spite all good company and good conference he will cast in matters of jarres difference and discord And because the best men differ in opinion though not in fundamentals yet in Ceremonies and lesse necessary points of Religion and for that they all have infirmities and while the reliques of corrupt nature are in them are subject and apt to mistake and misconstrue one anothers actions and speeches as also the ends of their actions and speeches you will need that this bond of love be strong that it be not broke asunder by any of these or any other meanes but that you remain fast and sweetly knit together in the unitie of the Spirit through this bond of peace I commend this Christian society in brotherly love the rather because 1. there is nothing giveth a more sensible evidence of your conversion and translation from death to life than this 2. Nothing doth more further the increase and power of godlinesse in any place or person then this For let it be observed though there be never such an excellent Ministrie in any place you shall see little thriving in grace amongst the people untill many of them become of one heart shewing it by consorting together in brotherly fellowship in the Communion of Saints 3. Nothing bringeth more feeling joy comfort and delight next the communion with God iâ— Christ then the actuall communion of Saints and the love of brethren It is the beginning of that our happinesse on earth which shal be perfected in Heaven It is for kind the same that onely differeth in degrees And to conciude this subject after that you have beene in company good or bad it will be worth your while to examine how far forth you have hindred any evill in other have preserved your selfe from evill how farre you have endevoured to doe good to others and how much you haue bettered your selfe in knowledge good affection zeale or any other good grace by your company and according as you find let your heart checke or cheare you CHAP. X How a man should carry himselfe as in Gods sight when things goe well with him SECTIONI VVHen at any time you prosper in any thing and have good successe that you may therein walke according to God First Take heed of committing those sinnes whereto man is most apt when his heart is fatted with prosperity Secondly be carefull to produce those good effects which are the principal ends why God giveth good successe The sinnes especially to bee shunned are 1 Denying of God by forgetting him and his wayes departing from him when you are fat like Iesurun taking the more licence to sin by how much you shall prosper more in the world 2 Ascribing the prayse of successe to your selfe or to secondarie causes sacrificing to your owne net 3 High mindednesse thinking too well of your selfe because you have that which others have not and despising and thinking too meanly of those which have not as you have 4 If riches increase or if you thrive in any other earthly thing set not your heart thereon either in taking too much delight therein or intrusting thereupon Holy Iob and good David were in some particulars over-taken with this latter When Iob was warm in his nest he did hatch this secure conceit that he should dye in his nest and multiply his dayes as the sand And David in his prosperity said he should never bee moved But the LORD by afflictions taught them both to know by experience how vaine all earthly things are to trust unto and ingeniously to confesse their error I reduce the good effects which are the principall ends why God giveth good successe unto these two heads 1 professed prayse and thankes to God 2 Reall proofes of the said thanks in well using and imploying this good successe for God First prayse and thanke God For 1 it is the chiefe and most lasting service worship which God hath required of you 2 It is most due and due to him onely he onely is worthy for of him are all things and he is called the God of prayses 3 It is the end why God doth declare his excellency and goodnesse both in his Word and Workes that it may be matter of prayse and thankes also why he hath given man an hart to understand and a tongue to speake that for them and with them as by apt instruments they might acknowledge his goodnesse and excellencie thinking and speaking to his prayse and glory wherfore David speaking to his heart or tongue or both when hee would give thankes saith Awake my glory and I will give praysâ— 4 There is not any service of God more beneficiall to man than to bee thankefull For it maketh those gifts of God which are good in themselves to be good to you and they are the best continuers of good things to you yea Thanks are reall requests and the best security you can have for God will not withdraw his goodnesse from the thankefull This Prayse and Thankes is a religious service wherein a man maketh knowne to God that hee acknowledgeth every good thing to come from him and that he is worthy of all prayse and glory for the infinite excellencie of his Wisedome Power Goodnesse and of all his other holy and blessed Attributes manifest in his Word and Workes and that he for his part standeth wholly beholding to God for all that he hath had now hath and which hereafter hee hopeth to have Prayse and Thankes goe together and doe differ only in some respect The superabundant excellency in God shewed by his Titles and Workes is the obiect of prayse The abundant goodnesse of God shewed in those his Titles and Workes to his Church to you or to any person nothing to which you have reference is the obiect and matter of your thankes These things concerning praise and thankes are needfull to be knowne and observed First Who must give prayse and thankes Namely you and all that have understanding and breath must praise the Lord. Secondly To whom praise and thanks are due Only to God Not to us not to us saith the Church but to thy Name give glory Thirdly By whom must this Sacrifice of thankes be offered Even by Christ onely the onely high Priest of our Profession out of whose golden Censer our prayers and praises ascend and are sweet-smelling to GOD as Incense Fourthly For what must wee praise God and give him thanks Wee must praise him in all his workes be they for us or against us we must thanke him for all things spirituall and temporall wherein he is any way good unto us Fifthly With what must wee prayse and thanke him Even with our soules and all that is within us and with all that we have We must praise and thanke GOD with the inward man praise him with the
fruit and from love and feare of God and from conscience of the Commandement to doe the will of GOD. Not onely feare of wrath and hope of reward causeth him to abstaine from evill and doe good but chiefly love of God and conscience of duty Now if you would know when you obey out of conscience of the Commandement and from love of Christ consider 1. whether your heart and minde stand ready prest to obey every of Gods Cōmandements which you know as well as any and that because the same God which hath given one hath given all If yea then you obey out of Conscience 2. Consider what you doe or would doe when Christ and his true Religion and his Commandements goe alone and are severed from all outward credit pleasure and profit Doe you or will you then cleave to Christ and to the Commandement Then love of Christ feare of God and conscience of the commandement was and is the true cause of your wel-doing especially if you will and indev our all this when that all these are by the world cloathed with perill contempt 3. Consider whether you can goe on in the strict course of godlinesse alone and whether you resolve todoe it though you shall have no company but all or most goe in the way of sinne and withall perswade thereunto When you wil walke with God alone without ether company this sheweth that your walking with God is for his sake So walked Noah and Eliah as he thought But the cause of an hypocrites well-doing is onely goodnesse of nature or good education or meere civility or some common gifts of the spirit also selfe-love slavish feare onely or the like See this in Ahabs repentance in Iehu his zeale and Ioash his goodnesse Ahabs humiliation was only from a slavish feare of punishment The zeale of Iehu was only from earthly ioy and carnall policy for had it beene in zeale for God he would as well have put downe the Calves at Dan and Bethel as to stay the Priests of Baal And the goodnes of Ioash it was chiefly for Iehoiada's sake whom he reverenced and to whom he held himselfe beholding for his kingdome and not for Gods sake For the Scripture saith that after Iehoiadans death his Princes sollicited him and hee yeelded and fell to Idolatry and added this also he commanded Zechariah the High Priest Iehoiada's sonne to be slaine because hee in the name of the Lord reproved him for his sinne Secondly the upright mans actions as they come from a good beginning so they are directed to a good end he propoundeth the pleasing of God and the glory of his Name as the direct chiefe and utmost end not as if a man might not have respect to himselfe and to his neighbour also propounding to himselfe his owne and his neighbours good as one end of his actions somtimes but these must not bee propounded either onely or chiefly or as the farthest and utmost marke but onely as they are subordinate to these chiefe ends and doe lye directly in the way to procure Gods glory For so farre forth as a mans health and well-fare both of body and soule lyeth directly in the way to glorifie God hee may in that respect ayme at them in his actions Our Saviour Christ in an inferiour and secondary respect aymed at his owne glory and at the salvation of man in the worke of mans redemption When he said Glorifie thy Son and prayed that his Church might be glorified here he had respect unto himselfe and unto man But when he said that thy Sonne may glorifie thee here he made Gods glory his utmost end and the only marke which for it selfe hee aymed at The upright mans ayme at his owne and at his neighbours goods is not for themselves as if his desire ended there but in reference to GOD the chiefe Good and the highest end of all things Indeed such is GODS wisedome and goodnes that he hath set before man evill and good Evill that followeth upon displeasing and dishonouring him by sinne that man might feare and avoyd sinne Good and recompēce of reward that followeth upon faith and indevour to obey that he might hope and be better induced to beleeve and obey This GOD did knowing that man hath need of all reasonable helps to affright him from evill and to allure him to good Now God having set these before man man may and ought for these good purposes to set them before himselfe Yet the upright man standeth so straight and onely to God that so farre as he knoweth his owne heart he thus resolved that if there were no feare of punishment nor hope of reward if there were neither Heaven or Hell he would indevour to please and glorifie GOD even out of that duty hee oweth to him and out of that high and awful estimation which he hath of Gods Soveraigntie and from that entire love which hee beareth unto him He that ordinarily in doing of common and earthly businesse though they concerne his owne good hath a will to doe them with an heavenly mind and to an heavenly end principally certainly hee standeth well and uprightly resolved albeit intemptations and feares he doth not alwayes feele the said resolution But the hypocrite not so hee onely or chiefly aymeth at himselfe and in his aime serveth himselfe in all that he doth If he looke to GODS will and glory as sometimes he wil pretend he maketh that but the by and not the main he seeketh Gods will and glory not for it selfe but for himselfe not for Gods sake but for his owne Thus did Iehu Sixthly An upright man may know hee is upright by the effects that follow upon his well-doing First his chiefe inquiry is and hee doth observe what good commeth by it and what glory God hath had or may have rather then what earthly credit and benefit hee hath gotten to himselfe Or if this latter thrust in it selfe before the other as it will oft-times in the best he is greatly displeased with himselfe for it The hypocrit not so all that he harkeneth after is pleased with after hee hath done a good deed is what applause it hath amongst men c. Secondly when an upright man hath done a prayse-worthy action he is not puft up with pride and high conceit of his owne worth glorying in himselfe but hee is humbly thankefull unto God Thankefull that God hath enabled him to doe any thing with which he will be wel-pleased and accept as well done Humble and low in his eyes because of the manifold failings in that good worke and because he hath done it no better and because whatsoever good hee did it was by the grace and power of God not by any power of his own Thus David shewed his uprightnesse in that solemne thanksgiving when hee said But who am I and what is my people that wee should bee able to offer
THE CHRISTIANS DAILY WALKE in holy SECVRITIE and PEACE Being an Answer to these Questions 1. How a man may doe each present dayes work with Christian Chearefulnesse 2. How to beare each present dayes crosse with Christian Patience Containing familiar Directions Shewing 1. How to walke with God in the whole course of a mans life 2. How to be upright in the said walking 3. How to live without taking care or thought any thing 4. How to get and keepe true peace with GOD wherein are manifold helpes to prevent and remove damnable Presumption also to quiet and to ease distressed Consciences First intended for private use now though importunity published for the common good By HENRY SCVDDER Preacher of the Word The fourth Edition corrected and amended by the Author Thine eares shall heare a voyce behind thee saying This is the way walke ye in it Isa 30. 31. LONDON Printed by I. B. for Henry Overton and are to be sold at his Shop at the entring in of Popes-head Alley out of Lumbard-street 1631. The Epistle to the READER THE searching out of Mans true happinesse hath exercised the wits and Pens of many Philosophers and Divines with a different successe 1. Some by a mistake of the end â—ave erred about the meanes All their enterprises have ended in Vaâ—itie and Vexation whilest they have caught at the shadow of fruit 〈…〉 a hedge of thornes and have neglected the trâ—e it selfe whence the â—uit might have bin gathered with â—re certaintie and lesse trouble I maruaile not at Varroes report of 288. severall opinions about this subiect when I consider Mans naturall corruption whose understanding is so darkned that as those Sodomites were weary in seeking the doore of Lâ—ts house so in vaine have the wisest Heathen sought the happinesse which though like blind men they groped after it they could never find And his spirituall appetite and taste is so distempered that hee car iuage of the chiefe good no better then a sick-man can doe of the 〈…〉 meates 2. Others having the eyes oâ— their understanding lightned and their senses exercised to discerne both good and evill have concluded that mans true happiness consists in the soules enioyment 〈…〉 God by an holy conformity and 〈…〉 communion with him For What else is true happinesse then the enioyment of 〈…〉 chiefe good And that God the chiefe good appeares in this that all the properties which raise up goodnesse to the highest top of perfections are in God onely For he is the most pure perfect uniuersall primary unchangeable communicative desirable and delightfull good the efficient patterne and utmost end of all good without whom there is neither naturall morall nor spirituall good in any creature Our conformitie to him the Apostle Peter expresseth when hee saith that the Saints are made partakers of the Divine nature That is they are renewed in the Spirit of their minde and have put on the new man which after God is created â—n righteousnesse and true holinesse So that they have 1. A new 〈…〉 in their understanding faculâ—e that they know God not oneâ— as Creatour but as Redeemer 〈…〉 of the world and whilest they beâ—â—ld as in a mirrour the glory 〈…〉 the Lord with open face they are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. This knowledge is begun in this life in the knowledge of Faith and shall be perfected in the life to come in the knowledge of sense this is in a glasse that shall be face to face Secondly they have a new life in their will and affections that is they have disposition and inclinations in their hearts sutable and conformable to the directions of the Word This the Apostle Paul intended when he said of the Romans that they had obeyed from the heart the forme of doctrine whereunto they were delivered He saith not which was delivered unto you but whereunto you were delivered that is the Word is as a mould whereinto being cast you are fashioned according to it Hence it is that the Saints are said to be Sealed with the holy Spirit because as the Seale leaves its print upon the Waxe so the Spirit makes holy impressions in the soule this is called the writing of the Law in our hearts in allusion whereunto the Apostle compares the hearts of beleevers to Tables the Ministers to Pennes the Spirit to Inke without which the Penne can write nothing and the affections or Conversation of these beleevers to an Epistle and this is said to be read and understood of all men when they walke as examples of the Rule 2 Cor. 3. 2. 3. Hence it is that godlinesse hath a selfe-sufficiency ioyned with it 1 Tim 6. 6. Because a man is now in Communion with GOD whose face when a man beholds in righteousnesse hee shall be satisfied with his image Ps 17. 15. Hence comes that peace of Conscience joy unspeakeable and glorious and that holy triumph and exultation of Spirit which you may obserue in the Apostle Paul Having briefly shewed what this conformitie and communion with God is I will adde one or two words more to make it manifest that onely those are truely happy which are in this estate I may spare quotations of Writers who concurre in this opinion None of sound iudgement have denyed it the best Schoole-men have determined and concluded it and there is good reason for it For 1. mans utmost end is that it may be perfectly well with him which hee can never attaine unto without communion with God who is the chiefe of Spirits and the best of goods Other things are desired as subordinate to this The body is for the Soule as the matter for its forme or the instrument for its agent Humane wisedome and morall vertues are desired not for themselues but for the fruite that is expected by them as glory pleasure and riches Fame or glory is desired not so much for it selfe as for the opinion of others whence it s called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wordly and bodily pleasures are excessively desired as drinke in a Feaver or Dropsie better it is to be without the malady then to enioy that remedie Riches are desired not for themselves but for the sustenance of life Life is not so much desired for it selfe as for the enioyment of happinesse which when a man hath sought in the labyrinth of earthly vanities after much vexation and disquietment of spirit hee must conclude that it is onely in that truest and chiefest good which is the fountaine whence true delight first floweth and the obiect wherein at last it resteth Secondly That is mans happinesse in the possession and enioyment whereof his heart resteth best satisfied So farre a man is from true happinesse as hee is from full contentment in that which hee enioyes The Bee would not sit upon so manyflowers if shee could gather
but chiefly considering that by this his passion he hath made full satisfaction for you and withall seeing God and Christ himself by the hand of his Minister truely giving Christs â—…ery body and bloud sacramentally to signifie and seale it unto you it should raise your heart â—o an holy admiration of the love of God and of Christ and it â—hould stirre you up in the very â—ct of taking the bread and wine 〈…〉 a reverend and thankefull reâ—â—iving of this his body and bloud 〈…〉 faith discerning the Lords boâ—…e gathering assurance hereby â—…at now all enmitie betweene â—…od and you is done away and â—…at you by this as by spirituall â—…od and life shall grow up in â—…m with the rest of his mystiâ—…ll body unto everlasting life After that you have received untill you bee to joyue in pubâ—…ke prayse and prayers affect â—…ur heart with ioy and thankefulness in the assurance of the pardon of all your sinnes and of salvation by Christ yea more than if you being a bankrupt should receive an acquittance sealed of the Release of all your debts and with it a Wil and Testament wherein you should have a Legacie of no lâ—sse than a Kingdome sâ—aled with such a seale as doth give cleare proofe of the fidelitie ability and death of the Testator or then it having been a traitour you should receive a free and sulâ— pardon from the King seaâ—ed with his own seale together with an Assurance that â—â—â—aâ—h adopted you to bee his câ—ild to be married to his sonne the hâ—ire of the Crowne This is your case when by faith you receive the bread wine the body and bloud of the Lord. Thinkâ— thus therefore with joy and rejoycing in God oh how happiâ—… am I in Christ my Saviour Gâ—… who hath given him to death foâ—… me and also given him to me how shal he not with him give me all things also even whatsoever may pertaine to life godlinesse and glory Who shall lay any thing to my charge c Who or what can separate me from the love of CHRIST c Resolve withall upon a constant and an unfained endevour to performe all duties becomming one thus acquitted thus redeemed pardoned and advanced and this in token of thankfulnesse even to keepe covenants required to be performed on your part undoubtedly expecting whatsoever God hath covenanted and sealed on his part Ioyne in publike prayse and prayer heartily and in a liberall contribution to the poore if there be a Collection After the Sacrament If you feele your faith strengthned and your soule comforted nourish it with all thankfulnesse If not yet if your Conscience can witnesse that you endevoâ—ed to prepare as you ought and to receive as you ought be not discouraged but wait for strength and comfort in due time Wee doe not alwaies feele the benefit of bodily food presently but stirring of humors and sense of disease is sometimes rather occasioned yet in the end being well digested it strengthnetâ—â— so â—â— is oft with spirituaâ—l food corruption may stirre and temptations may arise more upon the receiving then before especially sith Satan if it be but to vexe a tender-hearted Christian will â—ereupon take occasioÌ„ to tempt with more violence But if you resist these and stand resolved to obey and to rely upon Gods mercy in Christ this is rather a signe of receiving worthily so long as your desires and resolutions are strengthned and you thereby are made more carefully to stand upon your Watch. Endeavour in this case to digest this spirituall food by further meditation improving that strength you have praying for more strength remembring the Commandement which biddeth you to be strong and you shall be strengthned Lastly If you finde your selfe worse indeed or doe feele Gods heavy hand in speciall sort upon you following upon your receiving and your Conscience can witnesse truly that you came not prepared or that you did wittingly and carelesly faile in such or such a particular in receiving it is evident you did receive unworthily In which case you must heartily bewaile your sin confesse it to God aske and beleeve that he will pardon it and take heed that you offend not in that kinde another time Vpon the Lords day you must likewise bee readie to visit and relieve the distressed Take some time also this day to looke into your by past life and chiefly to your walking with God the last weeke asbeing in freshest memory and bee sure to set all straight betweene God and you Last of all on every opportunitie take good time to consider Gods workes what they are in themselves what they are against the wicked what they are to the Church and to your selfe and to yours And in parricular take occasion from the Day it selfe to thinke fruitfully of the Creation of your Redemption Sanctification and of your eternall Rest and glory to come For God in his holy wisedome hath sâ—t such a divine print upon this our Lords day that at once it doth minde us of the greatest workes of God which either make for his glory or his Churches good As of the Creation of the World in six dayes hee resting the seventh which specially isattributed to the Father And of mans redemption by Christ of whose resurrection this Day is a remembrance which is specially attributed to the Sonne Also of our sanctification by the Spirit for that the observation of the Sabbath is a signe and meanes of holinesse which worke is specially attributed to the holy Ghost Lastly of your and the Churches glorification which shall be the joynt work of the blessed Trinity when we shal ceasefrom al our works and shall rest and bee glorious with the same glory which our Head Christ hath with the Father to whom be glorie for ever and ever Amen Doe all these with delight raising up your selfe hereby to a greater measure of holinesse and heavenly mâ—naeâ—nesse Doe all this the rather because there is not a clearer signe to distinguish you from one that is prophane than this of conscionable keeping holy the Lords Day Neither is there any ordinarie means of gaining strength and growth of grace in the inward man like this of due observing the Sabbath For this is Gods great Mart or Faire day for the soule on which you may buy of Christ wine milke bread marrow and fatnesse gold white raiment eye-soelve even all things which are necessary and which will satisfie and cause the soule to live It is the speciall day of Gods hearing of suites and receiving petitions It is his speciall day of proclaiming and sealing of Pardons to penitent sinners It is Gods speciall day of publishing and sealing your Patent of eternall life It is a blessed day sanctified for all these blessed purposes Now lest this urging of the moralitie of the Sabbath and so strict an observation of the Lords day in spending the whole day in holy
The Vpright man hath an Holy boldnesse with God When Abimelech could say In the integritie of my heart and innocencie of my hands I have done this he had boldnesse to expostulate and reason his case with God An uprigh man in his sicknesse or in any other calamity yea at all times when he needeth GODS helpe can bee bold to come before GOD notwithstanding his sinne that hangeth so fast on his originall sinne and his many great actuall transgressions So did Hezekiah upon his death-bed as he thought saying Remember O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done good in thy sight So did Nehemiah saying Remember mee O my GOD concerning this and spare mee according to the greatnesse of thy mercy This Vprightnesse giveth boldnesse with God but without all Presumption of merit as you see in good Nehemiah 9 Lastly Whatsoever the upright mans beginning was and whatsoever his changes have bin in the times that have gone over him both in the outward and inward man in his progresse of Christianity mark this his end shall be peace The last and everlasting part which he shall act indeed and to the life is everlasting happinesse And to contract all these motives into a short but ful summe The Lord is a Sunne and Shield The Lord will give grace and glory No good thing will hee withhold from them that walke uprightly SECTION 4. Touching meanes to subdue Hypocrisie and to nourish uprightnesse IT remaineth now that you should know by what meanes you may abate and subdue hypocrisie and may get keepe and increase this grace of uprightnesse First you must by a due and serious consideration of the disswasives from hypocrisie and motives to uprightnesse worke your heart to a loathing and detestation of the one and to an admiration love and hungring desire of the other And withall by this means you must worke your heart to a resolution by the grace of God to be upright This must first be wrought for untill a man stand thus affected resolved against hypocrisie and for uprightnesse he will take no paines to be rid of the one nor yet to get the other Secondly you must be sensible of that Hypocrisie which yet is in you and of the want of uprightnesse though not altogether yet in great part For no man will boat cost and paines to remoove that disease wherof he thinketh he is sufficiently cured though indeed he did judge it to be never so dangerous nor yet for to obtain that good of which he thinketh that hee hath enough already though hee esteeme it never so excellent Hitherto both in the motives and meanes I have indevoured to gaine the will to will and resolve to bee upright and to be willing to use all good meanes to be upright Now those meanes that will effect it follow Thirdly doe your best to root out those vices that beget and nourish Hypocrisie Then plant in their râ—ome those graces which will breed and feed uprightnesse The chiefe vices are Ignorance and unbeleefe selfe-love pride and an irresolved unsetled heart unstable and not firmely resolved what to chuse whereby it wavers and is divided between two objects dividing the heart between God and something else whether it be false gods a mans selfe or the world whence it is that the Scriptures call an hypocrite a man that hath an heart and an heart one that is double minded The graces which breed and nourish uprightnesse are a right knowledge of GOD and of his will and faith in him Selfe-deny all Humility and lowly mindednesse Stability and â—nenesse of heart and that to God-ward For the more cleare light you can get into your minde the more truth you shall have in your will And when you can so deny your selfe that you can â—uite goe out of your selfe and first give your selfe to Christ and unto God then there will follow readinesse of minde and heartinesse of will to doe whatsoever may please God Also the more humilitie you have in your minde the more uprightnesse you shall have in your heart For while the soule is lifted up that mans heart is not upright in him saith the Spirit Lastly when your eye is single and your heart one and undivided you wil not allow your selfe to be in part for God and in part for Mammon in part for GOD and in part for your lusts whether of the flesh or of the world or of pride of life you will not give your name and lips to God and reserve your heart for the world the flesh or the Divell But by your will God shall be all in all unto you Fourthly if you would be in earnest and in truth against sin and for goodnesse you must represent sinne to your thought as the most hurtfull hatefull and most loathsome thing in the world and must represent the obeying and doing of Gods will unto your mind as the best and most profitable most amiable most sweet and most excellent thing in the world Hereby you may affect your heart with a through vexation and loathing of sinne and with an hearty love and delight in Gods Commandements If you doe thus you cannot choose but shunne sin and follow after that which is good not in seeming onely but indeed and in truth with all your heart For a man is alwaies hearty against what he deadly hateth and for what he dearely loveth Fiftly if you would be sincere and doe all your actions for Gods glory and for his sake you must by the light of Gods Word and Workes fully informe and perswade your selfe of GODS Soveraignty and absolutenesse and that because he is the first absolute and chiefe good he must needs be the last the absolute and chiefe end of all ends For he that is Alpha must needs be the Omega of all things Sith all things are of God and sith hee made all things for himselfe therefore you should in all things you doe be upright intending GODS glory as your principall and utmost end in all things Sixthly Consider oft and seriously that how close and secret soever hypocrisie may lurke yet it cannot be hid from the 〈…〉 of God with whom you haâ—… and before whom you wâ—… who will bring every secret 〈…〉 to Iudgement Wherefore take continuall notice that you are in the eye of God that made your heart who requireth truth of heart who perfectly knoweth the guilâ—or truth of your heart This will much further your uprightnesse for who can dare to double and dissemble in the presence of his Lord and Iudge who knoweth his hollownesse and dissimulation better than himselfe Seventhly Vnite your selfe more and more strongly unto your head Christ Iesus by all good meanes Goe so out of your selfe that you may every day be more and more in him Wherefore grow dayly in faith
also in praying much for peace unto him who is the God of peace the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation then shall you have peace and much good shall be unto you For it is GOD that speaketh peace to his people wherefore assuredly his answer to him that asketh peace will be an answer of peace even this peace which passeth all understanding GOD shall give you peace and with it glory even a glorious peace Thus having directed my Pen not onely to you in particular in this tract of peace but sith it is judged fit to be publike both in this and the other directions to a daily walke unto all other that need and desire it you may see the excellency of peace together with the impediments furtherances and meanes of peace Shâ—nne the Impediments improve the furtherances and I dare assure you that albeit in this life you may still feele a conflict betweene faith and doubting betweene hope and feare and betweene peace and trouble of minde yet in the end you shall have perfect peace and in the meane time though I cannot promise you to have alwaies that peace which will afford you sense of ioy yet God hath promised that you shal have that which shall keepe your hearts and mindes in Christ And what would you have more Thus I have endevoured to satisfie your godly desire I have of purpose written much in as few words as the points in hand would well beare I did it the rather not onely because writing is tedious to mee but because I know that you are established already in these truths wherefore these may be sufficient to helpe you unto distinct notions of the most necessarie things that belong to a Christian life and to put you in remembrance I have omitted many allegations of Scriptures and have forborne to write out most that are alleaged It was partly for haste partly for mine owne ease and partly because it would have made this Booke to be too big for a vade mecum to carry about with you but I considered that you are much conversant and well read in the Scriptures and you may turne to the places both in the line and in the marâ—ent for you will finde that for the most part the life of each point in hand lyeth hid in the Text of the Scripture alledged I thanke God I have reaped much benefit to my self in studying and Penning these directions I pray God that â—ou may reap much good in reading of them Now the God of hope fill you with all ioy and peace in beleeving And the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepheard of the Sheepe by the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good worke to doe his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen A Table of the chiefe things observable in this BOOKE A DOubts of Gods love because of grievous Afflictions removed 554 In what cases God usually doth not Afflict his children 559 The ends why God doth grievously Afflict his children 563 A Caution in becomming All things to all men 215 How to walke with God Alone 184 Fit meditations when we Apparell our selves 21 Rules how to Apparell our selves 22 Cautious to the directions about Arising and apparelling 27 How to Awake with God 19 Fit meditations when wee Awake and arise 21 22 B Fit meditations at going to Bed before sleepe 180 When a man loveth Brotherly 234 Benefits of Brotherly love 233 How Brotherly love is expressed 235 Meanes to live and love Brotherly 239 Motives to Brotherly love and communion of Saints 242 C How a man should carry himselfe as before God in his particular Calling 55 Difference betweene Care and Carefulnesse 384 Adescription of lawfull Care ib. A description of Carefulnesse ib. True properties of provident care whereby it is differenced from Carefulnesse 387 c. When Cares of this life are inordinate 393 Gods children should not take thought or be carefull about any thing 396 Disswasives from carefulnesse 399 Why no man should be Carefull about earthly things ibid Why no man must care about successe in any thing 401 The evill effects of Caring about successe in any thing 405 Meanes to be free from Carefulnesse 409 The condition of a true Christian even when he hath sinned differeth from that of a formal Christian when he sinneth 688 How a man should be have himselfe in all Company 213 How a man should make good use to himselfe by all Company 218 Meanes of good speech and carriage in all Company 225 Rules wherby a man may well order himselfe in evil Company 228 How to be kept from infection of sin by bad Company 231 How to demeane a mans selfe in good Company 234 What is to be done after a man hath beene in Company 244 Motives to Brotherly love and Communion of Saints 242 How a man may know that he hath beene sufficiently humbled and prepared for Conversion 630 None can know that the time of his Conversion is past 542 None must bee troubled though they know not when nor by whom they were Converted 631 What grace God giveth in the first Conversion 686 What Conversion and true repentance is 474 Men over-gone with trouble of Conscience are most unfit to iudge of their owne estate 767 An excellent helpe to peace of Conscience in the former câ—se 765 c. When the Conscience is troubled it is good to lay it open to some faithfull and skilfull Christian ibid Rules touching opening a mans state to others when the Conscience is troubled ibid How to keepe the Conscience tender 480. 679 How to walke as in Gods sight under Crosses in all adversity 273 Rules how to passe by or beare lighter Crosses 274 Rules how to beare all Crosses 275 Of bearing Crosses thankefully 313 Of bearing Crosses fruitfully ib D How to begin the Day well 28 29 How to walke in the sequell of the Day after it is well begun 53 How to end the Day well 179 Reasons why naturally all are unwilling to Dye 585 Reasons why some are more fearefull to Die than others ibid Causes why Christians are too unwilling to Dye 587 Helpes against feare of Death 588 Difference betweene the sinning of the regenerate and unregenerate 688 E Rules for Eating and drinking 64 In what order a man should ascend to the knowledge of his Election 518 Whence it is that the Elect may backeslide aud how farre 685 The Elect never fall from the first infused grace 688 Some thinke they Endevour to doe well yet doe not 324 What Endevour is in generall ibid Some thinke they Endevour not when yet they doe 326 What is true Endevour ibid A mans Endevour in some caseâ— may be as true when yet he cannot performe it as in some other cases when he can performe it to the full 327 The