to the precept Lord Deut. 6.6 7. let my house on thy day be like thy house employed wholly in thy Worship and let thy gracious presence so assist us in every Ordinance that the glory of the Lord may fill the house I wish 5 Discipline in a Family That I may manifest my love to the Souls in my family by manifesting my anger against their sins My God hath told me Thou shalt not hate thy brother Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him Lev. 19.17 If it be my duty not to bear with the corruptions of neighbours much less of my servants and children Should I suffer them in unholiness I should bring them up for Hell Those deepest purple sins many times are those which are died the Wool of youth O the sad aches which many have when they are old by falls which they received when they were young Let me never like Eli honor my sons or servants above my God lest my God judge my house for ever for the iniquities which I know because my children or servants make themselves vile and I restrain them not Lord let me never be so fand and foolish as to kill any in my family with Soul-damning kindness but let my house be as thine Ark wherein there may be not onely the golden pot of Manna seasonable and profitable instructions but also Aarons Red suitable and proper reprehension and correction I wish 6 See that all be well employed That I may never expose my family to the suggestions of Satan by allowing any in laziness but may be busie my self in my particular vocasion and see that others be diligent in their distinct stations The lazy Drone is quickly caught in the honeyed glass and kild when the busie Bee avoideth that snare and danger O that I and mine might always be so employed in the work of our God that we may have no leisure to hearken to the wicked one Adams store-house was his work-house Paradise was his place of labour Lord since thou hast intrusted every one in my house with one talent or other wherewith he must trade cause me and mine to labour and work in this and to look after rest in the other World I wish 7 Peace and love must be maintained in the family for the furthering of holiness and purity in my house That I may be careful to keep it in peace Our bodies will thrive as much in Feavers as our Souls in the flames of strife Satan by the Granado's of Contention will hope in time to take the Garrison Where strife is there is confusion and every evil work Jam. 3.16 O that love which is the new Commandment the old Commandment and indeed all the Commandments might be the livery of all in my family That there might be no contention there but who should be most holy and go before each other in the path which leadeth to eternal pleasures Because marriage is a fellewship of the nearest union and dearest communion in this World and because the fruits of Religion will thrive much the better if cherished by the sweet breath and warm gale of love in this relation Lord let my wife be to me as the loving Hinde and pleasant Roe let me be ravished always with her love Let there be no provocation but to love and to good works Let our onely strife be who shall be most serviceable to thy Majesty in furthering one anothers eternal felicity Enable us to bear one anothers burthens and so fulfil the Law of Christ and to dwell together as fellow-heirs of the Grace of life that our prayers be not hindred In a word I wish That I may like Cornelius Conclusion fear the Lord with all my house So govern it according to Gods Law that all in it may be under the influence of his love and heirs of everlasting life Lord be thou pleased so to assist and prosper me in the management of this great and weighty trust that my house may be thy house my servants thy servants my children thy children and my wife belong to the Spouse of thy dear Son that so when death shall give a bill of divorce and break up our family we may change our place but not our company be all preferred from thy lower house of prayer to thine upper house of praise where is neither marrying nor giving in marriage but all are as Angels ever pleasing worshipping and enjoying thy blessed self of whom the the whole family in heaven and earth is named to whom be glory hearty and universal obedience for ever and ever Amen FINIS AN Alphabetical Table of the principal Heads contained in this Treatise A HOly affections requisite in Prayer page 172 173 A Christian should be Holy in his Apparel page 427 The ends of Apparel are four page 428 Sins about Apparel page 430 The Vertues to be exercised in Apparel page 435 Natural Actions vide Natural Two helps against Apostacy page 4 5 No Atheists in Principles page 2 B REligion bringeth a blessing along with it page 520 C A Christians duty to be godly in his particular Callings page 466 Men must be diligent in their Callings page 467 Righteous in their Callings page 474 Particular Callings must not incroach upon our general ib. To steal away the heart 476 Or time page 478 God must be sought to for a blessing on our particular Callings page 484 God must have the glory of success in our particular Callings page 487 Men must be Contented how ever God dealeth with them in their Callings page 490 A good Wish about a particular Calling page 493 A good Wish about a Ministers Calling 497 A threefold Care page 470 Charity to be minded 322 412 413 414. Christs great love to mankind 493 to 499. Christs sufferings largely described page 285 to 293 Constancy required in prayer page 178 D DRunkenness abouding 417 Its Mischiefs page 418 Holy Dutys require much Diligence page 106 Grace must be acted in Dutys page 117 118 Dutys are considerable in a twofold respect and must accordingly be minded for a two-fold end page 128 to 135 A good Wish about Religious Dutys page 136 No Duty should satisfie without Communion with God page 369 Vide Lords Day E A Christian must be holy in Eating and Drinking page 401 402 Christians must Eat and Drink Sacredly 403 to 415 Soberly 315 Seasonably page 425 Affairs of Eternity of great weight page 57 Self Examination a duty page 266 F FAith specially requisite in holy duties page 120 125 Faith necessary in hearing page 226 Faith necessary at a Sacrament page 271 Faith hath a three-fold act 303 Faith tried page 272 Religion must be set up in Families page 515 Irreligious Families do much hurt page 517 Irreligious Families are cursed page 521 Religious Families are blessed page 520 Those that would make Religion their business as they are Governours of Families must be careful whom they take into their
as arrant a dissembler as he was pretended to hate such ingratitude Is this thy kindness to thy friend saith he to Hushai why hast thou left him when thou art by any finister carriage departing from Christ give conscience leave to ask thee Is this thy kindness to thy friend Ah why dost thou leave him serve him thus thy sins will be more sinful because God is more merciful to thee then to others The children of Israel have onely the Seventy read done evil from their youth up Jer. 32.30 As if there had been no sinners in the world but they their priviledges being greater then others their provocations were more grievous The unkindness of a friend hath much of an enemy in it David was not much troubled at Shimei's rayling but Absoloms rebellion pierced his very soul My son that came out of my bowels hath lifted up his hands against me Wilt thou give thy Saviour cause to complain He that did eat bread with me hath lift up his heels against me Psal 41.3 He that did eat at my table nay eat of my flesh and drink of my blood he hath lift up his heart and his hand and his heel against me It was an aggravation of Sauls fall he fell as though he had not been anointed 2 Sam. 1. And it will be a sad aggravation of thy fall if thou shouldst fin as if thou hadst not been at a Sacrament It is reported of an Elephant that being faln down and by reason of the inflexibleness of his legs unable to rise a Forrester came by and helped him up with which kindness the Elephant was so taken that he followed the man up and down did him much service and never left him till his dying day Reader the moral is plain thou wast faln and never able to rise of thy self The Lord Jesus Christ forsook his Father in Heaven and his Mother on Earth suffered unconceivable sorrows to help thee up what love shouldst thou have to him what service shouldst thou do for him Thou canst not do less since he hath redeemed thee out of the hands of thine enemies then serve him in holiness and righteousness all thy days As the Hop in its growing follows the course of the Sun from East to West and will rather break then do otherwise So shouldst thou in all thy actions follow the course of the Sun of Righteousness and rather dye then deny him When Moses came from the Mount where he had been conversing with God his face shined Exod. 34.30 When thou goest from the Table where thou hast had sweet communion with thy God The face of thy conversation must shine so with holiness that others may take notice of it It s said of the High Priest and Elders that observing the language and carriage of Peter and John They marvelled and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus Acts 4.13 So thy words should be so gracious and thy works so exemplary after a Sacrament that all those with whom thou hast to do may marvel and take knowledge that thou hast bâ—en with Jesus that at the Table thou didst sup with Christ and Christ with thee I shall onely answer a doubt or two from a troubled Conscience and conclude this Ordinance Object 1. But possbly thou wilt say O penitent Soul I have been at the Sacrament and found little joy what shall I do Answ Though thou didst not finde any ravishing comfort at the Table yet it may be thou mightst receive more grace from Christ When thou didst not spring upward in Joy thou mightst root thy self more downward in Humility Here is no loss Heaven is the proper place for comfort Earth for Grace I expect my reward in another World if I can but do my work well here I shall be satisfied A serious Christian may well be contented with solid peace without extasies Therefore be not discouraged Object 2. But I finde no peace no calmness of spirit I fear my heart was so dead and dull that I did neither act grace in the ordinance nor receive grace through the ordinance for I saw never a smile in Gods face all the while Answ Didst thou not go in thine own strength if so no wonder that thou art disheartned Jacob told his Wives I perceive that your Fathers countenance is not towards me as at other times but what was the matter This Jacob say Labans sons hath taken away all that was our Fathers he hath got his riches The glory of God as I may say is his Wealth his Treasure The riches of his glory Rom. 9.23 Now if thou didst rob God of any part of his treasure by thy self-confidence it is no marvil that thy fathers countenance was not so pleasant towards thee as at other times In brief I would wish thee to reflect both upon thy preparation for and carriage at the Ordinance and if thou findest thy self faulty confess and bewail it hereby thou mayst yet attain the efficacy of the Ordinance When Physick is taken down and doth not work Physitians often give their Patients something to quicken it and it proves exceeding instrumental for the diseased persons good A sincere lamentation of thy negligence before or carelesness at the Table supposing that thy heart be right with God will much help forward the operation of the Sacrament If thou findest that thou wast faithful in the discharge of thy duty then by no means despond but wait Food doth not nourish as soon as it is taken into the body there must be time allowed for concoction The strongest meats are longest in digesting but they give the most and the best nourishment Faith and Prayer will at last like skilful Midwives deliver the promises safely of those blessings which did stick for a time in the birth It is good that thy soul should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of God There is light sown for thee O thou child of light who walkest in darkness and be confident it will spring up A good Wish about the Lords Supper wherein the sormer Heads are Epitomized THe Lords Supper being one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian Religion The Introduction a lively representation of my dearest Saviours bleeding passion and blessed affection and a real taste of that eternal Banquet which I shall hereafter eat of in my Fathers house at his own Table I wish in general that I may never distaste the person of my best friend by abusing his picture that I may not go to the Lords Table as Swine to their trough in my sin and pollution but may receive those holy elements into a clean heart Motives to preparation Christs inspection O that my lamp might be flaming and my vessel filled with oyl when ever I go to meet the Bridegroom I wish in particular that my soul may be so throughly affected with Christs special presence at this sacred Ordinance that I may both prepare for it and proceed at it
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
and proficency is your work Heavenly mindedness and Humility which are the greatest glory of our English Gentry are excellent helps to growth in grace Children that feed on ashes cannot thrive Silly Pismires that continually busie themselves about their hoards and heaps of earth never grow bigger Indeed great persons are liable to great temptations Flies will strive to fasten upon the sweetest Conserves The longest robes are aptest to contract most dirt Satan as some write of the Irish to take their enemies digeth trenches in the earth as it were and covereth the surface of it with the green turfs of carnal comforts and contentments which men treading upon and taking to be firm ground fall in to their ruine But your sight of the glory to be revealed by the Prospective glass of faith will help you to wink more on these withering vanities Ah what a muckheap to that is all the wealth of this lower world Naturalists tell us that the Loadstone will noâ— draw in the presence of the Diamond Sure am the world notwithstanding all its pomp and pride glory and gallantry hath but little influence upon Christians when they behold their undefiled inheritance Humility is also helpful to proficiency in holiness The lofty mountains are barren when the low valleys abound in corn As the Spleen swelleth the whole body consumeth as pride groweth the new man decayeth This high wind raiseth strange tempests in the soul He giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5.6 God layeth these richest mines in â—ge lowest parts of the earth Trees even in time of drought whose roots are deep in the ground bear fruit when corn and grass wither Christians like the Sun in the Zenith must shew least when at the highest and as branches fully laden bend the more downward Why should the mudâ— wall swell because the Sun shineth on it We may say of every mercy and excellency we enjoy as the Prophet of his hatchet Alas Master for it is borrowed 2 Kings 6.5 If ye please also to peruse the ensuing Tractate possibly it may be some small furtherance to you in your course of Christianity The intent of it is to discover and direct how Religion the great end for which we are born and the great errand upon which we are sent into the World may be made our principal business and how our Natural and Civil Actions and all oâ—r seeming diversions may be so managed that they may like an elegant Parenthesis not at all spoil but rather adorn the sense of Religion I hope the worth of the matter handled notwithstanding my weakness in the manner of handling it will make it acceptable to you I could wish the face of the Discourse were clean I may safely say it is far from being painted and pardon me if I suffer the stream now to run in two Channels Such as it is I humbly tender Sir to your favourable eye whose happiness it is to inherit your Ancestors graces as well as their riches It was counted a great honor to the Family of the Curio's that there were three excellent Orators in it one after another and to the Family of the Fabii Plutarch that there were in it three Presidents of the Senate successively It is your glory to descend not onely of a Father who walked with God and of a Grandfather who it is hoped dyed in the faith but also of a great Grandfather who was famous for serving the will of God in his generation The holy Apostle speaketh to the glory of Timothy concerning his unfeigned faith which dwelt first in his Grandmother Lois and his Mother Eunice 2 Tim. 1.5 To the glory of free-grace I mention it Holiness in your house did not run onely in the masculine race your tender Mother was like Dorcas full of good works and a dutiful Daughter to the Father of mercies and your Honoured Grandmother yet alive is an old Disciple of the holy Jesus O how much are you bound to the Lord that grace should thus run in a blood Boleslaus King of Poland when he was to speak or do any thing of concernment would take out a little picture of his Fathers that he carried about him and kissing it would say I wish I may speak or do nothing at this time unworthy thy name Sir it is your priviledge to reap the benefit of their Precious Prayers and your piety more and more to imitate their Gracious patterns How exactly should you walk having such lights so near to direct you And how Accurately should you write in every line of your life having such fair copies before your eyes It is no small advantage likewise * Daughter to the right Honorable the Lord Pagit Madam to your fair hands who are a branch of a Noble and Honorable stock but your birth from above is your present greatest credit and will be your future chiefest comfort Alexander must derive his Pedigree from the gods or else he thinketh himself ignobly born To be born of God to have heavenly blood running in your veins to be the Spouse of the dearest Saviour to have your name written in the Book of Life will stand you instead and as many figures amount to millions in an hour of death and dreadful day of judgement when civil and natural priviledges though now favours will stand for cyphers and signifie nothing The Jews indeed tell us that women are of an inferiour creation and therefore suffer them not to enter their Synagogues but appoint them galleries without but they speak more truly and wisely who call women the second edition of the epitome of the world Souls have no Sexes in Christ there is neither male nor female Persevere honored Lady in your pious course to confute those painted carcasses who spend all their time in priding and pleasing their brittle flesh and neglect their immortal spirits to publish to the World that greatness goodness are not inconsistent O 't is a rare and lovely sight to behold Honor and Holiness matched and married lodging and livlng together As a Diamond well set in a golden Ring is most sparkling and as light in Stars of the greatest magnitude is most glorious and shining so Grace is often most amiable in persons that are most Honorable The Exceeding Advantage your Ladyship hath this way of doing God much service is an awakening argument to endeavours after much sanctity It is a farther encouragement that you are joyned to a loving Yoke-fellow who will draw equally with you in the road to Canaan That you may both walk in the day of your lives like Zachariah and Elizabeth that Peerless Pair as one calleth them in all the Commandments of the Lord blameless that when the night of death shall overtake you you may expire like the Arabian Phoenix in a bed of sweet Spices the graces and comforts of the Spirit leaving a sweet savour behinde you that your children may be heirs to your Spiritual riches and see the eternal felicity of
thy soul delight it self in fatness If Religion were thy business God would not serve thee as the World doth its servants God is such a Master that ten thousand Worlds to him are as nothing yea less then nothing and vanity He is a Master without exceptions because he is an ocean of all and nothing but infinite perfections His Worship must needs be the best work because it is it self a reward Thou canst not deny but the work of Saints and Angels in Heaven is the best work by a thousand degrees that Creatures are capable of or can possibly be exercised in Truly their work and reward is the same to worship and enjoy the blessed God They who make Religion their business have a taste beforehand of their future blessedness Religion also bringeth in the greatest profit The World payeth her servants in Cyphers and Counters aery honors a brutish pleasure and fading riches which are worth nothing but Religion here in Figures and Pearls which are worth thousands the precious blood of Christ the inestimable Covenant of Grace and Eternal immediate communion with the Infinite God Reader if profit be the bait at which thou wilt bite I will tell thee in a few words how much Religion will he worth to thee Truly two Worlds not a farthing less Exercise thy self unto Godliness Godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.7 8. Ah who would not work for thee O King of Nations when in doing of thy commands there is such great reward Friend who would not cast his net into the waters of the Sanctuary when he may be confident of such an excellent draught Once more If none of these things move thee Quest 4 I shall ask thee one question more and then leave thee to thy choice What wilt thou do in a dying hour I say again Reader if Religion be not thy business now What wilt thou do when thou comest to dye Now possibly thou bearest thy self up with the streams of carnal comforts but what will become of thee when all these waters shall be dryed up and nothing of them seen but the mud of those sins which thou hast been guilty of in the use or rather abuse of them Now thou canst do well enough thou thinkest without God and his Worship but ah what wilt thou do when thou comest to look into the other World Alas then thy brightest Sun of bodily delights will be clouded thy freshest flowers will be withered and thy greatest candles extinguished and leave onely a stink behinde them Believe it death will search thee to the quick and try to purpose what mettal thou art made of When thou comest to lie upon thy sick bed and thy wealth and honors relations and flesh and heart shall fail thee what will become of thee if God be not the strength of thy heart and thy portion for ever What will he do to look death in the face upon whom the jealous God shall frown We read in Epiphanius of a Bird called Charadius that being brought into the room where one lieth sick if he look on the sick person with a fixed eye he recovereth but if he turn away his eyes from him he dyeth Friend what a miserable condition will thy poor soul be in when all thy friends and riches shall leave thee and the blessed God himself shall not vouchsafe thee a good look but turn away his face from thee Surely thy disease will be unto death eternal Thy friends may carry thy body to its grave for a time but frightful Devils will carry thy soul to hell to remain there for ever and ever Religion indeed is like the stone Chrysolampis which will shine brightest in the dark of death The truly Religious may launch into the Ocean of Eternity and sail to their everlasting harbor as the Alexandrian ship came into the Roman haven with top and top gallant with true comfort and undaunted courage Let death come when it will he can bid it welcome Death is never sudden to a Saint no guest comes unawares to him who keepeth a constant table But as when the day dawns to us in Europe the shadows of the evening are stretched on Asia so the day of their Redemption will be a long night of destruction to thee That Jaylor who knocketh off their fetters and setteth them at perfect liberty will binde thee in chains of darkness and hale thee to that dungeon of horror whence thou shalt never come forth O Reader these are no jesting matters I am confident as lightly now as thou thinkest of a Religious man as if he were onely some singular and affected person it may be thou canst hardly look on him but with a squint eye or speak of him but with a jeer yet when thou comest to dye thou wouldst give a thousand Worlds if thou hadst them to give for the least drop of his holiness or the least crum of his happiness Ponder these four forementioned particulars and thou canst not but think them weighty Questions Do not O do not dally or jest with them for be confident thou wilt finde them one day to be edged tools Possibly Reader thou art one of them that hast heard these Sermons preached and belongest to that Parish where Providence hath cast me And then as I have a special relation to thee I must beg of thee as upon my bended knees for the Lords sake and as thou wouldst not have them brought in against thee at the dreadful day of judgement that thou put the will of the Lord discovered therein immediately into practice My hearts desire and prayer to God for thee is that thou mightest be saved O that I knew what to do for thee which might be effectual for that end If thou wilt believe the blessed God the way to the happiness in Heaven is to exercise thy self to godliness on Earth there is no going into life but through the strait gate The Devil putteth old mens spectacles on young and old mens eyes which cause them to think that the way to Heaven is broad and large when God himself hath told us that it is narrow and few go in it I have acquainted thee in this Treatise what is the price not natural but pactional of Salvation there must be striving labouring fighting using violence a working it out with fear and trembling and God is resolved he will not abate the least mite O that I could therefore prevail with thee to set upon it in good earnest I do not plead with thee for my self but for thy own profit that thou mayest be happy for ever and shall I lose my labour Neighbour surely thou believest that these things are not toys and trifles but matters of infinite concernment and wilt thou slight them Alas to be frying in Hell or living in Heaven for ever are of greater consequence then thy understanding can possibly conceive The weight of these things hath so overburthened several persons
mindes that it hath made them distracted and mad and canst thou trample them as dirt under thy feet without any regard at all Because I would willingly be both faithful and helpful to thee I shall earnestly in the name of the blessed God beâ—eech thee as thou wouldst leave these dying comforts with a lively courage to minde and practice these two particulars without which thou canst never make Religion thy business Make sure that thy heart be throughly changed That building which reacheth up to Heaven must have a strong and sure foundation If the Watch be not of the right make it will never go true He must live in the Spirit who would walk in the Spirit Natural bodies follow the tendency of that body which is predominant in them Stones move downward Fire upward each would be at its Center thâ—t which stoppeth either offereth violence to it So it will be with thee thy life will be according to the tendency of thy heart if that be carnal and the flesh predominant such will thy life be if that be changed and the Spirit be predominant in it thy life will be spiritual also if the Law of God be written in thy affections then and not till then it will be legible in thy conversation O do not rest in Civility Morality Performances Priviledges or any thing short of renewing-grace It is the heart by generation cheifly polluted and it is the heart by Regeneration which must be purified or thou perishest eternally When an error is in the foundation of an house it will not be mended by daubing or rough-cast but must be pullâ—d down and built up anew If any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new Creature Old things are past away and all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 O Friend consider that by the irrevocable decree and sentence of the living God None shall he saved but those that are converted and renewed And for the sake of thy precious soul give thy self no rest till this change be wrought I assure thee it concerneth thee for thine everlasting life or death dependeth upon it 3 John ver 3. Mat. 18.3 Heh 12.14 Be much with God in Religious duties Secret praying reading and meditating are great helps to piety The bottom of a Christians building is underground and out of the Worlds sight The greatest part of that trade which a Saint drives with God is unseen and his returns are unknown to the world Christ giveth his sweetest kisses and dearest embraces to his Spouse when she is alone Jacob met with the blessing when he had parted with his company and wrastled singly with the Angel of the Covenant Bread eaten in secret how sweet is it When God meeteth thy soul in a morning or evening prayer communion with his Majestie will be sweet to thee indeed Take heed of omission of duties in the Closet The Amalekite had not eaten in three days who was nigh death It is observed that the places under the Line are not so hot as some places at a further distance because though they have the beams of the sun falling perpendicularly to cause a more intense heat yet the nights there being longer then in some other parts the days are not so hot When the nights are long the days are very cold when there are long omissions of duties godliness will cool Ah didst thou but know what many a Saint hath gained by that hidden calling I am confident thou wouldst mind it what ever thou didst omit Remember how often and earnestly I have urged thee to this duty It is thy priviledge that though thou canst not every day have the showres of publick Ordinances yet mayst thou have the watering-pots of secret duties to make thy soul fruitful Let no day pass without thy morning and evening Sacrifices Fasting is bad for some bodies I am sure to fast from spiritual food is exceeding injurious to thy soul He that runneth into enormities as a Drunkard or Swearer or Adulterer c. he stabbeth his soul he that omiteth daily duties he starveth his soul Now what great difference is there between the death of the soul by stabbing and by starving If thy soul dye eternally it will be little comfort to thee to plead that thou didst not drink or swear as others O Friend let no day pass without secret duties if thou risest in the morning and followest thy calling all day and liest down at night and never desirest Gods company or askest his blessing I would know wherein thou dost God more service then the Ox or Ass For shame Friend do not thus play the beast any longer I have in this Treatise endeavoured to assist thee by discovering the Nature and Necessity of making Religion thy business I cannot but think that the Reasons which I have laid down for this duty will move any man who is not resolved to make himself eternally miserable It is no mean mercy that thou mayst adopt all thy natural and civil actions into the family of Religion that though like cyphers they signifie nothing of themselves yet having the figure of Godliness put before them they may signifie much and stand for thousands I shall Reader onely acquaint thee with some particulars which I treat of in the book and then leave thee and it to the blessing of God I am very large in directing thee about the immediate Worship of the Lord as knowing that is of greatest weight and worth No preparation can be too great for No devotion can be too gracious in Religious Actions Amongst many other Rites and Ceremonies of the Jews â—nt Margarit le R tibus lulaeoâ—um it is related that before the doors of their Synagogues they have an iron plate against which they wipe and make clean their shoes before they enter and that being entred they fit solemnly for a season not once opening their mouths but considering with whom they have to do Truly Friend it concerneth thee to be full of reverence when thou appearest solemnly in Gods presence Think of it He is a jealous God and will not be mocked they that dally with him undo themselves Serious piety will abundantly profit thee but careless service will highly provoke God Spiders cobwebs may better be suffered in a Cottage theâ— in a Kings Palace In the next place I proceed to Natural Actions and then to Recreations about both which thy care must be that they exceed not their bounds and that they taste and savour of Religion Mandrakes if duly taken is good physick but if immoderately it casts into a dead sleep and congeales the spirits It requireth much piety and prudence not to abuse those things whilst thou art using them Satan catcheth many a soul with these baits and then throweth them into the fire But if Religion be thy business that which is poison to others will be nourishing food to thee After these I speak to Particular Callings that they might be managed so as not to
omit prayer either for their meat or labour Grace as well as nature teacheth a godly man not to neglect either his Family or body but it teacheth him also to prefer his soul and his God before them both Seneca though an Heathen could say I am greater and born to greater things then to be a drudge to and the slave of my body A Christians Character is that he is not carnal or for his body but spiritual or for his soul Rom. 8. It was a great praise which Ambrose speaks of Valentinian Never man was a better servant to his Master then Valentinians body was to his soul This is the godly mans duty to make Heaven his Throne and the Earth his foot-stool It s the exposition which one gives upon those words Subdue the Earth Gen. 1.28 that is thy body and all earthly things to thy soul Our earthly callings must give way to our Heavenly we must say to them as Christ to his Disciples Tarry you here while I go and pray yonder and truely godliness must be first in our Prayers Hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdom come before give us this day our daily bread and first in all our practices seek first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof and all other things shall be added to you Mat. 6.33 Secondly to make Religion ones business containeth to pursue it with industry in our conversations A man that makes his calling his business is not lazy but laborious about it what pains will he take what strength will he spend how will he toil and moil at it early and late The Tradesman the Husbandman eat not the bread of Idleness when they make their callings their business if they be good Husbands they are both provident to observe their seasons and diligent to improve them for their advantage they do often even dip their food in their sweat and make it thereby the more sweet Their industry appears in working hard in their callings and in improving all opportunities for the furtherance of their callings 1. Thus he that makes Religion his business is industrious and laborious in the work of the Lord. The heart of his ground the strength of his inward man is spent about the good corn of Religion not about the weeds of earthly occasions He makes hast to keep Gods Commandements knowing that the lingring lazy Snail is reckoned among unclean creatures Levit. 11.30 and he is hot and lively in his devotion knowing that a dull Eo quòd pigrnns tardum aniâ—◠〈…〉 est â—ellarm drou sie Ass though fit enough to carry the image of Isis yet was no fit sacrifice for the pureand active God Exod. 13.13 He giveth God the top the cheif the cream of all his affections as seeing him infinitely worthy of all acceptation He is not slothful in business but fervent in spirit when he is serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 He beleiveth that to fear God with a secondary fear is Atheism that to trust God with a secondary trust is Treason that to honour God with a secondary honour is Idolatry and to love God with a secondary love is Adultery therefore he loveth and he feareth and trusteth and honoreth the Lord his God with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength Mat. 22.36 37. His love to God is a labour of love as strong as death the coals thereof are coals of Juniper which do not onely burn long some say twelve moneths together but burn with the greatest heat His measure of loving God is without measure The Samseans in Epiphanius were neither Jews Gentiles nor Christians yet preserved a fair correspendency with all An Hypocrite is indifferent to any never servent in the true Religion It is reported of Redwald King of the East Saxons Cambd Brittan the first Prince of this Nation that was baptized that in the same Church he had one Altar for the Christian Religion another for the Heathenish Sacrifices The true Beleiver doth otherwise he that makes Religion his work gives God the whole of his heart without halting and without halving Set him about any duty and he is diligent in it In prayer Innuit certamen quasi luctam cum deo ipso Epis Dav. in loc he laboureth in prayer Col. 4.12 he cryeth to God 1 Sam. 7.9 he cryeth mightily Jonah 3.8 he poureth forth his soul Lam. 2.19 he strives in supplication with God Rom. 15.30 stirs up himself to lay hold on God Isa 27.5 and even wrestleth with Omnipotency Gen. 32.14 When the mill of his prayer is going his fervent affections are the waters that drive it There is fire taken from Gods own Altar not the ordinary hearth of Nature and put to his incense whereby it becomes fragrant and grateful to God himself His fervent prayer is his key to Gods Treasury and his endeavour is that it rust not for want of use When he goeth to the Sacrament he is all in a flame of affection to the Author of that feast With desire he desires to eat of the Passover He longs exceedingly for the time he loves the Table but when he seeth the Bread and Wine the wagons which the Lord Jesus hath sent for him oh how his heart revives When he seeth the Sacraments the Body and Blood of Christ in the elements who can tell how soon he cents how fast this true Eagle flyeth to the heavenly carkass At hearing he is heedful he flyeth to the salt-stone of the Word with swiftness and care as Doves to their columbaries Isa 60.8 As the new born babe he desires the sincere milk of the Word and when he is attending on it he doth not dally nor trifle but as the Bee the flower and the childe the breast suck with all his might for some spiritual milk Isa 66.11 Deut. 28.1 he hearkneth diligently to the voyce of the Lord his God let him be in company taking notice of some abominable carriage he will rebuke cuttingly Tit. 1.13 If he gives his bitter pill in sweet syrrup you may see his exceeding anger against sin whilst you behold his love to the sinner he is though a meek Lamb when himself yet a Lion when God is dishonoured his anger waxeth hot when men affront the most High Exod. 32.19 If he be counselling his child or friend to minde God and godliness how hard doth he woo to win the soul to Christ how many baits doth he lay to catch the poor creature you may perceive his bowels working by his very words How fervent how instant how urgent how earnest is he to perswade his relation or acquaintance to be happy He provokes them to love and to good works Set him about what religious exercise you will and he is according to the Apostles words zealous or fiery fervent of good works like spring water he hath a living principle Plin. lib. 5. cap. 5. and thence is warm in winter or like Debris in Cyrene is seething hot
they follow their trade though they meet with many trials as resolved travellers whether the ways be fair or foul whether the weather be clear or cloudy they will go on towards their Heavenly Canaan They go from strength to strength till they appear before God in Sion Psa 84.8 When men follow godliness by the by and in jest they take it to farm and accept leases of it for a time but if the times come to be such that in their blind judgments it prove an hard penny-worth they throw it up into their Land-Lords hands Vadat Christus as he said cum suo Evangelio but men that make Religion their business take it as their free hold as their fee simple which they enjoy and esteem it their priviledge so to do for the whole term of their lives I have chosen thy statutes as my heritage for ever I have enclined my heart to perform thy statutes always unto the end Psa 119.11 12. The godliness of an unsound professour is like the light of a Candle fed with gross and greasie matter as profit and honour and pleasure which continueth burning till that tallowy substance be wasted but then goeth out and leaves a stench behind it the holiness of a true Christian is like the light of the Sun which hath its original in heaven and is fed from above and thereby shines brighter and brighter to perfect day Prov. 4.18 CHAP. V. Religion is the great end of mans Creation I Come in the third place to the reasons The Reason of the Doctrine Why godliness should be every mans main and principal business First Because it is Gods chief end in sending man into and continuing him in this World It is without question that the work should be for that end to which it is appointed and for which it is maintained by a soveraign and intelligent workman Where the Master hath authority to command there his end and errand must be chiefly in the servants eye Laert invit Zen Zeno well defines Liberty to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a power to act and practice at a mans own Pleasure opposite to which servitude must be a determination to act at and according to the will of another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Polit. c. 9. A servant is as the Oratour saith well nomen officii a word that speaks one under command he is not one that moveth of himself but the Masters living instrument according to the Philosopher to be used at his pleasure According to the title or power which one hath over another such must the service be Where the right is absolute the obedience must not be conditional God having therefore a perfect soveraignty over his creatures and compleat right to all their services his end and aim his will and word must be principally minded by them Paul gathers this fruit from that root The God whose I am and whom I serve Act. 27.23 His subjection is founded on Gods Dominion over him Now the great end to which man is designed by God Hic si is Iuâ—a naefornationis ut homo si etmplem De Deus ara homi nis is the exercising himself to godliness God erected the stately fabrique of the great World for man but he wrought the curious piece of the little World man for himself Of all his visible works he did set man apart for his own Worship Man saith one â—ustum est ut creatura laudet creatorem ipse enim ad laudan dum secreavit Aug. is the end of all in a semicircle intimating that all things in the World were made for man and man was made for God It is but rational to suppose that if this World was made for us we must be made for more then this World It is an ingenious observation of Picus Mirandula God created the Earth for beasts to inhabit the Sea for fish the Air for fowls the Heavens for Angels and Stars man therefore hath no place to dwell and abide in but the Lord alone The great God according to his infinite Wisdom hath designed all his creatures to some particular ends and hath imprinted in their natures an appetite and propensity towards that end as the point and scope of their being Yea the very inanimate and irrational creatures are serviceable to those ends and uses in their several places and stations Birds build their nests exactly bringing up their young tenderly Beasts scramble and scuffle for their Fodder and at last become mans food The Sun Moon and Stars move regularly in their orbes and by their light and influence â—dvantage the whole World The little Common-wealth of Bees work both industriously and wonderfully for the benefit of mankind Flowers refresh us with their sents Trees with their shade and fruits Fire moveth upward Earth falleth downward each by nature hastning to its center Thunder and Winds being exhalations drawn up from the earth by the heavenly bodies The ancient Philosophers and the old Divines among the Pagans did pourtray their gods in wood and stone with musical instruments not that they beleeved the gods to be fidlers or lovers of musick but to shew that nothing is more agreeable to the nature of God then to do all in a sweet harmony and proportion Platarch are wholly at though stubborn and violent creatures the call and command of the mighty possessor of Heaven and Earth and with them as with besoms he sweeps and purifieth the air Fish sport up and down in rivers Rivers run along sometimes seen sometimes secret never ceasing or tiring till they empty themselves into the Ocean the mighty Sea like a pot of water by its ebbing and flowing purgeth it self boyleth and prepareth * Piscis à pasco sustenance for living creatures Through this womb of moisture this great pond of the world as ** In contemp Bishop Hall termeth it men travel in moveable houses from Country to Country transporting and ex changing commodities Thus the Almighty Creator doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plato saith observe a curious comely order in all his work and appoints them to some use according to their nature Surely much more is man the point in which all those lines meet designed to some noble end suitable to the excellency of his being and what can that be but to worship the glorious and blessed God and the exercising himself to godliness The Lord made all things for himself Prov. 16.4 God made things without life and reason Plato finem hujus mundi bonitatem dei esse affirmavit to serve him passively and subjectively by administring occasion to man to admire and adore his Maker but man was made to worship him actively and affectionately as sensible of and affected with that Divine wisdom power and goodness which appear in them As all things are of him as the efficient cause so all things must necessarily be for him as the final cause But man in an especial manner
advantage I thank your Holiness but my souls health is dearer to me then all the things in the world Hist Counc Trent The Apostle calls the body a vile body Phil. 3. ult in regard of its original production it was made not of heavenly materials as Sun or Stars nor of precious materials as pearls or jewels but ex pulvere limoso lutoso of dust mingled with water and in regard of its ultimate resolution it becomes first an ugly gastly carkass and then moulders into earth but the Holy ghost calls the Soul The breath of the Almighty Job 33.4 It was not as the body framed of the dust but immediately breathed by God himself it was not the fruit of some praeexistent matter but the immediate effect of Divine power The soul is in a spiritual as well as in a natural sense the life of the body especially if you take vivere for valere to live for to be lusty and to be in health for what the Sun is to the greater that the Soul is to the lesser World When the sun shineth comfortably how chearfully do all things look how well do they thrive and prosper the birds sing merrily the beasts play wantonly the trees and hearbs put forth their buds and fruits the whole Creation enjoyeth a day of light and joy But when the Sun departeth what a night of horror followeth how are all things wrapt up in the sable mantle of darkness nay let but the heat of its beams abate how do all faces gather paleness the creatures are buried as it were in the winding sheet of Winters frost and snow so when the soul shineth pleasantly on the body refreshing it with its beams of holiness with its rays of grace the body cannot but enjoy a Summer of health and strength Such a soul in such a body is like a pure wax candle in a chrystal lanthorn refreshing with its sent directing by its light and comforting with its heat but if the soul be weak and full of spiritual wants the body must needs wither The soul is the ship in which the body sails if that be safe the body is safe if that sinks the body sinks for ever From all this it appeareth that Soul-work is a weighty work not to be dallied or trifled with bâ—t to be made the business of every man Godliness must therefore be followed with care and conscience because of soul consequence It was our deprivation of godliness which was the souls greatest loss and therefore for the regaining of it ought to be our greatest labour God sent his Son into the world for this very purpose that he might by his bloody passion restore man to his primitive purity and perfection Godliness is the souls food which nourisheth it who would feast his horse â—orpus est jumentum animae and starve himself The souls rayment both for its defence and warmth nay the life of its life The life of the soul as Jacobs in Benjamin is bound up in godliness Take godliness away and the soul goeth down into the grave of the other world with unspeakable sorrow Godliness as it is Soul-work so it is God-work as the excellency of the subject in which so also the excellency of the object about which it is conversant speaks it to be weighty Actiones specificantur à fine objecto circumstantiis Eustath de mor. Philos The Moralists tell us That actions are specified not onely from their ends and circumstances but likewise from their objects And the Divines assure us that the cheifest source of mans sin and sorrow is his causing the bent and stream of his inward man to run after wrong objects If objects then can vary the species they may much more add to the degree to the weight of an action Where the object is great no slip can be small Evil words spoken or blows given to an ordinary man bear but a common action at Law but in case they relate to the King they are Treason The higher the person is with whom we converse the holier and more exact should our carriage be If we walk with our equals we toy and trifle by the way and possibly if occasion be wander from them but if we wait upon a Prince especially about our own near concernments we are serious and sedulous watching his words and working with the greatest diligence for the performance of his pleasure A Lawyer will mind the Countrymans cause when he is at leisure when greater affairs will give him leave and then it may be do it but coldly and carelesly But if he have business committed to him by his Soveraign which concerns the prerogative he will make other causes stay crowd out of the Press to salute this attend it with all his parts and power and ability and industry and never take his leave of it till it be finished I need not explain my meaning in this it is obvious to every eye that godliness is the worshipping the infinite and ever blessed God surely his service is neither to be delayd nor dallied with it is not to be slighted or slubberd over Cursed is he that doth the Work of the Lord negligently When we deal with our equals with them that stand upon the same level with us we may deal as men our affections may be like Scales that are evenly poized in regard of indifferency but when we have to do with a God so great that in comparison of him the vast Ocean the broad Earth and the highest Heavens are all less then nothing and so glorious that the great lights of the World though every Star were a Sun yet in respect of him are perfect darkness we must be like Angels our affections should be all in a flame in regard of fervency and activity The very Turks though they build their own houses low and homely Turk Hist Fol. 342. yet they take much pains about their Moschees their Temples they build them high and stately David considered about a Temple for God The work is great for the palace is not for man but for the Lord God Now saith he I have prepared with all my might for the House of my God Upon this foundation that it was God-work David raiseth this building to make it his business to prepare for it with all his might as if he had said Had it been for man the work had been mean it had wanted exceedingly of that weight which now it hath but the work is great for the palace is not for man but for God and because it is a work of such infinite weight therefore I have prepared for it with all my might I can think no pains great enough for so great a Prince It was provided in the Old Law that the weights and measures of the Sanctuary should be double to the weights and measures of the Commonwealth Godw. Iew. Antiq. l. 6. c. 9. 10. The shekel of the Sanctuary was half a Crown of our money
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
his Ordinances God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of his Saints and had in reverence of all them that are round about him Psa 89.7 When God intended to give the Law to Israel Exod. 19.11 12 14. the Jews must sanctifie themselves three days beforehand and when God came on the third day to deliver his pleasure to the people with what pomp and terror was proclamation made He descends in his Royal robes with a noble Retinue of Saints and Angels and with the dreadful ensigns of his Power Majesty and Jealousie Deut. 33.2 The Lord came from Sinai and rose from Seir he shined forth from mount Paran and he came with ten thousand of Saints from his right hand went a flery law for them Exo. 19.16 18 Then were there thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount and the voyce of the Trumpet exceeding loud so that all the people that were in the camp trembled And mount Sinai was altogether in a smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace and the whole mount quaked greatly and why is all this Why doth the Mighty possessour of Heaven and earth appear at that time in such state and royalty and magnificence with such a rich Train of Heavenly Courtiers with such Thundring Vallies of Shot with the Mountain Smoking under him and Trumpets sounding before him but to assure us that he is not so contemptible as to be slighted by any that he is not impotent but able to revenge himself on all that affront him nay to teach us that he will be feared and reverenced in all them that draw nigh to him Therefore he will make even Moses whom he knew face to face Heb. 12 21. at such a time exceedingly to quake and fear Civil or natural difference amongst us here below commandeth proportionable reverence the Subject must fear his Soveraign 1 Pet. 2.17 The Servant must obey his Master with fear and trembling Ephes 6.5 the Wife must see that she reverence her Husband Ephes 5. ult If there be such reverence due from one creature to another when they were all made of the same course earthly mold and must all be buried in the bowels of their common Mother when there is no essential but onely an extrinsecal difference between them what reverence is due from poor dust and ashes to the God of the Spirit of all flesh the King of Kings and Lord of Lords between whom and his creatures there is an infinite distance It behoveth us The worship of God is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a partic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valde pavere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quâ—d est more canis ad pedes alicujus tanqua m domini totum sese prostâ—rnere subjectionis gratia â—anch said Bernard to enter into the celestial Court at prayer time where the King of Heaven sits on his Starry stately throne environed with an innumerable company of glorious Angels and crowned Saints with great reverence and fear Ah with what humility should a poisonous poluted Toad creep and crawl out of a Ditch into the presence of so glorious and dreadful a Majesty The holy Servants of God were antiently called Nephalim from Nephal to fall down Prostrates or fallers because in the Worship of God thy usually fell on the earth The Elders of Israel trembled at the coming of Samuel 1 Sam. 16.4 and shall not we tremble when the great God cometh to us in his Ordinances Every Relation in which men stand to God calls for awfulness and dread of him If I be a Father where is mine honour If I be your Master where is my fear Mal. 1.6 but especially in the Saints approaches to him they must stand in aw of him When God appeared to Jacob at Bethel where he saw nothing but Visions of love he cryeth out This is none other but the House of God How dreadful is this place Gen. 28.17 The great Turk when he goeth into his Temple layeth aside all his state and hath none to attend him but a professour of the Law Therefore Reader Deut. 28.58 be perswaded to fear that glorious and fearful Name the Lord thy God That Name which is the greatest prop of thine affiance commandeth thy fear and reverence When thou hearest In the fear of God give audience to his word Act. 13.16 Poor peasants must be trembling when this Prince is speaking With meekness receive that word which will damn or save thy soul Alass with what fear should a condemned Prisoner attend to his King when every word he speaks is life or death It becomes the greatest Persons â—o be awful in Gods presence Constantine the Great when hearing a Sermon Euseb de vâ—t Constant. l. 3. c 17. would start out of his Chair of State being ravished with the word and stand up for a long time and being minded by his Courtiers that such a posture was unbecoming his high place he would not hearken to them Eglon though a fat unweildy man as soon as Ehud told him that he had a Message from God to him rose up to hear it Judg. 3.20 Abraham who had the honour and favour to be Gods friend yet when God spake to him fell on his face Gen. 17.3 Moses though high in the heart of God yet is hunâ—ble when he hears from God He boweth his head to wards the Earth and Worships Exod 34.8 When thou prayest put up thy petitions to him with awful apprehensions of him The vulg Lat. read that Psa 84.11 abjectus in domo Dei mei to be cast upon the Earth to lie prostrate in the House of God The Eastern Christians when they called on God threw themselves on the ground Luther prayed with confidence as to a Father but with reverence as to a God Remember when thou takest upon thee to speak unto the Lord yet thou art but dust and ashes Gen. 18.27 Thou art at best but a Beggar and a proud heart will not suit a Beggars purse The poor must use intreaties Prov. 18.23 The twenty four Elders fell on their faces and worshipped Rev. 4.16 So did Jesus Christ himself in prayer Mat. 26.39 O come let us Worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our Maker Psa 95.6 The Elephant that could not bow nor kneel was no fit Beast for a Sacrifice Go to the Sacrament Mat. 28.8 that representation of Christs suffering as the Disciples went from his Sepulchre with fear and great joy The Fathers call it misterium tremendum the nearer we draw to God in any Ordinance the greater must be our reverence In a Sermon we draw nigh to him as Pupils to their Tutor In prayer as Children to their Father but at a Sacrament we talk with God face to face We Sup with him and he with us If Angels vail their faces in his presence much more cause have
matter of their thaâ—ksgiving We read of them that when like Thieves they had robbed others looked up to Heaven and blessed God for a good booty that they had prospered in their calling Thus saith the Lord God feed the flock of the slaughter whose possessors slay thee and they that sell them say Blessed be the Lord I am rich Zach. 11.5 6. That spurious Brat the Devil begot upon their cursed hearts they lay at Gods door as if he were its Father Take heed Reader of exceeding the limits of prayer those Beasts which will not be kept within their bounds are soonest caught and kild Israel had their wish to their woful cost when they cryed out Would God we had dyed in the Wilderness Numb 14.27.28 29. Be not unwise but understanding what the Will of the Lord is Ephes 5.17 Indeed the Christian may have any thing of God if he do but in his prayer secure Gods honour but he that exalteth his own will not minding Gods like a proud begger will be a chuser and therefore he shall be sent away either without an Alms or else with the Serpents which he desired instead of the fish which he denyed The Christians Charter is wide enough he hath no cause to defire its inlargement And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us John 1.5 and 14. 2. The Petitioner must be a justified and regenerate person or the prayer will never be prevalent He must be a favourite at Court that presenteth his supplication with confidence of success Others must pray and may speed through Christ but where there is no faith there will be much fear about the event The precept is to all but the promise is onely to the beleiver The righteous cry and the Lord heareth and deleivereth them out of all their troubles The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry Psa 34.15 17. Strangers may howl and we take little notice what they ail it is a venture whether we releive them or no but if our children cry being in great distress we hasten to their help Our relation to God may well strengthen our hope that our desires shall be heard He that can cry Abba Father may be confident of the success of his suit and that God will deal with him as a Son Faith in Christ is essential to prayer as I shewed in religious duties in general and therefore omit it here now an unbeleiver goeth to God without the blessed Saviour and therefore may well come away without an answer The Israelites in their prayers were still to mind the Temple either to pray in it or towards it which Temple was a type of Christ the alone Altar upon which our prayers must be offered if ever they be accepted 2 Chron. 7.38 Dan. 6.10 Kings will not gratifie or pardon Traytors whilst they continue in their Treasonable designes A sinner even while he is wooing God for mercy is warring against God when his voice is the voice of Jacob his hands are the hands of Esau and therefore with what face can be expect favour I will saith Paul that men lift up holy hands 1 Tim. 2.8 meaning in prayer Where the hands are unholy and wicked the heart is worse and God cannot abide a stinking breath Some write of Diacletes that it hath many excellent vertues in it but if it be put into the mouth of a man without life it loseth all Prayer as I shewed before hath many rare and incomparable qualities but being in the mouth of one that is dead in sins and trespasses it loseth them all When a vicious man propounded in the Roman Senate a most excellent Law they rejected the motion because it was made by a bad mouth When the face is comely the person beautiful through Christ then onely the voyce will be pleasant Cant. 2. Eccles 14. When Godfrey of Beloign was demanded in the holy War by an Ambassador from the King of the Sarazens How he became so strong to fight and to do such exploits He answered Quia manus semper habui puras Because I kept my hands always as clean as I could from the filth of sin A pure hand in prayer is ever prevalent through Christ to conquer the strongest Enemies But it is a principle in nature that God heareth not a sinner John 9.31 The prayers of a natural man are like Jehoshaphats ships which were made to go to Tarshish for gold but were broken by the way they come short of that merchandize which is better then silver and that gain which is more precious then choice gold for which they pretended to lanch forth But the prayers of a regenerate person are like Solomons Navy which were sent forth to Ophir went through with their voyage and brought from thence four hundred and twenty Talents of gold Unsearchable are the riches which the vessel of his prayer returneth fraught with 1 Kings 22.48 1 Kings 9.28 3. The properties of our prayers they must be Humble Hearty Fervent and Constant 1. Our prayers must be humble Prayer is one of our nearest approaches to God on this side Heaven in it we speak to God mouth to mouth and therefore must be poured out with much humility Rebecca though she rode along on the road mounted upon a Camel yet when she drew neer to Isaac she lighted off her stately beast putteth on her vail and presenteth herself to him in an humble posture Humility ought to be a Christians câ—nstant cloathing Be ye cloathed with humility butit never fits him better then when by prayer he doth solemnly draw near to God We are then most careful to put on our best raiment when we go to speak with great persons Subjects present their petitions to their Soveraigns upon their knees O come let us Worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our Maker Psa 95.6 Princes must have silken words given them as the mother of Artaxerxes told one Our words to the great God must be submissive The special end of prayer is to exalt God and debase man he therefore that is proud in that performance doth wholly thwart Gods end in its institution and may be confident that God will thwart him in his petitions When we go to God in this duty for grace and mercy we do not go to him as those that go to market to buy or relieve but as those that go to a rich mans door to beg an alms And surely of all persons beggars who live wholly upon anothers charity have least reason to be proud The proud beggar never got any thing at Gods door It is observable how the children of God though they were never so rich in grace were poor in spirit and humble in language and carriage when they approached the Lord of glory Every one of â—hem notwithstanding the greatness of their spiritual stock sued in forma-pauperis Behold now I
what fire was his Sacrifice offered O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord defer not for the Lords sake That wine is best which is fullest of these heavenly spirits Winter fruits are sowre and unplesant to men and so are cold petitions to God Dan. 9.13 Reader when thou art praying for pardon how shouldst thou even poure out thy soul Alass when thou considerest if God do not pardon I perish eternally if sin be imputed I am damned how should thy heart cry out Have mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness after the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out mine iniquities again Wash me from mine iniquities and cleanse me from my sin and again Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities once more Deliver me from blood guiltiness O God thou God of my salvation Psa 51.1 2 11 14. When thou art begging grace and purity with what earnestness shouldst thou pray beleiving how destructive sin is to thy precious soul and how offensive to the jealous just and Almighty God and in what absolute necessity thou standest in of holiness without which thou canst never see God As when the Clock strikes the Wheels within move notably we may hear them run round so when thy tongue is pleading with God for remission of sins and repentance towards God for the Son of God the Spirit of God and thine everlasting Salvation how should thine heart move what work should there be among thine affections to enforce those weighty petitions This fervency is necessary to prepare thy soul for the mercy thou desirest What men get lazily they spend lavishly but that food which a devout woman longeth for she prizeth much and eateth with most delight When one whispered Demostenes in the ear that he was beaten and desired him to plead his cause the Orator would not believe him till at last the man cryed out Now saith he I feel your cause It is the intension of the Spirit which giveth efficacy to our petitions It is not the length of the arm but the strength of it which draweth the bow so as to make the arrow fly fast and far Fervency to prayer is as wings to the Bird by which it mounteth up to heaven The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous prevaileth much James 5.16 When prayers are drivel'd like rhume out of a mans mouth they fall down at his feet The Mother will let the childe alone if it onely whimper and whine a little in the cradle but when it crieth outright then she hasteth to take it up This poor man cryed was not dull and drowsie there is his fervency and the Lord heard him and delivered him out of all his troubles Psal 34.9 here is his prevalency There is no getting to the Indian Mines by the cold Northerz Seas though because it is a shorter cut some have attempted that way but they lost their labour Other duties are a serving God Prayer is a seeking God Now they that seek him early shall finde him Prov. 8.17 A low voice doth not cause a loud eccho neither doth a lazy prayer procure a liberal answer Sleepy requests cause but dreams meer fancied returns Where there is a cushion of ease under the knees and a pillow of idleness under the elbows there is little work to be done When Daniel had been fervent all day at prayer an Angel is sent to him at night with an answer Importunity prevaileth with an unjust Judge much more with a righteous and gracious God Though God be Almighty yet a fervent prayer through his grace hath held his hands Let me alone Exod. 32. Who holdeth the Lord saith Austin Moses earnest cry was the cord which I may speak with reverence fastned Gods hands Prayer is a sword to wound both sin and Satan but fervency is the edge of it doing the execution Zeph. 18.2 Cor. 12. For this I besought the Lord thrice When a man strikes his Enemies with his full strength then the wounds are made The lack of this fervency is the loss of many prayers The lazy petition tires before it comes half way to Heaven indeed it is eaten up as the cold honey of Wasps and Flies of wandring thoughts when fervent prayers like honey boiling over the fire is free from such ill guests An idle prayer like a lazy beggar wandreth and gaddeth up and down and as a rowling stone gathereth no moss The working of the affections in prayer like Davids harp allayeth those Devils which would disturb the Christian in this duty When a man is intent upon the God to whom he prayeth and eager after the mercies for which he prayeth though the World whisper him in the ear he cannot hear though Satan jog him by the elbow he will not heed him But here a caution will be seasonable The fire of thy fervency must be from Heaven not such strange fire as Nadab and Abihu offered to the Lord I mean it must not be the voice of nature an earnest cry for the enjoyment of creatures but the voice of the Spirit an importunate desire for conformity to and communion with the Lord Jesus Christ We read of those that howled upon their beds for corn and wine and oyl Hosea 7.17 Many like children roar are much out of quiet disturb others with the noise they make but it is for clouts for a Babey Who will shew us any good The voice of a Saint must be as of a wise son at full age for the inheritance Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me The Petitioner herein must be very careful he that rides apace had need to be sure that he is in the right way or else the freer his horse is the more he wandreth to his loss The greater the fire is the more watchful we must be that it be kept within the chimney the more earnest our affections are the more we must minde what our petitions be The promises of God must be the foundation of our prayers What he promiseth to give I may pray to receive Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope Psal 119.49 but its dangerous for the building to jet out upon the Kings high-way beyond the foundation this may cause the house to fall or be taken down Because godliness hath the promise of this life I am bound to pray Give me this day my daily bread Temporal good things must be part of the matter of my prayer but because God promiseth these things conditionally so far onely as he seeth fit for his honor and my comfort therefore I must pray for them conditionally The Apish childe that crieth and squeeketh for the knife to be its own carver and will not be satisfied with its Parents feeding it deserveth the rod our prayers both for the matter and the manner must run parallel with Gods promises Prayer is a putting Gods promises into suit but he that sueth a Bond must minde the condition
to hear that Trumpet sounded by one of the Angels of the Churches Consider its necessity Mary minded the one thing necessary indeed she gave the word her heart but the way to it was this she gave it her ear She sat at Christs feet and heard his word The custom even in those days was for the Teacher to Preach either out of a Desk or Pulpit or some place above the people hence their hearers sitting below them are said to sit at their feet Urge thy soul with this The word which I am going to hear in regard of the ordination of God is absolutely necessary to my spiritual and eternal good I am dead and it is the word that must enliven me I am blind it is the word that must enlighten me It is absolutely necessary that I know my sins and misery now the word must do this and is therefore called a glass Jam. 1. It is absolutely necessary that I know my Saviour and the way of my recovery now the word must do this and is therefore called faith and life Joh. 6. Rom. 3. It is necessary to open mine eyes to see Christ to open my heart to receive Christ and that Heaven hereafter may be open to my poor soul My soul is sinful and its the word that must sanctifie it My soul is sick it is the word that must heal it My soul is hungry and its the word must feed it or I shall starve My soul is thirsty and its the word that must satisfie it or I shall die for thirst whatsoever conditions of misery I am in it is the word that must give sutable consolations to support me whatsoever relations of life I stand in it is the word that must give sutable exhortations to direct me whatsoever service I am called to whether of doing or suffering it is the word which must releive me with sutable supply O of what concernment is this word to my well being in this and the other World I must be sanctified or I can never be saved I must turn to God or burn in hell and the word must do this for me or it will never be done good Lord how should I hear Men are careless about things which are indifferent but they are careful about things that are absolutely necessary Necessity makes men strive oftentimes beyond their strength None work so hard as they that have necessity for their Master Consider its excellency It is the Word of God though thou dalliest when men are speaking yet surely it becomes thee to be serious when the great God is speaking It is of divine inspiration All Scripture is given by inspiration of God The Ephesians cryed up their Idol Diana because it was the Image which fell down from Jupiter Great is Diana of the Ephesians O how shouldst â—â—ou prize and prepare for the Word when it came down from the great God Men were but the Organs through which the Almighty God spoke Non vox hominum sonat It is the voyce of God and not of man It is of Divine operation I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 What wonders hath the great God wrought by his Word He hath given eyes to the blinde feet to the lame ears to the deaf life to the dead by his Word What legions of Devils and lusts hath he unkennel'd and cast out with his Word Hannibals Sword Some write of the Weezel that it doth aure concipere ore parere conceive in the ear c. He hath caused many a soul to hear and live by his Word he hath awakened many a soul that was asleep in sin by the voice of the Scriptures and caused them to arise and work out their own salvations Thousands of poor creatures who were sinking into the bottomless Hell have by Gods hand stretched out in his Word been delivered from going down to the pit and lifted up to Heaven It is a Word of Divine Institution and of Divine Benediction Revel 1.3 It is the Word in which the Father speaketh John 6.45 Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me It is the Word of Christ Heb. 12.25 Col. 3.16 In it the Spirit speaketh to the Churches Rev. 2.11 The pearl hid in it the Scriptures are they that testifie of Christ John 5.39 the price paid for it both Testaments are sprinkled with the bloâ—â— of Jesus Heb. 9.27 do fully speak the excellency of it Now Reader think with thy self thus I am going to hear that Word which hath God for its Author Jesus Christ for its matter and Eternal Life for its end Shall I like a beastly Swine trample these invaluable Jewels under my feet shall that which is infinitely more precious then fine gold be esteemed by me as dirt It is the picture of Gods own excellencies how chary should I be of the picture for the Persons sake Ah how tender should I be of that glass which hath wine in it more worth then Heaven and Earth Would it not be a thousand pities that I should suffer the Flies of my wandring thoughts to corrupt and spoil this Box of Precious Oyntments Consider the efficacy of it The revealed Word is like the essential Word for the fall as well as for the rise of many in Israel As there is nothing so evil but a serious holy person may get good out of it like some Creatures we read of he may digest and fetch nourishment out of Serpents so there is nothing so good but a careless graceless heart may pervert to his hurt like the Spider he may suck poyson out of the sweetest Rose The Word will work one way or other if it work not for thy salvation it will work for thy damnation if it be not a savour of life to life it will be a savour of death to death As the rain cometh down and watereth the earth and returneth not thither again so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void Isa 55.10 11. The Word is compared to fire Fire doth either purifie the mettal or consume it the Word will either convert thee or confound thee The Sea sinks some Vessels and lands others safely the Scripture will either further thee towards Heaven or towards Hell The ways of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them but the transgressors shall fall therein Hosea 14. ult Mark Reader what an Engine is here to screw thee up to the greatest attention to the Word which is possible It is like strong physick to a person exceeding sick which either mends them or ends them Think thus with thy self I am going to hear that Word which will not be in vain but will either kill me or cure me this Sword of the Spirit is sharp and keen if it doth not defend me it will destroy me O it is bad jesting with such edged tools How sad
not their hearts touched They hear and do not vers 33. Such go to Church just as they who go to a noise of Musitions onely for the pleasant sound for nothing but to hear Reader take heed of these and other finful ends least God answer thee according to the Idols of thine heart Children go to Fayrs for babies and rattles but men go for some serviceable commodities for the supply of their own and their Relations necessities Though foolish men go to Church to quarrel with the Person teaching or to admire at some fine cadencies or allusions in the Doctrine taught do thou go to the word for the releif of thy spiritual wants As a new born babe defire the sincere milk of the word that thou mayst grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 Here is a good end of a good action not to gaze upon the people or Pastor but to grow by his Preaching Some men go to Gardens to gather Gilly-flowers or Roses meerly to smell to them or look on them and in a short time throw them away when a good house-wife goeth to her garden for a better end she gathereth them to make a precious conserve or syrrup of them which she keeps constantly by her to comfort her in a time of sickness Though too many go to a Sermon meerly to look on the gaudiness of its dress or to sente the wit and fancy of the preacher which sight and sente are quickly gone do thou gather those flowers which grow in Eden the garden of the Lord that thou mayst by faith make such a cordial of them as may be ever ready at hand to revive thy spirit in each fainting fit whether of death or any civil or spiritual danger whilst thou livest Lastly If thou would prepare thy self to hear or read the word rightly leave thy Worldly thoughts behind thee It is written of Bernard that when he came to the Church-door he would say Stay there all my earthly thoughts Say to the cares of this life when thou art about reading or hearing as Abraham to his Servant Abide you here and I will go yonder and Worship Gen. 22.5 If thou shouldst suffer those weeds they would hinder the springing up of the good seed the word They are like Theeves never dogging thee at this duty but to do thee a mischief either to steal thy comforts or to wound thy conscience Christ sharply reproveth the Jews for turning his Fathers house which should be called an house of prayer into a Den of Theeves but how did they do this By buying and selling and changing Mony in the Temple If thou Reader shouldst in thine heart be buying in thy provision or selling out thy commodities or hankering after thine hoards and heaps of Corn or Wares or Money when thou art in Gods House thou turnest the House of prayer into a Den of Theeves therefore thy best way is to keep them out and if they come in afterwards as Christ did to whip them out When men hear with their Harvest ears meditating and musing on their flocks or shops or fields no wonder if the word be ineffectual to them If the wits of men be a wool-gathering the Word of God will be like water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up again Some Garden Seeds are mingled with Ashes when they are sown and thereby they spring up the better but this Seed must not be mixt with Dust and Ashes if it be it will not spring up at all It is reported of one of Englands Lord Treasurers some say Cecil others say Burleigh that though by reason of his Office he was crouded with business all day yet when he was going to rest at Night he would throw off his Gown and say Lie there Lord Treasurer What he did going to Bed we must do when we go to this heavenly Banquet though the concernments of our families and callings throng us at other times yet when we go to hear or read the uncomparable word we must lay them by with Lye here all my thoughts of this lower beggerly World Thus I have dispatched the first particular Preparation for the Word CHAP. XVI Of the Christians duty in hearing SEcondly I come now to the second which is thy carriage at the word in reference to which I shall commend to thee these three things 1. When thou art hearing or reading set thy self seriously as in the presence of God God setteth before thee in his word and offereth to thee life or death blessing or cursing his infinite favour or fury Heaven or Hell and friend are these things to be jested with Imitate Cornelius in his carriage when he was to hear Peter We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Act. 10.33 The piety of this Centurion appeareth in the ground and motive of his hearing he came not to hear men but God to hear all things which are commanded thee of God 2. In the gracious manner of his hearing he doth not say we are all here present before thee but we are all here present before God When the heart is awed with the apprehension of a Divine presence the iron gates of the ears will fly open of their own accord and give the Word a free passage The Creature dares not but hearken diligently to the speech of that God on whose breath depends his life and death when he seeth him immediately before his eyes I can speak it by experience saith Erasmus that there is little good to be got by the Scriptures if a man read or hear it cursorily and carelesly but if a man do it out of conscience and as in Gods presence he shall finde such an efficacy in it as is not to be found in any other Book This setting thy self seriously as in Gods presence is like the Masters eye to his servant which will make him ply his work whether he would or not or rather like the fire to the Smiths bar of iron which doth so mollifie it that he striking whilst it is hot may beat it into what form and mould he pleaseth This temper of soul in the Thessalonicans was so great a favour that Paul thought he could never praise the Author of it sufficiently For this cause thank we God without ceasing that when ye heard the word of God ye heard it not as the word of man but as it is indeed the word of God 1 Thess 2.13 The Apostle knew his children could not but thrive when they received their meat in such a manner as the Word of God It is the speech of Seniclaeus concerning Diarius the Martyr Methought when I heard him speak I heard the Holy Ghost himself preaching to me Truly the want of this is one main cause why the Word of God doth so little good The Devil is very diligent at duties he is every Lords Day the first at Church The Children of God never gather together but Satan is amongst them His great design is to
Hearing or Reading and I must tell thee that it concerneth thee now to be very watchful for many Birds wait to peck up the corn as soon as the Husbandman hath sowed it Our Saviour telleth us He that received seed among thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this World and the deceitfulness of riches choak the Word and he becometh unfruitful Mat. 13.32 As High-way men watch the honest Countreyman as he cometh from the Fair where he hath sold his Cattel and filled his purse and then set upon him and rob him So do the cares of the world dog the honest Christian as he cometh from the Word where he got some Spiritual treasure and then fall upon him to plunder him Besides Satan is so subtle that he will be sure to haunt the soul after reading or Hearing the Word When any one heareth the Word then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart Mat. 13.19 The season then is worthy our observation When the Christian hath made a good meal then the Devil tryeth all his wiles and tricks to make him vomit it up again Servants when they carry full cups of wine in the midst of unlucky boys must be wary and watchful or they will spill it Some people take physick and though it doth them some good at present yet all is quickly marr'd by their neglect of those rules which should be observed afterwards The Word possibly when thou heardst it made some work among thy affections the beauty of Christs person was displayed before thine eyes and thy heart began to fall in love with thy Saviour the extremity of his passion was described to thee and thine heart began to loath the cause thereof thy sins Well now then thy conscience is a little warmed and awakened and the pores of thy soul opened shouldst thou go into the cold presently all would come to nothing If water be taken from the fire when it is a little warm it cooleth quickly he that would have it boil must rather encrease the fire There are two things which God requireth of thee after hearing and reading the Word namely Prayer and Practice 1. Prayer Petition for a blessing upon the Word and Thanksgiving for the blessing of the Word Petition for a blessing upon the Word After the seed is sown the influence of Heaven must cause it to spring up and ripen or otherwise there will be no harvest Paul may plant and Apollo water but God must give the encrease 1 Cor. 3.6 The Minister preacheth thou hearest but it is the Lord who teacheth to profit Thou mayest like Mary have Christ before thee in a Sermon and yet not know him till he discover himself to thee The Eunuch could read of Christ in the Prophet but could not reach Christ till God came to his Chariot There is a twofold light requisite to a bodily vision light in the eye and light in the air the former cannot as we experience in the night do it without the latter There is also a twofold light necessary to Spiritual sight beside the light of understanding which is in a man there must be Illumination from the Spirit of God or there will be no beholding the Lord in the glass of the Word When the Disciples had heard Christs Doctrine they were not able to understand or profit by his preaching and therefore they cry to him Lord open to us this parable When thou hast read or heard the Word go to God and say Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments Encline my heart unto thy Testimonies and not unto covetousness Psal 119.33 to 37. Intreat God to write his Law on the fleshly tables of thine heart Bernard observes bodily bread in the Cupboard may be eaten of Mice or moulder and waste but when it is taken down into the body it is free from such danger If God enable thee to take thy soul-food down into thine heart it is safe from all hazards Thanksgiving Consider what a distinguishing mercy what a precious treasure the Word of God is how without it thou hadst for ever been both unholy and unhappy how by it thou mayst eternally be both gracious and glorious and without question thou wilt finde cause to bless the giver for such a rare and profitable gift The Apostle ranketh this favour amongst the blessings of the highest form What advantage hath the Jew or what profit is there of Circumcision Much every way chiefly that unto them were committed the Oracles of God And the Psalmist mentioning this differencing-Mercy concludeth it with Praise ye the Lord Psal 147.2 ult The light of the Sun Moon and Stars is of such concernment to men that without them the beauty of the old Creation would be buried in darkness and therefore the children of God have given the Most High the credit of those greater and lesser Candles Psal 136.7 8 9. nay they have seen eternal love by those luminaries The light of Gods Law and Word is of infinitely more worth for by it the glory and beauty of the new Creation and that curious piece of mans Redemtion is seen and known What honor then doth God deserve for this favour Ptolomy King of Egypt was at great cost and charge to have the Law of the Jews translated by the Septuagint into Greek Euseb Hist. lib 5. cap. 8. Thou hast the Old and New Testament both at a cheap and easie raâ—e Thou mayest read thy Fathers Will in thy Mother Tongue thou hast in it a suitable Medicine for every Malady seasonable succour in all thy Miseries the costliest Cordials and choicest comforts without Money and without Price and surely all this deserveth thanks and praise Didst thou but know the misery of those places and persons who want the Word surely thy heart could not but be affected with thy mercy in the enjoyment of the word It is sometimes described by Famine I will send a famine not of bread and water but of hearing the Word of the Lord Amos 4. How dreadful are the concomitants and consequents of Famine what shrivel'd cheeks hollow eyes pale visages fainting hearts and trembling limbs have men in a famine they seem rather like walking Ghosts and moving carcasses then living creartures The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst the young child asketh bread and no man breaketh it unto them Their visage is blacker then a coal they are not known in the streets their skin cleaveth to their bones it is withered it is become like a stick The hands of the pitiful Women have sodden their own children they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people Lam. 4.4 8 10. These friend are the woful fruits of a bodily famine but a soul famine is the sorer
sinking into the boundless bottomless Ocean of destruction and misery through his falseness and treachery When lo on a sudden the Glorious God out of the superabundant riches of his mercy resolving that the Devil should never rob him of the honor of that manifold Wisdom unsearchable Goodness and Almighty Power which had been manifested in the work of Creation did provide and cast out the Covenant of Grace a plank sufficient for his poor shipwrackt Creature to swim safe to shore on As all the Rivers meet in the Sea and all the lines in the Centre so do all the comforts of Mankind meet in this Covenant The whole Scripture is sincere milk but this Covenant is the Cream of it All our mercies are contained in it all our hopes are sustained by it and our Heaven is at last attained through it The blessed God doth not onely enter into a Covenant of mercy but out of compassion to our infirmities hath been pleased to confirm it by his hand and seal By his hand in his word by his seals by the privy-seal of his Spirit and by the broad-seals of the Sacraments that by these immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Heb. 6.18 The Lords Supper is a sign and seal of the Righteousness of Faith or the Covenant of Grace Rom. 4.11 When the blessed Saviour was taking a doleful farwel of an ungrateful world as a lively resemblance of his sufferings for his and as an undeniable evidence of his love to his he instituted this Supper 1. As a lively resemblance of his passion for his people A crucified Christ is the sum of the Law and the substance of the Gospel the knowledge of him is no less worth then Eternal life Now as he was crucified by the Jews and Souldiers actually and by unbelieving Gentiles who live amongst us interpretatively so he is crucified in the Gospel declaratively and in the Sacrament representatively This Cup saith Christ is the new Testament in my blood 1 Corinth 11.25 The Old Testament was sprinkled with the blood of Beasts but the New Testament with the blood of Christ Hebr. 9.15 19. This precious blood which was the costly price of mans Redemption which is the onely path to Eternal Salvation which was promised to Adam believed by the Patriarchs shadowed in the Sacrifices foretold by the Prophets and witnessed in the Scriptures is drunk received signified and sealed in the Supper Christ instituted this ordinance also to be a standing evidence of his affection to his The same night that he was betrayed he took bread The dearest Jesus kept his best wine till the last He knew his Disciples would be full of sorrow for his departure he therefore provided his strongest cordial against their saddest fainting fits After the Passover he took bread and instituted the Sacrament After Supper then comes the Banquet the Sweet-meats At the Lords Table Christ kisseth his Spouse with the sweetest kisses of his lips and ravisheth her heart with his warmest love In other Ordinances he Wooeth her in this he Marrieth her In other Ordinances she hath from him the salutes of a loving friend but in this the embraces of an Husband Other duties are pleasant and wholsom food but this is the costly delightful feast In this Christ bringeth his beloved into his Banqueting house a store-house of all sweet delights of variety of delicacies and his Banner over her is love Cant. 2.4 A certain man made a great Supper Luk. 14.16 I may truely say so of the Sacrament This is a great Supper in regard of its Author The great God is Master of the feast He gave his own Son for the life of the World 2. In regard of the matter of it which is the flesh of Jesus Christ Men set bread and wine on the Table but Christ setteth his own body and blood there In this ordinance we eat not onely Panem Domini sed panem Dominum The bread of the Lord but the bread which is the Lord. The gods say they are come down in the likeness of man behold here God the Son cometh down in the likeness of bread and wine he himself is eat and drunk by faith Is not this a rare banquet 3. In regard of the great price of it Banquets are costly but O what did this feast cost Beasts are slain before they can be food for our bodies but Lo here the Lord of life was put to death that he might be food for our starving souls Cleopatra dissolved a pearl worth 50000. l. in Vinegar and drunk it up at a draught but as costly as her liquor was it was much worse then puddle water in comparison of the precious blood of Christ which the beleiver drinketh at this great Supper 4. In regard of its great effects It sealeth pardon peace and salvation to the Saint it conveyeth the Image and love of God nay God himself into the soul Through the golden pipe of this Ordinance is conveyed the golden Oyl of divine influence There is Manna indeed in this pot Well may it be called a great Supper The Elements are of small value but the Sacrament is of infinite worth A conveyance of land fairly written in Parchment with wax fastened to it is of little price but when it is signed sealed and delivered to the use of a person it may be worth much it may convey thousands A little bread and a spoonful or two of wine are in themselves of very small value but when received according to Christs institution and accompanied with his benediction they will be of unspeakable value they will convey thousands and millions to the beleiver The Lords Supper is indeed like an Elixar which is small in quantity but great in value and efficacy having in it the spirits and substance of many excellent things In prayer all the graces are exercised and so also at the Supper but not onely all the graces but most of the other Ordinances of God are invited to this feast The Word Prayer Singing do all meet at the Table and contribute their help to carry the Christian up to Heaven I premise these things Reader purposely to make thee more wary The corrupting of the best is worst of all Poison in Wine is much worse then in Water Kings expect that their Children should be respected though their officers be refused Surely saith God They will reverence my Son Mat. 21.37 The very work about which he comes will make him welcome Though they refuse my Servants yet they will reverence my Son The Casuists say Sacramentum articulus mortis aequiparantur A man must be looked upon at the Sacramental board as if he were on a bying bed Friend thou shouldst be as serious when thou art going to the Lords Supper as if thou wert going into the other World He that cometh carelesly gets nothing from Christ It
is one thing to take the Supper of the Lord and another thing to taste the Supper of the Lord. Not one of them which were bidden shall taste of my Supper Luk. 14.24 Many croud near a Kings person on some days when he sheweth himself in publique who never injoy his gracious presence Hundreds receive the Elements but few receive the Sacrament If a Beast did but touch the Mount when God solemnly appeared on it it was to dye What then will become of thee if thou shouldst touch the Table of the Lord with a brutish heart If any did eat of the Passoever in his uncleanness he was to be cut off from Israel Exod. 12. which some interpret of a violent death by the hand of the Magistrate Others of a cutting off from the priviledges of Gods people on earth and their possession in Heaven Surely it is as dangerous to eat the Supper in thy pollution as the Passoever It is evil to dally with the Jealous God in any duty but worst of all in this where the great affection of the Father in giving his Son and the grievous Passions of Christ to satisfie Gods justice for sin the most serious things which mans heart can conceive are represented Melancthon telleth a story of a Tragedy which was acted of the death of Christ but it proved a Tragedy indeed at last for he that acted Christs part on the Cross being wounded to death by one that should have thrust his sword through a bladder of blood fell down and with his fall killed one acting a womans part and lamenting under the Cross His brother who was first slain slew the murtherer for which himself was hanged by order of Justice Cyprian speaketh of an ancient woman who had denied the Faith and yet ventured to this Heavenly Feast but it proved her bane for as soon as she had received the Elements she fell down dead O 't is sad jesting with the Sufferings and Ordinances of Christ Friend let others wo be thy warning Take example by others lest God make thee an example to others I shall lay down two motives to quicken thee to a serious preparation for this Ordinance 1. Consider Christs diligent inspection The Lord Jesus will take special notice what respect thou hast for his Body and Blood And when the King came in to see his guests he saw there a man which had not on a Wedding-garment Mat. 22.11 12 13. Jesus Christ observeth all his wedding guests whether they come with the Wedding-garment or no. Though there was but one yet he could not lie hid and escape in the crowd the King quickly spied him The King of Saints taketh exact notice in what manner thou comest to his Supper whether thou examinest thy Regeneration and provest thy self to be one of the family before thou offerest to eat of their food whether thou carriest the Gold of thy Graces to the Touchstone of the Scripture and triest their truth before thou tenderest them to him for currant coyn He observeth with what sense of thy misery thou runnest for refuge to the spring of mercy He knoweth whether when thou art going to this Heavenly Feast thou hast the mouth of Faith with what resolution against sin for time to come thou goest for pardon of sins past He seeth whether thou goest to this Gospel-Ordinance in a Gospel-order if not both thy preparation for the Sacrament and thy carriage at it and after it are eye-services to Jesus Christ How holy therefore should thou be in them Wouldst thou trample upon the picture of thy dear Friend or of thy lawful Soveraign before their faces Wilt thou tread under foot the infinitely precious blood of the Son of God as if it were the blood of a Malefactor or of a Dog and that while he himself standeth by and looketh on Canst thou Friend finde in thine heart to offer such an abominable affront to thy best Friend and that before his face Truly if thou art not faithful in thy preparation for it thou dost all this Think with thy self I am now to sit down at the Table of the Lord amongst his own children I know beforehand that the King will come in to see his Guests even that King who is too just to be bribed too great to be slighted too wise to be deceived and too good to be forfeited O my soul what solemn provision wilt thou make for so sacred a presence If in any time of thy life thou wouldst be extraordinarily serious this is the season O let thy preparation be such for this glorious Supper that the Master of the Feast may see that thou art tender of his honor watchful of his eye and fearful of his anger 2. Consider the dreadful condition of those that receive the Lords Supper unworthily Their sin They are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord Their suffering They eat and drink their own damnation 1 Cor. 11.27 29. 1. Their sin They are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord The unworthy receiver is a Christ murtherer He that tears the Letters or defaceth the Picture or clippeth the coyn of a Prince offereth the indignity to his person The Romans when they would dishonor a person would disfigure the statue which was erected to his praise The same wickedness of heart which carrieth a man out to prophane the Sacrament would carry him out to kill the Saviour When one shoots at another to slay him though he miss he is a murderer the error of the hand doth not wipe out the malice of the heart Josephs Brethren were guilty concerning their Brother though they did not lay violent hands upon him Gen. 42.21 When Julian shot darts up to Heaven his cruelty and rage were as bad as if he had hit Christs body Besides men may be guilty of murther by approving it after it is committed Mat. 23.35 What doth the unworthy receiver less then justifie Judas and the Jews in all their treacherous and barbarous carriage towards Jesus Christ Consider therefore what thou dost when thou goest unpreparedly to the Lords Table Thou art guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Simple murther is a crying sin The voyce of thy Brothers blood cryeth to me from the earth Gen. 4.10 It is one of those sins which will give God no rest till he take vengeance on the actor and author of it and is therefore called a crying sin The light of Nature taught the Barbarians that Vengeance would not suffer a murtherer to live Acts 28.4 The Scripture acquainteth us that no satisfaction shall be taken for the life of a murtherer for blood defileth the land Numb 35.31 36. But the murther of a Superior is a far greater sin Cicero telleth us He that killeth his Father committeth many sins in one he killeth him that begot him and brought him up he sinneth against many obligations To kill a King is High-Treason Who can stretch his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless 1
puddle water Reflect on them thy self and compare them with the Law of God and thou wilt find cause to pray over thy prayers to weep over thy tears to be ashamed of thy shame and to abhor thy self for thy self abhorrency Do not think with thy self I have examined my heart faithfully and find that I do not come short of the grace of God I have acknowledged mine iniquities and been sorrowful for my sins and therefore I cannot miscarry at this Sacrament Such a trusting of thy self would be a tempting of thy Saviour and would certainly hinder the success of the Sacrament It would be to thee as the cutting off Sampsons locks was to him Judg 16.20 He thought to have gone forth as at other times and shake himself And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him Thou mayest think after such self-confidence to go to the Lords Supper as at other times but alas what wilt thou do for the Lord will depart from thee and then what sport will Satan and sin those uncircumcised ones make with thee Reader let me perswade thee when thou hast been diligent in the trial of thy spiritual estate and hast with many tears bewailed the pollution of thy nature and transgressions of thy life to cast thy self wholly upon Jesus Christ for assistance in the duty As Jehosaphat when he had 50000. men ready Armed for the battel cryed out O Lord our God we have no might against this great company 2 Chron. 20.6 neither know we what to do but our eyes are unto thee So after thou hast made the greatest preparation possible as beleiving the weight and worth of the supper the purity and Majesty of the Master of the Feast do thou look up to Christ and say Lord I have no ability no might for this great supper for a right performance of this great ordinance neither know I what to do but my eys are unto thee When Asa had an Army of two hundredand fourscore thousand men of valour to fight with the Ethiophians he prayeth and trusteth to God as if he had not one man Lord it is nothing for thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power Help us O Lord God for we rest on thee 2 Chron. 8 1. and in thy name we go against this great multitude So do thou say Lord I have no power for this holy Supper help me O Lord my God for I rest on thee and in thy name I go to this great and weighty Ordinance Truely couldst thou after all the provision thou hast made disclaim it wholly in regard of dependance and cast thy self on Christ for assistance I durst be the Prophet to foretel a good day The gaudy flower which standeth upon its own stalk doth quickly wither when the plain Ivy that depends upon the house and leans on it is fresh and green all the year He that trusteth to his own legs in this duty is as sure to fall as if he were down already the weak child walketh safest that all the way holdeth by and hangeth upon its parent If thou wert now going to receive be advised to write after Davids Copy He looked up to God both for assistance and acceptance I will go in the strength of the Lord I will make mention of thy righteousness yea of thine onely Psa 71.16 Let thy practice be sutable to his when thou goest out of thy house And let thy prayer be the same with the Spouses when thou art entring into Gods house O then look up to heaven and cry mightily Awake thou Northwind and come O South blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out Let my beloved come into his Garden and eat his pleasant fruits Cant. 4. ult CHAP. XIX How a Christian may exercise himself to godliness at the Table I Come to the second particular about the Lords Supper Secondly and that is thy behaviour at the Table or in the time of receiving In reference to which I would advise thee 1. To mind the sutable subjects which are to be considered at it 2. To observe the special graces which are to be exercised in it There are three principal subjects of meditation when thou approachest the Table in order to the three graces which must then be acted The Subjects of meditation are Christs passion his affection and thy own corruptions The three graces are Faith Love and godly sorrow Christs death is sure footing for Faith Paul never desired better 1 Cor. 2.2 it is not onely an elect and precious but a tried stone and a sure foundation on which whosoever beleiveth shall never be confounded Isa 28.16 Faith picks excellent food from this heavenly carkass The love of Christ displayed in his death causeth and calleth forth the love of a Christian Faith bringeth the soul that is like a dead coal near to the live coals of Gods burning love in giving his onely Son and Christs burning love in giving himself and by these it is turned into fire all in a flame of love as the Eccho answereth the voice it returneth the love it receiveth Our own sins meditated on stit up the third grace which is godly sorrow Though indeed this liquor will run from any of the three Vessels if they be but peirced When Christ hung upon the Cross under the weight of Gods wrath water came out of his sides as well as blood Who can think of his sufferings without sorrow and of his blood without tears His love in its heat may well thaw the most frozen spirit but sin the cause of his sufferings will like a knife cut and prick to the heart indeed but First I begin with the subjects of meditation and among them in the first place with the passion of Christ First Meditate now on the suffering of thy Saviour the wound of Christ out of which came precious balsom to heal all thy sinful sores ought never to be forgotten but the remembrance of them is never so seasonable as at a Sacrament One end of the institution of this Ordinance was the commemoration of Christs death As oft as ye eat this brrad and drink this cup ye shew forth the Lords death till he come 1 Cor. 11.26 27. The Sacrament is a lively crucifix wherein Jesus Christ is evidently set forth crucified before thine eyes When thou seest the bread and wine consecrated and set apart consider how God the Father did from eternity set a part his onely Son for his bloody passion and thy blessed redemption Consider he was a Lamb slain before the foundation of the World When thou seest the bread and wine upon the Table consider that as the Corn was ground in the Mill to make that bread and the grapes squezed to make that wine so thy Saviour was beaten in the Mill and Wine-press of his Fathers wrath before he could be meat indeed and drink indeed to nourish thee unto life everlasting When thou seest the bread broken
the hand of thy body to take the bread and wine do thou put forth the hand of faith to receive the body and blood of Christ This is one principal act of Faith like Joseph of Arimathea to take Jesus down from his Cross and lay him in the new Tomb of thine heart Like Thomas put thy finger of faith into his side and cry out My Lord and my God Be not discour aged O penitent soul Are thy sins many His mercy is free Are thy sins weighty His merits are full Thou comest for bread and will thy Saviour give thee a stone He took notice of thy ferious preparation for this Ordinance and will he frustrate thine expectation at it Did he ever send hungry soul empty away The law of man provides for the poor in purse and will not the Gospel of Christ provide for the poor in spirit Is not his commission to bind up the broken hearted and can he be unfaithful Why shouldst thou mistrust truth it self Let me say to thee as the Disciples to the blind man Be of good chear he calleth for thee See how he casteth his eyes upon thee with a look of love as once upon Peter Observe he stretcheth out his Armes wide to embrace thee He boweth down his head to kiss thee He cryeth to thee as to Zacheus I must abide at thy house in thy heart to day O make haste to receive him and make him a feast by opening the doors of thy soul that the King of Glory may enter in Say to Christ Lord though I am unworthy that thou shouldst come under my roof yet thou art so gracious as to knock at the door of my heart and to promise if I open that thou wilt come in and sup with me and then call to him as Laban to Abrahams Steward Come in thou blessed of the Lord why standest thou without I have prepared lodging for thee Gen. 24. Truly Reader shouldst thou having mourned unfeignedly for thy sins now by unbeleif hang off from thy Saviour thou woulst much dishonour him and disadvantage thy self Christs greater things are for them that beleive If thou wilt now beleive thou shalt see the glory of God I am very consident if thou hadst been by the Cross broken heart when thy Saviour suffered and shouldst have kneeled down before him and said Dearest Saviour Why art thou now wrastling with the wrath of Heaven and rage of Hell He would have answered To satisfie poor soul for thy sins Again Why dost thou dye such a cursed death He would have said To take the curse of the law from thy back that so thou mightest inherit the blessing Once more Let not my Lord be angry and I will speak this once Blessed Redeemer Why didst thou cry out I thirst and drink Gall and Vinegar Thou mightest have heard such a reply To assure thee Thirsty sinner that I am sensible of thy thirst being scorched with that fury which is due to thy sins and that thou mightest drink of that love which is better then Wine But stay O weary thirsty soul but a while and by and by thou shalt see this side opened and blood issuing out to quench thy thirst O put the mouth of faith to that wound and what thou shalt suck thence shall do thee good for ever Reader I have read that the Souldier who peirced Christs side was blind and that the blood flying out upon him recovered his sight Sure I am that this blood sprinkled on thy conscience will purge it from dead works to serve the living God O therefore bathe thy soul in this blood when thou art at the Sacrament say to God as the Eunuch to Philip Here is water what hindereth but I may be Baptized Lord here is blood here is a fountain what hindereth but I may wash in it Rom. 3.24 1 Joh. 1.7 Heb. 9.14 Gal. 6.14 Heb. 12.13 True Lord my person is unrighteous but thy blood is justifying blood My heart is polluted but O Christ thy blood is sanctifying blood My lusts are many and strong but thy blood is mortifying blood My soul is lost but sweetest Saviour thy blood is saving blood This Justifying Sanctifying Saving blood I drink I apply for these ends O let this blood be upon me and my children for ever AWay despair my gracious Lord doth hear Though Winds and Wave assault my keel He doth preserve it Herbert the bag he doth steer Ev'n when the Boat seems most to reel Storms are the Triumph of his Art Well may he close his eyes but not his heart Hast thou not heard what my Lord Jesus did Then let me tell thee a strange story The God of power as he did ride In his Majestick robes of glory Resolv'd to light and so one day He did descend undressing all the way The Stars his tire of light and rings obtain'd The Clouds his bow the fire his spear The Skie his Azure mantle gain'd And when they ask'd what he would wear He smil'd and said as he did go He had new cloaths a making here below When he was come as travellers are wont He did repair unto an Inn Both then and after many a brunt He did endure to cancel sin And having giv'n the rest before Here he gave up his life to pay our score But as he was returning there came one Who ran upon him with a Spear He who came hither all alone Bringing no man nor armes nor fear Recio'd the blow upon his side And straight he turn'd and to his Brethren cryd If ye have any thing to send or write I have no bag but here is room Vnto my Fathers hands and sight Beleive me it shall safely come That I shall mind what you impart Look you may lay it very near my heart Or if hereafter any of my friends Will use me in this kind the door Shall still be open what he sends I will present and somewhat more Not to his hurt sighs will convey Any thing to me Heart-despair away 2. The second Grace to be called forth is love And truly if thou hast acted thy faith in his Passion for and affection to thy soul I shall not in the least doubt but thy love to him will play its part The Creatures some tell us follow the Panther being drawn after her by her sweet odours When Jesus Christ out of infinite love offered up himself a Sacrifice for thy sins surely the sweet savour thereof may draw thy heart after him Because of the savour of thy good oyntments therefore the Virgins love thee Cant. 1.4 There is nothing in Christ but what may well command thy love He is the fairest of ten thousand He is altogether lovely But his bloody sufferings for thee and his blessed love to thee one would think are such Loadstones that if thou wert as cold and hard as steel would draw thy soul both to desire him and to delight in him Meditate a little more on his love to thee Publicans and
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
may not quench this love but rather like Snuffers make this lamp to burn the brighter Beasts love them who feed them Wicked men love their friends and benefactours My very cloaths warming me are warmed by me again and shall not I love him who hath loved me and washed me in his own blood O that I could groundedly cry out with Ignatius My love was crucified and meet this Lord of Heaven as Elijah went up to Heaven in a Chariot of fire in a flame of love Repentance I desire that I may follow Christ at this Ordinance as the Women did to his Cross weeping considering that my sins were the cause of his bitter and bloody suffering and O that as Saul eyed David I might eye them all from that day forward to slay and destroy them When my soul hath been thus feasted with Marrow and fatness After the Sacrament Thankfulness Lord let my mouth praise thee with joyful lips Ah what am I and what is my Fathers house that when others eat the bread of violence and drink the wine of deceit I should eat the flesh and drink the blood of thine own Son What is man that thou art so mindful of him and the Son of man that thou dost thus visit him I wish that I may shew my thankefulness to my God and dearest Saviour for these benefits the worth of which men and Angels can never conceive by the love of my heart the praises of my lips Faithfulness and the exemplariness of my life At the Sacrament Christ gave his body and blood to me and I gave my body and soul a living Sacrifice to him and that before God Angels and Men the Sacrament was Beersheba the Well of an Oath Shall I pollute that heart which was solemnly devoted to God and prophane that Covenant which I have seriously contracted with the most High Should I like Sampson break those bands asunder and fetch that Sacrifice away from the Altar which was tyed with such strong cords of Oaths and Covenants must I not expect to bring the fire along with it O let me never start aside from my vow like a deceitful bow Lord I have sworn and will perform that I will keep through thy strength thy righteous judgements Lastly I desire that I may not onely differ from them who like the Habassiness In Prester Iohns Country will not fpit on a Sacrament day but will spue the next day deny sin at present but afterwards Deifie it that I may not onely be faithful to my Oath of Allegiance but also fruitful in obedience that as Elijah walked in the strength of one meal forty days I may walk in the strength of that Banquet serving my Saviour and my Soul all my days In a word I wish that I may ever after walk worthy of my birth having Royal Heavenly blood running in my veins worthy of my breeding being brought up in the nurture of the Lord fed at his own Table with the bread of Heaven cloathed with the Robes of his Sons Righteousness and that my present deportment may be answerable to my future preferment O that I might in all companies conditions and seasons walk worthy of him who hath called me to his Kingdom and glory Amen CHAP. XXI How to exercise our selves to godliness on a Lords Day BEcause the Lords Day is the special time for Religious Duties I shall therefore Reader give thee here some particular directions for thy Sanctification of it and Edification by it As of all actions none call for more care then holy duties so of all seasons for those actions none commandeth so much caution and Conscience as the Lords Day The first Command teacheth us the object of Worship the second the matter of Worship the third the manner of Worship the fourth the time of Worship That God is to be worshipped Time of worship is juris naturalis one of seven is juris positivi that some time must be set apart for that work is Moral Natural and written on the Tables of all our hearts but that one day of seven must be consecrated to this end is Moral Positive and written on the Tables of stone All Nations have had their seasons for Sacrifice even the Heathen who worshipped dumb Idols had their Festivals and Holy days It is reported of Alexander Severus Emperor of Rome that he would on a Sabbath Day lay aside his Wordly affairs and go into the Capitol to Worship his gods Among those that acknowledge the true God the Turks have their Stata tempora set times of devotion nay they have their Fryday Sabbath But to keep the Lords Day upon a conscientious ground and in a religious manner is peculiar to the true Christian In the primitive times the observation of this day was esteemed the principal sign of a Saint Indeed our Sanctification of it is by God himself counted a sign that he hath sanctified us Exod. 31.13 It is observable that God hath fenced this Command with more hedges then ordinary to prevent our excursions 1. It is markt with a Memento above other commands Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy partly because of our forgetfulness and partly because of its concernments 2. It s delivered both Negatively and Affirmatively which no other commands is to shew how strongly it bindes 3. It hath more Reasons to enforce it then any other Precept Its Equity Gods Bounty His own Pattern and the Days Benediction 4. It s put in the close of the first Est caput Religionis totum Dei cultum continet Willet in Exod. 35.1 and beginning of the second Table to note that the observation of both Tables depends much upon the Sanctification of this day It is considerable also that it is more repeated then other of the Commands Exod. 20.31 14.34 and 24.35 1.19 Levit. 3.28.30 God would have Israel know Omni tempore Sabbato debere cessare Aug. in Exod. quaest 160. in those fore-quoted places that their busiest times earing and harvest and the very building of the Tabernacle must give way to this Precept On the Lords Day we go into Gods Sanctuary and his pleasure is that we reverence his Sanctuary Levit. 19.30 The Jews indeed made a great stir about their outward reverencing the Temple Willet in loc They tell us they were not to go in with a staff nor shoes nor to spit in it nor when they went away to turn their backs upon it but go sideling Ezek. 8.16 but certainly Gods meaning is principally that we do with inward reverence and seriousness worship him in his Sanctuary Reader I desire thee to take notice that the more holy any action is the more heedful thou oughtest to be about it Upon which account the duties of this day require extraordinary diligence for they have a double die of holiness upon them they are double gilt Thy task on that day or the exercises thereof are of Divine Institution
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
the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth so great Salvation Heb. 2.3 Open unto Christ when he knocketh at the door of thy heart with the finger of his Spirit Do not bid him come to morrow lest that morrow never come It s good we say to make Hay while the Sun shines for the Heavens may be cloudy It s good to embrace a present opportunity for time is bald behind thou canst not assure thy self of a second Sabbath Seasons of grace are not like Tides that a man may miss one and take another What Christ said of himself is true of Sabbaths The poor ye have always with you but me ye have not always Time thou hast always with thee while thou livest but the Sabbath thou hast not always Nay within a shorter time then thou imaginest God may deprive thee both of time and opportunity both of Week days and Lords days and if thou art now sleeping and snoring when thou should be waking and working what a cut will it be to thy heart to reflect upon the Sabbaths which thou hast had and lost enjoyed and mispent Jerusalem in the days of her affliction and of her misery remembred all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old Lam. 1.9 So Reader if thou shouldst neglect to improve Sabbaths now in the day of thy misery or rather in the everlasting night of thine affliction in hell thou wilt remember thy Sabbaths seasons of grace and all thy pleasant things which thou hadst in the days of old Good Lord what a rueful woful remembrance will it be to call to mind the means the mercies the helps which were afforded thee to have avoided Hell and attained Heaven and yet thou like a fool or rather a mad man didst dally about them and delay till the Market was done Now is the time for thee to accept of grace because now is the onely time that grace will accept of thee O that thou wouldst know in this thy day the things which concern thy peace before they be hid from thine eyes Fourrhly Esteem the publique Ordinances the chief work of the day and let thy secret and private duties be so managed that thy soul may be prepared for them and profited by them Duties in thy closet and family are of use and have their blessing but to put God off with these and neglect the publique Worship is to rob God of a greater sum to pay him a lesser The Sacrifice of the Jews on that day was double they offered Sacrifice in the Tabernacle besides their Lambs for the daily Sacrifice It is worthy our observation that the Sabbath and publique Service are by God himself joyned together and therefore let no man put them asunder Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord Lev. 19.30 They that despise Gods Sanctuary cannot observe Gods Sabbath Every thing is beautiful in its season Private duties are beautiful and in season every day but publique Ordinances are never so lovely and beautiful because never so much in their prime and season as on a Lords Day In publique Worship God receiveth the highest praises I will praise thee in the great Congregations Psal 29.9 In his Temple doth every one speak of his glory I had gone with the multitude to the House of God with the voyce of joy and praise with a multitude that kept holy day Psal 42.4 The gracious God is pleased to esteem it his glory to have many Beggars thronging at the beautiful gate of his Temple for Spiritual and Corporal alms What an honor is it to our great Landlord that multitudes of Tenants flock together to his house to pay their rent of Thanks and Worship for their All which they hold of him How loud and lovely is the noise of many golden Trumpets Good Lord what an eccho do they make in Heavens ears Deus pluris facit preces in Ecclesia quam domi factas non ob locum sed ob considerationem multitudinis fidelium Deum communi consensu invo cantium Riv. in Cath. Orth. When many skilful Musicians play in consort with well-tuned and prepared Instruments the Musick cannot but be ravishing to God himself Methinks its a notable resemblance of the sweet melody which is made by the Celestial Quire above Psal 68.26 Bless ye God in the Congregation even the Lord from the fountain of Israel for he loveth the gates of Zion above all the dwellings of Jacob Psal 87.2 As in publique God receiveth the highest praises so there he bestoweth the richest mercies Blessed is the man whom thou chusest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy House even of thy holy Temple Psal 65.4 Here is Davids Position and its proof His Position is That the Templer or Inhabitant in Gods House is an happy man Blessed is the man whom thou chusest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy House The proof of it is from the quality and quantity of the provision which God makes for them that are of his Houshold For the quality of it it is not onely good but Goodness which word signifieth not onely the good will which God beareth to but all the good things which God bestoweth upon his people Pardon Peace Love Grace every good thing all good things are in the womb of that one word Goodness Gods provision for his people is beyond all their knowledge or apprehension There be four ordinary ways by which men come to the knowledge of good things either by hearing them immediately themselves or by hear-say from others or by the sight of the eyes or by discourse of Reason But from the beginning of the World men have not seen nor heard nor perceived by the ear nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath provided for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 Isa 64.4 The love discovered there is an unknown love the joy bestowed there is unspeakable joy All the costliest dainties prepared for Heavens Table the fulness of joy and pleasures for ever at Gods right hand are expressed by this one word Goodness Psal 31.19 So that the quality of the provision is beyond all exception it is Goodness For its quantity it is to satisfaction We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house even of thy Holy Temple The Saint shall have enough of this luscious fare to content him Indeed the Christians full meal is reserved for him till he comes to eat bread in the Kingdom of Heaven but here he hath enough to stay his stomach He is very well satisfied that his allowance in this World is sufficient God calls him in the other World to greater work and so will give him a greater allowance for suitable strength but God doth not in this World underkeep him He feeds proportionable to their employments nay to their satisfaction and contentment all
heart to spiritual joy and delight therein Holy alacrity and joy is not onely a crown and credit to but also a special part of Christianity The Kingdom of God consisteth not in meats and drink but in righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 Gods ways are not so bad but that the Travellers in them may be chearful His work is good wages and therefore it s no wonder that his Servants are so joyful Because beleivers have ever cause of comfort therefore they are commanded always to rejoyce Phil. 3. Whether their sins or sufferings come into their hearts they must not sorrow as they that have no hope In their saddest conditions they have the spirit of consolation There is seed of joy sown within them when it is buried under the clods and appears not above ground But there are special times when God calls for this grain to spring up They have some red letters some holy days in the Calendar of their lives wherein this joy as Wine at a Wedding is most seasonable but among all those days it never relisheth so well it never tasteth so pleasantly as on a Lords day joy sutes no person so much as a Saint and it becomes no season so well as a Sabbath Joy in God on other days is like the Birds Chirping in winter which is pleasing but joy on a Lords day is like their warbling Tunes and pretty notes in Spring when all other things look with a sutable delightful aspect This is the day which the Lord hath made he that made all days so especially of this day but what follows we will rejoyce and be glad therein Psa 118.24 In which words we have the Churches solace or joy and the season or day of it Her solace was great We will rejoyce and be glad Those expressions are not needless repetitions but shew the exeuberancy or high degree of their joy The season of it This is the day the Lord hath made Compare this place with Mat. 21.22.23 and Act. 4.11 and you will find that the precedent verses are a prophetical prediction of Christs Resurrection Sic. Arnob. and so this verse foretels the Churches joy upon that memorable and glorious day And indeed if a feast be made for laughter Eccles 10.19 Then that day wherein Christ feasteth his Saints with the choicest mercies may well command his greatest spiritual mirth A thanksgiving day hath a double precedency of a fast day On a Fast-day we eye Gods anger On a Thanksgiving-day we look to God favour In the former we specially mind our own corruptions In the latter Gods compassions therefore a Fast-day calls for sorrow a Thanksgiving day for joy But the Lords day is the highest thanksgiving day and deserveth much more then the Jewish Purim to be a day of feasting and gladness and a good day On this day we enjoy the Communion of Saints and shall we not delight in those excellent ones Psa 16.3 On this day we have fellowship with the blessed Saviour and shall we not fit under his shadow with great delight Cant. 1. On this day we are partakers of the Ordinances of God and shall we not be joyful in the House of prayer Isa 56.7 On this day we have special converse with the God of Ordinances and who would not draw water with joy out of the Well of Salvation Isa 12.3 Surely whilst we are in the midst of so much Musk we must needs be perfumed Who can walk where the Sun shines so hot and not be warmed It is Gods precept as well as thy priviledge to make Gods day thy delight If thou call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord Isa 58.13 Delights Tremel reads it Thy delicate things according to the Septuag Whether thou art meditating on Gods works or attending on Gods Word which are the two principal duties of the day they both call for delight and joy If on this day of rest thou considerest the work of creation and Gods rest it behoveth thee to follow Davids pattern Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works I will triumph in the works of thy hands Psa 92.4 If thou considerest the work of Redemption and Christs rest surely out of the carcass of the Lion of the tribe of Judah thou mayst get some Honey as may delight thy soul and force thee to sing My soul doth magnifie the Lord my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour Luk. 1.46 47. The babe in the womb leapt for joy of him before he was born The heavenly host sung at his birth and wilt not thou at his second birth his resurrection from the dead O let the Primitive Christians salutations be thy consolation The Lord is risen If thou meditatest on glorification and thine own rest canst thou do less then rejoyce in hope of glory what Prisoner shackled with Satans temptations and fettered with his own corruptions in the dark Gaol of this World can think of the time when his Irons shall be knockt off and he enjoy the pleasant light and glorious liberty of the Sons of God and not be transported with joy What heir in his minority banisht from his kindred and country can think without comfort of his full age when he shall have the full fruition both of his estate and friends doubtless friend the Sabbaths of the holy are the Suburbs of heaven In heaven there is no buying no selling no ploughing no sowing nothing but worshiping God communion with him fruition of him and delight in him There remains a rest for the people of God There they rest from their labours If thou on a Lords day turnest thy back upon the World and goest up into the mount conversing with and rejoycing in the blessed God what dost thou less then begin thine eternal Sabbath here Such a Lords day can be no less then Heaven in a looking glass representing truly though darkly thy future eternal happiness There is no perfume so sweet to a Pilgrim as his own smoak When thou art attending on the word truely that Aquavitae that hot water may well revive thy spirit Thy testimonies are my delight saith David I have rejoyced more in thy testimonies then in all manner of riches Psa 119.24 77. The Word of God is sometimes called a treasure and what beggar would not rejoyce in a treasure sometimes fire and truly Reader thine heart is frozen to purpose if this fire do not heat it Salomon tell us As cold water to a thirsty soul so is good news from a far Country Prov. 25.25 The Word of God contains the best news that ever ears heard Peace on earth good will towards men and the glad tidings of the Gospel come from Heaven a far Country What canst thou say then why they should not be as welcome and refreshing to thee as cold water to a thirsty soul Variety of things that are excellent is not a little ground of complacency in them Variety of choice voices please the ear variety
of curious colours delight the eyes variety of dainties are acceptable to the taste Nero promises rewards to them that invented new pleasures God hath for that purpose disht out his worship into several and various duties that it might be more pleasant to us Sometimes we speak to God sometimes we hear from God sometimes we are praying for supply of our necessities sometimes we are praysing him for his infinite excellencies sometimes our mouthes are open to sing sometimes our ears are open to hear the Sermon sometimes our eyes are open to see the Sacrament The same meat is drest several ways to make it the more welcome and so the more strengthning to us Hippocrates observes that that food which nature receives with delight though not so good in it self affords better nourishment then that which is more wholesome against which nature hath a reluctancy Reader thy delight and pleasure in the sacred Ordinances of the Lords day will help to make them more profitable to thee Some colours which do delight do also strengthen the sight Sixthly if thou wouldst make godliness thy business on a Lords day Let no duty satisfie without communion with God in it Ordinances are the Galleries and Gardens and for that end appointed wherein God and thy soul may walk together For this cause they are called a glass because therein the Christian beholds the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 As Zacheus climbed up to the Sycamore Tree to see Jesus and when he once had a sight of him he came down joyfully so go thou up into the Trees of duties for this purpose that thou mayst see God in Christ and unless this be granted thee come down sorrowfully When men go to meet a friend at a certain place and they miss him how discontentedly do they go away Alas what are the Ordinances without God but as a Table without meat from which a living soul must needs depart thirsty and hungry David loved the habitation of Gods house but it was because it was the place where Gods honour dwelt Psa 27. David longed for the courts of God more then for his Crown relations or possessions or any outward comforts but it was because God afforded there his gracious presence Gods glorious presence is in his Church Triumphant but he is graciously present in his Church Militant My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh eryeth out for the living God Psa 84.2 His desire was as eager and earnest as of a longing woman with child who is ready to faint away and dye if she be not satisfied Sometimes he compares his desire to thirst of which creatures are more impatient then hunger Psa 63.1 Sometimes to the thirst of an Hart after the water-brooks which creature being naturally hot and dry in a very great degree is exceeding thirsty but the object of his desire of his thirst was God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God O when shall I come and appear before him Psa 42.1 2. To see thy beauty and glory as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary It was communion with God in his life and love in his graces and comforts which the Psalmist so much longed for The sweet smiles of Gods face the honey dews of his Spirit were Davids Paradise of pleasure his heaven upon earth They that come to duty meerly for duty know not what it meanes to meet with God and therefore though they neither see his face nor hear his voice yet are contented like those that were born in some dark Dungeon and never yet saw the Sun they are well enough satisfied without it but those who have seen it and know that that light is pleasant if they look up to the heaven of Ordinances see not the Sun of righteousness it s no longer day with them The true Disciples met together the first day of the week and enjoying Jesus among them rejoyced indeed but they are onely glad in duties when they had seen the Lord John 20.20 They were glad when they had seen the Lord. Reader when thou goest to the Ordinances of God go to meet God in the Ordinances As Moses go up into the Mount of duties to converse with thy Maker Go to view the beauty of his face when thou enquirest into his holy Temple When thou goest to prayer let it be in hope to get thy heart nearer to heaven When thou goest to hear mind communion with him that speaks from heaven and then onely rejoyce in the word when as the star to the wise men leads thee to the place where Christ is It is God in the Word which causeth efficacy it is God in prayer who causeth prevalency it is God in the Sacrament who causeth alacrity it is God in a Sabbath who causeth complacency When thou goest to the waters of the Sanctuary say as Elisha at the waters of Jordan Where is the Lord God of Elijah Where is the God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ Why is thy Chariot O Son of righteousness so long a comming Why tarry what clogs the wheels of thy Chariot O when wilt thou come unto me Psa 101.2 When thou comest from the Ordinances and hast not met God in them though thou hast shewed never so great parts or gifts or outward devotion say as Absolom All this avails me nothing so long as I may not see the Kings face 1 Sam. 28 15. Saul himself was sad and sorrowful when he enquired of the Lord and the Lord answered him not and canst thou O Saint be joyful when thy beloved hath withdrawn himself Look upon performances as boats to ferry thy soul over and give it a passage to God and take heed of going contentedly from God without God Psa 43.3 4. let thy prayer be O send out thy light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me to thy holy hill to thy Tabernacle then will I go unto the Altar of God unto God my exceeding joy Seventhly Sanctifie the whole day to Gods service Be early up in the morning and as late as thy body will permit at night The Israelites when they were to batter down the strong holds of Jericho rose up early in the morning Judg. 6.15 Upon the Lords day thy work must be to batter down the strong holds of sin rise early lose no time Do not lose the least moment if it be possible of this sacred day The very filings of Gold are of worth The smallest part of this holy day is of great price The word Shamur to keep the Sabbath Lev. 19.30 signifieth to keep with care and diligence as a great treasure of which a man would lose none When men beat Ginger they will if good Husbands be careful that little fly out of the Mortar but if they beat pearl they are extraordinary watchful that not the least of that be lost because a little of that is of great value Reader if thou
art a good Husband for thy soul I doubt not but thou esteemest thy time in the week days at so high a rate that thou darest not sqander it away in doing nothing or in that which is worse then nothing but O what worth what price wilt thou set upon an opportunity upon a Lords day How diligent wilt thou be to improve the least peice of that day God giveth thee six whole days for thine own works do not deny to him one whole day in seven Let thy conscience be Judge Is it not unrighteousness to buy by one measure which is greater and sell by another measure which is lesser when the day is consecrated to God as the goods of Ananias it is dangerous to keep back any part of it for our own use Do thou all the day long live and walk as it were in the other World Make it a Sabbath a day of rest 1. From sin and wickedness this is thy duty every day but especially on this day Every sin on a Sabbath is double the season is a great aggravation of the sin The wicked indeed are like the raging Sea which cannot rest but every day bubble up mire and dirt Isa 57.20 2. From the World and the works of thy calling Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore for it is holy unto you Every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death for whosoever doth any work therein that soul shall be cut off from among his people Exod. 31.14 The Jews were to rest from works of least importance as gathering sticks he that fetched in sticks was sent out of the World with stones and of greatest concernment as building the Tabernacle and though the Christian now hath more liberty yet he hath no leave at all to pollute the day by wickedness or to prophane the day by any earthly work which might have been done before the day or may be done as well after it May I not say to thee of this day as Elisha to Geehezi Is this a time to receive money and garments and sheep and oxen and men-servants and maid-servants 2 Kings 5.26 Is the Sabbath a time for civil affairs The Sabbath day is therefore called a day of restraint Deut. 16.8 because then men are forbidden all work saith Junius As none were ever losers by laying afide their own works to attend Gods Worship he took care of Israels safety whilst they were in his service that none of their Neighbours though bitter enemies should so much as desire their Cities Exod 34.24 so none I am confident were ever gainers by inching in some part of their callings unnecessarily at the end of Gods day and by setting God aside to serve themselves the very time will be a Canker to consume their estates And as they that take Crocus into their stomachs bring up not onely ill humours but that also which would prove good nourishment So some have had experience that their prophanation of Gods day to increase their estates hath forced them to vomit up the whole God hath given thee days enough for thy calling space enough to mind it in thou needst not trespass upon his holy day upon his holy ground It was no small aggravation of Adams sin that though he had choice of fruits he would eat of the forbidden fruit so it will much increase thy sin if when thou hast choice of time for thy trade thou shouldst meddle with it on a Sabbath Reader Debet totus dies festivus à Christiano expendi in operibus bonis Grostead in precept as thy duty is to rest the whole day from wickedness and worldly work so also to imploy the whole day in Gods Worship be either praying or reading or hearing or singing or meditating or discoursing with others about the Works or Word of God Be always taken up either with publique Hoc sensu loquitur propheta Sià primo mane incipimuslauda re dâ—um continuandas esse ejus laudesad ultimam noctis partem Calvin in loc private or secret duties In the 92. Psalm that Psalm for the Sabbath v. 1 and 3. we are exhorted to shew forth Gods loving kindness in the morning and his faithfulness at evening Now we know that in Scripture sense the morning and the evening are the whole day The whole day is Gods by ordination and why should not it be his by observation God hath dedicated this day wholly to hsi own Worship now every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord. Lev. 27.28 The Pope and Church of Rome have half holy days as St. Blacies day which is holy in the forenoon onely but God and the Church of Christ have no half holy days Observe how exact God is in expressing a whole natural day From evening to evening you shall keep the Sabbath Lev. 23.32 Their days were reckoned from evening to evening from the creation but ours because Christ rose in the morning from morning to morning If thou hast any sincere delight in God and esteem of the true riches I cannot but think that thou wilt be covetous of the smallest part of Gods day and wish as R. Jose Iewish Antiq. l. 3. c. 3. Ex Buxtorf Comment mas that thy portion may be to begin the Sabbath with those of Tiberias because they began it sooner then others and to end it with those of Tsepphore because they continued it longer then others If thy soul ever met God on a Sabbath thou wilt surely be ready to say with Joshua Thou Sun stand still in Gibeon Iosh 10 12. and thou Moon in the vallies of Ajalon O that the day were longer that I might have more time to fight the Lords battels against my spiritual enemies Eightly If thou wouldst make Religion thy business on a Lords day Meditate therein on the word and works of God Consider his works This is part of the work of the day David in that Psalm for the Sabbath gives thee a pattern O Lord how great are thy works and thy thoughts are very deep Psa 92.5 Is a dishonour to a workman to make excellent peices and to manifest abundance of Skill and Art and ingenuity and then not to have them taken notice of God hath done his mighty works to be remembred and wondred at It s said of Pythagoras that he lived sequestred from men in a cave for a whole year together that he might meditate on the abstruse points of Philosophy I wish thee to an easier and pleasanter task to sequester thy self some time every Lords day to ponder the infinite perfections which appear in the operations of his hand God will be both admired and magnified by his people on earth as well as in Heaven which none can do but those that seriously consider his works Men have been much wondred at for some peculiar rare works though in them a Christian should look farther even to God the Author of their skill and wisdom The very Greeks acknowledged somewhat like this that all
my meditation all the day Psa 119. The reason why some men profit so little by the word is want of meditation If a man eat his food and as soon as it is in his stomach vomit it up again it is no wonder if he get little strength by it or if he pine and consume away Truly if Sermons enter in at one ear and out at the other making no stay with thee I shall not marvail if they work no change in thee CHAP. XXII Brief Directions for the Sanctification of the Lords day from morning to night REader beside those general directions which I have largely insisted on I shall annex here some short directions how thou mayst spend a Lords day from the begining to the end of it as may be most for the honour of God and the furthering thine own everlasting good 1. Be sure thou takest some paines with thy heart the afternoon or evening at least before to prepare thy soul for the ensuing Sabbath As our whole life should be a preparation for death yet the nearer we draw to the night of our dissolution the more gloriously as the setting Sun we should shine with holiness so in the whole Week we should be preparing for the Lords day but the more the day doth approach the more our preparation must increase The bigger the Vessel is the more Water may be carried from the Fountain According to the measure of the Sacks which the Patriarchs carried to Joseph so were they filled with Corn by Joseph preparation doth not onely fit the heart for grace but also widen the heart that it may receive much of the Spirit of God Some Servants when they are to bake in the Morning put their Wood in the Oven over night and thereby it burneth both the sooner and the better Men make much the more riddance of their work who being to travail a great journey load their Carts or put up their things and lay them ready over night If thou art a Christian thy experience will tell thee that after thou hast on a Saturday called thy self to account for thy carriage on the foregoing Week bewailed thy miscarriages before the Lord in particular thy playing the Truant on former Lords days when thou shouldst have been learning those Lessons which Christ hath set thee in his Law and hast been earnest with God for pardon of thy sins and a sanctified improvement of the approaching Sabbath I say thy experience cannot but teach thee that thy profit after such preparation will make thee abundant amends for thy pains and that thou hast the best visits the sweetest kisses when thy lips thy heart are thus made clean beforehand 2. If the weakness of thy body do not hinder rise earlier on the Lords day then ordinary When the Israelites were encompassing Jericho on the seventh day they rose early in the morning and according to many Expositors it was on the Sabbath day the walls of Jericho fell down Josh 6.15 One main work which thou hast to do on a Lords day is to batter down the strong holds of sin to conquer those Canaanites which would keep thee out of the promised land do thou rise early for this end He that riseth and setteth out early goeth a considerable part of his way before others awake It s sordid to lie lazing and to turn upon thy bed as a door on the hinges and never the farther off upon any day butmost sad and sinfull on a Lords day 3. When thou first awakest turn up thy heart to God in praise for his protection the night past for the light of another day especially of his own day and in Prayer for the light of his countenance and for assistance in every duty and his direction throughout the day As thou art rising if no other more profitable Subject offer it selfe to thy thoughts Meditate how the night is spent the day is at hand it concerneth thee therefore to put off the works of darkness and to put on the armor of light When thou thinkest on the nakedness of thy body how unseemly it would be for thee to walk up and down without raiment do not forget the nakedness of thy soul by sin and how uncomely thou art in the sight of God without the robes of Christs righteousness and the graces of the Holy Ghost 4. When thou art drest let nothing hinder thee from thy secret devotion When thou art in thy closet consider of the price which God hath put into thy hand the value and worth of a Lords day the weight and concernment of the duties therein and the account thou art ere long to give for every Sabbath and season of grace These thoughts as heavy weights on a clock would make thee move more swiftly in the work of the day After some time spent in meditation in some short yet reverent and hearty petitions intreat Gods help in the present and subsequent duties of the day After which read some portion of the Scripture and pour out thy soul in prayer Get thy heart effectually possessed with this truth That God must work his own work in thee and for thee or it will never be done that as the Spirit moved on the waters at first and then the living creatures were formed so the Spirit must move upon the waters of Ordinances before they can produce or increase spirituall life Hereby thou wilt be stirred up to more fervent supplication for and more importunate expectation of help from heaven In thy prayers remember all the assemblies of the Saints that they may see Gods beauty power and glory as they have sometimes beheld them in his sanctuary Intreat God to cloath his ordinances with his own strength that they may be mighty through him for the bringing in and building up many souls In speciall when thou art at prayer think of the Preachers of the Gospel Conceive that thou hearest every one of them speaking to thee as Paul to his Romans I beseech thee for the Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the love of the spirit that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me Rom. 15.30 Their work is of infinite weight it is God-work Soul-work Temple-work Not one of them but may say with Nehemiah on a Lords day upon much greater reason O I am doing a great work Nehem. 6.3 Their opposition is great The Devill will do what may be to hinder them the world hates them their own hearts will distub them Their strength is small their graces are weak Alas what can they do O therefore pray for them 5. After thy secret duties thou mayst if nature require refresh thy body with convenient food Thy God alloweth thee to cherish though not to overcharge thy outward man I shall speak to thy carriage about eating and drinking in the twenty third chapter and therefore omit it here Vide Family duties in Cap. 27 6. In the next place it will be fit that thou call thy family together and
Victory but not to improve a Victory Usually the Evenings are cold though the days are hot 19. As Oratours at the close of their speech use all their Art and Skill to move the affections of their Auditors so at the close of the Lords day put forth all thy grace and spiritual strength to prevail with God for a blessing Say of the Sabbath as Jacob to the Angel I will not let the go without a blessing 20. Labour to keep the influence of Lords day Ordinances warm upon thy spirit all the week after let not thy devotion pass away with the day Some Children when they put on new Shooes on a Sabbath are very careful to keep them clean are unwilling to set their feet to the ground for fear of dirt but in the week days will run up to the Ankles in Water or Mire O let not childrens play be thy earnest but endeavour that thy practices in secret and private in thy calling and in all companies on the Week days may be answerable to the great priviledges which thou didst enjoy and the grace which thou didst receive on the Lords day A good wish about the Lords day wherein the former heads are Epitomized THe first day of the Week being of divine institution The Introduction and Baptized by God himself with that Honorable name of the Lords day partly in regard of its Author This is the day which the Lords hath made partly in regard of the blessed Redeemer who rose that day and Triumphed over the Grave the Devil the Curse of the Law and Hell it being a day Sanctified for the glory of my Saviour of which I may say as of Jacob The Lord hath chosen it to himself for his peculiar Treasure Psa 135.4 and a day set apart for the spiritual and eternal good of my precious soul wherein I may enjoy communion with my God in all his Ordinances without interruption I wish in general that as the Spirit may be in me in the week days so that I may be in the Spirit on the Lords day filled therewith and enabled thereby to have my conversation all the day long in Heaven O that my care in fitting my soul for it my holy carriage at it and my sutable conversation after it may testifie that I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of my God then to dwell in the Tents of Wickedness and that I esteem one day in his Courts better then a thousand else-where I wish in particular that I may prepare for it Preparation as for a Wedding day wherein Christ and my soul are to be espoused together and to that end before it cometh may be careful so to order my earthly affairs that they may not incroach upon this Holy ground and so open the door of my heart and adorn it with spiritual excellencies that the King of Glory may enter in and think himself a welcome Guest in my soul O that I might never give my God cause to complain of me as once of the Jews Your Sabbaths and solemn feasts I cannot away with for your hands are defiled As Nehemiah shut the Gates of the City that no burdens might be carried in on the Sabbath day so let me secure the Gate of my heart that no Worldly things may disturb me in Sabbath duties O let me not like Martha be careful and troubled about many things but on this day especially sit at Christs feet mind the one thing necessary and chuse the good part which shall never be taken from me I wish that I may long more for it then ever a Bride-groom did for his Bride that when it is come in I may bid it heartily Welcome and that as my Saviour rose early that morning to justifie me so I may rise early on this day to glorifie him I desire that this holy day may be an high day in my account both because the Lord of the Sabbath hath separated it to sacred uses and because it is the day of his resurrection whence so much good cometh to my soul Esteem the day as a priviledge By his passion he layd down the price of my redemption but by his rising again the Judge of Quick and dead sending his officer an Angel to roul away the stone open the prison door and let him out he manifesteth to the world that the debt is discharged and the law fully saatisfied O of what value should this day be to me My Redeemers humiliation indeed was like Josephs imprisonment but his delivery out of the grave like Josephs enlargement and preferment whereby he came into a capacity to advance and enrich all his relations I pray that I may look on this day as a special season to sow to the spirit in and improve it accordingly A price to get and increase grace I believe that my God will not hold him guiltless that takes his name or spends his day in vain O let me not like a foolish child play by that candle which is set up for me to work by lest I go to the bed of my grave in the dark of sin and sorrow Publique Ordiuances to be esteemed the chiefest work of the day I wish that I may not neglect either secret or family duties on this sacred day but yet that I may so perform them that they may be helps not hinderances to publique Ordinances that since God loveth the gates of Sion above all the the dwellings of Jacob I may set an high price upon and have an ardent love to the habitation of Gods house and the place where his honor dwelleth Delight in it that as a true child of my heavenly Father I may love most and like best that milk which is warm from the breasts of publick ordinances I wish that I may call the Lords day my delight it being a day wherein I enter into the suburbs of the holy City and begin that work of praysing pleasing and enjoying my God which I hope to be employed in to eternity that it may be my meat and drink to do the Will of my God O that I might so savour the things of the Spirit and so taste the Lord to be gracious that love may be the Loadston to draw me to my closet family and to Church and season every service I am called to upon the Sabbath Sanctifie the whole day Because every part of this day is of great price more worth then a whole World I desire that not the least moment of it may be squandred away but as the Disciples after the miracle of loaves I may gather up with care and conscience the smallest fragments that nothing be lost My God giveth me good measure heaped up pressed down shaken together and running over why should I be niggardly to him to my self indeed for it is my profit not his when he is so liberal so bountiful to me I wish in regard the blessed God is not onely the Master Communion
Thou art his rest for ever in thee he will dwell for he hath desired it Let him abundantly bless thy provision and satisfie thy poor with bread let him cloath thy Priests with salvation and let thy Saints shout aloud for joy lot thine Enemies be cloathed with shame but upon thy head let the Crown flourish let Nations bow down to thee let Kingdomes fall down before thee Let all the Kingdomes of the earth become the Kindomes of thy Lord and of thy Christ be thou honoured as long as the Son and moon shall endure even throughout all Generations Thou art like Joseph a fruitful bough even a fruitful bough by a Wall whose Branches run over the Wall The Archers have sorely greived thee and shot at thee endeavouring to weaken thy morality and hated thee but thy bow abode in strength by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob from thence is the Shepherd the stone of Israel Even by the Lord of Sabbaths who shall help thee and by the Almighty who shall bless thee with blessings of Heaven above blessings of the deep that lieth under blessings of the breasts and of the womb the blessings of this day have prevailed above the blessings of all other day let them be continued and increased on the heads of this holy and honourable day and on the head of that day which is separate from it brethren Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after thy hurt let them be turned back and put to confusion that desire thy ruine let all those that seek thee rejoyce and be glad in thee let them that love thy sanctification say continually Let the Lord be magnified who delighteth in the prosperity of his Saints and therefore hath set apart his Sabbath for their soul good Thou like Jacob hast got away the blessing from the other days yea thy God hath blessed thee and thou shalt be blessed Blessed are they that bless thee and cursed are they that curse thee In a word The Lord be gracious to thee and delight in thee and cause the light of his countenance to shine upon thee let all thine Ordinances be cloathed with power and be effectual for the conversion and salvation of millions of souls Let thy name be great from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same Finally farewel sweet day thou cream of time thou Epitome of eternity thou heaven in a glass thou first fruits of a blessed and everlasting harvest did I say farewel A welfare I wish to thee but O let me never lose thee or take my leave of thee till I come to enjoy thee in an higher form to see the Sun of righteousness who early on thy morning rose and made a day indeed while the natural Sun was behind face to face and to know thy Maker and Master as I am known of him when I shall be a pillar in the Temple of my God and shall go out no more but serve him day and night to whom for the inestimable dignity and priviledge of his own day be Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen Amen CHAP. XXIII How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in natural actions And first in eating and drinking AS thy duty is to make religion thy business in religious Secondly so also in natural actions A good Scrivener is not onely careful how he makes his first and great letters his flourishes but also the smallest letters nay his very stops and comma's A Scribe instructed for the Kingdom of heaven is heedfull not only that the weightest actions of Gods immediate worship but also that the meaner passages of his life be conformable to Gods law A wise builder will make his Kitchin as well as his Parlor according to rule A holy person turns his natural actions into spiritual and whilst he is serving his body he is serving his God It is said of a Scotch Divine That he did eat Non semper ore non semper meditor sed vestio dormio edo bi bo haee omnia si in fide fiunt tanquam recte facta divino judicio approbantur Luth. in Gen. 33. drink and sleep eternal life Luther tels us that though he did not always pray and meditate but did sometimes eat and sometimes drink and sometimes sleep yet all should further his account the latter as truly though not so abundantly as the former And indeed it is our priviledge that natural actions may be adopted into the family of religion and we may worship God as really at our tables as in his temple Saints must not like brute beasts content themselves with a natural use of the creatures but use them as chariots to mount them nearer and cords to bind them closer to God Piety or Holiness to the Lord must be written upon their pots Zac. 14.20 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. â—31 Philo observeth that the ancient Jews made their feasts after sacrifice in the temple that the place might mind them of their duty to be pious at them It is a memorable expression Exod. 18.12 And Aaron came Sancti manducant et bibunt in conspectu Dei Origen in loc and all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses father in law before God In which words we have the greatness of their courtesie and the graciousness of their carriage For their courtesie though Jethro were a stranger and no Israelite yet the elders honored him with their company And Aaron and all the elders came to eat bread with Moses father in law But mark the graciousness of their carriage they came to eat bread with him before God that is In gloriam et honorem Dei to the honor and glory of God saith Calvin They received their sustenance as in Gods sight and caused their provision to tend to Gods praise God takes it ill when we sit down to table and leave him out Zach. 7.6 When ye did eat and when ye did drink did ye not eat for your selves and drink for your selves He sends us in all our food we live at his cost and therefore our eating may well be to his credit who is the Master of the feast The Jews according to some had officers at every feast whom they called Praefecti morum their work was the inspection of the guests that none should disorder themselves I must tell thee Gods eye is upon thee every meal he takes notice whether thy behaviour is as becometh a Saint And truly friend It behoves thee to use religion as a bridle in thy mouth to hold thee in when thou art eating and drinking Thy throat is a slippery place and sin may easily slip down It s no hard matter to sin whilst the thing thou art about is not sinfull How many feed without fear and thereby fatten themselves to the slaughter Jude ver 12. We read of some whose tables are snares in which they have been
caught by Satan Psal 69.22 Job feared his Sons had sinned in their eating and drinking Job 1.5 There are more guests every meal then thou invitest to thy table The devil lyeth in ambush behind the lawfull enjoyment and will certainly surprise thee before thou art aware if thou art not watchfull The fatal wound he gave Adam at first was in his throat By getting him to eat he brought him and us all to die If Adam strengthned with his perfect original purity was yet caught with this hook sure I am it concerns thee to beware of the bait Have a care lest the quinsie in thy throat kill thee Satan is a subtile angler thou art a poor filly fish be carefull lest he take thee by the teeth and send thee to the fire God hath given thee a rule as for his table when thou art eating of that body which is meat indeed and drinking of that blood which is drink indeed so for thy table when thou art feeding on ordinary creatures He sends in thy provision and he gives thee direction according to which and no other thou mayst use it A tenant who holds lands of his Lord may not use them otherwise then according to the conditions on which his Lord let them to him If he do the premises are forfeited Now the great God who is Lord of the whole earth giveth his creatures to thee conditionally that thou make use of them according to his will revealed in his word if thou usest them otherwise thou makest a forfeiture and mayest expect every moment that he should take possession For thy direction I shall here set down the conditions upon which God giveth thee thy food That thou use it sacredly soberly and seasonably First Thy duty is to eat and drink sacredly Piety must be mingled with all thy provision or else t will be poison Grace must spice every cup and be sauce to every dish or nothing will rellish well Water taken from the fountain quickly corrupts and becomes unsavoury but in the fountain its sweet indeed Godliness will cause thee to enjoy the creatures in God the fountain of them and thereby they will be pleasant to thee The daily bread which the Israelites did eat was made of the same corn with the shew bread which was always before the Lord to teach us B. Babington in loc that we should be holy as in Gods sight when we are eating our ordinary bread Exod. 25.30 Therefore Saints are said to eat to the Lord Rom. 14.6 As they eat by him so they eat to him Thy piety at meales consisteth in begging a blessing before thou eatest in holy expressions and affections when thou art eating and in thanksgiving after thou hast eaten 1. In begging a blessing upon thy food The creatures on thy Table are Gods creatures and I must tell thee that thou art more bold then welcome if thou makest use of his goods without asking his leave He expecteth though not to be satisfied for his mercies yet to be acknowledged and sanctified in his mercies Every creature of God is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer 1 Tim. 4.5 By the word All the creatures were polluted to us by the first Adam but they are purified to us by the second Adam Psa 8. The word of promise to Christ the heir of all things is our warrant and speaks our permission And prayer The word gives us leave to use them and prayer brings down a blessing upon them The word sheweth our right to them through Christ and prayer acknowledgeth Gods right Gen. 9.3 to them and us Gods blessing onely is the staff of bread Exod. 23.25 Man liveth not by bread alone but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God Mat. 4.4 Bread doth not nourish us by its own power but by Gods Word of promise He can easily withhold his blessing and then bread will strengthen no more then chips of bords And when I have broken the staff of your bread ten women shall bake your bread in one Oven and they shall deliver your bread again by weight and ye shall eat and not be satisfied Lev. 26.26 Even Heathen Princes begun their solemn Feasts with Sacrifices The Israelites would not eat before Samuel came because he used to bless the Sacrifice 1 Sam. 9.13 Our blessed Saviour though he were Lord of all yet would not feed before he had looked up to Heaven and blessed the fish Mark 6.41 Paul though amongst many Infidels yet before meat would desire a blessing in presence of them all Acts 27.35 He is worse then an Ox or Ass who will not acknowledge his owner Isa 1.5 Reader God can give thee soure sauce to thy sweet meat if thou dost banish him thy Table he can make thy meat lye so hard and heavy at thy stomach either by sickness Job 33.20 or sorrow Psa 107.17 that thou shalt never digest it whilst thou livest When thou art at thy merriest meeting he can send such a mournful terrible message as to Belshazer carousing in his cups that shall make thine eares to tingle and every joynt thou hast to tremble He can make thy feast to end either as Adonijahs in a fright or as Absoloms sheep-shearing in a funeral When thine heart is merry with Wine he can summon thee as Ammon into the other World Thy wisest way therefore is to beseech his company whomsoever thou wantest The fruits of trees under the law were the three first years unclean the forth year offered to God and after that free for the owners All thy comforts are by reason of sin unclean and cursed to thee if thou wouldst have them clean and blessed they must be sanctified by the Word of God and prayer The Elephant is said to turn up towards Heaven the first Sprig that he feedeth on O Friend wilt thou be worse then a beast For shame be not so Swinish as to feed on the Acorns and never look up to the tree that bears them 2. In holy expressions and affections when thou art eating Whilst thy body is filling thy soul must not be forgotten Though it be not unlawful at meales to talk of other matters yet its pitty Saints should ever meet to eat earthly bread and not have some discourse of their eternal Heavenly banquet How often did our Saviour at such a meeting raise the hearts of his company to better meat Luk. 5.31 As their outward man was feeding he feasted their inward man When the Publican was at much cost to make him a great feast he entertains him and the rest too with better chear The whole neeed not a Physitian but the sick I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance When one of the chief of the Pharisees invited him to his Table observe how he teacheth the Guests humility and the Master of the Feast charity Luk. 14.7 8 12 13. His Lips dropt Honey to sweeten and make all their Dishes savoury One of the
Fathers writeth that the Primitive Christians were so holy in their talk at their Table that one would have thought they had been at a Sermon Non tam caenam caenant quam disciplinam Tertul. Apologet cap. 39 not at a Supper Plato gives rules for the writing down the Table Talk of men thereby to make them more serious Luthers Colloquia Mensalia Printed in a large Folio do abundantly prove that he was not idle when he was eating but that his Table was his Pulpit where he read many profitable Lectures There is scarce a meeting of ungodly men to eat but the Devil hath his Dish among them Psa 35.16 The Drunkards have a song of David to sugar their Liquor The Gluttons have some Taunts to fling at Saints as Sauce to their meat At Herods Birth-day Banquet one Dish served in was the Baptists head Should not friend God have his dish at thy Table When thou art eating bread let thy meditation and expression be like his who sat at Table with Jesus Christ Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God Luk. 14.15 Consider Gods bounty and mercy in feeding thee and cloathing thee when many hungry bellies and naked backs are abroad in the World how many would be glad of thy scraps when thou hast asked God leave for his creatures thou mayst taste his love in the creatures Mayst thou not gather and conclude if the Streams are so refreshing and satisfying what refreshment and satisfaction is there in the well of living waters If bread be so savoury to an hungry body how sweet how savoury is the bread which came down from heaven to an hungry soul Lord give me evermore that bread Do as the Jews They did eat and delighted themselves in thy great goodness Nehem. 9.21 When thou art feeding thy body delight thy soul in Gods great goodness Thus like Mary when Christ was at meat thou mayst break thy box of precious Ointment and perfume the whole room with its fragrant smell 3. In returning thanks when thou hast eaten Thy duty is to begin thy meales with prayer and to end them with praise Thou canst not give God his due price for mercies but thou mayst give him his due praise Though thou art never able to buy them of him yet thou art able to bless him for them If thou didst Dine at thy Neighbours Table thou wouldst think thy self very unmannerly to turn thy back upon him without any acknowledgment of and thankfulness for his courtesie Every meal thou makest is at Gods cost for shame be so civil as to thank him for his kindness Saints are compared to Doves Isa 60.8 especially for their eyes Thou hast Doves eyes Cant. 5. Now Doves after every grain they peck look upward as it were giving thanks When God opens his hand thou mayst well open thy lips When thou hast eaten and art full Joel 2.26 thou shalt bless the Lord thy God Deut. 8.10 Do not like the fed Hauk forget thy Master or like them that go to the Well as soon as they have fild their Buckets at it turn their backs upon it Why shouldst thou forget God when he remembreth thee When thou shalt have eaten and be full then beware least thou forget God Deut. 6.11 12. Let not thy fulness breed forgetfulness you think him a surly beggar who if he receive but a small peice of bread shall fling away from your doors and give you no thanks The Primitive Christians did break bread from house to house and did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praysing God Some understand it of Sacramental others of Corporal bread Acts 2.46 47. The Lord Jesus was known by his actions or expressions in giving of thanks Luk. 24.31 Nay the Heathen would acknowledge their Dunghil deities in those outward mercies Dan. 5.4 They drank Wine and praysed the gods of Gold and of silver and of brass of iron of wood and of stone Wilt not thou do as much for the true God as they for their false Gods O let him have all thy praise who sendeth in all thy provision God takes it very ill when we do not own and honour him as the Author of our Meat and Drink Because Israel was so prided with her Pronounces Possessives My bread and my water my wool and my flax mine oyl and my drink God turnes them all into privatives For she did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oyl therefore will I return and take away my Corn in the time thereof and my Wine in the season thereof and recover my wool and my flax Hosea 2.5.8 9. Trumpeters love not to sound in those places where they are not answered with a considerable Eccho God delights not to bestow mercies on those persons who will not return him sutable praise those that return things borrowed without thanks must expect the next time they need to be denyed I have read a story in the writings of an eminently pious Minister who was an eye and ear witness of the truth of it of a young man who lying upon his sick bed was always calling for meat but as soon as he saw it was brought to him at the sight of it he shook and trembled dreadfully in every part of his body and so continued till his food was carried away and thus being not able to eat he pined away and before his death acknowledged Gods Justice in that in his health he had received his meat ordinarily without giving God thanks The despisers of Gods benificence have been patterns of his vengeance He hath remembred them in fury who have forgotten his favours Some write of the Jews that in the beginning of their Feasts the Master of the House took a cup of Wine in his hand and began its consecration after this manner Blessed be thou O Lord our God the King of the World Ex P. Fagi in Deut. 8. which createst the fruit of the Vine this they called Bircath hajaiin the blessing of the cup possibly to this David alludeth in Psa 116.13 14. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord after the cup the Master of the House took the bread and consecrated it thus Blessed be thou O Lord our God the King of the World which bringest forth bread out of the Earth this they called Bircath halechem At the end of the Feast the Master called to his Friends Let us bless him who hath fed us with his own and of whose goodness we live and concluded with a large Thanksgiving wherein he blest God First For their present Food Secondly For their deliverance from Egyptian bondage Thirdly For the Covenant of Circumcision Fourthly For the Law given by the Ministry of Moses And then he prayed that God would have mercy On his people Israel Secondly On his own City Jerusalem Thirdly On Sion the Tabernacle of his
glory Fourthly On the Kingdom of the house of David his annointed Fifthly That he would send Elias the Prophet Sixthly That he would make them worthy of the days of the Messiah and of the life of the World to come After this prayer the Guests with soft and low voices said unto themselves Fear ye the Lord all ye his holy ones because there is no want to them that fear him The young Lions want and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall want no good thing Alas alass how few Gentiles spend half that time in devotion at their Tables which the pious among the Jews did Many go from their food as the Cow from her fodder taking no notice of the Author of it and like the Idolatrous Israelites they sit down to eat and drink and rise up to play Exod. 32.6 They sit down to Eat and Drink and rise up to play the Beast to play the Atheist Remember every creature of God is good if it be received with thanksgiving 1 Tim. 4.4 but this thanksgiving must not be onely in thy words but also in thy works thy unblameable conversation and thy charitable contribution must speak thy thankfulness When the Master hath fed the Servant he expects that he should go about his business and do the work appointed him That strength which thou receivest from God must be improved for God It s good to bless God with thy lips but best of all to bless him with thy hands and in thy life God will judge of thy thankfulness by thy conversation Think thus with thy self This is the God that feedeth me that satisfieth me with good things how sweet how comfortable are his mercies What sweet refreshment have I had from the creatures when some better then my self want food Others have it but their lives abhor bread and their souls dainty meat Job 3.20 Why should I not love fear and trust and serve this God! I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living O be ashamed to live at Gods cost and to do Satans work Be not like the young Mulets which when they have sucked their fill turn up their heels and kick at their Dam. Further thy duty is to manifest thy thank fulness by supplying the wants of the needy Job would not eat his morsels alone but the Fatherless had a share with him Job 31.16 17. The forementioned Author observes that the Heathen were not forgetful when they were feeding of their absent friends Gods hand is open to thee why should thy heart and hands be shut against the hungry bellies and naked backs Thy goods extend not to Gods Person therefore they must to Gods poor Psa 16.2 Have a Monitor within thee to call upon thee when at meals Remember the poor Remember the poor Remember poor Christ and hungry Christ and naked Christ by this test he will try thee for thine eternal estate and upon the neglect of this he will sentence thee to the eternal fire Mat. 25.41 If thou art a rich person do thou frequently mind this duty Great House-keepers must be Good House keepers All must contribute according to their abilities to the poors necessities but where God gives much he requires much he expecteth an harvest sutable to the seed he soweth It is credibly reported of Mr. Sutton Founder of Suttons Hospital that he used often to repair into a private garden Fullers Church Hist of Brit. where he poured forth his prayers unto God and amongst other passages was overheard frequently to use this expression Lord thou hast given me a liberal and large estate give me also an heart to make a good use it I am confident an heart to use wealth aright is a greater mercy then the greatest heap of wealth I had rather have a little with an heart to improve it for God then much then millions without such an heart Make thee friends of the unrighteous Mammon that when that failes thee thou mayst be received into the Celestial habitation Iustin lib. 51. When Dionysius the Syracusian Tyrant saw what heapes of gold and silver his Son had hoarded up in his closet he asked him what he meant to let it lie there and not to make friends with it to get the Kingdom after his death O Son saith he thou hast not a spirit capable of a Kingdom The rust of many a rich mans wealâ—h will eat his heart with pain and torment in the other World and the Apostle calls upon such to weep and houl for the miseries that are coming upon them James 5.1 2 3 4. God findeth fault with them that could fare on the finest bread and fattest flesh themselves and yet forget the afflictions of others Amos 6.5 How many riotous rich men are there that though they cannot eat and drink all with sobriety will rather spoil it by gluttony and drunkenness then let the poor have part with them like Children who will rather crumble away their food then impart any to their fellows O how justly was the rich man denyed a drop in the other world when he denyed a crum in this world Willet Hexap in Levit. How many covetous Muck-worms like Hogs are nourished onely to be destroyed they are good for nothing whilst they are alive the Hog is neither good to draw as the Ox nor to bear as the Horse nor to cloath us as the Sheep nor to give milk as the Cow nor to keep the House as the Dog but good onely to be kild Such are these scraping wretches good for nothing till they come to the Knife Like barren trees they do but cumber the ground and serve for no use till they are cut down for the unquenchable fire And truely their hearts will never bewail him dead whose bowels did not bless him alive His life did not deserve a prayer nor his death a tear who laid out that to serve his pride which God laid in to serve the poor Reader if God have dealt thee a considerable portion of outward good things consider that thou art but Gods Factor he is the Merchant The Factor knoweth that the goods transported to him are his Masters goods and he must dispose them according to directions from his Master All thine estate is Gods thou art but his servant his Factor he gives thee order in his word to dispose it thus and thus to such poor members of Christ so much to one and so much to another and he will shortly reckon with thee how thou obeyest his directions and if thou forbearest charity now thou wilt then be counted and found as real a theif before the whole world as ever servant was that put hundreds into his own purse which his Master appointed him to pay to other persons Withhold not thy goods from the owners thereof Pro. 3.27 from them to whom it is due either by the law of justice or by the law of love Rom. 13.8 And truly Charity is the best way to plenty He gets
drawn from another Pipe That which runs from the World is too flat low and full of dregs to be served in to the great King When Aristotle was asked what he thought of Musick he answered Jovem nec canere nec citharam pulsare that Jupiter cared not either for singing or fidling he was for higher and more refined exercises The infinite God doth always overlook our puddle-water more especially on his own day when he alloweth us to drink of his own richest Wines They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the River of thy pleasures Psa 36.8 Mark 1. The excellency of the provision fatness of thy house the River of thy pleasures The fattest is esteemed the fairest and the most excellent food therefore the Saint was enjoyned to offer the fat in Sacrifice under the law As God expects the best from us so he gives the best to us this made David when he had feasted so curiously to sing so chearfully Fatness here is the top the cream of all spiritual delicacies My soul is filled as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips Psa 63.5 But though God keep so noble an house to satisfie his peoples hunger what special care doth he take to quench their thirst Thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures O he drinks to them and they pledge him in his own cup. Hath the Child then any cause when his father keeps so rare and costly a Table to leave such dainties and go a begging up and down the Country for scraps and fragments O how much do these disgrace their Parents provision and their own discretion But mark Reader 2. the plenty as well as the excellency of this provision Here is fatness in the abstract a river of pleasures and so much as that they who enjoy it shall be satisfied and abundantly satisfied A River is overflowing and everflowing it communicates its water and yet is never empty It is fed with Springs and Fountains and therefore it s no wonder if it always be full They that are at such a Well need not complain of want but here is not onely Rivers and fatness for some have much and yet cannot feed but of Gods people it s said they shall be abundantly satisfied in the Original it is inebriated they shall have not onely a sufficiency but a redundancy of spiritual delights the Vessels of their souls shall be filled to the brim out of that River whose streams make glad the City of God Surely then they that may have bread in such abundance enough and to spare in their Fathers House made of the Kidneys of the Wheat of the finest Flower need not hanker after the Worlds homely fare Our Heavenly Father doth not keep so starveling an house that the Worlds scraps should go down with us Besides how abominable is it to disturb Gods rest with our sports Some work hard on the week day and play on the Lords day No melody so delightful to them as Temple Musick no draughts so sweet as in Temple Vessels Amos 6.5 Dan. 5.2 No time so fit for their foolish Triumphs as Gods time The Heathen Philistines when they offered a great Sacrifice to their god Dagon call for Sampson to make them sport These uncircumcised persons mingle their Sacrifices to the true and living God with sports and carnal nay sinful pleasures Week days like ordinary Virgins are excused and the Lords Day the Queen of days must be deflowred Reader If thou art guilty of this fin know that to steal time from thy Family or Master on a week day is theft but to steal time from thy Maker and Redeemer on this day is Sacriledge Hast thou no Mettal to disfigure and embezle but that which hath the Kings stamp on it Hast thou no time to sleep in thy Cabin or play on the Deck but just when the wind blows fair for the Vessel of thy Soul to lanch forward towards Heaven I must tell thee that God calls thee on this day to be wholly taken up in working out thy salvation and not at all in minding thy recreations It were better as Austin saith though that were very bad to plough all day Melius toto die ararent quam toto dâ—eâ—altarem Aug. in tit Psal 92. Iustin lib. 1. then to play all day But as Cyrus dealt with the Lydians when he had conquered them in Battel he allowed them liberty for all sports and pastimes and thereby subdued them in such a manner that they became his servants for ever So Satan dealeth with the children of men when they are his already in part by Sabbath bath day pastimes he makes them his sure and settled servants altogether and so they become his for ever Secondly Recreations are unseasonable in times of publique calamities The Son is very undutiful who laughs under the rod and that Daughter very unnatural who is sporting when her Mother is dying A Sword a Sword is sharpned and also furbished it is sharpned to make a sore slaughter it is surbished that it may glitter Should we then make mirth Ezek. 21.9 10. Should we then make mirth as if he had said Such Seasons call for sighing not for singing for mourning not for mirth The Jews tells us the very beasts abstained from copulation in time of the Deluge Plin. lib. 11. cap. 17. Naturalists tell us of the Bees that when one is sick the rest in the Hive are all sad Experience tells us that the very birds who in Summer sing division prettily with divers tunes and variation of their pleasant voyces in Winter forbear their notes and seem to sympathize with the season And shall not we humble our hearts when Gods hand is lifted up How much is he displeased when his chastenings are despised Amos 6.5 6 7. In that day did the Lord God call to weeping and mourning and to baldness and to girding with sackcloth And behold joy and gladness slaying oxen and killing sheep And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts Surely this iniquity shall not be purged away till ye dye saith the Lord of Hosts Isa 22.12 13. In that day When the Persians invaded Gods people then they minded their pleasures The unseasonableness of their laughter provoked God to anger Solace in the day of Jacobs troubles is like Winter fruits harsh and sowre Jer. 9.1 The Church may speak to such as they did to the Philosopher Aul. Cell who in a great tempest at Sea was asking many trifling questions Are we perishing and dost thou trifle Our duty is to sympathize with our fellow members in their sufferings Weep with them that weep Rom. 12.15 Now if we give our selves then to take our ease we shall hardly feel our Brethrens hard cords through our soft beds Alexander Q. Curt. though in exteme thirst when his Army was ready to famish for want of water
thou daily passest so Godliness must be the Ecliptick line to go through the midst of it Godliness must be the key to open the shop Godliness must be the whip to drive the Cart Godliness must be the Cock to call thee up to thy work Godliness must be the clock to call thee off from thy work Godliness must be the principle the rule and the end of thy work Holiness to the Lord was written upon the bridles of the horses Zach. 14.21 Truly Reader thy care had need to be great about thy calling lest it cause thy ruine More dye by meat then by poyson By lawful things many perish Worldly things will court thee that they may kill thee They that dig deep into the bowels of the earth have not seldom been stifled with the damps that arise thence These things are so subject to defile and destroy us that God made a Law that they should not be used before they were purified Numb 31.22 23. Some are destroyed by those houses which were made to defend them like Saul they fall on those swords which should have been for their safety Particular Callings were designed for our good but how often do they prove our grief Are there not those who like Corah and his company are swallowed up alive of earth and consumed Pliny observes Pliny Nat. Hist l. 2. c. 106. that in Phoselis the hill Chimaera burneth night and day The fire saith he is kept burning by water but quenched by earth The earth of particular Vocations hath sometime put out that fire of devotion which the water of affliction could not do It behoves thee to take heed how thou handlest these thorns if thou wouldst not prick thy fingers and pierce thy conscience I shall for that end give thee some Directions out of the Word First be diligent in thy Calling It is observable that the Apostle adviseth the Romans Be not slothful in business serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 All the children of Adam are enjoyned to minde their particular callings by vertue of that command or threatning to their Father In the sweat of thy brows thou shalt eat thy bread Gen. 3. As in the Body Politick so in the Body Natural there must be order to which three things are requisite 1. That every part be in its proper place each Star in its own Orb. 2. That the parts have each to other a due proportion 3. That every member do its duty and be some way or other helpful to the Body Idle persons are like Wens in the face which receive of the bodies nourishment but serve onely to disfigure it Those that are no workers in Gods account are disorderly walkers 1 Thess 5.14 Augustus built an Apragapolis a City void of business but God made not the World to be a Nursery of idleness Alex. ab Alex. The Ethiopians as the Historian observeth would acquaint their youth that they were born to labour by accustoming them betimes to fling great stones Amongst the Turks every man must follow some Trade the Grand Seigneur himself not excepted The Censores morum among the Romans were to observe who were diligent who were negligent in their Vocations and accordingly to commend or condemn them The Grecians according to Solons Law were great discouragers of them that like Vermine lived onely to eat what others earn The Council of the Areopagites enquired how every man lived and punished such as they found idle The Devils themselves are diligent about their deeds of darkness Creatures void of life are serviceable in their places and stations Angels nay God himself is always working An idle person cannot finde either in Heaven or Hell a pattern Our lives are therefore called The lives of our hands because they are to be maintained by Gods blessing on our labours The Patriarchs those persons of renown were eminent for taking pains they did not eat the bread of idleness How frequently and how ardently doth the Word call upon us to be working in our particular callings What Precepts doth the Scripture give for it That you do your own business and work with your own hands as we commanded you 1 Thess 4.11 What Promises doth God make to it He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread Prov. 12.11 24. The soul of the diligent shall be made fat Prov. 13.4 That arm which is most used groweth stronger and bigger then the other The more the Vine spreadeth it self against the wall the more it receiveth of the Suns Warmth and Influence Pliny reporteth of one Oressianus Lib. 18. cap. 6 who from a little piece of ground got much wealth and more then his neighbours could from a greater quantity whereupon he was accused of Witchcraft but to defend himself he brought forth his servants and instruments of labour on the day of tryal and said Veneficia mea Quirites haec sunt These O Romans are all my Witchcrafts I say not to my Servants Go and do this but Come let us do this and that and so the work goeth on The keys that men keep in their Pockets and use every day wax brighter and brighter but if they be laid aside and hung by the Wals they soon grow rusty Students who are given to a sedentary life often waste in their strength when others whose time is spent in bodily labour increase in strength In all labour saith the wise man there is profit There is a threefold care mentioned in the Word of God There is a care of the head a care of the hand and a care of the heart The care of the head is the care of providence this is commendable Pro. 31.16 The care of the hand is the care of diligence this is profitable Pro. 21.5 The care of the heart is the care of diffidence this is abominable Phil. 4.6 Upon which words Zanchy observeth well God doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not do nothing but be careful for nothing The two first are commanded but the last is forbidden Reader thou mayst as well expect riches to rain down from Heaven in silver showres as to provide for thy family and Children without industry in thy calling Solomon telleth us the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and the diligent hand maketh rich Pro. 12.24 and 10.4 22. As the nether Milstone is heavy slow and of small riddance yet the upper Milstone though of greater agility and quicker dispatch doth not grind without the nether but both together make good meal so the diligent hand of it self can do little nay nothing without the blessing of God yet the Blessing of God though of infinite efficacy will seldom do any thing without the diligent hand but both together make a person rich Besides negligence about mens vocations is one great cause of corruption The proud person is Satans Throne and the idle man his Pillow He sitteth in the former and sleepeth quietly on the latter when men have nothing to do the Devil always sets them a
this Strabo Geog. The Metapontines after a plentiful Harvest which had much enriched them dedicated an Harvest cut in gold to Apollo their God Praise the Lord O Jerusalem praise thy God O Zion For he maketh peace in thy borders and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat Psal 147.12 13 14. When God sendeth thee in profit thy duty is to give him praise Do not bury Gods mercies as the barren earth the seed that when once it s thrown into the ground we hear no more of it God expecteth as the trees by their leaves in Autumn pay their tribute of thanks to the Earth the Mother of their fruitfulness so that we should honor him when he heapeth favours on us Some men are like Fishermens weels wide to receive in mercies but there is no passage out for the returning of praises Those places where the Rivers are shallowest make the greatest sound those where they are deepest are most silent Men while they are poor sound with prayers make a great noise for mercies but when God blesseth them with wealth they are silent in regard of thanks they are lifted up with pride but look not up to God with praise It is reported of Willigis a Wheelers son Calius lect Antiq lib. 13. c. 1. that being made Archbishop of Mentz and one of the Prince Electors in Germany he did constantly acknowledge Gods great providence in his great preferment and therefore gave in his coat of Arms three Wheels with this Motto written in his bed chamber in great letters Willigis Willigis Recole unde veneris Willigis Willigis remember from whence thou camest Thus holy Jacob in his prosperity remembred both his former poverty and his present plenty to its Authors praise O God of of my father Abraham I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and all thy truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant for with my staff I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two bands Gen. 32.9 10. So do thou Reader when God blesseth the work of thy hands ponder his goodness that thou mayest give him his praise and think of thy own unworthiness thereby thou mayst be preserved from pride It is reported of that noble Captain Iphicrates that being enriched he should cry out From how small to how great an estate am I raised Sixthly Labour for contentedness and an holy composedness in all conditions Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. Thy duty is to have the scales of thy minde equally poized in all providences not rising in prosperity through lightness nor sinking in adversity under the heaviness of the load As the tree bendeth this way and that way with the wind but still keepeth its place so thou mayest yield according to the gales of providence but still retain and keep thy standing thy piety If thine estate decrease let not thine heart despair if the World flow in let not thine heart flow out O it was an excellent Lesson which Paul had learned I know in what state soever I am to be content I know how to be abased and I know how to abound I know how to be full and how to be empty Phil. 4.11 Paul was not like a musical Instrument out of tune with every change of weather but like the Cypress tree which no storms Naturalists tell us can alter and like the Hill Olympus above all winds and weather Some men are like the leaves of a tree which every wind sets a shaking and trembling or like a bone out of joynt which a man cannot stir without pain if the World do but frown upon them you may see it in their faces they are quite dejected with sorrow O how heavy presently are their hearts as if they had lost their Heaven It is to be feared that bough is rotten which breaketh if but a little weight be hung upon it A godly man should be like a Rock immoveable though high winds and boisterous waves of Providence blow and beat upon him and like a Die however he be thrown always to fall upon a square The Traveller need not murmure though his Inn afford him but mean fare and an hard bed when he knoweth that he must be gone next morning The Ox is not happier which hath two or three mountains to graze on then the Bee which feedeth upon that dew which falleth daily from the store-house of Heaven If thou hast secur'd thine ever lasting estate the boundless God is thy portion and surely then thou mayst be like a spring full under the most scorching Providence It was a worthy speech of Mr. Bradford the Martyr to one who asked him whether he should petition the Queen for his life If the Queen will take away my life I will thank her if she will give me my life I will thank her if she will banish me I will thank her if she will burn me I will thank her let her deal with me how she pleaseth I will thank her So Reader thy heart will be in an excellent frame indeed if thou canst thank God when he enricheth thee and thank him when he impoverisheth thee if thou canst thank him when he smiles on thee with the light of his countenance and thank him also if he frown by some sad Providence if thou canst thank him when he is at Addition and thank him when he is at Substraction thank him giving to thee and thank him taking from thee O here is an heart worth gold indeed Truly the want of this calmness and composedness of minde is a great impediment to Christians Alas when their spirits are like some mens flesh no sooner razed with a pin but they rankle and fester no sooner touched with a light affliction but they faint and are dejected how unfit are they for Religious actions as men in extremity of pain they rather chatter then pour out a prayer Either men must use the World as if they used it not or they will serve the Lord as if they served him not He who knoweth that nothing can befal him whilest he is diligent in his calling but what is the fruit of bottomless love and the result of infinite wisdom may certainly be steady in the greatest storm Thrice happy is that soul who hath so much care of doing his work and such an eye to the recompence of reward that the allurements and affrightments of the World though they may assault the outworks can never surprize the Royal Fort of his heart The onely way Reader to finde thine own will is to lose it in Gods will Those that grumble at his doings and quarrel at his dealings do but like a Bull in the net and the silly Bird among the lime-twigs by strugling intangle themselves the more Unsubmissiveness to Gods will is the fountain of all mans wo the quiet resignation of our persons
the unrighteous Mammon that I may be trusted with the true riches let my whole estate be employed according to thy word for the furtherance of my own everlasting weal. Finally Contentedness in all I wish that I may sail trim and even in all waters that when it is full tide in regard of outward comforts I may not swell with pride nor when it is low water grumble through peevishness murmuring is the musick of Hell holy contentedness is the foretast of Heaven Why should I rejoyce my worst enemie and dishonour my best friend by being fretful at that which the onely wise God seeth to be fit and needful The lean Ox is fitter for service then the fatted one The true Israelite may well be satisfied in his journey to Canaan with his Homer a day with his Statute measure and his Fathers allowance What though my Father deny me that entertaintment at present which he giveth to strangers yet I have his love now and the inheritance hereafter shall be mine My God will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Lord let me never discredit thy House-keeping by my grumbling carriage or frowning countenance but so by the Prospective-glass of Faith behold those things which are invisible that I may in all things give thanks like some Birds sing even in Winter and as cloaths dyed in grain retain my colour in all weathers that when the Fig-tree doth not blossom nor the Vine yield her fruit when the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields yield no meat then I may rejoyce in the Lord and be glad in the God of my salvation In a word I wish that I may like the wise Merchant sell all I have to buy the Pearl of great price the gold tried in the fire that I may be rich the white rayment that I may be cloathed and drive such a constant trade with my God in the other World hearing from thence and sending thither daily that when the King of Terrors shall give me a Writ of Ease from my particular calling I may dye in the Lord rest my labours and have my works following me through free grace into an exceeding and eternal weight of glory Amen A good Wish about the Calling of a Minister wherein the several Properties and Duties of a Consciencious Pastor are Epitomized THe Ministery of the Word being a Calling above all others of greatest weight The Introduction as set up by the ever blessed God for the payment of himself the deserved praise of his Curious Eternal and Infinitely wise purpose and for the payment of the Lord Jesus Christ the precious fruits of his bloody Passion by the turning of sinners from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God In which he is pleased to commit to men duly qualified and rightly called the Word of Reconciliation and commandeth them in his name as his Ambassadors to offer terms of peace and to perswade and beseech rebellious sinners with all earnestness and faithfulness as they would not have the blood of their peoples souls required at their hands to accept of and submit to those Articles of Grace and Pardon I wish in general That since my God hath counted me faithful put me into the Ministery and entrusted me with that which so nearly relateth to his own glory and which so highly concerneth the Eternal felicity of precious souls Acts 20.28 The properties of a Minister He must be 1. Gracious That I may take heed to my self and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost-hath made me Overseer to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood In particular I wish That I may know experimentally what Regeneration meaneth before I travel with others till Christ be formed in them that I may disswade from compliance with sin and perswade to an hearty acceptance of the Saviour not by hearsay or at second hand but upon my own knowledge of the bitterness of the former and the goodness and sweetness of the latter Let me not like some Cooks dress that meat for others which I eat not of my self Let not my Sermons be as Minerva the children of my brain but the travel of my soul that I may serve my God with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son and as a true Vessel of the Sanctuary have within me a savour of that water of life which I pour out to others It is doleful to fall into Hell from under the Pulpit But ah how dreadful is it to drop thither out of it Doth not my heart tremble to think that it is possible for me like the unbelieving Spies to coast the Heavenly Canaan to commend it to others and yet never to possess it my self that whilest I preach to others I my self may be a Cast-away Lord let me so exalt thee in my heart as my chiefest good in my life as mine utmost end and preach so effectually to my own soul and to others That I may both save my self and them that hear me I wish that the Spring of my motions and principle of all my work may be love to my Master That he may act from a right principle love to God and not expectation of any Temporal reward That I may never be so sordidly sinful as to sell the incomparable Saviour for a little corruptible silver to turn my Fathers house into an house of merchandize and to cry up my God as the Ephesians their Goddess because by that Craft they had their wealth but that unfeigned affection to the bleeding head and tender compassion to his blessed members may be all the oyl to feed that lamp wherewith I enlighten others in the way to life O that that pathetical affectionate expression of my dearest Redeemer might sound often in mine ears and pierce my very soul If thou lovest me feed my Lambs If thou lovest me feed my Sheep I desire that my ends in the Ministery may be purely to exalt the glorious name of my God And for right ends the glory of God and the salvation of souâ— in the conversion and edification of his precious and chosen ones That I may not use preaching as a Theif a Picklock to open mens Coffers but as a Key to open their Hearts that the truth of God and the God of truth may enter in Why should I prophane so pious an Ordinance by so poysonous an end and serve my self like the Eagle by having my eye to the prey whilest I soar aloft and pretend to the World that I serve my Saviour Let me not like Balaam Divine for money nor through covetousness with feigned words make merchandize of inestimable souls which Christ thought worth his precious blood O that I might seek not my peoples goods but good not my own profit but the profit of many that they might be saved Lord let this design lie at the bottom of my heart in
spirit in faith in purity Phil. 3.17 that I may be able to say to my flock as Paul to his Philippians 1 Cor. 11.1 Brethren be followers together of me and to his Corinthians Be followers of me as I am of Christ and mark them which walk as ye have me for an example I wish that though my labours should prove unfruitful 7 Not to be discouraged for want of success when I in the discharge of my trust am faithful that I may not be discouraged knowing that I shall be a sweet savour to my God as well in them that perish as in them that are saved and though Israel be not gathered by me Isa 6.10 but I spend my strength in vain yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my work with my God yet O that I might not be sent about that dreadful message to make the hearts of any people fat to make their ears heavy and to shut their eyes lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed but that I may turn many sinners from the errours of their ways save many souls from death and hide a multitude of sins I wish that as Joab when he took the City of Rabbah with Davids Souldiers 8 To give the glory of success to God was willing to have the Crown set on the Kings head so when my God hath enabled me by his spirit to cast down imaginations and high things that exalted themselves against the knowledge of him and to bring into captivity many sinners to the Obedience of Christ that I may set the crown of glory upon the head of God alone and not suffer the least part of his honour to stick to my singers I am but the instrument he is the principal efficient I am but the pipe he is the spring whence the water of life floweth I do but lay on the plaister he made the precious salve of the word and bestoweth also healing vertue on it O that I might never be so ungrateful when he is pleased to honour me as to dishonour him by thinking of my self above what is meet but that all my services may be as so many Scaffolds â—erected purposely for the raising of his his name and the setting up of his praise Finally The conclusion 1 Tim. 4.16 2 Tim. 4.5 I wish that I may take heed to my self to my Doctrine to my life be watchful in all things endure affliction make full proof of my Ministry do the work of a faithful Pastor Mat. 7.21.23 least as they who prophesied in Christs name and in his name cast out Devils I be cast to Devils as a worker of iniquity and find that gate of life which I opened to others shut against my own soul O let me not as Porters in great Houses lodge without my self whilst I let others into Heaven Let it please thee O God of all grace to fill me with the fruits of thy spirit that I may feed thy people with knowledge and understanding Take the oversight of them not by constraint but willingly 1 Pet. 5.2 3 4. not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind not as being a Lord over Gods heritage but as being an ensample to the flock that so when the chief Shepherd shall appear on the great day in which the Sheep shall be separated from the Goats I may receive a crown of glory which fadeth not away Amen CHAP. XXVII How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in his Family as the governour thereof IT is thy duty to exercise thy self to godliness in thy Family and relations Fifthly A Christian must not like the Israelites Pillar in the Wilderness be light on one side and dark on the other be diligent in one relation and negligent in another but as a candle in a Chrystial Lanthorn be lightsom quite round it be holy in every Relation in which he standeth Reader I shall consider thee as Governor or Governess of a Family and herein direct thee what thou shouldst do for the faithful discharge of thy trust in that relation Houses under the Law were to be dedicated to God at their first setting up Deut. 20.5 Which was done saith Ainsworth on the place with singing and praising God Psal 30. vide Title as well as feasting Davids Psalm at the dedication of his House is worthy our imitation Hezekias upon the Law touching the fanctifying an house to God Levit. 27.14 15. giveth this Exposition That to dedicate or sanctifie an house to God is for the Governor to be careful for the instruction of his Family and the Religious Conversation of his Houshold that his house may be Gods house and his children Gods children and his servants Gods servants A Family is a natural and simple Society of certain persons having mutual relation one to another under the private government of one head or chief Aristotle calleth Families the first Society in nature and the ground of all the rest Before the Flood the whole form of Civil and Ecclesiastical Government was confined within the Precincts of private Families A Family is the Epitome of a Kingdom and Commonwealth in a little volume The way to make godly Parishes and godly Countreys and godly Kingdoms is to make godly Families When sin as a plague speadeth abroad it beginneth in Families One Atheistical Family defileth and destroyeth many it sendeth a son into one house a daughter into another a servant into a third and every of them like infectious persons poyson those with whom they converse Like a nest of Foxes they destroy and devour all the Countrey over As one House on fire often burneth down many so one prophane Family injureth many one godly Family on the contrary doth good to many As one stock of Bees sendeth forth swarms and honey into many parts of the Countrey so one Religious Familie sending Religious Children and Servants abroad they come in time to have Families of their own may bring much honor to God and be helpful to the eternal welfare of many souls A Godless Family like a Gun or Cannon killeth at a distance as their swearing children and drunken servants come to spread abroad A gracious Family like the Weapon-salve healeth at a distance as the pious Relations in it come to be dispersed in other places Solomon was a Religious House-keeper and it is observable his servants were so seasoned by him with godliness that their children five hundred years after were recorded by the Spirit of God to be the most eminent in their time for Religion Ezra 2.58 Solomon being a godly Governor of his Family did good after he was dead at so great a distance Theodosius being asked how a private person might be a publique good answered By ordering all things well at home The way to make our Orchards good is to look well to our Nurseries It concerneth thee therefore Reader
thine and others salvations A good Wish about the Government of a Family wherein the former heads are epitomized THe Government of my Family being a special talent and trust committed to me by the blessed God The introduction and being a business of exceeding concernment both in regard of its influence upon the whole Kingdom which is raised or ruined by the good or wicked management of Families and in reference to the everlasting estates of the precious Souls in it wherewith I am charged I wish in general That I may never like a rotten post endanger the whole building of Church and State in any degree by my unfaithfulness in my place nor be so unmerciful and unnatural as to see that bloody Butcher Satan drive my children and servants like silly sheep to the Shambles of Hell and never stir or strive to rescue them out of his hands But thâ—t my resolution and practice may be according to Joshua 's religions pattern that whatsoever gods others serve whether the World or the flesh yet I and my house may serve the Lord. O that I might so walk in the midst of my house with a perfect heart that Grace like Maries box of Oyntment may perfume the whole house with its savour and that in every corner of it as it was said of holy Hoopers there may be some sent of godliness In particular I wish That I may keep my house so cleanly swept from the filth of sin Motives to exalt godliness in a family and so curiously furnished with the ornaments of the Spirit that it may invite the noblest Guest the ever glorious God to take up his abode in it My God hath told me Gods blessing will be on a god y family That the House of the Righteous shall stand Pro. 12.7 though sin rotteth the timber and maketh the houses of the wicked to fall that in the house of the Righteous is much treasure Prov. 15.6 even when there is but little silver thâ—t he blesseth the habitation of the Righteous Prov. 3.33 Surely his blessing can make my bed easie my sleep sweet my food savoury my cloaths warm my dwelling pleasant my children hopeful my wife a meet help my ground full of plenty and all I set my hands to to prosper O my soul what an argument is this to move thee to exalt holiness in thy house Thy God will bless it nay that God whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain will come and dwell in it Without question his coming will as to Zacheus bring salvation to thy house the company of this King will turn thy Cottage into a Court and his presence will change thy dwelling were it a Prison into a Palace O! let nothing be in thy house which may be distasteful to so great and so good a Friend Let no sin dwell in thy Tabernacle but let Holiness to the Lord be written on every person room and vessel in it that whatsoever name other houses are known by the name of thy house may be from henceforth and for ever Jehovah Shammah The Lord is there I wish Gods curse will be on a wicked family That I may so give credit to the Word of Truth which saith That the Curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked that the flying Roll of Curses the length whereof is twenty cubits and the breadth ten cubits shall enter into the house of the Thief and into the house of him that sweareth falsly and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof Zach. 5.2 3 4. and that he will pour out his wrath upon the Heathen which know him not and upon the families that call not on his name That I may tremble for fear that Atheism should raign in my house and so it should be ranked amongst the irreligious and markt for vengeance Alaâ— what a direadful noise do those Murthering pieces make in mine ears The Curse of God will canker all my comforts and blast all my blessings and that both speedily and irresistibly But O my soul meditate a little upon the latter Text which is a Prediction as well as a Petition What a bitter potion doth thy God give thee to purge Atheism out of thy family Consider its nature it is Wrath Pour out thy Wrath. Gods Anger is terrible like fire burning and overturning all before it if but a spark of it light upon his own people Psal 99. â— aâ—d 85.4 how pitifully do they roar out We are consumed by thine anger Cause thine anger towards us to cease O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger Truly no wonder that they thus bewail it for who knoweth the power of his anger Eut his Wrath is anger in the greatest degree Anger boiled up to the height O how scalding is this boiling Lead If the wrath of a King be the Messenger of death What is the wrath of an Almighty God This wrath can stuff thy bed with thorns and appoint wearisome nights unto thee it can sauce thy dishes with poyson infect thy raiment with plague sores fill thy body with torturing distempers thy soul with horrors and terrors it can waste all thy wealth in a moment and turn thy Wife Children and all thy comforts into amazing crosses and terrifying curses Hell it self is nothing else but this wrath to come one Spoonful one Drop of it will turn an Ocean of the sweetest Wine into Gall and Wormwood Wouldst thou be an Atheist in thy family for all the World to live one hour under this scorching wrath Alas it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of thy God for thy God is a consuming fire Observe further its measure pour out thy wrath When thy God poureth out his Spirit he giveth it in an extraordinary degree The persons upon whom it was poured are said to be full of the Holy Ghost If thy family be irreligious thou mayst expect this scalding wrath not by drops but by shorews to come pouring down upon it O my soul let this thought soak and sink so deep into thee that thou mayst dread the omission of duties in thy family as much as the unquenchable fire Let his favour make thee chearful in his service and let his anger make thee fearful of the least sin in thy house To this end I wish that I may use much circumspection whom I admit into my dwelling Directions for the exalting godliness in a Famâ—ly that as those who are to plant an Orch-yard get the best grafts they can so that mine house may be an Eden the garden of the Lord a Paradise on earth 1 Take heed whom thou makest members of thy Family I may as my occasions require look out for the choycest flowers the best and fruitfulest trees the holiest Christians in the Country O let me never make my house a Pest-house by taking in irreligious and infectious persons and such as
Families page 523 Mind Religious duties in their Families page 529 Prayer must be in Families page 530 The Scriptures must be read in Families page 533 Psalmes must be sung in Families page 536 Governours of Families must give a good pattern page 538 All in a Family must be imployed page 549 The Governour of a Family must take care that his whole Family sanctifie the Lords day page 542 He must set up Discipline in his Family page 545 He must maintain love in his Family page 553 Godly Fear requisite in holy duties page 120 Fervency requisite in Prayer page 172 G THe things of God are the things of the greatest weight page 53 Godliness taken two ways page 8 9 Godliness Vide Religion Godly men meet with much opposition in the way to heaven page 65 Godliness must be our principal business page 94 95 In every part of our lives page 102 103 H A Good Harvest Gods gift page 485 486 It is our duty to Hear the word page 200 Evil Frames hinder us in Hearing page 205 Prejudice against the Preacher must be laid aside by them that would profit by Hearing page 206 to 211 The Heart must be affected with the weight efficacy and excellency of the word which we Hear page 212 Prayer requisite before hearing page 216 Right ends in Hearing to be minded page 221 False ends in hearing to be avoided page 220 Worldly thoughts hinder our Hearing page 221 222 We must hear as in Gods presence page 223 We must pray after we have Heard Vide the Word God looks much after our Hearts page 17 170 Heaven not to be obtained without diligence labour page 60 to 65 Humility required in prayer page 167 168 I IDolaters are zealous and prodigal page 418 419 Idleness the evils of it page 552 Intemperance a great sin page 417 The mischeifs of Intemperance page 418 419 Joy in God seasonable on a Lords day page 364 L LOrds day of divine institution page 337 338 God takes special notice how we keep the Lords day page 339 Preparation needful for a Lords day page 342 Wherein preparation to a Lords day consisteth page 343 to 346 Lords day a great priviledge page 348 Lords day a spicial season to get and increase grace in page 353 Publique Ordonances chiefly to be minded on the Lords day page 356 to 362 The whole Lords day to be sanctified page 372 Brief Directions for the Sanctification of the whole Lords day page 381 to 391 A good Wish about the sanctification of the Lords day page 391 A good Wish to the Lords day page 396 Lords day Vide Families and Meditation Love of Christ Vide Christs Love to Christians tried page 273 Love a help to Godliness page 553 M. MAn created for Religion Vide Epistles and page 39 Good Counsel about Marriage page 425 Meekness requisite in a Wife page 562 Meditation needful before prayer page 138 Meditation a duty on a Lords day page 377 Ministers must be godly page 6 and 498 A Minister must be industrious page 6 7. 502 People must pray for their Minister page 219 220 Ministers must act from right principles and for right ends page 499 500 Ministers must be able 501. Compassionate 504. Faithful 501 Full of courage 505. Ministers must Preach plainly purely prudently and powerfully page 507 to 510 Ministers must pray for their people page 510 Administer Sacraments 511. Chatechise 510. Visit people page 512 Ministers must be exceeding tende what example they give their people ib. Ministers must not be discouraged if their labours be not successful page 513 Ministers must give the glory of their success to God page 514 N HOw a Christian in Natural Actions may make Religion his business page 400 A good wish about Natural Actions page 441 O OBedience required page 322 341 Obedience must be in heart and life page 17 18 Obedience must be Canonical page 19 Ordinances their ends and use page 130 131 Ordinances Vide duties and Lords day P GOd hath an extrodinary respect for a Penitent soul page 277 278 Perseverance required page 35 Perseverance in prayer page 189 Pleasures Vide Recreations The excellency of Prayer page 137 138 The Prevalency of Prayer page 141 142 Prayer hath a twofold Preheminence above all other duties page 138 The Nature of Prayer page 140 The Antecedents to Prayer page 147 Meditation an help to Prayer page 148 Meditation of our sins wants and miseries needful before Prayer page 149 to 155 Meditation of God helpful to Prayer page 155 Quickening and stirring up of grace needful to Prayer page 157 Sin hindreth Prayer page 159 160 Anger hindreth Prayer page 161 Worldly Distractions hinder Prayer page 162 Gods Word must be the rule for the matter of our Prayers page 163 The Person Praying must be holy page 165 Prayer must be Vpright 170. Humble 167. Fervent 172 Constant page 178 What it is to Pray Continually page 180 A Caution about fervency in Prayer page 176 Its an ill sign to be Prayerless page 184 185 After Prayer wait for an Answer page 186 Means must be used for the obtaining our Prayers page 191 Preparation to Religious duties needful page 343 Preparation to Hearing Vide Hearing Preparation to the Lords day Vide Lords day R REcreations are lawful 446. they must not be our occupation 450 they must be used for good ends 454. In due season page 456 Recreations are unseasonable on a Lords day page 457 458 and in times of the Churches sufferings page 461 A good wish about Recreations page 462 Religion must be our business page 10 What Religion is page 13 14 The several derivations of the word Religion page 13 What it is to make it ones business 21. It implieth to give it precedency 22. To pursue it with industry 26. To persevere with constancy page 35 Why Religion must be made our business page 39 Religion is the end of mans creation page 40 Religion is a work of the greatest weight 45 to 49. It is Soul-work 49. It is God-work 52. It is Eternity-work page 57 The necessity of making Religion our business page 60 to 70 Religion much neglected page 72 The neglect of Religion bewailed page 73 79 Our greatest care must be about Religious duties page 108 Vide Godliness and Duties Repentance consisteth in mourning for sin and turning from sin page 276 280 S SAints called Lillies why page 268 Saints shamed by sinners page 88 89 92 93 Scripture a great mercy page 198 Vide Hearing and the Word Sacrament of the Lords Supper a seal of the Covenant page 251 The Sacrament a resemblance of Christs death 252. An evidence of his love 253. A great Supper in four respects page 253. The excellency of the Sacrament page 255 Much care about the Supper page 255 256 The danger of receiving the Supper unworthily page 256 to 262 Christ takes notice how men prepare for the Sacrament page 257 Preparation requisite before it 264 265. Wherein preparation for it consisteth page 266 to 279 Our dependance must be on Christ for assistance after our greatest preparation for the Sacrament page 282 Subjects to be meditated on at a Sacrament 285. Christs sufferings 286 to 293. Christs love 293 to 300. Our own sins ib. Graces to be exercised at the Sacrament 300. Faith in its threefold act 303 to 310. Love 312. Repentance page 315 What a Christian should do after a Sacrament page 319 320 Men to be very careful in the choice of Servants page 526 527 Sinners very zealous for sin page 87 88 89 Sobriety vide Temperance Sleep how to be ordered page 437. Its ends 440. Quantity page 437 Season page 439 Soul-work weighty page 49 The welfare of the body dependeth on the Soul page 51 The Souls excellency page 50 T. TEmperance commended page 416 Vide Natural Actions and Eating Thankfulness enjoyned 413 415. For the Word 236. For the Sacrament page 319 U. VNgodliness brancheth it self into Atheism and superstition page 1 2 Uprightness acceptable to God page 171 Unthankfulness page 408 W GOod Counsel about the Choice of a Wife page 525 526 Word why called the grace of God page 203 Gods power alone can make the Word effectual page 217 218 When the Word cometh with power then it profiteth page 229 Its woful to live under the Word and not to be changed by it page 231 We must bless God for his Word page 237 The Word must be obeyed page 240 241 242 Word Vide Hearing Worldlings eager for the World page 74 to 78 Our Worship of God must be inward and outward page 14 to 19 Man made for the Worship of God Vide Man God is very choice in his Worship page 109 110 Gods Worship must be according to his Word page 19 20 God alone the object of Worship page 16 Its ill to dally with Gods Worship page 112 Much Watchfulness required in the Worship of God page 113 Y YOuth Vide Family instruction FINIS
worth ten thousand of us Well might the good Soul run to meet thee in the morning and salute thee with Veni Spousa mea Come my sweet Spouse thee I have loved for thee I have longed and thou art my dearest delight Take heed of counting the Sabbath thy burden and thine attendance upon that day on the Ordinances of God thy bondage It argued spirits full of froth and filth to cry out When will the new Moon be gone that we may sell our corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat Amos 8.5 Count Religious duties not thy fetters but thy greatest freedom Think what the Phaenix is amongst birds the Lyon among beasts Fire among the Elements that is the Lords Day among the days Ordinary days like wax in a shop have their use are worth somewhat but this like wax to some Deeds or which hath the Kings Seal to it is worth thousands What is said of that Day of the Lord may in a gracious sense be spoken of the Lords Day There is none like it before it neither shall be after it Upon this day Christ carrieth the Soul into his Wine-cellar and his Banner over it is Love Upon other days he feeds his members upon this day he feasts them they have their ordinary every day but upon this day exceedings Upon this day he brings forth his living water his best Wine On this day he gives the sweetest bread the finest flower the true meat his own body On this day he met the two Disciples and made their hearts warm and even burn within them by the fire of his words On this day Saints that slept arose out of their beds their graves Mat. 27. On this day the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles On this day the Lord brought forth the light of the World in Creation On this day Christ brought forth the light of his new Heavens and new Earth by his Resurrection On this day St. John had his glorious Revelation containing the Churches state to the Worlds dissolution On this day he visited his dear Apostles with grace and peace saying to them Peace be unto you behold my hands and my feet On this day he burst asunder the bands of death he broke in peices the gates of Hell he led captivity captive trampled upon Principalities and Powers and and triumphed over grave sin the curse of the law and Satan Upon this day he still rides triumphantly in the Chariot of his Ordinances conquering and to conquer casting down high thoughts and subduing sinners to himself It may be said of the Sabbath as of Sion This and that man was born in her and the highest himself shall establish her The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people that this man was born then Selah Psa 87.56 O blessed day how many thousands souls have known thee the day of their new births How willing have the people been in thee day of Gods power in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning thou hast the dews of thy youth Blessed art thou among days from hence forth all generations shall call thee blessed Blessed be the Father who made thee blessed be the Son who bought thee blessed be the Spirit who sanctifieth thee and blessed are all they that prize and improve thee Reader thou hast not a drop of true holiness if thou dost not bless God as is reported of the Jews at the coming in and going out of this holy and blessed day Thirdly Consider there is a present price put into thy hands to get and increase grace and therefore improve it The wisdom of a Christian consisteth in observing his seasons the High God sends man to School to the silly Ant to learn this Art and peice of good Husbandry Go to the Ant thou sluggard consider her ways and be wise which having no Guide Overseer nor Ruler provideth her food in the Summer and gathereth her meat in the Harvest Prov. 6.6 7 8. The Ants are a feeble folk but famous for their forecast and deserve saith one to be fed with the finest of the Wheat for the pattern they give to man They labour not onely all day but even by Moon-light they gather huge heaps together lay it out a drying in a warm day least it should putrifie bite off the ends of the ends of the grain least it should grow but observe the season of this care and diligence She provideth her food in the Summer and gathereth her meat in the Harvest Then that time is the Ants opportunity if she do it not then she cannot do it at all therefore she makes use of that season O that Friend thou wert but as wise for the bread which came down from Heaven as this poor Pismire is for the bread which springs out of the earth Christians are called Doves The Turtle Dove is called in the Hebrew Tor of the Original Tur and thence comes our Latin Turtur which signifieth to observe or search for so this Bird observeth her time of going and coming Jer. 8.7 for she departeth before Winter into some warm climate The Lords day is the Summer thine Harvest time Labour now for Christ and grace or thou art lost for ever The Farmer that loyters at other times will work hard and sweat in Harvest If he do not reap then he knows he can never pay his rent and feed his Family but is ruined Reader if thou dost not on a Lords day gather in grace how wilt thou do to lay out grace in the week days nay how wilt thou do to spend grace upon a dying bed when thou art to step into the other World He that gathereth in Summer is a wise son but he that sleepeth in Harvest is a son that causeth shame Prov. 10.5 The Jews might gather no Manna on the Sabbath but Gentiles must then especially get the bread of life The Water-man must observe when Wind and Tide are for his turn and then bestir himself or otherwise he must come short of his Haven It concerns thee to mind Sabbaths then the gales of the Spirit blow fair for thy voyage then the waters of Ordinances run right for the port to which thou art bound therefore do not then laze and loyter but labour for thy God thy soul and thine everlasting life Therefore shall every one that is godly seek thee in a time when thou mayst be found Psa 32.6 The Musitian must play his lesson whilst the instrument is in Tune because the weather may alter The good Husband for his soul must buy of Christ gold to inrich him and raiment to cloath him while the Fayr lasts for it will quickly be over Esau came too late and lost thereby the blessing many come too late and lose their souls by it To every thing there is a season saith God Eccles 3.1 The Lords day is thy season when grace and mercy are tendered to thee how will thou escape if thou neglectest or carest not for as