longer than ordinary 3 Sleep refresheth the body of a man so doth death the bodies of the Saints for the body lieth down a weak frail mortal corruptible body but riseth a strong glorious immortal and incorruptible body so much the Apostle Paul plainly expresseth where speaking of the resurrection of the body he saith It is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption it is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sown in weakness it is raised in power it is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body 4 Sleep oftentimes cometh upon a man unexpectedly so doth death for how many dye on the sudden when they least of all looked for it and therefore how doth it concern us to live in a continual expectation of and preparation for death 5 Sleep cometh acceptably to some men so doth death to beleevers who welcome death as their best friend next to Jesus Christ. Thus let thy sleep mind thee of thy death and that not as farre off but as near at hand thinking thou mayest this night sleep the sleep of death for how many have gone well to bed and been dead before the morning and that which happeneth unto one may befall another II. As thou art going to sleep commend thy self thy relations wife children servants and all that thou hast into the armes of Gods protection knowing that they are safe whom the Lord keepeth And then labour to fall asleep as thou art meditating of some good thing for then will thy sleep bee more sweet thy dreams more comfortable and thine heart will be in better plight when thou awakest CHAP. XXI Of the Morality of the Sabbath HAving shewed you how to walk with God on the Week days I shall now shew you how to walk with God on the Sabbath Day so as it may prove a comfortable day unto you To this end I shall 1 Prove the Morality of the Sabbath 2 Give you grounds for the change of the Sabbath from the last day of the week to the first proving our Lords Day to be now the true Sabbath 3 Give you Directions how to sanctifie the same 4 Adde some Motives to quicken you up to a conscionable observation of the directions 1 Because there are many who are not convinced of the Morality of the Sabbath and so not of the continuance thereof therefore it is requisite that I first prove the Commandement of the Sabbath to be moral and perpetual and to continue in force even to the end of the world for that is accounted Moral which as a rule of life bindeth all Persons in all places at all times Arguments proving the Morality of the Sabbath 1 Because it was sanctified in the time of Adams innocency as we read Gen. 2. 3 4. now Adam in his innocent estate was a Publick person the great representative of all the World that therefore which was commanded to him in his innocency appertained to all his Posterity even to the end of the world And if God saw it necessary for our first Parents in the time of their innocency to have a Sabbath Day to serve him in that they might more freely and fully give themselves to holy and religious exercises Then what need have we the Posterity of Adam now in our corrupted estate to have a Sabbath to take our thoughts off from our worldly businesses and bestow them wholly on God and the duties of his Worship and Service 2 The Commandement concerning the Sabbath is placed in the number of the Moral Commandements for when God renewed the whole Moral Law delivering it most solemnly on Mount Sinai and ingraved it in two Tables hee placed this Commandement concerning the Sabbath amongst the rest and made it one entire Precept so as if the morality thereof be denied and this Commandement made no part of the Moral Law then the Moral Law would consist but of nine Commandements which is contrary to the Word of God which often maketh express mention of Ten. 3 The manner of the delivery of this Commandement confirms the morality and perpetuity of it and shews that it is of as great force as any of the other Nine 1 For first God by his immediate Voyce commanded this as well as the rest 2 This Commandement was written by the Finger of God in Tables of Stone as well as the other as to signifie the hardness of our hearts so likewise the continuance and perpetuity of this Commandement 3 It was placed in the very heart of the Ten Commandements as that which by a careful and conscionable performance of the duties required therein would give life to the keeping of all the rest And it is a certain truth that he who makes no conscience to keep holy the Sabbath Day will make little conscience of keeping any of the other Commandements so he may doe it without discredit of his reputation or danger of mans Law Look how a man is careful and conscionable in the performance of the duties of piety to God on this Day in like manner is he careful and conscionable in the performance of the duties of righteousness toward his neighbour on the week days Obj I Some object that of the Apostle Yee observe days months and times and years as also that to the Colossians Let no man judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath Day Ans. The Apostle here condemns not the Moral Sabbath which we now call the Lords Day but he speaks of the Levitical Sabbaths which were the first day of every month and the first and last days of every one of their solemn Feasts which were called Sabbaths all which are now abrogated Obj. 2 Some object that to a Christian every day is a Sabbath and therefore say that we should not restrain it to one day more than to another Ans. 1 True it is every day should be a Sabbath to a Christian in two respects 1 In a resting from Sin 2 In a readiness to serve God For as we should at all times rest from Sin so we should bee always in a readiness and disposition to serve God Yet are we not bound to spend every day as a Sabbath by laying aside the lawful works of our Callings and giving up our selves wholly to the solemn duties of Gods Worship and Service which is contrary to the command of God who saith Six days shalt thou labour and doe all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any work where the Lord doth require of us as well to follow the works of our Calling on the six days as to keep holy the Sabbath Day by a conscionable performance of his Worship and Service I deny not but Divine Worship is to bee performed unto God every day as under the Law we read they had their Morning and Evening sacrifice
every day so we should every day offer up our morning and evening sacrifice of Prayer and truly by duties of piety to God are our worldly businesses sanctified and seasoned and therefore are every day to be performed but yet so as the duties of our ordinary Callings be likewise performed and not neglected by us 2 Upon the same ground neither Adam nor the Iewes before Christ should have observed any Sabbath because they were bound to rest from sin as well as Christians 3 Neither are we to keep days of fasting because we are to fast from sin every day Having thus proved the Morality of the Sabbath and answered some Objections against it II. I shall in the next place give you the grounds for the change of the Sabbath from the last day of the week to the first 1 Divine institution even the institution of Christ himself which appeareth two ways 1 By the title given to the first Day of the Week namely the Lords Day for whatsoever in Holy Writ is said to be the Lords denominatively fo that Christ is the Author and institutor as for instance The Lords Supper because he instituted it The people of the Lord because he chose them the Lords Messengers because he sends them Upon the same ground the first day of the week is denominatively called the Lords Day and that not by Creation for so every day is his from the beginning but by Divine institution because it was instituted by Christ the Lord for Divine Worship and Service and for the memorial of the great work of Redemption wrought by him Agreeable hereunto is that of Augustine who saith that the Apostles appointed the Lords Day to be kept with all religious solemnity because in that day our Redeemer rose from the dead and therefore is called the Lords Day 2 By the practise of the Apostles who constantly assembled together on the first day of the week which is our Lords Day and that without doubt upon the command of Christ himself for whereas he continued forty days on earth after his resurrection before he ascended into Heaâ—en it is said in that time hee gave Commandements unto his Apostles and spake unto them of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God that is he instructed them how they should change the bodily sacrifices of Beasts into the spiritual sacrifices of Prayer and Praises the Sacrament of Circumcision into the Sacrament of Baptism the Sacrament of the Passeover into the Sacrament of the Lords Supper And then likewise he instructed his Apostles touching the change of the Sabbath into the Lords Day To which agreeth that of learned Iunius who saith positively that the change of the Sabbath was not by the tradition of men but by the observation and appointment of Christ who both on the day of his resurrection and on every seventh day after unto his Ascension into Heaven appeared to his Disciples and came into their assemblies Hereupon we read the Apostles met together on every first day of the week to preach the Word and to communicate the Lords Supper as Ioh. 20. 19 26. Acts 2. 1. Acts 20. 7 and in divers other places And wee find it expresly ordained by the Apostle Paul that the weekly Collections for the Poor should be on that day Now concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so doe yee upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him c. And why on that day surely no other reason can well bee imagined but that their assembling together to partake of the Ordinances of God was wont to be on that day And therefore because works of charity suit well with duties of piety and that by the Ordinances then dispensed they might be stirred up to a more free and chearful contribution the Apostle ordained also that the Collections for the poor should be on the same day viz. the first day of the week 2 Another Argument proving the first day of the week commonly called the Lords Day to bee the true Christian Sabbath now under the Gospel may bee taken from the constant practice of the Church and People of God since the Apostles times As I have shewed you that it was the practice of the Apostles to observe the first day of the week which is argument enough to warrant the day they being guided by the Spirit of Christ in an especial manner So it doth clearly appear that it hath been the practice of all holy men since the Apostles times to observe this day and that under the name of the Lords Day Ignatius who lived in St. Iohns time saith Let every one that loveth Christ keep holy the Lords Day which is the Queen of daies Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical history plainly shews how the Church and People of God in several ages after the Apostles times observed the first day of the week as instituted by Christ and ordained afterwards by the Apostles I might spend much paper in shewing how this day hath been observed in all ages from the Apostles times to these daies Now the constant custome of the Church is not to bee sleighted That expression of the Apostle If any man seem to bee contentious wee have no such custome neither the Churches of God sheweth that the custome of the Church is a matter to be regarded 3 The Resurrection of Christ both giveth a ground for the sanctifying of our Christian Sabbath and likewise sheweth a reason for the changing of the day For the work of Redemption wrought by Jesus Christ being far more excellent than the work of Creation did much more deserve a weekly memorial That the work of Redemption was more excellent appears In that it cost more to redeem the world of Gods Elect than to create the whole world for to create the world it cost God but a word as it were Hee but spake the word and it was done But to redeem the world of Gods Elect it cost no less than the precious blood of the Son of God So that this work hath swallowed up the former as the Temple did the Tabernacle And wee who live after Christs Resurrection are as much bound to the celebration of the first day of the week as they who lived before to the last It is very observable that a seventh day hath been observed to the honour of God ever since the Creation and such a seventh as never a week in the alteration was without a Sabbath and never a week had two Sabbaths for as the week ended with the former Sabbath so the next week began with our Sabbath which could not have been if any other seventh day had been chosen If any shall ask why the change of the day is not more clearly expressed in the New Testament I answer because there was no question moved about the same in the Apostles times which
may likewise serve as a reason why in the New Testament there is no express command for the baptizing of Infants in particular namely because there was no question moved about the same in the Apostles times III. Come wee now to the Directions how to sanctifie the Lords Day To the sanctification whereof two things are required 1 An observing of a rest 2 A consecrating of that rest wholly to the worship and service of God I. There must bee a resting and that from several things As 1 From all the ordinary works of our Calling which is expresly set down in the Commandement Six daies shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work viz. of thy Calling And let not any pretend the greatness of their charge as a plea for their working But know assuredly that what you get that day by your labour will contribute little towards your charge For whatsoever is got on that day will not be blessed of the Lord but will prove like Achans wedge of gold which being got contrary to the command of God brought the fire of Gods curse upon all the rest which hee had lawfully gotten 2 From all kinds of recreations especially such as tend to carnal and â—ensual delight which though they may be lawful at other times yet are unlawful on the Lords Day being as expresly forbidden by God himself as the works of our Calling as you shall finde in Isa. 58. 13. where the Lord requires of his People That they turn away their feet from doing their own pleasures on his holy day And that they call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and honour him not doing their own waiâ—s nor finding their own pleasures And it is found by experience that recreations do more steal away our affections from heavenly meditations and distract us in Gods service than the works of our Calling Whereupon saith St. Augustine How much better is it to plow on the Lords Day than to dance 3 From all immoderate eating and drinking whereby wee are fitter to sleep than to attend upon the Ordinances of God And therefore how blame-worthy are they who make the Lords Day a day of Feasting their neighbours and friends For though it be lawful upon this day to make such provision as shall be convenient for our own families or for the relief of our poor neighbours yet to make solemn feasts upon this day as is the custome of too many whereby servants are kept from the publick Ordinances and our selves and guests are more indisposed to the duties of Gods worship and service must needs be unlawful And therefore though wee be not forbidden upon the Lords Day to kindle a fire for the dressing of meat yet we must take heed that wee make not such a flame as shall kindle the fire of Gods wrath against us 4 From all worldly words and discoursing of earthly affairs which the Lord himself expresly forbiddeth by the Prophet Isaiah Not speaking thine own words which imports talking and discoursing of worldly matters on the Sabbath day For where the Lord hath commanded the whole man to rest from worldly works there hee commands as the hand to rest from working so the tongue from talking of worldly matters But in the fourth Commandement the Lord hath commanded the whole man to rest from worldly works where hee saith Thou shalt do no manner of work c. Therefore hee commands the tongue to rest from talking of worldly matters as well as the hand from working of servile and worldly works How blame-worthy then are they who make the Lords Day a reckoning-day with work-men and servants or at least a visiting day amongst their friends and neighbours and so confequently a day of idle tattle about their profits pleasures or other mens matters 5 As from worldly words so from worldly thoughts as much as wee can For 1 Know that every Commandement extends to our very thoughts binding them as well as to the outward actions ex gr The sixth Commandement from murtherous thoughts as well as from the act of Murther The seventh from adulterous and lustful thoughts as well as from the act of Adultery The eighth from covetous thoughts as well as from the act of Covetousness 2 Know that the Lord requireth not onely the outward man and external actions to bee consecrated unto him but especially the inward man in which regard wee ought as much as possibly wee can to sequester our thoughts from worldly matters that they may be wholly taken up with spiritual and heavenly Meditations 6 There is another rest expected from every one on the Lords Day and that is a resting from sin which wee ought to do as much as in us lyeth at all times but especially on the Lords Day which ought to be kept as an holy rest And truly wee cannot offer unto God a greater indignity than to serve the Devil in the works of darkness on the Lords Day which is consecrated to the honour and service of God Thus much of the first particular requisite to the sanctification of the Lords Day namely an observing of a rest II. Come wee now to the second viz. A consecrating that rest wholly to the worship and service of God For it is not enough that wee keep a rest but wee must keep an holy rest barely to rest on the Sabbath day is but a Sabbath of beasts Wee must remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy For this is the chief end whereunto the outward rest tendeth Now the consecration of the Sabbaths rest consists 1 In our preparation thereunto 2 In a conscionable performance of those duties the Lord then requireth of us which may be brought to two heads viz. 1 Duties of Piety 2 Works of Mercy Duties of Piety are of three sorts viz 1 Publick 2 Private 3 Secret The which because they are interchangeably mixed with one another therefore I shall interchangeably speak of them The duties to be performed by way of preparation are these 1 Remember the day beforehand to the end you may so order and dispose of your worldly affairs that they may be dispatched in convenient time on the Eve of the Sabbath that so both your selves and servants may goe to bed in such time that your bodies may be well refreshed with sleep and your mindes fitted for the duties of the day This the Lord intimateth in the beginning of the fourth Commandement saying Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day where by remembring it may bee meant a minding of it before hand How blame worthy then are they who sit up themselves and keep their servants so late up in the night before the Sabbath that they are enforced to lye longer in their beds than ordinary on the Sabbath Day yea and when they are come into the Congregation are fitter to sleep than to hear Is this
heart that is we must exercise the graces of Gods holy Spirit in singing as well as in praying labouring to express the same affection in singing the Psalm as David had in penning the same as if it be a Psalm of Confession then to express some humility and brokenness of heart and spirit in singing it If it be a Psalm of prayers and petitions then must our affections be fervent If a Psalm of praises and thanksgivings then must our hearts be chearful And thus must the affection of the heart be ever suitable to the quality of the Psalm 3 It must be to the Lord that is as in the sight and presence of the Lord and to his honour and glory As the Apostle expresseth it in the next verse Whatsoever yee do in word or deed do it as in the name of Christ so to the praise and glory of God making his glory the main end and aim of what you do III. Another private Duty to be performed with our Family is Prayer For if this duty ought to be performed every day twice at least viz. in the morning and evening then especially on the Lords Day which the Lord hath wholly consecrated to his worship and service The Directions for the right manner of performing this duty of Prayer so as it may be an acceptable service and sacrifice unto God you may finde in Chapter second about the latter part thereof IV. Reading the Scriptures is another Duty to be performed in and with our Family that so they may bee acquainted with the Body of the Scriptures yea and with the Precepts and Promises the Directions and Consolations of the Word for their direction and comfort Directions for the more profitable reading of the Scriptures see Chap. 4. These are the Private duties of Piety to bee performed on the Lords Day Besides the Publick and Private there are likewise secret duties to be performed by every one alone in their Closets or Chambers which are briefly these 1 Reading some part of Gods Word or other good Books 2 Meditating of what you have heard or read that day which is an excellent means to make the Word both read and preached profitable unto you For as meat though it be never so wholsome nourisheth us not if it be not concocted and digested so is it with the Word of God the food of our souls if it be not by meditation concocted and digested it will nothing at all profit us but being by meditation digested it will then prove effectual to the nourishing of our souls 3 Examining your selves as of your former life conversation so especially of your carriage the last week and of the manner of your performing the duties of the day and as you should be humbled for your faylings therein so you should resolve with the assistance of Gods grace to be more watchful over your selves for the time to come and to be more careful in sanctifying the Lords Day by a conscionable manner of performing the duties thereof 4 Praying unto God is another duty to be performed by you in secret as well as publickly and privately yea you should double and treble your Prayers on the Lords Day Under the Law we read how the Lord required double Sacrifices on the Sabbath Day for besides the daily Sacrifices two Lambs more were appointed to be offered up on the Sabbath day four in all to shew the holiness of the day And in like manner ought you to double your spiritual sacrifices of Prayer and Praises on the Lords Day earnestly beseeching him for Christs sake to pardon as your sins in general so in special the manifold infirmities and imperfections which have passed from you in the performance of your holy seâ—vices and to enable you by his Spirit to perform them for the time to come with more life and vigor with more fervency and affection Having thus shewed you both the Publick Private and Secret duties of Piety to be performed on the Lords Day Come we now to the Works of Mercy which is another Head of duties which ought to be performed on thatday and therefore to duties of Piety you must adde Works of Mercy on the Sabbath day in a conscionable performance of both which consisteth the true sanctification of the Sabbath And because man consists of two Parts viz. of Soul and Body and both of them are subject to many Maladies therefore the Works of Mercy may be brought to these two Heads 1 Such as concern the Soul 2 Such as concern the Body of your Neighbour I The Works of Mercy which concern the Soul of your Neighbour are these and such like 1 To instruct the ignorant in Points of Doctrine needful and necessary to be known herein Iob expressed his charity as Eliphas testifieth of him Thou hast instructed many viz. in the knowledge of God 2 To draw Sinners to repentance by setting before them as the severity of Gods Justice against all impenitent Sinners so the freeness of his grace and riches of his mercy to all penitenâ— Sinners 3 To comfort such as are comfortless through an apprehension of the number and hainousness of their sins by setting before them the All-sufficiency of Christs Sacrifice and the gracious offers in the Gospel to all who find their sins a burthen to them 4 To exhort and stirre up such as have begun well to hold on patiently and constantly whereunto the Apostle exhorteth us Let us saith he consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works or to whet on to love and good works as the word in the Original properly signifieth 5 To reprove and rebuke such as are scandalous and offensive in their waies Thus Iohn reproved Herod for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for many other evils 6 To resolve the doubtful 7 To strengthen and establish such as are weak in grace These indeed in one respect may be called works of Piety namely as they are instructions directions and consolations gathered out of the holy Scriptures But in another respect they are works of mercy namely as they tend to the good of your neighbours souls In which the poorest that are may be rich in good works II. The works of mercy which concern the body of our neighbour are these and such like 1 Relieving such as are in want The Apostle enjoyning the Corinthians to lay up some thing in store every first day of the week which is the Lords Day implieth that that is a very fit season not only to do such works of mercy which are then offered unto us but also to prepare for other times And surely if every one would every Lords Day set apart something out of his commings in that week for a stock to give to charitable uses much good might be done thereby For as men by this means will have more to give than otherwise they will finde in their hearts to do on the week days So they will give both more
bountifully and more willingly because the stock out of which they give is prepared before-hand and it being a sacred Stock by their voluntary setting it apart to such an use their conscience will account it sacriledge to lay it out any other way If poor men that live by their daies labour and servants that live on their wages would every Lords Day lay up some half-pennies or pence for this end and purpose they might have without any sensible dammage to themselves a stock for the poor How much greater store would be for the poor if rich men according to Gods blessing on them would so do 2 Visiting the sick and such as are otherwise restrained of liberty This we finde practised by our Saviour and that upon the Sabbath day after the publick ordinances were ended as Mark. 1 29 30. where we read that our Saviour with some of his Apostles After they were come out of the Synagogue went to visit Peters wives Mother who lay sick of a Feaver which sheweth That Christ accounted it a work of mercy suitable to the Sabbath to visit the sick From whence we may learn as just occasion is offered to spend some time of the Sabbath in visiting the sick it being an especial work of mercy proper to the Sabbath yea and an especial means to fill our minds with spiritual Meditations and our mouths with holy conferences which are parts of private sanctification of the Sabbath What time therefore others spend in idleness or vain company or sitting at street-doors or walking abroad in the streets and fields let us spend in this and such like works of mercy Directions for the right manner of visiting the Sick see in Chap. XIX Besides these duties of Piety and works of Mercy which are commanded to be done on the Lords Day There are some things which the Lord permits unto us in regard of the weakness and infirmities of our bodies viz. Sleep Food and Apparel Because we cannot with strength and delight spend the whole day in Sabbath duties without competent rest food and apparel therefore it is lawful for us to spend some time as in sleep so in apparelling our selves and in refreshing our bodies with food which otherwise would be ready to faint But by a moderate use of these we are inabled to do the things we take in hand the more chearfully But herein two Cautions ought carefully to be observed 1 You must spend no more time about them than needs must Wherefore your bodies being refreshed with moderate sleep you ought to get up early on the Lords Day as about six or seven of the clock and to use all possible speed in dressing your selves and not to sit longer than needs must at your meals that so you may have the more time for the duties of Gods worship and service on his day And truly since the Lord is so good and gracious unto you as to afford you some part of his own day for the refreshment of your bodies Far be it from you to abuse his goodness by lavishing away more time therein than needs must Second Caution Do them as Sabbath-dayes-works which is done two waies 1 By doing them for this end that thereby you may bee the better inabled to serve God Thus when at your lying down the evening before the Sabbath you desire God to give you quiet comfortable sleep that thereby your weak bodies may be refreshed and you the better inabled to serve him the next day in the duties of his worship and service this is a Sabbath-sleep In like manner when you eat and drink for this very end that your bodies may be refreshed and your spirits revived and you thereby the better inabled with chearfulness to serve God the remaining part of the day this is a Sabbaths-eating and drinking 2 By raising spiritual and heavenly Meditations from the same At your first awaking you should call to minde what day it is and having blessed God for your comfortable rest and sleep that night you should beg of him the special assistance of his grace to carry you thorow all the duties of the day When you are rising out of your beds you should think as of the Resurrection of Christs body out of his grave early on that day so likewise of the Resurrection of your Souls here out of the death of sin to the life of holiness and of your bodies at the last day out of the grave of the earth to the life of glory in Heaven In your apparessing your selves you should then think of the long white Robe of Christs Righteousness and of the happiness of those who have an interest therein When you are washing your hands and your faces from the cleansing virtue of the water you should take occasion to meditate of the cleansing virtue of Christs blood which alone washeth your souls from the filthy spots and stains of sin When you go to your Tables to partake of Gods good creatures your corporal food for the nourishment of your bodies should minister occasion of meditating on the spiritual food of your souls whereby they are nourished unto everlasting life The bread on your Tables should minde you of Jesus Christ who is the bread of life that came down from Heaven to quicken your dead souls Thus from every thing should you indeavour to draw matter of spiritual and heavenly meditation labouring to keep your hearâ—s in an holy frame all the day long For what our Saviour said to his Disciples concerning the loaves and the fishes Gather up the fragments let nothing bee lost The like he seemeth to speak unto you concerning the Lords Day gather up the parcels thereof let no part of the day be lost no not the least minutes which are precious as the least filings of Gold As the Lord doth permit unto you some things which your weak bodies stand in need of that thereby you may be the better inabled to serve him on his day So he is pleased to allow some things to be done by you even on his day though they hinder the performance of the proper works thereof and they are such things as are of absolute necessity Quest. If you ask what I mean by works of absolute necessity Answ. Such as must needs be done and yet could not be done the day before the Sabbath nor put off to the day after without great prejudâ—ce But on the other side such things as do no way further the sanctification of the day but rather hinder the same and may as well be done the day before or the day after or some other time ought not to be done on the Lords Day Having thus done with the Directions for the right sanctification of the Lords Day IV. Come we now to the Motives to quicken you up to a conscionable observation of the Directions 1 A right sanctification of the Lords Day maketh much to the honour of God Mark what the Lord himself saith to his Church in this case by his
Prophet Isaiah If thou tuâ—n away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my hely day and 〈◊〉 the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and 〈◊〉 honour him Here it is expresly said that by a right sanctifying of the Sabbath wee honour God 2 A right sanctification of the Sabbath is profitable to your selves and that in a double respect 1 In regard of your outward temporal estate 2 In regard of your inward spiritual estate 1 The sanctification of the Sabbath is profitable in regard of your outward temporal estate For the more conscionable any man is in sanctifying the Sabbath day the greater blessing hee may expect from God upon his labour on the six daies For it is not your own labour and toiling but the blessing of God that maketh rich i. e. that and that alone doth it as the Wise-man speaketh 2 The sanctification of the Sabbath will be profitable in regard of your inward spiritual estate For this was one main end why the Sabbath was ordained namely that God might by it in the use of his ordinances inrich our souls with spiritual blessings in heavenly things And accordingly the sanctification of the Sabbath is an especial means both to beget grace and to strengthen grace for the Lord hath ordained it to be as a market-Market-day to the soul. And truly were we but as sensible of the good of our souls as we are of out bodies the best husbands that be should not more diligently keep marke-Marke-daies and fair-Fair-daies than we would the Lords Daies 3 A right sanctification of the Sabbath is very delightful to the people of God in that they do injoy intimate society and communion with God in his ordinances on that day which is the greatest happiness poor creatures can possibly attain unto in this life being an heaven upon earth to injoy communion with God and some degree of those heavenly joyes which wee shall injoy hereafter more fully in Heaven How should the consideration hereof stir you up to a careful conscionable sanctifying of the Lords Day that so you may taste of those sweet comforts and refreshments which others have so plentifully injoyed 4 Another Motive may be taken from the Equity of sanctifying this day For in that the Lord hath afforded unto us six daies in seven for our own work an reserved to himself but one for his worship and service whereas he might have required six daies for his worship and afforded but one for our work is it not most just and equal that we should make conscience of giving unto God his Day by consecrating it wholly to his worship and service As Ioseph said to Poâ—â—phars Wife when she tempted him to uncleannes 〈◊〉 Master hath not kept back any thing from mee but thee because thou art his wife How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God In like manner say thou to thy vain companions when thou art tempted any way to prophane the Sabbath God the Soveraign Lord and Master of the world hath kept back no time from mee but one day because it was his How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God CHAP. XXII Of the Sacramen of the Lords Supper TO the worthy partaking of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper there are three sorts of duties required 1 Duties Antecedent i. e. Such as must go before the Sacrament 2 Duties Concomitant i. e. Such as must accompany the action of receiving 3 Duties Subsequent i. e. Such as must follow after I. For the Duties Antecedent though they are many yet they may be all brought under this one head of Examination which is not onely commended by the Apostle But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup But urged and pressed upon us with greater severity than any Pâ—ecept in the Book of God For faith the Apostle in the same place hee that through a neglect of this duty of Examination eateth and drinketh unworthily 1 Hee is guilty of the body and blood of Christ. 2 Hee eateth and drinketh damnatioâ— to himself 1 To bee guilty of the body and blood of Christ is in some measure to have â—ur hands in his bloody death and passion and so by consequence to be partners with Iudas in betraying him with the Scribes and Pharisees in accusing him with Pilate in condemning him and with the cruel souldiers in crucifying him Whose heart doth not rise with indignation against these when he reads or considers their cruell handling of our blessed Saviour in whipping and scourging him in mocking and deriding him in piercing and crucifying him And therefore take heed lest thou in like manner be guilty by thine unworthy receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper through thine unprepared coming thereunto We read how the blood of innocent Abel did lye so heavy upon Cain that hee cried out My punishment is greater than I can bear How heavy then will the blood of Jesus Christ who was not only an innocent man but more than a man lye upon them that are guilty thereof You know it lay so heavy upon Iudas that hee hanged himself And you cannot be ignorant how heavy it hath lyen upon the whole Nation of the Iews for these many hundred years according to that cursed wish of theirs His blood be on us and on our children As therefore thou wouldest not be found guilty of this horrid and dreadful sin put in practice the Apostles counsel namely To examine thy self before thou presumest to partake of that Ordinance 2 Hee that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself so our translators render it And truly this is a necessary consequence from the former for hee that is guilty of the body and blood of Christ how can hee but incur the danger of damnation Indeed the word in the Greek translated damnation may as well signifie temporal chastisement as eternal punishment And questionless as hypocrites and unbeleevers while they eat and drink unworthily eat and drink damnation to themselves if they repent not so also such as are faithful and sincere Christians when they through infirmity and negligence do partake of this ordinance unworthily incur thereby temporal judgements as sicknesse weaknesse and sometime death it self For saith the Apostle speaking of the beâ—eeving Corinthians who had not prepared themselves as they should to that ordinance For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep or dye For what cause namely because they received the Sacrament unworthily and irreverently without any preparation or examination of themselves I grant the best men cannot be said in themselves to be worthy to partake of this ordinance Yet if thou beest a beleeving Christian and dost sincerely indeavour to receive it in that manner and with such affections as the Lord doth require of thee thou mayest be said how
Christian Directions SHEWING How to walk with GOD All the Day long Drawn up for the use and benefit of the Inhabitants of SEPULCHRES Parish By THO GOUGE Pastor thereof 1 Sam. 12. 23 24. I will teach you the good and the right way only fear the Lord and serve him with all your heart considering how great things hee hath done for you 2 Pet. 1. 12. I will not bee negligent to put you alwayes in remembrance of these things though yee know them and bee established in the present truth Luke 17. 10. When yee shall have done all these things which are commanded you say wee are unprofitable servants wee have done that which was our duty to do LONDON Printed by R. Ibbitson and M. Wright at the Kings-head in the Old Bayley MDCLXI TO My dearly beloved Friends and Neighbours the Inhabitants of Sepulchres Parish Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father of Mercies and the God of all Consolation My Dear Friends COnsidering with my self how besides my Lords-daies Preaching and Week-daies Catechizing I might be further serviceable to your souls in promoting their spiritual welfare It pleased God to put it into my heart to draw up some practical Directions for your better guidance in the way to Heaven and to give to every Family in my Parish a Copy of them Accordingly I set upon the work with all readiness and alacrity being much perswaded in my self that some spiritual advantage might through Gods blessing accrew unto your souls thereby The Lord who is the searcher of all hearts knoweth that my only end and aim herein is the advancement of your everlasting salvation which if it shall be any way furthered by this small Treatise I shall never repent of my pains and cost But shall very much rejoyce that the Lord hath inabled mee in any measure to be serviceable to him in the furtherance of the Gospel of his dear Son especially among you my dear flock Two considerations among others have had some influence upon mee in this undertaking The one is of that mutual love which hath hitherto been between us As I have you in my heart so am I perswaded that you have mee in yours During the whole time of my abode with you which is now above two and twenty years I do not remember that we have had the least difference no not about the point of Maintenance the usual unhappy make-bate between Minister and People For though the value of the Living be not so much by half as is generally reported abroad being no Parsonage but a Vicaridge endowed with a third part of that Tithe which the Parson doth collect yet I cannot but with much thankfulness acknowledge that what I have had hath been with much love and friendliness For when you have made any composition with mee for my part of the Tithe you have alwaies given mee more than I could demand or expect If then the blessed Apostle Paul were willing and that with gladness to spend and to bee spent for his Corinthians and that although the more abundantly hee loved them the less hee was loved of them Much more ought I to be like-minded towards you who have not at any time so ill requited my love but alwaies been ready to answer it with reciprocal affections That therefore I might leave to posterity some publick acknowledgement and perpetual memorâ—al of your constant love and respect to mee together with my due resentment of it was one consideration which put mee upon this design Another was the gladsome reflexion upon your great and godly care of your poor which I look upon even as it is meet for mee so to do as the fruit of the Gospel preached among you and an argument of your profiting therein And indeed it is such as I willingly take occasion to make publick mention of it for an example to others For though your poor bee many hundreds yet I think I may say truly without offence to other Parishes they are in some respect better provided for than any poor in the City For by the voluntary contribution of divers of you with the assistance of some other charitable persons 1 All the poor children in your Parish are taught to read and write gratis by such School-Masters and School-Mistresses who teach them their Catechize whereof my self sometimes take an account 2 All the Antient poor who can either spin or knit may have Flax and Yarn for fetching to set themselves on work an are well paid for the same immediately upon the return thereof This consideration as it hath very much affected mee so have I alwaies accounted my self your debtor upon this score And surely if our Lord and Master doth take what is done unto the poor for their relief as done unto himself then should wee also especially his Ministers in some sort be like-minded Your debtor therefore I have taken my self to bee nor could I bethink my self how to discharge this debt in a way more suitable to the nature of it and my relation to you than by indeavouring something extraordinary for your good hereafter as you have done extraordinarily for the present good of our poor and as you have put your selves to special pains and charge for the succour of their bodies so to put my self upon some special labour and willingly be at some cost for the advantage of your souls But the main Motive which hath put mee upon this undertaking is the single sense of my Relation to you that it hath pleased God of his infinite goodness and free grace to entrust mee a weak frail earthen vessel with that inestimable Treasure the Mysteries of the Gospel and appointed mee to preach unto you in particular the Unsearchable Riches of Christ. I account it the greatest honour a poor creature can be capable of to be made directly subservient to the glorious counsel and gracious purpose of his Creator for the recovery and restauration of the world by Jesus Christ and therefore that we Ministers of the Gospel whom God hath vouchsafed this honour have the strongest ingagement and obligation laid upon us to preach the Gospel both in season and out of season and to lay out our selves all manner of waies if by any means we may gain souls unto Christ and build them up in him Now this way I have here taken will have this advantage above others above my ordinary preaching and performance of other Ministerial duties among you that whereas by them I can minde you of the things which belong unto your everlasting peace only while I am in this Tabernacle By this as it is said of Abel I may still speak to you even when dead Accept therefore my dear Friends and Neighbours this little Treatise from the hands of your loving Pastor whose heart is exceedingly inlarged towards you greatly longing after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. For what is my hope or joy or crown of rejoycing Are not even yee in the
presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his coming Accept it therefore and testifie your acceptance by reading of it and much more by a conscionable performance of the Directions contained in it I think they will carry their own evidence with them that they are all agreeable to the Word of God For I have not made it my business to mint new Notions but to press upon you old Truths and known duties I have drawm them up in a plain and familiar stile and Method studying rather to be profitable than accurate They are of daily use to an holy life therefore I hope you will daily peruse them They are of general use to all sorts of Christians at all times in their several places Callings conditions and relations and therefore I hope you will give the more diligent heed to them Such whose Callings and Businesses will scarce afford them leisure on the week-daies to look into such Treatises as this I do earnestly intreat them that at least on the lord-Lord-daies after the performance of the publick duties of Piety in the Congregation and of private in their Families they would spend some time in reading a part of this book with their Family And the Lord make it abundantly useful and profitable unto you Yea the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Sepulchres London Decemb. 20. 1660. Your Affectionate though most unworthy Minister THO. GOUGE A TABLE of the particular Points contained in this TREATISE CHap. 1. Sheweth how to begin the day with God Chap. 2. Of Secret Prayer in the morning Chap. 3 Of Ejaculatory Prayers 4 Of reading the Scriptures in private 5 Of Christian watchfulnesse over our Thoughts 6 Of watchfulnesse over our Words 7 Of watchfulnesse over our Actions 8 Of watchfulnesse against Sin 9 Of our behaviour at Meals 10 Of Sports and Recreations directions concerning the same 11 Of the duties of our Callings 12 Of our behaviour in secret and directions concerning Divine Meditation 13 Of our behaviour both in good and bad company 14 Directions to the rich how to Improve their wealth to the glory of God and the good of their own souls 15 Directions to the poor shewing how to carry themselves Christian like in their low and mean estate 16 Of Christian-like carriage under reproaches 17 Of our carriage under crosses and afflictions 18 Of Dying well 19 Directions to such as visit the sick 20 Directions how to cloze the day with God 21 Of the Morality of the Sabbath with directions how to sanctify the same 23 Of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper with directions for the worthy receiving thereof 23 Of the Common mutual Duties betwixt Husband and Wife 24 Of Husbands Duties to their Wives 25 Of the Duties of Wives to their Husbands 26 Of the Duties of Parents to their children 27 Of the Duties of Children to their Parents 28 Of the Duties of Masters to their servants 29 Of the Duties of Servants to their Masters 30 Of resting upon Iesus Christ alone for life and salvation Christian Directions shewing how to walk with God all the day long CHAP. I. How to begin the day with God I. AT thy first awaking in the morning consecrate unto God the freshest of thy thoughts by lifting up thine heart to him in praises and thanksgivings for that comfortable rest and refreshment hee hath vouchsafed unto thee the night past For had not the Lord been the more gracious unto thee thou mightest have slept the sleep of death yea thou mightest have awaked with hell flames about thine eaâ—s what cause therefore hast thou to blesse God as for the mercies of the night so for the renewing of his mercies with the day And then heartily beg of God his direction assistance and blessing upon thy lawfull pains and endeavours that day II. Having thus consecrated thy first awaking unto God by blessing him for the mercies of the night and for adding another day to thy life then steep thy thoughts in a serious meditation of God and of some or other of his glorious Attributes as 1 Of the infinite Purity of God who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity i. e. with the least approbation but hates all sin with a perfect hatred as being contrary to his nature A serious consideration whereof would through Gods blessing prove very effectual for the suppressing of those impure thoughts which are apt to arise from thy corrupt heart 2 Of the almighty Power of God whereby he is able to strengthen thee in all thy weaknesses to support thee under all thy trials and temptations to supply all thy wants to deliver thee out of all thy dangers to carry thee through all thy undertakings In which respect the Apostle calleth Gods Power a mighty Power and an exceeding-greatnesse of Power Ephes. 1. 19. A serious consideration whereof cannot but stir thee up as to flie unto God by Prayer in all thy wants straights and dangers so to cast thy self upon him and his mighty Power to rest and rely upon him for seasonable help succour and deliverance who never faileth those who put their trust in him 3 Of the Omnipresence of God of his continual presence about thee and with thee wheresoever thou art and whatsoever thou doest For hee is about thy bed and thy path and taketh notice of all thy actions and when no man seeth thee yet hee seeth thee before whose Tribunal thou must one day stand to give an account of all thy actions Surely it would be a special preservative against sin and a singular means to make thee watchful over all thy waies and actions if thou didst seriously consider Gods All-seeing presence about thee 4 Of the Omnisciency of God his knowing of all things even the secret thoughts of thine heart and the inward intenâ—ions of thy mind before whom all things are naked and unbowelled as the Apostle speaketh Not an ambitions worldly lustful thought in thine heart but God is privy to it And as the wise man speaketh Hee will bring every secret thing into judgement This if it were seriously considered how would it make thee watchful over thy very heart and careful to suppress all wicked lustful thoughts at their first rising and to keep thee upright and sincere in what thou doest especially in the duties of Gods worship and service as knowing there is no dissembling before God III. Call to minde what sin it is whereunto thou findest thy self most propense and with which thou art oftenest and easiliest overcome as having least power to resist it And every morning furnish thy self with the strongest Arguments thou canst against it and then bring up thine heart to a firm
world out of thine head and thine heart close unto the duty But if some extraordinary business have occasioned thee to delay it doe not thereupon wholly omit it but be careful to take the first opportunity of retiring into thy Closet there to offer up thy morning sacrifice unto God Thus duty of secret Prayer is expresly commanded and the practice of it especially in the morning wee find also very much commended to us in the World of God First The duty it self is expresly commanded by our Lord and Saviour When thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Here you see is a positive command for the practice of secret Prayer Enter into thy Closet or into some private place and having shut the door pray Secondly The morning is commended to us for the choysest time of practising this duty 1 By the example of Christ 2 By the practice of the faithful 1 By the example of Christ himself of whom it is recorded by Saint Mark that he rose early in the morning a great while before day and went out into a solitary place and there prayed His rising betimes shewed his earnest desire and diligent care in the performance of this duty for when wee have a good mind to do a thing wee use to rise betimes and go about it 2 For the practice of the Saints of God herein the Scripture is very plentiful It is recorded of Iob That hee rose early in the morning and offered burnt offerings before the Lord. Hee did not onely rise in the morning but early in the morning giving unto God the first fruits of the day And Davids morning devotions are often expressed in the book of Psalms As My voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up And again O God thou art my God early will I seek thee And it is recorded of Daniel That three times a day hee kneeled upon his knees and prayed and gave thanks viz. in the morning before hee entred upon any business at noon before hee went to his dinner and in the evening before hee went to bed And that this was his usual practice appears from the following expression viz. As hee did aforetime i. e. hee prayed three times a day as hee was formerly accustomed to do For the more profitable pressing of this duty of secret prayer 1 I shall give you some motives to quicken you up to a conscionable performance thereof 2 Answer some Objections 3 Give you some Directions for the right manner of performing it The Motives may bee drawn to Three Heads 1 The Excellency 2 The Necessity 3 The Utility thereof I. The Excellency of secret prayer appears in two particulars 1 In that it increaseth our Communion and Fellowship with God bringing us into a familiar acquaintance with him As the converses of a Christian soul with God in secret prayer are sweet so oh how sweet are the discoveries that the Lord often makes of himself to the soul of a Christian in his secret prayers When Daniel was praying alone in secret it was said unto him Thou art greatly beloved 2 The Excellency of secret prayer appears in that it procures a comfort and sweetness upon those mercies which it obtaineth For this is an experimental Truth That those mercies which are given in as answers and returns to our prayers are the sweetest and most comfortable And certainly this is one reason why many finde so little comfort in their yoak-fellows in their children in their estate and the like they did not seek them of God by secret prayer and so did not receive them as answers to their prayers but only from an hand of common providence without any seeking of theirs II. The Necessity of secret prayer especially in the morning appeareth 1 In that without it wee cannot with any confidence expect Gods blessing upon our pains and indeavours For as the Psalmist speaketh Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it So except the Lord bless our pains and indeavours it is in vain to rise◠up early to sit up late and to eat the bread of sorrow and prayer is the means God hath sanctified for the obtaining his blessing 2 In regard of manifold casualties whereunto we are subject for death lieth every where in wait for us so that wee go every moment in danger of our lives If wee walk in the streets so many tiles on the house top so many deaths hang over our heads if wee walk in the fields so many beasts as wee meet withall so many enemies to indanger our lives Yea how many have risen well in the morning who have been found dead before the evening And what hath befallen one may befall another And how sad a thing will it be to be Arrested by Death and called to the Bar of Gods Judgement to plead Guilty or not Guilty before we have 〈◊〉 our selves at the Throne of Grace to Sue forth our pardon III. A third Motive may bee taken from the utility of this duty and indeed manifold are the benefits which usually follow and accompany the same As 1 It is the proper means appointed by God himself for the obtaining of all sorts of good things at his hands and therefore where this duty is enjoyned we very often finde it attended with very excellent Promises annexed to encourage us with faith and confidence to call upon him as Ask and it shall be given you seek and yee shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you c. 2 By accustoming our selves to pray in our Closets or private Chambers we shall be the better fitted to pray in the presence of others And such as are Parents and Masters of Families will bee thereby enabled to pray with their Families for certainly one special reason why many Parents and Masters of Families doe neglect that necessary duty of praying with their Families is their not accustoming themselves to pray in secret morning and evening What David said of Saul's armour I cannot goe therein for I never proved it The like may some say of Prayer I cannot goe thereto for I never used it The accustoming ourselves to pray alone in secret will fit us to pray in the presence of others Having given you some Motives to quicken you up to a conscionable performance of Secret Prayer and that especially in the morning I shall answer an objection or two Obj. 1. Some are apt to object their little leasure and great imployment to excuse themselves from offering up their morning Sacrifice unto God Answ. 1. The greater your imployments are the more need you have to offer up your morning Sacrifice unto God thereby to seek his assistance and blessing upon your pains and endeavours
to others make thee wary yea thus whatsoever things were written aforetime will prove good instructions unto thee III. Rules to bee observed after the reading of the Word 1 Seriously meditate of what thou hast read that so thou mayest the better remember and understand the same 2 Labour to work something of that thou hast read upon thine heart and give not over till thou findest the affections of thy soul warmed thereby To quicken you up to a frequent reading of the Scriptures consider these two Motives 1 The first may be taken from those treasures that are contained therein such treasures as men never heard of The subject matter of the Word are such mysteries as were hidden in God and by his Spirit revealed unto men All the abstruse learning and mysteries of other books and writings are but straw and stubble yea dross and dung in comparison of the precious pearls in this 2 Another Motive may bee taken from the many sweet and precious promises which are scattered up and down in the Word For as there is not a condition into which a Childe of God can fall but there is a Direction and Rule in the Word in some measure suitable thereunto so there is not an affliction into which a childe of God can fall but there is a promise in the Word in some measure suitable thereunto CHAP. V. Of Christian Watchfulness over our Thoughts DO not think that having saluted God by prayer and reading his Word in the morning thou mayest take thy leave of him all the day after But second thy prayeâ—s and reading with Christian Watchfulness which is a duty incumbent upon all being much pressed upon us in Scripture For the profitable handling whereof I shall shew you 1 The Nature of Christian Watchfulness 2 The Extent thereof or the particulars wherein we are to manifest the same I. For the Nature of Christian Watchfulness It is an heedful Observation of our selves in all things and a diligent circumspection over all our waies courses and actions that wee may not displease God in any thing but rather please him in all things II. For the Extent of this duty The Apostle sets it down in general Terms Watch thou in all things which I shall branch into several particulars 1 Over thy Thoughts Words and Actions 2 Against Sin in general and the several kinds thereof 1 Thou must be watchful over thy Thoughts that vain Thoughts may not lodge in thine heart For the profitable pressing of this I shall 1 Give you some Motives to quicken you up thereunto 2 Some Directions and helps thereunto I. For Motives first consider that vain and evil thoughts though they break not forth into acts yet are they actual sins for thoughts though they are inward yet are they the acts of the soul and in that they are evil they are sinful 2 Evil thoughts are not onely sinful in themselves but they are likewise the cause of all sins the plotters of all treasons against God the Panders of all other lusts so much the Apostle Iames expresseth When lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin lustful thoughts being conceived in the heart they soon bring forth sin breaking forth into acts of filthiness and uncleanness 3 Consider that by our thoughts especially will the Lord judge us at the last day When hee will make manifest the counsel of the heart as the Apostle expresseth it And Rom. 2. 16. God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ. Then the swarms of our vain and evil thoughts shall be discovered and laid open to our eternal shame before God Angels and men without true and unfeigned repentance 4 Evil and vain thoughts without true and unfeigned repentance will sink our souls to Hell such of you therefore as make no conscience of your thoughts but delight your selves in vain and wicked thoughts in lustful and unclean thoughts and that impenitently how can you escape the vengeance of hell I deny not but the best men through the remainder of corruption in them are subject to vain and wicked thoughts but these are their grief and their burden against which they strive and for which they earnestly begge pardon and therefore shall not bee said to their condemnation The helps and directions are these 1 Consider That the Lord doth as strictly observe all inward sinful thoughts as he doth the outward acts of sin Hee is Omniscient and knoweth all things yea he is the trier and searcher of our hearts and so is privy to every vain and wicked to every wanton and lustful thought in our hearts So that howsoever men discern not our thoughts yet God doth 2 Make not too much of those vain and wicked thoughts which doe either arise from thine own corrupt heart or are cast in by Satan I mean thou must not revolve them in thy mind by musing and meditating on them with any delight for if so thou art in danger to be ensnared by them 3 With detestation speedily reject and cast all vain and wicked thoughts out of thine heart As in thy judgement thou canst not but condemn them as base and wicked so in thy affections abhor and defest them yea reject and cast them away as abominable 4 So soon as any vain or wicked thoughts begin to arise in thine heart fix thy meditation upon good thoughts and upon such especially as are contrary thereunto Thus when vain thoughts begin to arise in thine heart strive to put them out by fixing thy meditation upon some serious matter when earthly worldly thoughts begin to arise in thine heart fix thy meditation upon some spiritual and heavenly thoughts when any lustful and impure thoughts begin to arise in thine heart fix thy meditation upon some holy and good thoughts think of the excellency and necessitie of holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 5 Humble thy self for all thy sinful and vain thoughts of what sort or kind soever For know assuredly that unless thou humble thy self for thy sinful and vain thoughts thou shalt bee called to an account for them at the Day of Judgement when the Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the heart 6 And that which sanctifies all other means is earnest and hearty prayer unto God that he would be pleased as to suppress and keep down all vain wicked wanton thoughts from rising in thy heart so that he would rebuke Satan and restrain his malice that he may not cast his hellish thoughts into thine heart or at least that he would enable thee to quench them at their first entrance This course did the Apostle Pauâ— take in the like case as we read in 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. CHAP. VI. Of watchfulness over our Words AS thou must be watchful over thy Thoughts so likewise over thy Words according to the counsel of the Prophet David Keep
true God from whom we receive all the good things we doe enjoy yea what is it but brutish and swinish ingratitude if when God openeth his hand and filleth us with plenty of good things we doe not open our mouthes in praises and thanksgivings unto God giving unto him the glory thereof CHAP. X. Of Sports and Recreations AS you ought to be watchful over your felves at your Meals so likewise at your Recreations for though some recreations are lawful yet are we generally apt to abuse them unto licentiousness and to adventure upon all manner of sports and recreations without any difference therefore I shall shew you 1 What kind of Sports which are used for recreations are lawful 2 How those which are in their kind lawful are abused and so made unlawful Unlawful Sports and Recreations may bee brought to these Heads 1 All such wherein neither wit of mind nor exercise of body is used as Dice-play and some Games at Cards for in them is nothing but an expectation of an uncertain event wherein neither wit of mind nor exercise of body is used which are the main ends of Sports and Recreations either for the refreshing of our minds or bodies that we may thereby bee the better enabled for the honouring of God in the discharge of the duties of our place and calling 2 Such as bring danger to men as of old was fighting with Beasts and now Matches at Foot-bal fighting at Cudgels especially fighting with sharp Weapons much like the playing of Ioabs and Abners men who at length killed one another 3 Such as declare Gods punishment on the Creatures for mans Sin as Bear-baiting Cock-fighting and the like the enmity that is in one Creature against another is a punishment on the poor Creatures for mans Sin and therefore ought noâ— to bee a ground or matter of sport and rejoycing unto us but rather of sorrow and humiliation 4 Such as are forbidden by the Laws of the Land or place where we live for Sports and Recreations being among indifferent things the Magistrates authority is especially of force in them and in this respect our ordinary Stage-Playes in this City are unlawful II. The next thing to be considered is how those Sports which are in themselves lawful are made unlawful by mens manner of using them 1 When too much time is spent in them Recreations should bee as sauces to your meat to sharpen your appetite unto the duties of your Calling and not to glut your selves with them so as to make your selves the more unfit both for the duties of your Callings and of Gods service you must know that the main and principal end of Gods sending you into the world was not to follow your pleasures but that you should spend your time and strength in the duties of Gods service and in the means whereby you may be fitted thereunto 2 When your Recreations are made a trade of Merchandise as when men Play meerly to get mony that which a man gains by this traâ—â—ick he cannot with a good conscience possesse and enjoy it is not by God given him because he cometh not to it by lawful means but is rather as stolen goods over which Gods curse hangeth and as for the party that loseth he also is guilty of Theft for that which he loseth he purloyneth from his Wife Children and Family if he have any or if not from Church Common-wealth and poor Oh that all our Gamesters would consider what a fearful reckoning they are to make at the Day of Judgement not only of their precious time lavishly mis-spent but also of their estates for the most part wickedly lost when in their account there shall be found so much wasted in Gaming and so little given to the Poor and charitable uses Q. Is it altogether unlawful to play for mony A. I will not say it is altogether unlawful to play for money provided that what you play for be but a small matter of little value which is to be measured according to the estate and quality of those who play 3 Lawful Recreations are made unlawful when they are used at unseasonable times as on days of Humiliation and on the Sabbath Day in which time the Lord forbiddeth all men to seek their own pleasure 4 When they are so used as they raise a mans Passion unto anger fury and the like or that they cause swearing cursing brawling quarrelling with the like evil effects Hee that cannot moderate his Passion nor rule his Tongue at Play is not fit for it 5 When in your Recreations you forget God who is present with you as at all times so in all your actions and therefore respect ought to be had to God as in all your actions so in your recreations Then you are to remember that you are in the presence of God who seeth and observeth every thing Which would bee a special means to keep and reâ—train you from many uncivil and uncomly actions CHAP. XI Of the Duties of our Callings EVery one ought to have special regard to the duties of that particular Calling wherein he is placed by Gods Providence in a conscionable discharge whereof consists the very life and power of religion For the more profitable handling of this Branch of Christian watchfulness viz. over our particular Callings 1 I shall premise a few things 2 Give you some directions to help you therein The things to be premised are these I. That every man ought to have a certain Calling wherein hee may exercise himself to the glory of God and good of others which will appear from these reasons 1 It is the Ordinance of God that in the sweat of his face every man should eat his bread which words are to bee understood not only as a Curseâ— but also as a Coâ—â—nd yea Adam in the state of Innocency had a Calling appointed him by God namely to dress the Garden 2 Whosoever hath no Calling whereby hee may bee profitable to Human society is said to live disorderly and walk inordinately 3 Manifold mischiefs and evils are avoyded by following a lawful Calling For idleness is the cause of many evils hee that giveth himself up to sloathfulness is a fit subject for the Devil to work upon yea an idle person is the Devils Shop there he works ever busie when men are most idle II. That our Calling ought to be honest and lawful that is such an one as our labour in it may tend to the glory of God the good of our neighbour and the furthering not only of our own temporal but also of our spiritual welfare These things premised come we now to the Directions I. Begin with God by seeking unto him by Prayer as for the pardon of thy sinâ— and supply of all needful graces so for his blessing upon thy lawful pains and endeavours for as the Apostle speaketh By the Word of God and Prayer all things are sanctified and therefore it must needs be an
revenge in the night and in the morning bring forth some mischief or other and therefore as we say of the Toad-stool it grows up in a night and dyes in a night so should this poysonous weed of anger dye on the day wherein it was born IV. Before thou goest to bed be sure to offer unto God thine evening sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiving this is hinted unto us under the Law where the Lord required his Evening Sacrifice as well as his Morning Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the Altar two Lambâ— of the first year day by day continually the one Lamb thou shalt offer in the Morning and the other Lamb thou shalt offer at Even This was the daily ordinary Sacrifice which the Lord required under the Law and therefore much more doth hee require a Morning and an Evening sacrifice of Prayer and Praises now under the Gospel And truly if thou shalt lye down in thy sins unrepented of thou mayest happily awake with Hell flames about thine ears and therefore farre be it from thee to presume to goe to thy bed before thou hast offered unto God thine evening sacrifice of Prayer and therein heartily begged the pardon and forgiveness of all thy sins in and thorow the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ. Shouldst thou put off the performance of this duty till thou art in thy bed as the practise of too too many is it is very likely thou wilt fall asleep before thou hast made any great progress therein and those prayers which thou makest in thy bed will prove but drowsie yawning prayers at the best therefore bee sure to offer up thine evening sacrifice before thou goest into thy bed and if conveniently thou canst before supper for by experience we find that our bodies are much more drowsie and our spirits much more dead and heavie after supper than before Q. Whether a man finding his body drowsie and his spirits dead and heavie had better fall upon the duty of Prayer or forbear it for that time Ans. Drowsiness of body and deadness of heart is no sufficient warrant for the omission of thine evening sacrifice of Prayer but thou oughtest to â—erform it notwithstanding as well as thou canst and that for these Reasons 1 Because the Scripture giveth us no warrant for the omission of a bounden duty because of some present drowsiness and indisposition thereunto but doth rather expresly hold forth the contrary enjoyning Christians to pray always and to pray continually with sundry the like expressions Which imply as a frequent lifting up our hearts to God in ejaculatory Prayers so a constant observance of our set times of solemn prayer 2 As man that hath little or no appetite to his meat yet by forcing himself to eat a bit or two he begins to have a better stomack thereunto so when a Christian hath no mind or disposition unto Prayer but findes his body drowsie his spirit heavie and his heart dead yet by forcing himself thereunto though against his mind doth many times find his affections â—â—ickned and his spirits raised up in Prayer yea it is wonderfuâ— what quicknings and enlargements do many times come upon an adventurous soul upon a soul that will adventure upon duty against deadness drowâ—ness and such like discouragements and therefore let not the drowsiness of thy body nor the heaviness of thy spirit so far prevail with thee as to forbear and omit thy course of praying But fall upon it and for ought thou knowest thou mayest feel and finde the lively quicknings and inlargements of Gods Spirit upon thy spirit in the performance thereof 3 When a Christian feels and findes his body drowsie his spirit heavy and himself very indisposed unto the duty of prayer yet hee may do it with much uprightness and sincerity of heart that is hee may do it in obedience to the command of God as in the sight and presence of God with a desire to approve himself unto God in the doing of it and herewith hee may exceedingly comfort himself against deadness and drowsiness for such is the excellency of this grace of sincerity that it maketh all our services to be pleasing unto God though they bee performed with deadness of heart and dulness of spirit 4 Though our prayers bee performed with much deadness of heart and indisposition of body yet being put up in the name of Christ they finde acceptance with God in and thorow his Mediation and Intercession Let us therefore put up our prayers in the name of Christ and by Faith cast our selves and our services upon him and then wee shall not need to doubt of Gods acceptance of them Thus have I shewed thee the duties to bee performed by thee in the evening before thy going to bed I come now to the duties to bee performed by thee at thy lying down I. As thou art going to bed take all occasions of holy and heavenly Meditations To give you some hints As thou art putting off thy cloaths think how it will not be long before thou beest stripped of all and go out of the world as naked as thou camest into it which Iob excellently expresseth Naked saith hee came I out of my Mothers womb and naked shall I return thither q. d. I came into the world destitute of cloathing and of all outward comforts whatsoever and naked shall I return thither not into his Mothers womb again for that is impossible but to the grave the womb of the earth and common Mother of all so that his meaning is I shall go out of the world as naked as I came into it Heâ—ce Death is called an uncloathing because it strips a man of all his ornaments not only of his apparel but also of his honours wealth and riches How should the consideration thereof stir thee up to labour for the true riches and spiritual cloathing I mean the saving graces of Gods Spirit and the robe of Christs Righteousness and then thou shalt not goe out naked but adorned and enriched As thou art laying thy self down in thy bed let the bed mind thee of thy grave thy sheets mind thee of thy winding-sheet and thy sleep mind thee of death for death is but a kind of sleep sleep is a short death and death is a long sleep Hence Sleep and Death are often put the one for the other in Scripture and death is often set out by sleep That thou maist lengthen out this meditation think of the several resemblances between Sleep and Death as 1 Men asleep are at rest free from all trouble from all toyl and travel so the dead doe rest from their labours as Revel 14. 13. blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours that is from their troubles and travails 2 Men asleep rise again so the body after it is dead and laid in the grave shall arise again death is but a sleep somewhat
to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy 2 At your first awaking in the morning lift up your hearts to God in Prayer and Thanksgiving for that comfortable rest and sleep hee hath vouchsafed unto you the night past For it is he â—hat giveth his beloved sleep and who reneweth his mercy every morning And then begge of God the assistance of his Spirit to carry you through all the duties of the day 3 Rise early on the Sabbath Day for in regard there are as secret duties of Piety to be performed by you in your Clossets so private duties of Piety in and with the Family if you live in a Family before you goe to the publick Congregation yee ought to rise so early that you may have convenient time for these duties and be at the Church at the beginning of the Exercises How blame worthy then are they who on the week-dayes can rise betimes to follow their worldly businesses but on the Lords Day doe lye longer in bed than ordinarily giving themselves up to their carnal ease and rest Is this to keep holy the Sabbath Day thus to sleep away the first and chiefest part thereof 4 In your rising let out your hearts in a serious meditation of Iesus Christ and of the great things he hath done and suffered for you and of the many good things whereof in and through him you are made partakers Meditate likewise on the infinite Majesty of God whom the glorious Angels adore with covered faces that your hearts being possessed with an aweful apprehension thereof you may perform the duties of Gods worship and service with such everence as becometh so sacred a Majesty 5 So soon as you are up and ready with-draw your self into some privaâ—e place and there read some porâ—ion of the Scriptures which will be an excellent means to season your hearts and compose your minds yea hereby you will be the better prepared to hear the Word preached and the better enabled to try the Doctrines delivered according to the exhortation of the Apostle Prove all things hold fast that which is good 6 As Prayer is a duty to be performed every morning so especially on the Lords-Day morning which is in some measure to bee suitable thereunto Having therefore confessed your sins and begged the pardon of them together with power against them and grace to serve God then pray both for the Minister and for your selves 1 For the Minister that God would give him a door of utterance that he may open his mouth boldly to publish the Mysteries of the Gospel yea that he may speak the VVord truly sincerely powerfully and profitably delivering that which is suitable and seasonable to your condition 2 For your selves that God would banish out of your heads all worldly wandring thoughts which may distract your minds in the hearing of the Word and so choaking that heavenly seed make it fruitless And that he would give unto you as attention to hearken so understanding to conceive wisdome to apply judgement to discern faith to beleeve memory to retain and grace to practise what you shall hear that so the Word may prove unto you a savour of life unto life and not a savour of death unto death These two last duties of reading the Word and Prayer are not to be performed only alone in secret but likewise in and with your Families if so be you be Parents and Masters of Families and therefore before you goe to the publick Ordinances call your Family together and pray with them as for other things so in special for the influences of the grace of God and the incomes of his Spirit upon your hearts and spirits in the good duties you shall take in hand that so you may perform them after such a manner as glory may redound to Gods name and some spiritual good and advantage to your own souls These are the duties to be performed by way of preparation Having thus fitted and prepared your selves I. Call your Fâ—mily together your Children and Servants and take them along with you to the publick Congregation and â—et Ioshuahs resolution bee often in your mind As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. And as you are going 1 Consider whither you are going viz. Not to a Fair or Market but to the House of God where God himself is present to behold you yea where God himself speaketh by the mouth of his Ministers 2 Go with a readiness of heart and resolution of mind to receive every truth that shall bee made known unto you out of Gods Word with such an heart came Cornelius to hear Peter Wee are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God said Cornelius to Peter And it is said of the Bereans that they received the Word with all readiness of mind II. Being come into Gods House observe these Rules and Directions 1 Set your selves as in the sight and presence of God who not onely observeth your outward carriage and behaviour but likewise understandeth all the imaginations of your hearts and is privy to every wandring thought in praying hearing and other holy duties which will be a special means to keep your minds from roving after other matters 2 Labour to hear the word with profit To this end and purpose I finde four special virtues commended in the Scripture viz. 1 Humility 2 Honesty 3 Attention 4 Faith 1 Humility for when a man is of an humble lowly meek and contrite spirit then is hee fit to hear the Word because hiâ— heart being emptied of pride and self-conceitedness there will be room for the Word to take place therefore saith David The meek will the Lord guide in judgement and the meek will hee teacâ— his way And saith the Lord himself by his Prophet Isaiah To this man will I look even to him that is poor viz. poor in spirit and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word 2 Another virtue requisite to the profitable hearing of the Word is Honesty or uprightness of heart whereby a man sincerely purposeth in every thing to approve himself unto God as to avoid every sin whatsoever that the Word condemneth be it never so delightsome or profitable unto him so to indeavour himself to the performance of every duty belonging to his place and calling which the Word commandeth This is that honest and good heart which our Saviour intendeth Luk. 8. 15. 3 As Honesty so Attention is requisite while the Word is preaching you must diligently attend thereunto as they who would be loath to lose a word that should be delivered This particular is noted of those that heard Christ-preach of whom it is said That they were attentive to hear him or as the Greek text hath it All the people hanged on him to hear him i. e. They were very attentive as unwilling to let any thing pass them So should you be as attentive to the Ministery of the
Word To this end keep your eyes steddy on the Preacher And as hee passeth from point to point think briefly on the point which is past which will exceedingly help your memory 4 Faith is another virtue requisite to the profitable hearing of the Word I say Faith whereby we do not only beleeve that which is taught us out of the Word to be true but also apply it unto our selves as if it were in special directed unto us The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation saith the Apostle but to whom even to every one that beleeveth And saith the Author to the Hebrews The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it In whose heart there is true Faith that man will apply the whole Word of-God unto himself whether it be the threatnings of the Law to terrifie him from sin or the sweet promises of the Gospel to allure him to holiness and so maketh much profit of every Sermon hee heareth Thus much for your hehaviour in the publick Congregation But you must not rest here thinking you have thereby sanctified the Sabbath day For there are likewise both Private and Secret duties of Piety required to a true sanctification of the Lords Day of which you ought to be as careful and conscionable as of the publick duties in the publick Congregation For God requires the whole day and not a part onely As therefore you would not be contented your servants should work for you only an hour or two on each of the six daies So neither should you yeeld less unto God than you require for your selves By Private duties of Piety I mean such as are perfoâ—med in a private Family And by Secret such as are done in some secret and retired place between God and ones self alone Now the Private duties of Piety which are especially required of such who are Parents and Masters of Families and wherein every member thereof are to joyn are these I. Repeating the Sermons they have heard with their family and examining them one after another what they remember explaining the same unto them which is commended to us by the practice and example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who when he was come home said unto his Disciples Have yee understood all these things viz. that he had preached to the multitude And St. Mark saith When they were alone hee expounded all things to his Disciples Wherupon one observeth That Christ by his example doth instruct every Master of a family how to carry himself in reference to those under his charge on the Lords Daies after their departure from the publick Congregation And truly a treble benefit will follow hereupon 1 In respect of your selves for the more you build up others the more your selves are built up in Knowledge Faith and every grace of God 2 In respect of your children and servants for it will make them to hearken more attentively to that which is delivered in the publick Congregation if they know they shall be called to an account for the same when they come home 3 It would much help both your selves and servants in the understaâ—ding and beleeving of that which you have heard in the publick if at home you would repeat it and confer of it and examine the proofs that have been delivered for the confirmation of it II. Another private duty is singing of Psalms for this may and ought to be performed in your families as well as in the Congregation This David commends for one duty of the Sabbath as Psal. 92. 1. The title of the Psalm is A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath day And thus it begins It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord to sing praises unto thy Name O most High This Ordinance being questioned by some and denied by others I shall 1 Prove the lawfulness thereof 2 Give you some directions for the right manner of performing the same First the lawfulness of singing Psalms doth appear both from Scripture Example and Reasons 1 For Scripture-proofs there are many both in the Old and New Testament but not to mention those in the Old Testament which may not prove so convincing In the New wee finde it commanded by the Apostle to the Ephesians Speak to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. And saith the Apostle Iames Is any among you afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalms Where you see it is in express terms commanded and that as a Gospel duty 2 We finde it commended both by the example of our Saviour and the practice of the Apostles and other Saints of God in the Primitive times 1 By the example of our Saviour of whom it is recorded that as at other times so the night in which he was betrayed hee sung a Psalm together with his Disciples And when they had sung an Hymn or Psalm they went out into the Mount of Olives 2 By the practice of the Apostles and other Saints in the Primitive times For wee read That at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God and the prisoners heard them Plinius Secundus though an Heathen who lived about two hundred years after Christ testified of Christians that they had their morning songs using to rise before day to sing Psalms 2 Reasons commending this duty may be taken from the benefits accompanying the same For 1 By this duty joyntly performed our own spirits will bee much quickened and enlivened 2 Wee shall thereby quicken and enliven the spirits of others 3 We shall all thereby be made the more chearful in serving God which may be one reason why Paul and Silas joyned singing of Psalms with their prayers 4 It manifesteth an holy zeal that wee bear unto our God and witnesseth that we are not ashamed to profess and praise his holy Name and therefore our tongue doth with chearfulness sound out aloud the praises of God This holy zeal did David express saying I will give thanks unto thee O Lord. among the Heathen and sing praises unto thy name Having thus proved the lawfulness of this duty by Scripture Example and Reason II. Come we now to the Directions for the right manner of performing the same which are set down by the Apostle in these words Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 1 First therefore it must be in the heart or with the heart i. e. our hearts must go with our voices the one must be lift up as well as the other For God is a Spirit and therefore will be worshipped with our hearts and spirits as well as with our bodies And truly singing with the voice without the concurrence of the heart and spirit is no more pleasing to God than a sounding brass or tinkling Cymbal 2 As we must sing with the heart so with grace in the
to himself to the members of his mystical body than to the members of his naturalâ— body For he offered up his natural body as a Sacrifice for the redemption of his mystical body What greater love than this can be imagined Oh how doth it then concern us to go to that ordinance with hearts inflamed with a love to Jesus This much of the necessity of our love to God and to his Son Jesus Christ. II. For the Trial thereof you may know it by these notes and characters 1 Where there is a true hearty love to God and to Iesus Christ the heart will bee much taken up with the thoughts of them Such an one will be often thinking of God and of Jesus Christ and of their transcendent love manifested in the great work of Redemption David having said Oh how do I love thy Law he presently adds It is my meditation all the day And indeed whatsoever and whomsoever we love we cannot but frequently think and meditate on Indeed such as love God and the Lord Jesus Christ in truth and sincerity may have multitude of vain wanton worldly covetous thoughts in their hearts but they take no true delight in them they are rather their grief and their burden but the thoughts of God and of Christ are very sweet and comfortable unto them By this therefore try and examine the truth of thy love unto God and Jesus Christ. 2 Where there is an hearty love to God and to Iesus Christ such an one will bee often speaking of them For the tongue cannot but be speaking of those things and persons upon whom the heart is set If the heart of a man be set upon the world and the things thereof his tongue will be most frequently talking and discoursing of them In like manner if the heart of a man be set upon God and Jesus Christ his tongue will be frequently talking and discoursing of them By this therefore try and examine the truth of thy love unto God and Jesus Christ. For hee that saith hee loveth God and the Lord Jesus Christ and yet seldome thinks of them or speaks of them certainly hee deceiveth himself for wee cannot but bee thinking and speaking of those whom we truly love 3 Where there is an hearty love unto God and Iesus Christ it will make a man willing to do any thing for them Iacob loved Rachel and what did hee not do for her Hee served two Apprentiships and yet all seemed nothing to him for the love he had to her And therefore where there is a sincere love to God and Christ it will constrain such an one to lay out himself to the uttermost for them to put himself upon the practice of such duties which are hard and difficult and require much labour and pains By this then try and examine the truth of thy love unto God and his Son Jesus Christ. 4 Where there is an hearty love to God and Iesus Christ it will make a man willing to suffer any thing for them It is said of the Primitive Saints that out of their abundant love unto the Lord Jesus Christ they accounted not their estates too dear for him but took joyfully the spoiling of their goods Neither did they account their lives too dear For it is expresly said They loved not their lives to death for him i. e. they despised their lives in comparison of Christ they willingly exposed not only their goods and estates to the spoil and their persons to all manner of shame and contempt but also their bodies to painful deaths for the cause of Christ. By this then try and examine the truth of thy love unto Jesus Christ namely by thy willingness to suffer for the cause and truths of Jesus Christ. II. Love of thy neighbour is another branch of that love which is required of every Communicant Touching which I shall briefly shew 1 The Necessity thereof in every Communicant 2 The Trial thereof I. The Necessity thereof appeareth in that the Lord will not accept of any service thou performest unto him if thou bee not in love and charity with thy neighbour as our Saviour himself speaketh in that known place If therefore thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee Leave there thy gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift This phrase Thy brother hath ought against thee may be indefinitely taken of one that hath provoked another or hath been provoked himself hath ought against thee whether by thy default or his So that hereby is implied whether wrong be done by thee or to thee if there be any variance between thee and thy neighbour peace and reconciliation must be speedily sought For without it God will not accept of any worship or service thou offerest unto him Though Christ here instanceth but in one kind of worship which was the offering up of Sacrifice yet under this hee comprehendeth all the parts and kinds of Gods worship as praying hearing receiving the Sacrament or the like So that Christs meaning is that whensoever thou settest upon any part of Gods worship and service and then remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee i. e. that thou hast any way wronged and offended thy brother or as Mark hath it If thou hast ought against thy brother i. e. if he hath wronged thee first be reconciled to thy brother and then go to the ordinance of God II. For the Trial of the truth of thy love to thy brother thou mayest know it by these notes 1 If thou hast truly forgiven thy brother thou wilt be so far from doing him any harm though it lay in thy power that thou wilt not wish any harm unto him 2 If thou hast truly forgiven thy offending brother thou wilt willingly imbrace occasions of doing him good that so he may know and be assured that thou art reconciled to him This our Saviour requireth of all his Disciples where he saith Love your enemies i. e. those who have any way wronged you and as an evidence of the truth of your love he addeth Do good to them thâ—t hate you intimating that it is not sufficient that you speak friendly and peaceably to your enemies but you must likewise take all occasions of doing them what good you can which is true Christian love and charity Having thus spoken largely to the first head of Examination namely our graces I come now to the second namely our sins wherein I shall study brevity As it is the duty of every Communicant to examine himself concerning his graces so likewise concerning his sins which are like that accursed thing whereof God speaketh to Ioshua Iosh. 7. 11. they must therefore be searched out Yea they are like the wilde gourd that brought death into the pot If they be not searched out and cast away they will turn the Sacramental
bread and wine into spiritual bane Hee therefore that covereth his sins shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy It is said of the Viper that when she goeth to joyn with her Mare she casteth out all her poison How much more oughtest thou when thou goest to have communion with thy heavenly Spouse the Lord Jesus Christ cast out thy sins which are a spiritual poison worse than the poison of any Viper In this Examination as thou must search after thine evil thoughts woâ—ds and deeds and after thy sins of omission and commission so likewise and especially after the sins thou hast committed since thy last receiving of the blessed Sacrament and such as are most against the vows and covenants that formerly thou madest with God and which do mostgaul thy conscience or most disgrace thy profession or are greatest occasions of dulling thy spirit that these being found out they may be the more lamented and pardon for them more earnestly desired In the examining thy self it will be a good help to read such a Treatise as doth in particular set out the several sins against the several Commandements For when by such a Treatise thou art shewed that such a thing is a sin against such a Commandement thy conscience will upon the reading of such sins tell thee that therein thou hast sinned Having examined and searched thine heart thorowly of all thy known sins then humble thy self before the Throne of Grace in a true and unfeigned acknowledgement and confession of them freely judging and condemning thy self before God with a broken and contrite heart Directions to help thee in the right manner of confessing thy sins See in Chap. 20. And having confessed thy sins pour out thy soul in hearty prayer unto God for the pardon and forgiveness of them all And then be earnest with him to make the Sacrament effectual to thy comfort effectual to the mortifying of thy lusts to the strengthening of thy graces especially to the confirming of thy Faith in the assurance of the pardon and forgiveness of thy sins c. III. Having shewed the duties Antecedent come we now to the duties Concomitant i. e. such as must accompany the action of receiving But first I shall premise some few Directions touching the Manner of thine approaching to the Lords Table 1 Having thus prepared thy self go not in the strength of thy preparations but onely in the strength of Iesus Christ looking for acceptance onely in and thorow his merits and mediation For though thou hast prepared thy self after the best manner that thou canst yet if with an impartial eye thou shalt look back upon thy preparations how full of weaknesses infirmities and imperfections wilt thou finde them So that if Christ do not cover both thy person and thy preparation with the Robe of his Righteousness and sprinkle them with his blood neither thy person nor thy preparation will finde acceptance with God Cast therefore all thy preparations at the feet of Jesus Christ and say Lord I come not in the strength of my preparations but onely in thy strength I come in thine alone name and mediation to partake of thy body and of the benefits of thy death and passion And thou mayest then be confident that God will over-look thy manifold weaknesses and imperfections in the work of preparation and accept of thee and of thy services in and thorow his beloved Son Jesus Christ. 2 As thou art going meditate on the ends and benefits of that solemn ordinance some whereof are these 1 The remembrance of the death of Christ it being instituted as a memorial thereof 2 The spiritual nourishment of our souls 3 The strengthening of our Faith in the assurance of the pardon and forgiveness of our sins 4 The sealing of the Covenant of Grace with all the blessings thereof unto the beleeving soul. 5 The encreasing of our spiritual union and communion with Christ and all his members A serious meditation of these will be a special means to stir up in us some spiritual appetite after the ordinance that we shall go with hungring and thirsting desires after the same 3 Go with a strong expectation to receive much from Christ in and thorow that ordinance knowing that Christ will inlarge himself unâ—o all those who come with inlarged hearts with a strong expectation of many good things Open thy mouth wide saith the Lord and I will fill it So that if thou open thy mouth wide in a longing expectation of great matters he will fill it Yea the more thine heart is inlarged in desire and expectation the more will Gods heart be inlarged in bounty towards thee As therefore God hath promised in the Covenant of Grace to pardon thy sins to subdue thy corruptions to give thee a soft heart and the like go with an expectation of these and such like blessings and thou shalt not be disappointed of thine hopes 4 Approach to the Lords Table with all holy reverence in respect of Gods glorious Majesty who is in a special manner present at that ordinance to behold his guests and will be sanctified by all those who draw nigh unto him 5 Approach thereunto with all humility in respect of thine own vileness and unworthiness who art but sinful dust and ashes and if thou hast any light of grace in thee canst not but be conscious to thy self of more corruption in thine own heart than thou knowest to be in the heart of another And therefore say not Such an one is ignorant and such an one is loose in his life and conversation but say Lord I am ignorant I am unworthy to draw nigh unto thee in so holy an Ordinance not worthy to gather up the crumbs under thy Table And know that the more unworthy thou art in thine own account the worthier guest thou art in the account of God 6 As thou art going to the Lords Table cast all thy worldly thoughts and businesses out of thine head which otherwise will carry away thine heart from the ordinance and exceedingly disturb thee thereat In Iob 1. 6. wee read There was a day when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also amongst them In like manner on the day when Gods Children present themselves before the Lord in that solemn Ordinance Satan will be sure to appear amongst them to disturb and distract them therein as much as possibly he can by casting into their heads vain and impertinent thoughts And therefore it concerneth thee to be watchful over thy thoughts and to keep thine heart close to the ordinance To that end it will be thy wisdome oft to eye the outward elements of bread and wine and diligently to observe the outward rites and actions in the ordinance and thereupon to meditate of the spiritual things signified thereby These things premised Come we now to the Duties to be performed at the Ordinance which are these I. When
measure suitably thereunto To that end observe these Directions 1 So soon as you get home withdraw your self into some secret place and there upon your knees from your heart bless God as for hâ—s manifold favours mercies and blessings so especially and above all for the fountain of all blessings the Lord Jesus Christ for his Covenant of Grace made unto you in him for adding the Sacraments as Seals to the Covenant of Grace for the strengthening of your Faith and for making you that day partakers of his blessed Sacrament and for that comfort and refreshment which you finde therein I hope you are not such beasts as to forget to return thanks to God for the food wherewith your bodies are refreshed And will you bless God for your corporal food and not for your spiritual food whereby your souls are nourished unto everlasting life Will you bless God for a crumb and not for a Christ in whom are all good things contained in a most eminent manner 2 Did you finde your hearts cheared and warmed at the Lords Supper beware of quenching that spiritual heat which was there kindled in you by a sudden falling into worldly conferences and fruitless discourses But labour to keep alive that sacred fire which you found then kindled in your hearts by prayer meditation and holy conferences for know that a sudden quenching of the Spirit will exceedingly tend to the hardening of your hearts 3 Maintain a stricter watchfulness over your selves against sin for the time to come Were your souls washed at the Sacrament with the blood of Christ from the filthy spots and stains of sin and will you sâ—on after with the Sow wallow again in the filth of sin and miâ—e of sinful filthiness Did you upon your approaching to that Ordinance cast up your sins by confession and will you now with the Dogge return to your vomit again Did you there by the eye of faith see Christ crucified for your Sins under the rites of breaking the Bread and pouring out the Wine and wil you now by a fresh committing of sin crucifie him again rather resolve and strive hence forward to crucifie your sins for which Christ was crucified to hate abhor and abandon every Sin as much as in you lieth 4 Labour to live more soberly righteously and godly in this present world More soberly towards your selves more righteously towards your Neighbours and more godly towards God As you have been made partakers of an Ordinance not common to all but peculiar to Saints so your lives should have somewhat peculiar in them which is not common to wicked men You should live convincing lives by exceeding others in holiness and in righteousness You must be more frequent and fervent in Family-duties more careful in sanctifying the Lords Day more just and honest in your dealings with men living so as you may credit your Profession and adorn the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And when you are tempted to any sin thus reason the case with your selves Was I not lately at the Lords Table and did I not there vow and promise to be more watchful against Sin and more careful to walk in the waies of godliness and shall I now step out of the way of godliness into the way of sin Thus lay your temptation to the touch-stone of your vow and try whether it bee not against it which through the blessing of God may prevent many a Sin CHAP. XXIII Of the Common mutual Duties betwixt Husband and Wife HAving shewed the general Directions which appertain to Christians as Christians I come now to the particular Duties which appertain to thee in thy several and distinct relations For it is not sufficient that thou make conscience of the general Duties of Christianity but thou must also be conscionable in the performance of the particular duties of thy several relations whereby much good is both mutually communicated one to another and received one from another Whereas the Apostle Paul in setting down the severul Duties of relations doth still bring them under three Heads viz. Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants I shall follow his Method shewing thee the duties of each of these For the Duties of Husband and Wife they may be drawn to two Heads 1 To such as are common to both 2 Such as are proper and peculiar to each severally The common and mutual Duties are these I. A loving affection of one to another I call this a mutual Duty because as the Husband is to love his Wife so the Wife is to love her Husband Love is a duty which every Christian oweth to another Love thy neighbour as thy self saith our Saviour Where by Neighbour is meant every man every woman so that we are bound to love every one even our enemies for Christs sake But the nearer any are knit together the more they are bound to this duty of love and to abound therein Now who are so nearly knit together as Husband and Wife and therefore there ought to be a mutual loving affection between them and that love which one sheweth to the other will stirre up the other to requite that love again so as there is nothing lost by love II. Outward concord and agreement This should be as farre as is possible with all men i. e. so farre as may stand with faith and a good conscience but more especially between Husband and Wife who are so nearly knit together For without concord and agreement between Husband and Wife what comfort can either find in their house The truth is every one lives more or less comfortable in his house as there is concord and agreement there And therefore saith the Wise man Better is a dinner of herbs or roots where love is than a stalled Oxe and hatred therewith And again Better is a dry morsel and quietness therewith than an house full of sacrifice with strife i. e. slender fare yea a dry crust with peace and concord is more comfortable than good chear with strife and contention for that will so imbitter the sweetest Meats that a man can find little relish in them For the better preserving of concord and agreement betwixt Husband and Wife take these few Directions 1 Labour to suppress and keep down all furious Passions which doe usually occasion discord and dissention especially when one is passionate it will be the wisdom of the other to act patience and to express a spirit of meekness for when both are hot and angry together then the fire of contention is like to increase to such a flame as will not suddenly bee quenched And therefore I would commend this rule to Married persons To beware of beâ—ing both angry together but rather let one be to the other like Davids Harp to apt ease Sauls fury 2 Though the fire of contention be kindled at home yet let it not break forth into thy neighbours house but bee sure thou keep it within
they are born The Iew. vere commanded to circumcize their children on the eighth day But though Baptism succeeded in the room of Circumcision as the Apostle hinteth yet are not wee now under the Gospel strictly tied to that day notwithstanding from that command of God to the Iews wee may doubtless infer that the Children of Christians may and ought to be baptized within some few daies after they are born II. To train them up in the fear and nurture of the Lord. This duty the Apostle Paul in special presseth upon Parents Yee Parents saith hee bring up your Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord q. â— Let your main care be not how to make them rich but religious how to work the sincere fear of God into their souls that as God of his infinite goodness hath made them your children by natural Generation so you should strive and indeavour to make them his Children by a godly and religious education Austin in his fifth Book of Confessions speaking of his Mother Monica saith That shee travelled with greater care and stronger paiâ— for his spiritual birth than for his natural birth And truly the like care and pains should be in all Parenâ—â— towards their Children Not thinking it sufficient that they have brought them up to some good Trade whereby they may live another day But they must likewise bring them up in the fear of God teaching them so to serve him here that they may live with him eternally in the Heavens For your better help herein take these few Directions 1 Instruct them in the Principles of Religion by teaching them some good Catechism which should be frequently if not daily performed though but a very little at once to prevent wearisomeness in your children Q. How soon should wee begin to teach our children A. When they are able to learn any thing that is evil it is high time to teach them something that is good Solomon saith when hee was young and tender his Father taught him And that his Mother did so too you may read in the last chapter of the Book of Proverbs 2 Betimes instruct them in the practical part of Christianity by calling upon them frequently to read the Scriptures daily to offer up a morning and an evening Sacrifice of prayer and praise unto God constantly to give thanks before and after meals carefully to avoid all known sins and diligently to perform every known duty and that out of conscience This the Lord commended in Abraham I know him saith God that hee will command his children and his houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement 3 Bring them with you to the House of God so soon as they can remember any thing which they hear When Ioshua read the words of the Law before the Congregation of Israel it is expresly said That the women and the little-ones were amongst the men 4 Examine your children at home of what they have heard in the publick Congregation and labour to make it more clear and plain to their understanding 5 Bee often speaking before them of the great things the Lord hath done for his Church and people both of old and in your daies This the Lord commanded the Israelitish Parents to do to their children which wee finde accordingly practised by them As children generally have good memories so they are excellent at the remembring of stories 6 Bee patterns of piety and godlâ—ness unto your children For the truth is there is great force in Examples to draw others either to good or evil And it is usually the disposition of Children to follow their Parents And therefore how doth it concern Parents to look to their waies and courses especially how they behave themselves before their children who are much inclined to follow their example Oh that all Parents would seriously think of this that the consideration hereof might reclaim them from all loose and wicked courses lest by their evil example they make their children twofold more the children of Hell than they were by nature 7 Bee sure you forget not daily to pray to God for them especially that hee would indue them with his saving sanctifying graces that as they grow in years so they may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And for your incouragement know that children of many prayers seldome miscarry Parents are generally careful to lay up wealth and riches for their children oh that they would be as careful to lay up a stock of prayers for them in Heaven which will questionless prove their childrens best portion Oh that all Parents would thus indeavour to bring up their children in the fear and nurture of the Lord that as they were instruments to beget them in the flesh so they might be instruments to beget them in the Faith which is the main duty incumbent upon Parents in reference to their children III. Another duty is To provide for the bodies of their children as well as for their souls This the Apostle intimateth where hee saith If any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own house hee is worse than an Infidel viz. in this point because he by the light of nature knoweth this to be a duty And again saith the Apostle in 2 Cor. 12. 14. Children ought not to lay up for their Parents but Parents for their children as God shall bless them But yet beware of with-holding thy hand from works of charity because of many children nay rather the more children thou hast the more liberal thou oughtest to be that so the Lord may double his blessing upon thee and thine for the seed of the merciful saith the Psalmist are blessed And saith the Apostle Hee that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully IV. It is the duty of Parents to rebuke their children when they do amiss whereby you may both free your selves from the guilt of your childrens sin and prevent much evil in your children For questionless the want thereof is one special cause of so much wickedness and prophaneness in many children V. When reproof prevails not you ought to correct them for their faults This duty the Scripture often presseth upon Parents Chasten thy Son while there is hope and let not thy soul spare for his crying or as the Original properly signifieth Let not thy soul spare to his destruction Intimating that the Fathers sparing of his child may tend to his destruction or as wee use to say bring him to the Gallows So that too much lenity may prove the greatest cruelty in the issue An Antient Father in the Church relates a sad story of a youth whose usual custome it was upon auy thing that crossed him to curse and blaspheme and not being duly corrected for the same hee continued in that wicked course to his dying-day and as the story noteth the Devil