Song gives savoury advice to his Children We need not doubt but his spiritual motions were quickest when his natural motions were slowest that the stream of grace ran with full strength when it was to empty it self into the Ocean of glory Mark what special counsel he gives them who were committed to his special care Deut. 32.46 Set your hearts to all the words which I command you this day for it is not a vain thing because it is your life in which words we have 1. a Commandment and 2. an Argument The commandment is Set your hearts to all the words which I command you this day that is exercise your selves to godliness He doth not say lend them your ears to listen to them slightly or let them have your tongues to speak of them cursorily No it is not set your heads but set your hearts to all the words c. He doth not say let your works be according to these words or let your feet ever make them your walk No it is not set your hands but set your hearts to the words that I speak unto you Make it your business and then your Ears and Tongues your Feet your Heads your Hands and all will be employed about them to the purpose But what special Argument doth Moses urge for the enforcement of this great work Surely that which I am speaking of the weight of it Set your he arts to all the words which I command you this day For it is not a vain thing because it is your life v. 47. Moses had experience that the hearts of the Israelites were exceeding knotty wood and therefore he useth an heavy Beetle to drive home the Wedge It is not a vain thing it is life as if he had said Were it a matter of small moment ye might Laze and Loyter about it but it behoves you to bestir your selves lustily to follow it laboriously to set your hearts to it for it is as much worth as your lives that pearl of matchless price is engâ—gâ—d and at stake in your pursuit of godliness Life though but natural is of so much value that men will sacrifice their honours and pleasures their wealth and liberty and all to it The Egyptians parted with their costly jewels willingly Hinc clamor ille desperation is index omnes mortui sumus binc facilitas illa in dando Calo. in Exod. 12. â—anquam si hoc pretio animas redimissent Jun. in loc to redeem their lives as Calvin observeth The widow in the Gospel spared none of her wealth to obtain health which is much inferior to life Skin for skin all that a man has will he give for his life Throw but a brute into the water to drown it how will it labour and toll and sweat to preserve its life View a man on his death-bed when a distemper is like a strong enemy fighting to force life out of the field how doth Nature then with all the might and strength it hath strive and struggle to keep its ground What panting and breathing what sweating and working of all the parts do you behold and no wonder The man laboureth for life If there be such labour for a natural life that is but umbra vitae a shadow to this the substance which is but the union of the body and soul and lyeth under a necessity of dissolution what labour doth a spiritual life deserve that consisteth in the souls union and communion with the blessed Saviour and which neither men nor devils neither death nor hell shall ever deprive a beleever of but in spight of all it will grow and increase till it commence eternal life Well might Moses expect that such an heavy weight as this should make great impression and sink deep into their affections For it is not a vain thing because it is your life We may say of this work of Christianity compared with all other works what David said of Goliahs sword There is none like it this is soul-work this is God-work this is eternity-work and therefore of greatest weight and requireth us all to make it our business Such blows as these three are one would think might force fire out of a flint This is Soul-work As soul wo is the heaviest wo and soul-wants are the greatest wants so soul-work is the weightest work the dangers of a soul are the deepest dangers the loss of the soul is the dreadfullest loss the neglect of the soul is the dolefullest neglect The consequence of the action is frequently specified from the excellency of the person or subject concerned in it The soul of man is a most excellent piece both in regard of the spirituality and immortality of its substance as also in regard of that divine image imprinted on it those heavenly qualities with which it was at first endowed Princes stamp not their image except in cases of necessity on brass or tynn or leather but on gold and silver the chiefest and most excellent mettals therefore though those affairs which concern the body are but of ordinary respect yet those that concern the soul are of unconceivable weight and regard One soul is more worth then ten thousand bodies then ten thousand worlds The greatest thing saith one in this world is Man and the greatest thing in man is his Soul It is an abridgement of the invisible world as the body is of the visible The body though no mean work considered absolutely yet of ordinary worth considered comparatively to the soul It is a mud-wall inclosing a rich treasure as a common mask to a beautiful face as a course cabinet having in it a precious carkanet The very Heathen acknowledged that the soul was the man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. the body but its servant and therefore the Christian may well call it and care for it as his darling as his onely one as the original is in that place Psal 22.20 Chrysostom observeth Omnia Deus dedit duplicia Homil. 22. ad popul Antioch God hath given man two Eyes two Ears two Hands two Feet that the failing of the one may be supplied by the help of the other Animam vero unam but one Soul if that miscarry there is no remedy Nebuchadnezzar lost his Reason and that was restored David lost his Wives Children and Goods and yet they were recovered nay Lazarus lost his life and was revived but for the loss of the Soul no power can recover it no price can redeem no pearls no not the whole world can recompence its loss Well might Charls the Fifth Val. Rath Car. lib. 3. when sollicited by a great Counsellor Antonino de Leva to cut off all the Princes in Germany that he might rule alone forbear to put his advice into practice and cry out O Anima Anima O my soul my soul what then will become of my soul It was a royal answer which Maximilian King of Bohemia gave the Pope who perswaded him to turn good Catholique promising him much
and the shekel of the Commonwealth but fifteen pence the cubit of the Sanctuary a full yard the Common cubit but half a yard compare 1 Kings 7.15 with 2 Chron. 3. and 15. The common Talent was one hundred eighty seven pound ten shillings the Kings Talent two hundred eighty one pounds five shillings the Talent of the Sanctuary was three hundred seventy five pounds Itinerarium Sac. And what was the Gospel of this but to teach us that in things that appertain to God we must give double weight double measure double care double diligence though men be slothful and sluggish in the service of men yet they must be fiery and fervent in spirit when they are serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 To give brass money to any is lamentable but to cast it into the treasury is most abominable God is a great God and looks to be served like himself and according to his excellent greatness Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a Male and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my name is dreadful among the Heathen Mal. 1. ult There are some of the Heathen â—ohu Pierii Hieroglyph that Worship the Sun for a God and would offer to the Sun somwhat suitable and therefore because they wondred at the Suns swift motion they would offer a Horse with Wings Now an Horse is a swift creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paus and one of the strongest to continue in motion for a long time together then having Wings added to him they conceived him a sacrifice somwhat suitable to the Sun Surely much more cause have Christians to take care that their sacrifices to the glorious and boundless Majesty be some way suitable to his unconceivable and infinite excellencies Further Godliness is Eternity-work and therefore must needs be of infinite weight and is worthy of all our pains and diligence We esteem Lands which we hold in fee-simple to us and our heirs for ever at a far greater rate and are more diligent to secure our Titles to them then those lands which we have onely a lease of or a life in Mens estates are of more or less value according to the term of years they have in them Ministers are often much more exact in their Printing then in their Preaching Such in whose ordinary Preaching words like a spring run full and fast and sense or at least judgement like a pond stands still will if they Print scrue their parts to the highest pitch and spare for no pains that if possible sense and sentences reason and expressions may keep equal pace Even those whose Sermons when delivered in their Auditories smell as Chalcus said of Demosthenes orations of the Lamp Plut in vit Demost are the fruits of much prayer and study yet when they are to publish them to the World they will survey every sentence weigh every word bestow more care and labour on them hence possibly ouâ— proverbial speech when a thing is done exactly This is done in Print But what is the ground of this I suppose one of the chiefest because men print in a sense for Eternity Sermons preached or mens words pass away with many like wind how soon are they buried in the grave of oblivion but Sermons printed are mens works live when they are dead and become an image of eternity This shall be written for the generation to come Godliness is a work that relates not onely to few lives as lands do or to a few generations as mens books do but to the boundless bottomless Ocean of eternity indeed and therefore calleth for all our care and diligence Drex Eternit Conclus lib. Drexelius observeth well out of the Father Our works do not pass away as soon as they are done as they may seem to do but as seed sown in time they rise up to all Eternity A little neglect now may prove an eternal loss Whatsoever we think speak or do once thought spoke or done it is eternal it abideth for ever Eternal life is promised to the diligent Idem Non consid cap. 1. Eternal death is the portion of the negligent The former shall be bathed in the rivers of Gods eternal pleasures the latter shall suffer the vengeance of eternal fire To be tormented day and night for ever and ever and to enjoy the exceeding and eternal weight of glory are certainly no jesting matters but of more concernment then we can possibly conceive Who would not labour hard to attain eternal life Who would not work night and day to avoid eternal death eternal wo. Zeuxis the famous Limner made painting his bufiness and was exceeding careful and curious in drawing all his lines he would let no piece of his go abroad into the world to be seen of men till he had turned it over and over viewed it on this side and that side again and again and being asked the reason answered Because what I paint I paint for eternity so it is with every man and woman in the exercise of godliness it is of eternal concernment we pray we hear for eternity we read we sing we watch we fast we live we die for eternity O how exactly how diligently should all be done The Holy Ghost urgeth it as a reason why mens eyes and hearts should not be set upon riches because they are not eternal In one place Solomon tells us That riches are not Prov. 23.5 In another place that they are not for ever Prov. 27.4 because things that are not for ever are as if they were not at all Eternal life is the true life saith Augustine this is but the shadow or semblance of life The affairs of time are but trifles to the affairs of eternity but our eyes and hearts must be set upon godliness because it is for ever it will do a soul good for ever our Saviour doth from this argument command us to make godliness our chief imployment Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth to everlasting life Joh. 6.27 where labour for temporal food is not prohibited but labour for eternal food is preferred It was the consideration of this that made the forty Martyrs suffer so ventrously and valiantly under Licinius Basil 40. Mart. Anno 300. When Agricolaus his Deputy and one of the devils agents set upon them several ways to draw them to deny Christ and at last tempted them with an offer of Wealth and Preferment they all cryed out with one consent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Eternity Eternity give us money that will last to Eternity and glory that will abide for ever They slighted that pittiful wealth which was currant onely in this beggarly world and made Religion their business because it brought them in durable riches Things that are transient and temporal may like hasty storms salute onely the surface of our hearts and away but things that are permanent and eternal
So God giveth others outward portions some of the good things of this life but to thee O Christian he giveth a Benjamins mess his image his spirit his son himself a worthy portion a goodly heritage because he loveth thee Others have a little meat and drink and wages but thou hast the inheritance Others like Jehosaphats younger Sons have some Cities some small matters given them but thou like the first born hast the Kingdom the Crown of glory others feed on bare elements thou hast the Sacrament others stand without doors and thou art admitted into the presence Chamber others must fry eternally in Hell flames and thou must enjoy falness of joy for evermore O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever To him that chose thee before the foundation of the World for his mercy endureth for ever To him that called thee by the word of his grace for his mercy c. To him that gave his onely Son to dye for thy sins for his mercy c. To him that entred into a Covenant of grace with thee for his mercy endureth for ever To him that hath provided for thee an exceeding and eternal weight of glory for his mercy endureth for ever O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Remember the poor on that day Gods bounty to thee in spirituals may well provoke thy mercy to others in carnals The Jews at their Passover released a Prisoner in remembrance of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage Surely at the Lords Supper when thy heart is warmed with Gods compassion to thee thy hand should be enlarged in contribution to the poor in remembrance of thy redemption out of slavery to sin and Satan The Primitive Christians had their collections for the poor and the Lords Supper both on a day On the first day of the week Because the Saints like the wall being then heated by the Sun should reflect that heat on the passengers on others Acts 20.7 2 Cor. 16.1 Thy cup runneth over O let others drink with thee Thy Charity may make thy Coffer lighter but it will make thy crown heavier It was a notable expression of one who having given much away was like to want and asked what she would do I repent not of my charity for what I have lost in one World I have gained in another 2. Faithfulness The Sacrament is a strong engagement to sanctity Sacramentum est juramentum At the Lords Supper thou takest a new Oath of Allegiance to the King of Saints whereby every wilful iniquity after it becomes perjury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuam a Hedge The Greek word for an Oath cometh from a word signisieth an Hedge to shew that an Oath should keep men in and prevent their wandering out of the field of Gods word It is the character of an Harlot She forgetteth the Covenant of her God Prov. 2.17 I know that the Devil will come to sit with thee after Supper Flies love to settle on the sweetest perfumes When Israel had drunk of the Rock which followed them which Rock was Christ then Amalek fought them When Jesus Christ had received the Sacrament of Baptism then the Devil pursued him with his fierce assaults When thou hast been at the Table expect the Tempter That subtle theif will hear of the new treasure of grace which is brought into thy house thy heart and will use all his pollicy and power to rob thee of it thy care must be by stronger Bolts and Locks then ordinary by greater diligence and watchfulness then before to secure it Surely Reader If thou didst but find the Saviour in the Sacrament thou canst not but fear sin after the Sacrament Thou hast seen what sin cost Christ didst thou not at the Table see the Lord Jesus hanging on the Cross Didst thou not thus bespeak thy soul Look O my soul who hangeth there Alass it is thy dearest Redeemer See his bloody head bloody hands bloody back belly his body all over bloody But O his bleeding soul Dost thou not hear his lamentation My God My God why hast thou forsaken me What thinkest thou is the cause of all this Ah t is thy sins which is the source of all these sorrows And canst thou joyn with them or love those lusts that hate the Lord Canst thou wound him whom God hath wounded and crucifie the Lord Jesus afresh Hath not thy Saviour suffered enough already O here is a Medicine instar omnium instead of all to kill those diseases of thy soul It is said of the Souldiers of Pompey that though he could not keep them in the Camp by any perswasion yet when Pompey threw himself upon the ground and told them If ye will go ye shall trample upon your General Then saith Plutarch in the life of Pompey they were overcome Truely if nothing will disswade thee from sin yet this consideration that it is a trampling upon thy blessed Saviour should prevail with thee Though thou shouldst be marching never so furiously yet as Joabs Souldiers when they saw the dead body of Amasa stay'd their march and stood still when thou seest the mangled wounded peirced crucified body of thy Saviour thou shouldst stop proceed no further How many arguments mayst thou find in this ordinance to be close in thy obedience The greatness of Christs love calleth for graciousness in thy life The love of Christ constraineth 2 Cor. 5.14 Other Motives may perswade but this compelleth If deliverance from the yoke of Pharoah were such a bond to obedience what is deliverance from sin wrath hell mayst not thou Reader say with the Jews After such a deliverance as this should I again break thy Commandements woulst thou not be angry with me till thou hast consumed me Ezr. 9.13 They that receive such courtesies if any men the World sell their liberty and ought to be Christs servants 〈…〉 Friend hath God wiped off the old score wilt thou run again in debt did Christ speak peace to thee at the Table and wilt thou turn again to folly O Reader when thou art tempted to sin say with the Spouse I have washed my feet how shall I defile them I have washed my soul how shall I pollute it with sin I have given my self wholly to God before Angels men and how can I do this great wickednes sin against my God against my Saviour against my Covenant There is a beast some write which if she be feeding doth but turn her head about forgeteth what she was doing O do not thou after thou hast fed on the bread of life forget what thou wast doing but as at the Sacrament thou hast remembred Christs death so do it after by dying to sin all the days of thy life O do not use this ordinance as Papists do the Popes Indulgences to purchase a new licence to sin Judas went from the Supper to betray his Master Absolom
through with the burden of instructing my children Though others nurse children for the love of wages let me nurse mine for the wages of love Let all my actions towards them flow from sincere affection to them and not onely my counsel and comforts but even my rod of reproof like Jonathans be dipt in this hony When I am rebuking them cuttingly and frighting them from sin with the fear of the unquenchable fire let all my bitter pils be given in this sweet syrrup of love that they may know and acknowledge my greatest anger against their sins to proceed from a tender respect and love to their immortal souls I wish that being a sworn Souldier of the Lord of Hosts Full of courage whatsoever trials and tribulations I meet with in my holy warfare whatsoever dangers and death shall look me in the face I may never flye from my colours or forsake my Captain but endure hardshipas a good Souldier of Jesus Christ When I first listed my self in his Muster-Roll I understood the greivous hardships and various hazards which all his Army but especially his Officers must encounter with that to Preach the Gospel is as Luther saith to draw the hatred of the whole World upon a man yea that Earth and Hell would both conspire and plant their strongest batteries against the Bulworks of the Church under God the Ministers of the word notwithstanding all which I entred my name as a Volunteer and promised to live and dye in his quarrel and shall I now because the enemies appear numerous and the Bullets flye thick like Peter deny my righteous cause and disown my glorious Captain Lord let me dye with thee rather then deny thee Enable me through thy strength to be ready not onely to be bound but to dye for the name of the Lord Jesus My onely safety consisteth in keeping close to my Saviour Should I through cowardliness run away I must expect Marshal law If any man draw back thy soul will have no pleasure in him If I like Jonah should run from thy presence as unwilling to deliver an unwelcome message I must expect a storm to follow after me and either the waves to swallow me up or the Whale to swallow me down I should but go out of thy blessing into the warm Sun If the service of my God be not in all respects the best why did I chuse and like it If it be why should I refuse and leave it My cause is good I fight against sin and Satan the desperate and bloody enemies of my soul My Crown is better after a a temporal conflict followeth an eternal Crown of glory O my soul be thou faithful unto death and thou shalt have a Crown of life but my Captain is best of all he looketh upon me goeth before me fighteth for me and as he leadeth me on to this tryal so he will not like the Devil and the World who leave their servants and Lovers in the lurch but bring me off with triumph either safe on earth or safe to heaven Lord whatsoever dirt of calumny shall be thrown in my face whatsoever dart of cruelty shall be stuck in my body Act. 20.22 for keeping the word of thy patience in an hour of temptation yet let none of these things move me neither let me count my life dear unto me so that I may finish my course with joy and the Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the grace of God As to the preaching of the Gospel The several duties of a Minister 1. To preach the Gospel which is the principal work of the Minister as being the main Engine in the hand of God wherewith he undermineth and overturneth the strong-holds of sin and the Kingdom of darkness I wish that I may prepare for this work diligently ever handle this weapon warily deliver the message of my God soberly as may be most for his glory and my peoples good not with the enticing words of mans wisdom but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power To this end I desire His Sermons must be the fruits of servent prayer that all my Sermons may be like Monica's son children of many prayers and tears and thereby the more unlikely to perish Luther saith He that prayeth hard studieth hard Lord let all my Sermons as dew be Heaven-born that they may drop down upon my people like rain upon the mown grass Let prayer be the key to open the mysteries of Christ to me and let prayer be the turning of the key to lock them up safe within me Let prayer open and shut all my Books form and write begin and conclude every Sermon Ah how should he pray both for his preaching and before he preacheth who by every Sermon preacheth his beloved Neighbours into Eternal burnings or Eternal pleasures I wish also for the furtherance of the former ends Preached over first to his own soui That I may preach over every Sermon to my own heart before I preach them to my hearers That I preaching feelingly may preach the more effectually and the milk of the Word coming warm out of the Mothers breasts may be as more natural so more pleasing and nourishing to the children Why should I like a Lawyer plead the cause of my God for my fees and 〈…〉 have my own person concerned in it O let 〈◊〉 rather as a Physician drink of those potions my self which I prescribe and administer to my Patients I desire He must preach the Word 1. Purely That I may never dare to play the Huckster with the Word of God to sophisticate or adulterate it by my additions to it but that I may receive from the Lord what I deliver to men and feed all my charge with the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby If it be Treason to counterfeit the Kings Coyn what High Treason is it for me to imprint the King of Kings stamp on my brass Money O that as I am an Ambassador I might keep close to my Instructions and as a Builder may lay every stone in his Temple by the line and rule of his Word and as a Physician may never try experiments upon the souls of my people but hold fast to the form of wholesome words and ever prescribe those tryed and approved receits which the Great Physician hath left me under his own hand Because my work is to touch and pierce my hearers hearts 2 〈◊〉 and not to tickle and please their ears I wish That I may preach a crucified Saviour in a crucified stile That I may not blow up my Sermons as Butchers some joynts of meat to make them shew fairer with a windy pomp of words but by using all plainness and stooping to the lowest capacity may become all things to all men that I may save some I am a Barbarian to my people whilest I preach to them in an unknown language I starve their souls whilest
times a day At six in the morning eight at night and before dinner and Supper in his Chappel David returned to bless his house 2 Sam. 6.21 that is say Expositors to bless God with his Family and to beg Gods blessing on his family He ster prayed and fasted with her Maidens Hest 4.16 The holy Ghost enjoyneth Husband and wife to dwell together as fellow-heirs of the grace of life that their prayers be not hindered 1 Pet. 3.7 Our blessed Saviour is to be our pattern now he prayed with his family of Disciples And it came to pass as he was alone praying his Disciples were with him Luk. 9.18 He was alone not secretly to exclude all society but privately to include onely his own family Our Houses are Gods Houses and in Gods House there must every day be morning and evening Sacrifice I will that men pray every where surely then in private as well as in secret and in publique 1 Tim. 2.8 Families need direction in the day and protection in the night and truely either of them is worth a prayer Thy family sins must be pardoned thy family wants must be supplied and if they do not deserve a prayer they deserve nothing Horses kneel before they lye down at night and when they rise up in the morning and shall thy house be worse then a stable of beasts They that will not beg family supplies and blesse God for family mercies may well be branded for ungodly and ungrateful wrethces Prayer and prayse are like the double motion of the lungs what we suck in by petition we breath out in thanksgiving and without this Religion cannot live in a family What dangers are thy family liable to every day and without prayer thou hast no guide no guard Origen going once to comfort a Martyr was himself apprehended and constrained either to have his body abused by a Blackamore or to offer to the Idol which latter he did but bewailing it saith I went out that morning without prayer which I know was the cause of that evil It s said of the Egyptians that there was a great cry at midnight for in every house there was one dead Reader are there not dead souls in thy family Children and servants dead in sins and trespasses and shall there be no cry no complaining to God there I must tell thee thy house is worse then a Pest-house for thou hast infected and dangerously diseased souls in it and not so much as Lord have mercy upon us written on thy door Heathens and families without prayer are fitly joyned together Jerem. 10. ult The truth is such persons are English in their language but Indian in their Athiestical carriage They feed and cloath their bodies like English men but they starve and go naked in their souls like Indians Onely herein they differ that they cannot be prayerless in their Houses at so cheap a rate but must expect an hotter Hell because they sin against a clearer light Many families are the picture of Hell one may hear twenty Oaths for one prayer the Master will often curse but seldom or never bless his family he loveth cursing so it will come to him and as he delighted not in blessing so it will be far from him Do not say thou canst not pray Had the father of spirits ever any dumb children Every begger at thy door who is pinched with hunger will tell thee that sence of misery will teach thee to be earnest for mercy If thou wert condemned to be hanged thou wouldst not want words to pâ—en for a pardon Surely eternal death to which thou art liable is far more lamentable and if ever God make thee sensible of it which must be done or thou art lost for ever thou will quickly follow him with prayers and tears for grace and life Thy affections in prayer if right will abundantly make up thy want of expressions A sanctified Heart is better then a silver Tongue Though thou hast not the gift of prayer yet if if thou canst act grace in prayer all will be well Pray much in secret and thou wilt quickly learn to pray well in private Use at any Trade will make me prompt and perfect Rather use a form out of a Book then omit the duty They who cannot dress their meat themselves must be beholden to their Neighbours to do it for them Set upon it presently it is thy honor thy priviledge and use crutches till thou art able to go alone onely do not content thy self with them Alas who ever was proud of stilts but labour to gain knowledge in spiritual things by reading secret praying and conference that thou mayest throw them away 2. The Word of God must be read in thy Family and thy Houshold instructed there As by prayer thy duty is to acquaint God with thy family-wants so by reading some portion of Scripture daily thy duty is to acquaint thy family with Gods will An house without light is in a dreadful lamentable condition Thy houshold without the Word sit in darkness and thereby in the shadow of death The Commandment is a lamp and the Law is Light Prov. 6.23 Alas how can thy servants or children do their heavenly Masters and Fathers work when they are wholly ignorant of his will The weeds of sin grow of themselves but the ground must be ploughed and sown and harrowed and watered before good Corn will spring up God expecteth that thou shouldst be both a Priest to offer up Sacrifice for and a Prophet to instruct and teach thy Family A good House-keeper is like that Nobleman who had for his impress two boundles of ripe Millet with this Motto Servare servari meum est for the nature of Millet is say some to guard it self from corruption and that which lieth nearest to it The Word of God and holy instructions to a Family are as salt which is helpful against putrifaction Mat. 5. Ye are the salt of the earth Masters must be sure to have salt in themselves and for their families It s said that the Hammanients in Cyrene made their houses of salt hewn out of their hills in maner of stone Hierom counselled Leta Let thy children daily give thee some account of some choice flowers gathered out of thy Bible Teach thy children to remember their creatour in the days of their youths It is too late to season flesh when it crawleth with wormes Do it therefore betimes Bishop Rider read and expounded the Psalm 101. which treateth the good Government of Families often to his houshould and hired them with mony to learn it Abraham had letters testimonial from Heaven of his sincerity and the favour to be trusted with Arcana imperii Gods secrets because of his faithfulness in this particular And the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham the things which I do For I know him that he will command his Children and his House hold after him and they shall keep the Way of the Lord Gen. 18.17
world might not be plagued with their posterity Quidam furtive gratias agunt in angulo in aurem non est ista verecundia sed inficiandi genus Senec. de benef lib. 2. cap. 23. The Master of Moral Philosophy upbraideth them sharply that steal favours by private acknowledgements the truth is a publique confession of your kindeness as it is the least since providence hath given me the opportunity so it is next my prayers the greatest requital I am able to make you If my pains have yielded any fruit in these parts those that received it owe the ackowledgement under God to you Though neither of you love to hear your own praise nor did I ever love flattery knowing by too much experience that pride will burn and continue like the Elementary fire of it self without any fuel yet I esteem it my duty to publish some things to the world or example to others The place to which I am presented hath not half a maintenance nor so much as a house belonging to the Minister but the Lord hath given you such compassion to Souls that you have given me both a convenient dwelling and a considerable maintenance besides the Tythes above seventy pound per annum out of your own inheritance that I enjoy through the good hand of my God upon me a competent encouragement and comfortable employment When others refuse to draw out their purses to hungry bodies the gracious God hath enabled you both to draw out your purse and hearts unto starving souls Soul-charity is the highest and noblest charity and such fruit as will much abound to your account at the day of Christ Phil. 4.17 Hereby like wise Merchants you return your riches into the other world by bills of Exchange How much are you both in debted to free Grace Vsually the richest mines are covered with the most barren earth and men who receive much from God very quietly like narrow mouth'd glasses will part with nothing without much stir and reluctancy God hath bestowed on you large hearts as well as large inheritance Many a Vessel hath been sunk with the weight of its burthen Some Mariners out of love to their lading have lost their lives but God hath made you Masters of not as many other servants to a fair Estate It is also your honor that the Ark the worship of the blessed God findeth entertainment in your house Your whole Familie though large have set-meals daily for their inward man as well as for their outward your children and servants are commanded by you to keep the way of the Lord Gen. 18.19 and as if your house were built of Irish Oak which will suffer no Spider near it no iniquity is allowed to dwell in your tabernacle I have with mâ—ch delight observed your care and conscience to have all your Family present at morning and evening duties O 't is a blessed and beautiful sight to behold a little Church in a great house Many great persons think the company of the glorious God too mean for them in their houses Religion waiteth at their doors like a Beggar and cannot obtain the favour to be called in when the Vermine as in the Egyptian Palaces of pride and drunkenness and swearing reside amongst them and crawl in every room of their dwellings The service of the living God which is the greatest freedom they count their bondage and fetters The Society of the Lord Iesus is to them as to the Devils a torment Mat. 8. Alas alas Whether is man fallen that the company of his Maker should be esteemed his dishonor that the Worship of God which is the preferment of Glorious Angels should be judged a disparagement Ah how will their judgements be altered when they come to dye to throw their last casts for Eternity Steph. Gardiner Fox Acts and Monu then as that Popish Prelate said of justification by Faith That it was good Supper Doctrine though not so good to break fast on they will confess that it is good to dye in the Lord they will cry out O let me dye the death of the Righteous and let our latter end be like theirs how lightly soever now they think of living their lives The Persian Messenger though an Heathen could not but observe the worth of Piety in such an hour of extremity â—â—schiles in Traged When the Grecian forces hotly pursued us saith he and we must needs venture over the great water Strymon frozen then but beginning to thaw when a hundred to one we had all dyed for it with mine eyes I saw many of those Gallants whom I and heard before so boldly maintain There was no God every one upon their knees with eyes and hands lifted up begging hard for help and mercy and entreating that the ice might hold till they got over Those Gallants who now proscribe godliness their hearts and houses as if it were onely an humour taken up by some precise persons who will needs be wiser then their neighbours and Galba like scorn at them who fear or think of death when they themselves come to enter the list with the King of Terrors and perceive in earnest that this surly Sergeant Death will not be denied but away they must into the other world and be saved or tormented in flames for ever as they have walked after the Spirit or after the flesh here without question they will change their note sing another tune and say Beatus es Abba Arsenâ— qui semper hanc horam ante ocules habuisti Bibl. Patr. as dying Theophilus did of devout Arsenius Thou art blessed O Arsenius who hadst always this hour before thine eyes Blessed be God ye walk not in the vicious ways of such voluptuous wretches but to the joy of all that know and love you sit like wise Pilots in the hindermost part of the ship dwell in the meditation of your deaths and thence endeavour to steer the vessel of your conversations aright Give me leave Honored Friends out of the unfeigned respect which I bear to you both which if I know my own heart is not so much for the favours received from you though I shall ever acknowledge them but for what of God and godliness I have seen in you to beseech you that as ye have received how ye ought to walk and to please God so ye would abound more and more 1 Thess 4.1 God hath done great things for you and God expecteth great things from you To whom much is given of them much is required Where the Husbandman bestoweth the greatest cost there he looketh for the greatest crop The rents which your Tenants pay are somewhat answerable to the Farms which they enjoy Ye have more obligations to serve God then others and more opportunities for his service and therefore having fairer gales should sail more swiftly then others towards the Haven of Happiness your trading must be suitable to the talents with which ye are entrusted Perfection will be your reward
be hurtful but helpful to our General Callings I conclude the Book with Government of Families wherein thou mayst learn that thy house must be dedicated to God Religion in thy house must of necessity be minded or the whole Family is cursed The Naturalists observe of the Eagle that building her nest on high she is much maligned by a venemous Serpent called Parias which because it cannot reach to the nest maketh to the windward and breathes out its poison that so the air being infected the Eagles young may be destroyed but by way of prevention the Eagle by a natural instinct keepeth a kind of Agath-stone in her nest Plin. Hist lib. 3. cap. 10. which being placed against the wind preserveth her young Satan the crooked Serpent is ever busie to poison the Air in thine house and thereby to destroy thy self servants and whole houshold the only stone for prevention is to set up Religion Neighbor I have many a time pressed this duty upon thee and I do again in the name of the blessed God charge thee as thou wilt answer it at the Bar of Christ that thou immediately set up the worship of God in thy Family Thou knowest how many Sermons I preached from Josh 24.15 on this subject all which ere long thou shalt give an account of how inexcusable wilt thou be if after all those warnings thy Family be found in the number of them that call not on God! Good Lord how dreadful will it be for thee to sink into hell with thy whole house on thy back And now Reader whoever thou art out of affection to thy precious soul and eternal salvation let me prevail with thee not to use Religion as men do perfumes refresh themselves with them whilst they have them but they can well enough be without them but to make it thy chief and main and principal business What shall I say to thee Assure thy self Religion will be thy best friend at last O if thou hadst but the same apprehensions of it now which thou wilt have on a dying bed and day of Judgement thou wouldst make it thine only business them Religion will be Religion indeed of infinitely more worth to thee then millions of worlds All other things will then like leaves in Autumn fall from thee but though all thy most loving friends will part with thee Religion will walk with thee in the valley of the shadow of death it will direct and refresh thee in the pleasant waters of life and it will protect and comfort thee in those salt waters of sickness and when thou passest the Mare mortuum the Sea of death When the world in thy extremity will serve thee as the herd do a Deer that is shot push thee out of their company When thy wife and children will like Orpah to Naomi kiss thee and take their leave of thee Religion will like Ruth stick closs to thee where thou goest it will go where thou lodgest it will lodge death it self shall not part thee and it As the noble Grecian answered Philip when he asked him Whether he was not afraid to die No saith he for the Athenians will give me a life that is immortal Thou shouldst not need to fear death for Religion will give thee a life that is immortal As the old grave Counsellors told Rehoboham Be thou a servant to this people this day and they will be thy servants for ever So say I to thee Be thou but a faithful servant to Religion in this short day of thy life and Religion will be thy servant to all eternity If thou art resolved to give thy self up to the service of this noble Mistris possibly this Treatise may do thee some little service by acquainting thee with her will and directing thee in her work If in the perusal of it thou receive any profit let God alone have the praise and remember him in thy prayers who is Thine in the Lord George Swinnock THE The Contents of the Chapters CHAP. I. THe Preface and Coherence of the Text page 1 Chap. II. The opening of the Text and the Doctrine page 7 Chap. III. What Religion or Godliness is page 12 Chap. IV. What it is to make Religion ones business or to exercise ones self to Godliness page 21 Chap. V. The first Reason of the Doctrine wherein is shewed that Religion is the great end of mans creation page 39 Chap. VI. The second Reason of the Doctrine wherein is discovered that Religion is a work of the greatest weight it is soul-work it is God-work it is eternity-work page 45 Chap. VII The third Reason of the Doctrine wherein is discovered the necessity of making Religion ones business in regard of Gods Precept the opposition a Christian meeteth with in the way to Heaven and the multiplicity of business which lieth upon him page 60 Chap. VIII The first Vse by way of complaint that this trade is so dead and the worlds trade so quick page 71 Chap. IX The same complaint continued that this trade is neglected and superstition and sin should be embraced page 82 Chap. X. The second Vse by way of advice to make Godliness our main business in the whole course of our lives page 94 Chap. XI How a Christian may make Religion his business in religions duties or the worship of God in general as also a good wish about it wherein the former heads are epitomized page 106 Chap. XII How a Christian may make Religion his business in Prayer and 1. Of prayer in general and the Antecedents to it page 136 Chap. XIII Of the concomitants of prayer wherein the matter of our petitions the qualification of the Petitioner and the properties of our prayers are handled page 163 Chap. XIV The subsequent duties after prayer as also a good wish about prayer wherein the several heads in the antecedents concomitants and subsequents of prayer are epitomized page 185 Chap. XV. How a Christian may make Religion his business in hearing and reading the VVord and of preparation for hearing page 197 Chap. XVI Of the Christians duty in hearing page 223 Chap. XVII Of the Christians duty after hearing as also a good wish about hearing wherein the former heads are all epitomized page 234 Chap. XVIII How a Christian may make Religion his business in receiving the Lords Supper wherein arguments to and the nature of preparation for it is discovered page 250 Chap. XIX How a Christian may make Religion his business at the Table when he is receiving page 284 Chap. XX. VVhat a Christian ought to do after a Sacrament as also a good wish wherein all the former heads are epitomized page 318 Chap. XXI How a Christian may make Religion his business on a Lords day page 335 Chap. XXII Brief directions for the sanctification of the Lords day from morning to night as also a good wish about the Lords day wherein the former heads are epitomized and a good wish to the Lords Day page 381 Chap.
some part but all the day Whether the actions he be about be natural or civil he makes them sacred whether the Company he be in be good or bad he will mind his holy calling whether he be riding or walking whether he be at home or abroad whether he be buying or selling eating or drinking whatsoever he be doing or wheresoever he be going still he hath an eye to further godliness Anima est tota in toto tota in qualibet parte because he makes that his business What the Philosopher said of the soul in relation to the body The soul is whole in the whole body and whole in every part of it is true of godliness in reference to the life of a Christian godliness is whole in his whole conversation and whole in every part of it As the constitution of mans body is known by his pulse if it beat not at all he is dead if it beat and keep a constant stroke it s a sign the body is sound Godliness is the pulse of the soul if it beat not at all the soul is void of spiritual life if it beat equally and constantly it speaks the soul to be in an excellent plight It was the practice of our Saviour who left us a blessed pattern therein to be always furthering godliness when bread was mentioned to him upon it he diswaded his Disciples from the leaven of the Pharisees Mat. 16.5.6 When water was denyed him by the Samaritan woman he forgets his thirst and seeks to draw her to the Well-spring of happiness John 4.10 When people came to him for bodily cures how constantly doth he mind the safety of their souls Thou art made whole go sin no more or thy sins are forgiven thee He went about doing good in the day time working Miracles and Preaching in the night time he often gave himself to meditation and prayer He that minds Religion by the by doth otherwise he can Proteus like turn himself into any shape which is in fashion Purch Pilgr Vol. 1. p. 416. As the Carbuncle a Beast amongst the Blackamores which is seen onely by night having a stone in his Fore-head which shineth incredibly and giveth him light whereby to feed but when he heareth the least noise he presently lets fall over it a skin which he hath as a natural covering least its splendor should betray him So the half Christian shines with the light of holiness by fits and starts every fright makes him hold in and hide it The mark of Antichrist was in his followers hands which they can cover or discover at their pleasure but the mark of Christs Disciples was in in their Foreheads visible at all times Thirdly To exercise our selves to godliness implyeth to persevere in it with constancy to our dissolution Men follow their Trades and open their Shops till death shut their eyes and gives them a writ of ease men pursue their earthly works till death sound a retreat and command their appearance in the other World Many a one hath breathed out his last in the midst of his labour His life and his labour have ended together Let every man abide in the calling whereto he is called saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.24 They who make Religion their business are constant immoveable and do always abound in the work of the Lord. Their day of life is their day of labour the sun ariseth and man goeth to his labour until the Evening Psa 104.23 Death onely is their night of resting when they die in the Lord then and not till then they rest from their labours Saints are compared to Palm Trees because they flourish soon to Cedars because they continue long True Saints in youth always prove Angels in age B. Hall med ti cent â— they often set out with the first but always hold on to the last The Philosopher being asked in his old age why he did not give over his studies answered When a man is to run a race of forty furlongs he will not sit down at the thirty ninth and lose the price The pious soul is faithful unto death and injoyeth a Crown of life As Cesar he is always marching forward and thinks nothing done whilst any thing remains undone Nil actumc edens si quid su per sset agendâ—m iâ—uâ—an As they are fervent in their work so they are constant at their work The Church of Ephesus had Letters Testimonial from Heaven for my names sake thou hast laboured and hast not fainted Rev. 2.3 Water in the Baths is always warm As long as there is Water there is heat not so our ordinary water though this may be warmed by the fire at present yet if taken off it returnes to its former coldness nay it is colder then before because the spirits which kept it from the extremity of cold are by the fire boyld out of it The reason is plain the heat of the Baths is from an inward principle and therefore is permanent the heat of the latter is from an external cause and therefore is inconstant That warmth of piety which proceeds from an inward principle of a purified conscience is accompanied with perseverance but that profession which floweth from an outward motive wheremen as Chamelions take their colour from that which stands next them their Religion from those they have their dependence upon is of short duration A man that minds Religion by the by is like Nebuchadnezzars Image he hath an head of gold but feet of clay His beginning may be like Nero's first five years full of hope and encouragement but afterwards as a carcass he is more filthy and unsavory every day then other His insincerity causeth his inconstancy Trees unsound at the root will quickly cease their putting forth of fruit Such men if godliness enjoy a summer of prosperity may like a Serpent creep on the ground and stretch themselves at length to receive the warmth of the Sun but if Winter come he will creep into some Ditch or Dunghil least he should take cold Travellers that go to Sea meerly to be Sea-sick or in sport if there arise a black cloud or storm their voyage is at an end they hasten to the harbour they came not to be Weather beaten or to hazard themselves amongst the boistrous Billowes but onely for pleasure But the Merchant that is bound for a voyage whose calling and business it is is not daunâ—ed at every Wave and Wind but drives through all with resolution He that onely pretends towards Religion if a storm meet him in the way to Heaven he leaves it and takes shelter in the earth as a Snail he puts out his head to see what Weather is abroad what countenance Religion â—ath at Court whether great men do smile or frown upon the Ways of God and if the Heavens be lowring he shrinks into his shell esteeming that his onely safety But they that make godliness their business do not steer their course by such cards
of the eternal weight of glory Those gracious and mysterious purposes of his which were hid in the night of many ages when the Sun of Righteousness once appeared in the Horizon of the Gospel were visible and legible to every eye He hath brought Life and Immortality to light by the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 The Apostle calls it The grace of God and The word of his grace Tit. 2.11 Acts 20.32 not onely because the rain of the Word goeth by coasts as a gift of grace Psal 147.19 20. He causeth it to shower down upon one City and not on another Amos 4.7 and not onely because like a seal it stampeth grace the image of God upon the soul Acts 2.37 but chiefly because on the stage of the Word the grace and favour of God to mankinde is fully displayed The Gospel presenteth us with the whole method of Gods grace and love to poor sinners This world is the Theatre in which Grace acteth its part the Triumph of Justice is reserved for the other World and the Gospel is the Throne on which Grace sits and from whence it holds out its golden Scepter The language of the Law is no less then a sentence of death but the Gospel alloweth a Psalm of mercy and in it Grace reigneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 playeth the King commandeth in chief unto Justification of life Rom. 5.17 18 21. But the more precious this Water of Life is the more fearful thou shouldst be of spilling it Kings cannot endure that their Acts of Grace should be tampled under foot Abused favour turneth into greatest fury Men surfeit soonest of the greatest Dainties and further their Misesery by that which was given them as in Mercy Our Saviour therefore commandeth Take heed how ye hear Luke 8.18 There are two special Lessons which Christ commendeth to his Scholars The first concerneth the matter of their hearing Take heed what ye hear Mark 4.24 Ministers are Christs Ushers Christ himself is the head-Master now Christ forbiddeth the pinning our faith upon our Ushers sleeve The Bereans have an honorable crest put into their coat of Armes by God himself to distinguish them in nobility from others for bringing the coyn offered to them to the touchstone of the Scripture to try whether it were true gold or counterfeit And these were more noble then those of Thessalonica because they received the Word of God with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Acts 17.11 Men must not like Children take down whatever their Nurses put into their mouthes whether meat or poison but know how to distinguish between good and evil Our faith must not stand in the wisdom of men but in the Power of God All weights and measures must be compared with and tryed by the Kings Standards The Copy is no farther authentique then it agreeth with the Original Deed. The second Lesson concerneth the manner of their hearing take heed how ye hear The richest Cordial may be lost as it may be taken It will be requisite therefore to give thee some prescription how thou mayst take this costly Physick to thy greatest profit In reference to which duty I shall speak 1. To thy preparation for it 2. To thy carriage at it 3. To thy behaviour after it 1. As to thy preparation for hearing the word I shall request thee from God to mind these ensuing particulars 1. Empty thine heart of evil frames and prejudice Evil frames The dish must not be sluttish into which we put these spiritual dainties If the stomach be cloged with filth and flegm it cannot digest and concoct our food The light of the Sun as pleasant and delightful as it is to sound is yet offensive and painful to sore eyes This part of preparation is injoyned us by the Spirit of God Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and all superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls Jam. 1.21 If the body be feaverish the sweetest Syrup will tast bitter If any ill humour or lust be predominant in thee like the full and foul stomach thou wilt loath even the hony comb The Table book of thine heart must be wiped clean before any new thing as the Law of God can be written in it Briars and Thorns must be stubbed up before the ground be capable of the grain As evil humours because of the Doctrine taught so prejudice against the person teaching must be removed Prejudice against the Preacher is the greatest prejudice to the Hearer A condemned person will esteem a begger when he brings a pardon How beautiful are not the lips onely and hands but the meanest parts the feet of them that bring the glad tydings of peace I confess it is a mercy to be related to a Pastor who hath both parts and piety gifts and grace and if thou art to chose a dwelling I would wish thee to bear with many outward inconveniences to sit down under such a Ministry But suppose thy teacher at least in thy thoughts is a man of mean parts wilt thou thence conclude his pains will yeild thee little profit Truely shouldst thou gratifie Satan so far it would be the speediest way to find a truth in what thou dost fancy Friend friend doth the efficacy of the ordinance depend on the parts of man or on the power of God May not a costly treasure be brought to thee in an earthen Vessel Consider thou maist light thy candle as well it may be better with a brimstone match as at a great fire Christ taught his Apostles by a little Child Mat. 18.2 A small damsel was instrumental for Naamans recovery both of his spiritual and corporal leprosie And who art thou that none must instruct thee but such a one as like Saul is higher then others by head and shoulders in gifts and abilities I wish it be not from the pride of thy spirit that none is worthy enough to teach thee thy Grammar Lesson but some head of the Vniversity A picking stomach I am sure argueth a diseased body and then a squemish heart and itching ear cannot argue a sound soul The industrious Bee Plut. sucks honey from the Thime an harsh and dry hearb The Meat is as good in a Pewter as in a Silver Dish It may be thou goest to Table onely for the sauce to Church for the stile and elegancy of the language if so I dare be bold to tell thee that thine heart is not right in the sight of God Dost thou not know that it is the naked sword which doth the Execution that a crucified Christ is the great conquerour not a pompous gaudy Messiah which the Jews dreamed of Paul is commanded to Preach not with Wisdome of words least the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect 1 Cor. ◠17 so 〈◊〉 verse 27 28. Truly if thou lustest after the Quails of some new dish it is a sign that thou louthest
will it be for me to finde death about the lips of Christ to fall into Hell with a stumble at the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven How exceedingly am I concerned to set my heart to all the words which I shall hear this day for it is not a vain thing but it is for my life Deut. 32.46 47. Urge thy soul in earnest with these particulars As Elisha stretching himself upon the young dead child at last got life and quickning into it so thou forcing and stretching as it were these things upon thy heart mayst quicken it how dull and dead soever it is Thirdly if thou wouldst prepare thy self for the Word entreat God to bless it to thee The operations of the Spirit must accompany the administration of the Word or it will be ineffectual It is the Spirit that quickneth John 6.63 The fire burneth naturally and the water cooleth naturally but if the fire of the Word ever burn up thy corruptions or the water of the Word refresh thee with real consolations it must not be by its own nature but by a Divine power If thine eye be opened by that eye-salve of Scripture to see Christ in his native beauty or thy self in thy natural deformity God must anoint thine eyes therewith therefore David beggeth this favour at Gods hand Open mine eyes that I may see wonderful things out of thy Law Psal 119.18 As good sight as David had he could not read in Gods Law without Gods light If the door of thine heart be opened by this key to give admission to the King of Glory Gods hand must turn the key The Lord opened the heart of Lydia that she attended to the words of Paul Acts 16. Paul might have preached his heart out before Lydia's heart would have opened to let the Word in if God had not undertaken the work If the Sword of the Word pierce thy soul hack and hew and slay thy most beloved sins those enemies within thee which would not have Christ to reign over thee the arm of the Lord must weild it The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 10.4 Surely that voice of Thunder must come from Heaven which can pluck up the strong trees of thy natural unbelief and senslessness and pull down the high Towers of pride and self If the Word which is called a Seal Rom. 6.17 ever imprint thy Saviours Image on thee to thy Regeneration God must adde weight to the Seal or it will make no stamp He hath of his own will begotten you by the Word of Truth James 1.21 He that made the Watch can make it strike right and he that made the Word can make it strike home even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow Hebr. 4.12 If the Word which is called life John 6.63 quicken thee to thine eternal Salvation God must breathe on thy dry bones and bid thee live I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 It was the Angels troubling the waters which made the Pool of Bethesda medicinal to the diseased people And it is not the water of the Word which can heal thy soul-sicknesses unless the Angel of the Covenant work in it and with it Elijahs mantle could not divide the waters of Jordan but the Lord God of Elijah did it The Preacher may shew thee thy Lesson but God onely can help thee to learn it Reader before thou hearest Remember it is Gods prerogative to open thine ear Mine ear hast thou boared Psal 40.6 There is a thick film in thine ears naturally which hindreth thine hearing thine ears are stopt that Sermons can have no passage Now God alone can with his Seringer dissolve the wax congealed there and break through the skin whereby thou mayest come to hear and live Remember that the seeing eye and the hearing ear the Lord hath made them both Prov. 20.12 Therefore intreat him to open thine eyes that thou mayst see his comely face in the Glass of the word and to open thine ears that thou mayst hear his lovely voice in the word and to open thine heart that thou mayst receive grace from him through the word Say as David Shew me thy way O Lord teach me thy paths Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works Psa 25.4 Psa 119.27 And be not discouraged either at the misteriousness of the word or at thine own dulness for he that made the lock can help thee to a key that will fit all its wards But be sure thou forget not to commend thy Minister to God As thy duty is to beg a door of entrance for thy self so a door of utterance for thy Pastor Withall praying for us that God would open to us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ Col. 4.3 Ephes 6.19 Thy profit by him will be not a little furthered by thy prayer for him He that loves his child will often remember the Nurse that feeds it He that loves his precious soul will often mind the Preacher that prepareth and bringeth its spiritual portion I have known some to praise their Cooks highly when they would prevail with them to dress a Dish curiously for their palates I am sure thy way is to pray for thy Pastor fervently if thou wouldst have him provide such food as may be for thy souls pleasure and profit Starve the Mother and you starve the child in her womb If the Heavens do not favour the Hils with shours they cannot fatten the Valleys with their chalky streams If the Pipes be broke which convey water to our houses from the River we can expect no supply 4. Let thine end in going to hear be to please God and profit thy soul Propound a good endin hearing if thou wouldst have a good end of hearing Some go to Church for nothing like the Athenians the greatest part knew not wherefore they were met together Act. 17. They have as much as they come for They come for nothing and they often go away with nothing Others go to carp and catch at the Preacher as the Herodians went to Christ to entangle him in his talk Mat. 22.15 These go not to hear Gods word but to do the Devils work and he will pay them their wages These flie to the carcass not to defend it but to devour it A third sort go to hear wit and parts neat expressions and an affecting graceful pronounciation like the Jews to hear Ezekiel Lo thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument Ezek. 33.32 These go to hear man not to hear God They hear out of curiositie not out of conscience they desire to have their ears tickled
famine How many starve for want of the bread of life Thou sittest it may be at a full Table but couldst thou conceive what millions famish for lack of this spiritual food thou wouldst pray to God earnestly to pity such places and praise him heartily for providing so plentifully for thee Their misery is sometimes set forth by darkness and the shadow of death Darkness is dreadful though but external T was one of the greatest plagues which befel the Egyptians When Job would curse his day with a witness what is his wish Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it let a cloud dwell upon it let the blackness of the day terrifie it Job 4.4 It was sad when Paul and his companions saw neither Sun nor Stars in many days but O how sad is it when men see not the Sun of righteousness shining in the Heavens of the Gospel all their days Such may enjoy the light of Gods providence but they enjoy not the light of his countenance How can they work that want the light of the word to direct them or how can they walk surely they that walk in the dark stumble the dark corners of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty and fall even into Hell Where no vision is the people perish O Reader what infinite cause hast thou to bless the Lord that thou art not in their condition If thou hast any compassion for the poor dark dead souls be instant with the Lord pray O send out thy light and thy truth that thy ways may be known upon earth and thy saving health unto all Generations If thou hast any affection to thy own soul praise God for his Law Blessed be the Lord who hath shown us light Procopius reporteth that nigh to the Pole where the night endureth for many Months together the Inhabitants in the end of their long night get up to the top of the Mountains striving who shall have the first sight of the Sun and as soon as they see it they embace and hug each other crying out Ecce Sol apparet Behold Lo the Sun the Sun appeareth This poor Island had a long night of darkness when the people in it served dumb Idols and Devils blessed for ever be the unsearchable goodness of God the Sun of the Gospel hath appeared amongst us Nay as it s said of Rhodes it may be said of England The Sun always shines on it What shall we render to the Lord for this benefit On the town house of Geneva is writen upon a Marble Table in letters of gold Post tenebrass Lux. After darkness light In remembrance of and thankfulness for their deliverance from the pride power tyranny and abominations of the Pope Anno. 1535. I doubt not but we in these parts of the World have as much cause to set up a Monument of praise and thanks to the blessed God for bestowing upon us the light of his glorious Gospel and freeing us from the power of that man of pride who exalteth himself above all that is called God Reader Is it not a priviledge for thee to sit by the fire of the word when many poor souls are freezing in the cold for thee to walk in the light of the word when many sit in darkness and the shadow of death for thee to be clothed out of the rich Wardrobe of the word when many have their nakedness appearing to their eternal shame nay what an advantage hast thou that when thousands and millions have none to give them bread but starve and famish thou hast a Table fairly spread and fully furnished with all sorts of food both for necessity and delight yea and if sickness hinder thee from coming down to Dine or Sup with thy brethren and sisters upon that day of exceedings the Lords day thy God is so tender of thee that he sendeth thee somewhat up to thy chamber alloweth thee his Bible and blessing at home for thy nourishment and comfort O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and his wonderful works to the children of men 2. Practice when the Preacher hath done in the Pulpit the Hearer must begin in his practice He heareth a Sermon best who practiseth it most what one saith of Psa 119. I may say of the whole Scriptures They are verba vivenda non legenda words to be loved more then to be read or heard A Christians life should be a legible comment on Gods Law The strokes in Musick must answer to the notes and rules set down in the Lesson It is observable that the blood was to be sprinkled on Aarons right ear right thumb and great toe of his right foot Exod. 29.20 the first did note his right hearing the Word the second and third his working according to it and walking in it The doing not the hearing or reading Christian goeth away with the blessing And he said yea rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it Luke 11.28 The occasion of the expression is confiderable one of Christs hearers having tasted was so taken with the lusciousness of his Doctrine that she could not before all the company forbear commending the tree for the fruits sake Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps which thou hast sucked Yea rather saith Christ Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it In which words he doth not deny her assertion but her inference or the foundation of it Mary though happy yet was not so happy in bearing the essential as in keeping the Written Word of God She was rather blessed in having Christ formed in her then in having him formed of her It was her greater honour and happiness to be a member of Christ then to be the Mother of Christ The Porter is not so rich by carrying a bag of Gold as the Merchant that oweth it The Christian onely that keepeth the word of Christ is truely related to Christ the Word Matth. 12. ult It is reported of the Nobles of Polonia that when the Gospel is read they lay their hands upon their Swords and begin to draw them intimating thereby that they will defend it with the hazard of their lives Saints must be ready to die for the Gospel but a Christian may defend it as truely by an holy life as by a bloody death A scandalous conversation is an offence to Religion and openeth the mouths of its enemies but as fire is a good defence to a man in a Wilderness against the fury of ravenous beasts so the heat of grace flaming and the light of holiness shining in the lives of professors defendeth the word against its opposers A Sermon practiced is a Sermon in print and by it the hearer teacheth all the Week long The Romans were commended for obeying from the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the form of Doctrine delivered to them Rom. 6.17 In the Original it is whereunto they were delivered A good hearer as I said before
is one that eats the word now as meat eaten becomes one with the body and takes the same form with it the body and meat are so much the same that they are one and you cannot know them asunder So the Word is well heard when it becomes one with the Christian when they are both of the same form the hearer is delivered up into the likeness and form of the Scripture the Word of God may be read in every leaf in every line of the volume of his life Our blessed Saviour describing good hearers tells us they are such as bring forth fruit some thirty some sixty some an hundred fold Mat. 13.23 And elsewhere he compares the obedient hearer to the man who built his house upon a Rock which stood firm and immoveable in the midst of all winds waves and weather and the man that heareth and doth not practice to him who built upon the sands which house quickly fell when the winds blew and the waves beat Mat. 7. latter end His meaning and intention Reader was to quicken thee and me to minde subjection to the Word without which we must perish Suppose thou art never so great an hearer yet if not a doer thou deceivest thine own soul Alas what will become of the frequent hearer when the non or negligent doer shall be thrown to hell I have read a story of two men who walking together found a young Tree laden with fruit they both gathered and satisfied themselves at present One of them took all the remaining fruit and carried it away with him the other took the tree and planted it in his own ground where it prospered and brought forth fruit every year so that though the former had more at present yet this had some when he had none They who hear the Word and have large memories and nothing else may carry away most of the Word at present yet he that possibly can remember little who carrieth away the tree plants the Word in his heart and obeys it in his life shall have fruit when the other hath none The practical memory is the greatest mercy It is reported of a good man that coming from a Lecture and being demanded Whether all were done he should fetch a deep sigh and say All is said but all is not done Reader when thou hast heard the word consider though the Sermon be at an end yet there must not be an end of the Sermon Practice which is the heart of hearing is still behinde Observe the properties of those persons to whom and their posterity God will be propitious The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting and his righteousness to childrens children To such as keep his Covenants and remember his Commandments to do them Psal 103.17 18. They are described by their act they lay the word up they remember his Commandments and by their end to lay the word out in their lives to do them A good husband having received a bag of money locketh it up safe that none may rob him of it and as occasion is fetcheth it down and layeth it out some for food some for cloathes some for rent some for servants wages some for this some for that as his necessities require So Friend do thou lay up the precious Treasure of the word safe in the Cabinet of thine heart and bring it out as thy occasions call for it in thy life Art thou in adversity fetch out the Promises for thy comfort broach that strong liquor which was purposely tunned up for thee against a groaning hour This is my comfort in mine affliction for thy word hath quickned me Psal 119.15 Art thou in prosperity bring forth the precepts for thy carriage Look to that Card and Compass by which thou mayest sail eavenly and trim notwithstanding those high winds and swelling waters Thy Word is a light to my feet and a lamp to my paths Psal 119.4 Wouldst thou resist and conquer Satans Temptations The word is a Shield which as they say of Vulcans Armour is full proof against all thrusts and darts By the words of thy mouth I have kept my self from the pathes of the destroyer Psal 17.4 Nay fetch but this Sword of the Spirit out of Gods Armory and the Devil will run like a Coward he is more afraid of it then Leviathan his name-sake is of the Sword-fish which some write he dreadeth more then all the fish in the Ocean Thy Saviour gave Satan such a wound with the Sword of the word that he feeleth it to this day If thou wouldst overcome the worlds insinuations dâ— but feed on the word and thou wilt scorn thâ— scraps of the world As the Greeks in their sailing to fetch the Golden Fleece when the Syrens endeavoured to inchant them with their Songs found help against those assaults by hearkning to Orpheus pipe So when that Harlot the World striveth to bewitch thee with her pleasant voyce and poysonous breath thereby to hinder thy pursuit of the Golden Crown of Righteousness do but hearken to those Spiritual Songs that ravishing Musick those high and noble delights which are in the Gospel and thou wilt finde assured help That thy corruptions within thee may be subdued let still the Word of God be consulted Thou mayest finde in it such a bit and curb as will bridle thy youthful most headstrong lusts By what means may a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy Word Psalm 119.11 If thine evil humors be never so many and filthy yet the Word like the Catholicon Drug is instead of all purges That thy Relation duties may be performed the holy Scriptures must be fetcht out and minded Whether thou art an Husband or Wife or Parent or Child or Master or Servant to defray the charge of all those duties thou mayest take enough out of the Word of God It is a well drawn Picture that looks on all that look on it and it guides thee by its eye how to order and govern thy feet on what ground soever thou standest whether on the higher ground of a Superior the plain even ground of an equal or the lower ground of an Inferior He that layeth up the word for these purposes and bringeth it out in these practices is the right profitable hearer for he Remembreth the Commandments of God to do them Some hear and jear they go to a Sermon as to a Stage-play to laugh and be merry Others hear and fret and fume as those that live under the Torrid Zone curse the very Sun Others hear and forget what would do them most good their memories are true to the flesh but treacherous to the spirit they are like Vessels made of Ivy which some say if wine and water be poured into them will leak out the wine and keep in the water Others hear and admire but Reader if thou wouldst not have the word to witness against thee when thou shalt be judged by it for thine everlasting life or death
Sam. 26.9 But what is it to murther the Son of God no tongue can tell no pen can write the horrid hainous nature of Christ-murther He is thy everlasting Father It made a dumb childe speak to see another stabbing his Father and wilt thou imbrue thine own hands in thy Fathers blood Jesus Christ is thy King and wilt thou stretch forth thy hands against thy Head thy Soveraign Had Zimri peace who slew his Master Nay Jesus Christ is thy Redeemer and wilt thou put him to death who is the Author of thy life He gave thee thy being and wouldst thou deprive him of his being He is the onely Physician that can cure thee and wilt thou kill him Once more Jesus Christ is God and wilt thou lift up thy hand I would say a thought against the blessed God God deserveth infinitely more love then thou canst possibly give and shall thine heart be so full of hatred as to let fly against the God of Heaven Oh! say with David when Abishai perswaded him to slay Saul The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lords anointed When Satan or thy own heart would perswade thee to be slight in the examination of thy self and formal in thy humiliation for sin that thou mightest be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord let Conscience cry out God forbid that I should stretch out my hand against Jesus Christ the Lords Anointed And truly Friend if after such warning as God gives thee in this head thou shouldst dare to receive unworthily thou wouldst finde it hereafter to thine unspeakable hurt As Reuben told his Brethren when they were in distress Spake I not unto you saying Do not sin against the child and ye would not hear therefore behold his blood is required Gen. 42.22 So if thou now darest to approach the Lords Table in thy sinful unregenerate estate in thy filth and pollution when thou comest to lie under some smart rod or on thy dying bed or at least in the other World Conscience will fly in the face Did I not speak unto thee saying Do not sin against the holy Childe Jesus and thou wouldst not hear therefore behold his blood is required at thy hands O Friend Friend what wilt thou do in such an hour If on him who slew Cain vengeance should be taken sevenfold what vengeance shall be taken on him who slayeth Jesus Christ How dreadful will thy perdition be if the onely Saviour be thine Accuser and that blood which alone can procure thy pardon shall cry for thine eternal punishment O think of it seriously Hast thou never had hard thoughts of the Jews for their cruelty to the Son of God and wilt thou do worse thy self The Jews crucified him but once but thou by continuing an unworthy receiver crucifiest him often The Jews did it ignorantly Had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 but thou knowest him to be the Son of God the Saviour of the World They crucified him in his estate of Humiliation but thou in his estate of Exaltation They had not not thee for a Warning when they put him to death but thou hast them for a Warning to thee They crucified him when he was to rise again the third day but thou so crucifiest him that he might never rise more were it in thy power O take heed what thou dost and be not worse then a Jew Thy suffering He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself 1 Cor. 11.29 Some I know are offended at the translation of the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damnation but I see little reason for it for Damnation is the end of every sin though it be not the end of every sinner Paul speaketh of Believers indeed but as it may be truly said of one that drinketh poyson Such a man drunk his bane though by the help of a Physician such an Antidote may be given as may prevent the Patients death so it may be truly spoken of a Believer who receiveth unworthily He eateth and drinketh his own damnation though through the Grace and Help of Jesus Christ no thank to himself he is recovered out of that sin and saved Beza and the Geneva Translation take it in this sense So the word is taken John 3.17 18. Rom. 3.8 and in several other places Now what an argument is here to disswade thee from going rashly or unpreparedly to the Table of the Lord. That which is a worthy receivers meat will be thy poison the same red Sea of Christs blood which is salvation to others they pass safely through it into the land of promise will be damnation to thee King John Speed as our English Croniclers write Simâ—s Eccks Hist. was poisoned by a cup of Wine The Emperour Henry the seventh was poisoned by the bread in the Sacrament through the treachery and treason of a Monk The Israelites did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink but with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the Wilderness 1 Cor. 10.3 4.5 Those that eat and drink in Christs presence were punished with everlasting perdition Mat. 7.23 And do not please thy self because thou feelest no such poisonous operation at present in unworthy receiving that therefore thou needst not fear it They that eat Italian Figs carry their death about them though they fall not down dead suddenly Therefore Reader take some time and pains to commune with thy own heart before thou goest to the Sacrament Charge it upon its allegiance to God to hear thee patiently and to carry it self sutably If I receive this Supper with an holy preparation it will be a seal of and an help to my eternal salvation it will be an earnest of matchless love and an entrance into an endless happy life but if I eat and drink unworthily there is death in the pot death in the cup I eat and drink my own damation O how doleful is that one word Damnation What a dreadful sound doth it make in mine ears What fearful sighs doth it cause in my soul Damnation is no trifling business God threateneth it in earnest The damned feel it in earnest and shall I jest with it Surely I were better eat the bread of affliction and drink the water of adversity then eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily Canst thou be so bloody as to stab thy self and thy Redeemer to the heart with one blow O my soul bestir thy self awake out of sleep and do not dally about the concernments of eternal life and death let thy care and conscience be such in fitting thy self for this sacred Ordinance that thy Saviour may see thou hast an high respect for his precious blood and a tender regard to thine own everlasting good For thy help about this Ordinance I shall speak 1. To thy duty before the Sacrament 2.
in peices think how the body of Christ was broken for thine iniquities It pleased the Lord to bruise him as Spice is beaten small in a mortar with a Pessel so the word signifieth Isa 53.10 Well might he cry out I am feeble and sore broken I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart Psa 38.8 When thou seest the Wine poured out meditate on his precious blood which was shed for many for the remission of sins O consider his wounds and his words I am poured out like water and all my bones are on t of joynt my heart is like Wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels Psa 22.14 Consider the doleful tragedy which he acted from first to last Meditate on his incarnation For the Son of God to become the Son of man for him that lived from all eternity to be born in time for him that thundereth in the clouds to cry in the Cradle for him that created all things to become a creature is a greater suffering then if all the men and Angels in this and the other World were crowded into an atome or turned into nothing This was the first and greatest step of his humiliation Consider the manner of his birth he was born not of some great Princes but of mean and indigent Parents not in a Royal Palace but in a place where Beggers and Beasts are entertained a Stable he was no sooner born but sought after to be butchered He fled for his life in his very swadling clouts and was an early Martyr indeed When he grew up though he was of ability to have sway'd the Scepter of all the Empires in the World to have instructed the greatest Potentates and Counsellours in the mysteries of wisdom and knowledge though to him Adam and Solomon yea and Angels themselves were fools yet he lived privately with his supposed Father many years and suffered his deity to be hid as light in a Dark Lanthorn neer thirty years save that once it darted a little out when at twelve years of age he disputed which confuted the great Rabbies of the Jews Luk. 2.46 When he entred upon his publique Ministry he is no sooner ascended the Stage but all the Divels in Hell appear against him and he is forced to fight hand to hand with them for forty days together and when they left him they did not take their leave but departed onely for a season Luk. 4.13 His whole life was a living death How poor was he when he was fain to work a miracle to pay his Tax The Foxes had holes and the Birds of the Air had Nests but the Son of man had not where to lay his head though he were heir of all things Mat. 8.20 What did he suffer in his name when the worst words in the mouths of the Jews were thought not bad enough for him He is called the Carpenters Son a Glutton a Drunkard a Blasphemer a friend of Publicans and sinners a Samaritan a Devil nay the Prince of Devils What hunger and thirst and weariness did he undergo He that feeds others with his own flesh had many an hungry belly He that gave others that water of which whosoever drinketh shall thirst no more had his own veins sucking and paining him for thirst He that is himself the onely Ark for the weary Dove to flie too for rest did himself take many a wearisom step and travail many a tiresome journey Well might the Prophet call him a man of sorrows and acquainted with greifs though he had suffered no more then what is already written but all this was but the beginning of his sorrows The dregs of the cup were at the bottom Doubtless many an aking heart had he as a Woman with Child beforehand when he thought of the bitter pangs sharp throws and hard labour which he was to suffer at the close of his life O Friend Remember this Son of David and all his troubles but to come to his end which is specially represented in this Ordinance I will take him in the Garden where he felt more then I can write or think Consider his body there it was all over in a goar blood Ah what suffered he when he did sweat clods of blood To sweat blood is against nature much more in a cold season most of all when he was full of fear and terrour then the blood retreats to the heart to guard it and to be guarded by it But behold Reader thy Saviour for thy sake and under the weight of thy sins did sweat blood in a cold night when he was exceedingly afraid Ah who would not love such a Saviour and who would not loath sin But the sufferings of his body were nothing to the sufferings of his soul these were the soul of his sufferings Observe his expression My soul is exceeding sorrowful My soul is sorrowful unto death Vnto death not onely Extensively seventeen or eighteen hours till death ended his life but chiefly Intensively such sorrow as the pangs of death bring surely far greater Again Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me Wise and valiant men do not complain of nothing Ah how bitter was that cup which Valour and Resolution it self seemed unwilling to drink The two most tormenting passions which are Fear and Grief did now seize upon him in the highest degree He began to be sorrowful and very heavy saith Matthew Chap. 26. vers 37. He began to be sore amazed and very heavy saith Mark Chap. 14. vers 33. Reader follow him farther One Disciple selleth him at the price of a Slave another Disciple forsweareth him all of them for sake him and fly the greedy Wolves lay hold on this innocent Lamb the bloody Jews apprehend him binde his hands like a Thief and hale him away to the High-Priest then they hire persons to belye Truth it self But when their testimony was insufficient upon his own most holy confession a sentence of condemnation is past upon him Consider now how the servants smite his blessed cheeks with their fists and spit on that beautiful face with their mouths which Angels counted their honor to behold the Masters flout him with their scornful carriage and mock him with their petulant language He must be the sink into which they fling all their silth Afterwards they carry him to Pilate he sendeth him to Herod Herod with some scorns and scoffs sendeth him back Thus is he like a foot-bal spurned up and down between those inhumane wretches Pilate tears his flesh with wounds and wails and presenteth him to the people with a crown of Thorns on his head to move pity the people thirsting after his blood can by no words be perswaded by no means be prevailed with to let this innocent Dove escape Though he be put in competition with a Murtherer yet the Murtherer is preferred before him and as the worst of the two he is at last condemned as a seditious person and a Traytor against Caesars Crown and
would evidence his power he produceth with a word the whole creation out of the barren Womb of nothing He did but will it and the whole world presently started into a being By this he often proves his deity Isa 45.12 Isa 43.11 As shadows represent the figure of those bodies from whence they are derived so do the creatures manifest the power of their Maker When he would manifest his Justice he layeth the dark vault of Hell and layeth in and storeth it with fire and brimstone and chains and blackness of darkness and gnawing wormes and pure wrath and Devils and all the instruments of eternal death Rom. 9.22 When he would make known his wisdom he findeth out a fit Mediatour and thereby reconcileth those attributes which before were at ods his justice and his mercy When man was fallen justice pleaded for his deserved damnation according to the threatnings of the law mercy pleadeth for his gracious salvation he being deluded by the Devil Now it would have non-plust the heads of all the men and Angels in the World had they been united in a consultation to have found out a way to satisfie both the demands of justice and the intreaties of mercy but God did it he causeth mercy and justice to meet together pity and righteousness to kiss each other therefore the Mediatour is called the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.14 and the finding out this way is called the manifold wisdom of God or the embroydered Wisdom of God Eph. 3.10 It s an allusion to a curious peice of Needle-work wherein there are various expressions of Art So in this way of mans recovery there are various and curious expressions of divine wisdom But when God would proclaim his love that attribute which like Oyl swimmeth at the top of them all which is most in favour which he delighteth so exceedingly in what will he do Why he layeth down his life greater love then this hath no man then that a man lay down his life for his friends Joh. 15.13 Jacob shewed his love to Rachel by enduring the heat of the day and the cold of the night for her But Jesus shewed his love to his beautiful Spouse by undergoing the cursed painful and shameful death of the Cross for her O what love was that It is storied of the Pelican that when her young ones are stung with some poisonous Serpent she beats her breast with her beak till the warm blood gusheth out which they suck and recover We were all stung mortally by the Old Serpent the Devil but behold the love of this heavenly Pelican he lets out his heart blood to recover us In his birth and life he manifested his love the midst of that Chariot in which he drew his Spouse before was paved with love but his death wrot his love in the greatest Print in the largest Character though all in red letters for his whole body was the book his precious blood was the ink the nails were the pens the contents of it from the beginning to the end are Love Love There is nothing else to be read but Love Love in this was manifest the Love of God saith the Apostle 1 John 4.9 His love before was glorious yet hid as the Sun under a cloud but at his death it did shine forth in its Meridian Splendor in its noon-day brightness with such hot beams and refreshing rays that every one must needs take notice of it The Jews say of Esdras that if the Lamp of Love were quite extinct it might be lighted again at his brain How true is this of Christ If Love were quite lost amongst all the Creatures all might be found in Jesus Christ His name is love his nature is love all his expressions were love all his actions were love he brought love he bought love he preached love his lips dropt love he practised love he lived in love he was sick of love nay he dyed for love 't was love that took upon him our natures 't was love that walked in our flesh 't was love that went up and down doing good 't was love that took our infirmities 't was love that gave sight to the blinde speech to the dumb ears to the deaf life to the dead 't was love that was hungry and thirsty and weary 't was love that was in a bloody agony 't was love that was sorrowful unto his own death and my life 't was love that was betrayed apprehended derided scourged condemned and crucified 't was love that had his head pierced with thorns his back with cords his hands and feet with nails and his side with a spear 't was love that cryed out Weep not for me weep for your selves Father forgive them they know not what they do Love left a glorious Crown and love climbed a shameful Cross O dearest Saviour whither did thy love carry thee Reader I could lose my self in this pleasant Maze of Christs love Methinks thy heart should be ravished with the sense of this love The truth is it is a bottomless love none can sound it the Apostle might well call it A known unknown love Ephes 3.19 It is well thou canst finde it but I am sure thou canst not fadom it One Disciple may shew his love to another by giving a cup of cold water but the Master shewed his love to his Disciples by broaching his heart to give them a cup of warm blood The Sacraments as Calvin observeth did flow out of the sides of Christ When the Souldier pierced his side there came out Water for Baptism and Blood for the Supper Reader when thou beholdest the broken bread and remembrest the bruised body of Christ do not forget his love which is the best sauce to thy meat I must tell thee though there be never so many dishes at the Table this love is the Banquet Consider his willingness to be wounded for thee because his heart was so deeply wounded with love to thee Thou hast heard of such indignities and injuries offered to him as the Sun himself was ashamed to behold and hid himself from them yet Christ was ready for them and willing to them The Lamb of God did not struggle when he was led to the slaughter but did bear his own Cross He was his own Priest as well as his own Sacrifice and Altar His death was violent in regard of others but voluntary in regard of himself He cryed to his Father Lo I come to do thy will O God Heb. 10.4 When his sinless nature had a reluctancy against it though when he was in a bloody sweat he soon corrects it with Not my will but thy will be done He went to the place which Judas knew John 18.2 He struck them that came to apprehend him down to shew that he could if he had pleased have struck them dead Rather then they shall want proof for his condemnation he will confess himself guilty of the charge He might if he had listed have commissionated twelve Legions of
Angels for his Life-guard but he forbore it He laid down his life he gave himself He gave up the Ghost He had a Baptism to be baptized with and he longed to have it accomplished But Friend what thinkest thou was the lump of sugar which did so sweeten this cup notwithstanding all its bitter ingredients to make it go down so glib and pleasant truly nothing but love Love to Dinah made Sechem willing to be circumcised love to Christians made Christ willing to bleed and be buffeted and crucified The Mother can toil and moil all day with her childe and count it a pleasure when another had rather go to plough all day but what 's the reason nothing but her love Jesus Christ delighted in the work of mans Redemption I delight to do thy will O God which would have broke the backs of the very Angels and why because of his love It is observed the myrrhe which is let out by the incision of the tree is precious but that which floweth of its own accord is most choice and precious Christs veins were indeed opened by others incision when Pilat scourged his back and the nails his hands and feet but one drop of this blood is more worth then millions of World for even at these times he bled voluntarily as well as in the Garden when the myrrhe of his blood dropt of its own accord O of vvhat infinite value is his blood O hovv much did he love his vvhen the very oyl vvhich consecrated him to those unknovvn sorrovvs vvas the oyl of gladness to him Remember this love more then vvine Thirdly Meditate on thy corruptions As his love vvas the invvard moving cause so thy sins vvere the outvvard procuring cause of his sufferings He was wounded for thy transgressions he was bruised for thine iniquities the chastisement of thy peace was upon him Isa 53.5 When thou art at the Sacrament vvhich fitly representeth Christs sufferings consider vvith thy self What vvas that vvhich brought the blessed Saviour into such a bleeding condition It vvas my sin I vvas the Judas vvhich betrayed him the Jew vvhich apprehended him the Pilate that condemned him and the Gentile vvhich crucified him My sins vvere the thorns vvhich pierced his head the nails vvhich pierced his hands and the spear vvhich pierced his heart ' T vvas that put to death the Lord of life He dyed for my sins He was made sin for me who knew no sin his blood is my balm his Golgatha is my Gilead O vvhat a subject is here for meditation He suffered in my stead he bore my sins in his body on the tree he took that loathsome purging physick for the diseases of my soul When he was in the Garden in his bloody agony groveling on the ground there was no Judas no Pilate no Jew no Gentile there to cause that unnatural sweat or to make his soul sorrowful unto death but my pride my unbeleif my hypocrisie my atheism my blasphemy my unthankfulness my carnal-mindedness they were there and caused his inward bleeding sorrows and outward bloody sufferings Ah what an heavy weight was my sin to cause such a bloody sweat in a frosty night My dissimulation was the trayterous kiss My ambition the thorny crown My drinking iniquities like water made him drink Gall and Vineger My want of tears caused him to bleed My forsaking my Maker made him to be forsaken of his Father Because the members of my body were instruments of iniquity therefore the members of his body were objects of such cruelty because my soul was so unholy therefore his soul was so exceeding heavy O my soul what hast thou done We do not say the Executioner kils a man for theft or murder but his theft or murder they hang him so in this case it was not so much the Jews or Souldiers for they were the Executioners that put Christ to death as our thefts and murders and breaches of Gods Law which were imputed and laid to his charge There is a story of a King of France named ladoveyus that when he was converted to Christianity one day hearing Remigius the Bishop reading the Gospel of our Saviours passion he presently fell into this passionate expression O that I had been but there with my French-men I would have cut all their throats little considering that his and others iniquities were Christs greatest and most cruel enemies Reader when thou art at the Table think of those sins which caused such sufferings Consider the deepness of that stain which the blood onely of God could wash out Ah what a sickness is sin when nothing less then the blood of the Son of God can heal it Secondly as at the Table some Subjects must be considered so some graces must be exercised A Sacrament is a special season a spring time for those trees of Gods own planting to bud blossom and put forth their fruit Now Reader if ever rouse up thy spirit and stir up the gifts of God which are in thee Call aloud to thy graces which may possibly be sleeping as David Psa 57.8 Awake my glory awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake early Awake my graces can ye not watch with my dearest Saviour one hour Awake my faith love and Repentance I my self will awake presently It is not the Haâ—wk which sitteth hood-winkt on the fist but the seeing flying Hawk which doth the service The Clock which standeth still is of no use it is the going moving Clock which attains its end Grace acted will now do thee eminent service and help thee to attain the end of the Sacrament First Act faith Dormit fides dormit Christus saith Austin If faith sleepeth Christ sleepeth Call forth first that Commander in chief and then the private Souldiers the other graces will all follow Faith must be the eye whereby thou seest Christ Zach 12.10 They shall see him whom they have peirced and mourn Faith is the mouth by which thou feedest on Christ John 6.53 Faith is the feet by which thou goest to Christ John 6.35 Faith may say to thee as Christ did Without me thou canst do nothing without me thou canst do nothing for thy own welfare nothing for Gods honour at this ordinance It is said of the Indian Gymnosophists that they will lye all day upon their backs gazing on the beauty of the natural Sun Friend at this Ordinance if at any time of thy life view the beauty of this true Sun As Pilate when he had scourged him in such a bloody barbarous manner brings him forth to the Jews with Behold the man So when thou considerest the bread and wine Behold the man Behold the broken bruised Saviour A man without faith like the unbeleiving lord seeth the plenty but doth not eat of it There is a threefold act of Faith to be put forth at a Sacrament First Faith must look out for Christ Secondly Faith must look up to Christ for grace Thirdly Faith must take Christ down or receive
thy best friend in the World was so inhumanely used so barbarously but chered thou shouldst cry out as David in a holy passion As the Lord liveth the man the sin that hath done this thing shall surely be put to death When Antonius after Caesar was Murdered in the Senate house brought forth his Coat all bloody cut and mangled and laying it open to the view of the people said Look here is your Emperors Coat and as the bloody-minded Conspirators have dealt by it so have they dealt with Caesars body Upon this they were in an uprore and cryed out to slay the Murderers and took Brands and ran to the Houses of the Conspirators and burnt them down to the ground and as they apprehended the Murderers put them to death Reader thou seest at the Sacrament the wounds and blood of thy blessed Redeemer the dreadful painful death which thy Soveraign underwent O what canst thou do less then vow to be revenged on his Murderers thy corruptions and in an holy anger endeavour their speedy execution if thou wouldst have a full sight of sins filth and sinfulness go to Mount Calvary and behold thy Saviour hanging upon the Cross and good Lord what thoughts wilt thou have of thy lusts Physitians in unseemly convulsions advise their Patients to look into a glass that beholding their deformity they may strive the more against it The world never had such a glass as the sufferings of Jesus Christ for the discovery of sins loathsom ugly features and its horrid hideous hellish face now how should this light provoke thee to loath and hate sin O what Child would not abhor those weapons which murdered his dearest Father It was the glory of Alexander that as soon as ever he had opportunity he slew the Murderers of his Father upon his fathers Tomb. Truely Reader a Sacrament day is a special opportunity and thou wilt shew but little love to thine everlasting Father if thou dost not now put his Murderers to death upon those Monuments of his passion Now thou art at the Table think of thy unthankfulness ambition hypocrisie covetousness irreligion and infidelity and the rest how these crucified the Lord of glory and resolve through the strength of Christ that these Hamans shall be all hanged that these sins shall be condemned and crucified CHAP. XX. What a Christian ought to do after a Sacrament I Shall speak to thy duty after the Supper Thirdly Which consisteth mainly in these two things Thankefulness and Faithfulness 1. Thankefulness After such a Banquet as this is thou mayst well give thanks The Jews at their Passover did sing the hundred and thirteenth Psalm with the five following Psalmes which they called the Great Hallelujah A Christian should in every thing and at all times give thanks but at a Sacrament the great Hallelujah must be sung then God must have great thanks then we must with our souls bless the Lord and with all within us paise his holy name O Reader call upon thy self as Barak and Deborah did Awake awake Deborah Awake awake Barak utter a song and lead captivity captive thou son of Abinoam Judg. 5. Awake my love awake my joy utter a song a feast is made for laughter and wine rejoyceth the heart of man Friend is not this a rare feast where is thy chearful face Is not here good wine a cup of Nectar indeed the blood of the Son of God what mirth what musick hast thou to this Banquet of Wines Antiently it was the beginning and ending of Letters Gaudete in Domino Rejoyce in the Lord. It will be an excellent conclusion of this Ordinance to rejoyce in the Lord. O let thy soul magnisie the Lord and thy spirit rejoyce in God thy Saviour Luk. 1.46 47. The cup in the Sacrament is called the Eucharistical cup or the cup of blessing let it be so to thee Let thy heart and mouth say Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited and redeemed his people Luk. 2. Canst thou think of that infinite love which God manifested to thy soul without Davids return VVhat shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits His heart was so set upon thy salvation His Love was so great to thy soul that he delighted in the very death of his Son because it tended to thy good It pleased the Lord to bruise him Isa 53.10 Valde delectatus est Junius reads it He was exceedingly delighted in it Surely the mind of God was infinitely set upon the recovery of lost sinners in that whereas other Parents whose love to their children in comparison of his to Christ is but as a drop to the Ocean follow their children to their graves with many tears especially when they dye violent deaths he delighted exceedingly in the barbarous death of his onely Son in the bleeding of the head because it tended to the health and eternal welfare of the members Friend what manner of love hath the father loved thee with He gave his own Son to be apprehended that thou mightest escape his own Son to be condemned that thou mightest be acquitted his own Son to be whipped and wounded that thou mightest be cured and healed yea his own Son to dye a shameful cursed death that thou mightest live a glorious blessed life for ever Glory to God in the highest peace on earth and good will to men Alass how unworthy art thou of this inestimable mercy Thou art by nature a child of wrath as well as others and hadst been now wallowing in sin with the worst in the World if free grace had not renewed thee nay thou hadst been roaring in Hell at this hour if free grace had not repreived thee Thy conscience will tell thee that thou dost not deserve the bread which springeth out of the earth and yet thou are fed with the bread which came down from heaven with Angels food O infinite love Mayst not thou well say with Mephibosheth to David VVhat is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am For all my fathers house were as dead men before my Lord yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own Table Lord I was a lost dead damned sinner before thee liable to the unquenchable fire and yet thou hast been pleased to set me among them that eat at thine own Table and feed on thine own Son O what is thy servant that thou shouldst take such notice of such a dead dog as I am Look abroad in the World and thou mayst see others refused when thou art chosen others past by when thou art called others polluted when thou art sanctified others put off with common gifts when thou hast special grace others fed with the scraps of ordinary bounty when thou hast the finest of the floor even the fruits of saving mercy As Elkanah gave to Peninnah and to all her sons and Daughters portions but to Hannah he gave a worthy portion because he loved her
with all possible seriousness and diligence O let me never be so unworthy and impudent as to defile that holy Feast before the Authors face * The unworthy persons dreadful condition guilty of Christs death I wish that my heart may have an infinite respect for the blood of my Saviour the stream in which all my comforts both for this and a better World come swiming to me which hath landed thousands safely at the Haven of eternal happiness one drop of which I am sure is more worth then heaven and earth that as all murder is abominable being against the light of nature so Christ-murder may be most of all abhorr'd by me as being directly against the clearest light of Scripture and the choicest love which ever was discovered to the children of men Good Lord whatever I jest with let me never sport or dally with the death of thy Son Let me not give him cause to complain of me as once of Judas he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish is the same that betrayeth me Let me never buy a Sacrament as the Jews the Potters field with the price of blood Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my Salvation and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy loving kindness I wish that true self-love may be so prevalent with me Of his own damnation that since I beleive the prophanation of the most precious things will be most pernicious to my soul as the whitest Ivory is turned by the fire into the deepest black and the sweetest wine becometh the sharpest vinegar I may tremble and fear before I receive lest I should poison my self with that potion which is intended for my health and cut the throat of my precious soul with that Knife wherewith I may cut bread feed on it Preparation which consisteth in Examination of the good in us and live for ever I wish that I may prepare my heart to meet the God of Israel at this holy Ordinance and to this end that I may be impartial in the search and examination of my soul whether I come short of the grace of God or no. Of the truth of grace Physitians judge sometimes of the inward parts by the tongue The Roman Emperor Tiberius when one pretended to the Crown of a Kingdom discovered him to be a counterfeit by feeling his hands and finding that they were not soft as of a person tenderly bread but hard as the hands of a Mechanicke I desire that both by my tongue and hand by my words and works I may know the state and condition of my heart In special my prayer is Of Faith that I may never fail to try my faith which is to the soul what the natural heat is to the body by vertue of which the nutritive faculty turneth the food into nourishment but may make sure of an interest in the Vine before I drink of the fruit thereof I wish that before I go for a discharge Examination of the evil in us I may look into the book of my conscience cast up my accounts and consider how insinitely I am indebted to my God that I may consider whence I am fallen Humiliation and Repent and like Tamar though I am ravished and defiled by force may yet rent my garments my heart I mean with godly sorrow and self-abhorrency O that my soul might be so searched to the bottom that none of my wounds may fester Reformation but all may be discovered and cured I pray that I may not dare to turn the Table of the Lord into the Table of Divels by receiving the Sacrament in the love of any known sin but may go to it with an hearty detestation of every false way and an holy resolution against every known wickedness Dependance on Christ I wish that after all my pains in preparing my self I may look up to Christ alone for assistance as knowing that I am not sufficient of my self so much as to think any thing but my sufficiency is of God Blessed Saviour be thou surety for thy Servant and bound for my good behaviour at thy last and loving Supper I wish that when I come to the Table At the Table Subjects to be considered Christs passion I may like the beloved Disciple behold the wounds of my Saviour and see that water and blood which did flow out of his side that as in the Gospel I read a narrative so in this ordinance I may have a prospective of his sufferings how he emptied himself to fill me and to raise my reputation with his Father laid down his own how he humbled himself though he had the favour of a Son to the form of a servant and though he were the Lord of life and glory to the most ignominious death even the death of the Cross I wish that in his special passion I may ever take notice of his affection Christs affection and esteem the laying down his life as the Hyperbole of his love the highest note that love could possibly reach Ah how neer did this High Priest carry my name to his heart when he willingly vnderwent the rage of Hell to purchase for me a passage to heaven I will remember thy love more then Wine Our own corruptions I desire that when I see Christ crucified before mine eyes in the breaking of the bread and pouring out of the wine I may not forget the cause my corruptions but may so think of them and my Saviours kindness in dying to make satisfaction for them that as fire expelleth fire so I may be enabled by the fire of love to expel and cast out the fire of lust I wish that however my body be attired Graces to be exercised Faith my soul may by faith put on the Lord Jesus Christ at this Heavenly feast that I may not onely look up to him as the Criple to Peter and John expecting an almes but may receive him by beleiving and so banquet on his blessed body and bathe my soul in his precious blood that my spirit may rejoyce in God my Saviour whilst I am assured that though the pain were his yet the profit is mine though the wounds were his yet the balm issuing thence is mine though the thorns were his yet the Crown is mine and though the price were his yet the purchase is mine O let him be mine in in possession and claim and then he will be mine in fruition and comfort Lord I beleive Love help mine unbeleif I wish since love is the greatest thing my Saviour can give me for God is love and the greatest thing which I can give my Saviour that his love to me may be reflected back to him again that my chiefest love may be as a fountain sealed up to all others and broched only for him who is altogether lovely that I may hate Father Mother Wife Child House and Land out of love to him that many waters of affliction
Days and it may be got little soul-saving good Thou goest to the House of God where a table in the preaching of the Gospel is set before thee spread with all the dainties of Pardon Love Grace Peace and Eternal Life at which others sit and feed their Souls are fill'd with Marrow and Fatness and their mouthes praise the Lord with joyful lips but thou hast no stomack canst eat little and savour nothing I dare be the Physician to tell thee the cause cure of this the cause is Thy stomack is foul thy heart is unclean and therefore as a man that hath a cold or some disease predominant cannot rellish his meat but complains sometimes of the meat sometime of the Cook when the fault is in himself so thou canst taste no goodness in the best meat neither Prayer nor Scripture neither Sermon nor Sabbath are savoury to thee yet it may be thou blamest the Preacher he doth not dress the meat to thy mind when the fault is in the foulness of thy affections Thy cure must be to purge out this old leaven to take some pains beforehand in cleansing thy heart When the stomack is clean as after purging or fasting how sweet is a piece of bread So if thou wouldst but in secret search thy soul vomit up thy filth by a penitent confession cleanse thine heart by sincere contribution and wouldst then frequent the publique Ordinances thou wouldst finde prayer sweet preaching sweet the Sacrament sweet every service sweet O how wouldst thou love the habitation of Gods House and the place where his honor dwelleth Prepare to meet thy God O Christian betake thy self to thy chamber on the Saturday night confess and bewail thine unthankfulness for and unfruitfulness under the Ordinances of God shame and condemn thy self for thy sins entreat God to prepare thy heart for and assist it in thy Religious performances spend some time in consideration of the infinite Majestie Holiness Jealousie and Goodness of that God with whom thou art to have to do in sacred duties ponder the weight and importance of his holy Ordinances how they concern thy salvation or damnation thine everlasting life or death how certainly they will either further thine unchangeable welfare or encrease thine endless wo meditate on the shortness of the time thou hast to enjoy Sabbaths in how near thy life may be to an end how speedily and how easily God may take down thine earthly Tabernacle how there is no working no labouring no striving in the other World to which thou art hastning and continue musing and blowing till the fire burneth thou canst not think the good thou mayest gain by such fore-thoughts how pleasant and profitable a Lords Day would be to thee after such a preparation The oven of thine heart thus baked in as it were over night would be easily heated the next morning the fire so well raked up when thou wentest to bed would be the sooner kindled when thou shouldst rise If thou wouldst thus leave thine heart with God on the Saturday night thou shouldst finde it with him in the Lords Day morning Secondly Possess thy soul in the morning with the greatness of thy priviledge in the enjoyment of a Sabbath and such seasons of grace Look upon thy work that day as thy reward thy duty on that day as thy greatest Dignity O what a favour what an honor what happiness doth God vouchsafe to thee in affording thee such a golden season David though a King the Head of the best people in the World esteemed it an honor to be the lowest Officer in Gods House to be a Door-keeper there to fit at the threshold as it is in the Hebrew Psal 84.10 If the Queen of Sheba could say when she saw the wealth and heard the wisdom of Solomon Happy are these thy men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom and blessed be the Lord God of Israel which delighted in thee to set thee on the Throne of Israel because the Lord loved Israel for ever therefore made he thee King 1 Kings 10.8 9. mayest not thou when thou beholdest the beautiful face of thy Saviour in the glass of Ordinances and hearest the sweet delightful voyce of Jesus Christ a greater then Solomon when thou seest the delicate and plentiful provision the feast of fat things of wine on the lees well refined which he makes for his people upon better ground say Blessed are thy servants that hear thee daily watching at thy gates waiting at the posts of thy doors Prov. 8.34 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praising thee And blessed be the Lord God of Israel which delighted in thee to set thee on the Throne of Israel because he loved Israel for ever therefore hath he made thee King The Ordinances of God are called an appearing before God the fruition of them is a seeing his face Capernaum because of them was said to be lifted up to Heaven Who can tell what honor it is to appear in the presence of this King or what happiness it is to see his comely countenance Those that enjoy this are lifted up to Heaven Israel was an unparallel'd people because of this incomparable priviledge For what Nation is there so great which hath God so nigh unto them Deut. 4.7 In the Ordinances of God the Christian hath sweet communion with ravishing delight in and enflamed affection to the blessed God in them he tastes God to be gracious hath the First-fruits of his Glorious and Eternal Harvest Well might the French Protestants call their place of publique meeting Paradise Well might David cry out Psal 84.1 2. 27.4 How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts At the Tabernacle God did meet David Who can tell what joyful greeting there was at that holy meeting what sweet kisses what loving embraces God gave his soul As the Ordinances are Heaven in a glass so the Lords Day is Heaven in a map This is to be valued at an high rate because therein we enjoy all the means of communion with God in the highest degree and measure without interruption The Hebrews call thee Week days prophane days but this is an holy pious day The Greeks call them working days but this is a day of sweet rest Other days are common and ordinary handmaids but this is fitly termed by the Jews the Queen of days Many Daughters have done wisely but thou hast excelled them all Many days as Lecture-days Fast-days Thanksgiving-days have done vertuously have done valiantly but thou O Queen of days hast excelled them all They like Saul have slain their thousands of Spiritual Enemies but thou hast slain as David thy ten thousands They like the people must worship afar off but thou like Moses mayest draw near go up into the mount There is none like thee whom God knoweth face to face Well may other days say to thee as the people to David Thou art
comfort of thy life for a little perishing wealth and make thy whole time on earth bitter out of a love to a little fading Treasure It was the advice of the late Earl of Salisbury in his Book of Precepts to his Son That he should be exceeding careful whom he matched with because as in a project of War when an Army is foiled by the Enemy they seldom recover so to erre once in the choice of a Wife is usually to be undone for ever and the more cause there is of special care because he that seeketh out for a wife goeth to a Lottery where he shall meet with ahundred blanks for one prize But I am perswading thee to circumspection in this particular not upon a Politick but a Consciencious principle as thou wouldst exalt Religion in thy habitation Next to thy self thy Wife will be the best friend or worst foe that Godliness can have in thy Family Nay possibly and probably too if thy Wife should be wicked though thou art at present like a sound Apple thou mayst quickly be speckt by lying neer one that is all over rotten The nearer the relation the easier and speedier is the infection He that could overcome a Lyon to his glory was himself overcome by a woman to his sin and shame The most perfect man Adam the strongest man Sampson the wisest man Solomon were all betrayed by their Wives into the hands of their spiritual Enemies the meekest man Moses hearkened so much to his Wife that it was like to have cost him his life Some Expositors give this reason why Satan spared Jobs Wife when he slew his children not to comfort him surely the Devil did not love Job so well but to cross him by provoking him to curse God The Devil knew that none was so fit to present that poysonous potion with success to Job as his Wife that if he ever took it her fair hands must give it and her sugred words sweeten it Solomon saith Wo be to him that is alone surely it is also true Wo be to him who is not alone but hath a wicked wife like a snake in his bosom Reader Dost thou want a Servant choose for God not for thy self Let not thy main quaere be Whether he can do thy work but Whether he will submit to Gods Word Though the former must not be neglected yet the latter must be preferred It may be for advantage sake thou receivest a drunken or swearing person into thy house but dost thou consider that he will be an Achan a troubler of thy Family Canst thou think to do Gods work with the Devils tools Put off thy disguise of Christianity if thou esteemest thy particular calling above thy general Besides Dost thou know what thou hast done thou hast taken into thy house an Usher to instruct thy children in the black Art of Hell Believe it thy children will catch sins as soon as vermine from those that are of Satans ragged Regiment Thy Sons and Daughters are like Polypus in Aelian that turneth to the colour of that rock or weed in the Sea which lieth nearest Once more thou wilt be frustrated in the end of thy entertaining such a servant for they will never be faithful to their Master who are unfaithful to their Maker Constantius the Father of famous Constantine gave out That all such as would not deny the faith should be deprived of their honor and offices Whereupon several forsook the Faith others stuck close to the Truth Whereupon the Emperor when he had discovered those halting hypocritical persons turned them all out of their places saying That they who were false to God would never be faithful to man I do a little question his policy in the premises but his piety in the conclusion is out of question for they who will rob God of his glory will if opportunity serve rob men of their goods and good name too It is recorded to the credit of Queen Elizabeth that she would suffer no Lady to approach her presence of whose dishonesty she had the least suspition Friend mark and follow the man after Gods own heart Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me He that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight Psa 101.6 7. As thou wouldst have Gods company in thy family do not entertain his enemies into thy family What communion hath God with Belial As thou wouldst make Religion thy business avoid those quench-coals those hinderers of holiness Bid the workers of iniquity depart if thou wouldst keep the commandments of thy God Psalm 119.115 Secondly Mind holy performances in thy family Every Master of a Family is a Priest and his whole family should be a royal Priesthood offering at least morning and evening sacrifice to God Ita haâ—eto solicitudinem Dâ—musut aliquam tamen vacationem animae tribuas Hier. ad Celant acceptable through Jesus Christ The Jews had sacrifice in their Families as well as in the Tabernacle Exod. 12.2 Let me go I pray thee for our family hath a sacrifice in the City saith David to Jonathan 1 Sam. 6.20 It was prophesied that in the days of the Gospel the spirit should be poured down upon men and they should see Christ and mourn every family apart Zac. 2.10 It was the advice of Hierom to a pious Matron So take care of thine house as alway to allow liberty and time to thy soul the Governour hath the cure of the souls as well as of the bodies in his familie and if he mind their outward man and neglecteth their inward he is but a brute in humane shape for beasts feed the bodies of their young As the School fitteth young men for the University so holy performances in private prepare servants and children for and help them to profit by the Ordinances of God in publique A foundation well laid by the Master of a Family is a great help to the Minister when he goeth to rear and raise the building Confident I am our work would not have half that difficulty which now it hath if Masters of Families would but do their duties he that findeth his timber ready hewn to his hand hath a great advantage in setting up an house of him that must fell bark season and hew it himself It is no wonder that an Apprentice is so backward to his work and so bungling at it when he is wholly unacquainted with it and a stranger to it If Children and Servants were accustomed to religious exercises at home Sermons would not be so tedious nor Sabbaths so tiresome to them as they are The ordinary duties in Families are prayer reading the Word with instructing Children and Servants out of it and singing 1. Dr. Bernard in his life and death Prayer must be in families It s said of Bishop Vsher that he had Family prayer four
flesh How far are such from obedience to Gods Law Let the Husband honor the Wife as the weaker vessel that is use her tenderly China dishes and Venice glasses must be tenderly handled because they are weak vessels The Husband must with the mantle of love cover many infirmities An Heathen could tell Sarah That Abraham was a covering of the eyes to her Gen. 20.16 The eye is the tenderest part of the body God hath provided a special cover to fence it When God would speak his infinite respect to and care of his people he saith They are as dear to him as the apple of his eye Truly Husbands ought to be as tender of their Wives as of the apple of their eyes But Reader see the reason of this Injunction of love to Husbands and Wives That your prayers be not hindred as if he had said Winde up those weights of meekness and love or Religion will stand still Take away those needful props and piety will fall to the ground O friend as thou hast any love to the honor of God honor thy Wife as the weaker vessel if God hath caled thee to that relation If thou art a Wife be of a meek and quiet spirit If there be not concord in affections there will be sad discord in petitions When there is War in a Kingdom how are Sabbaths prophaned Ordinances despised Prayer and Scripture neglected men are hurried away in haste to this and that place and leave duties behinde them So in a family which is a Kingdom in a little volume Divisions will put Religion behinde and force it to stand back Rubenius Celer would needs have it engraven on his Tomb that he had lived with his Wife Ennea forty three years and eight moneths and yet they never fell out It is happy where the Husband and Wife are like the two branches in the Prophet Ezekiels hand so closed together in one bark that both made but one piece or like Pilades and Orestes of whom it is said They both lived but one life and where the whole family like the multitude of Believers is of one accord of one heart and of one soul in the Lord Acts 4.32 with the encrease of God I have now dispatched what I intended to offer thee for the advancement of Godliness in thy Family If thou art a stranger to this honorable comfortable work of worshipping God in and with thy Family O that I could prevail with thee to put the counsel of God speedily into practice I must assure thee from the Living and Almighty God That thou art accountable to the Judge of quick and dead for all the souls in thy Family God hath the chief propriety in every person in thy dwelling As the flock which Jacob looked after was Labans so the family which thou hast the oversight of is Gods Thy sons and thy daughters which thou hast born to me Ezek. 16.20 God may say to thee more truly then Laban did to Jacob These sons are my sons Gen. 39.43 and these daughters are my daughters and these servants are my servants and all that thou seest is mine Indeed God doth in effect say to thee what Pharaohs Daughter did to Moses Mother Take this childe and nurse it for me and I will give thee thy wages Exod. 2.9 Take this Son this Daughter and nurse them for me in my nurture and admonition Take this man-servant this maid-servant and bring them up for me in my fear and service and I will give thee an eternal reward Friend thou wouldst be faithful in bringing up Children or Servants for thy Brother or Soveraign and wilt thou be unfaithful in bringing up Sons and Servants to thy God and Saviour Is it fit that Gods servants should do the Devils work Let Conscience judge Did God give thee them to be brought up in drinking or swearing or lying or Atheism or like so many Heathen or Beasts without any knowledge of his Word and Will Did he honor and intrust thee with their education to have thee poyson their souls by thy irreligious pattern and starve their souls by not giving them spiritual food Is this thy love to thy Maker and Redeemer Besides I must tell thee As Jacob was answerable to Laban for the whole flock if any were torn by beasts or stollen by day or night he bore the loss of all Gen. 31.39 Of his hands it was required So art thou answerable to God for every one in thy Family if any one be devoured and torn in pieces by the roaring Lyon the Devil through thy negligence God will require his soul at thy hands O Reader consider Death will shortly break up thine house when thy children and servants must go to everlasting fire if they dye without grace and the knowledge and fear of God If thou art now careless about the eternal good of thy children and servants that they perish for ever through thy falseness and unfaithfulness how dreadful will thy account be What wilt thou do when the blood of their souls shall be required of thee If Christ sentence men to Hell for not visiting sick and imprisoned bodies for not feeding hungry bodies what sentence will he pass on thee for not visiting those souls committed to thy charge which were imprisoned by the Devil and sick unto death and for not giving them the bread of life but suffering them to starve and dye If on him that brought a temporal death on Cain vengeance should be taken sevenfold what vengeance shall be taken on thee who tumblest others into eternal death Believe it Reader these are no jesting things If therefore thou hast any bowels towards the children of thine own body if thou hast any compassion towards thy poor servants whom Christ thought worth his own blood if thou hast any love to thy dearest Saviour or thine own everlasting salvation if thou would leave this withering World with comfort and look into the other World with courage exercise thy self to godliness in thy family obey the particulars for that end commanded thee by the infinite God do thine utmost that all of thy family may be of the family of Faith and all of thine houshold may belong to the houshold of God that so when the King of Terrors shall give a discharge from all relations thou mayest with thy family be translated from living together in one House to dwell for ever in one Heaven Reader Thou mayest perceive in the close of the tenth Chapter that much more is promised then I have in this Treatise performed the payment of which though I do at present defer yet through the strength of Christ I shall not deny If thou hast any interest at the Throne of Grace I do earnestly desire thy prayers that this part may finde acceptance with the Saints and be instrumental for the advantage of many souls and that in the other part I may receive much assistance from the blessed Saviour thereby I shall be the more enabled to be serviceable to