beleeving prizing it as being of such great efficacy and necessity for our everlasting well-beings able to save our souls Bringing with them much carnal security which makes them without any desire or care to profit by it much impenitence and hardnesse of heart Not without some secret resolutions of continuing in their former courses whatever shall be said to the contrary Many worldly cares and thoughts with high conceits of their own sufficiencies prejudice against their Teachers curiosity not to learn but to censure itching ears rather to please the fancy then reforme the life Not hearkning to it without much irreverence distraction infidelity misapplication obstinacy dulnesse wearinesse Not receiving it into a good and honest heart with desire to retain and practise it Not careful after they have heard it to root and fix it in their hearts by Prayer Meditation Conference Not expressing the fruits of it in their conversation slighting those many gracious opportunities wherein God hath reached forth unto them the proffers of mercy and salvation and though he hath with much patience waited for their amendment yet they have still hardened their hearts and notwithstanding the former and the latter raine do remain like dry stakes in an hedge barren and fruitlesse without any spiritual life or growth answerable to the means which they have had 3. For the Sacraments Baptisme Supper of the Lord. Our slighting and renouncing that Covenant which we made in Baptisme abusing that good profession which we have professed before many witnesses Not walking as those that have been received into the bosome of the Church and distinguished from others that are without Not fighting against the world the flesh and the Devil as becomes such as are listed into the number of Christs faithful souldiers and servants And so for the Sacrament of Christs body and blood our not hungring and thirsting after it not partaking of it so frequently as our necessities and opportunities have required When we have approached unto it have we been careful beforehand to set any solemne time apart for the fitting of our selves unto so holy a work have we not been unwilling to ransack and examine the secret corners of our hearts to finde out and to purge out those particular bosome-sins unto which our natures do most incline us after a more especial manner to excite and stir up in our selves the graces of Gods holy Spirit to renue those conditions of the Covenant required on our parts Faith and Repentance In the receiving of the Sacrament have we noâ— been too apt to slight and dis-esteem it as if iâ— were but an empty common ceremony have we behaved our selves with so much fear and reverence as might become such a sacred mystery with such spiritual joy and delight aâ— should be in those who are fit guests for thaâ— table After the receipt of it have we not quicklâ— forgotten our good resolutions relapsed intâ— our old sins again not feeling or regarding anâ— such comfort or profit as is promised to thâ— right partaking of this ordinance have we noâ— often eat and drunk unworthily and consequenâ—â—ly eat and drunk judgement to our selves becoming guilty of the body and blood of Christ doing that horrid act which we so much detested in the Jews crucifying again our blessed Saviour and by slighting the proffers of mercy in this Sacrament doing as much as in us lies to make his Passion of none effect CHAP. X. Sins against the third and fourth Commandment THe third Commandment does forbid the abuse of Gods name By the Name of God we are to understand any thing whereby he may be known as his Titles Attributes Ordinances Works So that we sin against this Commandment by wicked Oaths Cursed execrations unlawfull Vowes every light irreverent mention of God all such idle words as do no way tend to the sanctifying of his name By breaking the Vow of our Baptisme neglecting all those good promises and resolutions which since we have made Dealing falsly in our Covenants when our heart is not set aright and our spirit not stedfast with God By our not acknowledging and effectual remembrance of his holy titles and attributes as we have had occasion Not delighting to speak good of his name and to make his praise glorious By an irreverent and customary mention of his great and glorious name upon trivial occasions By our not thinking and speaking of his word so frequently with that holinesse and reverence as we should sometimes pretending to declare his statutes and to take his Covenant into our mouths whereas we hate instruction and cast his Law behinde us By our Carelesnesse in vindicating the glory of his Name and truths when they are vilified by others By prophaning our profession of Christianity with an unholy conversation Not behaving our selves so sincerely in regard of God nor so inoffensively in respect of men as we should By defacing his glorious image instamped upon us in our Creation Becoming more vile and foolish then the beasts that perish In our regeneration relapsing into the sins of our unregeneracy Not walking worthy of that vocation whereunto we are called By our carelesnesse in discovering and acknowledging the divine power and wisdome in those special passages of his providence which befal us The fourth Commandment does forbid all carelesnesse in sanctification of Sabbaths Ordinary Extraordinary So that we sin against this when we do not remember to keep the Lords day holy that is when we are not mindful beforehand to prevent and avoid all such businesses as may distract us in those duties that belong unto this day When we our selves do not rest from our usual works and sinful desires but mis-spend much of that precious time in idlenes and vanity or else satisfying our selves in a superstitious customary observation of the outward rest without regarding the means or the works of sanctification When we are not careful to prepare our selves for publike duty by praying for Ministers in general that God would endow them with fitting gifts and abilities prospering their endeavours by giving happy successe unto their Ministery More particularly for the Pastor to whose charge we belong that God would direct him to speak unto our hearts and consciences When we are careless in the performing of our publike duties not with so much reverence sincerity spiritualnesse attention as we should When we are negligent in looking to those that are under us who by our carelesness or connivance may be incouraged to the Prophanation of this day When we faile in those private duties thâ—â— concern the Sanctification of the Sabbath Meditation of the Word we hear Searching the Scriptures to prove the truth of it Application of it to our selves examining our own hearts private prayer conference whetting the Law upon one another mutually exhorting and stirring up each other unto holy duties contemplating the creatures and the Providence of God
faithfulnesse answer me and in thy righteousnesse 4. From his Truth Psal 69.13 O God in the multitude of thy mercy hear me in the truth of thy salvation 2 Sam. 7.28 And now O Lord God thou art that God and thy words be true and thou hast promised this goodnsse unto thy servant therefore now let it please thee c. 5. From his Mercies Psal. 6.4 O save me for thy mercies sake Psal. 25 6. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses for they have been ever of old Isa. 63.15 Look down from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holines and thy glory where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me are they restrained 6. From his Glory Josh. 7.9 What wilt thou do unto thy great Name 2 Kings 17.19 Now therefore O Lord our God I beseech thee save thou us out of his hands that all the Kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God even thou onely Pal. 79.10 Wherefore should the Heathen say where is their God Jer. 14.21 Do not abhor us for thy names sake do not disgrace the Throne of thy Glory 7. From his Covenant and Promise 1 Kings 8.25 26. O Lord God of Israel keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him c. And now O God of Israel let thy word I pray thee be verified which thou spakest unto him c. Psal. 74.20 O deliver not the soul of thy Turtle unto the multitude of the wicked forget not the Congregation of the poor for ever Have respect unto the Covenant c. Jer. 14.21 Remember break not thy Covenant with us 8. From his Command of calling upon him and appointing this Ordinance as the means of our help and supply in any condition Psal. â—7 8 Thou saidst Seek ye my face my heart answered Thy face Lord will I seek Psal. 50.5 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal. 86.5 For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee 2. The second sort of arguments from our selves are derivable from some of these heads 1. From our Relation to him as being his people servants children Psal 74.1 2. Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture remember the Congregation which thou hast purchased of old the rod of thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed this Mount Sion wherein thou hast dwelt Psal. 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the son of thine handmaid thou hast loosed my bonds Psal. 143.12 Of thy mercy cut off mine enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soul for I am thy servant Isa. 63.16 Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer Isa. 64.8 But now O Lord thou art our Father we are the clay and thou our Potter we are all the work of thine hand Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever Behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people Jer. 14.8 9. O! the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble why shouldst thou be as a stranger in the land and as a wayfayring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night Why shouldst thou be as a man astonied as a mighty man that cannot save yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy name leave us not 2. From our own sincerity Psal 40.16 Let all those that seek thee rejoyce and be glad in thee let such as love thy salvation say continually The Lord be magnified Psal. 119.38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant who is devoted to thy fear vers 94. I am thine save me for I have sought thy precepts vers 159. Consider how I do love thy preceâ—t quicken me O Lord according to thy loving kindnesse Isa. 38.3 Remember now O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight 3. From our present Dependance upon him Ps. 7.1 O Lord my God in thee do I put my trust save me from all them that persecute me Psal. 2â— 2 O my God I trust in thee let me not be ashamed vers 20. Keep my soul and deliver me let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee Psal. 57.1 Be merciful unto me O God be merciful unto me for my soul trusteth in thee yea in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge untill these calamities be over-past 4. From the greatnesse of our Need and sufferings Psal. 25.19 Consider mine enemies for they are many and they hate me with a cruel hatred Psal. 60.1 2 3. O God thou hast cast us off thou hast scattered us thou hast been dâ—spleased O turne thy self to us again thou hast made the earth to tremble thou hast broken it thou hast shewed thy people hard things thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment Psal. 79.8 Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low Psal. 142.6 Attend unto my cry for I am brought very low deliver me from my persecutors for they are stronger then I. 5. From the Benefit of his hearing and granting our requests Psal. 80.18 So will not we go back from thee quicken us and we will call upon thy name Psal. 102.15 So the Heathens shall fear the name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glory vers 18. This shall be written for the generations to come and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. Psal. 106 47. Save us O Lord our God and gather us from among the Heathen to give thanks unto thy holy name and to triumph in thy praise 6. From our Experience and former examples Judg. 15.18 Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant and now shall I die for thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised Psal. 22.4 5. Our father 's trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them They cryed unto thee and were delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded Psal. 27.9 Thou hast been my help leave me not neither forsake me O God of my salvation To these may be added in the businesse of Imprecation another Topicke from the insolence and impiety of Gods enemies Exod. 32.12 Wherefore should the Egyptians say for mischief did he bring them out to stay them in the mountaines and to consume them from the face of the earth Psal. 140.8 Grant not O Lord the desires of the wicked further not his wicked device lest they exalt themselves From some of these heads a man may fetch arguments
waters of the Sea that they may not passe over that they turn not again to cover the earth 10 Who sendeth the springs into the valleys which run among the hills 11 To give drink unto every beast of the field the wilde asses quench their thirst 13. Who watereth the hills from his chambers the earth is satisfied with the fruit of his works 14. Who causeth grasse to grow for the cattel and herbe for the service of man that he may bring forth food out of the earth 19. By whose appointment the Moon hath her seasons and the Sun knoweth his going down 24. O Lord how madifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches Ps. 111.9 Ps. 113.4 Holy and reverent is his Name Who is high above all Nations and his glory is above the Heavens Verse 6. Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven Ps. 139.2 Who knows our down-sitting and our up-rising and understandeth our thoughts afar off Verse 3. Who compasseth our path and our lying down and is acquainted with all our wayes Psal. 145.13 Whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and his dominion endureth throughout all generations Verse 17. Who is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works Ps. 146.6 Who made Heaven and Earth the sea and all that therein is who keepeth truâ—h for ever Act. 4.24 Verse 7. Who executeth judgement for the oppressed and giveth food for the hungry Prov. 21.30 31. Against whom there is no wisdome nor understanding nor counsel from whom alone safety must come Eccles. 12.14 Who will bring every work unto judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or evil Isa. 2.17 Before whom the loftinesse of man shall be bowed down the haughtines of men shall be made low Verse 19. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Isa. 6.2 Before whom the Seraphims do cover their faces Isa. 28.29 Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working Isa. 40.12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out the heavens with a span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountaines in scales and the hills in a ballance Isa. 40.15 Before whom the nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance who taketh up the Isles as a very little thing Verse 17. All nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him lesse then nothing and vanity 22. Who sitteth upon the Circle of the earth and the inhabitants thereof are as Grashoppers that stretcheth out the heavens as a Curtaine and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in 23. Who bringeth Princes to nothing and maketh the Judges of the earth as vanity Isa 41.14 15. Who can make the worme Jacob to thresh the mountaines and beat them small and make the hills as chaffe Isa. 42.5 Who created the Heavens and stretched them out who spreadeth forth the earth and that which cometh of it who giveth breath to the people upon it and spirit to them that walk therein Isa. 44 24. Who formed us from the wombe who maketh all things who stretcheth forth the Heavens alone and spreadeth abroad the earth by himselfe Verse 25. That frustrateth the tokens of liars and maketh diviners mad that turneth wise men backwards and maketh their knowledge foolish 26. That confirmeth the word of his servants and performeth the counsel of his messengers Isa. 46.10 Who can declare the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done whose counsel shall stand and he will do all his pleasure Isa. 48 12· Who is the first and the last whose hand hath laid the foundations of the earth and his right hand hath spanned the Heavens Isa. 50.2 At whose rebuke the sea is dried up and the rivers become a wildernesse their fish stinketh because there is no water and die for thirst Vers. 3. Who cloatheth the heavens with blacknesse and maketh sackcloth their covering Isa. 57 15· Who is the high and lofty one inhabiting eternity whose name is holy who dwelleth in the high and holy place Isai. 66.1 Who hath the heaven for his throne and the earth for his foot stool Jer. 10.10 The onely true and living God the everlasting King at whose wrath the earth doth tremble and the nations are not able to abide his indignation Vers. 12. Who made the earth by his power and hath established the world by his wisdome and stretched out the heavens by his discretion Jer. 11. â—0 The Lord of Hosts that judgeth righteously that tryeth the reins and the heart Jer. 17.10 Who giveth to every man according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings Jer. 23.24 From whom no man can hide himself that he shall not see him who fils heaven and earth Jer. 31.35 Who giveth the Sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the Moon and of the Stars for a light by night who divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar the Lord of Hosts is his name Jer. 31.17 Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched-out arme and there is nothing too hard for thee Vers. 18. Thou shewest loving kindnesse unto thousands and recompensest the iniquities of the fathers into the bosome of their children after them The great The mighty God the Lord of hosts is his name 19. Great in counsel and mighty in work for thine eyes are open upon all the wayes of the sons of men to give to every one according to his works and according to the fruit of his doings Jer. 51.15 Who made the earth by his power and established the world by his wisdome and hath stretched out the heavens by his understanding Dan. 5.23 In whose hands our breath is and whose are all our wayes Dan. 7.10 Whom there are thousand thousands that minister unto and ten thousand times ten thousands stand before him Am. 4.13 The Lord God of Hosts who formed the mountains and created the winde and declareth unto man what is his thought that maketh the morning darknesse treadeth upon the high places of the earth Am. 9.5 When he toucheth the land it shall melt and all that dwell therein shall mourne Vers. 6. Who buildeth his storehouse in the heavens and hath sounded his troop in the earth that calleth for the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth Hab. 1.13 Who is of purer eyes then to behold evil and cannot look upon iniquity Rom. 4.17 Who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things that be not as though they were Rom. 11.33 Whose judgements are unsearchable and his wayes past finding out Who is over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 1 Cor
Man is like to vanity his dayes are as a shadow that passeth away Isa. 2.22 Whose breath is in his nostrils and wherein is he to be accounted of Isa. 40.17 All Nations before him are as nothing and counted to him lesse then nothing Prodigal children unprofitable servants of polluted lips and uncircumcised hearts c. 1 Tim. 1.15 The chief of sinners III. III. An expression of our purpose to approach unto him in this duty That we do desire Psal. 95.6 To worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker Num. 5.15 Num. 29.7 Jer. 17.17 To bring our iniquity to rememberance To afflict our souls in his sight To make him our hope and refuge in the day of evill To seek his face to meet him in his wayes To speak good of his Name To wait upon him in his Ordinances Psal. 65.4 To approach before him in his courts that we may be satisfied with the goodnesse of his house even of his holy Temple Psal. 66.2 To set forth the honour of his Name and make his praise glorious Verse 8. To blesse our God and make the voice of his praise to be heard Psal. 96.8 To give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name to bring an offering and come into his Courts Verse 9. Psal. 99.5 To worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse To exalt the Lord our God and to worship at his footstool Psal. 116.17 Verse 18. To offer unto him the sacrifice of thanksgiving and to call upon the name of the Lord. To pay our vowes unto the Lord in the presence of his people in the Courts of the Lords house Ps. 138.2 To worship towards his holy Temple and to praise his Name for his loving kindnes and for his truth Ps. 145.5 To speak of the glorious honour of his Majesty and of his wonderous works IV. IV. A desire of his assistance acceptance and attention that we may be enabled to performe this duty in an acceptable manner with such holy affections as he hath required Rom. 8.26 Rom. 5.5 Isa. 64.7 That his good spirit may help our infirmities and make intercession for us That he would shed abroad his love in our hearts and stir up our souls to lay hold of him Ps. 51.15 That he would open our lips that our mouthes may shew forth his praise Isa. 45.19 That we may not seek his face in vain Ps. 80.18 That he would quicken us to call upon his name Verse 19. That he would cause his face to shine upon us and lift up the light of his countenance 1 Kings 8.28 Have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant and to his supplication to hearken unto the cry and to the Prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee to day Verse 30. Hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place and when thou hearest forgive 2 Kings 19.16 Lord bow down thine eares and hear open Lord thine eye and see Neh. 1.6 Let thine ear now be attentive and thine eyes open that thou mayst hear the prayer of thy servant Psal. 5.1 Give ear to my words O Lord consider my meditation Vers. 2. Hearken to the voice of my cry my King and my God for unto thee will I pray Psal. 18.6 That he would hear our voice out of his holy Temple and let our cry come before him even into his ears Ps. 19.14 That the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts may be alwayes acceptable in his sight Psal. 27.7 Hear O Lord when I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me and answer me Ps. 55.1.2 Give ear to my prayer O God and hide not thy self from my supplication Attend unto me and hear me Psal. 88.2 Let my Prayer come before thee incline thine ear unto my cry Psal. 130 2 Lord hear my voice let thine ear be attentive to the voice of my supplication Psal. 141.2 Let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice Psal. 143.1 Hear my Prayer O Lord give ear to my supplications in thy faithfulnesse answer me and in thy righteousnesse Vers. 7. Hear me speedily O Lord my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit Isa 63.15 Look down from Heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and of thy glory Some one or more of these Particulars may upon several occasions afford fitting matter for a Preface which is the first thing to be considered and inlarged in conceiving a form of Prayer CHAP. VII Confession of sins by enumeration of them and first of Original sin NExt to the Preface Confession does according to the more usual and ordinary course succeed The first thing to be confessed in the Enumeration of sin as is before expressed in the scheme of Confession is Original sin Whereas God at first made man upright he hath since corrupted himself by seeking out many inventions He planted our first Parents a noble Vine a right seed but they quickly turned into degenerate plants of a strange Vine So that we are transgressors from the wombe Being shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin A seed of evill doers children that are corrupters Branches of the wild Olive Being naturally dead in trespasses and sins Children of wrath bearing about us the old man A body of sin and of death A law of our members Being born only of the flesh Having sin that dwels in us And is alwayes present with us And doth so easily beset us This Originall sin hath been propagated to us both by Imputation Real Communication 1. By Imputation of Adams particular transgression in eating the forbidden fruit for we were legally parties in that Covenant which was at first made with him and therefore cannot but expect to be liable unto the guilt which followed upon the breach of it By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men 2. By reall Communication of evil concupiscence and depravation upon our natures which was the consequent of the first rebellion We were all of us naturally in our first Parents as the streams in the fountaine or the branches in the root and therefore must needs partake the same corrupted nature with them For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean And what is man that he should be clean or he that is borne of woman that he should be righteous This might justly make us more loathsome and abominable in Gods eyes then either Toads or Vipers or any other the most venomous hurtfull creatures are in ours and for this alone he might justly cut us off and condemne us though it were meerly for the prevention of that mischief and enmity against him which the very principles of our natures are infected with Though man were at first made little lower then the Angels being crowned with glory and honour having dominion over the other
work in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure 'T is not in our power to regenerate our selves for we are not borne of blood nor of the Will of the flesh nor of the Will of man that is not of any natural created strength but of God And he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think 'T is as easie for him to make us good as to bid us to be so 2. He is willing and hath promised to give unto us a new spirit To put his law into our inward parts to write it in our hearts And if men that are evil know how to give good gifts to their children how much more shall our heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that aske him He hath professed it to be his own Will even our sanctification And he cannot deny us the performance of his own Will He hath promised that those who hunger and thirst after righteousnesse shall be filled And therefore if he hath in any measure given us this hunger we need not doubt but he will give us this fulnesse likewise He hath said that he delights to dwell with the Sons of men and what reason have we to doubt the successe of our desires when we do beg of him to do that which he delights in 2. The next thing to be prayed for is the obedience of our lives answerable to that in the Lords Prayer Thy will be done one earth as it is in heaven And here likewise we are to petition for spiritual grace and ablities both to perform and to continue and to increase in all holy duties 1. For the Performance of them that he would lead us into the paths of righteousnesse That with simplicity and godly sincerity we may have our conversation in this world That denying all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we may live soberly righteously and godly in this present world That God would give us grace whereby we may serve him acceptably with reverence and godly feare That we may not any more be conformed unto this world That being dead unto sin we may live unto righteousnesse Not any longer spending the rest of our time in the flesh to the lustâ— of men but to the Will of God That the time past of our lives may suffice to have served divers lusts That for the future we may walk as obedient children not fashioning our selves according to the former lusts of our ignorance but as he that hath called us is holy so we may be holy in all manner of conversation To this purpose is that desire of David O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes and in another place Teach me to do thy Will for thou art my God let thy good Spirit lead me into the land of uprightnesse and elsewhere Shew me thy wayes O Lord and teach me thy paths lead me in thy truth and teach me for thou art the God of my salvation Teach me thy wayes O Lord and I will walk in thy truth unite my heart to feare thy name 2. For our continuance in them That we may serve him without fear in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our lives Being stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord Holding faith and a good conscience Patiently continuing in well doing without wearines as knowing that in due time we shall reap if we faint not Holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering that our hearts may be established with grace that amidst all outward changes and losses we may still hold fast our integrity Thus the Apostle prayes for the Thessalonians that God would stablish them in every good word and work 3. For our Increase in them That God would make all grace to abound towards us That we alwayes having alsufficiency to all things may abound to every good work That we may be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse unto the glory and praise of God That forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching unto those things which are before we may continually presse towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God Thus doth the Apostle pray for the Hebrews The God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight And Epaphras for the Collossians that they might stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God CHAP. XVIII Of the several graces and duties injoyned in the first Commandment THe graces that we should pray for are many of them briefly summed up together in several Scriptures But for our more full and distinct apprehension of them they may be more particularly considered according to their distinct relations either to the Law Gospel The duties enjoyned by both these may be easily collected from those vices and failings mentioned in our Confession The first Table in the Law doth concern our duty to God The first Commandment doth enjoyn us to have Jehovah alone for our God that is in all respects to behave our selves towards him as our God So that by this we are directed to pray for these graces and duties viz. Knowledge and Belief of him Trust and Hope in him Love towards him Zeal for him Rejoycing in him Gratitude towards him Patience under him Obedience to him Fear of him Being humble before him Because it is not good that the soul should be without knowledge we should therefore pray that he would be pleased to incline our ears unto wisdome and apply our hearts to understanding That he would open our eyes to behold the wonderous things of his Law That he would give unto us the spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him that the eyes of our understandings being inlightened we may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power That he would enable us to be more inquisitive after those sacred truths revealed in the Word more diligent to acquaint our selves with his holy attributes and works more mindefull of his Holinesse Justice Truth Power Omnipresence that he is about our paths and beds and acquainted with all our wayes He does search and know us understanding our thoughts afar off all things being naked and open in his sight That we may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall understanding that we may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God that we may follow on to know the Lord.
would make our light so to shine before men that they seeing our good works may glorifie our Father who is in Heaven That we may never grieve the hearts or shame the faces of true Professors That we may walk honestly to those that are without behaving our selves so warily that we may never occasion his name to be blasphemed That with well-doing we may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men That they may be ashamed who speak evil of us and falsly accuse our good conversation That we may be more ready to observe and extoll his great power wisdome goodnesse so evident both in his making and governing of the world His various and manifold works that are done in wisdome More especially those particular passages of his providence which concern our selves That we may understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord O Lord how great are thy works and thy thoughts are very deep a brutish man knoweth not neither doth a fool understand this The fourth Commandment does enjoyn us to remember and to sanctifie the Sabbath Ordinary Extraordinary So that from hence we are taught to pray that God would teach us to esteem of the Sabbath as an holy honourable day set apart from common use consecrated to his peculiar worship and service that we may call it a delight finding a great pleasure and sweetnesse in those sacred duties that belong unto it That they may not seem tedious and irksome unto us especially since we all professe to wish and hope for such a blessed Eternity hereafter as shall be nothing else but Sabbath That we may always remember to fit our selves for the sanctifying of this day by laying aside all secular businesses and diversions endeavouring by Prayer and Meditation to put our hearts into such an holy frame as is required of those that desire to wait upon him in his Ordinances That he would be graciously present with all those assemblies of his Saints which do on that day meet together for his worship and service in any part of the Christian world That he would be pleased to assist and direct his Ministers that they may deliver his Word with plainnesse and power to the capacity of the weakest and conviction of the wisest That the people may receive it with meeknesse and faith that so it may accomplish that good work for which it is sent and mightily prevaile to the casting down the strong holds of sin the edifying of his Church and the making up the number of his Elect. That he would more especially direct and assist the Minister unto whose charge we belong to speak unto our consciences giving unto him the tongue of the learned that he may know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary Being carefull to feed the flock strengthening the diseased healing that which is sick binding up the broken seeking that which is driven away and lost That he would give unto us Pastours after his own heart who may feed us with knowledge and understanding and that the work of the Lord may prosper in their hands That he would remove from us all irreverence distraction dulnesse prejudice in hearing of his Word That he would enlighten our mindes quicken our affections and strengthen our memories for the receiving and retaining of it That we may be careful of all those publick and private duties which concerne the sanctification of this day both in respect of our selves and those comitted to our charge Not doing after our own wayes nor finding our own pleasures nor speaking our own words But may consecrate our whole selves both souls bodies and services to his more especial Worship spending the whole day with chearfulnesse in the duties of Religion necessity and mercy And so for extraordinary Sabbaths Festivals Fasts 1. For occasional Festivals the solemne times of Joy and Thanksgiving That we may be careful to keep such times holy unto the Lord not resting our selves in external jollity and freedome but may seriously ponder the mercies which we celebrate endeavouring to have our hearts affected and inlarged with love and gratitude That our mouths may be filled with his praise that by our experience of his goodnesse we may learn to depend upon him and to be more confident in him in all future exigences exciting others unto this duty O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together Endeavouring to expresse our thankfulnesse to him by our readinesse to relieve and supply his poor members Sending portions to those that have nothing that we may make the joy of the Lord to be our strength 2. For dayes of Fasting which are stiled Sabbaths in Scripture that we may not neglect this duty when we have any extraordinary call unto it that we may not satisfie our selves in the outward observance of it but may be most careful of the inward duties Renting of the heart afflicting of the soul Abhorring our selves and repenting in dust and ashes Remembring our evil wayes and doings which were not good and loathing our selves for them Being ashamed of our former works of darknesse Renuing our Covenants with God expressing a readinesse and zeale in the works of mercy and righteousnesse loosing the bands of wickednesse undoing the heavy burdens CHAP. XXI What we are directed to pray for in the second Table THe second Table does enjoin us to love our neighbours as our selves that is 1. We should not wish any evil more to others then to our selves 2. We should desire and as much as we can endeavour all good Natural Spiritual for others as we ought for our selves So that by this we are directed to pray that we may be kindely affectioned one to another with brotherly love without dissimulation Not in word onely and tongue but in deed and truth Loving each other with a pure heart fervently That our love may continue and increase abounding more and more towards one another and towards all men in knowledge and in all judgement As we have opportunity doing good unto all men but especially to the houshold of Faith That we may love our enemies and blesse them that curse us and pray for them that despitefully vse us and persecute us Considering one another to provoke unto love and good workes The fifth Commandment does injoyn the duties which concern the degrees and relations amongst men whether Superiours Inferiours By this we may learn to pray for all those graces and abilities whereby we may be fitted for the filling up of our several relations that we may be careful to acknowledge and observe that order which God hath appointed amongst men and to demean our selves towards them according to their places and degrees Gravely and modestly towards our Inferiours Reverently and dutifully to our Superiours Humbly and thankfully to our Benefactours Being kindly affectioned towards our Equals in honour preferring one another
Lord our 〈◊〉 may be upon us prospering the work of our hand 〈◊〉 Abrahams servant O Lord my God I beseech 〈◊〉 send me good speed this day and shew kindnes unto me c. It is he alone that must work all our works 〈◊〉 us and for us The way of man being not in himself neither is it in him that walketh to direct his steps that he would therefore lead us in the way that we should go teaching us to make straight paths to our feet and the rather because we are now fallen under a crooked and perverse generation that he would counsel and guide us in all our doubts and difficulties That he would enable us every day to poceed somewhat forward in our spiritual growth to get the mastery over our own evil hearts and affections To renue and practise all those holy purposes and resolutions which we have formerly made that proceeding from grace to grace we may at length come to be perfect in Christ Jesus 2. In our evening prayers we should likewise petition him for his particular protection over us the night following Because he hath commanded his loving kindâ—esse in the dâ—y time therefore in the night shall our song be with him and our prayer unto the Goâ— of our life It is the frailty of our natures to need a continual reparation of our strength by sleep But God is the Keeper of Israel who neither slumbreth nor sleepeth and therefore we should beseech him that he would wake for us watch over us for good Commanding his Angels to incamp round about us that we may not be afraid of any terrors by night but may lie down in peace and sleep and that he would make us to dwell in safety That he who gives his beloved sleep would refresh us with quiet rest That we may hear of his loving kindness betimes in the morning for in him is our trust That in the time of our waking he would fill our souls with the meditations of himself that he would teach us to commune with our own hearts upon our beds and be still To remember his all-seeing eyes that the darknesse hideth not from him but the night shineth as the day the darknes and light to him are boâ—h alike That though perhaps we have foolishly wasted the day past amongst the many other dayes of our lives which he hath alotted for our repentance and amendment yet that he would still be graciously pleased out of his free bouty to continue his former protection and care over us to refresh us with sufficient rest that therby we may be enabled to do him better service in the duties of the following day Expressing our desires of commending our spirits and bodies into his hands who hath redeemed us and is the Lord God of truth That by our sleep this night we may be put in mind of our last sleep by death of the days of darkness which shall be many of that time which will shortly come when these our bodies shall be stretched on a bed of earth That when a few days are come we shall go into the place whence we shall not return That many go well to bed and never rise again till the day of judgement That every day which passeth over us does bring us neerer to our last day our dissolution and that dreadful judgement when we must give a strict account of all our actions and receive an eternal doom according to the works which we have done That these considerations may make us walk warily as being in continual expectation of the time of our departure That we may labour to grow better as we grow older that the neerer we come to our latter ends the neerer we may approach to him and his glory That if he hath determined to take us out of the world before we have another opportunity of approaching unto him in this holy duty that then he would be pleased to pardon our sins and save our souls CHAP. XXIV Concerning Intercession more General both Ordinary and Occasional NExt to praying for our selves we should likewise be careful to intercede for others because we are all fellow-members of one body And the members should have the same care one of another These Intercessions are either General Special Particular 1. General For the whole Catholick Church Militant here on earth dispersed over the face of the whole world That peace and mercy may be upon the Israel of God that he would give his Gospel a free and an effectual passage prospering it where it is and sending it where it is not that it may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men That his delight may be in mount Sion That he would grave her on the palmes of his hands and let her walls be continually before him that her builders may make haste and that he would cause her destroyers and such as would lay her waste to depart from her That he would be merciful unto all his elect people and blesse them and cause his face to shine upon them that his way may be known upon earth and his saving health among all Nations That he would enlarge the borders of Christs Kingdom and adde daily to the Church such as shall be saved Enlightening those that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death and guiding their feet into the way of peace And here we may derive arguments from those many promises that are made in Scripture to this purpose that he would give unto Christ the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession That the mountain of the Lords house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it That the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea That the worme Jacob shall thresh the mountains and make the hills as chaffe Speaking of the Kingdom of Christ under he Gospel That all the ends of the earth should see the salvation of God That all the Kingdomes of the world should become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ. And to this purpose that he would afford the means that are requisit to this end that he would informe the ignorant reclaim the erroneous encourage the backward strengthen the weak binde up the broken succour the tempted comfort the sorrowful restore the sick deliver the prisoners relieve the needy break every yoke of the oppressour and hasten the coming of his Kingdome That he would sanctifie the several gifts distributed in the Church for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of
for the benefit that we enjoy by their examples counsels experience For all those who have been instruments of our good by their Prayers Writings Preaching c. 6. For Hopes of Glory for giving unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these we might be partakers of the divine nature Having according to his abundant mercy begotten us again unto a lively hope of an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for us For lifting up the light of his countenance upon us which is better then life it self for any comfortable evidences of our own salvation CHAP. XXIX Of Occasional thanksgiving either for inward or outward mercies BEsides these several heads of thanksgiving by which we should be directed in our ordinary and usual course there are others likewise not to be neglected which are extraordinary and occasional according as our particular wants exigences may be In the Generall we are to be thankful for the successe of our prayers whenever God doth vouchsafe to hear and grant our requests either in the behalf of our selves or others that instead of rejecting of our services and casting them back as dung into our faces which we might justly expect He does vouchsafe to accept of them and to return them with a blessing more particularly upon any special Preservation either of the Soul Body Recovery either of the Soul Body Deliverance either of the Soul Body 1. In case of inward fears desertions temptations For that in the multitude of our sorrows his comforts have refreshed our soulâ— For that he hath restored unto us the joy of his salvation established us with his free spirit Delivering us from those deep waters that were ready to overwhelm our souls for bringing us out of an horrible pit out of the miery clay and setting our feet upon a rock freeing us from darknes and the shadow of death and breaking our bonds in sunder for keeping us in the houre of temptation 2. In the case of outward exigences and troubles for delivering us in journeyes that he hath been with us and kept us in our places whither we did go and brought us again in safety whereas many others have been overtaken with desperate mischiefs For defending us in common dangers oppressions for hedging us about with his favour and protection that he hath not called us away in the midst of our days but hath holden our soul in life not suffered our feet to slip for being our refuge in distresse and putting his everlasting armes under us for binding up our souls in the bundle of life for hiding us in the time of trouble in his pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle under the shadow of his wings for being a strength to the poor to the needy in their distress a refuge from the storm a shadow from the heat when the blast of the terrible ones is a storm against the wall for breaking the bands of the yoke and the rod of the oppressors and delivering us out of the hands of them that served themselves of us for the comfort that we have had in all our tribulations For delivering us from sore paines and desperate sicknesses of body when we had reason to think and say that we should go down to the gates of the grave and be deprived of the residue of our years not see the Lord in the land of the living nor see man any more with the inhabitants of the world but our age is removed from us as a shepherds tent and we shall be cut off with pining sicknes from day even to night will he make an end of us yet then did he in love to our souls deliver us from the pit of corruption therfore will we sing songs unto him all the dayes of our life I will extoll thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up thou hast brought up my soul from the grave and hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit Thou hast turned my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my sackcloth girded me with gladnes To the end that my glory may sing praise unto thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications because he hath inclined his eare unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live He hath delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the Cup of salvation and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving I will pay my vowes unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people in the court of the Lords house in the midst of thee O Jerusalem I called upon the Lord in distresse the Lord answered me set me in a large place He hath chastned me sore but he hath not given me over to death I will praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation Blesse the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with loving kindnesse and mercy CHAP. XXX Of the Amplification of mercies The Conclusion BEsides the Enumeration of mercies we may likewise finde abundance of matter for the Amplification or heightning of them which may be either in General Particular 1. In the general by their Multitude Greatnesse Continuance 1. From their multitude Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee If I would declare and speak of them they are more then can be numbred How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God how great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number then the sand 2. From the greatnesse of those mercies we receive which may appear by consideration of the Giver Receiver 1. The Giver the great God who is of infinite incomprehensible power The heavens are full of the Majesty of his glory of absolute perfection and alsufficiency in himself and cannot expect any addition from mans love or gratitude My goodnes extendeth not unto thee Now the greatnesse of the person doth adde a value to the favour 't is counted an honour but to kisse a Kings hand 2. The Receiver So vile and despicable in comparison of him as creatures So loathsom and abominable before him as sinners When we were nothing he took care of us since we have been worse then nothing Enemies he hath been pleased to pay a price for our reconciliation to him He is kinde to the unthankful and to the evil to those that do
Scripture-expression To which purpose there are divers instances for each of the foregoing heads that may be observed and collected from severall books in Scripture All prohibitions and threats will administer both matter and phrase unto Confession and Deprecation All precepts and promises unto comprecation and thanksgiving Besides that it is easie to reduce the usuall expressions of other kindes to be proper and helpfull unto this purpose There are two extreams to be avoided in our Expression Namely Negligence Affectation 1. Negligence when men vent their thoughts in a rude improper unseemly phrase as if they had no awe upon their spirits and did not care how they spake 2. Affectation either of too much neatnesse and elegance or else of a mystical kind of phrase not to be found either in Scripture or any sober writer though much in fashion amongst some men in these times which it may be sounds well to vulgar ears but being reduced into plain English will appear to be wholly empty and to signifie nothing or else to be full of vain repetitions Each of these extreames will be apt to nauseat an intelligent hearer and is very unsuitable to the solemnity of this duty There are some Rhetorical ornaments and varieties in the manner of expression which may be very proper and powerful both for the expressing and exciting our affections such are these four 1. Exclamations which serve to set forth an affectionate wonder Psal. 31.19 O! how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall c. 2. Expostulations which are fit to expresse any deep dejection of minde So Psal. 77.8 Will the Lord cast us off for ever and will he be no more intreated Is his mercy clean gone c. Psal. 80.4 O Lord God of Hosts how long wilt thou be angry against thy people that prayeth c. Psal. 44.24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and our oppression 3. Option Fit to set forth serious and earnest desires Job 6.8 O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for that it would please him c. Psal. 119.5 O that my wayes were so directed that I might keep thy statutes 4. Ingemination which argues eager and inflamed affections Psal. 94.1 2. O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth O God to whom vengeance belongeth shew thy selfe lift up thy self thou Judge of the earth c. Dan. 9.19 O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do deferre not for thine own sake O my God He that will seriously endeavour and accustome himself to deliver his thoughts in a proper full significant expression and to be well acquainted with those many examples which the Scripture does afford to this purpose such an one may by practice and experience arrive to a good ability and readinesse in this kinde CHAP. VI. Concerning the most proper materials for the Preface HAving in the former Chapter laid down some directions in reference to the Order and disposition of parts to be observed in this duty I come in the next place to treat concerning the amplification of these severall parts and to shew how the Scripture will afford various matter for the enlargement of each of them So that any one who will be but carefull to collect any other apposite matter or observation that he shall meet with and amongst these to refer it under its proper head such a one may quickly be furnished with a very copious Treasury to this purpose The first thing to be thought of in composing a form of prayer is the Preface The most necessary and chief materials for a Preface were formerly specified to be four I. The titles of Invocation or the stile of salutation wherein we bespeak the person whom we pray unto who should be expressed by such divine compellations as may excite in our hearts either some or all of those affections that are more especially required in this duty These Compellations may consist either of 1. Gods Names or Titles 2. His Attributes or Properties 3. His Promises or Threats 4. His Works or wayes By all of which he hath been pleased after a more special manner to declare and make himself known In the choice of these we should select such as may be most suitable unto that frame and temper of minde required in that kinde or part of Prayer which we have occasion to insist more largely upon As the matter of fire is so it burneth saith the son of Syrach so from the divers meditations of God will arise divers affections towards him 1. The consideration of his infinite Power Wisdome Holinesse Justice Omnipresence Majesty c. is apt to produce in us reverence shame fear sorrow and the other affections of this nature which are most suitable to the businesse of Confession 2. The thought of his Mercy Truth Patience is fit to excite Faith and Hope and consequently is proper for the duty of Petition 3. The meditation of his bounty and goodness will provoke Love and Gratitude and is therefore fit to prepare us for Thanksgiving According as our thoughts are severally fixed upon any of these so may our affections be disposed and qualified in our prayers unto him To this purpose 't is convenient that we take special notice of those divine Titles and Attributes in Scripture which may be most suitable to such various occasions 1. Of the first kinde are such as these Ps. 24.7.10 The King of glory Isa. 1.24 The Lord the Lord of Hosts the mighty one of Israel Rev. 19.16 The King of kings and Lord of lords Exo. 15.11 Who is glorious in holinesse fearful in praises doing wonders Num. 16.22 The God of the spirits of all flesh Deut. 4.24 Who is a consuming fire even a jealous God Deut. 10.17 The God of gods and Lord of lords a great God mighty and terrible which regardeth not persons neither taketh rewards Deut. 32.4 Whose works are perfect and his ways judgement A God of truth and without iniquity just and right 1 Sam. 4.4 1 King 8.27 The Lord of Hosts who dwelleth between the Cherubims whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot containe 1 King 19 15. O Lord God of Israel which dwelleth between the Cherubims thou art the God even thou alone of all the Kingdomes of the Earth thou hast made Heaven and Earth 2 Chron. 20.6 Who ruleth over all the Kingdomes of the Earth in whose hand there is power and might so that none is able to withstand him Before whom no unclean thing should enter 2 Chron. 23.19 1 Chron. 28.9 Who searchest all hearts and understandest all the imaginations of the thoughts 1 Chron. 29.11 The Lord God of Israel to whom belongeth greatnesse and power and glory and victory and Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and in
is the Nation whose God is the Lord and the People whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance Verse 20. Ps. 35.27 Ps. 36.7 Our help and our shield Who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant How excellent is thy loving kindnesse O God therefore shall the sons of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings Verse 8. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures Verse 9. For with thee is the fountain of life and in thy light shall we see light Psal. 46.1 Our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Psal. 63.3 Whose loving kindnesse is better then life Psal. 65.8 Who maketh the out goings of the morning and evening to rejoyce Verse 9. Who visiteth the earth and watereth it and greatly enricheth it with the river of God Vers 10. Who maketh it soft with showers and blesseth the springing thereof Vers. 11. Who crowneth the yeare with his goodnesse and his paths drop fatnesse Vers. 13. Who cloatheth the pastures with flocks and covers the valleys with corne Psal. 66.9 Who holdeth our soul in life and suffereth not our feet to be moved Psal. 72.4 Who shall judge the poore of the people and save the children of the needy and shall break in pieces the oppressour Vers. 12 He shall deliver the needy when he cryeth the poor also and him that hath no helper Vers. 13. He shall spare the poor and needy and shall save the souls of the needy Vers. 14. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence and precious shall their blood be in his sight Ps 37.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Ver. 26. My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Psal. 80.1 The shepherd of Israel Psal. 89.17 Who art the glory of our defence and in whose favour our horne shall be exalted Vers. 18. For the Lord is our defence and the holy one of Israel is our King Psal. 91.2 He is my refuge and my fortresse my God in him will I trust Vers. 4. He shall cover me with his feathers under his wings will I trust his truth shall be my shield and buckler Ps. 103.3 Who forgives all our iniquities and heals all our diseases Vers. 4. Who redeemes our life from destruction who crowneth us with loving kindenesse and tender mercies Vers. 6. Who executeth righteousnesse and judgement for all that are oppressed Thou art good and thou dost good Ps 119 68 Ps. 145. Who is greatly to be praised and whose greatnesse unsearchable Who preserveth all them that love him Vers. 20. Isa. 40.11 Who shall feed his flock like a Shepherd and shall gather his Lambs with his armes and carry them in his bosome and shall gently lead those that are with young Isa. 51.3 Who will comfort Sion and build her waste places making her wildernesse like Eden and her Desert like the garden of the Lord so that joy and gladnesse shall be found therein thanksgiving and the voice of melody Vers. 5. Whose righteousnesse is near and his salvation gone forth whose armes shall judge the People the Isles shall wait upon him and in his arme shall they trust That pleadeth the cause of his people Vers. 22. Jer 14.8 The hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble Jer. 16 19. O Lord my strength and my fortresse and my refuge in the day of affliction to whom the Gentiles shall come from the ends of the earth and shall say surely our fathers have inherited lies vanity and things wherein there is no profit Besides whom there is no Saviour Hos. 13.4 Acts 14 17 Who leaveth not himselfe without a witnesse unto all the Nations of the world doing them good giving them raine from heaven and fruitful seasons filling their hearts with food and gladnesse Act. 17.28 In whom we live move and have our being Eph. 1 3. Who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Eph. 2.4 Eph. 3.14 Who is rich in mercy The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named 2 Thes. 2.16 Our Father who hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace 1 Tim. 4.10 1 Tim. 6.17 Hebr. 13.20 Who is the Saviour of those that believe The living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy The God of peace who brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of his sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant 1 Pet. â— 10 The God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus Rev. 15.3 The King of Saints whose works are great and marvellous and his wayes just and true There may be divers the like expressions of each kinde collected from severall places of Scripture Of some or more of these the first and chief material of a Preface should consist These several kinds may be variously intermixed according as divers occasions shall require The Scriptures do afford sundry examples to this purpose Neh. â— 5 Dan 9.4 O Lord God of Heaven the great and terrible God that keepeth Covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his Commandments Psal. 46.7 Isa. 43.3 The Lord of hosts the God of Jacob our refuge The Lord our God the holy one of Israel our Saviour Verse 14. The Lord our Redeemer the holy one of Israel Isa 45.21 Who is a just God and a Saviour and there is none besides him Isa. 49.26 The Lord who is our Saviour and Redeemer the mighty one of Jacob. Isa. 54.5 Our Maker and our Husband whose Name is the Lord of Hosts our Redeemer the holy one of Israel the God of the whole Earth Our Father which art in Heaven Mat. 6.9 I have been the larger in the recital of such passages because they will not only afford us matter for a Preface but supply us likewise with divers proper Arguments upon several occasions for the exciting of our faith and fervency in the businesse of Petition II. The second Material in a Preface to be joyned with the former is some general acknowledgement of our own unworthinesse as that Gen. 18.27 we who are but dust and ashes Gen. 32.10 Lesse then the least of all his mercies Job 13.25 As leaves driven to and fro and as dry stubble Psal. 14.3 Altogether abominable and filthy Psal. 22.6 Wormes and no men Psal. 95.7 The people of his pasture and sheep of his hands Ps. 103.15 Whose dâ—yes are as grasse as the flower of the field so he flourisheth Verse 16. When the winde passeth over it it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more Psal. 144.3 Lord what is man that thou takest knowledge of him or the sonnâ— of man that thou makest account of him Verse 4.
When we are weary of the Sabbath and wish it were gone and cannot call it a delight And so for extraordinary dayes lawfully set apart for solemn Feasts Fasts Publike Private When we mispend our occasional Festivals altogether in outward carnall mirth without those inward spiritual duties of love and thankfulnesse which God requires not keeping them holy unto the Lord as we ought to do Not thereby taking occasion to enlarge our bounty to our poor brethren And so for dayes of humiliation which are called Sabbaths in Scripture Our neglect of these when there is any special occasion for them either publike or private our insensiblenesse of dangers and judgements like the old world keeping on in the road of our secular employments eating and drinking buying and selling c. putting far away the evill day chanting to the sound of the Viol drinking wine in bowls but are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph Not sighing and weeping for the abominations that are committed in the midst of us When we do observe these dayes we are ready to rest our selves in bodily abstinence outward mortification hanging down the heads sad countenances without inward afflicting of the soul Not breaking bruising renting of our hearts Refraining not our feet but loving to wander Not turning from all our evil wayes and the violence in our hands CHAP. XI Sins against the second Table THe second Table doth enjoyn the duties of Charity and Justice towards our neighbour Against this we sin when we do not love our neighbours with such true unfeigned love as our selves when we do not deal so with others as we desire they should deal with us when we do not pray for them and endeavour their good as our own In the fifth Commandment are forbidden the Vices which concerne the relations of Superiours Inferiours So that we sin against this by not behaving our selves answerably to our several relations Not modestly and gravely to our Inferiours going before them in an example of good life Not humbly and dutifully to our Superiours not submitting to them for conscience sake as being ordained of God Not thankfully to our Benefactors either not remembring or not acknowledging or not esteeming or not requiting them as we might Subject to envy and extenuate those special gifts of others whereby they have attained any preheminence above our selves Hitherto likewise appertain the vices which do more particularly concern the relations of Parents Not educating instructing chastising their children so carefully Not providing and praying for them as they should Children Not loving and reverencing their Parents not submitting to them not being so thankful towards them as they might Husband Not behaving himself as a Head to govern instruct and cherish his wife Wife By being irreverent unquiet not an helper but an hinderer of her Husbands good Masters Not careful in directing governing punishing rewarding their servants Servants Disobedient slothful unfaithful answering again murmuring Aged Not sober and grave not wise and exemplary in their carriage Younger Irreverent towards the persons of the Ancient neglecting of their good counsels and examples Superiours in gifts whether inward of the minde or outward of the estate in respect of Nobility Riches c. abusing of their gifts unto scorn pride oppression Not doing so much good as the advantage of their abilities and places does require Inferiours Either too much disdaining or too much flattering those above them Magistrates Want of diligence and uprightnesse in the discharge of their places Subjects Not so respective serviceable submissive as they should Teachers Negligent in taking all occasions of instructing reforming others by Counsel Example Learners Not teachable inquisitive c. The sixth Commandment doth forbid all those sins which are against the health and welfare of our own or our Neighbours Bodies Souls So that we sin against this not only by outward acts of violence but also by an aptnesse to entertain prejudices and misconceits against others By rash immoderate anger injurious revengeful thoughts secret grudges hatred and implacablenesse By failing in those particulars which concern the maintenance of mutual peace and friendship amongst one another By haughty insolent carriage Reviling scoffing provoking speeches Being senselesse and hard-hearted in the miseries of our brethren not weeping with them that weep not being heartily affected at those publick evils wherein we our selves are not more immediately and particularly concerned By wounding and murthering the souls of others through scandal Active misguiding them Passive grieving them when we encourage them in their evil courses either by Provocation Counsel Example Connivance By the levity and unprofitablenesse of conversing amongst others when we do not labour to stirre them up unto holinesse according to our several opportunities and relations Not instructing the ignorant comforting the weak admonishing exhorting encouraging others unto well-doing By neglecting our own bodily health and welfare through intemperance immoderate passions c. By being carelesse of our own souls not providing for the dayes of death and judgement but thrusting them farre from us bidding those dayes care for themselves By quenching and suppressing those holy motions that are at any time suggested unto our hearts preferring the base things of this world before those great matters that concern eternity The seventh Commandment does forbid all kindes of uncleannesse both of body and soul together with the means and signes of it Against this we sin not only by committing any outward act of uncleannesse either by our selves or with others But also By the Adultery of the heart by having our minds full of unchast desires by cherishing in our selves any lustful unlawful affection By delighting our thoughts in the fancy and speculation of those lusts which we have not opportunity to act When we do not labour to quench our fleshly concupiscence by vigilancy over our own hearts and wayes by avoiding all evil company and such other occasions as may inflame us when we are not moderate in our delights modest in our carriages temperate in our diet diligent and painful in our callings When our eyes are full of adultery when our eares are willingly open to filthy and uncleane communication when our tongues are given to rotten and unsavory speeches When we are not wary and circumspect in avoiding all suspitions and appearances of this evil The eighth Commandment does forbid all those vices which do concerne our own or our neighbours outward estate as Theft Oppression Deceit Sacriledge Usury Bribery Prodigality We offend against this not only by those external acts of theft and injustice which humane law does take notice of but also By the Love of money which is the root of all evil by being discontent at our estates greedy of gain full of restlesse and insatiable desires after these earthly profits When we are not so strict and conscionable in the means of getting wealth either negligent and idle
in those callings wherein we should provide for our selves and our families or else too much hastening to be rich by violence and oppression craft or over-reaching by being unfaithful in our words and promises Not so upright and sincere in our dealings with others not conscionable in paying their dues When we are not wise and moderate in the use of these outward things Not so discreet in laying out the Talents committed to our stewardship too sparing and parsimonious unto good purposes too lavish about dishonest and unnecessary occasions The ninth Commandment does forbid those vices which concern our own or our neighbours reputation as Slander Credulity Hearing of tale-bearers Censuring Sinister suspitions Flattery Silence in defending c. Against this we sin not only when we do publickly concur with others in false judgement against our neighbours But also When we are not charitable in our speaking hearing thinking of others Subject to reviling scornful slanderous speeches very ready to speak ill and to spread the faults of our neighbours when it does no way concern us or is like to benefit others Willing to entertain Back-biters Tale-bearers Scoffers ready to listen unto any report that tends unto the defamation of others too much affected unto flattering tongues and deceitful lips Busie and medling in the affairs of others where we are not concerned Full of Credulity and rash belief in judging of ill rumours too liable unto uncharitable suspitions apt to interpret good things ill and doubtful matters in the worst sense Not so careful in upholding our neighbours credit by admonishing exhorting rebuking him according to our Callings and opportunities Subject to arrogant high conceits of our selves and yet very negligent in those ways wherby we may establish our reputations Not labouring to be such as we would seem to be Not endeavouring to keep a good conscience before God and a good report before men Not avoiding all appearances of evil The tenth and last Commandment does forbid any concupisence against our neighbour though before the consent of the will whether by covetousnesse self-love evill thoughts envie Against this we sin when we have not such a holy disposition in our mindes unto the duties of charity as God hath required When we are apt to favour and entertain the temptations that are suggested to us When our mindes are full of evill fancies and wicked perturbations arising from our corrupted natures When we delight our selves in any evill imagination keeping it close and rolling it in our thoughts though our mindes perhaps do not consent to the acting of it CHAP. XII Sins against the Gospel NExt to these transgressions against the Law we ought to enumerate our sins against the Gospel which for the general kindes of them are reducible to these two heads Unbelief Impenitence 1. Our Vnbelief in the several degrees of it Not labouring to acquaint our selves with the duties promises priviledges of the Gospel though it does contain the best glad tidings and of the greatest consequence that can possibly be imagined Our not assenting to it according to its full latitude being easily carried about with every winde of doctrine any wilde erroneous fancie apt to turn aside unto our own crooked wayes And to have our minde corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Not being sound in the faith Our not loving and esteeming of it Not sufficiently admiring that miracle of divine bounty wherein the Love of God was more especially commended and manifested towards us in that he sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him Our too much slighting and under-valuing the great love and merits of our blessed Redeemer Treading underfoot the Son of God prophaning the blood of the Covenant and doing what we could to make Christs passion of none effect Being apt to prefer drosse and dung before the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. Not counting him all in all Not rejoycing in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the Attonement Not glorying alone in Christ and him crucified Not counting his favour and loving-kindnesse to be better then life Not claiming his promises as our heritage esteeming them the joy of our hearts Not looking upon them as being unsearchable riches exceeding great and precious Our not living by faith in all estates and conditions Not embracing the promises of the Gospel with so much readinesse nor adhering to them with so much stedfastness as the excellency and certainty of them does require Not improving and applying this rich treasure of Gospel-promises unto the various changes of this temporal life in respect of Prosperity Adversity being very apt to be altogether immersed in sensitive external things without reflecting upon those advantages we might from thence enjoy in this regard And so for our spiritual life being apt to rely on our own righteousnesse and self-justifications thereby endeavouring as much as in us lies to deprive Christ of his Saviour-ship Not owning of Christ in all his offices not willing to accept of him as well for our Lord as our Saviour And this heart of unbelief does prove unto us a root of Apostasie making us to depart from the living God 2. Our Impenitency in that when God had in some measure discovered unto us our own miserable condition by reason of the Covenant of Works we have not yet humbled our selves in any proportion to the multitude or greatnesse of our sins Nor applied our selves with any fervency of heart unto the onely means of pardon and reconcilation in the Covenant of Grace Not being inquisitive after our sins not endeavouring to examine and finde out our particular failings but rather to hide and excuse them Not being humbled and grieved for them as considering that wretched injustice folly unkindnesse that we have expressed by them Not resolving and striving against them not improving all advantages for the avoiding and subduing of them Refusing to repent though God has vouchsafed us time and means Though light be come into the world yet loving darkness rather then light Receiving the grace of God in vain Turning it into wantonness Tempting grieving quenching the holy Spirit of God whereby we should be sealed to the day of redemption Hardning our selves by a custome and delight in sin and by this means Treasuring up for our selves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God 'T is here to be observed that though these two sins be more immediately and directly against the Gospel yet the other breaches of the Law before mentioned are in some sense reducible also under this head Evangelical obedience including Legal as subordinate to it and the Law being the rule of Gospel conversation And for this reason I am the more brief upon this head We should here likewise remember that all these offences before enumerated are
is circumstantial or ceremonial Obedience and Mercy being better then sacrifice Sins against the clear light of nature or reason are in many respects worse then those that are discovered to us by the written Word The more obligations are broken the greater still is the sin as when our offence is not onely against the Word of God but likewise against the Law of Nature Conscience particular Promises and Vows 2. By examining the latitude and comprehensiveness of any kinde of sin though it may more especially referre to the breach of some one Commandment yet if we search into its utmost compasse and extent we shall finde that it does also refer unto divers others So the sins of the second Table do not only intrench upon one another but also upon those of the first Table by reason of that disobedience which is in them unto the Command of God 3. By distinguishing the degrees of sin the first Consent being not so bad as the Act nor the Act so bad as the Custome and delight A particular offence being not so bad as an habitual reigning sin that wastes the conscience 3. That which does more especially concern us in our Confessions is the aggravation of particular sins Because a general view of them is more apt to produce a confused stupor and amazement rather then any proper and genuine humiliation Every man hath some black dayes in his Calendar some more notorious sin whereof he hath been guilty He should in his private humiliation endeavour to call those to fresh remembrance and set them before him Not forgetting that horrour and dread which appeared to him when God did first discover them to his conscience And therefore it will concern us to labour after a more distinct discovery of the heinousnesse of our particular offences which will best appear by examining them according to their divers circumstances Now the Circumstances of actions are usually reckoned to be these seven 1. The Person 2. The Place 3. The Thing 4. The Means 5. The End 6. The Manner 7. The Time 1. The Person is considerable under a twofold capacity either for the Person Offended Offending 1. The Person offended the Creator and Governour of the world so eminent for his Greatnesse and Majesty which does adde much to the offence An ill word against the King being high Treason whereas the greatest offence against another is not so much So that it may be very helpfull to set forth the heinousnesse of any sin to consider who it is that is offended by it Not only our Brethren Superiours Equals Inferiours or our selves but the great God who is able with the blast of his mouth with a frown of his countenance to ruine us eternally and cast us into hell And it must needs argue extream folly for men to contend with their Maker to provoke him to jealousie as if they were stronger then he So infinite in holinesse and knowledge of pure and piercing eyes abhorring sin infinitely and yet necessarily beholding it Though men may stop their eares or shut their eyes against what they dislike yet God cannot go out of the hearing or seeing of sin He hears every one of our vain and sinful words He sees into the secret corners of our hearts the least glimpse of any sinful contrivement which we our selves can scarce take notice of and should we provoke the eyes of his glory So terrible in his Justice and Majesty who shall one day come with thousands of his glorious Angels in flaming fire to render vengeance upon all those that know him not or obey him not So merciful and gracious unto us The Lord our Redeemer the holy One of Israel our King Our Father who hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace And shall we return evil for good and hatred for his good will Shall we thus requite the Lord Is not he our Father that bought us hath he not made us and established us The Person offending a frail creature of a dependant being preferred out of nothing to the noble condition of the humane nature One that hath taken upon him the Profession of Religion ingaged himself to the duties of Christianity by a solemn Vow in Baptism participated the means of Grace in a greater measure then others and hath had so much experience of Gods more especial favour towards him One who is called a Christian and rests in the Gospel and makes his boast of Christ and knows his will and approves the things that are more excellent c. 2. The Place where we have enjoyed the liberty and sunshine of the Gospel In the land of uprightness dealing unjustly In that very place which hath so much abounded with temporal and spiritual blessings flowing with milke and honey and that which is more nourishing and pleasant to the soul then either of these to the body The Word and Ordinances of God in sincerity and power 'T is recorded of the Israelites Psal. 106 7. that They provoked God at the sea even at the red sea which is repeated with an Emphasis as being the place of mercy where they had lately seen so miraculous a deliverance which circumstance did adde a great aggravation to their rebellion 3. The Thing that which we have so often relapsed into against which we have so frequently resolved being in it self it may be of a more foule and scandalous nature c. Hitherto does belong the aggravations which concern the kinds of sin which were mentioned before 4. The Means with hypocritical pretences making Religion the veile for our unlawful desires fighting against God with those abilities with which we should serve him Abusing that health wealth strength wit and all the other Talents we have received not only neglecting to improve them unto the glory of the Giver but wastefully lavishing of them so that we cannot with the foolish servant give God his own again using them as weapons against him thereby resisting his Spirit and Ordinances 5. The End for lying vanities the short pleasures of sin which are not without some mixture of sorrow in the very injoyment of them and do afterwards fill the soul with guilt and fear Forsaking the Fountain of living waters and hewing out unto our selves broken Cisterns that will hold no water Spending our money for that which is not bread and our labour for that which satisfieth not Prosecuting those things whereof we might be ashamed the end of which will be death 6. The Manner how which is capable of much amplification it being a great addition to the heinousnesse of any sin when it is committed either Out of ignorance when we have had means of being better informed Out of impudence against the dictates of nature the light of reason and education some taste and relish of spiritual things the checks of conscience former promises and resolutions
seemeth good unto him That we may be constant universal sincere in our obedience Walking before him in truth and with a perfect heart and may do that which is good in his sight That in the generall course of our lives we may demean our selves in a setled regular way of submission and obedience having respect to all Gods Commandments Obeying from the heart the forme of doctrine delivered to us Following the Lord fully walking exactly and precisely before him That we may have not only the forme of godlinesse but the power also That we may sanctifie the Lord God of Hosts making him our fear and our dread considering that the end of all things is at hand when we must all appear before his dreadful tribunal every one to receive according to that he hath done in his body whether it be good or bad That we may be lesse afraid of other matters that cannot hurt us men that shall die and the sons of men that shall be made as grasse but may chiefly fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell Behaving our selves as being alwayes in his sight and presence as considering that our most secret bosome-sins which with such Art and care we have endeavoured to conceal from men are all of them naked and open in his sight before whom we must be judged at the last day That we may be humble before him ascribing nothing to our own power or merit That our hearts may not be lifted up to forget the Lord nor our mindes hardened in pride as considering that his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him And that if any man think himself to be something when indeed he is nothing he deceives himself That we may be clothed with humility counting it our safest defence and most comely ornament That we may not mind high things nor be wise in our own conceits Considering the basenesse of our Originall the many diseases and miseries which our bodies are liable unto the sinful and slavish condition of our souls our nothingnesse as creatures our vilenesse as sinners CHAP. XIX What are we directed to pray for out of the second Commandment THe second Commandment does enjoyn us to worship God after such a spiritual manner and by such holy means as is agreeable to his Nature and required in his Word So that from hence we are taught to pray for the direction and asistance of his Spirit in all our holy duties that he would work in us an holy frame and temper of heart without which 't is not possible for us to performe any acceptable service That he would quicken our affections to a greater fervency and delight in our attendance upon him That he would make us more careful in enjoying and increasing our communion with him by a conscionable observance of all those holy ordinances which he hath appointed particularly 1. Prayer 2. Ministery of the Word 3. Receiving of the Sacraments 1. That he would poure upon us the Spirit of prayer and supplication make us diligent and constant in our Publick Private devotions that we may accustome our selves to them with a greater forwardnesse and delight as being the chief means to ease our hearts of all troubles and sorrow to fill up our joy That we may be more solemn and reverent in our approaches before him as considering that we who are but dust and ashes vile despicable creatures are to speak unto that dreadful Majesty before whom all the world shall be judged at the last day That we may be more vigilant over our own hearts in respect of roving distracted thoughts which are so apt to interrupt us in this duty That we may stir up our selves to lay hold on God and set our faces to seek him Not pouring out words onely but our souls before him Serving him in our spirits Drawing near unto him with a true heart sprinkled from an evill conscience That he would be pleased to assist us and to accept of us in this duty Shedding abroad his love in our hearts Opening our lips that our mouths may shew forth his praise And then that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts may be alwayes acceptable in his sight That we may confesse our sins with a greater sense and sorrow for them feeling in our selves a greater loathing and detestation of them Acknowledging our transgressions and setting our sins before us Abhorring our selves for them and repenting in dust and ashes That we may put up our petitions with a greater faith and fervency as being truly sensible of our own wants and those gracious promises which he hath made for the supply of them Drawing near in the full assurance of faith nothing wavering Asking such things as are according to his will That his Spirit may help our infirmities and make intercession for us and that he would remember the promise which he hath made to be nigh unto them that call upon him in truth and to fulfill the desire of those that fear him That we may give thanks with greater chearfulnesse and love and sense of his favours with such heartinesse and fervency as may be in some measure proportionable to our importunity in the want of mercies That we may be ready to speak the praises of our God whilest we have any being that our meditations of him may be sweet and we may be glad in the Lord. That we may retain a relish and taste of this holy duty in our mindes after the performance of it behaving our selves answerably in the course of our lives observing what return is made to our prayers Hearkening what God the Lord will say Considering the several wayes and dispensations of his providence towards us that we may understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord. This Commandment does likewise concerne the duties which belong to that other Ordinance the Ministery of the word in reference both to Minister People The Minister may hereby be directed to pray that God would endow him with all those graces and abilities which may fit him for the discharge of his calling both in respect of his Life Doctrine that he may both save himself and them that hear him 1. For his Life That he may shew himself as a pattern of good works Of a blamelesse conversation not self-willed not soon angry Not given to wine no striker not given to filthy lucre but a lover of good men sober just holy temperate gentle unto all men apt to teach patient Renouncing the hidden things of dishonesty Not walking in craftinesse but by manifestation of the truth commending himself unto every mans conscience in the sight of God Behaving himself as a steward of the mysteries of God Not seeking so much his own profit as the profit of many that they may be saved that
after he hath preached unto others he himself may not become a cast-away 2. For his Doctrine that he may study to approve himself unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of truth That he may preach the Word being instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine with meeknesse instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth Feeding the flock of God not by constraint but willingly Not for filthy lucre but of a ready minde That he may speak as the Oracles of God That his doctrine may be in demonstration of the spirit and of power with uncorruptnesse gravity sincerity not as pleasing men but God who tryeth the hearts The People or hearers may be hereby directed to pray for a greater love and esteem of his Word as being the Ordinance of his infinite wisdome which he can make effectual for the Conversion and salvation of souls Considering that the fashion of this world passeth away Pleasures shall die and vanish Honours shall be laid in the dust gold and silver shall rust and canker but the word of God abideth for ever This alone is able to make us wise unto salvation and to save our soules being that word by which we shall be judged at the last day That therefore we may value it above gold and silver finding a relish in it sweeter then the honey and the honey-comb That we may alwayes love the beauty of his house and the place where his honour dwelleth To publish with the voice of Thanksgiving and to tell of all his wondrous works This one thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Strength and beauty are in his Sanctuary That we may have a greater care to know and practise his will As new borne babes desiring the sincere milk of the Word to grow thereby That he would teach us so to prize and improve the present liberty and Sun-shine of the Gospel that we may be carefull in this our day to lay up for our selves a good foundation against the evil time That we may approach unto this Ordinance with such reverent and prepared affections as may become his more especial presence amongst us Considering our feet when we draw neer before him that he would over-awe our spirits with an holy fear and reverence in the apprehension of his presence and beholding of us who is a God of infinite holinesse and glorious Majesty that we may bow down our souls with a willing subjection unto every sacred truth That he would subdue the pride of our hearts Cast down every imagination that exalteth it selfe against him and bring into subjection every thought unto the obedience of Christ and because the Word of it selfe is but a dead letter and it is not in the power of any outward means the wisdome or preparation of weak sinful man to subdue the power of sin the Kingdome of Satan or to create men in Christ Jesus unto good works that therefore he would be pleased to accompany the outward means by the inward efficacy and operation of his Spirit Man can speak only unto the ear but he can speak unto the heart and 't is as easie for him to make us good as to bid us be so and he hath promised to meet such as desire to wait upon him and to remember him in his wayes That he would remove from our understandings the veile of ignorance and infidelity whereby we are made incapable of spiritual truths that he would take from our affections that natural pravity and malice whereby we are made enemies to spiritual notions that we may receive the truth not only in the light but in the love of it not with-holding any truth in unrighteousnesse That he would strengthen us against all temptations of Satan cares of the world hardnesse of our own hearts or what ever may hinder our profitable and saving hearing That he would take from us all irreverence distraction prejudice dulnesse in hearing of his Word and because it must redound either to the glory of his justice in our farther hardening and final condemnation or to the glory of his mercy in our conversion and salvation that he would therefore sanctifie it to our good that as the rain cometh down from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it fruitful so the Word that goeth out of his mouth may not return unto him void but accomplish his good pleasure and prosper in that to which it is sent That it may be unto us sharp as a two-edged sword to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit the joynts and marrow discovering the very thoughts and intentions of the heart And because Paul may plant and Apollos may water but he only can give the increase That therefore he would be pleased to give a blessing and successe to his own Ordinance That his Word may be unto us a word of power converting the soul and making wise the simple that he would give unto us hearing ears and understanding hearts that we may believe and be saved That he would write his laws in our inward parts That he would open our eyes to behold the wondrous things of his law Incline our hearts to affect direct our steps that we may walke in the paths of his precepts Shew us thy wayes O Lord and teach us thy paths lead us in thy truth and guide us for thou art the God of our salvation Teach us thy wayes O Lord and we will walke in thy truth unite our hearts to fear thy name Shew us the way that we should walk in for we lift up our souls unto thee Teach us to do thy will for thou art our God Let thy good Spirit lead us into the land of uprightnesse That we may behave our selves with humility attention alacrity laying down all high thoughts fleshly reasonings stubborne resolutions being ready to receive with meeknesse the ingraffed word which is able to save our souls That we may enjoy communion with him in his Ordinances that he would fill us with all joy and peace in believing That he would sanctifie our judgements affections memories that we may apprehend and believe and affect and retain those sacred truths that shall be delivered That he would inlighten our mindes open our hearts soften our consciences compose our thoughts to attend unto his Word with meeknesse and faith receiving it into good and honest hearts with full purpose to walk answerably to it in our conversations That Christ may be formed in us that our hearts may be established in every good word
and way That our meeting together may prove for the better and not for the worse That we may after the hearing of it digest and settle it in our mindes by prayer meditation conference practice Expressing the power of it in our lives in all well-pleasing conversation and godlinesse Having our fruit unto holinesse that our ends may be everlasting life That he would prosper unto us the precious seed sown amongst us that neither the fowls of the aire devoure it nor the thornes choak it but that it may sinke down into our hearts and spring up in our conversations bringing forth in us the fruit of repentance and amendment of life that it may be effectual for the subduing of our sins the strengthning of our graces Transforming us daily into his Image from glory to glory That we may lead our lives in some measure answerably to the knowledge and means we have had as considering that to whom much is given of them much will be required That we may not receive his grace in vain Not being forgetful hearers but doers of the word That we may be able to say by experience It is good for us to be here and to wait upon God in his Ordinances That we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That he would lead us forward to perfection guiding us by his grace and after bringing us to his glory that in this life beholding his face in righteousnesse when we awake up in the resurrection we may be fully satisfied with his Image 3. Under this Commandment likewise are comprehended the duties that concern our reverent esteem and use of the Sacraments 1. For that of Baptisme That we may be truly sensible of the free mercy of God in making a gracious Covenant to us and our posterity and condescending so far unto our humane frailties as to afford us outward visible signes and seals of this Covenant to present that to our senses which ought to be apprehended by our faith That we may more frequently consider and esteem of this singular prerogative of our being actually admitted into his family and having his name put upon us That therefore we may resign up our selves wholly unto his good pleasure chusing him to be our Governour and our portion for ever that we may be more careful in observing that solemne Covenant which our Baptisme did engage us unto To forsake the Devill and all his works the vanities and lusts of the world and to continue faithfull in our service to him That this Ordinance may not be unto us onely an outward washing away of the filth of the flesh but the laver of regeneration working in us a good conscience towards God and may effctually seal unto us our adoption remission of sins and eternall life with all those promises that are contained in the Covenant of Grace that as we are received into the bosome of the visible Church and distinguished from those that are without so we may labour to walk as becomes this relation that the body of sin may be destroyed in us and his Image may be renued in us daily That we may serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our lives 2. For the Lords Supper That he would continue unto us our liberty unto that precious Ordinance raising our hearts to an higher esteem and love of it Quickening us to a more frequent attendance upon him in it with fervency and delight That he would prepare us for it assist us in it and make it effectual to us afterwards That he would furnish us with all those graces which may make us worthy Communicants at his holy Table Affecting our hearts with an holy awe and reverence upon our neer approaching unto him in this solemn Ordinance left we should be found amongst the guests at his Table without having the wedding garment That we may after a more special manner stirre up in our selves the graces of his holy Spirit impartially examining the condition of our own hearts how we stand to him in regard of knowledge repentance faith to men in respect of our love and chariity that we may renew our Covenant with him by fresh resolutions of strict and circumspect walking and that he would make good his Covenant with us in taking from us the guilt and power of our sins and in giving unto us a new nature with all those other priviledges that were purchased for us by the death of Christ which is herein represented At the receiving of this Sacrament that he would inable us to behave our selves with reverence and true devotion to use it as a sacrifice of praise unto him a memorial of Christs death for us and a means to confirme our faith in him That as we do by our senses receive the common element of bread and wine to our corporal nourishment so we may by our faith receive the body and blood of Christ to our spititual nourishment that he may live in us and we in him that this may renew in our thoughts the remembrance of Christs Death and Passion for us and our own duty of love and obedience to him that it may be a means to weaken our corruptions to strengthen our graces to renew us in the spirit of our mindes according to the Image of him that created us That we may afterwards labour to feel the benefit of it in our lives and conscionably to perform all those good resolutions which in the time of our preparation we have purposed and promised That we may be careful to examine our improvement by it in respect of growth in grace power against corruption comfort and inlargement of heart labouring to walk worthy of the grace of God herein profered and represented as becomes those who have received so great pledges of salvation CHAP. XX. Of the duties required in the third and fourth Commandment THe third Commandment does enjoyn the sanctifying of Gods Name By this we are directed to pray that he would enable us to bear a reverent and high esteem unto all his glorious Titles and Attributes his holy Word the Religion we professe his mighty works That we may fear that glorious and fearful name the Lord our God that we may sanctifie the Lord God in our hearts being more careful to observe and meditate upon his holy Attributes and Titles more solemn and reverent in mentioning his names and word upon every good occasion That we may be more conscionable in observing all those good promises and resolutions which we have made That we may walk worthy of that vocation wherwith we are called labouring by an holy life to adorn our profession and bring glory to his name That we may be blamelesse and harmlesse the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation amongst whom we may shine as lights in the world That he
liberality Almes Hospitality Restitution By this we are taught to pray that we may not wrong or defraud our brethren by any outward act of oppression injustice or deceit That our hearts may not be troubled with any sollicitous or carking cares that our conversation may be without covetousnesse being content with such things as we have trusting in his promise that he will never leave us nor forsake us that they who seek the Lord shall lack nothing that is good Remembring how he hath commanded us to cast all our care upon him and how he provides for the fowles of the aire and the beasts of the field and that in our greatest discontents we are in much better condition for the world then many of his blessed Saints and Martyrs who were forced to wander up and down in sheep-skins and goat-skins and that we enjoy more then our blessed Saviour himself did who though he were Lord of the world yet had not whereon to rest his head That he would teach us how to abound and to want and in all estates to be content That he would moderate our desires to these earthly things that we may not too much love the world nor the things of the world that we may covet earnestly the best things seeking first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof expecting other matters as additions thereunto To esteem godlinesse for the greatest gain and as for these outward things not to desire any abundance of them but if we have food and rayment to be therewith contented That we may be just and upright in the wayes of getting wealth that we may not go beyond or defraud any one as knowing that the Lord is the revenger of all such being diligent in our callings working with our own hands the thing which is good that we may be able to give to them that need Being consciencious in repaying that we owe in making restitution of that wherein we have wronged any one That he would give us hearts to use and enjoy the estates which we possesse Power to eat thereof and to take our portion and to rejoyce in our labour That we may be wise and faithful in laying out the talents committed to our trust Not lavishing of them by any idle and vaine expences as knowing that we are but stewards of our estates being to give an account of them to our Lord and Master Not niggardly and sparing towards any work of charity Not trusting in uncertaine riches but in the living God that we may do good be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for our selves a good foundation against the time to come that we may lay hold on eternal life Making our selves friends of unrighteous Mammon which may hereafter receive us into everlasting habitations Laying up for our selves treasures in heaven Considering that he who soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he who soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully The ninth Commandment does referre to duties which concerne our Neighbours or our own reputations From this we may learne to pray that we may be tender and charitable in upholding the credit of others willing to speak and hear and judge the best of them Covering their infirmities in love Not back-biting with our tongues nor taking up a reproach against our Neighbours Not speaking evil of any one but being gentle shewing all meeknesse to all men That we may not be willing to listen unto and hearken after any rumour which tends to the defamation of our Neighbour but may rather rejoyce in their good report Disliking all flatterers Tale-bearers and such other persons as do usually raise and spread ill rumours That we may not be pragmatical or censorious in the affaires of others where we are not concerned But may study to be quiet and to do our own businesse being careful to pull the beam out of our own eyes before we find fault with the mote in others Doing nothing through strife or vain-glory but in lowlinesse of minde each one esteeming of others better then of himself That we may be lowly in our own eyes Not thinking of our selves more highly then we ought to think that we may be careful by all good means to advance our own reputations Valuing a good name above great riches labouring to be such as we would seem to be walking circumspectly not as fools but as wise approving our selves unto him who trieth the hearts Avoiding all appearances of evill and following matters of good report The tenth Commandment does require a sincere and upright heart to our selves and our Neighbours By this we are directed to pray that God would cleanse our souls from that evill concupiscence so natural unto them endowing us with a sincere inclination to all the duties of charity That he would make us more watchfull over our own senses and hearts in keeping out and extinguishing all those evill fancies and imaginations which may arise within us And to this purpose that he would bestow upon us the whole Armour of God whereby we may cast down all fleshly reasonings and imaginations and bring into subjection every thought unto the obedience of himself That we may make a Covenant with our thoughts not to please our selves in the speculation of any sins not to think of them without soathing and detestation That we may never make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof that our hearts may be dis-ingaged from the world That he would give unto us the Spirit of wisdome to discern in what things we are most obnoxious to temptation and to be most vigilant over our hearts in respect of those particulars That we may keep our hearts with all diligence That we may never envy our neighbours well-being nor rejoyce at his sufferings CHAP. XXII Of the graces that are more particularly required in the Gospel NExt to the Precepts of the Law we are to consider the duties which the Gospel does require of us namely that we should repent and believe That we should be careful to perform to continue and increase in all those particular duties and graces which are comprehended under these two general heads So that from hence we are directed to pray 1. For Repentance That since God hath in love to our souls vouchsafed unto us in his Gospel this Priviledge of repentance which the Covenant of Works did not admit of that he would also give us hearts for it granting us repentance unto life That he would convince us of the danger and folly and pollution of our sins enabling us to mourn over them bestowing upon us broken and contrite spirits Dissolving our stony hearts into that godly sorrow which worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of That we may search and try our wayes and turn unto the Lord Bringing forth fruits
meet for repentance Labouring to draw nigh unto God by cleansing our hands and purifying our hearts 2. For faith that God would discover to us the great need of a Saviour and since he hath set forth his Son to be a Propitiation through faith in his blood and hath made him the authour of eternal salvation to all that obey him That he would win over our souls to an earnest endeavour of acquaintance with him and high esteem of him That God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse would shine into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ That he would make us more especially inquisitive after the saving experimental knowledge of him in whom are laid up the treasures of wisdome and knowledge whom to know is perfect wisdome and eternal life That he would count us worthy of his holy calling and fulfill in us all the good pleasure of his goodnesse and the work of faith with power that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in us and we in him That Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith that we being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that we may be filled with all the fulnesse of God That we may truly value the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus Glorying in his Gospel as being the power of God to salvation Counting all things but losse and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus that we may win him and he found in him not having our own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ. That in all estates and conditions we may learn to live by faith 1. In regard of our temporal life with all the various uncertainties of it whether Prosperity that by this grace of faith we may keep our hearts in an holy frame of humility meeknesse dis-ingagement from the world and all outward confidences or Adversity wherein this grace may serve to sweeten our afflictions to support us under them teaching us to profit by them to bear them meekly to triumph over them assuring the heart that nothing befals us but by the disposal of Gods Providence who is infinitely wise and merciful and faithfull 2. In regard of Spiritual life both for our Justification that we may not expect it from our own services or graces Not having our own righteousnesse but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith And so for the life of Sanctification that we may not live unto our selves but unto him who died for us and rose again That our conversation may be as becometh the Gospel of Christ standing fast in one spirit with one minde striving together for the faith of the Gospel Alwayes remembring that we are not our own but bought with a price and therefore should make it our businesse to glorifie Christ with our bodies and spirits which are his That he would work in us such a lively faith as may make us rich in good works that we may demean our selves as becomes our professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ walking worthy of that vocation wherewith we are called as becomes children of the light Being holy in all manner of conversation Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ Exercising our selves unto godlinesse Walking uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel Diligently following every good work Shewing out of a good conversation our works with meeknesse and wisdome That we may adorne the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things Considering that we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works that we should walk in them Having our conversation in heaven walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in all good works That every one of us who professeth the name of Christ may depart from iniquity Because for this reason was the Gospel preached to those that are dead in sin that they might live according to God in the Spirit That we may give all diligence to adde to our faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse charity that these things being in us and abounding we may not be barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ but may hereby clear up unto our selves the evidences of our calling and election That we may deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts living soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and that glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Considering that he shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire to take vengeance on those that obey not his Gospel who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired of all them that believe in that day For if he that despised Moses law died without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing and hath done despight to the Spirit of grace That the God of all grace who hath called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus would make us perfect stablish strengthen settle us That we may continue in the faith grounded and setled and not be moved away from the hope of the Gospel being rooted and built up and stablished in the faith Laying aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us and running with patience the race that is set before us Holding fast our profession without wavering that we may abide in Christ and his words may abide in us Continuing in the things which we have learned Being faithful unto the death that then he may bestow upon us a crown of life That the Word of Christ may dwell in us richly in all wisdome That we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God That we may be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus That having fought a good fight and finished our course and kept the faith we may receive that
crown of righteousnesse which at the last day the Lord the righteous Judge will bestow upon all those that love his appearing That he would carry us on through faith unto salvation And because when we have reckoned all the duties we can we shall leave out many particulars therefore for the supply of those which we cannot specifie we may use some general forme answerable to that exhortation of the Apostle that whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise that we may think of and do these things Being blamelesse and harmelesse the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom we may shine as lights in the world CHAP. XXIII Of petitioning for temporal good things Provision and Protection NExt to spiritual good things we are permitted to pray for those matters which concerne our Temporal well-fare answerable to tha◠Petition in the Lords Prayer Give us this day our daily bread under the expression of daily bread we are to understand all those particulars that are either necessary or convenient for our natural life in respect Both of Provision for us in our Soules Bodies Callings Names Friends Estates Protection of us in our Soules Bodies Callings Names Friends Estates 1. For our Souls that God would be pleased to blesse and continue to us the use of our wits and memories that he would give us power to enjoy these temporal blessings filling us with gladnesse of heart with peace and serenity of mind expelling from us all unnecessary cares earthly sorrows unprofitable dejections 2. For our Bodies that he would continue to us our health and strength the free use of our senses and limbs supplying directing blessing us in the use of all such means as shall conduce to our preservation and well-being 3. For our Callings that he would furnish us with wisdome and abilities suitable to our several vocations making us diligent and industrious in them whereby we may be enabled in our places to promote his glory and to be instrumental for the good of others Being just towards all men and ready to serve one another in love and because without his blessing it will be in vain for us to rise up early and to sit up late and to eat the bread of carefulnesse Therefore we should likewise pray that he would blesse our endeavours and all that we set our hands unto Prospering the work of our hands upon us 4. For our Names that he would take care of our reputations restraining others from reproaching and slandring of us and restraining us from scandalous sinnes and appearances of evil that he would teach us to behave our selves so wisely and circumspectly that we may bring credit to our persons and professions growing in favour both with God and man That he would deliver us from those whose teeth are speares and arrowes and their tongues a sharp sword 5. For our Friends that he would raise up for us such as may be kindly affectioned to us blessing us in all our neere relations kindred families friends neighbours acquaintance continuing to us the help and comfort that we have by them 6. For our Estates in respect 1. Of Liberty that he would still preserve us in our wonted freedome from bondage captivity imprisonment 2. That he would be pleased to restore and continue that precious blessing of Peace both in our Nations Towns Families Conversations 3. That he would make us Plenteous in the fruit of our ground and in the increase of our cattel Crowning the yeare with his goodnesse opening to us his good treasures the heavens Putting a force and efficacy into their influences and fruitfulnesse into the earth that it may yeeld us the staffe of bread to strengthen our hearts That he would alwayes supply us with food convenient for us so much as may with sobriety serve to conveigh us through this earthly Pilgrimage In brief that he would be pleased to blesse unto us the things we have and bestow upon us the things we want And as we should beseech God to provide for us so likewise to protect us in all these respects more especially according to those divers seasons wherein our prayers are to be framed whether for the Day or Night For the Day is his the Night also is his he hath prepared the light and the Sun They continue still according to his Ordinances for all things serve him 'T is he that turneth darknesse into light and renues the face of the earth 1. For our morning addresses O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh also longeth after thee we should herein petition for his protection of us the day following that he would watch over us for good by his fatherly providence and defend us from all those sins and dangers to which we are exposed that we may not be insnared by any of those temptations which we shall meet with That he would give his Angels charge over us to keep us in all our wayes That he would be pleased so far to afford us his assistance and direction that we may glorifie his name both in our Thoughts Words Actions and to this end that he would put good meditations into our mindes and holy desires into our hearts truth into our inward parts That he would set a watch before our mouths and keep the door of our lips that we offend not with our tongues That no corrupt communication may proceed from us but such as is good to the use of edifying and may administer grace to the hearers That amongst our other businesses and employments we may not forget that one thing which is most necessary But may be more especially careful about all such matters as may prepare us for our appearance before him and farther us in that reckoning which we are to make at the great day of accounts That we may walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Considering that God is about our paths and is acquainted with all our wayes Every thing being naked and open unto the eyes of that dreadful Majesty before whom all the world must be judged at the last day That we may redeem the time because the dayes are evill improving the present opportunity of our health peace and prosperity unto the best advantage of our spiritual wel-being In this our day considering the things that belong unto our peace That we may be wise and modest in our carriages humble and moderate in our passions temperate and sober in our diet diligent and cheerful in our businesse That he would give us successe in all our honest undertakings making us wise and prosperous 〈◊〉 them That the glorious Majesty of the
to come down in his season and let there be showers of blessing making grasse to grow for the cattel and herbs for the service of men That we may fear the Lord our God who giveth us rain both the former and the latter in its season reserving unto us the pointed weeks of harvest 3. In times of Pestilence That he would according to his promise deliver us from the noysome Pestillence that we may not be afraid for the terrour by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day nor for the Pestilence that walketh in darknesse nor for the destruction that walketh at noon-day that no evil befall us nor any plague come nigh our dwellings That he would command his destroying Angel to put up his sword again into the sheath thereof That he would teach us to see the plague of our own hearts and to returne unto him with unfeigned repentance that he may returne unto us in mercy and compassion and pardon our sins and heal our land O thou sword of the Lord how long will it be ere thou be quiet put up thy self into thy scabberd rest be still That the arrows of the Almighty may not be any longer within us nor the poison thereof drink up our spirits That death may not come up into our windows nor enter into our palaces to cut off the children from without and the young men from the streets that he would not sweep us away with the besome of destruction but would be pleased now at length to heal us and to restore comfort unto us and to our mourners We are consumed by thine anâ—er and by thy wrath we are troubled thou hast set our iniquities before thee and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance Returne O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy servants O satisfie us early with thy mercies that we may rejoyce and be glad all our dayes For the better strengthening of our faith and fervency in our intercessions for any National mercy we may back our requests with some of those Arguments which the Scripture does afford to this purpose God hath stiled himself a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in times of trouble and that he will never forsake them that seek him He is a present help in trouble and hath proclaimed himself to be a God that hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants He hath promised that the poor shall not alwayes be forgotten the patient abiding of the meek shall not perish for ever But he will redeem their souls from deceit and violence He heareth the poor and despiseth not the prisoners He hath said that he will not alwayes contend with the children of men lest their hearts should faint and their spirits fail within them But when their power is quite gone then it shall repent him for his servants when there is no other help or uphold then the arme of the Lord shall bring salvation He hath assured us that if we commit our way unto the Lord and trust in him he will bring it to passe That the mâ—ek shall inherit the earth and delight themselves in the abundance of peace That the upright shall not be ashamed in the evill time and in the dayes of famine they shall be satisfied that though the wicked doth watch the righteous and seek to slay him yet the Lord will not leave him in his hand nor condemn him when he is judged But if we wait on the Lord and keep his way he will exalt us to inherit the land That the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord who is their strength in timâ— of trouble The Lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them from the wicked and save them because they trust in him He has promised that the rod of the wicked shall not alwayes rest upon the lot of the righteous The Scripture is very copious in such expressions as may afford Arguments to this purpose besides those that were mentioned before in the fourth Chapter which are properly reducible to this place CHAP. XXV Of Particular Intercession for our several relations PArticular Intercession may be distinguished into two sorts Ordinary Occasional By Ordinary I understand our prayers for those particular persons whom we are bound in our common and usual course to remember as we should all those to whom we are tied by any neer relation whether of Order Friendship or Enmity Neighbourhood or converse 1. For the relations of Order These are either publike and Politicall or private and Oeconomicall 1. Concerning our Publike relations the Apostle does enjoyn us to pray for Kings and all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty that he would give unto them wise understanding hearts to judge their people and to discern between good and bad That they may be a terror only to evil doers but an encouragement to those that do well That he would according to his promise make them nursing fathers unto his Church and People that they may prove friends to his friends and enemies to his enemies Considering that those who rule over men must be just ruling in the fear of the Lord. That they may know the God of their fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind that it may be well with them and their posterity after them That he would make them to beleeve and to consider that 't is not only their duty but their honour and their interest to promote the power and the reputation of Religion For all publike Counsellours and Judges that he would make them wise and upright and successefull in the discharge of all those difficult businesses that they are called unto That they may not turne judgement into wormwood by unjust decrees nor into Vineger by long delays that he would be unto them both a Sun and a Shield A Sun to direct them and a Shield to protect them in all their ways 'T is he alone who is able to instruct Magistrates and teach Senators wisdom that he would remove from them all negligence cowardize prejudice self-ends or whatever may hinder them in the free and equal administration of justice That judgement may run down as a river and righteousnesse as a mighty stream For the Nobility and Gentry that he would endow them with such vertue and spiritual graces as can alone truly ennoble them whereby they may be made the children of God and heires of Heaven that they may strive to become as eminent members in the mystical body as they are in the civil For all inferiour Magistrates those more especially under whose Jurisdiction we live that they may be men of courage fearing God wise and faithful in their places Haters of
faithfulnesse in destruction Shall thy wonders be known in the dark or thy righteousnesse in the land of forgetfulnesse Hear my prayer O Lord give ear unto my cry hold not thy peace at my teares O spare me a little that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more seen I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me Let I pray thee thy merciful kindnesse be my comfort let thy tender mercies come unto me that I may live Thus does Job petition for himself Are not my days few cease then and let me alone that I may take comfort a little before I go whence I shall not return even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death And thus the Prophet Jeremiah Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved for thou art my praise For the better strengthening of our faith and fervency in this desire there are such considerations as these He hath commanded us to call upon him in the time of trouble and hath promised to deliver us 't is in his power alone to kill to make alive to bring down to the grave and to raise up again He hath stiled himself the God of Salvation to whom belong the issues of death He can give powâ—r to the faint and to them that have no might increase of strength He has profest that the death of his Saints is dear and precious in his sight He hath promised to strengthen them upon the bed of languishing and to make their bed in their sicknesse He hath said that the prayer of faith shall save the sick He hath permitted us concerning his sons his daughters to command him thereby implying that in our intercessions for one another we may be as sure of successe as we are of those things which are in our own power to command To which may be added our former experience of his truth mercy in the like cases from all which we may be encouraged to come with boldnesse to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy in the time of need But if he hath otherwise determined and the days of their warfare be accomplished that then he would fit them for death and make them meet to be partakers of the inheritance of his Saints in light that they may be willing to depart and to be with Christ which is far better then still to be exposed to the evil to come to sinful temptations paines and diseases of the body troubles and vexations of the vain world especially considering that now death hath lost its sting and is swallowed up in victory And that it was the end of our Saviours passion to deliver them who through the fear of death have been all their life-time subject to bondage That neither death nor life nor things present nor things to come shal be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. That by this means we must be brought to enjoy the beatifical vision of God the blessed company of innumerable Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect That he would be pleased to shine graciously upon them with his favour and reconciled countenance to fill their hearts with such divine joyes as belong unto those that are heires of a celestial kingdome and are ready to lay hold on everlasting life That this light affliction which is but for a moment may work for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory That when this their earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved they may have an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens That his blessed Angels may convey their soules into Abrahams bosome Now as in such cases we should thus intercede for others so likewise may we hence take fit occasion to pray for our selves That in the diseases and paines of others we may consider the frailties of our own conditions the desert of our own sins and may magnifie his special mercy in sparing of us so much and so long That we may be more seriously mindful of our later ends as knowing that he will bring us also to death and to the house appointed for all the living and that when a few dayes are come we shall go the way whence we shall not returne That we are but strangers and pilgrims in this world dwelling in houses of clay being here to day and not to morrow in the morning and not at night that our dayes on earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding our years passe away as a tale that is told Our life is but as a vapour that appears for a while and then vanisheth away coming forth as a flower that is suddenly cut down flying as a shadow that continueth not Our times are in the hands of God all our dayes are determined the number of our moneths is with him He hath appointed our bounds that we cannot passe Lord let me know mine end and the measure of my dayes that I may know how fraile I am So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome That he would give unto us the Spirit of judgement whereby we may discerne the true difference betwixt this spanne of life and the vast spaces of immortality Betwixt the pleasures of sin for a season and that everlasting fulnesse of joy in his presence Betwixt the vain applause of men and the testimony of a good conscience That in the present days of health and peace and prosperity we may treasure up for our selves such spiritual strength comforts as may hereafter stand us in stead when we come to lie upon our death-beds when all other contentments shall vanish away and prove unable to help us when the conscience of well-doing in any one action shall administer more real comfort to the soul then all our outward advantage or enjoyments whatsoever That our conversations may be in heaven from whence we may continually expect the coming of our Lord and Saviour That all the dayes of our appointed time we may wait till our change shall come That since we all know and cannot but be amazed to consider of that dreadful day of judgement when every one must appear before the Tribunal of God to receive an eternal doome according to his works that therefore he would make us such manner of persons as we ought to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat that we may labour diligently to be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse CHAP. XXVII Concerning Thanksgiving by enumeration of Temporal favours THe third and last part of Prayer is Thanksgiving This according
to the method proposed may be connected with the former by some fitting Transition which for the matter of it may consist of some such considerations as these 1. Our confidence of obtaining the things we petition for by our experience of former mercies though they are many and great things which we are suiters for yet when we reflect upon Gods continual bounty towards us and how much we do every day receive from him we have no reason to doubt of his favour but still to depend upon him in every condition 2. The danger of ingratitude in hindering the successe of our petitions He that is not careful to pay his old debts cannot expect so much credit as to run upon a new score Under the Law when any one came before God to make any special request for himself he was to bring with him a peace-offering that is an offering of thanks for the favours he had already enjoyed thereby to prepare himself for what he expected The matter of our Thanksgiving is reducible to these two general heads 1. The Enumeration of mercies 2. The Amplification or heightning of them 1. In our Enumeration of mercies those particulars before mentioned in our Confessions Deprecations Petitions will each of them administer some help both in respect of matter expression according as our conditions may be in respect of freedom or deliverance from those evils which we confesse or deprecate or the enjoyment of those good things which we have petitioned for and upon this account I shall not need to be so large upon this head as the former 2. The Amplification or heightning of mercies may be either in General by their multitude greatnesse continuance which is capable of a distinct enlargement by its self Or else in particular by their circumstances degrees contraries which are to be insisted upon in the mention of those particular mercies to which they belong In the Enumeration of mercies we are to take notice of those that are either Ordinary Occasional By Ordinary I understand such as we enjoy in our common course without relation to any particular necessity or deliverance these again are either Temporal Spiritual Temporal are those which concern our well-beings in this life as we are men whether in our Private Publick capacities The Private or personal favours which we are to acknowledge do belong either Generally to the whole man in respect of his being nature birth education preservation or more Particularly in regard of his Soul Body Friends Name Estate In the recital of the mercies which we enjoy we are not to be unmindeful of those common favours which are bestowed upon us in respect 1. Of our Creation and Beings that God did not suffer us to beswallow'd up in our primitive nothing 2. Our noble Natures that we were not made senslesse things but endowed with living souls Men and not beasts He might have made us wormes and no men of a despicable perishable condition whereas he hath created us after his own image but little lower then the Angels capable of injoying eternity with himself in the heavens Crowning us with glory and honour putting all things in subjection under our feet 3. Our Birth that we are free-born not slaves of generous not base and ignominious parentage that we were brought forth in a place and time of Religion He might have sent us into the world without the pale of the Church in some place of idolatry or ignorance amongst the blaspheming Turks or wilde Americans We might have been born in those bloody times of persecution and martyrdom And therefore we have reason to acknowledge it for a great mercy that he hath brought us into this world both when and where his Gospel hath been professed and flourished 4. Our Education by honest loving careful Parents and Tutors under good Magistrates pious Ministers in Religious families We might have been forlorn exposed to the wide world as many others are following the dictates of our own corrupt natures without any restraint upon us We might have been put under the Tuition of such Governours as by their Negligence Example Advice would have encouraged us in evil courses and therefore we ought to acknowledge it for a great mercy that we have had such Religious and ingenuous education 5. Our Preservation God might have cut us off in the womb and being children of wrath he might from thence have cast us into hell and therefore we have reason to praise him in that he hath covered us in our mothers womb where we were fearfully and wonderfully made and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the Earth Being cloathed with skin and flesh fenced with bones and sinews Where he granted us life and favour and by his visitation hath preserved our spirits He took us out of the womb and made us hope when we were yet on our mothers breasts We were cast upon him from the womb and he is our God from our mothers belly He might many times since justly have snatched us out of this world with our sins and fears upon us It is from the Lords mercies that we are not yet consumed because his compassions faile not There may be many now in hell who have not been so great sinners as we and therefore we are bound to magnifie his name for his good providence over us through the whole course of our lives That he hath hitherto made us to dwell in safety and watched over us in journeys sicknesses and common dangers whereby so many others have been surprized and swept away round about us For defending us under the shadow of his wings and protecting us by his blessed Angels more particularly for his preservation of us the Night Day past 1. The Night past for refreshing our bodies with rest and sleep For lightening our eyes that we slept not to death For bringing us to the light of another day and that notwithstanding those many opportunities which we have formerly abused It is a good thing to give thanks unto thee O Lord and to sing praises unto thy Name O thou most high to shew forth thy loving kindnesse in the morning and thy faithfulnesse every night He might have made our beds to be our graves surprized us with our last sleep He might appoint wearisome nights for us so that when we lie down we should say When shall we arise and the night be gone and should be full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day When we expect that our bed should comfort us our couch ease our complaint then he might scare us with dreams and terrifie us through visions and therefore we have very great reason to praise him for our freedome in this kinde that when we lie down he makes our sleep sweet unto us 2. The Day past that he hath not given us over to the sinfulnesse of our own natures the subtiltie and malice of the Devil the
not persecute us with his tempests and make us afraid with his stormes nor sweep us away with a generall deluge as he did the old world 2. For visiting the earth and watering it and greatly enriching it with the river of God providing for the corn setling the furrows thereof and making it soft with showers and blessing the springing thereof so that the pastures are cloathed with flocks and the vallies are covered over with corn for that he hath sent us a plentiful rain whereby he hath confirmed and refreshed his inheritance when it was weary 3. For healthful seasons that he hath delivered us from the noysome Pestilence that walketh in darkness and from the destruction that walketh at noon-day so that no evil doth befall us nor any plague come nigh our dwellings but hath satisfied us with long life and shewed us his salvation That he hath not made the Land to spue out her inhabitants CHAP. XXVIII Of the kindes of spiritual mercies to be enumerated THese Temporal favours which we ought thus to enumerate though they are very excellent in themselves and far beyond our deserts yet are common with us to Hypocrites and such as shall hereafter be damned and therefore 't is requisite that we should after a more especial manner magnifie his glorious name for those spiritual mercies that concern our eternity Chiefly for the Lord Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith the fountain of all the other mercies which we enjoy For his Birth Incarnation Sufferings Death Resurrection Ascension Intercession with all those unspeakable benefits that we receive by them for blessing us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. More particularly for those remarkable effects of his love and merits in our 1. Election For that God hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself accordng to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace whereby he hath made us accepted in the beloved and hath from the beginning chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beliefe of the truth He might have designed us for vessels of wrath as he did the fallen Angels and then we had been eternally undone without all possible remedy There was nothing to move him in us when we lay altogether in the general heap of mankind It was his own free grace and bounty that made him to take delight in us to chuse us out from the rest and to sever us from those many thousands in the world who shall perish everlastingly 2. Redemption For that incomprehensible miracle of his wisdome and mercy in the contrivance of our redemption by the death of Christ. For he hath redeemed us by the precious blood of his dear Son who is the Image of the invisible God the first-born of every creature who gave himself a ransome for all 3. Vocation That he hath called us by the Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ And that with an holy calling not according to our own works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began 4. Justification For pardoning our sins the least of which would have been enough to have undone us to all eternity For that he hath forgiven our trespasses blotting out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to the crosse For the remission of our sins through the blood of Christ according to the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdome and prudence 5. Sanctification For renuing upon our souls in any measure the blessed Image of the Lord Jesus Christ the least glimpse whereof is infinitely more worth then the whole world For that he hath changed our vile natures and made us partakers of the divine nature Of strangers and forreigners raising us up to be fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Making us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light delivering us from the power of darknesse and translating us into the Kingdom of his dear Son And because our Sanctification is considerable both according to the Parts Means of it therefore it may be further amplified from each of these 1. For the Parts of it both in respect of our Judgements Affections Conversations 1. For our Judgements that he hath not given us over to blindnesse of minde a reprobate sense to wilde and desperate errors by which we see so many others deluded but hath in some measure revealed unto us those mysteries of godliness which are hid from many wise and great ones of the world and hath according to his divine power given us all things pertaining to life and godlinesse through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue 2. For our Affections That he hath not given us over to hardnesse of heart slightnesse of spirit that he hath in any measure weaned our souls from looking after solid contentment in the creatures and raised them up to any love of holiness any desire of a neerer communion with himself 3. For our Conversations That he hath in any measure enabled us to do him service to renounce the hidden things of dishonesty to walk in some degree as becomes children of light Having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknesse not allowing our selves in any course which we know to be unlawful The Means of our Sanctification are principally these five 1. His Spirit to convince direct assist comfort us to prevēt follow us with his grace to support us in afflictions to strengthen us in tēptations to quicken us to duty to seal us up unto the day of redēption 2. His Word so powerful in discerning the thoughts intents of the heart able to make us wise unto salvation being profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good work for his holy and righteous Law for the many gracious invitations and promises in his Gospel 3. The Sacraments That he hath not left us as strangers without the Covenāt of promise but hath ordained visible signes and seals to represent that to our senses w ch we ought to apprehend by our faith 4. The Sabbaths and publike Ordinances that we have liberty to behold the face of God in his sanctuary and to enquire in his Temple that amidst some outward troubles the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet our Teachers are not removed into corners but our eyes may see them That vision does not fail in our days that we are not punished with a famine of the Word that the Sun does not go down upon our Prophets 5. The Communion of Saints
neither seek nor ask after him and at the best 〈◊〉 return nothing to him again but some poor words or thoughts which bear no commensuration to those real infinite mercies which we receive from him Can a man be profitable unto God Is it any benefit to the Almighty that thou art righteous Or is it gain to him thâ—t thou makest thy ways perfect Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him Behold I am lesse then the least of thy mercies Now the vileness unworthines of the receiver may be another argument to set forth the greatness of the gift 3. From their Continuance The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him He had thoughts of love to us before ever the world was made and his mercy endureth for ever till time shall be no more His favour is renued to us eveâ—y moment and that notwithstanding our continual provocations against him From these and the like considerations we should labour to affect our souls with wonder and thanks to quicken and raise up our hearts in offering up unto God the sacrifice of praise that we may come before his throne with Halelujahs loud voices of joy and thankfulnesse 2. The Particular amplification of mercies from their Circumstances Degrees Contraries hath been touched upon already in the Enumeration of their several kindes and acts of favour to which the arguments of this kinde may be properly annexed The conclusion should consist of some brief affectionate Doxologies which may both expresse and excite our love and confidence such are those Scripture-expressions My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousnesse salvation all the day long for I know no end thereof Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who only doth wondrous things and blessed be his glorious name for ever and let the whole earth be filled with his glory Amen Amen While I live will I praise the Lord I will sing praises to my God whilest I have any being I will extoll thee O God my King and I will blesse thy name for ever and ever Every day will I blesse thee and praise thy name for ever and ever Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think according to the power that worketh in us unto him be glory in the Church of Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Amen Blessing and honour and glory and power and salvation and thanksgiving be unto the Lord our God for ever and ever FINIS Acts 6.4 Heb. 5.14 * Abba Father a Holy Incense b De Precatione Guil. Parisiensis de Rhetorica divina Wesselus Geoningensis de Oratione Alfonsus Rodericus Exercit. Perfectionis Tract 5. de Oratione Psa. 68.18 Mat 7.22 1 Cor. 2.14 Tit. 1.16 Eph. 4.18 Job 37.1 Luk. 11.1 1 Joh. 2.1 1 Tim. 2.5 Rom. 8. Zach 12.10 Psal. 51.15 Dr. Sanderson in 1 Cor. 12.7 Dr. Sanderson ibid. Isa. 28.26 29. 1 Cor. 12.11 2 Cor. 8.12 Job 9 14. Mr Caryll Ecc. 18.23 Isa. 38.14 Psal. 55.2 De 〈…〉 cap. 26. Plyâ— Epist lib. 2. Deut 3 24 Psal. 86.8 10. Jer. 10.12 Dan. 2.20 21. Psal 86.5 15. Dan. 9.18 Vers. 9. Psal. 10â— Vers 21. Neh. 9 8. Numb 23 19. Ps. 31.17 Exod. 9.29 Ps. 86.16 Psal. 5.12 Psal. 25 21 Psal 86.2 Ps. 44.18 2 Chron. 14.11 Ps. 31.1.3.86.2.71.5 Ver. 17 18 Psal. 6.2 3 7.6 Ps. 80.1 2. Ps. 86.1 14. 123.3 4. Isa 64.10 12. Psal. 9 14. 35 18 28. 43.4.61.8 79.13 Ps. 71.5.6 Ps. 80.8 9 143 5. Is. 51.9.10 Deut. 9.28 Psa. 74.10 22.23 Psal. 83.2.139.20 Psal. 10.13 Deut. 9.28 Wesselus Gronigensis de orat c. 3. Eph. 6.18 Col. 4.2 1 Pet. 4.7 Psal. 13.1 Isa. 63.15 I. Eccles. 28.10 Eccles. 7.29 Jer. 2.21 Isa. 48.8 Psal. 51.1 Isa. 1.4 Rom. 11.17 Eph. 2 1. Vers. 3. Rom. 6.6 Rom. 7.24 Vers. 23. John 3.6 Rom. 7.17 Vers. 21. Heb. 12.1 Rom. 5 1â— Job 14.4 Job 15.14 Ps 8.5.6 Psal. 49.20 Rom. 7.21 Vers. 13 Levit. 14.45 Jer. 2.22 Rom. 3 11 Gen. 6. â— 2 Cor. 3.5 Rom. 1.28 Vers. 21. Jer. 4.24 1 Cor. 2.14 Rom. 8.5 Vers. 7. Eph. 4.18 Eph. 4.19 1 Tim. 4.2 Tit. 1.15 Rom. 2.15 Gen. 8.21 Jer. 17.9 Gal. 5.7 Mat. 15.19 Eccles. 9.3 Jer. 5.23 Pro 14.14 Pro. 20.9 Joh. 8.24 2 Pet. 2.19 Psal. 50.17 Heb. 2.1 II. Rom. 6.13 2 Pet 2.14 Act. 7.51 Jam. 3.8 Vers. 6. Psal. 57.8 Psal. 108.1 Rom. 3.13 Vers. 14.15.16.17.18 Heb. 2.12 1. 2. Dan. 9.17 Neh. 9.34 See Bishop Downhams Abstract Bishop Andrews Catechis Master Brinsley's Watch. 1. Part. Ignorance Heb. 5.12 Job 21.14 Mat. 4 16 Phil. 1.10 Luke 12.47 Heb. 2.1 Infidelity Diffidence Ps. 55.22 Jer. 17.5 Want of Love Jer. 2.13 Isa. 55.2 Want of zeale Want of joy Deut. 28.47 Is. 61.10 Unthankfulnesse 2 Chron. 32.25 Hab. 1.16 Ps. 109.5 Deut. 32.15 Impatience Levit. 26.41 Ezra 9.13 Mich. 7.9 Disobedience Hos. 6.4 Ps. 119.6 Vers. 128. Security and Presumption Isa. 65.2 Isa. 28.12 Isa. 51.12 13. Jer. 5.3 Pride Joh. 4.24 Manner Psal. 17.1 Isa. 29.13 Means Our failings in Prayer Ps. 66.18 Ps. 145.18 Ps. 78.36 Dan. 9.8 Job 31.33 1 Joh. 5.14 Psal. 9.1 Ps. 103.1 Failings in respect of the Ministry of the Word Before At. After Failing in the Sacraments Baptisme 1 Tim. 6.12 The Lords Supper Before 1 Cor. 11.28 Aâ— After 1 Cor. 15.27 Vers. 29. Heb. 6.6 1 Cor. 1.17 Psal. 78.8 Psal. 50.16 Ps. 49.20 Eph. 4.1 The fourth Commandment Deut. 11.19 Psal. 92. Amos 8. â—5 Isa. 58.13 Neh. 8.9 Levit. 23.28 Matth. 24.38 Amos 6.3 6. Ezek. 9.4 Jer. 14.10 Jonah 3.8 Mat. 7.12 1 Pet. 2.13 Rom. 23.1 2. The sixth Commandment Mat. 5.22 1 Joh. 3.15 The seventh CoÌ„mandment Mat. 5.28 The eighth CoÌ„mandment 1 Tim. 6.10 Prov. 28.20 The ninth CoÌ„mandment The tenth CommandmeÌ„t Job 20 12 13. 1. Unbelief Ps. 125.5 2 Cor. 11.3 Tit. 1.13 Rom. 5.8 1 Joh. 4.9 Heb. 10.29 Phil. 3.8 Col. 3.11 Rom. 5.11 Gal. 6 14. Psal. 119.115 Eph. 3.8 2 Pet. 1.4 Heb. 3.2 2. Impenitency Rev. 2.21 Joh. 3.19 2 Cor. 6.1 Jude v. 4 Eph. 4.30 Rom. 2 5. Rom. 7.13 Maâ—ifold transgressions and mighty sins Am. 5.12 Mr. Goodwin's aggravation of sinne Rom. 8.7 1 Joh. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 1.21 Rom. 7.13 Rom. 8.23 Gen. 3.17 Hag. 2.13 Is. 1.18 Ps. 19 1â— Ezra 9.6 Ps. 40.12 Jer. 6.7 Gal. 3.10 Kinds of sinne Heb. 10.28 29. 2 Cor. 3.8 Mat. 11.21 22. 1 Sam. 2 25. Mat. 22.38 1 Sam. 15.22 Particular sins Ps. 51.3 Quis ubi quid quibus auxillis Cur quomodo quando 1. The Person The Person 1 Cor. 10.22 Isa. 3.8 2 Thes. 2.16 Ps. 109.5 Deut. 32.6 Rom. 2.17 18. 2. The Place Isa. 26.10 Ps. 106.7 3. The Thing 4. The Means 5. The End Jer. 2.13 Is. 55.2 Rom. 6 2â— 6. The Manner Heb. 10.26 Rom. 2 4 2 Pet. 2.22 Ps. 50.17 Isa. 5.18 Rom. 2.1 Isa. 43.24 Job 15.16
A DISCOURSE Concerning the GIFT of PRAYER SHEWING What it is wherein it consists and how far it is attainable by Industry with divers useful and proper directions to that purpose both in respect of Matter Meâ—â—od Expression By John Wilkins D. D. Whereunto may be added ECCLESIASTES OR A Discourse concerning the GIFT of PREACHING by the same AUTHOUR London Printed by T. R. and E. M. for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND at the BALL in Pauls Church-yard 1653. TO THE Reader IT may justly seem a wonder that amongst the vast multitude of Books wherewith the world does abound there should be so little written of this subject here insisted upon being in it self of such great consequence and general concernment There is scarce any kinde of skill or ability which may be taught and learnt but it hath been reduced to an Art and laid down according to some rules and method for the more facil and full comprehension of it How copious are the Treatises concerning humane Oratory and divers have written particularly of the Gift of Preaching besides the many Examples of it in Homilies or Sermons And so likewise for the models or patterns of devotion which are very numerous almost in all Languages But for the Gift of Prayer or the rules whereby a man may be directed to an ability of expressing or pouring out his soul in this duty there is for ought I can finde but little written of it in any â—anguage though it be of such general use for all kinds and professions of men and though the Gift be as much better then the Pattern as the Receipt is better then the Medicine I am very sensible that the performance of this duty in a spiritual manner is by infusion from above and does not fall under the rules of Art but yet there are some special advantages in the performance of it both for the furnishing of the judgement and the exciting of the affections which a man may be supplied with by study and premeditation and the enquiry after these is the proper subject of this discourse Every one will be ready to acknowledge it for an excellent ability when a man can readily sute his desires unto several emergencies and upon any occasion pray without book but many look upon it as being extreme difficult and not for an ordinary person to attaine That which is here endeavoured is to make it plaine and facil There are three special hinderances which do indispose men for this service want of Matter and Order Words for the supply of which here is proposed a copious feild of Matter a regular frame for method and Scripture phrase for Expression which no man need be ashamed to imitate or borrow The knowledge and consideration of these things must needs be very usefull for all callings of men every one being concerned to performe the duty and consequently to labour after the Gift Especially for such whose businesse it is after a more peculiar manner to give themselves unto Prayer and the Mimistery of the Word And amongst these cheifly for such younger unexperienced men who have not their sences exercized to discern what is proper and fitting And therefore when they are put upon this service may be apt by their ignorance in this kinde to prostitute the solemnity of this duty This discourse was at first intended only for private use and direction it was for the substance of it drawn up divers yeers since as it is now represented before I knew so much as any one Author who had formerly attempted this subject Since that I have met with and perused the profitable labours of some others in this kind M r. Elnath Parre M r. Clarke Scultetus I have lâ—kewise consulted such other Treatises as did seem most neerly to border upon it Not neglecting the discourses of those who are stiled Magistri rerum spiritualium concerning the Rules they prescribe for Mental prayer I have formerly published some other preparations of a like nature upon another subject by which I am encouraged unto some hope that this likewise may be acceptable A DISCOURSE Concerning the GIFT of PRAYER CHAP. I. What this Gift is why ascribed to the Spirit the ingredients required to it THe true happinesse of every Christian does properly consist in his spiritual communion with God This Communion is cheifly exercised in those two acts of Religion Prayer Hearing the Word Prayer may be considered under a two-fold notion either as a Duty Gift It is of very great concernment for every man to be rightly acquainted with it in both these respects How it must be performed as a Duty and how it may be attained as a Gift I am at this time to discourse of it only in this latter sence The Gift of Prayer may be thus described It is such a readinesse and faculty proceeding from the Spirit of God whereby a man is inabled upon all occasions in a fitting manner to expresse and to enlarge the desires of his heart in this duty Unto the attaining of this Gift in its true latitude and fulnesse there are three sorts of ingredients required 1. Something to be infused by the Spirit of God who must sanctifie and spiritualize the judgement and affections before we can either apprehend or desire any thing as we should 2. Some natural endowments and abilities disposing us for this Gift as Readinesse of Apprehension Copiousnesse of Phancy Tendernesse of Affection Confidence and volubility of Speech c. which are very great advantages to this purpose being naturally much more eminent in some then in others 3. Something to be acquired or gotten by our own industry Namely such a particular and distinct apprehension both of our sins and wants and the mercies bestowed upon us that we may be able to expresse the thoughts and dispositions of our minds concerning them in such a decent forme as may excite both in our selves and others sutable affections The first of these is by some stiled the Spirit of Prayer the two later the Gift of Prayer the two first of these do not fall under the rules of Art being not to be taught or learnt and therefore to these our endeavours cannot of themselves contribute the one being a special grace the other a common gift of the Spirit grounded upon innate propensity of temper or constitution and so t is the third cheifly that concerns our present inquiry Each of these may be separated from one another There may be true grace in the heart where there is but a very small measure either of this natural or acquired ability And on the other side a man may have the Gift of Prayer who has not the Spirit of Prayer that is there may be a great degree of these common gifts in such as are altogether estranged from the life of grace 'T is probable that Judas was eminent for these and therefore was chose an Apostle and so those others who at the last day shall plead for
themselves Lord have not we preached in thy name and cast out Devils c. they did all this in his Name that is they were by him both outwardly called and gifted for these services Such as have onely the second of these may sometimes exceed those that have the third whence it comes to passe that men of very ordinary parts in respect of any acquired abilities may be more ready and copious in this service then those who in respect of other knowledge are much beyond them But then only is this Gift compleat when there is a joynt concurrence of all these three ingredients when the heart is sanctified and the natural abilities improved by industry That is a very apposite text to this purpose and does treat particularly concerning this subject Prayer under the notion of a Gift Rom. 8.26 The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered The cheif Scope of that place may be comprized in these three Propositions 1. That of our selves we are very ignorant and impotent in this businesse of Prayer having many infirmities not knowing what to pray for as we ought Not but that a meer natural man upon the sence of any present want or danger may apply himself unto this duty for remedy as the Mariners in Ionah this being a common instinct of nature But to performe it acceptably either for the matter what we should pray for or the manner as we ought this is a businesse of much greater difficulty because 't is required to be according to the will of God vers 27. And the natural man understands not the things of God neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But is disobedient and unto every good work reprobate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 void of judgement being alienated from the life of God through the blindnesse that is in him There is naturaly in every man both an impotency of judgement an enmity and aversnesse of desire towards all holy duties in general and particularly to this of Prayer We cannot order â—ur speech to God by reason of darknesse saith Eliâ—u and therefore the Disciple upon their first conversion being sensible of their own disability in this kinde they made their addresses to our Saviour that he might teach them how to pray 2. The Spirit of God must be our guide and assistance in this duty He must help our infirmities and make intercession for us Not that the Holy Ghost is our Mediator of intercession that is properly the office of the Sonne who is therefore stiled our Advocate There is one Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 'T is He onely that in respect of his merits and sufferings does make intercession for us Rom. 8.34 But now because the Spirit of God does excite our hearts to prayer and infuse into us holy desires stirring us up and instructing us in this duty therefore is he said to intercede for us So Gal. 4.6 there the Spirit is said to cry Abba Father God hath sent the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father and yet vers 15. of that forecited place 't is said We have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father In which places being compared the Spirit is said to cry Abba Father because it makes us to do so So is he said to pray for us because he does informe and quicken us to pray for our selves 'T is one of his peculiar titles to be stiled the Spirit of Supplication because of that special influence which he hath in the bestowing of this gift He must open our lips before our mouths can shew forth his praise Not that the other persons of Trinity are excluded from a joynt concurrence in this work Opera Trinitatis ad exâ—ra sunt indivisa All the actions of the blessed Trinity excepting onely those that are of intrinsecall â—elation being the undivided works of all the three But now because our grosse understandings are not able to conceive of this Trinity without some distinction of their offices and operations in reference to us therefore does the Scripture condescend so farre to our capacities as to speak of these common works by way of appropriation Thus Power and Creation is commonly ascribed to the Father Wisdome and Redemption to the Sonne Goodnesse and all habituall graces or gifts to the Holy Ghost These general operations of the Spirit are usually distinguished into two sorts Either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gift Or in the common expression of the Schooles there is 1. Gratia gratum faciens which referres to those gifts of Sanctification that do more especially concerne our own happinesse 2. There is gratia gratis data which concernes gifts of Edification whereby we are made usefull to others according to our severall stations Of the first kind are all those spiritual Graces Faith Repentance Humility c. infused into us in our regeneration Unto the other are reducible all kinde of secondary endowments or abilities whatsoever that belong to the reasonable soul excepting onely those first faculties that flow immediately à principiis speciei and are in all men alike I say all kinde of abilities or good habits are reducible under this head Whether or no they are by extraordinary and immediate infusion as were those gifts in the Primitive times of tongues miracles healing c. 1 Cor. 12. Or whether they are naturall abilities arising from mens severall tempers and dispositions as strength of judgement quicknesse of fancy warmnesse of affection readinesse of speech Or else whether they are intellectuall habits which are acquired and perfected by Education Industry Experience as when men become skilfull in any particular Art or profession That skill of Bezaliel and Aholiab for those curious artificiall works of the Tabernacle to work in gold and silver and brasse and cutting of stones and carving of wood was from the Spirit of God Exod. 35.31 The secular policy of Achitophel The natural wisdome of Solomon The skill of the Plowman both in sowing and threshing does proceed from the same Spirit from whom every good and perfect gift does come In breif when men become skilfull and expert in any faculty whether Disputing Oratory Preaching Praying c. each of these does proceed from the Spirit of God as the principall Author of them dividing to every man severally as he will All other helps whether from nature or industry being but secondary subordinate Aides which are by Him made effectual for the accomplishing of these ends That Question of the Apostle being fitly applyable unto all preheminences of this kinde Who made thee to differ from another And what hast thou that thou hast not received 1 Cor. 4.7 So then all kinde of good habits or abilities and particularly this gift