may learn to redeem time and number all our days our Sabbaths more especially that so we may apply our hearts unto Wisdom that we may now get wise religious believing and Repenting Hearts O Lord give us Grace to consecrate this day as a day of delight holy and honourable to thee not doing our own Works nor following our own Pleasures nor speaking our own words but exercising our selves in duties of Piety and Mercy publickly and privately in thy House and in our own So that we may make this Season a day not only of reconciliation for the Sins of the Week past but also a day of Preparation and spiritual Provision furnishing our selves for the better performance of the duties of the Week to come And now O Heavenly Father we are going to thy House to partake of thy Ordinances we beseech thee to go with us thither and stand by us there and bring us back again rejoicing when we shall find our Faith encreased our Hope quickned our Zeal kindled our Hearts inflamed with the Love of thee and our Brethren Let us not we beseech thee make thy House which is an House of Prayer and Spiritual Exercises to be a Den of Thieves but let us look to our Feet that so we may be more ready to hear than to offer up the Sacrifice of Fools It is a fearful thing when this word which should he a Savour of Life unto Life does prove a Savour of Death unto Death as it does to many who regard not what they hear Grant therefore O Lord that we may take diligent heed what we hear and how we hear keep us we humbly pray thee that we be not like unto them that be compared unto the high way who do not so much as bend their minds to regard what is taught nor to them who are compared to the stony ground who do it but shallowly and superficially nor to them that be compared to the thorny ground that do choak and smother it with minding their ease pleasure gain and profit over much But give us Grace to be like the good ground who coming to the word with honest and good hearts bring forth good Fruit with Patience and in good Season So that keeping this day as we ought to do we may be translated to keep an Everlasting Sabbath in the highest Heaven Amen CHAP. V. Of the great obligation that lies upon every one of us to worship God in Publick NEglect not publick Ordinances upon pretence of serving God in private that God Almighty gives his Blessing both to private and family-Family-Duties is most certain but to put God off with these and neglect publick Worship is to rob him of a greater summ and pay him with a less It is worth our Observation that the Sabbath and publick Worship of God are by him joined together therefore let no Man put them asunder Ye shall keep my Sabbath and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord your God They then that despise God's Sanctuary cannot observe God's Sabbath Do but consider David's Tears for the want and his Prayers for the fruition of Publick Ordinances even then when he had opportunity for private Performances and surely then thou wilt esteem the Ministry of the word no mean mercy See his sorrow for the want of them I was driven saith he from the Sanctuary when I did but think of it my Soul was poured out like water for I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the House of God Psal 42.3 My Soul was poured out that is was over-whelm'd with grief and even ready to dye when I compare my present condition with my former happiness in the fruition of religious Assemblies How bitterly and passionately doth he plead with Saul If the Lord hath stirred thee up against me let him accept an Offering but if men Cursed be they before the Lord for they have driven me out this day from the inheritance of the Lord. 1 Sam. 16.19 How pathetically does he bemoan his own Soul Woe is me for I dwell in Meseck and have my habitation in the Tents of Kedar The loss of his Father Mother Wives Children Lands Liberty nay life it self would not have gone so near his Heart as the loss of the publick Ordinances As his sorrow was great for the want so was his Soul most earnest for the fruition of them How many Prayers does he put up for the liberty of the Tabernacle Psal 43.3 4. and Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord which I will seek after viz. That I might dwell in the Tabernacle of the Lord and visit his holy Temple And Verse 8. When thou saidst seek my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek David at this time was banished the Temple and he among other reasons useth this argument to restore him to his happiness as if he had said O God thou hast commanded me to worship thee in the Temple To appear before thee is my delight my heart desires to seek and see thy face there Thus he prays to God for the performance on his side that he might be enabled to obey God's Precept Peter and John went up to the Temple at the hour of Prayer Acts 3.1 and St. Paul reasoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath day Acts 13.14 those that by their practices contemn publick worship have neither Christ nor the Apostles for their Pattern One of the Jewish Rabbies hath a saying he that dwells in a City where there is a Synagogue and cometh not to Prayers merito dicitur vicinus malus if thou forsakest the Assembly of God how useful thou maist be to others Bodies I know not but I am sure thou art neither to thine own Soul or theirs in neglecting God's service Consider the condition of Primitive Christians who were forced to serve the Lord with fear and attend his Ordinances with trembling who built Churches under ground rather than they would want the opportunity of serving God in Publick Consider also how David bemoan'd himself counting Swallows and Sparrows in this much better than he because they could build their Nests in the Temple while he was banished from it Psa 84.1 2 3. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God Yea the Sparrow hath found an House and the Swallow a Nest for her self where she may lay her young even thine Altars O Lord of Hosts my King and my God Did David being abridged thereof thus bemoan himself Surely then we should count it a great Mercy that we have Publick Churches and Oratories to go unto without any lett or molestation that we have no Tyrants no Foreign Enemies no Rods no Axes no noise of War to affright us from God's publick Ordinances what cause of rejoicing is here But yet if this liberty of ours make us wanton and the plenty God gives us tempts us to
and Family to an account for what you have read or heard and explain the same to them This is commended to us by the Practice and Example of our Lord himself who when he was come home said unto his Disciples Mat. 13.5 Have you understood all these things viz. that he had preached to the Multitude And Mark 4.34 When they were alone he expounded all things to his Disciples Whereupon one observeth That Christ by his Example doth instruct every Master of a Family how to carry himself in reference to those under his charge on the Lord's day after their departure from the publick Congregation A treble Benefit will follow hereupon 1. In respect to our selves for the more you build up others the more your selves are built up in Knowledge Faith and every Grace of God 2. In respect of your Children and Servants for it will make them to hearken more attentively to what is in publick delivered when they know they shall be called to an Account for the same at home 3. It will help much to the understanding and believing of what is heard if at home you repeat it conferr of it and examine the Proofs made use of for its Confirmation 2. Singing of Psalms is another Duty to be performed this day in our Families as well as in the Church Holy David that sweet Singer of Israel recommends it to us Psal 92. the Title of that Psalm is A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath and it begins thus It is good to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises unto thy name O thou most high For the manner of performing this Duty we have the Apostle's Direction in these words singing with grace in your hearts unto the Lord. 1. It must be in or with the heart that is our hearts must go with our Voices the one must be lift up as well as the other for God is a Spirit and must be worshipped in our Hearts and Spirits as well as with our Bodies Truly singing with the Voice without concurrence of the Heart and Spirit is no more pleasing to God than a sounding Brass and tinkling Cymball 2. As we must sing in the heart so with Grace in the heart i. e. we must exercise the Graces of God's Spirit as well as in praying labouring to express the same Affection in singing a Psalm as David in the penning of it If it be a Psalm of Prayers and Petitions then must our Affections be fervent if a Psalm of Praises and Thanksgiving then must our Affections be chearful Thus must the Affections of the Heart be suitable to the Quality of the Psalm 3. Another Family-Duty is Prayer for if this Duty ought to be performed every day twice at least viz. Morning and Evening then more especially on the Lord's day a day wholly dedicated to the Worship and Service of God CHAP. X. Of resorting to the Evening Sacrifice WHen it is now almost time to repair to the Evening Service call as many of your Servants as can be well spared that they may accompany you to the publick Assembly command their Bodies though you cannot their Souls And it may not be amiss but right edifying if some one Person read a Psalm suitable to the present undertaking of going to worship God such as the 84. Psal or the 119 th one or two parts of it being taken at a time as occasion shall serve to which reading all ought reverently to attend And this being done let the same Rules and Directions which were given touching going to Church in the Morning be observed in the Evening and let all as before resort to the publick worship where your carriage ought to be the same as was before directed Surely unless you and your House appear thus the second time before God you cannot be said duly to sanctify the Lord's Day but only to do it by halves And now to move you to this duty Consider you are bound in justice to God to do it Because God hath set a day not a piece of a day apart for himself and we should be more afraid to steal away God's time than to steal away Mans Goods the one is Theft but the other Sacriledge God Almighty hath consecrated to his own Service the seventh part of our time but if you come only in the Morning you give him but the 14 th part of it nay I fear too many spare him only that time which their Morning attendance takes up in our publick Assembly on the Lord's Day Now I appeal to thy own Conscience Christian Brother Whether it be a meet and fit thing that rational Persons Created by God redeemed by Christ should afford to the Worship and Service of Christ and the great Concern of their immortal Souls but two hours at the most on the Lord's day and that time perhaps spent in a formal customary cold heartless Worship of the infinitely holy and just Deity the tremendous impartial Judge both of Angels and Men. The Jews kept a whole day holy in a grateful Memory of the lesser benefit of the Creation and their Deliverance out of Aegypt and shall we grudge to spend a whole day in remembrance of our Deliverance from Hell and Death eternal We have not only greater Motives but we have greater Means they had only Moses and the Prophets but we have Christ and the Gospel they had the Shadow we the Substance And shall we that have more Means and Helps put God off with less Duty smaller Service and shorter Performances Nay the very Heathens guided by the Light of Nature gave whole Days to their Dunghill Deities and shall we Christians refuse it to a true God You give your Bodies two Meals a-day and will you feed your Souls but once It was a rational Discourse of Joseph to his Mistress Gen. 39.9 My Master hath kept nothing from me but thee because thou art his Wife how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against my God God hath kept no Days in the Week from us but only the First Day because it is his Sabbath how can we do this great Wickedness then and sin against him Nathan's Parable to David may be applied to thee O thou most prophane Sabbath-breaker Hath God only one Day which he hath kept to himself and sanctified to his Service and laid as it were in his Bosom and shall Men be so unworthy when their Hearts tempt them to Vanity even to take this day to please and gratifie their own corrupt hearts in When they are rich in time and have six days for themselves To entrench upon the Lord's Day it is something too much Nay as it is unreasonable so is it plainly contradictory to our own Prayers that day for upon every Lord's Day Morning as we make it our open Confession so likewise a publick Prayer after the reading of the Fourth Commandment Lord have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this Law As much as to say Lord we
THE Country-Curate's ADVICE TO HIS Parishioners In Four PARTS I. Directs us how to serve God on the Lord's Day II. On the Week Day III. How to discharge our Duty in our several Relations as Husband and Wife Parents and Children Masters and Servants IV. How to prepare for Death By H. C. LONDON Printed by T. W. for J. Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1693. TO THE READER REligion is the grand employment of our Lives the main design and biass of our rational Natures the important work and task that Heaven hath set us and calls for our greatest vigour and vivacity to attend it and though perhaps it may suffer some diminution from the meanness of the Person who treats of it Yet it is not to be denied that its own intrinsick worth and native excellency are sufficient to render it most acceptable to all intelligent Minds and unprejudiced Understandings I pretend not to any high strain of Eloquence or high flown Rhetorications for if I were Master of a very fluent Oratory yet should I at this time wave it and study plainness the Station I am in a Curate the Persons I write unto not Courtiers but Country-men oblige me to it My Office is to present my Reader with a Portraicture of Practical Religion especially as it hath an aspect to the Duties which constitute our Devotion Here it is not proper to be quaint and florid but to make Impression on Mens Hearts and bring the Deity into their Souls This I have attempted to accomplish in the ensuing Sheets though I most frankly acknowledge how feeble and languid my Enterprize hath been Among the plain Directions which I have given towards the Consummating of a Religious Life I have placed those which respect the Lord's Day in the Front of all and with good reason seeing this sacred time is the Queen and Empress of all the Days in the Week and hath a just precedency of them by our Saviour's Institution and the practice of his holy Apostles Religion commenceth here he that begins not with the right Celebration of this Day will be extreamly defective in all the other acts of Devotion and Religion This therefore in the first place I most passionately recommend to all Votaries of Christianity that they would concern themselves in the due Observation of this Divine Time and accordingly I here offer them such Rules as will be a certain conduct to them and fully instruct them how to behave themselves in all the Portions of that Sacred Day If this attempt be favoured and incouraged by the Religious Reader I shall be animated then to aspire to a further degree of consulting his Spiritual advantage by committing to the Press those other Directions which I have prepared for the guidance of pious Minds in the grand business of Religion In the interim I bid such adieu and incessantly implore the Tri-une Deity That these my weak endeavours may prove Auspicious H. C. THE CONTENTS of this BOOK Chap. I. THE Preparation for the Lord's Day upon Saturday Eve Chap. II. Of Awaking with God upon the Sunday Morning Chap. III. Closet-Prayer and the Preparations to it Chap. IV. Of family-Family-Duty ere we go to God's House Chap. V. Of the great Obligation that lies upon every one of us to worship God in publick Chap. VI. Of going to our Parish-Church Chap. VII The Souls Soliloquy as it walks to God's House and behaviour there Chap. VIII Of our behaviour at Church when the Minister is come unto it Chap. IX Of our due behaviour between Morning and Evening Service Chap. X. Of resorting to the Evening Sacrifice CHAP. I. Of Saturday's Eve Devotion I Shall wave all the Opinions I have read concerning the beginning of the Sabbath because I would not here enter into a Controversy with any Man The Sentiments of Men are various yet how different soever they may be otherwise sure I am all agree in this That a due Preparation the Even before will be a great help to perform the Duties of the Day following The Primitive Christians used to spend the greatest part of Saturday Night in Fasting Watching and Prayer to fit them for the Duty of the subsequent Day from whence I suppose our Church borrows the Custom of reading the Collect for the Sunday upon the Eve foregoing Nay so zealous were they in God's Service that upon the ringing of the Bell to Church the Plowman used to leave the Plow and the Tradesman his Shop to join with the Minister in publick Prayers for a Blessing on the Sabbath Which Devotion of theirs because this our degenerate Age is for the most part strangely averse to and very few if any will have recourse to the House of God there to perform their duty Let them repair to their private Oratory Let them enter into their Closets Let Conscience there call an Audit in their Breasts and both impartially judge the actions of the Week past and how the Case stands at present between God and their Souls Beg O beg of God Dear Christian to give thee a true sight and sense of all thy Sins which thou maist do in this following Prayer O Father of Light and God of Love grant me true Light true Love and true Wisdom that I may clearly discern what doth please or displease thy Divine Majesty most earnestly desiring even from my very Soul to detest the one and embrace the other Illuminate the Eyes of my Vnderstanding that I may truly see my Sins and Imperfections strengthen my Memory that I may duly confess them and rectify my Will that I may resolutely amend them Return O my Soul to thy Self and to thy God Lament Repent Amend The Spirit indeed is willing but the Flesh is weak therefore turn thou me O Lord and I shall be turned Convert thou me and I shall be converted Further me I humbly beseech thee with thy continual help that in all my Works begun continued and ended in thee I may glorify thy holy Name and finally by thy Mercy obtain Everlasting Life through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen Questions to be put to our selves every Saturday Night 1. How have I this Week kept my Heart Have I been diligent in putting away evil thoughts of sundry sorts and have I kept my mind exercised with good and holy Meditations Have I thought humbly of my self Charitably of my Neighbour and reverently of my Maker and Redeemer 2. How have I this Week kept the Door of my Lips Have not I uttered many idle vain and unprofitable words Have I spoke of my Neighbour with that Love and Charity as I would have others speak of me Have I had that compassion of others defects as of my own 3. What aim had I in all my actions Have I done them so purely for the Love of God as I ought or had I any Worldly respect in the doing of them 4. How have I kept my Senses this Week Have not mine Eyes gazed upon wanton objects Have
name thereby through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen You may also add this Prayer O Lord Holiness becometh thy House and dutifulness becometh me to go into thy Courts and wait upon thee and this is the great day of thy Service thou that hast given me to see the light of this day make me careful to do the duty of it timely to present my self unto thee and reverently to behave my self before thee that when I go hence I may return with fruit and favour from thee for Jesus Christ's sake Amen When you go to receive the Sacrament use this Prayer O Thou in whose Temple every man speaks of thine honour whose Glory no mortal man can sufficiently express whose Goodness no tongue is able to display whose Holiness transcends all the perfections we see here below overaw my Spirit when I go with the multitude to the House of God with the Voice of Joy and Praise O let me consider that it is the All-seeing God in whose presence I stand and that holy Angels are sent to observe my Devotion Give me sober Thoughts holy Affections devout Postures steadiness of Mind ardent Desires modest Looks and a grave Behaviour especially now I am going to receive the Sacrament Now let all that is within me turn into holy breathings banish from me all undecent thoughts and if thou dost not think fit to free me from temptations before they come give me Grace vigorously to resist them that I may show my Zeal to thy Glory by my abhorrence of all imaginations that exalt themselves against the obedience of Christ Jesus Amen CHAP. IV. Of Family-Duty ere we go to God's House AFter thou hast fitted thy Self for Church thy next care must be carefully and conscientiously to perform Family-Duties Jos 24.15 Let others do what they will I and my House saith he will serve the Lord. In order to the performance of which duty take along with you these following Rules 1. See that your Servants and Children waste not away the Morning in sleep and idleness 2. Cause them to join together in Prayer reading or any other Godly Exercise Gen. 18.19 3. Make them accompany you to Church command their Bodies though you cannot their Souls 4. Inform your selves and them what a great and glorious Majesty and Master you are to serve a God so glorious that the very Angels vail and cover their Faces not being able to behold the brightness of his Glory And if this lowly Reverence be performed by them who are in such nearness to God what posture is low enough for us who in comparison of those Heavenly Spirits are viler than the ground we tread on 5. Make them sensible what poor Worms and wretched Creatures they are Dust and Ashes their Hearts full of Putrefaction and a sink of Sin and therefore ought to come crawling crouching and trembling to the Throne of Grace 6. Examine what Preparation they have made for the Sabbath whether they have not spent more time and care to dress their Body for the Eye of Man than to deck their Soul for the Eye of God Whether they have prayed in private for a blessing on God's Ordinance 7. Inform them seriously of the great work they go about what a weighty work it is how that their Weeks Works are but toys and trifles in comparison of it What are Sheep Oxen or Shops to Grace Christ and Heaven Exhort them all to be careful and serious in God's work in Soul-Salvation-Work and therefore they ought to prepare themselves with all their might Remember the Fourth Commandment binds you to look to all within your care both Man-Servant and Maid-Servant c. Whosoever rides them unnecessary Journeys on that day the groans of the tired Beast will rise up in judgment against them and condemn them for breaking God's Command As Motives hereunto consider 1. That it is God in a Family not Man only that maketh it to prosper so that if thou wouldest have it go well with thy Family then oughtest thou to set up the worship of God in it The Lord blessed the House of Obed-Edom for the Arks sake so God will bless thy House if the Ark that is his worship be there Wouldst thou have thy Family flourish set up the worship of God in it Let no wicked Person remain in thine House He that will not pray and join in the worship of God with thee Let him not eat with thee Make Joshua's resolution As for me and my House we will serve the Lord. 2. Remember you must be accountable to God for those Souls he hath committed to your charge you ought therefore to take care that they be trained up in the fear of the Lord. See that none of your Family be given to any Vice viz. Swearing Drinking Lying or the like Make choice of such Servants as fear God chuse for him somewhat and not altogether for your self Enquire in the first place whether they will submit to his word if not let them not come under thy roof As thou wouldst not have the Devils Company in thine House so do not entertain any of his Friends and Servants but rather let it be an Harbour and Habitation of God's Children for so shalt thou be blessed You know that God blessed Laban for Jacob's sake so may you likewise expect a Blessing if you entertain such in your House A Family-Prayer before we go to Church O Lord encrease our Faith and by thy holy Spirit prepare our hearts to pray as we ought and for Christ's sake accept this Morning Sacrifice of Prayer though weak and imperfect which in his Name and by his Mediation and Intercession we offer up to Thee We humbly and heartily acknowledge thy infinite Wisdom tender Love and Fatherly Goodness towards us thy unworthy Servants most vile and wretched Sinners in that it hath pleased thee not only to give us a liberal allowance of time to do our own Works and follow our own Callings and Recreations for the health of our Bodies and the necessities of this present Life but also to appoint us one day in seven to attend upon thee do thy Work and fit our selves to keep with thee an Everlasting Sabbath in the highest Heavens We know O Lord that we are bound in Conscience to serve and worship thee every day of the Week and every day to set apart some time for Spiritual and Heavenly Exercises yea and when we are in Earthly business to carry Heavenly minds about with us yet it hath pleased thee further to allow us one day in seven to attend wholly upon thee and more throughly to acquaint our selves with thee with thy ways and with our sinful and deceitful hearts to wean them from the Love of this World and set them upon Heavenly Joys And now O Lord as thou hast given us a day to serve thee fit and prepare every Soul to worship thee as we ought To this end give us the assistance of thy holy Spirit that we
many as soon as the Word is out of the Minister's Mouth to have the World in theirs The main Questions as soon as gone out of the Church are usually these What News do you hear How does Corn sell What a Crop have you upon the ground Such a Person has he not the best Corn in the Parish Poor barren Souls empty of Grace surely or your Discourses would be more savoury more seasonable more Heavenly Have you no better things to employ your Heads and Tongues about Ask rather what good Word you have heard to day How are we to provide for Eternity How strait is the Gate and narrow the Path that leadeth unto Life and how few there be that find it And alas how miserable shall I be if I miss thereof The Devil is always upon his Watch ever busy and labours continually to furnish Peoples Hearts with frothy and vain Discourse by that means to hinder the efficacy of the word and the good of many a poor Soul But alas The fourth Commandment tyes up the tongue as well as the hands Isai 51.13 not speaking thy own words The tongue is there commanded to rest from talking of Worldly matters as well as the hand from servile and Worldly Works How blame-worthy then are they who make the Lord's Day a Day of reckoning with Workmen and Servants a Day of idle talk about their Pleasures Profits or other matters As soon as you are come home before you refresh your Body enter into your Closet offer up this or such like Prayer I Do humbly and heartily thank thee O Lord Heavenly Father for that wholesome Doctrine and comfortable Instruction which this Morning I have heard out of thy holy word by the mouth of thy faithful Servant and I do heartily beseech thee that passing by my Sins and Infirmities of hearing thou wouldst so imprint the same in my memory and bless it unto me that I may believe it with my heart and practise it in my Life and Conversation Good Lord Let not the sweetness and savouriness of any bodily food which I am to receive of thy bounty put the relish and remembrance of thy Heavenly word out of my mind but grant that in feeding my Body I may feed my Soul by holy Meditation of the things I have heard and together with my bodily sustenance may call to mind the food that never perisheth And as it is thy will that I should use thy good Creatures with Wisdom and Sobriety every day So give me Grace this day especially to do so that they may not make me the more unfit to partake of the spiritual food thou hast prepared for me to the glory of thy name and the good of thy Saints and my own eternal welfare and Salvation through Jesus Christ my only Redeemer and Advocate Having finished your Prayer in the Closet depart to your Company and the necessary refreshment of your Body which this Day was not appointed to abridge you off While you are at Dinner appear chearful eating your meal in singleness of heart rejoice before God but let not your joy be by any means wanton idle vain intemperate At Dinner observe these few Rules 1. Beware of making the Lord's Day a time of Feasting your Neighbours For though it be lawful upon this day to make such Provision as shall be convenient for your own Family and for the relief of the Poor yet to make solemn Feasts upon it as is the custom of too too many whereby Servants are kept from publick Ordinances and our selves and Guests are more indisposed to the Duties of God's worship and service must needs be unlawful for though we be not forbidden upon the Lord's Day to kindle a fire for the dressing of meat yet we must take heed that we make not such a flame as shall kindle the fire of God's wrath against us 2. When you are set down to Dinner having begged God's Blessing on the food eat no more than will fit and enable you comfortably and lively to serve God If temperance be required in our Meals on the Week Day as Luke 21.34 much more on the Lord's Day Many fill their Bellies so full on this day that they are fit only to lay their drowsie heads on the Devil's Pillow of sloth and not at all in a capacity of repairing again to a spiritual repast in the House of God and to partake of his Heavenly Viands 3. Talk of God's Word sitting down and rising up Let your Hearts be heavenly and your Discourse savoury seasoned with Grace a Table without some good Discourse differs but little from a Manger One of the Fathers wrote this of the Primitive Christians that they were so holy in their Talk at the Table that one would have thought they had been at a Sermon rather than at a Supper And Luther has a large Book in Folio of the pious Expressions he used at his Table that indeed was his Pulpit where he read many profitable Lectures When therefore thou art at a full Table consider God's Mercy in feeding thee while there are so many Lazarus's that would be glad of the Crumbs that fall from the rich Man's table When thou eatest thy Bread with a good Appetite say thus to thy self If the bread be thus savory to an hungry Body how sweet how savory is that which comes down from Heaven to an hungry Soul and then pray O God give me evermore of this bread 4. Forget not God's Servants but invite the Poor to Dinner with thee that day The poor ye have always with you saith Christ and why have we this Memento think you But we should exert our Charity according to their Indigence and Necessity If we belong to Christ we are to relieve the oppressed clothe the naked and feed the hungry himself will do it though he works a Miracle for it Flesh and blood is not prone hereunto and therefore such munificence must needs argue a better and higher Principle than ordinary For as when we see the bank of a River and the ground next to it wet alone we gather that the River hath overflown there but when we see the furthest and remotest ground wet also then we know that the Rain hath done that so when we see a Man doing good to his rich Neighbors and Friends we think this proceeds but from good Nature in him but when we see him doing good also to strangers and unknown persons when feeding the poor and needy ones then we may well believe there is more than good Nature in that Man it is more than probable the Gift of Grace is there After you have eaten and drank I have now allayed the importunate craving of mine Appetite and my body is satisfied with material Food but nothing can satisfie my Soul but to behold the presence of God in Righteousness Therefore Dinner being over either respect the Word heard that day and read the Scripture or some other good Book and call your own Heart
acknowledge we have neglected thy Day we pray thee therefore pardon all our unchristian Sabbath-breaking for the time past and give us Grace to observe the Christian Sabbath better for the future Now shall we confess in the Forenoon and transgress in the Afternoon Will you beg pardon in the Morning and sin again the same Sin before Night Will you open your mouths to ask God's Grace to sanctifie and keep holy the Sabbath-Day and it may be prophane it in a graceless manner as soon as you are out of the Congregation But now to draw to a Conclusion You that God Almighty have blessed with Families I beseech you to take care of making any Visits on that day after Evening-Service for by that means you may become guilty of a double Sin 1. In neglecting to worship God your selves in your Family 2. In hindering others from doing that Duty But if the Weather invite you into the Fields let your Walk be such as Isaac's was to meditate and that you may not want matter to exercise your Thoughts about when you divert your self in the Field meditate on these Ten Particulars 1. The Greatness and Goodness of that God that you paid your Homage unto 2. With the Vileness of Sin and your selves because of it 3. With the Sweetness of Christ and the Greatness of his Love and Mercy 4. With the Excellency of that heavenly Work you have been about and the Gain of Godliness 5. With the Vanity of the World and all things therein 6. With the Worth and high Value of your immortal Souls 7. With the Rage Subtilty and Diligence of your Souls Enemy 8. With the Deceitfulness of your Hearts 9. With the Terrour and Torment of Hell 10. With the unspeakable and everlasting Glory of Heaven 2. Endeavour to spiritualize every Object you see As you walk and travail by the King's High-way say I am the way the truth and the life saith my blessed Redeemer the Way I must follow the Truth I must believe the Life I must hope for the Way which leadeth me the Truth which teacheth me the Life whereunto he bringeth me the Way is undefiled the Truth is infallible and the Life without end blessed are they that walk in this way that leads to everlasting life When you behold pleasant Grounds and variety of Objects O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the Earth is full of thy Riches When you perceive a gentle Brieze of Wind Come Holy Spirit blow upon my Garden that the Spices may flow out make my Mind calm serene and quiet breath upon me and revive me with the Light of thy Countenance When you hear a Clock strike or perceive by the Sun the Hour of the Day O how fast do hour after hour come on Time hastening to be swallowed up of Aeternity So teach me O Lord to number my days that I may apply my heart unto Wisdom wisely providing for that long day wherein the Sun of Righteousness shall rise with healing in his Wings When you see an high place Thy Mercy O Lord reacheth unto the Heavens and thy Faithfulness to the Clouds When you perceive a Dunghill O make me to know my self and discover to me my false deceitful Heart and the Odiousness and Loathsomness of my Sins that I may hate them with a perfect hatred When you behold a stately House O God make me in love with that City which hath foundations whose Maker and Builder is God Oh when shall this earthly house of this Tabernacle be dissolved and I received into that Building the House not made with hands aeternal in the Heavens When beholding any Children or Infants O Lord out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings dost thou prepare Praises for thy self When beholding a beautiful Woman O Lord let not this Creature 's Face be her Pride or the Beholder's sin or shame If you see any Cattle to stray think with your self O God how apt am I to go out of thy way I have erred and strayed O Lord like to a lost Sheep By such holy Ejaculations as these you may banish all Worldly thoughts out of your Mind and keep the Devil that is always busy to hinder the good Seed of the Word from taking effect better out of your heart than Teresa's holy Water or St. Anthony's Sign of the Cross When you come home observe the same Rules that were given you before to be practised after Dinner viz. to read the Scripture sing Psalms meditate repeat the Word c. but when you have done all look upon your selves as unprofitable Servants and that you come short of what God requires or deserves at your hands O what heavenly fervent and zealous Prayers doth such a God deserve such rich Mercy call for God is worthy a better Tongue to praise him and a better Heart to love him Disown therefore all your own Righteousness and expect all the Blessings you have prayed for through the alone Merits of Jesus Christ CHAP. XI Evening Exercise THE Day thus happily sliding away draws on the Night-season and there remains an Evening Exercise in order to even out Accompts with the great Father of the Family concerning our days labour in his Vineyard Before therefore you take your repose at night look over your days work search back into every hour of the day humble your selves and be heartily sorry for your miscarriage bless God if you have received any good Put these Questions to your Soul ere you betake your self to your rest First How did I ly down or rise up was God in my thoughts or no Secondly How did I put up my Prayers in my Closet did they proceed from my Heart or Lip only Have I gone this day with Joy into the House of Good have I heard â—he Word and treasured it up in my Heart Have not I aimed more at the information â—f my judgment than at the warming of my â—ffections was it curiosity or piety that led â—he thither have I gathered my thoughts â—ogether in the publick Prayers of the Church â—nd have my heart and desires gone along with the Supplications which the Minister of God put up to Heaven Have not I thought â—f my Farm Trade and Oxen while I have â—een repeating after him Have I read in priâ—ate have I called my Family together read â—o them instructed them made them give â—e an account of what they did remember When I received the holy Sacrament were â—y thoughts fixed on the Cross of Christ â—nd were my Soul affected with the great â—ystery of God's Love and did I meditate â—n the Word as soon as I left the Church â—as not the World in my Heart as soon as â—e word was out of the Minister's Did not â—eat and drink at Table more to please my â—ppetite than to repair the decayed strength â—f my nature Was my Discourse holy at â—â—e Table when I craved a Blessing was â—ot my mind more intent on the meat before