uprightness Jer. 30. 21. and may engage my heart to approach unto God to walk before Thee to do every thing as in Thy sight and presence Lord help me to keep my heart with all diligence and to wash Prov. 4. 23. my heart from wickedness that I may be clean that although vain and evil Jer. 4. 14 thoughts will pass through me yet I may not give them entertainment or suffer them to lodge within me Take Thou away this stony heart from me and give me a heart of flesh a heart Ezek. 36. 26. pliable and flexible and capable of being governed and guided by thy Spirit Vnite my heart to fear thy name Let Psal 86. 11. 119. 80. my heart be sound in thy statutes That so when my heart is sound Christ may set me as a seal upon his heart and as a seal upon his arm keeping me nearly Cant. 8. 6. and dearly joyned unto Him and refresh me by the comfort of the presence of His Grace setting me as a signet upon his right hand to have me always Jer. 22. 24. in His eye and in His heart to be present with me to guide me in His ways to bless me and to do me good that at last He may present me glorious not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but holy and without blemish For holiness becometh thine house O Lord for ever as here in this life which is glory begun so especially in Heaven where Grace and Glory is consummate and made perfect into which place no unholy thing shall ever enter Holiness is the badge of Christs people Addition Isai 63. 18. they are called the people of his holiness Israel was holiness to the Lord Jer. 2. 3. The Spirit of holiness distinguisheth and setteth a mark upon the sheep of Christ they are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Eph 1. 13. Holiness setteth us apart for God and Psal 4. 3. Tit. 2. 14. for His Service to do His Will and to serve Him He hath set apart him that is Godly for himself to see and enjoy him for without holiness none shall see Heb. 12. 14. the Lord Our holiness is not the cause of our Salvation but it is the way thereunto Holiness hath none but gracious and honourable effects it filleth the soul with joy comfort and peace with joy unspeakable and full of glory with Rom. 15. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 8. Isai 32. 17. peace and quietness and assurance for ever Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall Isai 35. 10. flee away God is glorious in holiness and glories most in the Attribute of holiness God stands upon nothing more than to appear to all the world to be a Exod. 15. 11. holy God therefore the Angels when they celebrate the glory of God cry out Holy holy holy is the Lord God of hosts Isai 6. 3. Let those therefore that draw nigh to God and make profession of his name labour to hold forth above all things the glory of his holiness in their lives and conversations EXERCITATION THE EIGHTH Jer. 23. 9. For because of Oaths swearing the Land mourneth IF the holy Prophet in his dayes cryed out as in the former Verse Mine heart within me is broken because of those cursings and oaths which do make the Land to mourn that is which draw down God's judgments upon the Land as it is evident in the following words the pleasant places of the wilderness are dryed up namely God did send drought and scorching heats and withheld the rain in its due season for those crying sins so it cannot be meant Metonymically the Land for the People of the Land but the Land mourned because the people had no hearts to do it Oh what cause have we now to break our hearts with sighting to have rivers Psal 119. 136. of water to run down our eyes because God's Laws are so broken and his name so highly dishonoured by hellish Oaths and Blasphemies by damned damning curses and execrations whose judgment 2 Pet. 3. 2. lingreth not and their damnation slumbereth not These as natural brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed shall Verse 12. utterly perish in their own corruption These are raging waves of the Sea foaming Jude 13. out their own shame to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever We read of a flying rowle which is interpreted a curse that goeth forth over Zech. 5. 2 3 4. the earth for every one that stealeth shall be cut off on that side according to it and every one that sweareth shall be cut as on that side according to it I will bring it forth saith the Lord of hosts and it shall enter into the house of him that sweareth falsly by My name and it shall remain in the midst of his house and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof Oh this dreadful denunciation O that prophane Swearers would consider it and lay it to heart hearing God's dreadful threatnings on themselves both Souls and Bodies and all that they have yea even their houses and habitations where they dwell and that for their sakes How many times doth the Lord God and how frequently forbid this horrid sin of Swearing Ye shall not falsly swear by My name Levit. 19. 12. neither shalt thou prophane the name of the Lord thy God I am the Lord. Where-ever in Scripture this is added I am the Lord it is to shew that God is faithful in revenging the breach of His Commandments and on the contrary that He is faithful in rewarding the observation or keeping His Commandments Our blessed Saviour biddeth us Swear not at all that is in our ordinary discourses but let your communication be Mat. 5. 34. 37. yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that evil one meaning the Devil who is the father of all lyes oaths and blasphemies Joh. 8. 44. So Saint James But above all Jam. 5. 12. things my brethren swear not neither by heaven neither by the earth that is by nothing which is either in heaven or earth neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into damnation No less punishment than everlasting damnation is here threatned against all prophane Swearers If of every idle word that we shall Mat. 12. 36. speak of the same shall we give account at the day of judgment how much more then of every horrid oath and wicked cursing Oh that the terror of 2 Cor. 5. 11. the Lord might awaken and perswade men The Lord is a Sin-revenging God a consuming fire a jealous God Who Heb. 12. 29. Isai 33. 14. can dwell with everlasting burnings who can dwell with devouring fire These even
even so must we be and that in all the faculties and powers of our souls and in all the members of our bodies Let us therefore have holy and heavenly thoughts holy and gracious speeches Let our speeches be always gracious Col. 4. 6. seasoned with salt with the salt of wisdom and discretion that it may Eph. 4. 29. minister Grace unto the hearers that others may be edified and bless God for our holy and religious speeches and discourses And let our affections be set upon heaven Col. 3. 2. Phill. 3. 20. and heavenly things and our conversation be in heaven but the word here rendered conversation is in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a City holding forth thus much that we are Burgesses Citizens free-Denizens of Heaven and therefore it is the property as well as the glory of all holy persons true believers to whom only Heaven belongeth to live in this world as if they were in Heaven already Sith God when we Eph. 2. 5 6. were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus The meaning is thus there is a most strict union between Christ our glorious Head and us His members that which is done to the Head is done and belongeth to all the members therefore the members of Christ's body in right and in virtue of the infallible cause and in certainty and assurance of faith are already raised up and glorified and at the appointed time shall really and effectually be so Thus as members of so blessed an Head in Heaven let us so live in this world as if we were in Heaven already bending all our thoughts and desires all our speeches and actions that way having heavenly thoughts when we are about our earthly and worldly employments And so walk in that way which is called the way of holiness that holiness to the Isai 35. 8. Zeâ—h 14. 20. Lord may be written both on our hearts and foreheads for the Lord hath called us not unto uncleanness but unto holiness that God may establish our hearts unblameable 1 Thess 4. 7. 3. 13. in holiness before Him That our holiness may not be like the righteousness of the Israelites as a morning-cloud and as the early dew that passeth Hos 6. 4. away therefore God threatned them That they should be as a morning-cloud and as the early dew that passeth away as the chaff that is driven with a whirlwind Hos 13. 3. out of the floore and as the smoak out of the Chimney that is they should not be stedfast or established but quickly dispersed and brought to nothing But let us walk as becometh holiness Titus 2. 3. how much soever holiness is slighted and derided by the prophane ungodly wretches of this world yet strive we to go on perfecting holiness in the fear of 2 Cor. 7. 1. God For without holiness no man shall Heb. 12. 14. see the Lord that is to his comfort So that yeilding our members servants Rom. 6. 19 22. to righteousness unto holiness we may have our fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life To sum up this last briefly Hath God quickned us together with Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ That is not only so hath done spoken in the Preterperfect tense for the Future tense that He will assuredly do it or that it is as sure as if it were already done for that we do believe But this expression signifieth something more that as we are mystical members of the body of Christ quickned and raised up together with Him and made to sit together in heavenly places in Him How then should we have raised thoughts sanctified affections and a holy and heavenly conversation being cloathed with the long white robes of the Imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ the Sun of Righteousness to have the Moon Rev. 12. 1. which is in the lowest Orb that is all these sublunary and lower earthly things under our feet Therefore what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and Godliness looking for and hastning unto the coming of the day of God c. And sith we look for such things to be diligent that we 2 Pet. 3. 11 12 14 may be found of Him in peace without spot and blameless Wherefore as we are thus partakers Heb. 3. 1 2. 14. of the holy and heavenly calling let us consider the Apostle and great High Priest of our profession even Jesus the Son of God 6. 20. who as our forerunner is for us entered into the heavens and is gone to prepare a place for us so will He come again and Joh. 17. 17. 19. receive us unto Himself that where He is there we may be also that we may for ever behold the glory which His Father and our Father hath given Him Who when He was here upon earth prayed to His Father to sanctifie us through His truth his word is truth And for our sakes did he sanctifie himself that we also might be sanctified through the truth For both he that sanctifieth and they who Heb. 2. 11 are sanctified are all of one therefore he is not ashamed to call us brethren For our sake did he sanctifie himself the meaning is though He was perfectly holy and sanctified in His humane nature wherein for us He did accomplish all righteousness and all manner of holiness He did consecrate Himself to the death of the Cross to cleanse us from all our sins and to procure for us the gift of the Holy Ghost to regenerate us in a holy and permanent newness of life We are Gods house the Temple â—eb 3. 6. God's house under the Law was overlaid within with pure Gold Let us especially look to our hearts our inward parts and strive to cleanse our 2 Cor. 7. 1. selves from all filthiness of the spirit as well as of the flesh For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries Mat. 15. 19 â—0 c. These are the things which defile a man Oh these heart-wickednesses The heart is as a cage full of unclean birds The heart of man is deceitful Rev. 18. 2. above all things desperately Jer. 17. 9. wicked who can know it Let us give our hearts to God as He Prov. 23. 26. commands us For the Lord searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins and hath 1 Chron. 29. 17. pleasure in uprightness God is the great heart-maker He must be the heart-mender Go to God in these or the like expressions and pray O create in me a clean heart O Psal 51. 10. God and renew a right spirit within me Let my heart be perfect with Thee 1 Kin. 8. 61. that I may walk before Thee in truth in righteousness and in
into His rest hereafter Now a little to speak farther of the right sanctifying of the Lords day summarily and we have done Our care must be over-night having laid aside all our earthly affairs to begin to fit our selves for the Lords-day and His Service thereon Rising as early or earlier on the Lords day as we do on other days for our own businesses as David said O Lord thou art my God Psal 63. 1. early will I seek thee when we are dressing our selves let us have heavenly thoughts as to put on the garments of Christ's righteousness to be as a Bride trimmed to meet the Bridegroom of our Souls Then to retire our selves and pray to God that He will prepare our hearts aright for the preparation of the Psal 10. 17. Prov. 16. 1. heart is from the Lord. That God would enable us for to sanctifie His holy name in all our duties of worship for He will be sanctified of all that draw Levit. 10 3. near to Him Then if we are governours of families to call our family together and strive to prepare them likewise so to Psal 42. 4. Josh 24. 15. Acts 16. 14. Mat. 15. 10. go to the house of God together that we and our family may serve the Lord Attend diligently to the Word of God hear and understand and hear as for our lives so to hear as our souls Isai 55. 3. Deut. 30. 19. may live it is not a vain thing it is for our lives take heed also be not forgetful hearers of the Word but doers of it Jam 1. 22. that we may be blessed in the deed else we deceive our own souls and that is the greatest deceit and of most dismal consequence Let us joyn with the Congregation in Prayer Sing with the Spirit and sing with understanding also 1 Cor. 14. 15. If the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper be administred having duely prepared ourselves let us receive it When the Sacrament of Baptism is administred Pray for the party baptized give thanks to God for adding one member more to His outward visible Church and remember we our vow made to God in our Baptism to be humbled for the breaking of it and resolve by God's Grace to perform it better for the future And depart not from the Church before the Minister hath pronounced the blessing And so let us not turn our backs on any of God's ordinances When we come home let us feed in fear and season it with meditation and speeches of holy things After Dinner let us meditate confer on and repeat what we have heard examine and catechize our families and strive to make that we heard to be our own ruminating upon it as those only were clean beasts under the Law which did chew Lev. 11. 3. the cud Then to return in season to the afternoon Publick Worship and demean our selves as in the morning When we return home then to do as before we did after dinner If we are enforced to walk through the fields then to contemplate the works of God His Providence and Mercies After Supper to confer read meditate sing Psalms instruct exhort encourage c. And close the day with Prayer craving pardon for sin and for the iniquities of our holy things Pray for more Grace to profit by all we have heard for it is God alone that teaches us to profit and that we may persevere therein Isai 48. 17. unto the end blessing God that hath given us one Sabbath-day more and hath in any measure assisted us in the performance of our duties Thus sanctifying the Sabbath God hath made it not only our duty so to do but also an essential means of His bestowing Mercies Blessings and increase of Grace on us in this our religious observation of the same Thus God blessed the Sabbath-day Isai 56. 6 7. When we lye down in our beds examine we our hearts how we are bettered what increase of knowledge and Grace what strength against corruptions what heavenly-mindedness more we have obtained And so repose our selves to sleep in the arms of our heavenly Father having heavenly thoughts in our hearts that we may be able comfortably to say How precious are thy thoughts to me O God that is my thoughts which I have of Thee how great is the sum of them when I awake Psal 139. 17 18 I am still with Thee Be not weary of Sabbath-duties and exercises like those wicked Jews who said When will the sabbath be gone that Amos 8. 5 Mal. 1. 13. we may go to our worldly businesses and what a weariness is this and so snuffed at it These men and women are far from tasting how gracious the Lord is and from those who by reason of use 1 Pet. 2. 3. Heb. 5. 14. have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil They see no such excellency and preciousness in Christ they find no sweetness in His ordinances to say with Peter Lord it is good for us Mat. 17. 4. to be here They are far from David's temper to have their souls to long yea even to faint for the courts of the Lord Psal 84. 1 2. and cry out when shall I come and appear before God our blessed Saviour for us spent a whole night in Prayer to Luk. 6. 12. God Heaven will be no Heaven to Rev. 4. 8. 11. such persons as these where we shall for ever be praising God And like as God rested the seventh day from all His works Heb. 4. 4. 10. as one would say God did retire Himself to the quiet enjoyment of Himself His glory and blessedness So we being by death freed from the works of this life from all our labours and toâ—ls from all sin and suffering from all sorrow and misery when God shall wipe away â—â—v 7. 17. â—â—â— 35. 10. all tears from our eyes and sorrow and sighing shall flee away then shall we altogether live with God in the perfect rest of glory For there remaineth a rest or keeping an everlasting Sabbath â—â—â— 4. 11. to the people of God Sabbath in Hebrew signifies Cessavit Addition quievit vacavit a Sabbath-day is a day of rest It signifies not such a rest as when one sitteth still and doth nothing but a resting and ceasing from doing that which he did before So God called this day a Sabbath which He dedicated and consecrated to His own publick Worship 1. Because on that day God rested from His creation of all those new species but not from conserving and propagating of them by the continual generation of individuals 2. Because the Sabbath is a representation of that spiritual rest from sin and of that rest in everlasting life 3. Because that we must on that day cease from all our secular and worldly employments that devoting our selves wholly to God's Worship He may work His work upon our hearts and exercise His works in us 4. That our