remote studies or fruitlesse Controuersies What riches of knowlege might some Christians haue attained to if they had spent the time they haue imployed about conâ—rouersies genealogies generall knowledge in the â—ound building of themselues vp in such things as their soules apparantly stand in need of Seuenthly hee must not â—est satisfied with a small measure of vnderstanding hee must not giue ouer when he hath gotten a little knowledge more then he had hee must desire to increase in knowledge and neuer be well pleased with himselfe while he is but a Child in vnderstaÌ„ding 1. Cor. 14. 20. 8. Eightly Hee must inquire and take counsell he must propound his doubts daily and carefully Hee that would know much must aske much hee must breake off that wretched silence he is prone to and prouide if it bee possible to enioy the fauor of some one or moe that are able to resolue his doubts from time to time This rule hath incredible profit in it if it bee rightly practised Prou. 15. 12. 20. 17 18. 27. 9. Ninthly and lastly He must bee rightly ordered in respect of his Pastor For the principal meanes of knowledge is assigned of God to be in the Ministry of his seruants and therefore if wee would attaine knowledge we must dispose our selues aright towards our Teachers and to this end we must looke to it First that wee pray for them that their word may run and haue free passage that God wold make them able to open vnto vs the mysteries of his will 2. Thes. 3. 1. 2. Colos. 4. 3. Ephes. 6. 19. Secondly we must keep their directions and make conscience of it to be carefull to obey them in what they command vs in the Lord 1. Cor. 11. 2. Thirdly wee must take heed of discouraging them For this is not profitable for vs. For the more cheerefull and comfortable their hearts are the more apt they are to finde out profitable things for vs Heb. 13. 18. 1. Cor. 16. 10 11. And thus of the first and second rule Thirdly hee that would redresse his waies aright must get out of the way of wicked men He must giue ouer euill company and sequester himselfe from the counsell and society of carnal and prophane persons The necessity of this rule is both proued and vrged in these many other Scriptures Prou. 4. 14. Psal. 1. 1. 2. Cor. 6. 17. Epb. 5. 7 8. Fourthly he must bring a minde full of care desire and resolution to practise the rules when hee hath learned them he must as the phrase is obserue to doe Gods will Deut. 5. 32. Hee must be watchfull and diligent hee must ponder vpon the waies of God bewaring lest hee eyther neglect or forget to doe them Deut. 6. 17. 31. 46. 8. 11. 1. Corin. 16. 13. Prou. 4. 26. we must follow after righteousnesse 1. Tim. 6. 11. and binde directions as signes vpon our hands c. Deut. 8. 28. If wee could be thus awakened this rule would breed vs vnspeakable good in our conuersation Fiftly he must endeuor to settle his head and his estate in respect of his worldly affaires It is a singular helpe to godlinesse to reduce our outward callings into order and euery daies experience shewes that confusions in worldly businesse breede miserable neglect in Gods seruice And therefore hee that would profite in an orderly course of life must prouide to vse the world so as he may serue the Lord without distraction Hee that would runne a race abstaineth from all things that might encumber him No man that warreth intangleth himselfe with the affaires of life that hee may please him who hath chosen him to be a souldier And therefore we may not think it much if in our spirituall course God lay some restraint vpoÌ„ vs in respect of the cares and encumbrances in our outward Callings 1. Cor. 7. 29. 35. c. 2. Tim. 2. 4. 1. Cor. 9. 28. Sixthly He must walke in the way of good men both setting before him their practice as patternes of imitation as also by conuersing with them that thereby he may gather encouragement and help in well-doing Hee is deceiued that thinkes to goe alone and yet go prosperously in the course of a godly life Hee may profit and learne by many things he heareth receiueth and seeth among the godly Prou. 2. 20. Phil. 4. 8 9. Seuenthly Hee must not bee the seruant of men 1. Cor. 7. 23. other mens humours must not be the direction of this practice He must so depend vpon persons he hopes to get any thing by in this world as hee be not thereby hindred in workes of Religion knowing that he is Christs Free-man Hee must haste to and looke for the comming of Iesus Christ 2. Pet. 3. 12. Hee must often remember his latter end and daily set before his eies the comming of Christ striuing to stirre vp in his heart the desire after Chrst praying for it and dispatching those workes that may prepare him thereunto The remembrance of our accounts in the day of Christ will wonderfully quicken men to the care of well doing and the cause of the viciousnesse and miserable neglect and procrastinations of many is their forgetting of their latter end A great reason why the directions about godlinesse are not entertained is because men put farre away from them the day of the Lord whereas the remembrance of the reuelation of Iesus Christ would put Spirit and Life into vs. Hee dares not say from his heart Come Lord Iesus come quickly that is not resolued diligently to worke the works of Christ. 9 He must not stay for company but rather choose to runne alone or with a few then hazzard the losse of the Crowne Our life is a Race and as in a race men stay not for company but striue who may runne formost so it is in the race of godlinesse He must so runne as he may obtaine He must set out with the first and runne as it were for his life As he must make vse of the society of the godly so hee must not stay till his carnall friends and acquaintance will set out with him Hee must bee of Ioshua's minde that if the whole world will liue in wickednesse and prophanenesse yet he and his house will serue the Lord 1. Cor. 9. 24. 14. 12. Iosh. 24. 15. Tenthly hee must in all things giue thankes when God giues him successe in any thing or prospers the meanes to him and helps him with victory ouer any sinne or strength to performe any duety or bestowes vpon him any spirituall blessing hee must remember to praise God in the name of Iesus Christ. This will quicken him Daily thankfulnesse will breed daily alacrity in wel-doing Hee that will not be thankfull for beginnings of successe in the practice of holy duties will not hold out This is the speciall will of Christ that wee should in
or any other ordinance of God 4. Fourthly they must make melody to the Lord They must direct their songs to God and to his glory and not vse them as meere ciuill imploiments but as parts of Gods seruice CHAP. XVI Rules about Vowing and Swearing HItherto of the Rules that concerne the most vsuall parts of Gods seruice There are other parts of Gods seruice which are to be vsed but at certaine times and vpon speciall occasions these are Vowes and Oathes and Fasting The rules about Vowing are briefely comprehended in that place Ecclâ—s 5. 3 4. and they are chiefly two 1. First Before thou vowest consider consider I say thine owne strength whether thou be able to do it and consider also the end that it bee to Gods glory and consider the matter that thou vow not things vnlawfull and consider what may be the euents of thy Vow for all Vowes being made before the Angell that takes notice of all Couenants it will bee in vaine afterwards to plead it was an errour thou wast mistaken God may bee angry at thy voice and destroy the worke of thy hands Be not rash therefore to cause thy flesh to sinne therein 2. Secondly when thou hast vowed thy vow to God deferre not to pay it be sure thou performe it it is a grieuous offence to breake a lawfull vow Better it is thou shouldst not vow then that thou shouldst vow and not pay Thus of Vowing Concerning the Oath when thou art called to sweare thou must obserue these Rules First that thou sweare not by any thing which is not God Ier. 5. 7. Secondly that thou sweare in truth that is that thy conscience know what thou swearest is true Thirdly that thou sweare in iudgement that is with due consideration of the nature of God and with sound deliberation not rashly and diligently weighing of all things that belong to the matter thou swearest about Fourthly that thou sweare in righteousnesse that is about lawfull things iust matters Thou must not sweare to do vniust things as Dauid sware to kil Nabal nor must thou swear about impossible things or about things that are doubtfull and vncertaine Nor in the forme of thy oath must thou vse such words as be contumelious to God or expresse not sufficient reuerence to the Diuine Maiestie as they that wickedly sweare by any part of Christ or such like CHAP. XVII Rules about Fasting THus of Vowes and Swearing Fasting followes Now if we would keep a religious Fast vnto God wee must obserue these two Rules First wee must looke to the strictnesse of the abstinence in the day of our Fast for we must abstaine from all sorts of meate as well as one and from all labour also and from our costliest apparell and from recreations and vsuall delights Wee must keepe the day as wee keepe the Sabbath in forbearing our own works Ion. 3. 6 7. 1. Cor. 7. 5. Ioel 1. 2. Leuit. 16. Secondly the time must bee spent in religious duties as a Sabbath especially in the exercises that concerne the humiliation of the soule in renewing of our repentance for the obtaining of pardon of sin or some speciall blessing of God or the preuenting or remouing of some great iudgement of God The former rule concernes onely the ceremonie or outward exercise of the bodie but this rule containes the substance of the dutie without which a religious fast is not kept vnto God who regardeth not the hanging down of the head like a bull-rush if the soule bee not humbled before God for sinne Leu. 16. 29. Ioel 1. 14. 2. 16 17. CHAP. XVIII Rules about the Sabbath HItherto of the Rules that concerne the parts of Gods worship The rules that concerne the time of Gods worship follow and this time especially is the Sabbath day Now the rules that bind vs to the good behauiour concerning the Sabbath coÌ„cern either the preparation to the Sabbath or the maner of performing holy duties on the Sabbath The preparation to the Sabbath containes in it these things First the ending of all our workes on the sixe daies as God did his Gen. 2. 2. This example of God is set downe not onely to shew what hee did but to prescribe vnto vs what we should doe as is manifest by vrging this example in the reason of the commandement We must then take order to finish the workes of the weeke daies with such discretion that neither our heads be troubled with the cares of them nor our hands tempted to worke about them on the Sabbath day Secondly the preuenting of domesticall grieuances and perturbations Leuit. 19. 3. Yee shall feare euery man his mother and his father and keep my Sabbath Discords and contentions and heart-burnings in the members of the family extend their infection and hurt euen to the prophaning of Gods Sabbath The Lord looks not to bee serued aright in his House if people liue not quietly and louingly and dutifully in their own houses Thirdly we must cleanse our selues that we may keep the Sabbath Nehem. 13. 22. Which place though it speake of Legall cleansing yet it shadowes out that Moral and perpetuall care of cleansing our selues that ought euen to be found in vs. And thus we doe cleanse our selues when we humble our selues that we may walk with God confessing our sinnes euen the sinnes of the weeke past making our peace with God through the name of Iesus Christ. Thus of the duties of preparation Now for the manner of keeping the Sabbath the rules prescribe vnto vs these things 1. Rest from all our works whether they be workes of labour or workes of pleasure Workes of labour the Scripture instanceth in such as are selling of victuals Nehem. 13. 15. Carrying of burthens Ierem. 17. Iournying from our places Exod. 16. 29. The businesse of our callings done by our selues our children seruants or cattell which the words of the Commandement forbid And as workes of labour so also workes of pleasure are forbidden Esay 58. 13. 2. Readinesse and delight We should loue to be Gods seruants on this day Esay 56. and consecrate it with ioy as a glorious priuiledge to vs Esay 58. 13. abhorring wearinesse or a desire to haue the Sabbath gone and ended Amos 8. 3. Care and Watchfulnesse We must obserue to keepe it Exod. 31. 16. we must take heede to our selues that no duty bee omitted and that wee no way prophane it tending our hearts and our words Ier. 17. 21. 4. Sinceritie and this sinceritie we should shew diuers waies First by doing Gods worke with as much care as we would doe our own or rather shewing more care for the seruice of GOD. They had their double sacrifices on the Sabbath in the time of the Law and wee should studie how wee might please GOD in especiall manner on that day choosing out the things that might delight him God hath taken but one day of seuen for his worke and shall wee not doe
some directions about it For if thou wouldst acquaint thy selfe with God Thou must prepare thy heart for this Vision of God by driuing out filthy and vnholy thoughts and affections For without holinesse no man can see God The pure in heart shall see God Math. 5. 7. Hebr. 12. 14. 1. Chro. 19. 3. God delights to shew himselfe familiarly in a cleane heart 2. Thou must beg this acquaintance by prayer if thou seeke it of him earnestly though God be in himselfe inuisible to mortall eyes yet hee will shew himselfe to the eies of thy minde pray for his acquaintance and he will be acquainted with thee This is to aske after the Lord and to seeke God if wee seeke him hee will be found Psal. 105. 3 4. But then we must remember three things 1 To seeke him with our whole hearts we must pray with great earnestnesse and desire 2 To seek him earely Psalme 119. verse 10. and while hee may bee found God offers acquaintance in his Ordinances and sometimes comes neere and knocketh at mens hearts and workes greater impressions vpon them Now if thou wouldst call vpon God heartily hee would shew thee his presence 3 To seeke him constantly wee must seeke his face continnally both till we finde it and after wee haue had acquaintance with him it must be continued we must not thinke much if we be put to pray often and long before we attaine such an incomparable benefit 3 Thou must giue thy selfe soule and body to God seriously and from thy heart deuoting and promising to spend thy daies in his seruice and then hee will reueale himselfe vnto thee Rom. 12. 1 2. 4 Thou must waite vpon his Ordinances and watch how the Lord speakes vnto thee either by his Word or by his Spirit For in them hee shewes himselfe to men and conuerseth with them 5 It is a great furtherance to our acquaintance with God to keepe company with his Houshold for with them hee dwels and by conuersing with them we may-occasionally often see God 1. Ioh. 3. 6 7 8 12. Thus of acquaintance with God There are other things to bee further noted concerning our knowledge of God such as these That when we attaine vnto any acquaintance with God we must neuer rest till wee know him to be our God Col. 2. 2. That it must bee our daily care to increase in the knowledge of God labouring to plant in our hearts a more large and affectionate contemplation of the glories of Gods Nature Loue. That aboue all earthly things we should glory in it if wee attaine some happy admission into Gods presence and ability to conceiue of God and to be acquainted with him Ier. 9. 24. CHAP. VI. Rules that order is about the manifestation of our loue to God HItherto of the Rules that concerne the knowledge of God as the foundation of our loue to God The rules that should order vs in the exercise of our loue to God follow and those are of two sorts 1. for either they concerne the manifestation of our loue 2. or our preseruation in the loue of God wee must shew our loue to God and we must keepe our selues in the loue of God Iude 21. In our manifestation of loue to God we must look to both the matter as the things whereby and also the manner how we should expresse our loue to God For the first there bee diuers excellent Rules to bee heeded of vs in our practice in obseruing whereof we may soundly prooue the truth of our loue to God if wee say wee loue God wee must shew it by these things following 1. Wee must auouch God to be our God Deut. 26. 17. and so we doe if wee do not onely make choice of God aboue all things to set our harts vpon him but also maintaine our choyce by a constant refusall of all idols in the world euen all things which might intice vs to loue them in stead of God by sound affection and practice declaring our resolution to cleaue to God as our sufficient happinesse though all the world follow their profits or pleasures c. 2. Wee must prouide and prepare a place for God that he may dwell with vs wheresoeuer we dwell Exo. 15. 2. It is a signe of our true loue to God when we cannot liue without him He that can be content to liue in any place where he is not powerfully present in his ordinances shewes no loue to God It should be our chiefe care to seate our selues so in the world as the Lord and his presence may bee prouided for that hee may raigne amongst vs by the Scepter of his Word 3. We shall shew our loue to God by our loue to the Lord Iesus the Sonne of God we must kisse the Sun Psal. 2. vlt. And if any man loue not the Lord Iesus hee hath not the Father 1. Cor. 16. 22. We shew that wee loue God when we highly esteeme Iesus Christ and make much of him in our hearts striue to fire our affections toward him and this must bee our care through the passages of our life to forme in vs the loue of the Lord Iesus that wee may long after him and haue the desires of our soules after him and his comming 4. We must shew our loue to GOD by walking with him Genes 17. 1. Mica 6. 8. The Lord doth not account it a signe of loue to offer to him a thousand Rammes or riuers of oyle But this is it that pleaseth him To humble our selues to walke before him Now we walk with God diuers wayes 1. When we set the Lord alwaies before vs remembring his holy presence not daring to goe long without thinking of God Psal. 16. 18. 2. When wee nourish the motions of the Spirit and retire our selues of purpose to entertaine them 3. When we daily haue recourse to those meanes by which the Lord is pleased to conuerse with men and not rest in the bare vse of the meanes but striue to finde out the Lord in his holy presence in euery ordinance of his Psal. 63. 1 2. 4. Whē we vse our selues to Soliloquies with God taking all occasions to speake to God by prayer and priuate meditation of things offered to vs out of which wee could extract matter for frequent Ciaculations lifting vp our hearts vpon the very first motions of good vnto God Psalm 63. 5 6. 5. When our hearts are fired with longing desires after his presence of glory in heauen 2. Cor. 5. 8. Thus of our walking with God 5. We should manifest our loue to God by honouring him For this is one speciall way by which God requires to haue our loue shewed to him Malac. 1. 6. Now there are many waies by which in our cōuersation we may declare our desire to honor our God As 1. By performing the care of businesses that concerne his kingdom aboue al other businesses shewing
about prayer THVS of the Sacraments The Rules concerning prayer follow where besides the generall Rules that belong to all worship these things in speciall must bee heeded concerning prayer 1. Thy words must bee few Eccles. 5. 1 2. and the reason is because God is in heauen and thou art in earth Hee is full of Maiestie and Wisedome and thou art an infirme and sinfull creature Length of it selfe doth not commend prayer we must speake as becomes the Maiestie of God without vaine repetitions and babblings pattering ouer of the same things is not pleasing to God As affectation is ill in any thing so much more ill in prayer This Rule may bee vnsauory in the taste of some that are transported with rash zeale But let them take heed of will-worship the words are so plaine in the Text as they must informe themselues about them The Lord knew what was fittest for vs when hee gaue vs this charge 2. Thy heart must be lifted vp in the performance of this duty This is often imported in diuers Scriptures and this lifting vp of the hart hath diuers things in it 1. Vnderstanding thou must be aduised what thou prayest for and know thy warrant that what thou askest is according to Gods will 1. Cor. 14. 15. 1. Ioh. 5. 14 2. Freedome from distractions Thy heart must be cleansed from passions and lusts Thy prayer must be without wrath 1. Tim. 3. 8. And as the distractions arising from passion must bee auoided so must aâ—l other distractions 3. Feruency or the stretching out of the affections according to the matter of prayer thou must expresse the affections of prayer for God looks at the prayer of thy heart not at the prayer of thy lippes onely 3. Thou must pray with all manner of prayer according to the occasions of prayer Thou must pray at thy set times daily and thou must pray also with eiaculations as Diuines call them that is those suddain and short speeches to God when thy heart is moued vpon speciall occasion Thou must vse Supplications Deprecations Intercessions Confessions giuing of Thankes or the like according to thy necessities or the other occasions of thy life Thou must striue to get a fitnesse and language to speake vnto God for thy selfe in thine own words as may best expresse the desires of thine hart Eph. 6. 18 4. Thou must continue and perseuer in prayer without ceasing prayer must bee the worke of thy whole life not an exercise for a fit for a day or two or a week or two or a month or two thou must make conscience of prayer alwaies Ephes. 6. 18. 1. Thess. 3. 17. 5. When thy prayer is grounded vpon Gods will thou must be instant and not faint or be discouraged Thou must pray without doubting and wauering as resolued neuer to cease praying till God heare and shew mercy 'T is basenesse of minde not humility to be quickly discouraged if God entertaine vs not according to our expectation or liking we must not bee weary of seeking to God but set vpon prayer with a resolution to take no nay Luk. 18. 1. Iam. 1. 6. 6. Thou must remember supplication for all Saints especially to pray heartily for Magistrates Ministers especially those vnder whose charge thou art Ephes. 6. 18 19. 1. Tim. 2. 1. 7. Thou must looke to it that in all things thou giue thankes Let the Lord see the truth of thy heart herein that what thou obtainest from God especially by prayer thou wilt with all gladnesse remember and acknowledge This Rule must by no meanes be forgotten 1. Thess. 5. 18. Colos. 4. 2. CHAP. XIIII Rules about reading the Scriptures THus of the Rules that concerne praier There remaines the reading of Scripture and singing of Psalmes as the other parts of the ordinary worship of God Concerning the reading of the Scriptures I will instance in one place of Scripture onely which containes the charge giuen to Ioshua chap. 1. 8 9. which comprehends the substance of the necessary directions about priuate reading I say necessary for godly men may and haue aduised diuers courses for reading of Scripture which are not absolutely necessary but arbitrary as may stand with the leasure and capacity of the person that will reade such are those directions that shew how many chapters may bee read in a day and what things may be obserued in reading c. which as they may bee profitable to many Christians expedient too yet they must not bee vnderstood so as that those persons sinne which reade not so often or so many chapters or the like The things therefore that must necessarily be obserued by such as can reade the Bible I take to be these First they must exercise themselues therin daily they must constantly be imployed therin if their occasions interrupt theÌ„ at some time they must redeeme it at other times This is the praise of the blessed man That he exerciseth himselfe in Gods Law day and night that is constantly Psal. 1. 2. Secondly in reading they must meditate therein that is they must obserue profitable things as they reade attending to reading marking what the Lord saith vnto them by that part of the Word which they reade This is that meditation which is chiefly required of a ChristiaÌ„ to get into their harts good thoughts froÌ„ the matter they reade of so as they may the better bee inabled to imploy their thoughts all the day after Thirdly The Word of God must not depart out of their mouth they must make the best vse of it they can in conference to speak of it to others for the edification of themselues and others Fourthly They must obserue in their reading what the Lord saith vnto them that concernes their practice They must obserue to do according to those holy directions they reade of They must bring a minde desirous and resolued to let the Word of God both informe them reforme them making conscience of it to let God direct them by his holy Word read and not onely by the Word preached to them Their liues must be bettered by their reading and to that end they must obserue the chiefest things they can out of their reading to remember them in their practice CHAP. XV. Rules about singing of Psalmes THe rules that concern the singing of Psalms are summarily comprehended in that place Col. 3. 16. and they are these 1. First they must teach one another by their Psalms and Hymnes and spirituall songs They must learne to profit and make good vse of the holy matter contained in the Psalmes they sing 2. Secondly they must sing with their hearts they must attend to the matter they sing of lift vp their hearts as well as their voices 3. Thirdly they must sing with grace in their hearts they must imploy the graces of the holy Spirit or Gods Spirit in singing of Psalmes as wel as in prayer
thy selfe carefully that thou auoide those three euils mentioned by the Apostle Ephes. 3. 4. viz. Filthy speaking Foolish talking and iesting By iesting hee meanes those biting iests that vnder pretence of shewing wittinesse or conceit doe secretly leaue disgrace vpon the persons whom they concerne Thirdly auoide with detestation the excess◠in drinking and reuelling and suffer thy selfe vpon no pretence to be drawne to giue way to thine owne practice in them 1. Pet. 4. 3. CHAP. XXII How wee must carrie our selues out of company THus of thy carryage in generall in company Now out of company thou must looke to these things 1. First thou must fashion thy heart by the vse of all good meanes to the loue of all sorts of men This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loue of me◠is a vertue little thought on yet greatly necessarie as a foundation of all practices in conuersing with others and wee should labour to abound in loue towards all men 1. Thes. 3. 12. Secondly remember to pray for all sorts of men This is a precept giuen vs in charge by the Apostle 1. Tim. 2. 1. and belongs to this place and wee ought to make conscience of it according to the occasions of our callings or acquaintance with other men we should euen in secret seeke to profit our neighbours by praying for them Thirdly we should prouide euen out of company to order our affaires so as that we may liue 1. Honestly without scandall 1. Cor. 10. 32. Phil. 1. 10. 2. Iustly without deceit or fraudulent dealing Leu. 19. 35. 36. 1. Thes. 4. 16. 3. Peaceably without strise with any if it be possible Prou. 3. 29 30. Zach. 7. 10. Hebr. 12. 14. CHAP. XXIII Rules about workes of Mercy HItherto of the rules that concerne righteousnesse Mercy followeth Now in shewing mercie diuers things are charged vpon vs. First Willingnesse We must giue cheerefully For the Lord loueth a cheerefull giuer We must loue mercy as well as shew mercy Our hearts should bee euer answerable to our power We must be ready and prepared to shew mercy abhorring delaies and putting off of time or seeking excuses Our eares should bee open to the cries of the poore rather then bee behinde hand we should sell that wee might giue almes Mich. 6. 8. 1. Tim. 6. 18. 2. Cor. 9. 4 5 6 7. Pro. 22. 23 13. Luke 12. 33. Pro. 3. 27 28. Secondly Labour and Diligence Wee should take paines and work hard according to all the occasions of mercy This is the Apostles phrase God will not forget your worke and labour of loue Heb. 6. 10. We must bee forward to doe those workes of mercy that require our paines and trauaile about them as well as those we may doe and sit still 2. Cor. 8. 16 22. Thirdly Liberalitie We must open our hands wide Deut. 15. 8. wee must bee rich in those good workes 1. Tim. 6. 18. we must no◠giue sparingly 2. Cor. 9. 6. we must giue to our power and sometimes beyond our power 2. Cor. 8. 2. wee should desire to answere the expectation had of our bounty especially the expectation of our teachers that know vs and our estates 2. Cor. 8. 24. wee should striue to abound in this grace also as well as in other graces of the Spirit 2. Cor. 8. 9. we should giue to seuen and also to eight Eccles. 11. 2. we must make good measure yea and pressed downe Luke 6. 8. Fourthly Humility There is great vse of humility in shewing mercy Now we should shew our humilitie diuers waies about mercie As First in helping others without exalting our selues and dominiering ouer them The rich must not thinke to rule the poore and to command them as if they were their vassals we should so shew mercy as not to stand vpon tearmes of their beholdingnesse to whom wee shew mercie Prou. 22. 7. Secondly in not despising the poore we must no◠thinke of them meanely and contemptuously because they stand in neede of our help whether it be in bodie or minde Prou. 14. 21. Thirdly in accepting exhortation shewing our selues willing to be called vpon and stirred vp to mercie 2. Cor. 8. 17. 4. By our penitencie whē we goe to God after wee haue done our best and confesse the corruption that cleaues vnto vs euen when we haue shewed our best desires to communicate to others and withall striuing to plow vp the fallow ground of our hard harts that they may bee more fit to expresse the bowels of mercy Hos. 10. 12. Fiftly the Macedonians shewed their humilitie in this that they prayed the Apostle to accept their gifts giuing themselues also to bee disposed of to the Lord and vnto them by the vvill of God 2. Cor. 8. 5. Thus of the humility to bee shewed in doing workes of mercy A fift thing required in shewing mercie is Faith and faith is needfull in two respects First to beleeue Gods acceptation of the mercy shewed For a godly Christian that is not vaine-glorious hath so meane an opinion of his best workes that he findes neede to flie to Gods promises and dares not trust vpon his owne goodnes Now God hath promised to accept of that we doe if there be a willing minde The will is accepted for the deed 2. Cor. 8. 12. Secondly to beleeue the successe and reward from God and that wee shall not lose by what is so expēded Though the persons to whom we shew mercy should bee so vngratefull that it were as bread cast on the waters yet wee ought to beleeue that our seede cast on the waters shall bring vs a plentifull haruest Eccles. 11. 1. And it is certaine whatsoeuer the persons be yet what is giuen is sowed And if the Husbandman doe not thinke his come spoiled that he casts vpon his land no more ought a Christian to think that to be lost that is giuen to the poore Nature may disappoint the hope of the Husbandman but in works of mercie there is no venture but a sure increase from the Lord 2. Cor. 9. 9 10. and therefore our faith should make vs get bags to put vp the certaine treasure wee shall gaine by mercy from the Lord Luke 12. 33. A sixt thing required in shewing mercie is discretion and discretion should shew it selfe First by distributing our almes in the fittest course wee can hauing a principall respect to godly poore He that sheweth mercy ought to haue a good eye Prou. 22. 9. Secondly by obseruing our owne abilitie so to ease others that we burthen not our selues 1. Cor. 9. 14 15. Thirdly by taking heed that wee spend not vpon the rich by needlesse entertainments what ought to bee bestowed vpon the poore Prou. 22. 16. Luke 14. 13. Fourthly by auoiding scandal or giuing offence that none blame vs in our aboundance but prouiding things honest in the sight of God and men 2. Cor. 8. 20 21. yet so as wee indeuour in an holy discreet manner to prouoke