Tongue as an Instrument of much service and praise to his Name and good to others making thy Words prosper and prevail to all good intents and Purposes Exod. 4.12 Isa 50,4 Jere. 1.6 1 Chr. 1.5 Act. 13.9 As God is Lord over our Tongue so is he Author of all its gifts Mark and moan for the errors as well of thy Tongue as Wayes Joh. 40.6 Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no farther Keep a good correspondence as between Heart and Tongue to speak what thou thinkest So between Tongue and Hand to do what thou sayest Pay thy Vows to God and perform thy promises to Men and say no more to either than what thou can'st and wilt do Conform thy Mind and Affections to thy Words indeavour really to be what thou desirest to seem A man cheats not the World so much as Himself when he strives to seem greater wiser or better than he really is and covets to be esteemed a Wise Just and Pious man but neither cares or endeavours to make himself possessour of these Virtues 'T is impossible this man's designs should take effect Labour for Patience and moderation Be slow to Speak and slow to Wrath trust not thy self without the greatest watchfulness to speak of those Persons who have wrong'd or injur'd thee lest Envy Malice or any other bitter Ingredient insensibly mingle themselves with thy Words Resolutely arm thy self a gainst all Passion of Joy Anger and the like but be sure thou never speakest when thou art in any Not only the Wicked as Rabshakeh Nabal and Herod but even the most Holy when transported with disorder'd Passions have broke forth into unadvised speeches Moses and David overcome with Anger Job with grief and Peter wth Joy could not command their unruly Tongues Nothing more exposes a man more betrays and surprises the Powers of Reason than Passion which is bred and nourish'd by Pride Folly and Self-love Be not too positive in affirming any thing lest thou prove mistaken and if thou hast erred persevere not in it think it no shame to submit to truth but rather rejoyce that thou hast found it Be not too fond of your own Opinion nor concern'd if others differ from you and do not so much regard what you say as you imagin they ought make not applause your end let neither it nor distast have too great an Influence upon you in any thing or Power either to exalt deject or raise any unruly Passion in thee Consider alwaies before thou speakest what thou art about to say and to whom Be not over hasty and inconsiderate either in thy Speeches or Actions Pause and Deliberation do many times discover many Ingredients of Wisdom and Prudence requisite to the choice of Words and Actions and the manner of doing them Never run into any conclusion how quick so ever thou mayest be in any matter of importance suddenly How many Witty men have fallen into great errors because they would not give themselves time to think nor their Imaginations time to cool whereas calm and flow men who pass for dull in the common estimation as they search after truth with more deliberation so they find it out with more certainty In all disputes and pleading of Cases or the like Prov. 15.28 use but few words and those as significant and expressive as the matter will bear and home to the point and as much as possible shorten the excursions of other men about circumstances of no moment keeping them still to the main Hinge of the business It doth greatly add to a man's Reputation to have good Forms The Exercises in Universities and Schools are of Memory and Invention either to speak by heart that which we have set down Verbatim or else to speak Extempore Whereas in Action there is little use of either of these but most things we utter are neither Verbally premeditated nor meerly Extemporal therefore Exercise should be so fram'd to take a little breathing to consider the Heads and then to set and form the Speech Extempore This may be done either with using Notes for in most Actions they are allow'd or else without them Speak not the evil thou knowest of any man blame the Action not the Person unless lawfully called by Authority or to those whom it concerneth thee to Reform and Reclaim or when the concealment may make thee guilty or accessory or to prevent certain dammage to thy Soul Body or Estate of thy Neighbour or lastly when some particular remarkable Judgment is upon a notorious Sinner that God may be acknowledg'd in his just Judgments and Sinners wain'd from such practices Impart to no man the evils thou hast heard spoken of him neither bring any thing to light upon which Scandals may ensue Seek to stop evil Discourse by a timely and wise turning of it to the lawful affairs of this life for where Religion will not be admitted these things may take place Let not others see that thou know'st their defects ill actions or hard thoughts they have of thee or such as thou lovest or any offence committed against thee neither the good affections they bear to thy Enemies Make good use to thy self of all things that fall out in Conversation mark every passage and circumstance and lay up and appropriate whatsoever is commendable and indeavour to imitate wise men not only in their words and manner of delivery but even in their common behaviour so far as it will become your Place and Person All the profit we reap by conversation flows from the diligent observation and imitation of others Envy no man his due and just praise as if it abated thy esteem rather rejoyce to hear another man well reported of Not only stop thine Ears but set thy Speech and Countenance against whispering Detractions from thy Neighbour's good name And if thou canst not without danger by word reprove men let thy Countenance Silence and contrary Example testifie thy dislike Let the Good thou seest be matter of content thankfulness to God and thy own imitation And the Evil of Grief Humiliation and Warning When men report good of thee if it be true repress such discourse as wisely and suddenly as thou canst And if not indeavour to make it so When men report evil of thee be not so inquisitive who rais'd it as to make good use of it to thy self this evil does not arise without Gods Providence 2 Sam. 16.11 And tho' the report be false in respect of such or such a Fact yet consider whether thou hast not run into the appearance and occasions of those evils and let this humble thee and make thee more circumspect Labour to see Gods wise and good Providence not only in discovering the Folly and Malice of wicked men who raise and take up an evil Report against thee without cause but in giving thee warning to look to thy self lest thou deservest thus to be spoken of Great is the advantage
from my Mother's Womb and thy long-suffering Patience and Compassion that never fail that I have not been long ago consumed swallowed up or swept away with some extraordinary Judgment for those many gross and heinous Sins of my Life my whole Nature is deformed with Original corruption my whole Life my whole Life abounding with the fruits thereof all manner of actual Transgressions My Vnderstanding is full of Blindness Vanity and Infidelity my Conscience Dead and Remorsless my Heart Hard and Impenitent my Affections Disorderly and Violent Vnruly and Masterless my Appetite Sensual and Brutish I have no ability to any good Duty no restraint or moderation in Sinning against thee Yea if I do any Good I am apt to blemish it with Self-love and Hypocrisie if I abstain from any Evil it is many times rather from the Act than from the Love of it I ought to have lived as under covenant with thee but wretch that I am I have broken my Vow falsified my Faith and violated the everlasting Covenant What Commandment of thine is there O Lord I have not transgressed What Grace I have not abused What Curse I have not deserved When I view the wretched course of my Life and consider my weighty and crying Sins what Lord can I say And what confusion should cover me Here confess to God thy secret Sins with the Circumstances of Time Place Person and Manner c. In how many things have I Sinned against Knowledge against Conscience against Light and against many Vows and Promises of better Obedience I have no colour of excuse nothing to plead with thee in defence of my many and heinous Sins if I dispute I must lay my hand upon my mouth and learn to abhor my self in Dust and Ashes for Lord for these my Sins I stand here guilty of thy Curse with all the Miseries of this Life and that to come But O blessed Lord thou art he that Justifies the ungodly and hast sent thy Son to die for Sinners and hast made a general Offer and invited all to come unto Christ that they may be sav'd whosoever will every very one that thirsteth yea and hast most graciously promised John 6.37 That him that cometh shall not in any wise be repulsed or cast out John 3.16,17 Luke 2.10 and that whosoever believeth shall not perish that thou wilt not despise a broken heart Rev. 22.17 John 7.37 John 6.40 2 Cor. 5.20 John 3.23 Nay Lord it is thy Will Desire and Command that I should believe on the Name of thy Son that so I may be saved 1 John 5.10 And thy Word of Truth saith That whosoever believeth not maketh thee a Lyar. O Father of Mercies I am bold in the name of Christ to come unto thee and by the hand of Faith to lay hold upon thy Promises yet feeling my own weakness I beseech thee strengthen my unbelief and what assurance I cannot have by my Faith weakly embracing thee let me have from thy self embracing me who art mighty to save Thou did'st inable thy Servant Jacob to lay hold on thee and not let thee go till thou had'st blessed him Lord give me the same Strength the same Courage and the same Success I beseech thee O Lord who despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart nor desirest the death of a penitent Sinner but delightest by thy Goodness to Reign where Sins have most abounded to pardon and forgive me all my Sins and to wash away the unâ—…leanness of them by that precious Blood of Sprinkling which Christ Jesus my Saviour hath shed I hope for me And seeing he has born the burden of the Curse due for my Transgressions deliver me O Lord both from my Sins and those Judgments which hang over my head as due unto me for the same bury them in the Burial of Christ that they may never have power to rise up against me to shame me in this life or condemn me in that to come And I beseech thee O Lord not only to pardon the Guilt of my Sins but to purge my heart by thy holy Spirit from the Dross of my natural Corruptions that I may feel thy Spirit more and more killing my sins in the power and practise thereof especially my special Sins and Corruptions Let my Flesh be Crucified with its Affections and Lusts And let me find the power of Christ's death mortifying my corruptions and the power of his Resurrection raising me up to newness of life Arm me O Lord with the Furniture of thy Grace and write thy Laws in my inward parts that I may not only be thy Soldier but thy Servant and Subject Set up the Scepter of thy Kingdom in my Conscience subdue my heart to the obedience of thy Commands win my Affections to the Love of thy Statutes conform my Life to the Rule of thy Righteousness and transform me daily more and more into thy Image Bless all the Means of Grace unto me and me with a heart sanctified and set upon the Means for the increase of Grace let thy holy Word be my chief Treasure thy Statutes my Counsellors thy Promises my Comforters thy Sacraments my Delicates thy Sabbaths my best Daies and thy Servants my dearest Companions Renew daily with me the Covenant of thy Peace and now this morning let thy Spirit from Heaven Seal me a new Patent of Mercy that being to meet with thee in the ways and works of this day I may be sure to find thee as a reconciled Father not as an offended Judge As thou do'st add Days unto my Life so good Lord add Repentance and amendment unto my Days and bestow a supply upon me of all those Graces which thou knowest to be wanting in me and necessary for me with an increase of all those Gifts wherewith thou hast already indowed me Give unto me such Spiritual Eye-sight that I may see thee in thy Word and Works Let me live in thy sight and not without thee as the Gentiles do O let me not be cast out of thy presence as Cain nor run against thee as Balaam but walk with thee as Enoch Noah and Abraham in all my ways taking knowledge of thy Presence Promises and Providences Bless me O Lord this day in the Duties of my Calling preserve me from all fraudulent oppressing greedy Courses Draw my Affections from the Love of this World fix my heart upon things above if things succeed according to my mind make me thankful to thee which hast given the Blessing if any Cross comes make me patient and careful to profit by the Chastisement good Lord do thou bless me with such a portion of Health Peace Prosperity and every good thing as may inable and make me Chearful in Duty And because the daily occasions of danger to my Soul are infinite teach me to keep my Heart with all diligence to make a Covenant with my Eyes to keep my mouth as with a Bridle for the avoiding all filthy communication to use
after thou comest to more Discretion and Judgment And then all thou hast given is lost and all wherein thou hast trusted such a man will be discover'd Associate thy self with thy betters at least Peers If thy Friend be of better Quality than thy self thou mayest be sure he will be careful to keep thy Counsel because he has more to lose than thou hast and again he will esteem thee for thy self and not for what thou dost possess Yet remember always that thou never venture thy Estate with any of those great ones as shall attempt unlawful things for such men labour for themselves and not for thee thou shalt be sure to partake with them in the danger but not of the Advantage and Honour and to venture a sure Estate in present in hope of a better in future is meer madness Besides Great men when they have obtain'd their ends forget such as have done them Service and will rather hate thee for saying thou hast been a means of their advancement than acknowledge it Such as are thy Inferiors will follow thee but to eat thee up If thou givest twenty gifts and refuse to do it but once all thou hast done will be lost and when thou leavest to feed them they will hate thee and become thy mortal Enemies Such kind of men the Rich may always have Let thy Love therefore be to the best so long as they do well but take heed that thou love God thy Country thy Prince and thy own Estate before all others For the Fancies of men change and he that loves thee to day may hate thee to morrow Observe the wise Accompany the honest Love the Religious As soon as Company is broke up call thy self to a strict account examine how far thou hast hindred others or preserved thy self from Evil what good thou hast either done or receiv'd what advances thou hast made either in Knowledge or Virtue and accordingly let thy Heart either check or comfort thee The Art of making a man's Fortune Mostly out of my Lord Bacon THis Art chiefly consists of two Points A right knowledge of other men and of a man's self A wise man ought to purchase and procure to himself a good information touching the particular Persons with whom he has to deal their Natures Desires Ends and Customs their Helps and Advantages whereby they are chiefly supported their Weaknesses Disadvantages and where they lye open and are obnoxious their Friends Factions Patrons and Dependencies their Opposites Enviers and Competitors their Modes Times and Critical seasons of Access and the Principal Rules they have set down to themselves to all which must be joyn'd a nice observation of the particular Actions which are on foot from time to time and as it were hot on the Anvil For men change with the Action and while they are ingaged and inviron'd with business they are one when they return to their natures quite another These several ways the knowledge of men may be disclosed By the Face and Countenance certainly there can hardly be found so excellent a Dissembler or a Countenance so commanded and forced that can sever from an artificial Speech these Notes It will either be more Slight and careless or more Set and formal more Tedious and wandring or more Dry and reluctant than usual By their Words which tho' they be full of Flattery and Uncertainty yet these two ways may be excellently discover'd When they are either utter'd upon the sudden or else in passion There are few men so true to themselves and so setled in their Resolves but at som time or other either out of Heat or Bravery Intimate good will to a Friend Weakness Trouble of Mind or som other Passion that can indure and hold out under these Weights and Tortures without communicating and revealing their most inward thoughts But above all it sounds the mind to the bottom when simulation is put to it by a counter-dissimulation according to the Proverb Tell a Lie and finde a Truth But this Rule belongs more to the States-man than the Christian and should indeed have its place among the Evil Rules By mens Actions Which tho' the surest pledges of mens Minds are not altogether to be trusted without a Diligent and Judicious consideration of their Magnitude and Nature The Italian thinks himself upon the Rack when he is better used than he is wont to be without manifest cause Small Favours do but lull men asleep both as to Caution and as to Industry But the surest Key to unlock mens minds is to search and disclose either their Nature and Dispositions or their Ends and Intentions The Weakest sort of men are best Interpreted by their Natures but the Wise and more Reserv'd are best expounded by their Ends Yet certainly 't is a frequent and very familiar error with wise men to over-shoot the Mark measuring other men by the Model of their own abilities and supposing them to Project and Design deeper Ends and Practice more subtil Arts than ever came into their Heads There is commonly less Money less Wisdom and less good Faith than men do account Princes being at the top of Human desires and having for the most part no particular ends propounded to themselves whereto they aspire especially with vehemence and perseverance are best Interpreted by their Natures By Reports likewise we come to the knowledge of men And here Weaknesses and Faults are best learnt from Enemies Virtues and Abilities from Friends Customs and Times from Servants Thoughts and Opinions from intimate Confidents Popular Fame is light and the Judgment of Superiors is uncertain For before Such men are Masked But the most compendious way is to have general acquaintance and inwardness with such men as have most look'd into the World and are well Versed both in Men and Matters but especially to endeavour to have conversation and privacy with som particular Friend who according to the diversity of Business and Persons is able to give us solid Information and good Intelligence of all Passages That a man know himself is a Rule of Universal Prudence and to do so there is need of very frequent Inspection we so often forget what manner of Persons we are Neither must this Examination be partial such a view as men too much in love with themselves take but most strict and exact taking account not only of our Abilities Virtues and Supports but also of our own Defects Inabilities and Impediments ever esteeming These with the most Those rather with the least This Politick Glass wherein a man should view himself is nothing else but the State of the World and Times in which we live The first Consideration here should be How a man's Constitution and moral Temper sorts with the general State of the Times If they be found Agreeable he may give himself more scope and liberty but if there be any Dissonancy and Antipathy then in the whole course of his Life he is to carry himself more close and
that State wherein he is and wherein he is well As Birds and Fishes are often by noise and stirring driven from the Places in which they were safe into the Snares of the Fowler The fourth when he invites a man to those things which are above his strength The fifth when under pretence of some Good he draws a man into Danger and under pretence of Virtue perswades a man to some Vice The sixth is a Peace and Cessation from Temptation the most dangerous subtlety of all for from hence springs Sloth Pride Contempt of our Brethren Hardness of Heart c. A man may resist Temptation three ways First he resists that consents not The Tempter is overcome if he overcome not Secondly he resists Temptations that flies from and shuns Them Thirdly he resists which beats them back and makes opposition With the shunning Temptation we must joyn Indignation not vouchsafing to look after or harken to the Devil what ever he offers contemning and scorning when he offers that which is infinitely less worth and even nothing in comparison of God's Love Here is the great Point of Wisdom and Spiritual skill so fervently to love God so closely to cleave to him so diligently to employ one's self to do his pleasure to preserve and defend Virtue and to be so immovably fix'd in these Exercises that the Darts of Temptation may not touch us A temptation is best beaten back by its own Weapon Now every Virtue does so as often as in the Temptation its Beauty and pretiousness is seriously thought upon for by such Meditations both the Sins that do Tempt us and and the thoughts that proceed from them are always weakned and sometimes vanish into nothing as Darkness flies away when Light approaches for the only reason that Vice and the Profits and Pleasures thereof seem in the hour of Temptation to have some Excellency and be of some Value and Worth is because at the time the Law and Light of Virtue is hid from our Eyes either through Ignorance or Negligence as rotten Wood and the Scales of Fishes do shine in the Night because the light of the Sun and other lights are wanting Of Self-Examination THE necessity of this self-reflexion appears from this double consideration the danger of the neglect and the great benefit of the Practice of this Duty The neglect of it makes a man a stranger to himself A very dangerous fault yet very easily run into through the Love of Sin and ones self it throws a man every moment upon a thousand unexpected dangers and who can tell how wicked he shall be that does not know how bad he is And when once God shall awaken a mans Conscience and tear off the covering wherewith Sloth and Security have muffled it when by some notable Judgment or Sickness he shall quicken in a Man the remembrance of his former Iniquities and summon him to Death and Judgment when he shall see his Sins set in order before him and large Rolls of Indictments written against him full of his Sins and Woes within and without Oh! in what a maze in what a miserable condition is such a Person As to the benefit that comes by this Practice Hereby a man shall come to the knowledge of himself and his present Estate shall see what Graces he has and what those are he most wants It will discover the whole temper of his Soul and shew him what evil Affections are strongest in him and in what things he is most apt to Sin what Graces are weakest in him what most useful for him that he may the more earnestly implore them And besides this particular knowledge will bring forth these three blessed effects Watchfulness and Tenderness of Conscience He that is acquainted with the State of his Body and knows what is hurtful what is healthful and what the danger of a Surfeit or any other Distemper is will be very wary of his Diet and course of Life Nature teaches this and surely Grace is a better Instructer He that has taken thorough notice of the great Distempers of his Heart how suddenly he is transported with Passion how quickly intic'd by every Temptation to practice any evil that had seen how ugly and fearful the face of Sin is when presented in its true shape and stript of all its lying Pleasures and Profits and accompany'd only with God's hatred and Curse that has found what it is to venture upon Sin what the loss of Gods Favour the joy of the Holy Ghost the peace and quiet of a good Conscience is blame not that man if he be afraid to Sin Humility He that often beholds himself in the unspotted Glass of Gods Law will not be very forward to fall in love with his own beauty When a man sits down to try himself by the Law of God he finds therein all perfections of Holiness commanded but not the thousand part of it in himself he reads long Catalogues of Sins forbidden upon pain of Gods eternal displeasure and in his own Conscience he finds the Guilt of all or most of those Transgressions When he scans his best Works he finds they fall short of that Faith Zeal Sincerity and perfect Charity wherein they ought to have been perform'd he finds that he has little whereof to be proud much whereof to be ashamed So that what ever others may think of him he knows so much evil and so little good by himself that he cannot have high thoughts of himself Let him be despised reviled or reproached as base and vile it is no Corrosive to him he abhors himself more than any other can despise him and is more Vile in his own Esteem than he can be in theirs True Peace and Comfort He that often calls himself to a strict Account that Judges himself for his Transgressions weeping over them with godly Sorrow never ceasing till pardon be obtain'd this man alone possesses his Heart in peace and comfort and can with great quietness and resolution expect the approach of all Adversity nothing can put such a man to much fear or trouble neither Adversity nor Sickness nor Death nor Judgment it self This is the benefit of this Exercise and yet how great a shame it is to consider our neglect and carelesness who seek to know All things but our Selves Our minds are like our Eyes we can turn neither of them inward Oh! therefore for the furture let us take all opportunities that shall be offer'd we are not at all times alike dispos'd for this Exercise there are special occasions that fit us for it many times one sad accident or other turns home our thoughts to our Selves and makes us see what we are in other men The loss of a dear Friend the sound of a Passing-bell the sight of a Dying man have a strange Virtue many times to compose a disorder'd Heart Sometimes a Sermon has set us to rights and sent us home quicken'd with much holy Affection sometimes a Fit of natural Melancholy and
Pensiveness makes us apt for inward speculation sometimes a wakeful Bed calls upon us to examine our hearts many such occasions God offers if we were either Wise to see or Willing to make use of them But if opportunities do not offer themselves we should make them A Wise man makes more than he finds Spare an hour in a Week one day in a Month for this business Say not thou hast a Calling to mind many businesses that require thy presence and diligence and therefore can'st not mind all Intend thou the chiefest and that is Religion These are good indeed in their time and place This only of absolute necessity The Subject of our Tryal should be our whole Man Whether we find the change that is the New brith begun in us Our mind whether we labour to be daily more enlighten'd to know that which is good and to be embrac'd and that which is evil for to be avoided by increasing in the knowledg of the Word and especially of Jesus Christ and him Crucified reveal'd in the same Our Memory whether it do more firmly keep those good things that it has learned Our Will whether it more freely chuse the good and refuse the evil and so be daily more pliant and obedient to the will of the Lord Our Affections whether they be every day more conform'd to the holiness of Christ that is in loving that which God loves hating that which he hates rejoicing in that whereby he is honour'd and well pleased grieving for the contrary fearing only the offending of him securing our selves in his love and favour alone Our Conscience whether it be still tender Checking us for every fault done or intended Quieting us in this assurance That our Sins are wash'd away in the Blood of Christ Bearing Witness unto us of our upright lives and conversations at least begun with a resolute purpose so to proceed all our dayes Our Body whether it indeavour after more ability daily to perform every Duty accordingly and in every part and all this at all times and in all places convenient Finally we are to examine our whole Life or conversation whether ewe feel a change therein unto newness of Life All these being the Lord's he does require this holiness in them all and that by striving to perfection each day to grown a little until we come to a perfect man the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ Until we fell such a change in some measure we can never have any true comfort Again we are to examine our Faith whether it be true or no Revel 22.17 John 7.37 Saving Faith is never without its Grounds which are God's free proffer John 6.40 2 Cor. 5.20 1 Joh. 3.23 and 5.10 His Will and Desire his Command and Promise Joh. 6.36 It has ever some Word or Writing from God to shew for that which it believes It will make one willing to try it ones self and willing any body else should try it yea God himself 1 Cor. 3.5 Psal 139.23 Where saving Faith is there will be a Spiritual Strugling and Conflict not between the Conscience convinc'd and the Will as was in Pilate John 19.12 16. But between the Regenerate and Unregenerate Part Rom. 7.22.23 as was in Paul 2. Thes 1.3 Again as a living Child it always grown tho' not in sight at least in desire and indeavours making a man more Conscionable and giving him better warning of Sin as a Clock is known to go true when it strikes right tho' you cannot see it move forward It gains by Opportunities and waxes stronger by Resistance Again Saving Faith is known by its Antecedents and Consequents but more easily by its Fruits and Effects than by its Causes as Life by Motion and Fire by Heat Gal. 5.6 Rom. 6.13 And thus it is a living Faith It loves and desires the Word Gods Ordinances and all holy Means because it is both begotten and nourish'd thereby Psal 84.2 It makes a new Creature pruifying the Heart and regulating the Life Acts 15.9 Rom 6.4 It makes them Virtuous Temperate Patient Godly which before were the contrary 2 Pet. 1.5 It works Repentance and a true abandoning of Sin making us grudge it any room in us It makes one not contented with Thinking he has it but very desirous and industrious to be sure and Certain It works Self-denial both in regard of God for doing or suffering h is Will and of our Neighbour in forgiving forbearing and not doing them the least Wrong to do our Selves the greatest Benefit seeking and desiring his good as it were our own and requiting any hurt done us by doing all the good we can It drawn Virtue and Holiness from Christ for the cure of our spiritual Diseases It makes us complain of much want in our Faith and weakness in our believing out of a Sense of Unbelief Mar. 9.24 as a burden to us It convets more and more earnestly the Favour of God and better assurance of it therefore will make us neither to favour our selves in any Sin nor to be content with any prosperity without it 2. Cor. 5.28 Cant. 8 14. Revel 22.20 It will make us long more after Christ and his ravishing sweetness as Lovers for the Marriage day It expels Worldliness from rulinginus because it finds an All-sufficiency in Christ So that we cannot love the World more than Grace and Holiness 1 John 5.4 and 2.16 Heb. 11.26 Rom 3.27 It excludes Boasting of our Gifts Parts or good deeds It works in us Inward Spiritual life Now Christ liveth in us and we in him Gal 2.20 Which life may be known as natural life is by the Working of the Heart panting after God Psal 42.1 And by the beating of the Pulses in our regular motions of constant indeavours and holy obedience Heb. 5.4 By the operation of the Senses discerning Good and Evil By breathing a Spiritual and sweet breath of Grace Ecl. 10. â—… Col. 4 6. By the motion of Hand and Foot which moves to God and for God It drives out Hypocrisy which serves not God for Love but for By-ends It will not suffer us to make hast to depart from God by evil means to help our selves Isai 28 16. Psal 40.1 Lastly true Faith obtaines what it believes things for present in present and things to come in their due time Matth. 8.13 and 21 22. So also this Faith obtains all the Benefits by Christ As deliverance from the Reigning power of Sin Sanctification and Grace Rom. 6.14 as well as Salvation dependence on God Patience Contentedness and sufficiency in him If we obtain these things our Faith is True or else it is False and Counterfeit For how can we know that our believing Salvation shall bring us Salvation when as our believing Sanctification does not made us Holy Or how shall our Faith prove True for another World that proves False for
this But if our believing Sanctification brings us This then certainly our believing our Salvation will bring us at Of Set Meditation IN Set Mediation there are four things to be consider'ds The Circumstances the Preparation the Act it self and the Conclusion The Circumstances FOR the Time This is left to every man's discretion yet Bishop Vsher advises us to make choice of the Lords day in the Evening when we may call to mind what we have heard and the better to keep it in memory take the Hendi of Sermons For the Place as retir'd as may be and the room somewhat dark that the Senses may have no object to draw them away For the Space there is requir'd but one hour in seven Days and thou wilt find it the best hour that ever thou did'st spend The Preparation THE time allotted for this Exercise being come retire into thy Closet and having shut the door before thou go about this great Work do thy Homage fall down prostrate groveling and kissing the dust laying thy self at the feet of God labor to be convinc'd of and affected with the presence of God consider whom tho art to deal with a God before whom all things are Naked and Bare who is in the highest Heavens full of Glory and Majesty who will not be dally'd with or mock'd but Sanctify'd in those that approach him therefore must thou be careful not to speak Foolishly before so Wise a God Again a most Just God hat will not indure that you should hide or foster any Sin And yet of a most Gracious and marvellus sweet nature who if we ask Pardon and Forgiveness Grace and Wisdom confessing and forsaking our Sins and hoping in his Mercy will not upbraid us with our Unthankfulness Undutifulness Sins and Rebellions against him Beg of God assistance to perform this Duty Pray to him that He would be pleas'd to direct thee in the choice of thy Subject that he would put such Considedrations and Thoughts into thy Heart that thou may'st be convinc'd of and affected with the Truths of his Word The Act it Self NOW pitch upon a Subject The Subjects of our Meditations should be such things as are Plain Certain and Evident and not Intricate Abstruse Controversial and Doubtful Speculations much less such as are Curious and Nice We must chuse those places of Scripture to Meditate on as are most sutable to our present condition and the dispensations of Gods Providence either in general or personal to Ourselves or to his Church Let your Meditation be upon Scriptures sutable to your Temptations Let your Meditations be sutable to the Ordinances you are to be partakers of Let Christ be very much the Subject of your Meditation This Holy and Solemn Meditation consists of Three parts The first I call Consideration which is nothing else but the convincing our hearts of several Truths which do belong to the Subject whereof we Meditate To help us herein we may consider 1 what Scripture 2. what Reason saith concerning it a few pertinent Scriptures and weighty Reasons are as good as many for this purpose We should not over multiply our Considerations but as soon as we find our Hearts strongly affected then we are to pass over that part but yet we must be sure to let our considerations take deep root before we pass over to Affections and Resolutions but in case our Affections are very much inflam'd as soon as ever we begin our Considerations we are to yield to the Inspiration of God and follow the leading of his Spirit and not bind up and limit the extraordinary working of it but otherwise we must not leave blowing the Fire as soon as ever it begins to flame for green Wood will suddenly go out unless it be very well kindled We should view the Subject in all its Faces turning it on all sides but not tye our selves up to Logical methods The second thing in the Act it self is a Working on the Affections The first which is a calling to mind and debating the matter is an Act of the Understanding the end of which is to inlighten the Mind with Knowledge The second is an Act of the Will and Affections laying the matter to heart and applying of it close and home the end of which is to fill the heart with Goodness Here therefore we must examin Our selves and Actions whether they be according to the Rule or wherein they come short or differ from it Nor should we give over this Search till we find our Hearts in some measure become Pliable Broken and Affected The third part of the Act it self is Resolution to do this or that This Resolution should be firm and strong in the present not future Tense and as well against the Means Occasions and Temptation to any Sin as against the Sin it self We must peremptorily charge our Souls in every Faculty Understanding Will and Affections to Reform and Conform to the Rule of God's Word In Meditating we must joyn all these three together otherwise we shal never bring our Meditation to any profitable issue for if we only study to find out what 's True or False Good or Evil we may gain much Knowledge of the Head little Goodness of the Heart And if we only apply to our selves that whereon we have mused we may by finding our selves Transgressors lay Guilt upon our Conscience without fruit or comfort But if to both these we add a Resolution through Grace to be such as God commands us and lay a peremptory charge upon our selves to live hereafter according to his Law and to follow his Counsel touching what we should believe and do when we have offended him then we shall reap both benefit and comfort by this Exercise The Conclusion FOR the Conclusion of our Meditations we must first with earnest desire beg of God strength to perform whatsoever we have resolv'd to do being humble and sensible of our own Infirmity Secondly we must return praise and thanks to God if we have perceiv'd any warmth of Love to God or tasted of him or any other Spiritual effect wrought in our hearts Thirdly we must humbly acknowledge our Failings in the performing of this Duty Fourthly we must remember the Vows and Promises which we have made Fifthly we must remember what Passages in our Meditation did most affect us and lay them up in our thoughts that we may hereafter think upon them Lastly we must by degrees warily go out of the presence of God being careful and watchful that we lose not the Sense and Feeling Warmth Strength and Grace we have got This is the most proper and genuine Method for Meditation Preservatives against Sin COnsider first the Fruits and Wages of Sin The best it yields is Sorrow and Repentance if not dreadful Punishments If thou dost commit it t' will poison and invenom all Conditions it will sowre thy Prosperity with Preapprehensions of Wrath haunting thee like an importunate Creditor a wild Gallant spoiling thy Jollity and
Content In thy Adversity it will add affliction to affliction Superadding to thy outward troubles a misgiving Soul Besides Sin unqualifies thee for any good Duty either to God or Man If thou prayest yet the sense of Sin thou bringest with thee makes thee ungrateful to thy self and how can'st thou expect to be accepted by the Holy God In a good work the Sin thou art guilty of makes the comfort of it Insipid thy Heart tells thee There is sin in the Conscience and this makes thee asham'd to own the good that is in the Action Again will it not be a grief to the good Angels to be present and Spectators of thy Enormities will it not work a loathing and nauseousness in them and cause those chast and pure Spirits who are employ'd for thy preservation to retire themselves And will it not be a most grateful Spectacle to the envious and malignant Spirits and lay thee open to their power and malice who have gotten thee within their Territories unless God in mercy restrain them Consider the heynousness of the least Sin It is against God's Infinite Majesty and the riches of his Bounty in giving his Son for us Also against his Honor and the Love and Loyalty we profess to owe unto him for all his Goodness and Mercy and likewise against our Covenant with him the vileness of which is seen in the fearful Punishments of the Sin of Angels Adam the old World Lot's Wife Saul and so of Moses Vzzah David Josiah and chiefly that inflicted on the Son of God for our Sins Numb 20.24 Deut. 3.26 A Child of God cannot look to carry away the least Sin against Knowledge and Conscience unpunish'd without speedy submission and amendment Live alwaies as in God's presence whose Eye is ever upon thee and who may take thee away on a sudden Gen. 17.1 Job 32.22 2 Cor. 5.15 Remember thy appearance before him and account every day thy last being always prepar'd to give upthy Account Keep continually a fresh remembrance of God's great Goodness especially his chief Mercies Bodily and Spiritual Ordinary and Extraordinary Let thy great Deliverances never depart out of thy Heart say always with Joseph How can I do this and Sin against my good God Gen. 39.9 Neh. 6.11,13 Psal 103.25 116.12.16 Walk ever painfully in thy special Calling and in the Conscionable use of all the meanes of Grace Keep a perpetual memory of the former misery of Sin and Blessings of Righteousness Be resolv'd to chuse rather to endure any misery than to Sin against God as Joseph Daniel and the three Children did Dan. 1.8 Warily resist the first motions to any Sin James 1.5 Lust when it has conceiv'd brings forth Sin Achan tells Joshua by what degrees he came to finish his Sin Josh 7.21 I saw a Babylonish Garment then I coveted it and took it and it is hid in my Tent. Avoid every occasion of Sin as you would do of Infectious Diseases 1 Thes 5.22 Gen. 39.10 1 Thes 5.17 Eph. 6.18 But above all use Fervent Prayer to be kept by these Preservatives Of the Sabbath REmember the Sabbath before it come that thou may'st dispatch all thy own works in six days to attend the better upon the right Sanctification of the Sabbath Meddle not with any Recreation Pastime or Ordinary Work from Saturday night at eight of the Clock till Monday morning Isa 56.2,4,6 58.13.14 Now in thy Evening Devotions allow thy self so large a portion of time as may serve for some preparatory Meditations and Prayers and be not slight and uncertain but constant to thy set times and earnest in this work Now look into thy by-past Life and chiefly to thy walking with God the last Week be sure to set all strait between God and you examine thy self both by the Law and Gospel and see whether there be not some sin or miscarriage that lies unrepented of which may blast thy next day's performances if there be consider of it more particularly in its aggravations and nature reconcile thy self with God by Faith and Repentance and renewing thy Vows of walking more Conscionably after thou hast cleansed thy heart and hands Let thy Prayers be sutable to thy Condition beg fervently forgiveness of thy particular sins confessed and bewail'd together with Grace for the future against them and an increase of all other Graces which thou standest most in need of especially for a quiet setled composed mind that thou may'st attend with all thy Soul upon thy holy concerns and business likewise for inliven'd Affections that thou may'st not be dull and heartless but of a tender and melting Spirit for a pliable and yielding mind that thou may'st hear the Word with and render the obedience of Faith that the Lord would fix thy mind and make it serious inlighten it and open thy heart that thou may'st have a clear and right understanding that the Spirit would set in with the Preaching of the Word and make it effectual for the beating down of thy Corruptions and that it may be the power of God to the salvation of thy soul And lastly for the Minister that the Lord would teach him what he should teach the People and direct and inable him to declare the mind of God and make it manifest that utterance may be given unto him to speak boldly as he ought to speak and that God would Pardon his sins and frailties Earnestly endeavour to tast the sweetness of holy Exercises and to long for the enjoyment of God's Sabbaths that so thou may'st come to make them thy Delight Rise at least three hours before morning Sermon if it will stand with your Health and not hinder your fitness for Spiritual Exercises through drousiness afterwards When thou art up retire into thy Closet and having read two Chapters in the Bible betake thy self to Meditation and Prayer Consider with thy self what an impure Sinner thou art and into what an holy place thou goest to appear before the most Holy God who seeth thy Heart and knoweth all the Sins of thy Life tho' thou may'st have forgotten them and hateth all Impurity and Hypocrisie Now again examine thy self and Confess thy sins unto God earnestly praying for the pardon and forgiveness of them and so reconcile thy self with God in Christ and renew thy Vows to walk more Conscionably and especially pray that thou may'st have Grace to hear God's Word with profit and be inabled to Sanctify his holy Day not forgetting the Minister And after your private Prayer read another Chapter Be present with the first at all Publick Assemblies of the Church with cheerful Reverence and the greatest attention as before the Lord of the whole Earth Both to declare thy Love and Honour and for the good Example of others Be afraid of the least unseemly gesture or of being overtaken by sleep drowsiness or wandring thoughts 1 Cor. 12.12 Acts. 2.46 4.32 Joyn in with the Congregation in every publick Action according to
due and holy Order cheerfully with thy Heart In hearing apply each speech as spoken by God to thee in particular Like a Practiser of the Art of Memory refer all things to their proper place If it be matter of comfort this is for my sick Bed for my outward losses for my drooping under affliction for the Sence of any Spiritual Defection If matter of Doctrine that is for my settlement in such a Trust for the conviction of such an Error for my direction in such a practise If matter of Reproof and threatnings against Sin whether thy own or others as a member of the same Body or in danger thereof be humbled do not point at thy Neighbour but deeply charge thy self This meets with my dead heartedness and security with my Worldly mindedness Self-love and Flattery of my own Estate This with my uncharitable Censoriousness with my foolish proud Heart That with my Hypocrisie and the neglect of Gods Service and my Duty That with my Irregular Life and Conversation Resolve to walk in every good way and to depart from all evil This is the best Art of Memory for exceeding Joyes Griefs Hatred or desires do leave the deepest Impressions in us and so stick longest by us In hearing therefore labor to exercise Humility under Reproofs Rejoycing in all the Promises Thankfulness for Mercies Desire after Graces and holy Resolution of amendment and more close walking with God As thou returnest home or when thou art entred into thy House Meditate a little while upon those things thou hast heard and then kneeling down turn all into a Prayer beseeching God to pardon thy Sins of Worship to accept of thee and thy Imperfect performances in and through Christ thy Lord to give such a blessing to those things which thou hast heard that they may be a direction to thy Life and a consolation to thy Soul Eat Moderately at Dinner rather sparingly than plentifully on this day That thou may'st be fit for the afternoon Exercises Som little and short Discourse about Temporal things upon occasion may be so directed and temper'd with Pious Meditation as that it may rather be a furtherance than hindrance of the Duties of Religion and indeed such Business or Discourse in such a manner doth not withdraw the Mind from God's Worship But be sure that in all thy Speeches and Actions this day there be no lightness nor Vanity nor any thing unbecoming the Solemnity Sacredness and Seriousness of it Walk half an hour after Dinner to digest thy meat and then go to thy Chamber and recollect what you remember of the forenoon Sermon If you are well be sure you attend on God's Ordinances Fore-noon and Afternoon Ps 92.1 Acts. 20.7 For so often exercises of publick Worship ought to be held After evening Sermon retire to thy Closet read the Chapters in which the Texts were then recollect and examine what you have heard meditating on the whole Sermon in order The Coherence and Explication of the Text The occasion and meaning The chief Sum and Scope of the Holy Ghost in it The Division or parts The Doctrines severally by marking the Text and how they were gather'd out of it The Proofs and Reasons of the several Doctrines The Uses And lastly which is the chief of all apply it to thy self and try what work every part hath in thee If the Preacher's Method be too curious or confused then labor to remember How many things he taught which thou knowest not before and be thankful What Sin he reprov'd whereof thy Conscience tells thee thou art Guilty and therefore must be confess'd repented of resolv'd against and amended What Virtues he exhorted to which are not so perfect in thee and therefore thou must indeavour to practice them with more Zeal and Diligence After the finishing of thy Closet exercise or as a preparation to it thou mayest walk in the Fields and Meditate on the Works of God for in every Creature thou may'st see the Wisdom Power Goodness Providence and Justice of God Pray to God that he would open thy Eyes so as thou mayest give him the Glory of his Works Especially consider these things more fully in their several Ends and Uses as the Scriptures apply them Be sure to return so early as neither thy Closet nor Family Devotions if not perform'd be omitted Works of necessity may this day be perform'd and works of Mercy thou art not to forget Such as Visiting the Sick Instructing Exhorting Admonishing Reproving Comforting Relieving Collecting c. To conclude Thou may'st certainly expect that God will proportion his Blessings to thee as thou measurest to him in thy Preparation to come before him Lev. 10.3 22.3 Ex. 19.22 Mal. 7.2 Mar. 4.14 Psal 44.5 Isa 56.58 Ez. 7.10 Gen. 35.2.5 Ec. 4.17 1 Cor. 11.23.24 Mat. 5.23.24 Therefore as thou desirest the Blessing of a Sabbath so resolve by a constant Vow to perform thy work of Preparation and try whether the Lord will not perform his Promise abundantly Examin thy Life thou shalt find that a strict and diligent observation of the Duties of this day has ever joyn'd to it a Blessing upon the rest of thy time and the Week that is so begun has been blessed and prosperous Whereas when thou hast been negligent of the Duties of this day the rest of thy Week has been unsuccessful I could easily saith Judge Hales make an Estimate of my success in my own Secular Employments by the manner of my passing and spending the Lord's day On Wednesday or Thursday evening set some time apart for Recollecting and Reviewing what thou did'st hear and lay up in thy mind the Lord's day past this will rivet the Word the faster in thy Memory and put thee in mind to practice it A Prayer for the Morning QVicken me O Lord that I may call upon thy Name prepare my unprepared Heart by the Blessed Influences of the Spirit of Grace and Supplication O most holy and most glorious Lord God the Almighty Maker and careful Preserver of all thy Creatures but especially the Saviour and Sanctifier of them that Believe by the Merit and Efficacy of the Blood of Jesus Christ I sinful Dust and Ashes dare not of my self lift up my Eyes to Heaven yet through thy dear Son my Saviour come unto thee according to thy Command and Promise freely acknowledging that I am less than the least of all thy Mercies and therefore utterly unworthy of the inestimable favour of being thy Child and a fellow Heir with Christ that after suffering a little here I should Reign with him for evermore For thou know'st O Lord that in Sin I was conceiv'd and born and that I have lived ever since in Iniquity I am by Nature the Child of Wrath a Vassal of Satan an Enemy to Thee my God It was thy great Mercy that I escaped thy Wrath due unto me at the very instant of my Birth in respect of that Mass of Corruption which I brought with me