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
be hurtful but helpful to our General Callings I conclude the Book with Government of Families wherein thou mayst learn that thy house must be dedicated to God Religion in thy house must of necessity be minded or the whole Family is cursed The Naturalists observe of the Eagle that building her nest on high she is much maligned by a venemous Serpent called Parias which because it cannot reach to the nest maketh to the windward and breathes out its poison that so the air being infected the Eagles young may be destroyed but by way of prevention the Eagle by a natural instinct keepeth a kind of Agath-stone in her nest Plin. Hist lib. 3. cap. 10. which being placed against the wind preserveth her young Satan the crooked Serpent is ever busie to poison the Air in thine house and thereby to destroy thy self servants and whole houshold the only stone for prevention is to set up Religion Neighbor I have many a time pressed this duty upon thee and I do again in the name of the blessed God charge thee as thou wilt answer it at the Bar of Christ that thou immediately set up the worship of God in thy Family Thou knowest how many Sermons I preached from Josh 24.15 on this subject all which ere long thou shalt give an account of how inexcusable wilt thou be if after all those warnings thy Family be found in the number of them that call not on God! Good Lord how dreadful will it be for thee to sink into hell with thy whole house on thy back And now Reader whoever thou art out of affection to thy precious soul and eternal salvation let me prevail with thee not to use Religion as men do perfumes refresh themselves with them whilst they have them but they can well enough be without them but to make it thy chief and main and principal business What shall I say to thee Assure thy self Religion will be thy best friend at last O if thou hadst but the same apprehensions of it now which thou wilt have on a dying bed and day of Judgement thou wouldst make it thine only business them Religion will be Religion indeed of infinitely more worth to thee then millions of worlds All other things will then like leaves in Autumn fall from thee but though all thy most loving friends will part with thee Religion will walk with thee in the valley of the shadow of death it will direct and refresh thee in the pleasant waters of life and it will protect and comfort thee in those salt waters of sickness and when thou passest the Mare mortuum the Sea of death When the world in thy extremity will serve thee as the herd do a Deer that is shot push thee out of their company When thy wife and children will like Orpah to Naomi kiss thee and take their leave of thee Religion will like Ruth stick closs to thee where thou goest it will go where thou lodgest it will lodge death it self shall not part thee and it As the noble Grecian answered Philip when he asked him Whether he was not afraid to die No saith he for the Athenians will give me a life that is immortal Thou shouldst not need to fear death for Religion will give thee a life that is immortal As the old grave Counsellors told Rehoboham Be thou a servant to this people this day and they will be thy servants for ever So say I to thee Be thou but a faithful servant to Religion in this short day of thy life and Religion will be thy servant to all eternity If thou art resolved to give thy self up to the service of this noble Mistris possibly this Treatise may do thee some little service by acquainting thee with her will and directing thee in her work If in the perusal of it thou receive any profit let God alone have the praise and remember him in thy prayers who is Thine in the Lord George Swinnock THE The Contents of the Chapters CHAP. I. THe Preface and Coherence of the Text page 1 Chap. II. The opening of the Text and the Doctrine page 7 Chap. III. What Religion or Godliness is page 12 Chap. IV. What it is to make Religion ones business or to exercise ones self to Godliness page 21 Chap. V. The first Reason of the Doctrine wherein is shewed that Religion is the great end of mans creation page 39 Chap. VI. The second Reason of the Doctrine wherein is discovered that Religion is a work of the greatest weight it is soul-work it is God-work it is eternity-work page 45 Chap. VII The third Reason of the Doctrine wherein is discovered the necessity of making Religion ones business in regard of Gods Precept the opposition a Christian meeteth with in the way to Heaven and the multiplicity of business which lieth upon him page 60 Chap. VIII The first Vse by way of complaint that this trade is so dead and the worlds trade so quick page 71 Chap. IX The same complaint continued that this trade is neglected and superstition and sin should be embraced page 82 Chap. X. The second Vse by way of advice to make Godliness our main business in the whole course of our lives page 94 Chap. XI How a Christian may make Religion his business in religions duties or the worship of God in general as also a good wish about it wherein the former heads are epitomized page 106 Chap. XII How a Christian may make Religion his business in Prayer and 1. Of prayer in general and the Antecedents to it page 136 Chap. XIII Of the concomitants of prayer wherein the matter of our petitions the qualification of the Petitioner and the properties of our prayers are handled page 163 Chap. XIV The subsequent duties after prayer as also a good wish about prayer wherein the several heads in the antecedents concomitants and subsequents of prayer are epitomized page 185 Chap. XV. How a Christian may make Religion his business in hearing and reading the VVord and of preparation for hearing page 197 Chap. XVI Of the Christians duty in hearing page 223 Chap. XVII Of the Christians duty after hearing as also a good wish about hearing wherein the former heads are all epitomized page 234 Chap. XVIII How a Christian may make Religion his business in receiving the Lords Supper wherein arguments to and the nature of preparation for it is discovered page 250 Chap. XIX How a Christian may make Religion his business at the Table when he is receiving page 284 Chap. XX. VVhat a Christian ought to do after a Sacrament as also a good wish wherein all the former heads are epitomized page 318 Chap. XXI How a Christian may make Religion his business on a Lords day page 335 Chap. XXII Brief directions for the sanctification of the Lords day from morning to night as also a good wish about the Lords day wherein the former heads are epitomized and a good wish to the Lords Day page 381 Chap.
and soul was steeped in tears and his whole time from the womb to the tomb was spent in sorrows and sufferings full of tribulations And as Antichrist is called a man of sin because he is as Beza observes well Merum scelus Meer sin nothing but sin Isa 53.3 2 Thess 2.3 so the children of God should be men of holiness meer holiness made up of holiness nothing but holiness every part of them should be holy and every deed done by them should be holy holiness in their hearts should as the Lungs in the body be in continual motion and holiness in their life must run through all their words as the Woof through the whole Web. The Jews had their daily weekly monthly yearly addresses unto God to teach us that we must be always trading heavenward that there must be an unwearied commerce an uninterrupted intercourse betwixt God and our souls Saints lives are therefore compared to a walk and called a walking with God or a walking before God they must still walk as in company with him and tread every step as under his eye Gen. 5.22 and 17.1 The Planets because of their wandering nature are sometime nearer to sometime further from the earth yet always within the Zodiack the high-way of the Sun So the Christian though he be sometimes stooping to the earth in his particular calling sometime mounting up to Heaven in the immediate Worship of God yet he must always be in the path of godliness The highway of the Sun of Righteousness Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long saith Solomon Prov. 23.17 Whether a Christian be eating or drinking or buying or selling or plowing or sowing or riding or walking whatever he be doing or whereever he be going he must be always in the fear of the Lord Godliness must be his guide his measure and his end as the salt it must be sprinkled on every dish to make it savoury Thy life O Christian must be so led that it may be a continued serving of God The Precept is full though if a true Christian thou wilt esteem it thy priviledge that whatsoever thou dost thou art to do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 God must be the Alpha and Omega the beginning and end of all thy actions thy duty is to pass the whole time of thy sourjourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 Every moment must be devoted to God and as all seasons so all actions must be sacred There is a Prophesie that in Jerusalem in that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses Holiness to the Lord and the pots in the Lords house shall be like the bowles before the Altar yea every put in Judah and Jerusalem shall be holiness to the Lord of Hosts Zach. 14.20 21. Mark the same Inscription is to be upon the bells of horses and on every pot wich was on the High Priests mitre Holiness to the Lord to teach us That every thing though but of common use should be sanctified to Gods service Vt quicquid aggrediatnr homines sit sacrificium Calv. in loc That every ordinary enterprize saith Calvin should be a sacrifice In the prosecution of this Exhortation I shall First Speak to the nature of this duty and Manner how a Christian must exercise himself to Godliness in the whole course of his life and in every part thereof Secondly I shall lay down some Means for the accomplishing this duty Thirdly I shall annex some Motives to encourage the Reader in this holy Trade and calling First As to the Manner how a Saint may in every passage of his life follow this Trade I shall divide my Discourse into these several Heads 1. How a man may make Godliness his business in religious actions or the Worship of God in general as also in his carriage in hearing or reading in Prayer at the Lords Supper and on the Lords day in particular 2 How a Christian may make Religion his business in his natural actions of eating drinking sleeping and cloathing 3. In his Recreations 4. In his particular vocation or calling 5. In reference to his Relations and Family 6. In his dealings with all men 7. In all conditions whether of prosperity or adversity 8. In all companies whether good or bad 9. In solitariness or when he is alone 10. On a weak-day from morning to night 11. In his visiting the fick 12. Vpon a dying bed CHAP. XI How a Christian may make Religion his business in spiritual Performances and religious Actions FIrst Make Godliness thy business in religious Duties I shall put that first in order which is first in nature and excellency and truly Friend thy special care must be here thy greatest diligence will be little enough when thou comest solemnly into Gods presence Cleanly men wash their hands and brush their cloaths every day but when they are to dine with a King they will wash and scour their hands they will brush their cloaths over and over again that their hands may be if possible clean from the least dirt and their garments from the least dust The true Christian is in all company and in the whole course of his life every day careful to keep his soul clean and his conscience clear nay to encrease his Godliness but when he draweth nigh to God and he hath more special care and extraordinary caution though Tradesmen are all the year long doing somewhat at their callings either casting up their accounts or gathering in their debts or amending something in their commodities which are amiss and therefore have no time for idleness yet at some times of the year they are full of trading their shops are crowded with customers they are all the week either sending out or taking in wares now this time calls for their greatest diligence and watchfulness The time of sacred duty is a Christians market day wherein he is much imployd and therefore it calls for his greatest diligence He that leaves his Shop or loyters in it at such a time must expect that his Shop will quickly leave him The Husbandman hath his seasons to Plow and Sow in which if he be heedless and careless about that either his seed be smutty or his servant slothful he can look for but a mean and poor harvest The hours of praying and reading and hearing are the Saints opportunities and seasons of grace if he be not then careful and consciencious to Plow up the fallow ground of his heart and to sow to the Spirit his return will be very inconsiderable he will Reap but a thin crop But truely friend if thou hast no respect to thy souls good God hath to his own glory and though he stoop to thee ingiving thee leave to seek his face and hear his voice yet he will not be slighted by thee He is a glorious and jealous Majesty and esteemeth it a disparagement to him for any to wait upon him without their best attire Though Vzzah be
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
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
So God giveth others outward portions some of the good things of this life but to thee O Christian he giveth a Benjamins mess his image his spirit his son himself a worthy portion a goodly heritage because he loveth thee Others have a little meat and drink and wages but thou hast the inheritance Others like Jehosaphats younger Sons have some Cities some small matters given them but thou like the first born hast the Kingdom the Crown of glory others feed on bare elements thou hast the Sacrament others stand without doors and thou art admitted into the presence Chamber others must fry eternally in Hell flames and thou must enjoy falness of joy for evermore O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever To him that chose thee before the foundation of the World for his mercy endureth for ever To him that called thee by the word of his grace for his mercy c. To him that gave his onely Son to dye for thy sins for his mercy c. To him that entred into a Covenant of grace with thee for his mercy endureth for ever To him that hath provided for thee an exceeding and eternal weight of glory for his mercy endureth for ever O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Remember the poor on that day Gods bounty to thee in spirituals may well provoke thy mercy to others in carnals The Jews at their Passover released a Prisoner in remembrance of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage Surely at the Lords Supper when thy heart is warmed with Gods compassion to thee thy hand should be enlarged in contribution to the poor in remembrance of thy redemption out of slavery to sin and Satan The Primitive Christians had their collections for the poor and the Lords Supper both on a day On the first day of the week Because the Saints like the wall being then heated by the Sun should reflect that heat on the passengers on others Acts 20.7 2 Cor. 16.1 Thy cup runneth over O let others drink with thee Thy Charity may make thy Coffer lighter but it will make thy crown heavier It was a notable expression of one who having given much away was like to want and asked what she would do I repent not of my charity for what I have lost in one World I have gained in another 2. Faithfulness The Sacrament is a strong engagement to sanctity Sacramentum est juramentum At the Lords Supper thou takest a new Oath of Allegiance to the King of Saints whereby every wilful iniquity after it becomes perjury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuam a Hedge The Greek word for an Oath cometh from a word signisieth an Hedge to shew that an Oath should keep men in and prevent their wandering out of the field of Gods word It is the character of an Harlot She forgetteth the Covenant of her God Prov. 2.17 I know that the Devil will come to sit with thee after Supper Flies love to settle on the sweetest perfumes When Israel had drunk of the Rock which followed them which Rock was Christ then Amalek fought them When Jesus Christ had received the Sacrament of Baptism then the Devil pursued him with his fierce assaults When thou hast been at the Table expect the Tempter That subtle theif will hear of the new treasure of grace which is brought into thy house thy heart and will use all his pollicy and power to rob thee of it thy care must be by stronger Bolts and Locks then ordinary by greater diligence and watchfulness then before to secure it Surely Reader If thou didst but find the Saviour in the Sacrament thou canst not but fear sin after the Sacrament Thou hast seen what sin cost Christ didst thou not at the Table see the Lord Jesus hanging on the Cross Didst thou not thus bespeak thy soul Look O my soul who hangeth there Alass it is thy dearest Redeemer See his bloody head bloody hands bloody back belly his body all over bloody But O his bleeding soul Dost thou not hear his lamentation My God My God why hast thou forsaken me What thinkest thou is the cause of all this Ah t is thy sins which is the source of all these sorrows And canst thou joyn with them or love those lusts that hate the Lord Canst thou wound him whom God hath wounded and crucifie the Lord Jesus afresh Hath not thy Saviour suffered enough already O here is a Medicine instar omnium instead of all to kill those diseases of thy soul It is said of the Souldiers of Pompey that though he could not keep them in the Camp by any perswasion yet when Pompey threw himself upon the ground and told them If ye will go ye shall trample upon your General Then saith Plutarch in the life of Pompey they were overcome Truely if nothing will disswade thee from sin yet this consideration that it is a trampling upon thy blessed Saviour should prevail with thee Though thou shouldst be marching never so furiously yet as Joabs Souldiers when they saw the dead body of Amasa stay'd their march and stood still when thou seest the mangled wounded peirced crucified body of thy Saviour thou shouldst stop proceed no further How many arguments mayst thou find in this ordinance to be close in thy obedience The greatness of Christs love calleth for graciousness in thy life The love of Christ constraineth 2 Cor. 5.14 Other Motives may perswade but this compelleth If deliverance from the yoke of Pharoah were such a bond to obedience what is deliverance from sin wrath hell mayst not thou Reader say with the Jews After such a deliverance as this should I again break thy Commandements woulst thou not be angry with me till thou hast consumed me Ezr. 9.13 They that receive such courtesies if any men the World sell their liberty and ought to be Christs servants 〈…〉 Friend hath God wiped off the old score wilt thou run again in debt did Christ speak peace to thee at the Table and wilt thou turn again to folly O Reader when thou art tempted to sin say with the Spouse I have washed my feet how shall I defile them I have washed my soul how shall I pollute it with sin I have given my self wholly to God before Angels men and how can I do this great wickednes sin against my God against my Saviour against my Covenant There is a beast some write which if she be feeding doth but turn her head about forgeteth what she was doing O do not thou after thou hast fed on the bread of life forget what thou wast doing but as at the Sacrament thou hast remembred Christs death so do it after by dying to sin all the days of thy life O do not use this ordinance as Papists do the Popes Indulgences to purchase a new licence to sin Judas went from the Supper to betray his Master Absolom
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
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-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
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
of God in Ordinances but also the Marrow of his day that no Lords day may satisfie me without the Lord of the day Alass what is the best time without the Rock of eternity what is the best day without the Ancient of days what are the Ordinances of God without the God of Ordinances what are Sabbaths Sermons Sacraments and Seasons of Grace without the dearest Saviour but as broken Cisterns glorious Dreams or guilded nothings I have read of a good soul who answered his Friend Speak to me while you will no words can satisfie except you mention Christ write to me what you will it will not satisfie except in your Letters I may read Christ O that in no Sermon I might be contented till I hear Christ and that in no Chapter I might be pleased till I can read Christ that as the Needle touched with the Load-stone never resteth till it turn to the North so my heart may be reâ—â— less in holy duties till it turneth to and hath fellowship with the Lord of Heaven The Lords day is an excellent resemblance of my future blessedness wherein I shall enjoy my Saviour fully and my God shall be all in all to me Lord let never this day pass without some taste of those celestial pleasures Meditation on the Works and Word of my God being a duty most in its prime and season on a Sabbath day I beg that what time I spare from publique private or secret performances I may imploy to this purpose that I may behold my God to be infinite in wisdom power and goodness in his foot-steps of creation and stand amazed at that rare Workmanship those curious contrivances of his which Angels look into with admiration that appear in his Master-peice that work of Redemption and for his word let my heart be able to say with David O how love I thy law it is my meditation all the day I wish that I may watch over my thoughts words Watchfulness and actions all the day long in special that as when the holy things belonging to the Sanctuary were to be removed they were covered all over lest any dust should soil them so I may cover my heart with such circumspection that no dust of sin may cleave to it O that I might be so wise and watchful that there may not be the least minute of the day wherein I may not either do or receive some good Lord let no Sabbath pass without some saving good to my precious soul I desire Finally Conclusion of the day that I may not lose the heat of the day in the cool of the Evening I mean that what good If gain from my God through his Ordinances in the day may not be lost by my negligence at night but that as a wise Commander I may then double my Guard and expect with much importunity some evening dews of comfort and grace O that I might so keep the Sabbath of my God chuse the things that please him and take hold of his Covenant that I might so turn away my foot from the Sabbath from doing my pleasure on his holy day Is 56.4 5. and 58.13 and call the Sabbath my delight the holy of the Lord that I may have with the Eunuch within the House of my God a name better then of Sons and Daughters even an everlasting name that shall not be cut off Amen A Good Wish to the Lords day HAil thou that art highly favoured of God Luk. 1.28 thou map of Heaven thou golden spot of the week thou market-Market-day of souls thou Day-break of eternal brightness thou Queen of days the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among days I may say to thee what the Angel said to Daniel Dan. 9.23 O day greatly beloved Psa 45. Thou art fairer then all the Children of time grace is poured into thy lips God even thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of gladness above thy fellows Of the Jewish Sabbaths and other Festivals in comparison of thee it may be spoken They perish but thou remainest and they all wax old as a Garment Heb. 1.11 12. And as a vesture hast thou folded them up and they are changed but thou shalt maugre the malice of men and Devils continue the same and thy years shall not fail As the Temple succeeded and exceeded the Tabernacle this was fleeting that was fixed so dost thou all former Sabbaths they were but morning stars to usher in thee the Sun and then to disappear Other Festivals in all their Royalty are not arrayed like unto thee All the graces triumph in thee all the Ordinances conspire to enrich thee the Father ruleth thee the Son rose upon thee the Spirit hath overshadowed thee Thus is it done to the day which the King of Heaven delighteth to honour Thou hast not onely a common blessing with other days by the law of nature but a special blessing above all other days from the love of thy Maker Let thousands mark thee for their new birth-day Exod. 12.42 be thou a day as it was said of that night to the Jews much to be Remembred much to be observed to the Lord for bringing many out of worse then Egyptian bondage Esther 8.16 be thou to them a day of light and gladness of joy and honour and a good day On thee light was created the Holy Ghost descended life hath been restored Satan subdued sin mortified souls sanctified the Grave Death and Hell conquered O how do men and women flutter up and down on the Week-days as the Dove on the waters and can find no rest for their souls till they come to thee their Ark till thou put forth thy hand and take them in O how do they sit under thy shadow with great delight and find thy fruit sweet to their taste O the mountings of mind the ravishing happiness of heart the solace of soul which on thee they enjoy in the blessed Saviour They are sorry when the days shorten for thy sake they wish for thee before thou comest they welcome thee when thou art come and they enjoy so much of heaven in thee that thence they love and look and long the more for their eternal Sabbath Go forth O thou fairest among Women and be thou fruitful in bringing forth Children to thy Maker and Husband Gen. 24.60 Be thou the Mother of thousands and of millions and let thy seed possess the Gate of them that hate them Do thou like Rachel and Leah build up the House of Israel do thou worthily in Ephratah and be thou famous in Bethlehem Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O thou mighty and gracious day and in thy Majesty ride prosperously because of meekness righteousness and truth let thy right hand teach the terrible things let thine arrows be sharp in the hearts spiritual enemies whereby the people may fall under thee Psa 132. The Lord hath chosen thee he hath desired thee for his habitation
surfeit Though Swine lye night and day in such mud do thou as the Sheep which sometimes fall into the mire but hasten out of it to the pleasant Medows Though the necessity of thy body calleth thee to thy recreations for a season yet let the necessities of thy soul and family call thee off from them in due time Let thy recreations be like a Porter whom thou mayst use for half an hour or an hour as thy occasions are and dismiss and not like an Houshold servant to dwell with thee constantly The Lacedemonians were so sparing that they are said to be even covetous of their time Secondly Look that thine end in them be right The end here will speak much to the specification of the act thy recreation must be as sauce to thy meat we eat sauce to sharpen our appetites to our food and to make us relish it the better so we must use recreations to whet our stomach to our callings and to make them the more savoury to us As musick to the Jews did stir up their minds and prepare their hearts for holy performances so lawful recreations may be used by us Gentiles to fit us for the service of God in our general and particular vocations The Saint by the comforts of his life may delight more in God the life of all his comforts He may follow these streams so long till he comes to the fountain of living waters He may conclude with himself If recreations by the creature be so sweet how sweet is communion with the Creatour The Musitian doth not leave his strings constantly wound up but sometimes lets them down and his end is that when he goeth again to use his Viol it may make the better Musick The wise Husbandman will not always cross-crop his ground but lets it sometimes lye fallow and his end is that sowing upon a Tilt he may have the greater crop So the Christian may allow his mind moderate release he may afford the ground of his outward man some rest but his end must be that when it comes again to be sowed to be employed it may be the more serviceable to God and his soul and truly so by going back a little he may have this advantage to leap the farther O how sordid a thing is it for men to use sports meerly to pass away their time hence they foolishly call them pastimes Reader art thou in haste to have some part of the thread of thy life cut off as if it were too long Wilt thou never consider that time is a silver stream running along into the Ocean of eternity and that eternity dependeth on the spending of this moment of time Dost thou not beleive that thy jovial companions now in Hell would give a whole world if they had it for one hour and that when thou thy self comest to dye and to look into the other World thou wilt say with the Roman General Sertorius in answer to his Souldiers who told him t was dishonourable to the Romans to pay tribute to the barbarous people inhabiting the Pyrenean Mountain Plut. Time is a precious commodity to be taken up at any rate Good God how much wilt thou think a Week a Day nay an hour worth For thy souls sake weigh thy time as it stands in relation to thine everlasting condition and then I am confident thou wilt aim at another end in thy recreations Though children go to school and work in hope of play yet men play to fit themselves for work Though wicked men have such sordid sinful ends in their delights do thou mind more noble and worthy designs Postotia virtus therefore oyl the wheels that thou mayst move the more chearfully and run the more swiftly in the way of Gods commandments Thirdly have an eye to the season of them Scholers have their play-hours yet if they be found playing when they should be at their books they must expect to be beaten The Master that doth not grudge his servant time to visit his friends and rejoyce with his familiars yet if he should do it when his work lieth upon the spoil he could not but take it very ill God alloweth us liberty for moderate delights but it is only when our general and particular callings will give us leave Cardinal Angelot is chronicled for a sordid person for stealing away the oats which his man had given his mare how sordid are those parents who steal their childrens food to pursue their own pleasures He that neglecteth his particular calling to follow his sports is like him that starveth his son to feed his swine And he that omits his prayers and religious duties to mind his pleasures is like him that is condemned to be hanged and hath only three days allowed him to procure his pardon in yet he spends all that time in hawking or hunting Recreations are like some fruits not always in season though at sometimes they are very wholsome yet at other times they are very hurtful The wise man tells us there is a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance Eccles 3.2 and 5. There is a time to weep Sorrow is not always seasonable Dalilah disparaged her discretion by weeping on the day of her wedding There is a time to laugh Delights are sometime out of fashion He forfeits his credit that sports at a funeral Musick never suited with mourning In general recreations are then unseasonable when God and mens families are neglected that they may be minded when to give them water we are forced to make the Mill of our general and particular callings to stand still O what a fool is that voluptuous youngster who having no more horses then what is sufficient for his ploughing will yet take one to hunt upon and thereby cause the rest to be idle and his business to be undone But how mad is that person who Esau like is hunting and thereby misseth the blessing In particular our recreations are unseasonable on a Lords day and in times of publick calamities 1. Recreation are unseasonable on a Lords day Carnal pleasures must then vanish and spiritual pleasures must take place Our joy must be pure and heavenly on that day It is an holy day and therefore cals for holy delights God inviteth the Saint on that day to his own table provideth for him costly curious food and expecteth that he should come and not bring along with him the worlds course fare Observe the precept in the Evangelical prophet If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honorable shal honor him not finding thine own pleasures then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord. Is 58.13 14. Take notice from doing thy pleasure on my holy day our pleasures are such as flow from creatures now the Wine which makes glad the heart of a Saint on a Sabbath must be
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
refused the cup of water presented to him with this excuse I cannot drink alone and here is not enough for every one of my Souldiers to wet their lips Surely Christianity layeth a stronger obligation upon us when the Church is like her Husband carrying her Cross to cut our selves short in regard of worldly comforts Reader Is thy Mother sick and art not thou sorrowful Is thy God thy Father pierced and dishonored by sin and canst thou take thy pleasures Are thy Brethren and Sisters in great affliction and hast thou no fellow-feeling affections When David asked Vriah why he went not to his house after his journey He answered him The Ark and Israel and Judah abide in Tents and my Lord Joab and the Servants of my Lord are in the open fields Shall I then go into mine house and eat and drink and lie with my wife as thou livest and as thy soul liveth I will not do this thing 2 Sam. 11.10 11. Truely if thy flesh should tempt thee to carnal mirth in aday of Zions tribulations do thou repell it as he did The beautiful Spouse of Jesus Christ the blessed members of his body are in great affliction they water their couches with tearts and they mingle their drink with weeping and shall I mind my play and sports and earthly delights through the Lords help I will not do it No by the Rivers of Babylon let me sit down and weep when I remember Sion Alas how foolish is that man who can laugh and jest and be merry in his private Cabin as if he were safe and secure when the ship of the Church in which he sayleth is in a boystrous and dangerous storm Thus I have dispatched the third particular wherein a Christian must exercise himself to Godliness namely Recreations A good Wish about Recreations REcreation being the intermission of my labour The Introduction and spending of some time in delightful exercise for the refreshing of my body and mind which by working much are apt to tire and grow weary I wish in general that I may never abuse this favour which my Master affordeth me as some drunken servants to make me unfit for his work but may be so consciencious in observing those cautions about it which his law prescribeth that my vigour and strength being thereby repaired I may after it follow his business with the more alacrity and ability In particular I wish that my teeth may never water after forbidden fruit For the kind it must be lawful that I may not be so prodigal as to lay my precious inestimable soul at stake by any sinful pleasure My God hath told me how I may be merry and not have the Devil for my Play-fellow O let me never defile my Spirit whilst I am delighting the flesh but let my sport for the kind of it be like Cesars wife without the least suspicion of fault I desire that my carriage at it may be wholly free from passion and covetousness and to this end that I may never venture what I esteem at any value my mind hereby would be dist urbed not refreshed and so the end of recreation altogether frustrated Moderation about them I wish that such delights may be used as my medicine onely now and then when nature requireth them not as my meat constantly every day let my God of all consolation lye as a Wife in the bed of my heart in my bosom be the delight of my eyes whom I would by no means have out of my sight but let these low pleasures as my servants always remain in an outward room and go or come as occasion shall require and Religion direct I wish that I may never mind recreations for those foolish sinful ends The end to be good of passing away the time or pleasing the flesh but as Elijah called for a Minstrel that his mind being thereby calmed and cheared he might be the more fitted to prophesie so I may refresh my body for this very end that it may be the more serviceable to my soul and both of them thereby to my dearest Saviour I wish that my earthly delights may not be unsavoury Seasonable because as fish at some times of the year they are unseasonable that when my general or particular occupatition require my presence In general they are unseasonable when particular or general callings are neglected for them I may not be absent at recreations Why should I like the rich fool be talking of taking my bodily ease when my soul is in danger of endless pain or like prophane Esau be following my carnal pleasures to the loss of my spiritual priviledge Finally I desire that I may not as Nero when Rome was oâ— fire be singing when the people of God are sighing but moderate or deny my mirth In special In a time of the Churches troubles when the members of Christ are mourning O let me prefer Jerusalem before my chief joy In a word I wish that I may not disparage my God by medling with drossie comforts when he calleth me to golden Cordials that I may not disobey his law by minding my pleasure on his holy day but may delight my self On a Lords day on that day of the Lord in the Lord of that day O let me gather 1. from recreations with the Holy Father If ordinary glass be at such a price how precious is a true Diamond If the Worlds trash drain such joy what joy will flow from the true treasure Lord let my cheifest and constant recreations be to walk with my beloved in the Garden of thy word to refresh my spiritual sente and sight with the fair and fragrant flowers of thy promises and precepts to do the work which thou hast given me to do and to enjoy fellowship with thy self in Ordinances till I come to that place where bodies are above such dreggie delights and souls above all mediate communion and thou thy self art all in all Amen CHAP. XXVI How to exercise our selves to Godliness in our Partiular Callings AS Religion must be our business in our Spiritual and Natural Fourthly so also in our Civil Actions and particular Callings The Heavenly Bodies have an influence not onely on men and women but also on trees and plants The holiness of a Saint must be operative not onely in his more nobler exercises the Ordinances of God but likewise in his earthly and inferior employments Thy duty is Reader to minde thy general in thy particular calling and to drive a trade in Heaven whilest thou art following thy trade on Earth When thou art called to the Lord thou art not called from thy labour nay as thou art a servant of Christ thou art bound to be serviceable to thy Countrey in some mental or manual Calling but thy diligence therein must proceed from Conscience not from Covetousness from subjection to Gods Word not from affection to thy wealth As thy particular Calling is the Zodiack through which
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
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
XXIII How a Christian may make Religion his business in natural actions and 1. in eating and drinking page 400 Chap. XXIV How a Christian may make Religion his business in his apparel and sleep as also a good wish about natural actions wherein the several heads are epitomized page 427 Chap. XXV How a Christian may make Religion his business in his Recreations and and Pleasures as also a good wish about Recreations wherein the several heads are epitomized page 445 Chap. XXVI How a Christian may make Religion his business in his particular calling as also a good wish about ones particular calling wherein the several heads are epitomized and a good wish about the calling of a Minister wherein his several properties and duties are briefly described page 466 Chap. XXVII How a Christian may make Religion his business in the Government of his Family as also a good wish wherein the several heads are abreviated page 467 Books Printed for and sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the sign of the thre Crowns over against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside Folio's THe Annotations on the whole Bible or all the Canonical scriptures of the Old and New Testament together with and according to their own Translation of all the Text as both the one and the other were ordered and appointed by the Synod of Dort now faithfully translated for the use of Great Britain at the earnest desire of many eminent Divines of the English and Scotish Nation A Commentary upon the three first Chapters of Genesis by Iohn White The Works of that famous and learned Divine Mr. William Pemble gathered into one volume The History of the Evangelical Churches of the Valleys of Piedmont containing a most exact Geographical description of the place and a faithful account of the Doctrine Life and Persecutions of the ancient Inhabitants Together with a most naked and punctual relation of the late bloody Massacre 1655. and a Narrative of all the following transactions to 1558. justified partly by divers ancient Manuscrips written many hundred years before Calvin or Luther by Samuel Morland Esq A Commentary upon the holy Writings of Iob David and Solomon that is these five Iâ—â— Psalins Proverbs Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs being part of those which by the Ancient were called Hagiographa Wherein the divers Translations and Expositions both litteral and mystical of all the most famous Commentators both ancient and modern are propounded examined and censured and the Texts from the Original much illustrated by Iohn Mayor Doctor in Divinity A practical Commentary or an Exposition with Observations Reasons and Uses upon the first Epistle general of Iohn by that pious and worthy Divine Mr. Iohn Cotton Pastor of Boston in New-England A learned Commentary or an Exposition upon the first Chapter of the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians being the substance of many Sermons formerly preached at Grays-Inn London by that Reverend and Judicious Divine Richard Sibbs D. D. sometimes Master of Katharine-Hall in Cambridge and Preacher to that honorable Society 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or divine characters in two parts acutely distinguishing the more secret and undiscerned differences between 1. The Hypocrite in his best dress of seeming vertue and formal duties and the true Christian in his real graces and sincere obedience As also between the blackest weeds of daily infirmities of the truly godly eclipsing saving grace and the reigning sins of the unregenerate that pretend unto that godliness they never had by that late burning and shining Lamp Mr. Samuel Crook B. D. late Pastor of Wrington in Summersetshire Quarto's Two excellent Treatises of Mr. Ieremi ah Burroughs one on the fifth of Matthew being many Sermons preached at Cripplegate upon all the Beatitudes And Gospel-Revelation in three Treatises viz. 1. The Nature of God 2. The Excellency of Christ And 3. The excellency of mans Immorral Soul both published by William Greenhill William Bridge Philip Nye Iohn Yates Matthew Mead William Adderly Peoples need of a living Pastor at the Funeral of Mr. Iohn Frost by Mr. Zachary Crofton Holy things for holy men or the Lawyers Plea nonsuited c. In some Christian reproof and pity expressed towards Mr. Pryns Book entituled The Lords Supper briefly vâ—ndicated by S.S. Minister of the Gospel A Vindication of the Christians Messiah that Jesus is the true Messiah prophesied and foretold by all the holy men of God who were writers of the Old Testament as also proved out of their own Talmud The Souls progress to the Celestial Canaan by way of godly Meditations and holy Contemplations by Iohn Welles Preacher of the Gospel Comfortable Sermons on Psalm 24. preached before the Lady Elizabeth her Grace by Daniel Dyke B.D. Plenary possession makes a lawful subjection to Powers that are in being proved to be lawful and necessary in a Sermon before the Judges in Exeter by Rich. Saunders Preacher of the Gospel The new World or the new Reformed Church discovered out of the second Epistle of Peter by Nath. Homes D. D. God save the King in a Sermon preached the day after his Majestie came into London by Anthoâ—y Walker Preacher of the Gospel A Plea for Ministers in Sequestrations against Mr. Mossom by S.S. An Ant doteâ— against Anabaptism wherein the Baptizing Infants taking Tythes c. are fully vindicated by Aylmor Haughton The Conversation as Heavenly and as Natural in two Treatises by Dr Stoughton An Exposition with practical Observations continued upon the thirtieth and one and thirtieth Chapters of the Book of Iob being the substance of thirty seven Lectures delivered at Magnus near the Bridge London by Ioseph Caryl Pastor of the Congregation there Also a Continuation by the same Author of the 32 33 and 34. Chapters of Iob being the substance of Forty nine Lectures delivered at Magnus near the Bridge London The Covenant of life opened or a Treatise of the Covenant of Grace by Samuel Rutherfurd Professor of Divinity in the University of S. Andrews Jesus Christ the mystical or Gospel Sun sometimes seemingly eclipsed yet never going down from his people or Eclipses spiritualized opened in a Sermon at Paul Church before the Right Honorable the Lord Mayor Aldermen c. March 28. 1652. the day before the late Solar Eclipse by Fulk Beller M.A. and Preacher of the Gospel in the City of London A Sermon preached before the Honoradle House of Commons at their late Monethly Fast being on Wednesday Iune 30. 1647. by Nathaniel Ward Minister of Gods Word A Declaration of the Faith and Order owned and practised in the Congregational Churches in England agreed upon and consented unto by their Elders and Messengers in their Meeting at the Savoy October 12. 1658. An account of the last hours of Oliver Cromwel wherein you have his frame of Spirit expressed in his Dying Words upon his Death-bed together with his last Prayer a little before his Death Drawn up and published by one who was an eye and ear witness of
some part but all the day Whether the actions he be about be natural or civil he makes them sacred whether the Company he be in be good or bad he will mind his holy calling whether he be riding or walking whether he be at home or abroad whether he be buying or selling eating or drinking whatsoever he be doing or wheresoever he be going still he hath an eye to further godliness Anima est tota in toto tota in qualibet parte because he makes that his business What the Philosopher said of the soul in relation to the body The soul is whole in the whole body and whole in every part of it is true of godliness in reference to the life of a Christian godliness is whole in his whole conversation and whole in every part of it As the constitution of mans body is known by his pulse if it beat not at all he is dead if it beat and keep a constant stroke it s a sign the body is sound Godliness is the pulse of the soul if it beat not at all the soul is void of spiritual life if it beat equally and constantly it speaks the soul to be in an excellent plight It was the practice of our Saviour who left us a blessed pattern therein to be always furthering godliness when bread was mentioned to him upon it he diswaded his Disciples from the leaven of the Pharisees Mat. 16.5.6 When water was denyed him by the Samaritan woman he forgets his thirst and seeks to draw her to the Well-spring of happiness John 4.10 When people came to him for bodily cures how constantly doth he mind the safety of their souls Thou art made whole go sin no more or thy sins are forgiven thee He went about doing good in the day time working Miracles and Preaching in the night time he often gave himself to meditation and prayer He that minds Religion by the by doth otherwise he can Proteus like turn himself into any shape which is in fashion Purch Pilgr Vol. 1. p. 416. As the Carbuncle a Beast amongst the Blackamores which is seen onely by night having a stone in his Fore-head which shineth incredibly and giveth him light whereby to feed but when he heareth the least noise he presently lets fall over it a skin which he hath as a natural covering least its splendor should betray him So the half Christian shines with the light of holiness by fits and starts every fright makes him hold in and hide it The mark of Antichrist was in his followers hands which they can cover or discover at their pleasure but the mark of Christs Disciples was in in their Foreheads visible at all times Thirdly To exercise our selves to godliness implyeth to persevere in it with constancy to our dissolution Men follow their Trades and open their Shops till death shut their eyes and gives them a writ of ease men pursue their earthly works till death sound a retreat and command their appearance in the other World Many a one hath breathed out his last in the midst of his labour His life and his labour have ended together Let every man abide in the calling whereto he is called saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.24 They who make Religion their business are constant immoveable and do always abound in the work of the Lord. Their day of life is their day of labour the sun ariseth and man goeth to his labour until the Evening Psa 104.23 Death onely is their night of resting when they die in the Lord then and not till then they rest from their labours Saints are compared to Palm Trees because they flourish soon to Cedars because they continue long True Saints in youth always prove Angels in age B. Hall med ti cent â— they often set out with the first but always hold on to the last The Philosopher being asked in his old age why he did not give over his studies answered When a man is to run a race of forty furlongs he will not sit down at the thirty ninth and lose the price The pious soul is faithful unto death and injoyeth a Crown of life As Cesar he is always marching forward and thinks nothing done whilst any thing remains undone Nil actumc edens si quid su per sset agendâ—m iâ—uâ—an As they are fervent in their work so they are constant at their work The Church of Ephesus had Letters Testimonial from Heaven for my names sake thou hast laboured and hast not fainted Rev. 2.3 Water in the Baths is always warm As long as there is Water there is heat not so our ordinary water though this may be warmed by the fire at present yet if taken off it returnes to its former coldness nay it is colder then before because the spirits which kept it from the extremity of cold are by the fire boyld out of it The reason is plain the heat of the Baths is from an inward principle and therefore is permanent the heat of the latter is from an external cause and therefore is inconstant That warmth of piety which proceeds from an inward principle of a purified conscience is accompanied with perseverance but that profession which floweth from an outward motive wheremen as Chamelions take their colour from that which stands next them their Religion from those they have their dependence upon is of short duration A man that minds Religion by the by is like Nebuchadnezzars Image he hath an head of gold but feet of clay His beginning may be like Nero's first five years full of hope and encouragement but afterwards as a carcass he is more filthy and unsavory every day then other His insincerity causeth his inconstancy Trees unsound at the root will quickly cease their putting forth of fruit Such men if godliness enjoy a summer of prosperity may like a Serpent creep on the ground and stretch themselves at length to receive the warmth of the Sun but if Winter come he will creep into some Ditch or Dunghil least he should take cold Travellers that go to Sea meerly to be Sea-sick or in sport if there arise a black cloud or storm their voyage is at an end they hasten to the harbour they came not to be Weather beaten or to hazard themselves amongst the boistrous Billowes but onely for pleasure But the Merchant that is bound for a voyage whose calling and business it is is not daunâ—ed at every Wave and Wind but drives through all with resolution He that onely pretends towards Religion if a storm meet him in the way to Heaven he leaves it and takes shelter in the earth as a Snail he puts out his head to see what Weather is abroad what countenance Religion â—ath at Court whether great men do smile or frown upon the Ways of God and if the Heavens be lowring he shrinks into his shell esteeming that his onely safety But they that make godliness their business do not steer their course by such cards
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
God for them Exod. 33.8 they all looked after him to see what speed what success After thine attendance on Ordinances long and look for the fruit of them If a man present a Petition to a King he gives attendance to see whether it will be granted or no. It is a contempt both of Gods Majesty and Mercy for thee to throw down thy prayers before him and then to run away not caring what becomes of it When thou hast been speaking to God hearken what God will speak to thee for he speaketh peace to his people and to his Saints that they return no more to folly Let down thy Net into the Waters and expect to catch somwhat which may feed thy soul if thou fish all night and as the Disciples catch nothing look for the coming of Christ in the morning and that purposely to give thee a good draught of fish Reader remember thine errand at ordinances is to get grace thou hast Gods promise to them and his power and faithfulness both ingaged for its performance and it s thy fault and folly if thou goest hungry from a full table and empty from a free and large treasure Be as wise for thy soul as others are for their bodies The Country Tradesman wants commodities he goeth to London where is a Merchant that hath variety and abundance when he comes there he doth not spend his time in seeing fashions and visiting friends but in going to this and that Ware-house as his occasions require to buy Wares and you see sometimes what considerable quantities he sends home Go thou and do likewise Thou complainest that thou wantest grace go to Christ who hath variety and sufficiency for thy supply but do not go to see men or to be seen of men but to see God and to be transformed into his likeness go to this and that duty as shops where Christ sits and sels and buy Wine and Milk without Money and without price little dost thou know were this but thy business how certainly how liberally he would satisfie thee Why should the Tradesman be a better Husband for corruptible wares then thou art for durable riches Alas alas Christ is more willing to sell then thou canst be to buy to give then thou art to ask Balaam as bad as he was when he had prepared seven Altars and offered seven Sacrifices could expect to meet God and canst thou O Christian contentedly miss him surely he is a pittiful beggar that can go to the gate of a bountiful Peer where is plenty of provision for the poor and come away willingly without his Almes A good wish about religious Duties in general wherein the former Heads are Epitomized THe immediate Worship of the infinite God being a work of the greatest weight that ever I did or can possibly undertake yea that men and Angels are capable of I wish therefore that I may never enter rashly upon it but may ordinarily take some pains before hand The Introduction to the directions analised to aw my heart by a serious apprehension of the unconceivable greatness jealousie and holiness of that God to whom I am approaching how he is resolved to be sanctified either actively or passively Preparation in every one that draweth nigh to him and by a savoury consideration of the unspeakeable consequence of the duty in which I am ingaged how it concerneth the unchangeable welfare of my never dying soul in the other World I wish that all the time of the duty I may look as narrowly to my heart Attention as ever keeper did to that prisoner for whose escape he was to dye and bind it to the Altar as they of old their Sacrifice with the strongest cords of all watchfulness and circumspection imaginable Acting grace I wish that I may perform each part of the duty with sutable grace and to this end that all my graces may be upon the wing ready upon the least call to mount up to Heaven as several strings of a Vial wound up to their due height and pitch each in their place upon the least touch as occasion shall be to make Mâ—siâ—k in the ears of the Lord my God O that while my beloved sitteth at his Table my Spikenard may send forth a pleasant smell In particular Fear I wish that I may be so sensible of the infinite distance which is betwixt the incomprehensible Lord of Heaven and me a poor worm who lie groveling here on earth that I may both in my carriage and language affections and expressions behave my self throughout the ordinance with all godly fear humility and reverence I wish that I may be so truely affected with the sins and unworthiness of my person and performances and my Saviours infinite meritoriousness that I may carry all my Sacrifices to the High-Priest of my profession beleiving assuredly that they being perfumed with the odours of his death Faith and presented by his hands shall be Offerings of a sweet smelling savour to my God The end of duties Finally I wish that all ends of pride merit and self set a side I may therefore attend on duties that I may by my poor Peppercorn acknowledge those millions of eternal obligations by which I am bound to my God and also that by those Buckets O that they might never come up empty to me I may draw water out of the Well of Salvation Amen CHAP. XII How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in Prayer And first of Prayer in general and of the antecedents to it THe infinite and glorious God though be be so high that he humbleth himself to behold things in Heaven and so holy that the Heavens are unclean in his sight is yet so gratious that he condescendeth to and converseth with poor sinful dust and ashes amongst all those ways which he hath appointed the children of men to walk with him in Prayer is one of the fairest and pleasantest In this duty the children of God whisper him in the ear open their minds and unbosom themselves to him as his intimate friends and favourites He hath been pleased to command it not onely out of his Dominion over them and for his own glory He that offereth praise glorifieth me but also out of his compassion to them and for their good that by prayers as men far distant do by letters there might be a constant and uninterrupted intercourse and correspondence betwixt Heaven and earth Men by discoursing together come to be acquainted at first and continue their acquaintance by sending to and hearing from one another Prayer which is the speech of man with his Maker is a special means whereby he comes to be acquainted with God as also to increase and continue this acquaintance Prayer indeed bringeth Heaven down to man and prayer carrieth man up to heaven It is the chief duty wherein all the graces meet they shine brightly like so many glorious Stars in this Firmament Of all graces faith
blessing of an Idol Isa 66.3 I shall therefore for thy right management of this duty which is of such weight and importance to thee speak to these three particulars 1. To the Antecedents or those things which must go before prayer 2. To the Concomitants or those things which must accompany prayer 3. To the Consequents or those things which must follow after prayer 1. To the Antecedents of prayer Preparation is necessary before prayer Zopher acquainteth Job how his prayers might come to be prevalent If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hand unto him Job 11.13 The heart is the Forge where these Vessels for the Sanctuary are formed and fashioned and made in secret the tongue is but the thop wherein they are exposed to publique view therefore the heart must do its work well before the tongue can commend its ware the heart must indite a good matter before the tongue will be as the pen of a ready writer God commandeth us both to look to our hearts and mouths when we are in his house be not rash with thy mouth to utter any thing before God and keep thy feet when thou art in the House of God Eccles 5.1 2. The former is a bridle for our mouths and expressions the latter is a guard for our hearts and affections In reference to the Antecedents 1. Some things which will further the duty must be used 2. Some things which will hinder the duty must be refused First Those things which will further the duty are meditation and the stirring up of grace Meditation will be helpful to the matter of prayer The quickning and stirring up of grace will be helâ—ful to the manner of the duty First Meditation Meditation fits the soul for supplication Meditation fils the soul with good liquor and then prayer broaches it and sets its a running David first mused and then spake with his tongue Lord make me to know mine end Psa 39.3.4 Nay to assâ—re us that meditation was the Mother which bred and brought forth prayer he calls the child by its parents name Give ear to my words O Lord consider my meditation Psa 5.1 Meditation is like the chargeing of a piece and prayer the discharging of it Isaac went into the field to meditate Gen. 24.63 The Septuag the Geneva translation and Tremelius in his marginal Notes on it read it to pray and the Hebrew word Suach used there signifieth both to pray and meditate whereby we may learn that they are very neer a kin like twins they lie in the same womb in the same word meditation is the best beginning of prayer and prayer is the best conclusion of meditation When the Christian like Daniel hath first opened the windows of his soul by contemplation then he may kneel down to prayer Prayer is a building which reacheth up to Heaven meditation layeth in all the costly materials which are requisite for this building He that would make any riddance of his work must take care that all his materials be brought in before-hand if they be to fetch when he comes to work he will make long and tedious Church-work indeed Something thou art to meditate on relating to thy self somthing relating to God Those things which relate to thy self are thy sins wants and mercies There are three parts of prayer though I know some reckon the first rather an adjunct Confession Petition and Thanksgiving Now meditation gives each of these the work which they are to do like a faithful Steward it gives every one their proper and peculiar portion Meditation on our sins helpeth in confession Meditation on our wants helpeth in petition Meditation on our mercies helpeth in thanksgiving A Christian ought to keep a Catalogue at least in the Table book of his heart of these three particulars David did so He Registred his unrighteousness or the wrong he had done to God my sin is ever before me Psa 51.3 He thought much upon his wants and sufferings He often cryeth out I am poor and needy Psa 109.21 Psa 25. my sorrow is ever before me Psa 38.17 And for Gods mercies he did not write them in the Sand but he treasured them up in his memory Thy loving kindness is before mine eyes Psa 26.3 And though some of them were stale ancient mercies yet they were not sowre to Davids taste he did not throw them away as Old Almanacks out of date I will remember the days of old the years of antient times Psa 77. Rather then God should not be paid his thanks for favours to his Fore-fathers David would take the Debts from their score and set them upon his own File Confession of sin must be with shame and sorrow petition for mercy must be with faith and fervency Thanksgiving must be with admiration of God and delight in God Now it is meditation of our sins wants and miseries which provides fuel for the fire of these graces to work upon and which they break out into an Heavenly flame Meditate on thy sins Thy duty in prayer is to Indict Arraign and Condemn and Execute those Malefactors and Transgressors of the Royal Law which can never be done till they are apprehended If thou wilt kill those Foxes that spoil the Vine those lusts which hinder thy regenerate part from thriving thy care must be by meditation to hunt them out of their lurking holes and take them Thy wounds which stink and are so unsavoury to God must by serious consideration be searched and felt before they can be healed When thou art going to prayer do as Jehu when he went to sacrifice to Baal send out and fâ—â—châ—n all thy false Worshippers those Enemies of the true God that deny his supremacy and bowed the knee to the World or the flesh and then by an humble penitential confession and self judging cut them off Who ever bewailed his sins that did not know their sinfulness or who ever was ashamed that did not see his own nakedness When the Jews came to know that they were the betrayers and Murderers of the Lord Jesus then they were pricked to the heart O do that for thy self which God will do for many others set thy sins in order before thine eys thine original and thine actual thine omissions and commissions thy personal and relative thy secret and publique thy sins about natural civil or spiritual actions thy sins under mercies and against afflictions Say to thy conscience as Samuel to Jesse Are all thy Sons here Are all thy â—ins here if any be wanting to thy knowledge cause it to be sent for and brought and sit not down to Sacrifice before it come when this is done put them all into their own colours accent them with their several aggravations consider what light what love what motions of Gods spirit what convictions of thy own spirit they were committed against Above all meditate on the infinite Majesty Purity and Mercy of that God against whom thou hast sinned Those three Attributes duly weighed would
ejaculatory prayer for his Murderers Father forgive them for they know not what they do and as an answer to it we find some thousands of them presently converted Truely Reader I would commend these ejaculations as an excellent receipt for all companies and in all conditions If thou art a stranger to it thou dost not know the vertue of it It is as some write of the herb Panaces a universal remedy for all diseases a special though cheap preservative both against the evil of sin and suffering This is the best way to avoid dangers to overcome difficulties and to prosper us in our lawful designs Gen. 24.12 When thou receivest a sudden mercy hearest unexpected good news thou mayst presently rear an Altar and offer up a Sacrifice of praise to God If thou art protected through grace from any transgression in which thou wast falling or afflictions of which thou wast affraid thou mayst suddenly dispatch a Messenger to Heaven with thanks who will be more welcome there then thou art aware of So did a good Servant Gen. 24.26 and a godly Souldier and governour Iudg. 7.15 I will bless the Lord at all times saith David his praise shall be continually in my mouth When thou art in a suddain plunge thou mayst dart up a thought to God for counsel or protection these short breathings would prepare thee for a long race There are indeed some seasons for prayer which must by no means be slighted when the Spirit of God stirreth in thee and cometh for thee then make haste to God Courtiers watch for convenient seasons to present their petitions to their Kings and will be sure to lay hold of such seasons If the King himself offer any discourse relating to their requests then they will close and strike in When the Spirit of God in a morning or evening or in the day time commandeth thee to go and cry to God for pardon and life I speak of regular motions for no other come from the Spirit then is a fit time to present thy requests he sendeth for thee for that end Take heed of delaying or denying Thou saidst seek ye my face my heart said thy face Lord will I seek Suitors have their mollissima tempora fandi their special times of wooing Hester waited once and again for a fit time to beg her life and the lives of her people of the King and when Ahashuerus put her upon it gave her an opportunity she then did it and prevailed Whatsoever actions thou entrest upon whether Civil Natural or Religious let prayer be to thee as the Baptist to Christ the messenger to prepare the way before thee Bonaventure that Seraphical Doctor being asked by Aquinas How he got such Divine knowledge pointing to a Crucifix in his study said Ille est liber meus by praying to that Crucifix A Christian by praying to God in the name of a crucified Christ may get saving knowledge Be confident of this those mercies will be most savoury which come flying to thee upon the wings of prayer Those favours are suspicious which steal in at a window and come not in at the door of prayer How sweet was that water to Sampson whieh streamed to him in the channel of prayer Judges 15.19 he called the name of it En-hakkore the well of him that prayed Jacob saw God smiling in Esau's smooth countenance because prayer was the Sun which scattered and cleared that sky When thou canst say of the mercy which God giveth thee as Hannah of Samuel For this childe I prayed saith she he is the travel of my soul as well as of my body he is the fruit of my heart as well as of my womb when thou must say For this blessing I prayed many a time did I weep and make supplication and lo I have prevailed Such a mercy will be a double mercy a Samuel indeed Asked of God and Dedicated to God As Jesus Christ was more welcome to Mary his Mother when she and his Father had sought him sorrowing so those blessings especially spiritual will be received with most joy which were sought with most sorrow What thou winnest with prayer thou wilt wear with prayer But it may be Reader thou art one that art so far from constant praying that the garment of the Atheist will fit thy back very well They call not upon God Psal 14.4 if so bethink thy self for thou livest like a Beast as Nebuchadnezzar did though thou hast the shape of a man They are become brutish and have not sought the Lord Jer. 10.21 Brutes are like Mutes O it is a dreadful condition to be possessed with a dumb Devil When men once grow speechless it s a sign death is hard by If that bloody Butcher can but muzzle thy mouth and with cords hinder thy crying expect the stroke of the ax Or possibly that livery which Eliphaz made for Job though it was much below him yet will become thee Thou restrainest prayer before God Job 15.4 The pulse of thy soul faulters thou layest by thy prayers as some do their best cloathes till they go to Church again or for some Holy-day O this is a sad sign that prayer which should be thy element is thy torment Friends that love one another long to converse together and take all opportunities of sending to and hearing from each other Hadst thou any love to the blessed God it would be so with thee But as painfulness in speaking often argueth unsound inwards so thy inconstancy in praying giveth thee cause of suspecting thy spiritual unsoundness and insincerity CHAP. XIV The Subsequent duties after Prayer THirdly I shall speak to the consequents or those duties which must follow after prayer and they are principally two Watching and Working 1. Watching for an answer Pious prayers are precious commodities and who unless a mad man or a fool will throw away what is of value and worth When thou hast shot thine arrow observe where it lights and how near it flew to the mark Wise men when they have delivered their petitions to their Prince watch and wait sometimes a year together all the while longing and looking for an answer Thy requests to God are of infinite concernment thy Heaven thy eternal happiness is involved in them with what holy impatience then shouldst thou desire an answer In the morning I will direct my prayer unto thee and will look up Psa 5.3 The words discover Davids posture in prayer and his practice after prayer His posture in prayer I will direct my prayer unto thee Disponam tibi Calvin The word is an allusion to an Archer or to a General as some observe on it 1. To an Archer and then the meaning is I will be up betimes and take as good aim as I can possibly at the mark and so draw my bow and direct my arrow that I may hit it 2. To a General and then it importeth thus much I will rise early and set my requests to God as Souldiers
do thou hear and amend Charles the great did set his Crown upon the Bible intimating thereby that his Crown his carriage as a King should be according to the commands of the word O do thou hide this word in thine heart that thou mayst hold it forth to thy companions by the hand of an holy conversation Walk according to this Rule A good Wish about the word wherein the former heads are epitomized THe holy Scriptures being of such authority The Introduction as the hand writing and heart of God himself and so singular a mercy to me that by the guidance of this Star I am directed as the wise men to Jesus Christ I wish in general that I may set an high price upon every part thereof that every peice may be currant with me for his sake whose Image and superscription it beareth O that my carriage before at and after hearing may witness to God and my conscience Preparation for hearing that I esteem the law of his lips above thousands of Gold and Silver In particular I wish that as the Jews when they went to hear the law Preparation for hearing by laying aside evil frames sanctified themselves and washed their cloaths so before I go to read or hear the word I may sanctifie my soul and wash my heart from all superfluity of naughtiness and with meekness receive that ingrafted word which is able to save my soul Prejudice I wish that like Jehoshaphat I may prefer one Micaiah before four hundred false Prophets yet that I may ever make a difference betwixt an evil Ministers Preaching and practice and even when the Minister is full of grace may so distinguish between the treasure and the vessel as not to vallue the Message for the Messengers sake but to bid the workman welcome for the words sake I wish that I may be so sensible of my owninability to profit by this holy ordinance By prayer and of the speakers impotency to Preach home to my conscience that I may cry mightily to my God that he would open my heart to receive the word with all affection and so direct the Arrows which the Preacher taketh out of the quiver of Scripture that they may hit and pierce my dearest corruptions Consideration I desire that the consideration of the words excellency may cause me to prize it highly Of its necessity may make me to improve it diligently and of its efficacy may move me to go to hear as a Prisoner going to a bar to be tryed for my everlasting life or death Good ends in hearing I wish that the weight of the word may sink so deep into my heart that I may never hear Sermons to pick flowers of Oratory or to please my fancy but to receive virtue from Christ for the drying up my issue of sin and that I might cleanse my ways by taking heed thereto according to Gods Word Worldly thoughts laid by That the noise of the World may never hinder me from hearing the voiee of my God At hearing I wish that when I come into the place of worship I may set my self solemnly as before the Judge of quick and dead Seriousness as in Gods presence and as in the presence of the Lord with fear and awe give audience to his word If I were hearkening to an earthly Prince I would be serious O with what reverence should I hear from the blessed and onely Potentate Because without application the word will be unprofitable Application of it I wish that I may never draw a curtain before my own Picture but overlooking others may see my own face in the glass of the law O that by faith I may so take down the hook of the word as to be caught and taken by it Renovation by it My prayer is that the Gospel may come to me not in word onely but in power also that I may go to it as clean paper for any inscription as soft wax for any impression which my God shall be pleased to make upon me O that I might behold the Lord so effectualy in that glass as to be changed into his Image from glory to glory In special I wish that my sins may be placed by me in the front of this spiritual battle as Uriah purposely to be slain and that those smooth stones which are taken out of the silver streams of the Sanctuary may be thrown by so skilful and powerful a hand that they may sink deep into the foreheads of those uncircumcised ones After hearing Petition for a blessing to their death and destruction I wish that after the seed is sown I may beg that the showres of Heavens blessing may accompany it that it may spring up in the fruits of righteousness to the glory of my God and good of my precious soul And because the Gospel is a dish which is not set on every Table Thanksgiving for the Word though free grace bestoweth it on me I wish that I may rise from this spiritual food before I have given thanks to the Master of the feast Practice I desire finally that as I looked like a Saint in hearing I may live like a Saint after I have heard that those blossoms of good purposes which sprouted forth while the Minister was preaching may ripen into practice that whatsoever characters others are known by to be Christians I may be known by this ear mark to be one of Christs sheep even by hearing his voyce so as to follow him wheresoever he goeth Though others like petty Chapmen deal onely in some particular commodities and those such as will serve their own turns I desire that I may deal with the Word by whole-sale and esteem all Gods Precepts concerning all things to be right O that I might order my whole conversation aright and at the last see the salvation of my God! Amen CHAP. XVIII How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness in receiving the Lords Supper and 1. Of the Nature of that Ordinance and preparation for it VVHen God had caused his everlasting Decree to fall in labour and had delivered it by giving the world a being and upon infinite consultation had formed Man to be his Vice-Roy over all the works of his hands he embarqued him with all abilities needful for such a voyage in the bottom of the Covenant of Works Adam set forth fully furnished with skill and richly fraught with all the Fortunes Hopes and Happiness of Mankinde but he had scarce lanched out of sight before Satan who knew very well the worth of the prize envying man the Haven of bliss to which he was sailing and envying God who was the owner the honor of such of a venture raised a storm whereby the Vessel through the unfaithfulness of Adam the Pilot ran upon a Rock and miscarried O what a joyful spectacle was that to Satan What a doleful sight to Adam to behold himself and all his posterity
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
To thy duty at the Sacrament 3. To thy duty after the Sacrament First To thy duty before the Sacrament and herein my counsel is that thou wouldst prepare thy self solemnly for this Ordinance The Jews had their preparation for their Passover John 19.24 It was the preparation of the Passover Nay they took their Lamb the tenth day of the moneth and did not kill it till the fourteenth Exod. 12.3 and as some of their Writers observe they tied it all the while to their bed posts that in the interim they might prepare themselves for it Our Lord Jesus when he was to eat the Passoever and institute the Supper would have so much as the house in which he would do it prepared before-hand Mark 14.15 The ancient Fathers and primitive Christians used to sit up whole nights at prayer before the Lords Supper which they called their Vigiliae Reader thy care must be to trim thy lamp and make sure of oyl in the vessel now thou art going to meet the Bridegrom Samuel spake to the inhabitants of Bethlehem Sanctifie your selves and come to the Sacrifice so say I to thee Sanctifie thy soul and then come to the Sacrament 1 Sam. 16.9 Joseph prepared himself by shaving himself and changing his raiment before he went unto Pharaoh And wilt not thou prepare thy self by putting thy soul into the holiest posture thou canst when thou art to go in unto the King of Heaven and Earth He that would make a good meal even when he is to feast at anothers cost must prepare his stomack beforehand by moderate fasting or exercise God expecteth that the hands be pure but especially that the heart be prepared The good Lord saith Hezekiah pardon every one that prepareth his heart though it be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary 2 Chro. 30.18 19. the King speaketh of those who came to the Passover with some ceremonial pollution yet had moral purity and his words are to this purpose Lord though several of my people have failed in regard of external purification let it please thee to pardon them if they have minded internal preparation Friend there is no hope of remission without this heart-preparation The Devil himself would not come into an house till it was ready swept and garnished Mat. 12. And dost thou think that Jesus Christ will come into thy heart while it lieth nastily and sluttishly before the filth of sin be swept out and it be garnished with the Graces of his Spirit Surely that room had need be richly hung with the embroidery of the Spirit in which the glorious and blessed Potentate will sup and lodge Where thy expectation is great from a person there thy preparation must be great for him Dost thou not look like Herod to see some miracle done by Jesus some extraordinary thing for thy soul Therefore I say to thee as Joshua spake to the Israelites Sanctifie your selves for to morrow the Lord will do wonders amongst you Josh 3.5 O sanctifie thy self and to morrow on the Sacrament-day the Lord will do wonders for thee he will feast thee at his own Table he will feed thee with his own flesh he will give thee that love which is better then wine he will embrace thee in his arms and kiss thee with the kisses of his mouth he will delight thine eyes with the sight of his beautiful Person ravish thine ears with the sound of his precious promises and rejoyce thine heart with the assurance of his gracious pardon O do but sanctifie thy self and to morrow the Lord will do wonders for thee This preparation consisteth in a serious examination of thy self and a sincere humiliation for thy sins Thy serious examination of thy self must be First Of the Good in thee Secondly Of the Evil done by thee Let a man examine himself and so and no otherwise let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup 1 Cor. 11.28 Examine himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some take it to be a Metaphor of a Goldsmith as he trieth Gold in the fire whether it be pure or no so thy duty is to try thy graces by the fire of the Word whether they be true or not So the word is used 1 Pet. 1.7 Others take it as an allusion to Ministers who are tried whether they are fit for their office or no 1 Tim. 3.10 so thou oughtest to try thy self whether thou art fit for this Ordinance or no. This examination must be First Of the Good in thee Thy duty is to examine thy self in general concerning thy Regeneration or spiritual life The Sacrament is childrens bread and it must not be given to dogs Dogs must be without doors not within snatching the Meat from the Table Men must prove their right to the Purchase before they take Possession He must have an interest in the Covenant of grace who will finger the seal of the Covenant It is high Treason to annex the Kings broad Seal to forged Writings Thy Navel is like a round Goblet which wanteth not liquor thy belly is like an heap of Wheat set about with Lillies Cant 7.2 The words are Christs praise of his spouse for her fruitfulness in bringing Children forth and her faith fulness in bringing them up By the Navel Expositors agree that Baptism is understood by which as children by the Navel the members of the Church are nourished even then when they are so feeble that they cannot feed themselves but their whole sustenance is conveyed to them by others By the belly is meant the Lords Supper Now observe the provision how the Table is furnished and the persons which are to sit at it For the provision Thy belly is like an heap of Wheat Ainsworth on the words observeth that in those times they brought their Corn in and stackt it up in heaps so that as the belly distributeth to every part of the body its proportion of nourishment and as an heap of Wheat satisfieth the hunger of and affordeth strength to a whole Family so doth the Church by this Sacrament bestow on all her children through Christ that food which is needful for health and strength The persons which are to eat of this Wheat set about with lillies They must be Saints and are compared to Lilies First For their innocency they are Lilly-white Secondly for their glory and Nobility Mat. 6.29 Pliny telleth us that Lilies are next to the Rose for Nobility Plin. l. 22. c. 5. Christ is the Rose of Sharon the plant of most renown but his Church is next to him Thirdly for the savour Cant. 4.12 The graces of beleivers are like sweet perfumes and sented as far as Heaven The Lords Supper is a Sacrament not of Regeneration but of sustentation When the Prodigal came to himself then the fatted Calf was killed for him Luk. 15. Men must have natural life before they can eat natural meat and men must have spiritual life before they can eat spiritual meat It was an ancient
abuse of the Sacrament cast out by the Carthaginian Council to give it to dead men The invitation is not to Enemies but friends Eat O friends drink abundantly O beloved Cant. 5.1 The waters of life is onely for the thirsty and the bread of life onely for the hungry the Shew-bread under the Law was to be eaten onely by the Priests Lev. 24.9 so the bread of the Sacrament is to be eaten onely by such as are spiritual Priests unto God as Saints are Rev. 1.5 Reader examine thy self therefore whether thou art born again or no. Look into the Word of God and compare thy self with the Characters which are there given of new born Creatures They are sometimes described by their hearts God is good to Israel to such as are of a clean heart Psa 73.1 Their hearts are clean not with a legal cleanness which denyeth the being of sin in them In that sense none can say I have made my heart clean this spotless robe is reserved for the Saints wearing in the other World but with an Evangelical cleanness which denyeth the dominion of sin over them this cleanly garment is the Saints ordinary attire in this world We call River-water clean water though there be some kind of illness and impurity in it because it will not like pond water mingle with it and suffer the filth to rest there but worketh it out and seadeth it forth in its scum and froth Now how is it with thee Friend Doth sin rest quietly in thee or is it resisted by thee Dost thou love sin or loath sin Dost thou count it thy pleasure or thy poison When the body is dead Vermine crawl in it without opposition When the soul is dead lusts abound in it and reign without any considerable disturbance An unclean heart is quickly overcome by sin As when a Chimny is foul it is apt to be fired by every spark that flieth up whereas when it is clean though many flye up it remaineth safe so when the heart is unclean Satan can no sooner throw in his fiery Darts but presently it is in a flame whereas a clean heart is like wet tinder not so soon burning when he strikes fire Godly men as they have clean hearts so they have clean hands Job 17.9 The hand is the instrument of action by clean hands the Spirit of God meaneth clean and holy actings Saints are described by their lives They walk after the Spirit They order their conversations aright Per brachium fit judicium de corde was Galens rule Physitians feel the pulse of the Arme that they may know the state of the vitals Now how beats the pulse of thy conversation according to that judge of the soundness or sickness of thy constitution Dost thou walk in reference to thy self soberly in reference to others righteously in reference to God religiously Rom. 8.1 5. Tit. 2.12 Thy duty is to examine thy self in particular also of those graces which are specially requisite in a Communicant Of thy knowledge to discern the Lords body There is a competency of knowledge needful if thou wouldst receive acceptably Dost thou know the threefold estate of man His Innocency Apostacy and Recovery What a pure piece he was how holy when he came out of Gods hands what a miserable polluted creature he hath made himself by disobeying God and harkning to the Tempter what a glorious remedy God hath provided to restore man to his primitive purity Dost thou know God as he discovereth himself in his works but especially as he is represented in the Glass of his word Dost thou know Jesus Christ his two Natures his three Offices how he executeth them both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation Dost thou know the nature and end of the Lords Supper An ignorant person can no more discern Christs body then a person stark blind can discern the bread God hath expresly forbidden lame and blind Sacrifices Mal. 1.8 The Hypocrits Sacrifice is Lame for he halteth in Gods Way The ignorant persons Sacrifice is blind for he can give no account of his own work When the Leprosie was in the head the Priest was to pronounce the party utterly unclean exclude him the Camp Lev. 13.44 Do not say though thou art ignorant yet thy heart is good when God himself saith Without knowledge the mind is not good Fish stink first in the head and then the whole body putrifieth Examine thy Faith This grace is thy spiritual taste without which thou canst relish nothing on the Table This is the Bucket and if it be wanting I may say to thee as the Woman to Christ The Well is deep and thou hast nothing to draw with This is the hand to receive Christ Joh. 1.12 This is as the Armes whereby we imbrace Christ They embraced the promises by faith Heb. 11.13 As loving friends that have been a great while asunder when they meet together hug and embrace each other in their Arms so the Christian who longeth to see Jesus Christ in the promises when at a Sacrament he meeteth him huggeth and embraceth him in the Arms of faith Examine not so much the strength as the truth of thy faith The wings of a Dove may help her to mount up towards Heaven as well as the wings of an Eagle Try whether thy faith be unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 What price dost thou set upon Christ To them that beleive Christ is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 An unbeleiver like the Indians seeth no worth in this golden Mine but preferreth a peice of Glass or a few painted Beads mean earthly things before it but a beleiver like the Spaniard knoweth the value of it and will venture through all stormes and tempests that he may enjoy it Dost thou prise the precepts of Christ the promises of Christ the people of Christ the person of Christ is that altogether lovely in thine eyes and the passion of Christ Is thy greatest glory in Christs shameful Cross Dost thou esteem it above the highest Emperours most glorious Crown One of Englands Kings bestowed as much on a Crucifix as the revenues of his Crown were worth in a Year God forbid saith Paul that I should glory save in the Cross of Christ Gal. 6.14 Doth thy faith purifie thine heart Having their hearts purified by faith Acts 15.9 The hand of faith which openeth the Door to let Christ into the heart sweepeth the heart clean Faith looks to be like Christ in glory and faith labours to resemble Christ in grace An unbeleiver like a sluttish Woman though he keep the room of his life a little clean which others daily observe yet he cares not how dirtily those rooms of his inward man lye which are out of their fight unbeleiving and defiled are joyned together Tit. 1.15 Examine thy love The primitive Christians kissed each other at the Supper which they called Osculum pacis A kiss of peace They had their feasts of charity Jude v. 12. The bread which we eat is it not the
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
sinners love their friends who love them and wilt thou be worse then Publicans and sinners Consider seriously Jesus Christ loved thee when thou wast in a loathsome estate Ezek. 16. when thou wast wallowing in thy blood when no eye pitied thee then was his time of love he passed by thee and said unto thee Live yea when thou wast in thy blood he said unto thee Live And wilt thou not love him Ponder the heat of his love possibly the greatness of that fire may warm thy heart and thou mayest reflect some heat back again for indeed love is a Diamond which must be written upon with its own dust He loveth thee as a servant surely this is a favour for he hath thousands of glorious Angels who count it their honor and happiness to serve him To be made one of his hired servants was the great priviledge desired by the Prodigal Ye call me Lord and Master and ye say well for so I am John 13.13 but though this may be somewhat it is not enough for him He loveth thee as a friend Ye are my friends John 15.15 I have not called you servants but friends Friends love entirely witness Jonathan and David Jonanathan loved David as his own soul Friendship is one soul in two bodies saith the Philosopher This is much but his love to thee is more then so he loveth thee as his Brother He is not ashamed to call them brethren I will declare thy name unto my brethren Heb. 2.11 Some Brethren are knit very close in the bond of love Camh. Brit. In Queen Elizabeths Reign in a fight between the Earl of Kildare and Earl of Ter Owen two of the Earl of Kildares Brethren were slain which he took so heavily that he dyed shortly Some write that there is no such love in the World as between Foster-Brethren in Ireland This love is great but his love is greater He loveth thee as his childe the stream of love descendeth most swiftly from Parents to their children He shall see his Seed Isa 53.10 How tender is the Mother of her childe Can the Mother forget her childe that sucketh her breast The Mothers bowels will yern towards her childe the Mothers breasts will put her to pain if not drawn and thereby minde her of her childe But though the Mother may prove a Monster and like the Ostrich leave her young to be destroyed yet will I not forget thee saith the Lord Thou art engraven upon the palms of my hands thy walls are ever before me Isa 49.13 14 15. Children have you any meat If not lo here is my body Thou mayst say of Christs love to thee as David of Jonathans Thy love to me is wonderful it far surpasses the love of women for he loveth thee as his Spouse Men do or at least should love their wives above all relations For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife But who can conceive Christs love to his Spouse Thou art all fair my love thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse How fair is thy love my Sister my Spouse Cant. 4.8 9 10. The nearest affinity is Spouse and the nearest consanguinity is Sister to shew that his affection is like that of the nearest relations If this be not enough Reader he loveth thee as himself nay above himself he did as it were hate himself out of love to thee He denied himself displeased himself and gave himself to be buffeted scourged condemned wracked crucified and to be a sacrifice for thy sins Well is it possible for thee to read of this infinite love without love When wood hath been laid a sunning it takes fire presently Hast not thou been so fitted by the warm hot beams of this Sun that now upon the very thoughts of Christ thou art all in a flame Truly it would be as great a miracle for thee to be in such a furnace of love and not fired with love to him as for the three Worthies in Daniel to be in the midst of the fiery furnace and not burnt Christ loved thee so unspeakably as thou hast read as a servant as a friend as a brother as a childe as a wife as himself nay above himself all this when thon wast a sinner without strength yea his enemy which threefold gradation the holy Ghost taketh special notice of Rom. 5.6 8 10. and wilt thou ever give him cause to complain of thee as Paul of his Corinthians the more I love the less I am beloved Love him dearly love him entirely love him above all love him more then all say with the Spouse Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love and with holy Brandford sprinckle thy trencher thy food with tears that thou canst love so loving and so lovely a Saviour no more 3. When thou art at the Table Exercise repentance what sorrow for and anger against thy sins should the sight of a crucified Saviour cause Some tell us that if the murderer be brought near and touch the body slain by him it bleeds afresh O when thou who art indeed the murderer of the Son of God dost touch and taste his body and blood shouldst not thou fall a bleeding a weeping a fresh Behold his broken bleeding body with an eye of faith and thine eye cannot but affect thine heart with grief I am confident thou canst not see it with dry eyes Was his soul exceeding sorrowful heavy even unto death for thy sake and is not thine friend for thy sins Did he drop so much blood and canst thou drop never a tear the very rocks were rent at his sufferings and is thy heart harder then those stones Is it possible for the head to be so pained and peirced and the members not be affected with it surely Deep calleth unto Deep Deep sufferings in Christ for deep sorrow in thee O Christian If his body were broken to let his blood out thy soul may well be broken to let it in They shall see him whom they have peirced and mourn for him as one that mourneth for his onely Son Zach. 10.12 His love may make as Davids kindness even a Saul to lift up his voice and weep It is so great and so hot a fire that one would think it would distil water out of thee wert thou never so dry an herb When Christ sat at Supper in the Pharisees house Mary washed his feet with her tears When Christ and thy soul are supping together thou mayst well weep in remembrance of thy unkindness and wickedness But the cheifest reason why I mention repentance now to be exercised is not so much for thy contrition or sorrow for sin though when the sweet sauce is a little sharp with Vinegar the meat will rellish the better for it as for thine indignation and anger against sin When thou considerest that thy dearest Saviour in a cold night lay groveling on the ground all over in a bloody sweat that
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
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
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
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
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
most that gives most He that soweth liberally shall reap liberally I have sometimes considered with my self and wondred why Nabal should be so exceeding churlish to David as not to spare of his superfluities to supply Davids necessities when David had been so exceeding civil to him as to preserve his flocks in safety from the rage of hungry Souldiers But when I marked well the story I quickly found the cause of Nabals covetous carriage He looked upon himself as Master of his estate and not as Gods servant to improve it for his profit and praise Shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh and give it to men whom I know not whence they be 1 Sam. 25.11 Had he but had so much grace as to have called it Gods bread and Gods water he would have disposed it according to Gods word and not have denied a poor persecuted Saint but because he counted it his own proper wealth therefore it must be disposed according to his own pernicious will Reader look upon thy self in regard of thine estate only as a servant in trust which thou must shortly give an account of and then to do good and to distribute thou wilt not forget as knowing that with such sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 3.16 Secondly Thy duty is to eat and drink soberly The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to us teaching us to live soberly in this present evill world Tit. 2.12 This sobriety respecteth both the quantity and the quality of thy diet First Thy duty is to be temperate as to the quantity of thy diet Reason is content with a little Religion with less Although no certain proportion of food can be prescribed to men for those showers which drown the clay vallies do hardly quench the thirst of the sandy hills Neither the bodies of men nor their stomacks are all of a size yet this is a certain rule for a man to eat or drink so much as to oppress nature and to unfit himself for prayer is a degree of intemperance God gave man food to further not to hinder him in his general and particular calling and surely they sin who feed till like fatted horses they are unfit for service Turtull speaking of the carriage of the Primitive Christians at their meals tells us Non prius discumbitur quam oratio ad deum praegustetur editur quantum esurientes cupiunt bâ—bitur quantum pudicis est utile ita saturantur ut qui meminerint eti am per noctem sibi adorandum deum esse Tertull. Apologet. They do not sit down before they have prayed they eat as much as may satisfie hunger they drink so much as is sufficient for temperate men are filled as they that remember they must pray afterwards Christians may chear nature but they must not clog it It is a great prviledge in the charter granted us by the King of Kings that we should have dominion over the creatures but it will be a sorbid bondage if we suffer them to have dominion over us instead of being our servants to become our Masters Psa 8.5 6 7. God in the very framing of man intended him for temperance by giving a little mouth with a narrow throat and a lesser belly then other creatures And in mans charter which speaks his leave to slay the beasts in Gods forrest observe in what tenure it runs Every living thing that moveth shall be meat for you There is the general concession even as the green hearb have I given you all things here is the special limitation That is saith an Expositour to use them soberly and moderately Wilet Hex in gen not to gluttony and excess It is an abominable shame to a Saint to be a slave to the beast in him his sensitive appetite He that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things Beasts seldome surfet at their food never sin Epicurus who esteemed mans happiness to consist in pleasures was yet very temperate as Cicero and others observe Socrates was wont to say That evil men live that they may eat and drink but good men eat and drink that they may live Some of the heathen did very much hate excess either in eating or drinking The old Gauls were very sparing in their diet and fined them that out-grew their girdles Drunkenness by Solons law was punished with death The Spartans brought their children to loath drunkenness by causing them to behold the beastly behaviour of their servants when they were drunk But how many nominal Christians in regard of temperance come short of heathens Wo to the drunkards of Ephraim of England God hath a cup of red wine of pure wrath and these must drink the dregs therof how doth this iniquity abound men drink healths so long till they drink away their health and their heaven too Some mariners observe that as the waters grow shallower the sea losing about the coasts of Holland and Zealand the waters grow deeper the sea gaining about the English coasts Whether drunkenness ebb in Holland or no I know not I am sure it floweth in England We may complain as Diogenes Laertius of his country men that when they went to sacrifice to health they did then most riotously abuse health There was a street in Rome called Sobrius vicus The sober street because there was never an Ale-house there But how few towns have we which may be called sober towns because there are no drunkards there Reader if thou art one guilty of this sin for the Lords sake bethink thy self speedily dost thou know what thou dost Thou wrongest thy body Vermine abound as â—ats and mice where there is much corn and Diseases abound in bodies given to excess Too much wood puts out the fire Meat kills more then the Musket The glutton digs his grave with his teeth and the drunkard drowns himself in his cup. Stratonicus spake fitly of the Rhodians They build their houses as if they were immortal but feed as if they intended to live but a little while Spare diet is the best cordial of nature Moderate fasting is the best physick He that riseth with an appetite Camb. Brit. Eliz. secures his digestion It was said of Queen Elizabeth That she ever rose with an appetite and that Edward the sixth was wont to call her his sweet sister Temperance and she lived seventy years Gallen lived 140 years and almost all the time without any sickness and this natural reason is given that he did never eat his fill It wrongs thy estate The drunkard and glutton shall come to poverty Pro. 23.21 Their throats are open sepulchers to bury their estates in Diogenes when he heard of a drunkards house to be sold cried out I thought he would ere long vomit up his house It wrongs thy Soul After rioting and drunkenness followeth chambering and wantoness Rom. 13.12 and wo and sorrow and wounds without cause look not upon the wine at last it biteth like a Serpent thine
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
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
I give them such meat as they can never digest Let me not read Authors as the Butter-fly goeth to flowers onely to gild her wings but as the Bee to gather honey and bring it home to the hive for the supply of her young Lord let me never be guilty by painting the windows of hindring the light of thy glorious Gospel from shining powerfully into the hearts of men and women My prayer is 3 Prudently That I may not strengthen the hands of sinners nor sadden the hearts of the godly but be able to distinguish between the vile and the precious and accordingly give them their several portions That I may give milk to babes and strong meat to stronger men order my prescriptions suitable to their particular constitutions use the needle of the Law to make way for the thread of the Gospel and lead my sheep as Jacob drove his flock as they were able to bear it and as Christ taught his as they were best able to hear him 4 Powerfully O that I might not onely preach prudently but also powerfully That my Sermons may be delivered not as Prologues to a Play as matter of sport or pastime but as the Message of an Herauld with all imaginable seriousness and fervency as containing Conditions of Life and Death The Word is an hammer but it will never break the stony heart if lightly laid on What is preached coldly is heard carelesly Lord let me not like the Moon give some light without any heat but cause me to lift up my voyce like a Trumpet to give as fire heat as well as light to be eaten up with the zeal of thine House to beseech poor souls to be happy with as much fervency as if I were begging for my life and to preach so successfully that I may raise up much spiritual seed to my Elder Brother I wish 2 To pray for his people That all my Parishoners without exception may have so deep a share in my affection upon a Religious account that without ceasing I may make mention of them always in my prayers That my hearts desire and prayer to God both in secret private and publique for poor and rich may be that they may be saved O let me daily offer Sacrifice for them confess their iniquities bewail their misery and cry mightily to God for mercy Lord let me prevail with thy Majestie to speak to their hearts and I shall prevail with them to hearken to thee yea I shall stand before thee at the last day with courage and say Behold here am I and the children which thou hast given me Because the small keels of children are quickly overturned when they meet with the high winds of temptations 3 To cathechise as they sail along in the Sea of this World if they be not ballasted with the principles of the Oracles of God I pray That I may be a diligent Instructer of babes and a faithful Teacher of the simple That I may season through Gods help those new vessels with the precious water of life that they may retain their savour to their old age That the younger amongst my people may from their childehood know the holy Scriptures be wise to salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus I wish 4 To administer the Saments That in the Administration of the Sacraments I may have an impartial regard to the fitness and meetness of the subjects lest I set those precious Seals of the Covenant of Grace to blanks whereby they should signifie nothing especially that about the Lords Supper as I would not be partaker of other mens sin nor be an instrument of furthering their eternal suffering I may be tender and walk altogether by the rule of Scripture O let me never pollute that Sacred Ordinance by giving it to prophane persons nor be so prodigal of my dearest Saviours blood and body as to give those holy things to Dogs and to cast those Pearls before Swine who will trample them under their feet Ah it is much better that such scandalous sinners should be angry with me on earth for my wholesome severity then curse me for ever in Hell for my foolish pity and soul-damning flattery I wish That like a faithful Shepherd 5 To visit his flock and to admonish advise and comfort as occasion shall be I may often visit my flock and warn every one night and day with tears and not as a careless non-Resident expose them to the rage and cruelty of the devouring Wolf by my absence from them or by my negligence when present among them lest another day when it s too late they cry to me and complain of me Sir if thou hadst been here our Souls had not dyed The Priest under the Law visited the suspected or leprous houses enquired how it was with them and as he found it so gave sentence O that I might under the Gospel visit diseased hearts and diligently enquire how things stand betwixt the great God and their poor souls and give them suitable savoury and profitable advice Though I therefore desire a great Auditory because among many Fish there is the greater probability that the baits of the Gospel will take and catch some yet therefore I should desire a small Parish because thereby I am in the greater capacity to deal with every one in it in particular about the concernments of their everlasting peace Lord let thy strict Command frequently come into my minde I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season Reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I wish 6 To give a good example in his conversation That I may be as the Baptist both a Burning Light in my Sermons and a Shining Light in my Conversation lest my works give the lye to my words Whilst I as Mercury direct others in the right way but walk not in it my self The Priests under the Law had their Vrim and Thummim signifying purity of Doctrine and sanctity of life a bell and a pomgranate a Bell and a pomgranate typifying that Preaching and practice must go together O that I might preach as powerfully by my life as by my lips and like a faithful nurse avoid the scandals of distempers and even forbear those meats which I love though lawful in themselves when not expedient not onely for my own sake but also for their sakes to whom I give suck Nazianzen saith of him that was the voyce of one crying in the Wilderness That he was all voice a voice in his habit a voice in his diet a voice in his conversation 2 Titus 7. Lord enable me in all things so to shew my self a pattern of good works to my people 1 Tim. 4.12 to be such an example to beleivers in word in conversation in charity in
19. O how few Abrahams are there in England Many teach their Families the works of the Devil but few teach them the way of the Lord many lop their trees prune their plants break their horses train their hauks yea teach their dogs yet never instruct their children Friend consider the worth of thy children and servants souls and the weight of their everlasting estates and how in the dark of ignorance they must unavoidably stumble into Hell and for the Lords sake be perswaded to instruct them in the knowledge of the true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent John 17.3 Naturalists tell us that bees carry small gravel in their feet to poise their bodies as they fly through stormy Winds If thou wouldst not have thy little ones blown away with the Winds of temptations do thou labour to poise them with the principles of the Oracles of God Ah what pity is it that men like silly Doves without hearts should sit in their Dove-coats see their Nests destroyed and their young ones killed before their eyes but the old Manslayer the Devil and never stir or offer once to rescue or revenge them Good Lord what unnaturalness is is many Parents and Masters Cardan speaks of one that had a receipt for the certain dissolving the stone in the bladder and I question not saith he but he is damned for not discovering it before his death Thou knowest the word under God must cure the persons in thy family of the stone in the heart and wilt thou neglect to acquaint them with it but suffer them to dye eternally O Reader be not guilty of such horrid and barbarous cruelty Do as that holy Bishop of Armagh who one day in every week did Catechise his family It is reported of Lewis the ninth of France that he was found instructing a poor Kitchin Boy and being asked the reason answered piously I know the meanest in my family hath a soul as precious as my own and bought with the blood of Jesus Christ Our Saviour taught his Disciples often in private as their Governor and according to their capacities Mar. 4.33 Mat. 16.17 18. It is an honour to the highest prince to teach his Houshold Gods precepts O let thy words in thy family as the waters of Nilus often overflow to make others fruitful The Papists confess that all the ground which we have got of them is by Chatechising and instructing our youth 3. Singing of Psalms must be used in thy family The Lord Iesus and his family did practice this duty Mat. 26.30 And when they sang an Hymn they went out into the Mount of Olives David in that Psalm at the dedication of his house speaketh that his glory should sing praise to God and not be silent Psal 30. Title ver 4. and ult Our tongues are called our glory not onely because by our speech we excel beasts but chiefly because therewith we should glorifie God It is observable that most of those places which prophesie the Gentiles conversion do mention their worshipping the true God by singing Psa 108.3 and 100. Psa 66.4 Isa 54.1 and 52.8 The Holy Ghost when he commandeth that the word should keep house with us doth also enjoyn us to teach and admonish one another in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs which are the titles of Davids Psalms and the known division of them expresly answering to the Hebrew words Shurim Tehillim and Mizinurim by which his Psalms are distinguished and entitled as the learned observe singing and making melody with grace in our hearts to the Lord Col. 3.16 Ephes 5.19 Basilde Virt laud. Psa Tom. 1 Jam 5.13 Basil speaks high in the prayse of praysing God by this holy exercise Chrysostom speaketh of some in his time who always concluded their suppers with singing a Psalm and saith he they lived like Angels This ordinance will much quicken holy affections and help a Christian to serve God with more chearfulness When the Israelites were singing the hundred and thirty six Psalm at the bringing in the Ark the glory of the Lord filled the House 2 Chron. 20.22 The sweet singer in Israel was the man after Gods own heart Onely Reader be careful to sing Davids Psalms with Davids spirit and not like a Nightingale to sing by rote I will sing with my spirit and I will sing with understanding also making melody with grace in the heart is the best tune to set all Davids Psalms with Thirdly Set a good pattern to thy family The fore-horse in the Team had need to go right because all the rest follow in the same road If the Commander be treacherous how soon may he betray his Souldiers who follow him at the heels into the enemies hands A governour of a family must like Moses be mighty both in word and deed Patterns are very prevalent both to good and evil Precepts teach but examples draw Why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews Gal. 2.14 Peter did not compel them by his Preaching but by his pattern His example was so powerful that even Barnabas as well as others was drawn away therewith It is observable that Jeroboam seldom appeareth in the Heaven of Scripture but in the form of a Blazing Star with a tayl after him Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin by his precepts he commanded them to sin but by his pattern he compelled them to sin As examples are attractive to evil so also to good That if any beleive not they may be won without the word by the conversation of the wife 1 Pet. 3.1 2. If godliness be written in the book of thy life in a fair Character in a large lovely letter it may invite thy children and servants to read and like it who otherwise possibly would not have taken the least notice of it He that ruleth others must not be unruly himself If a ruler hearken to lies all his servants are wicked Pro. 29.12 If a Governour of a family a father or mother be a Drunkard a Swearer or an Atheist their Children will quickly imitate them They will as certainly inherit their lusts as their lands As some parents make their Children rich by their Lordships so they make them riotous by their evil lives Observe Abraham a good man denyeth his Wife Isaac is his heir not onely in his wealth but also in that weakness Isaac denieth his Wife likewise Gen. 20.2 with Gen. 26 7. Jacobs wives got little good by the pattern and practice of Laban their father Gen. 31.19 and 35.1 2. The Parents of the Children destroyed by the two she-Bears were wont to jeer Elijah in their ordinary talk What Elijah the bald-pate must be taken up to Heaven Forsooth as well as Elias The Chidren hearing it spoken by them learned it of them though they paid dear for their learning for it cost them their lives and for ought I know their souls 2 King 2.24 O Reader doth not thine heart ake to read
distance will quicken thee to reverence Gods greatness and mans vileness are both arguments to make man humble and wary in the Worship of God Couldst thou behold God in Heaven in what Majesty he there appeareth on his Throne of glory how his heavenly Courtiers vail their faces in his presence lay their Crowns at his feet and serve him though joyfully yet humbly and awfully with what reverence and holy fear wouldst thou go to prayer Meditate on his mercy and goodness what promises he hath made to prayer how bountiful he is to his suppliants He doth more then they can ask or think he gives liberally without upbraiding It was said of Severus the Emperor that he was more troubled that men asked nothing then that he gave much God delighteth both to be sought and found This is necessary to strengthen the faith He that commeth to God must beleive that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 He that would pray and obtain a blessing must beleive Gods being that he is and Gods bounty that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Meditate on his rich bounty Abraham asked but one Son God gives him seed like the Stars in the Heavens for multitude the Debtor desires but forbearance and he freely forgives the whole Debt The shekel of the Sanctuary is double to the ordinary shekel God delighteth to see men joyful in his house of prayer Isa 56.7 to see their countenances commend his chear now meditation of his Royal bounty how he giveth like a King like a God will help thee to this hearty chearfulness Beleive before thou prayest that thy hand of prayer shall not knock at Heavens gate in vain that God will not send thee away sad It is reported of the Emperor Flavius that he should say I am sorry that any man should present a petition to me as if he were offering meat to an Elephant with a trembling hand Consider not onely his habitation which art in Heaven but also his relation to thee Our Father before thou callest he will answer and when thou speakest he will say here am I Isa 65.24 Thus when thou hast by meditation cut the Sacrifice in peices put the wood in order and laid all upon the Altar thou mayst by prayer put fire to them and offer up a Sacrifice to God of a sweet smelling savour Secondly As Meditation so the stirring up of thy graces is needful to further this duty Meditation will do much towards it as thou hast heard I shall therefore speak the less to it Every person that hath grace doth not always pour out his prayers rightly Graces must be exercised in our duties Grace may lie as fire under ashes upon the hearth of thy heart and be so far from flaming that it may not so much as glow and how then canst thou expect any warmth from it thy duty is therefore to stir up the coales and endeavour that the fire may blaze out It is the language of Canaan communication seasoned with grace which onely is savoury to God Cato being asked why he was so diligent to learn the Greek language in his old age answered I hear the Gods speak Greek and I would willingly speak to them in their own language All the words of God are gracious It s said of his Son Grace is poured into thy lips Psa 45.2 Those therefore that would not speak to God in an unknown language a tongue wich he understandeth not must accent all their expressions to him with grace It is the smell of the spice of grace in the Israelite not of Garlick and Onions in the Egyptian which is so pleasant and fragrant to God Who is this that cometh out of the Wilderness like Pillars of smoke perfumed with Myrrhe and frankincense with all powders of the Merchant Cant. 3.6 Some take the words to be the voice of the Angels those friends of the Bride groom admiring the Churches gracious expressions and continual assentions of her soul in her prayers to God others take them to be the words of Christ being ravished with the odoriferous smell of those graces which his Spouse acted in her Sacrifices he stood amazed at the beauty of her person and the sweetness of her breath the graciousness of her petitions What lovely Lady what woman is here so the Hebrew What peerless Paragon is this which sendeth up such Spiritual Sacrifices such sweet Incense kindled by the fire of Gods own Spirit laid upon a meritorious Altar ascending and fuming up like the rowllings and agglomerations of smoak to the Lord himself and more welcome and grateful then all the costly evaporations of myrrhe and frankincense and all powders of the Merchants The Angel which ascended to heaven in the flame of the Altar is said to do wonderously Judg. 13.19 20. It was wonderful both to Christ and his friends to behold the acceptance of his Spouses gracious performance how it ascended to Heaven elationibus fumi like pillars of smoak and came up for a memorial before God The desire of nature in prayer is like sparks which fly out of the tunnel of the chimney and then vanish but the desire of grace in prayer is like pillars of smoak which mounteth up to the highest Heavens When Jacobs sons went down to Egypt to fetch corn they carried some along with them to support them by the way when the Christian goeth to Christ by prayer for more spiritual food he must carry some along with him to strengthen him in the duty A little water poured into the pomp will fetch up much a little grace acted in a duty may help thee to much more As the ship is sometimes wind-bound that it cannot move towards its haven so without the exercise of grace the soul is wind-bound there is no stirring towards Heaven A graceless man in prayer as was said of Alcibiades may talk much but speaketh little 2. Some things which will hinder the duty must be refused All sin in general sin regarded in the soul makes prayers disregarded of God If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayer Psa 66.18 He that expecteth pardon must throw down his Weapons of Rebellion The Child that asketh forgiveness of his Oaths must not desire it of his Father with Curses in his mouth When dust clogs the Wheel of the Watch or Clock they cannot strike true when sin hampereth and clogs the Wheels of the affections the mouth will never speak true or right in its Petitions He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law even his prayer shall be an abomination Pro. 28.9 It is high impudency for him that will not hear God to look that God should hear him When the sin of the petitioner is before Gods eyes his petitions cannot enter into Gods ears The wide mouth of sin out-cryeth the voice of his prayers as the Fish called the Remora though it be but little will stop a
great Ship in its full career truely so the sinallest sin loved and liked will hinder the course of prayer though it be never so instant and vehement The Lords ear is not heavy that it cannot hear but your iniquities separate between you and your God Isa 59.1 2. Men by falls somtimes lose their speeches men by fin lose their prayers When the Ninivites prayed and turned from their evil ways then God granted their requests Jonah 3. The Israelites cryed to God but in vain he bid them go to the Gods whom they had served till they put away the strange Gods from among them then his soul was greived for the misery of Israel Judges 10.10 to 17. Reformation is a good usher to go before supplication When the Duke of Saxony prepared War against the Bishop of Magdenburg the Bishop hearing of it falls to praying and reforming saying At ego curabo ecclesiam meam Deus pugnabit pro me I will take care to reforme my Church and God will take care to fight for me When the Duke heard this he Disbanded his forces with this speech I am too weak for him that caningage God on his side Be sure Reader to put away iniquity far from thee when thou art drawing neer to the throne of grace then shalt thou make thy prayer unto God and he shall hear Job 22.23 27. Prayer is as it were a plaister to heal a man that is wounded Now as a plaister to one peirced with an Arrow or Bullet will do no good till the Dart or Bullet be taken out of the body so prayer will not be healing and prevalent till sin in regard of love and delight be taken out of the soul As all sin in general most be laid by so Worldly thoughts and wrath in particular Wrath Anger like Leven sowreth the acrifice I will that men lift up holy hands without wrath 1 Tim. 2.8 He that beggeth peace at Gods hands must not do it with war in his own heart How canst thou think that God will forgive thee many millions when thou wilt not for give thy bâ—other one mite God is peremptory that he will reserve for them his wrath who will not remit their wrongs Mat 6.15 Cont. Vigâ—l Hierom confessed of himself that when he had been angry he durst not enter into the Church but totum animo corpore contremuisse he did tremble very much both in body and mind Christians must be singular as in their principles so in their practices It is more comfortable to love a friend but this an Heathen may do it is more honourable to love an Enemy and this every Christian must do There are two things in forgiving those that wrong us First An inward remission of the fault so much as it concerneth us or a removal of wrath and revengeful desires towards the person wronging us and this if we do not we lose our prayers A stormy troubled Sea casteth up mire and dirt so when there is a storm of passions in the soul the heart foameth up its own shame in prayer it bubleth up a great deal of filth Secondly In forgiveness there is an outward profession of this inward remission and this must be done when the party acknowledgeth his fault If the offender say I repent the offended mast say I remit Surely did men but consider the infinite wrongs they do and affronts which they offer to the glorious God every day and yet how they expect to be pardoned they would when abused say as Francis the first King of France to one that begged pardon for a friend of his who had used ill speeches against his Majesty Let him for whom thou art a Suitor learn to speak little and I will learn to pardon much The Spouse of Christ is compared to a Dove which some say is sine-felle without Gall The very Heathen when they offered Sacrifice threw the Gall of the Beast away and Reader wouldst thou offer to God the Gall of malice revenge wrath and bitterness with the Sacrifice of thy prayers Remember where the Gall is broke the flesh tasteth bitter and when the strings jar the Instrument will make but harsh Musick Mat. 5.24 Worldly thoughts must also be laid by Our Saviour when he taught us to pray by the preface to the Petitions telleth us where our affections in prayer should be Our Father which art in Heaven Our hearts in prayer must be in Heaven the eys of our minds must look up thither as well as the eyes of our bodies The Mahometans in India when they begin their devotion stop their ears and fix their eyes that nothing may disturb their minds or divert their thoughts When the meat is fly-blown it quickly corrupts when our petitions to God are blown upon by worldly thoughts and mingled with mental discourses with men they lose their sweetness Some poor people whose houses are troubled much with Vermine have sometimes a great part of their small provision eaten up of Rats and Mice truly sometimes a poor Christian loseth half a meal by these Vermine of Worldly thoughts they devour sometimes half his prayer Resolve before thou prayest to watch thy heart narrowly that these may not hinder thee in prayer CHAP. XIII Of the Concomitants of Prayer SEcondly I come now to the Concomitants of prayer and herein I shall speak 1. To the matter of our petitions 2. To the person that prayeth 3. To the properties of our prayers 1. To the matter of our prayers Gods Word and Will must be the rule of our prayers what we must ask of him as well as of our practice what we must do for him Subjects must set bounds to their desires and take heed that their petitions do not encroach upon the Prerogative Royal. Divine precepts what God commandeth us to act Divine promises what God engageth himself to do for us and Divine prophesies what God hath foretold shall come to pass are to be the bounds of our prayers he wandereth to his loss that in his requests goeth beyond these limits â—alaam would needs ask leave of God that he might be the Devils Chaplain to curse Israel but mark the issue he hath an ironical concession to go to his own destruction the sharp razour indeed of his tongue would not pierce the Israelites who had armour of proof but the sword of the Israelites soon entred his body and sent his soul to receive its wages of that Master that set him a work The Israelites on a sudden are all in a hurry for a King God gave them a King in his anger for their pâ—nishment rather then for their protection and how soon were they sick like children of that which they cryed so loud for the King and people at least many of them perished together O how much better is a favourable denial then an angry grant of such prayers but immodest desires never have profitable answers And as some erre in the matter of their petitions so others in the