endeauour euen to rent our hearts and to be truly humbled before the Lord with godly sorrow 10. Qu. How shall wee bring our hearts to this heart-renting sorrow An. The remembrance of Gods great kindnesse and our owne wretched vnthankefulnesse but especially our looking vpon Iesus Christ pierced for our sinnes Zach. 12.10 and seriously considering what he endured to redeeme vs from death 2. Cor. 7.10 are chiefe meanes to bring vs to this godly sorrow causing repentance not to be repented of 11. Qu. What may we expect vpon this humiliation A. If being thus humbled in our selues we shall repaire to God and as in Dan. 9. EZra 9. and Nehem. 9. we haue presidents shall penitently confesse our sinnes with hearty prayer to God for pardon and grace and with a thorough resolution to forsake all our euill wayes and henceforth to liue in obedience to Gods holy will we may haue assurance that our sinnes are pardoned and shall finde grace renewed in our hearts to make vs to performe what wee haue resolued and promised 12. Qu. How serueth the outward ceremonies of rest and abstinence to this inward substance An. The bodily exercise of Rest and Abstinence is of profitable vse 1. In respect of time which is thereby gayned for the better dispatch without distraction of such holy duties 2. For the duties themselues whereunto these outward obseruances serue more or lesse either as signes to testifie or as helps to further our humiliation prayer and true repentance Adde here that for the better examination of our hearts and liues as is required in the ninth Question it may bee fit for people who are more ignorant to take a view of the explication made by M. Perkins of the breaches of the seuerall Precepts in his little Treatise of the nature and practise of repentance as also it will be expedient for the same purpose to obserue as keyes to open vnto vs the more full knowledge of the Commaundements the Rules set downe in the section following F. SIxe generall Rules for the better vnderstanding of the true meaning due extent and binding power of the ten Commaundements for the better discouering of the knowledge of sinne according to that ground of truth and definition of sinne set downe by S. Iohn 1. IOHN 3.4 Whosoeuer committeth sin transgresseth also the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Sinne is the transgression of the Law THE Rules are these following 1. Where any a Mat. 15.4 and 4.10 duty is enioyned the contrary sinne is forbidden and where any b Eph 4.28 1. Thes 4 3.4 5. sinne is forbidden the contrary duty is required 2. Vnder one maine c 1. Ioh. 3.15 duty or crime expresly mentioned all degrees and branches of the same kinde are either commaunded or forbidden together with all d Pro 23.31 1. Thes 5.22 occasions or means furthering thereto and all effects signes or proper consequents of the same 3. The Precepts being giuen generally doe binde all estates and persons without exception e Rom. 3.19 Col. 3.25 both themselues to keepe them as also to take heede how they make themselues f 1 Tim. 5.22 Ephes 5.11 Rom. 1.31 accessaries to others breaking of them 4. None can g Iam. 4.12 dispence with any Commandement but God onely nor can any h Gen. 22.2 Exod. 12.35 36. breake them without sinne except by Gods speciall warrant to the contrary nor can any be held i Iam. 2.10 Psal 119.6 Luk. 18.21 22. conscionably to obserue any of them that hath not a due respect to all of them 5. The least breach of any precept is k 1 Ioh. 3.4 sinne and in it selfe l Rom. 6.23 mortall deseruing euerlasting wrath yet in each Commandement are different m Math. 5.22 Math. 7.2 degrees of sinne and the breaches of the Cōmandements of the n Mat. 22.38 1. Sam. 2.25 first table greater comparing them in a lik◠degree then of the second 6. One and the same duty or crime may be in different respects referred to o Pro. 25.18 Mal. 3.5 diuers Commandements and the breach principally of one table be in other respects the breach also of the other The Scriptures cited in the margent being well considered may giue some light for the iustifying and clearing of these Rules propounded G. THe knowledge of the Law hauing a two-fold vse the one to humble vs by sight of sinne vnto repentance and the other to guide vs being qualified by the Gospell in the way of righteousnesse Concerning the practise and power of the former of these two viz. repentance wee may take it briefely in these words of Salomon PRO. 28. 13. He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercie 14 Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes but hee that hardeneth his heart shall fall into euill Agreeing whereunto see those counsels and comforts annexed Jsai 55.6 7 8. Seeke ye the Lord whilst c. Isa 1.16.17 18 19. Wash you make you cleane c. As also that excellent place 2. Cor. 7.10.11 where are set downe the seauen properties of true repentance an exposition whereof may be found in that plaine but profitable and powerfull Sermon of Repentance made by M. Dent which together with his booke of the Plaine Mans Path-way deserue to be recommended to ignorant persons and all yong beginners in the wayes of godlinesse to awaken them vp to some light and loue of life and saluation H. FOr further encouragement hereunto let vs lay vp in our hearts the tenour of the new and comfortable couenant of grace with the stipulation on our part by GOD required EZEK 36. 25. Then wil I sprinkle cleane water vpon you and yee shall be cleane from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you 26. A new heart also will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stonie heart out of your flesh and I will giue you a heart of flesh 27. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and ye shall keepe my iudgements and doe them 28. And yee shall dwell in the land that I gaue vnto your Fathers and ye shall be my people and I will bee your GOD. After which followeth the stipulation or condition on our parts required 31. Then shall ye remember your owne wicked wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selues in your owne sight for your iniquities and for your abominations 32. Be it knowne vnto you that I doe not this for your sakes saith the Lord therefore be ashamed and confounded for your owne wayes O house of Israel The summe of which said couenant see also excellently expressed by the Prophet Ieremie Ier. 31 33 34. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new couenant c. And againe Ier. 32.38 39 40 41. And they
perfect heart and a willing minde that thou mayest blesse him and his Throne for euer Blesse also our gracious Queene and giue her an vnderstanding heart to knowe the Truth and with Mary to chuse the better part that she may bee an helper also and furtherer of thy glory Blesse the rest of the Royall Familie the Counsell Ministery and Magistracy in this whole Land and all that haue place of command charge or gouerment ouer others in the Church or Common-wealth Particularly O Lord blesse we beseech thee all our Kindred and Friends and specially vs of this Family that we may liue in thy feare and bee blessed with all things necessary both for our soules and for our comfort in this present life And now as thou hast added this day vnto the dayes past of our life Lord adde our repentance wee beseech thee vnto the day and let vs rest in peace this night vnder the shaddow of thy winges that being refreshed by thy good blessing of sleepe which our beds cannot giue vs but thou O Lord who giuest thy beloued rest we may be inabled the better to serue thee in our callings the day following to thy glory for others good and our owne comfort through Iesus Christ our Lord in whose name we conclude our prayers as himselfe hath taught vs saying Our Father c. A priuate Prayer framed for the most part out of the precedent Scriptures and especially the 51. Psalme O Lord God mercifull and gracious that forgiuest iniquity and yet wilt by no meanes cleare the guilty I thine vnworthy and sinfull Seruant am bold to come before thee in confidence of thy mercy but with all humble and free acknowledgement that I am greeuously guilty and that by reason of the sinne both of my nature and life For I was shapen in iniquitie and in sinne did my Mother conceiue mee And this sinne wherein I was conceiued enough of it selfe to condemne me hath bene too to fruitfull in bringing foorth both sinnes of Omission and Commission in the whole course of my life whereby it hath come to passe that I haue neither denyed vngodlinesse and worldly lustes nor liued soberly righteously and godly in this present world I haue not knowne thee my God so much as I might nor serued thee so well as I ought but haue greatly failed euen in the most principall duties not Reading thy Word so diligently not hearing it so heedfully not receiuing the Sacrament so preparedly not keeping the Sabbath so conscionably not calling vpon thy Name so often and earnestly as I should haue done much lesse haue I regarded that extraordinary seruice of Fasting and humiliation though so many weightie occasions both publique and priuate haue called vpon mee for it And when I haue at any time performed these duties it hath not beene with so perfect an heart and so willing a minde as thou requirest but there hath bene much both heauinesse and hypocrisie in my best Deuotions I haue too to much distasted and shunned the narrow way not walking in my Calling so faithfully not vsing Recreation so moderately nor thy Creatures so soberly and inoffensiuely nor carrying my selfe towards my Neighbour for the good both of his soule and body and state so religiously Charitably and iustly as it had beene meet I should But besides this want of delighting in thy Law and holy duties I haue committed many grieuous sinnes against thy Maiestie following very fearefully especially in the time of You h and ignorance both the Company and the Counsels and the Courses of Wicked men and so instead of bringing forth the holy and pleasing fruites of the Spirit haue wrought and brought foorth the fiâ—thy and noysome workes of the Flesh Yea O Lord against thee against thee haue I sinned and besides Common euils an guilty as holy Dauid of bloud of some notorious and speciall prouocations Nor haue I beene thus sinnefull O Lord for want of instruction and meanes to be better for thou hast taught me wisdome and made known thy Word vnto me wherby I might haue bin cleansed and amended but it is because I haue wanted care haue not taken heede to my wayes according vnto thy Word nor laid vp that word of thine in my heart whereby I might haue beene kept from sinning against thee So that I can by no meanes iustifie my selfe nay O Lord I am so farre from that that say what thou wilt against mee in thy Word lay what thou wilt vpon me with thy Hand I doe freely confesse Thou shalt be iustified when thou speakest and cleare when thou iudgest Neuerthelesse O gracious Father since thou hast proclaimed thy selfe to be a God that pardonest iniquitie and transgression and sinne Let me finde grace I beseech thee in thy sight and pardon my iniquitie and my sinne I haue nothing to plead for my selfe but Haue mercy on me O God according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions I cannot deny O Lord but I am a great Sinner but I know that the bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne Purge me therefore with that Hyssop and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then the Snow So make me to heare the voyce of ioy and gladnesse that my heart afflicted with sinne may reioyce in thee It s true O Lord thou art a GOD that doest by no meanes cleare the guilty yet haue mercy on mee while by this meanes the guilt of sinne is remoued from me Nor doe thou onely Hide thy face from my sinne O Lord and blot out all my iniquitie but together with the guilt of sinne take away the filthinesse likewise Wash mee throughly from mine iniquitie and cleanse me from my sinne yea Create in me a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Vouchsafe vnto mee the benefit of the new Couenant of grace working that grace in me that thou requirest of me Take away more and more the stony heart out of my flesh and giue me an heart of flesh that so I may remember my former euill wayes and my doings that were not good and loath my selfe in my owne sight for my iniquities and my abominations Together with this Repentance yea that I may haue this Repentance worke in mee that Faith whereby the House of Israel enquires after thee and whereby I a wretched Sinner finding my selfe heauy laden may so come vnto thee as to haue ease from thee And because none shall haue mercy but hee that forsaketh his sinne as well as confesses it Giue me so much grace as to forsake my wicked wayes yea and all my vnrighteous thoughts that so thou mayest haue mercy on me and abundantly pardon mee And because forsaking of sinne is not enough neither without returning vnto thee my Lord and my God make mee I beseech thee to goe in the pathes of thy Commandements and so put thy Spirit within me as to cause mee to walke
c. And thankes to God for the beleeuing Thessalonians 1 Thess 2.13 For this cause also thanke wee God c. Cornelius his profession of readiness Acts 10.33 Now therefore are wee all here present before God c. And Wisdomes encouragement to attendance Prou. 8.32.34 Heare instruction and be wise and refuse it not blessed is the man that heareth me c. All seruing abundantly to stirre vp and direct vs hereabout According to which grounds there is a little Booke translated into English written by Zepperus intituled the Art of hearing Sermons which prescribeth Rules both for praecedent Praeparation present Attention and after vse for profit as doe many other Treatises so sufficiently in this behalfe that I need to adde no more but onely counsel to take care that our obedience of heart and life doe so continually follow accompany this our hearing Ioh. 13.17 Iam. 1.25 that we may be blessed in our doing and so build on the Rocke Math. 7.24 that wee may remayne vnmoueable in times of triall And this also touching Hearing R. THE commendations giuen a Gen. 5.24 Henoch and condition of the Couenant made with b Gen. 17.1 Abraham in the Old Testament and counsell for wise and euen * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 precise walking with God giuen by the c Epes 5.15 Apostle in the New enforcing vpon vs a continuall wachfullnesse ouer our hearts and wayes doe necessarily bind vs to a prouident d Verse 16 Redeeming the time and therefore to an earnest seeking vnto God which wee may be guided vnto by that pithie Prayer made to that very purpose by Moses the man of God PSAL. 90.12 Teach vs O Lord so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisdome According whereunto that our Practise may be framed these short Rules may be obserued 1 For the time past euery one so to come back to his own hart saying a Ier. 8.6 What haue I done As that it may abundantly suffice vs as b 1 Pet. 4.3 Saint Peter warneth to haue mispent the time past according to the lusts of sensual men Vers 2. and resolue for the space remaining wholly to conforme our heart and wayes vnto the Will of God 2 For the time to come so wisely euery one to consider our latter ende Deu. 32.29 forecasting the vncertaine shortnesse of our life a Vapour quickly vanishing Iam 4.14 and the stricktnes of our account when euer we shall be called hence to Iudgement 1 Cor. 5.11 that we neuer sing to our soules the rich mans Requiem Luke 12.19 but rather with the Fiue wise Virgins Math. 25.4 continually nourish in our selues a watchfull expectation of the Bridgroomes comming 3 For the time present so euery one of vs with all diligence to improue our opportunities Gal. 6.10 Mat. 25.16 and employ our Talents as that we may doe the worke of him that hath called vs in that day which he giueth vs Ioh. 9.4 thereby preuenting our Sauiours teares and making proofe both to our selues and others that we are taught to know in this our day Luk. 19 41 42. those things that belong vnto our peace And now for a familiar helpe vnto this heauenly skill especially to those of younger yeares whose hearts God shall touch Eccles 12.1 to remember their Creator in the dayes of youth and to endeauour with that noble Courtier Obadiah 1. Reg. 18.3 12. by fearing God timely to feare him greatly Let me adde to aduise as a profitable course if hauing skill to write they be enabled thereunto the keeping of a Diarie or Journall a booke I meane of daily remembrance for spirituall reckonings such as are their owne failings in duty towards God needing humbling and Gods benefits whether publique or personall requiring thankes Which course though I vrge not on all as necessarie yet for them whose disposition and leasure suteth with it and who shall be prouidently carefull onely of setting down matters of secrecie with such abreuiations or characters of their owne framing as that themselues onely may be priuie to them it will be found I doubt not singularly profitable as sometimes it was to a young Noble-man of this Land The late Lord Harington testified in his Funeral Sermon made by M. R. S. and Printed anno 1614. whose example and gaine thereby may recommend it to all others for daily obseruation and right ordering of their wayes and especially for weekely preparation to Sabbath-exercises and furnishing themselues principally for priuate extraordinary humiliations Moreouer to the end that our whole time may be better bestowed and we our selues against all oppositions and impediments may be at all times better armed it shall not bee amisse to adnex for conclusion these two directions 1. For munition to see we be euer armed with the Panoplie or compleat armour of a Christian described by St. Paul Ephes 6 Eph. 6 13. in the seuerall pieces but marke no backe-piece to learne vs neuer to turne backe from our enemies such as are the girdle of truth Iam. 4.7 the breast-plate of righteousnesse the helmet of saluation the shield of faith and the rest M. Gouge M. Dounham Eph. 6.13 which hauing beene by diuers largely opened vnto vs I exhort onely with the Apostle that by feruent prayer they may bee daily buckled and girded vpon vs. 2. For meditation concerning which being the studie or serious musing of the minde and so a chiefe furtherance either to good or euill actions according to the obiects whereon it is exercised leauing the rules thereof to such as haue exactly Doctor Hall and at large discouered that Art vnto vs I will onely adde as generall heads whereon profitably to set on worke our vacant thoughts in such exercise sixe questions all found in seuerall places of Scripture in the very words wherein they are expressed viZ. 1. What is man Psa 8.4 ViZ. That hee should be so highly aduanced 2. Who am I 2. Sam. 7.18 ViZ. That I should be so greatly regarded 3. What haue I done Ierem 8.6 ViZ. For which I should be humbled 4. What shall I doe Act. 16.30 Viz That yet I may be saued 5. Whither shall I flee Psa 139.7 Viz. If sinne be committed 6. What shall I render Psa 116.12 ViZ. For benefits receiued And thus farre concerning the continuall Christian watch or eueryday-Sabbath which they certainly obserue best who are carefullest to keepe the Lords day as they should doe S. TOuching the which Lords day being to vs Christians in place of the former seauenth day or Sabbath the ordinary Sabbath or weekely day of holy rest founded on our Sauiours glorious resurrection Ioh. 20.1 Act 20.7 1 Cor. 16.2 and from the Apostles practise recorded in holy Scripture commended to the Church I see not why wee may not to raise vp our selues to the highest pitch of holy deuotion therein set before our eyes that religious