Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A52808
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The crown and glory of a Christian consisting in a sound conversion and well ordered conversation.
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Ness, Christopher, 1621-1705.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing N450; ESTC R26867
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31,261
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167
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prayer as they have often used yet their hearts are roving all the time about other things God requires the strength of your affections in his service every offering must be made by fire if of a sweet favour to the Lord Levit. 1.9 13 17. yea your self as well as your sacrifice must be salted with fire Mark 6.49 David prayed and cryed with his whole heart Psal 119. 58 145. Sampson bows himself with all his might at the pillars of Dagons Temple Judg. 16. 30. and have not you the strong-holds of sin in you to be pull'd down by prayer You must go to prayer as the Sun in its strength Judg. 5.31 and come to God as a Prince Job 31. 37. the Sun in his might doth disperse clouds that would darken it and a princely spirit to wrestle with God as Jacob hath power with God and prevaileth for the blessing to put off God with cold formal devotion is the epidemical disease of all Christendom 5. Be not regardless about the returns of your prayers nor careless of the event and issue of them be not like those Archers that shoot not at a mark but at rovers at random never observing where their arrows fall Spiritual prayers are the arrows of Gods deliverance 2 King 13. 16 17. Prayer is like the bow of Ionathan 2 Sam. 1.22 it never returns empty If you dare be careless in asking how can you wonder that God is careless in answering 6. Be clothed with Humility while you are in prayer to God he that resists the proud gives grace to the humble In order hereto get the majesty of the great God with whom you have to do therein wrought kindly upon your heart till you know aright your distance not only your natural distance 'twixt God and you as you are a creature but especially your moral distance 'twixt God and you as you are a sinner In the third place I shall add but one Religious Action more to wit 1. the Observation of the Sabbath which yet is instar omnium wherein all religious actions be summarily comprehended You must look upon the Sabbath as the Epitome and Compendium of all Religion having all the priviledges that commend the most substantial precepts in Scripture to us as 1. its frequent mentioning almost in every book of the Bible 2. Gods interest after a special manner in it 't is frequently call'd His Sabbath And 3ly 't is called a special gift and favour of God to his people Exod. 16. 29. Ezek. 20. 12. Neh. 9. 14. 'T is a great favour of God that it is given to you 2. Therefore you must remember to keep it holy Exod. 20. 8. it may be read thus Remember to keep holy a day of rest unto me six days shalt thou labour but a seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God The very Preface Remember which none of the other Commands have instructs you how weighty and necessary this duty is which you are prone to forget 3. That you may keep it holy you must in the first place have an high and holy estimation of it the phrase is He that esteemeth a day and he that regardeth a day Rom. 14. 5 6. You must have an high regard for it and esteem it honourable Isa 58. 13. as the day which the Lord hath made Psal 118. 12. this Christ applys to the day of his Resurrection Mat. 21. 24. How can it but be an honourable day to you which the Lord your God hath sanctified for you 2ly As you must have an holy estimation of it so you must make an holy preparation for it you must prepare to meet your God Amos 4. 12 as the Bride prepares her self to meet her bride-groom how did Ruth wash her self and anoint her and put on her best raiment that she might become amiable and acceptable to Boaz Ruth 3. 3. how much more should you be purified for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Jews had a preparation for the Passeover Joh. 19.42 you must make preparation for the Sabbath the want of which may hinder your souls of a Sabbath-blessing as no doubt it has done 3ly You must keep it holy by an holy observation of it in using all holy means and doing all holy duties both private and publick all the whole day 4. Be sure it be a desirable day to you as well as holy and honourable it should be the desire of days You should cry with that good man to it in the morning of the Sabbath Come my bride of days thou art welcome and with David say Oh when shall I come and appear before my God Psal 42.2 where are your pantings and palpitations of heart after an enjoyment of Gods Sabbath You have six days to provide for the worser part and but one for the better how careful are you all the six days for the beast in you Oh be not careless upon that one day for the Angel in you 5. Let not your hold go of any one precious Sabbath without some sweet refreshment to your soul as well as rest to your body 't is said Exod. 31. 17. the Lord rested and was refreshed is it so with you do you find any rest for your wandring thoughts and any refreshing for your feeble spirit account it a very great loss to lose one Sabbath-day without some advantage and growth Oh what a God-blessing heart should you have that God should give you such a day and call upon you also and that often to observe that day and that not for any advantage to himself for your goodness extends not to God Psal 16. 3. though his doth to you but all for your own good This obliges you to be careful and conscientious in the improvement of the day and honouring the Son with his day under the Gospel as they honor'd the Father with
and to pray continually 1 Thes 5. 17 to wit keeping your heart in a continual praying frame your leaky vessel as aforesaid requires you to ply continually this pump of prayer Direct 4. Depend upon God for a blessing upon your daily labours Abrahams servant pray'd for success in his Enterprize Gen. 24. 12. And Moses prays Lord prosper the work of our hands Psal 90. ult 'T is true God may give success without it but never so sweet as with it Except the Lord build the house c. Psal 127.1 'T is not your diligence alone but Gods blessing that enriches Prov. 10.4 22. You may not ascribe to your own power Deut. 8. 17 nor sacrifice to your own Net Hab. 1. 16 as that proud Prince did Ezek. 29. 2. Alas all your policy and power without prayer is but Arena sine calce sand without lime mans diligence must be subordinate to Gods blessing then your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. God will bless your basket and store Deut. 28 5. though you gather little you shall have no lack the blessing of God will make it up an homer that is sufficient for you Exod. 16. 18 and your little shall be better than the riches of many wicked Psal 37. 16. The second natural action is Rest or Recreation 1. You may look upon Rest and Recreation as lawful upon a twofold account 1. Rest from labour and refreshing the body and mind are necessary because mans nature is like the bow which being always bent is easily broken therefore did the Lord appoint the Night to succeed the Day and the Sabbath to succeed the Week as fit seasons for man to rest from his labours in now that which is necessary is also lawful for God never necessitates a man to sin against him and if Rest be lawful then is some Recreation which is call'd so as it is a second creation in due time and place there must be Otium as well as Negotium The second account is your Christian liberty which Christ hath purchas'd for you extends it self not only to use the Creatures of God for necessity but also for meet and convenient delight you may delight your self in Gods great goodness Neh. 9. 25. You may be righteous over-much in denying your self such a free use of the Creature yea and condemning it too which you are allowed to have by the purchase and promise of Christ Thus Isaac who was the most loving Husband in holy Writ for 't is said of him and of none else that he loved his Wife Gen. 24.67 sported with Rebeccah his wife Gen. 26. 8. And the Jew was commanded to cheer up the heart of his Wife the first year Deut. 24. 5. And Solomon bids the Husband be always ravished with her beauty Prov. 5. 18 19. Thus Ezekiels Wife was call'd the desire of his eyes Ezek. 24. 16. Assuredly men ought to take singular Complacency in their Wives company and yet without all uncomely uxoriousness None questions Parents dandling their Children upon their knees as old Joseph did his Grand-children Gen. 50. 23. Isa 66.12 2. But then you must take these following Directions for managing your heart aright in your Rest or Recreations 1 Direct You must take heed of wasting too much precious time therein Indeed we do not so much want time as waste time a vain expence of that time which either your general calling requires in holy duties or your particular calling calls upon you for in necessary employments is not only unlawful but abominable You are commanded to redeem time Ephes 5. 16 but never to pass-time the loss of time is such a precious thing that God commands satisfaction for it Exod. 21. 19. It will be but a poor reckoning at your Lords returning in your accompt for expence of your talent of time Item spent so many days or hours in Recreation Oh what would the damned in Hell give for but one of those hours which we have wilfully wasted Time is like the Urchion or Hedghog that must not be handled by the head but by the heels in its going from you take time while time serves 2 Dir. The second Direction is be sure you be moderate in your Recreation 't is compared to honey it must be taken upon the tip of the finger only and not whole handfuls of it for fear of surfeiting Omne nimium vertitur in vitium alas man 's weak heart is soon over-charged Luk. 21. 34 and soon grows frothy foolish if not sensual and sinful in it you must know that the holy end of Recreation is to fit you the more for the duties of your general and particular calling in case of weariness of body or tiredness of mind but if it indispose you to either or both your heart doth deceive you such as spend their lives in sports and their livelihood too will prove but bad accomptants when they bring in the broken accomptants of their stewardship to their Lord and Master at the last day 3 Direct The third Direction is chuse your Recreations that are of best report and of least offence Phil. 4.8 1 Cor. 8. 13. You may not make any of Gods Judgments or Punishments for sin either in man or beast the matter or object of your sport and recreation as the folly of the natural fool the antipathy of beasts whereby they tear and destroy one another which are fruits of the fall and of mans rebellion against God so should be rather matter of mourning than of rejoycing Neither may you chuse for your sport whatsoever moves troublesome passions as fear anger c. nor those wherein is a lot which is a religious act and an ordinance of God which ought not to be sported with 4 Dir. The fourth Direction is having pitch'd upon such Recreations as are harmless and sinless yet may you not stain them with bad companions such as you cannot consort with but you must either countenance sin or contract sin such as you must contract either guilt or grief as before All tares must be bundled together such as spend their time together in sports on earth may howl in hell together to all eternity 5 Dir. The fifth Direction Notwithstanding all yet must you account it safer not to trust your heart with any Recreation at all any further than is plainly necessary get therefore up your heart to live without them and take up your whole delight in God Psal 37. 4. Then if at any time you be constrained to use them you will be as if you used them not 1 Cor. 7. 29 and as not having yet still having 2 Cor. 6. 10 that is your heart will not be engaged to any thing but to God and your affections will keep uppermost for Jesus Christ the truth is were but our affections more mortified and spiritual duties more natural to us we might better live without those than the Philosophers as they said could dine and sup without musick therefore as Joshuah houghed the