that God hath to us 1 Joh. 4.16 and refresheth the soul with joy and comfort in believing Do not only pray for the comforts and supplies of the holy spirit but pray to him to this purpose Blessed spirit convince me of my sins more and convince me more and more of Jesus Christ Holy Spirit take of Christ's and shew it unto me and the like To pass by the prophane scoffs of many and the gross ignorance of more I take it to be a very great neglect in believers that they do not glorifie the Holy Spirit as the Lord and giver of Faith and comfort Remember this qui unum honorat omnes he that honoureth one person aright honoureth every one and he that doth not honour every person honoureth none qui non omnes nec unam 12. Direct If you would get and keep this
and therefore the Blessing is null and moreover what the meaning of this Providence is that my Brother should come forth against me in this hostile manner I knovv not Wherefore I humbly beg thy Blessing and the confirmation of that Title vvhich hath so great an error in it Thus God brought an old reckoning to his remembrance in an evil day and set it on his conscience and put him to repent and mourn for he wept and made supplication to the Angel Hos 12.4 He came not off so easily but was fain to vvrestle hard all night to lose his rest and to struggle and sweat and pray and vveep and shed many a tear and to go halting aftervvard upon his Thigh unto his dying day Take heed therefore of old Reckonings undischarged look back and consider hovv it hath been and omit not a day vvithout revievving your Actions and Repentings I say as duly as the day determineth let not the Sun go dovvn upon any guilt contracted that so your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and exercise your self to have always a Conscience void of offence towards God and men and this vvill the better prepare you for the coming of Jesus Christ both by Death and Judgment Fifthly Be much in the exercise of Goodness Mercy and works of Liberality towards Christ in his needy Members according to your opportunity and power For though you shall be saved by your Faith yet you shall be judged according to your Works And it greatly concerneth us to be laborious in that Service upon vvhich the judgment shall pass at Christ's appearance Mat. 25.35 36. Call your self therefore to an account what you have done in this way for Christ as how you have fed cloathed visited relieved him in his Members here on earth And if this were more considered such as profess to Christ would be more active for him in ought wherein they might be more serviceable to him but when we see but little activity in the exercise of this Grace we may well fear there is but little Oil in the Vessel for rich anointings will make men agile and ready for every good work inasmuch as the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and they that hope for eternal Life when Christ shall come by Death and Judgment must seek for Glory Honour and Immortality not only in well-doing but in continuance in it Beware of Omissions and among others of this great duty The Judgment will reach unto all sins In the Narrative of his Life and Death and to omissions in a special manner Mat. 25.37 38. For which that learned and holy Vsher was humbled upon his death-bed The Nobleman hath put a Pound into your hand saying Occupy till I come yea he hath given you many Pounds in a literal sense with which you must trade as well as with the Talents of your Parts and Gifts of Grace And I know you would be glad to find Mercy with Onesiphorus in the day of Christ Remember therefore Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Mat. 5.7 But He shall have judgment without mercy who hath shewed no mercy whereas mercy rejoyceth against judgment A merciful man is so far from fearing judgment at Christ's coming that he rather rejoyceth at the thoughts of it Sixthly Exercise diligence and faithfulness in your particular Calling For when Christ speaketh of his Coming saith he Be ye ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh What followeth Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his Lord hath made Ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due season Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Mat. 24.44 45 46. When Christ was speaking to this Point saith Peter Lord speakest thou this Parable to us or even unto all Luke 12.41 Truly Christ spake it unto all though in a special manner to such as Peter for Christ will have an account how every one of us have managed our particular Callings But they that are Stewards in the House of God which is his Church have a very great account to give and it is required of them in a special manner that a man be found faithful and of all Christ's servants his Stewards have most to answer for that if a dispensation of the Gospel and the care of souls were not committed to them he that understandeth the weight of Stewardship would dread to undertake it but a necessity is laid upon them and wo unto them if they Preach not the Gospel It is said of Calvin that when Nature began to decline in him Melch. Adam in vit Calv. and the symptoms of a dying man appeared on him he would be diligent at his Studies from which his friends disswading him saith he Nunquid me Dominus inveniet otiosum Shall my Master find me idle Let such therefore and all be diligent and faithful in their respective place and employments And indeed every man is a Steward more or less You know what the Master saith of the slothful Servant Take him and cast him into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Such slothful servants shall be under the tribute of eternal pains Prov. 12.24 when the good and faithful Servant shall be made ruler over many things and enter into the joy of his Lord Mat. 25.23 Would you stand before Christ at his coming Oh dread Idleness and unfaithfulness in your Callings as you desire to be sound of him in peace at his appearance Fill up your days with Duty and give your time to him who gave it to you Paul was a great lover of Christ and his Appearance and who more abundant in his Labours for him For he had the Conscience of his indefatigable industry and fidelity in his work for his Master Saith he I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith 2 Tim 4.7 8. He meaneth especially his military faith and oath in fighting a good fight for Christ And wherefore do we hear him groaning so earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with his house which is from Heaven It was because he laboured ambitiously that whether present or absent he might be accepted of him For saith he We must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every one might receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5 2. with 9.10 Lastly That I might not multiply particulars let me add what Christ hath joined together Sobriety Watchfulness and Prayer Luk. 21 34.36 And therefore take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and cares of this Life and that Day come upon you unawares Gird up therefore the loins of your minds be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought
the sweet allurements which draw us to this duty And if we inquire what it is that puts us upon rejoycing in God by Singing I shall tell you 1. The Good Spirit That Heavenly principle both leads us to this duty and helps us in it this is one of the good motions of the blessed Spirit to put us upon singing the praises of the Lord. Wine tempts us to vain and wanton Songs but the Spirit excites us to Holy and Heavenly Hymns the Spirit first sets the Tune and Christ is the burden of the Song 2. The joyous heart Holy Singing is both the Sign and Vent of joy The little Child is pained and then it cries the Saint is surprized with joy and then it breaks out into singing Smothers will turn into Flames and the heart overcharged with complacency will discharge it self in this Holy Exultation In the Churches triumph recorded by the Prophet Isaiah Isa 35.2 Singing follows joy as its proper and genuine product and birth 3. A sence of Obedience To sing praises to the Lord is a duty which the Saints know not how to wave or respite The Apostle James joyns praying and singing together Jam. 5.13 and the Believer knows not how to neglect the one no more than the other Sometimes God calls us to the Cross and then we must be calm and patient and sometimes he calls us to the Quire and then we must be pleasant and delightful This checks those who scruple this Ordinance surely this must proceed Vse 2 from the Evil one turning himself into an Angel of Light It was a serious moan which sometimes many Ministers in New England made even in this Case The singing of Psalms say they though it breath forth nothing but Heavenly harmony and sweet melody yet such is the subtilty of the Enemy and the Enmity of our Nature against God and the ways of God that our hearts can find matter of discord in this Harmony and Crotchets of division in this holy Melody And hence arise so many questions about singing of Psalms But I shall only touch upon three Objections How can a serious Christian sing in a mixed Congregation The presence Object 1 of the wicked will surely jar the Musick and give a very just Occasion of Offence Many who forbear singing in the Congregation will not forbear it in their Answ 1 families And is there no Cham no Judas no withered branch Are all the Sonâ— of Zion Are all the Friends of the Bride-Chamber This is not an usual Happiness 2. And are there not mixtures when we pray and when we hear and this scruple may be levelled against these as well as against singing There is as much purity and so ought to be in Petitioners and Hearers as in Singers And why then are we not as curious in these duties as in Singing which if we were few would join with us in these solemn approaches Let us not Dear Christians consult fansy but reason and Scripture-proof 3. Singing may be sanctified for Conviction of sinners Moses penned a Song and God commands the people to sing it Deut. 31.30 And this Song was to convince the sinful Israelites of their obstinacy and Apostacy 4. And if we are thus shy and scrupulous with whom at last shall we join Our Saviour himself had but 12 Apostles and there was a Judas among them what Constellation shall we aim at where there is no blazing Comet or falling Star Let us at last avoid that Language stand further off I am holier than thee It was but a Pharisaical boast to say I am not as this Publican Luke 18.11 5. If singing be a duty as most certainly it is thou art bound to perform it in the best manner thou canst and then others presence will not enfeeble thy comfort nor invalidate thy service thou shalt have peace in thy own Soul Heathenish spectators for so are wicked men at an Ordinance did not eclipse the glory of the Martyrs their stakes were hung with Laurel notwithstanding But it is Observed by a Worthy and Learned man That all these Objections arise from the Ignorance of the Nature Use and Ends of this Blessed Duty Object 2 But some are ready to object There are many passages in the Psalms which are not so accommodate to their condition As how can they sing the sixth Psalm when they are in prosperity or the 38th Psalm when they are in health or the 51th Psalm when they know no notorious scandal hath lately fallen on them and they must not lye before the Lord. Answ 1 Every passage in the Psalms is matter for Meditation a gracious Spirit may spring sweet Contemplation from it In the 51th Psalm we may meditate on the grievous nature of Sin and in the 6th Psalm we may meditate on the mournful effects of sin and that it will surely be bitterness in the latter end 2. What is not now may afterwards be thy condition thou mayest fall and then the 51th Psalm is accommodated to thee thou mayest be under distempers and then the 38th Psalm is not incongruous to the thou mayest be penitentially inclined and then the 6th Psalm is well calculated for thy Condition Object 3 But why must we be confined to David's Psalms Answ Why What more comprehensive and sutable to every condition They are the Bible Epitomized How full of sweet counsels Divine raptures humble complaints hearty expressions of Love to God Sometimes we may find David swimming in his tears Psal 6.6 Sometimes ravished with his joys Psal 43.4 Sometimes eclipsed with distrust Psal 77.7 Sometimes raised with confidences Psal 30.7 The Psalms are a Christian 's choycest Oracle to fly to in times of distress And was not the holy Psalmist guided by an infallible Spirit How often are the Psalms quoted by Christ Luke 20.42 ch 24.44 and so by the Apostles Acts 1.20 as Divine Authority to establish Truth Let us therefore not disturb our selves with these groundless Objections but let us pursue and embrace this Holy duty which is the very Suburbs of Heaven and let us observe what a reverend person notes upon this Occasion I observe saith he they never thrive well who neglect or scruple singing of Psalms they commonly begin at this Omission but they do not end there but at last they come to be above all Ordinances and so indeed without them whose sad condition is not sufficiently to be deplored And another Learned and Reverend Divine yet living hath observed fatal and judicial proceedings of God against those who have turned their backs upon this joyous and sweet Ordinance but let the Lord lead us into all understanding the wise Christian will pause and consider Let this check those who suspend and neglect this Heavenly Ordinance and Vse 3 this is an evil much to be deplored in our times We may now walk in the streets on God's Holy day and not hear the least noise of a Psalm or sound of a spiritual Song It was not long since the
wont of the Puritans which were the most pretious Christians to Eccho forth the praises of the great Jehovah in this Duty especially upon the Lord's Day Then was there a holy Quire in their houses their Children were the little birds to sing the praises of the Creator the Servants likewise joining in the harmony to make up a fuller Musick But alas Now the voice of the Bride singing to her Beloved is not heard in the places of our abode there is silence instead of singing and prating instead of praising frivolous discourses instead of joyous praises It might behove us to ponder how much of Heaven do we lose in neglecting this Service In singing Psalms we begin the work of Heaven In Heaven we read of the Song of Moses and of the Lamb Rev. 15.3 And of a new Song Rev. 14.3 And the Angels though they have not Tongues yet they have voices to sing the praises of the Most High and therefore that this Heavenly service is so neglected and unexercised is a lamentation and shall be for a Lamentation Ezek. 19.14 This likewise checks those who formalize in this Duty who Act a Part not a Vse 4 Duty they make a noise and not Musick and more provoke the Eyes than please the Ears of God Hierome pathetically Exclaims against those Formalists We must not saith he Act as Players who stretch their throats to accommodate their Tongues to the matter in hand but we must sing Psalms as Saints praising God not only with our Voice but with our Heart not only with a sweet voice but with a melting heart Bernard makes two conditions of grateful singing 1. We must sing purely minding what we sing nor must we act or think any thing besides there must be no vain or vagrant thoughts no dissonancy between the Mind and the Tongue 2. We must sing strenuously not idly not sleepily or perfunctorily we must sing ex animo most heartily and Energetically Vse 5 Let us get an interest in Christ If we are not in Christ we are certainly out of tune The singing of a sinner is natural like the singing of a Bird. But the singing of a Saint is musical like the singing of a Child Saints in singing perform a grateful duty But sinners offer a vain oblation Isa 1.13 It is Christ must put an acceptation upon this service as well as others Here the Altar must sanctify the gift Christ perfumes the prayers of the Saints Rev. 5.8 And he must articulate the singing of the Saints Indeed he alone can turn our tune into melody and though in our selves we have Esau's garments yet he can give us Iacobs voice We are accepted in Christ in this offer of love Therefore let us get into Christ he can raise our voice in singing to a pleasing Elevation Let us be in him and then our steps shall be metrical our pauses musical and our very Cadencies shall be Seraphical Our singing of Psalms shall be the musick of the Sphears Vse 6 Let us sometimes raise our hearts in holy Contemplation Let us think of the Musick of the Bride-Chamber There shall be no crack't strings displeasing sounds harsh voices nothing to abate or remit our melody there shall be no willows to hang up our harps upon Psal 137.2 In the Bride-Chamber there shall be no sorrow to interfere when we sing the song of the Lamb Rev. 21.3 No grief to jar our harmony These pleasing Meditations should sometimes possess and sweeten our Spirits that while we are walking in the galleries Cant. 7.5 we may be nearer to the Palace of the great King Psal 45.15 How ought We to Improve our Baptism Serm. X. Acts 2.38 Be Baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the Remission of Sins THis Chapter gives us an account of the pouring out of the Spirit according to the promise presently after Christ's Ascension as soon as the Spirit was poured out the Apostles were enabled to speak in various Languages to the astonishment and wonder of the Hearers This was for the Glory of God the Confirmation of the Gospel and to authorize them as Special Messengers sent by Christ At the sight of this Miracle some wonder others mock as if this speaking with divers Tongues had been a confused jabbering that proceeded from the fumes of Wine rather than the gift and operation of the Holy Spirit To satisfie both Peter declares in a Sermon the effect and intent of the Miracle proving Jesus whom they had Crucified to be Lord and Christ When they heard this many of the most obstinate among them were pricked at the heart and relented An happy Sermon it was that Peter preached it brought in thousands of Souls to Christ the first hansel of the power of the Spirit and success of the Gospel 'T is good to observe what course they took for ease and relief after this piercing and brokenness of heart they said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do This is the usual Question of men under a sound and thorow Conviction To their serious Question Peter makes a seasonable Answer v. 38. 'T is the part of a good Physician not only to discover the Disease but also to prescribe a Remedy especially should spiritual Physicians be tender of broken-hearted Sinners and willing and ready to give them Counsel In Peter's Direction and Counsel to them observe first What he perswades them to do Secondly By what Motive and Argument what they should do and what they should receive In the Advice he perswades them to Repentance and to be Baptized in the Name of Christ The latter we are upon For Explaining it we may enquire First Why is Baptism mentioned rather than Faith and other things more internal and necessary to Salvation I answer Certainly Faith is implied for Mark 16.16 He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be Saved Baptism is an open and real Profession of Christ Crucified So that Be Baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ is as much as Be Baptized Believing on the Name of the Lord Jesus for the Remission of Sins Secondly Baptism is mentioned because it was the visible Rite of receiving Proselytes to Christ Now it imported them who were convinced as Persecutors to turn Professors if they would have ease for their Consciences and therefore not only to Believe with the Heart but to make open Profession of Faith in Christ Rom. 10.10 Quest 2. Why in the Name of Christ only the Father and the Holy Ghost is not mentioned according to the Prescript-form Mat. 28.19 I answer he speaks not of the Form of Baptism but the use and end thereof Now the great use of Baptism is that we may have benefit by the Mystery of Redemption by Christ therefore elsewhere we are said to be Baptized into Jesus Christ Rom. 5.3 And to put on Christ Gal. 3.27 He is the Head of the Church and by Baptism we are planted into his Mystical Body This being