your souls undone if impious slothfulness be predominant Prov. 15. 19. The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns but the way of the righteous is made plain You seem still to go through so many difficulties that you will never make a successful journey of it Yea when he is in duty the slothful is still losing Time He prayeth as if he prayed not and laboureth as if he laboured not as if the fruit of holiness past away as hastily as worldly pleasures He is as slow as a Snail and rids so little ground and doth so little work and so poorly resisteth opposition that he makes little of it and all is but next to sitting still and doing nothing It is a sad thing that men should not only lose their time in sinful pleasures but they must lose it also in reading and hearing and praying by doing all in a heartless drowsiness Thus he also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster Prov. 18. 9. If he begin in the Spirit and for a Spurt seem to be in earnest he flags and tireth and endeth in the flâ—sh Proverbs 12. 27. The slothful rosteth not that which he took in hunting but the subâ—tance of a diligent man is precious If he see and confess a vice he hath not a heart to rise against it and resolutely resist it and use the means by which it must be overcome Prov. 24. 30 31 32 33 34. I went by the field of the slothful and by the Vineyard of the man void of understanding and â—o it was all grown over with Thorns and Nettles had covered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken down Then I saw and considered it well I looked upon it and received instruction Yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth and thy want as an armed man Shake off then this unmanly sluggishness Remember that you run for the immortal Crown and therefore see that you lose no time and look not at the things that are behind that is do not cast an eye or lend an ear Phâ—â— â— 11 12 13 14 15. to any person or thing that would call you back or stop you Heaven is before you Judg. 18. 9. We have seen the Land and behold it is very good and are ye still be not slothful to go and to enter and possess the Land as the five Danite Spies said to their brethren Abhor a sluggish habit of mind Go cheerfully about what you have to do and do it diligently and with your might Even about your lawful worldly business it is a Time-wasting sin to be slothful If you are servants or labourers you rob your Masters and those that hire you who hired you to work and not to be idle Whatever you are you rob God of your service and your selves of your precious Time and all that you might get therein It 's they that are lazie in their Callings that can find no Time for holy duties Ply your business the rest of the day and you may the better redeem some time for prayer and reading Scripture Work hard on the Week dayes and you may the better spend the Lords day entirely for your souls Idle persons servants or others do cast themselves behind hand in their work and then say they have no time to pray or read the Scripture Sloth robbeth multitudes of a great part of their lives Prov. 19. 15. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep and an idle soul shall suffer hunger You cannot say No man hath hired you when you are askt Why stand you idle Matth 20. 3 6. See how sharply Paul reproveth idleness 2 Thess. 3. determining that they that will not work should not eat and that they be avoided as unfit for Christian society And 1 Tim. 5. 13. he sharply rebuketh some Women that learn to be idle wandring about from house to house And Rom. 12. 11. Not slothful in business but fervent in spirit serving the Lord. A painful diligent person is still redeeming time while he doth that which is good and a slothful person is alwayes losing it § 51. Th. 2. The second Thief or Time-waster is Excess of sleep Necessity cureth most of the Thief 2. poor of this but many of the rich are guilty of it If you ask me What is excess I answer All that is more than is needful to our health and business So much as is necessary to these I reprehend not And therefore the infirm may take more than the healthful and the old more than the young And those that find that an hours sleep more will not hinder them but further them in their work so that they shall do the more and not the less as being unfit without it may use it as a means to the after improvement of their Time But when sluggish persons spend hours in bed which neither their health nor labours need meerly out of a swinish love of sleep yea when they will have no work to do or Calling to employ them but what shall give place to their sleepy disease and think they may sleep longer than is necessary because they are rich and can afford it and have no necessary business to call them up these think they may consume their pretious time and sin more and wrong their souls more because God hath given them more than others As if their servant should plead that he may sleep more than others because he hath more wages than others O did these drowsie wretches know what work they have to do for God and their poor souls and those about them it would quickly awake them and make them stir Did they but know how earnestly they will shortly wish that they had all those hours to spend again they would spend them better now than in drowziness Did they but know what a woful account it will be when they must be answerable for all their time to say we spent so many hours every week or morning in excess of sleep They would be rowsed from their Stie and find some better use for their time which will be sweeter in the review when Time is ended and must be no more § 52. Th. 3. The next Thief or Time-waster is inordinate adorning of the body The poor may Thief 3. thank God that they are free also from the temptations to this and can quickly dress them and go about their business But many Ladies and Gallants are so guilty of this Vice that I wonder conscience Nosti mores mulierum Dum moliÌ„un tur dum comuntur annus est Tâ—reat is so patient with them O poor neglected undrest souls O filthy consciences never cleansed from your pollutions by the Spirit or blood of Christ Have you not better use for precious hours than to be washing and pinning and dressing and curling and spotting and powdering till ten or eleven
in the sense of your natural sin and misery to stir up the lively sense of the wonderful Love of God and our Redeemer and to spend all the day in the special exercises of Faith and Love And seeing it is the Christian weekly festival or day of Thanksgiving for the greatest mercy in the world spend it as a day of Thanksgiving should be spent especially in Ioyful Praises of our Lord and let the huâ—bling and instructing exercisâ—s of the day he all subordinate to these laudatory exercises I know that much time must be spent in teaching and warning the ignorant and ungodly because their poverty and labours hinder them from other such opportunities and we must speak to them then or not at all But if it were not for their meer necessity and if we could as well speak to them other dayes of the Week the Churches should spend all the Lords Day in such praises and thanksgivings as are suitable to the ends of the institution But seeing that cannot be expected methinks it is desirable that the antient custome of the Churches were more imitated and the morning Sermon being fuited to the state of the more ignorant and unconverted that the rest of the day were spent in the exercises of Thanksgiving to the Joy and encouragement of believers and in doctrine suited to their state And yet I must add that a skilfull Preacher will do both together and so declare the Love and Grace of our Redeemer as by a meet application may both draw in the ungodly and comfort those that are already sanctified and raise their hearts in Praise to God § 4. Direct 4. Remember that the Lords day is appointed specially for publick worship and personal Direct 4. Communion of the Churches therein see therefore that you spend as much of the day as you can in this publick worship and Church-communion especially in the celebration of that Sacrament which is appointed for the memorial of the death of Christ untill his coming 1 Cor. 11. 25 26. This Sacrament in the Primitive Church was celebrated every Lords day yea and ofter even ordinarily on every other day of the week when the Churches assembled for Communion And it might be so now without any hinderance to Preaching or Prayer if all things were ordered as they should be For those Prayers and instructions and exhortations which are most suited to this Eucharistical action would be the most suitable Prayers and Sermons for the Church on the Lords dayes In the mean time sâ—e that so much of the day as is spent in Church-communion and publick worship be accordingly improved by you and be not at that time about your secret or family services but take only those hours for such private duties in which the Church is not assembled And remember how much the Love of Saints is to be exercised in this Communion and therefore labour to keep alive that Love without which no man can celebrate the Lords day according to the end of the institution § 5. Direct 5. Understand how great a mercy it is that you have leave thus to wait upon God for the receiving and exercise of grace and to cast off the distracting thoughts and businesses of the world and Direct 5. what an opportunity is put into your hand to get more in one day than this world can affâ—rd you all your lives And therefore come with gladness as to the receiving of so great a mercy and with desire after it and with hope to speed and not with unwillingness as to an unpleasant task as carnal hearts that Love not God or his Grace or Service and are aweary of all they do and glâ—d when it is done as the Ox that is unyoaked Isa. 58. 13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a Delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own waies nor finding thine own pleasuâ—e nor speaking thine own words then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord The affection that you have to the Lords day much sheweth the temper of the heart A holy person is glad when it cometh as loving it for the holy exercises of the day A wicked carnal heart is glad of it only for his carnal ease but weary of the spiritual duties § 6. Direct 6. Avoid both the extreams of Prophaneness and Superstition in the point of your external rest And to that end Observe 1. That the work is not for the day but the day for the holy Direct 6. work As Christ saith Mark 2. 27. The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath It is appointed for our good and not for our hurt 2. The outward rest is not appointed for it self but as a means to the freedom of the mind for inward and spiritual employments And therefore all those outward and common labours and discourses are unlawful which any way distract the mind and hinder either our outward or inward attendance upon God and our edification 3. And whatever it was to the Jews no common words or actions are unlawful which are no hinderance to this communion and worship and spiritual edification 4. Yea those things that are necessary to the support of nature and the saving of the Life or health or estate and goods of our selves or our neighbours are needful duties on that day Not all those works which are truly charitable for it may be a work of mercy to build Hospitals or make Garments for the poor or Till their ground but such works of mercy as cannot be put off to another day and such as hinder not the duties of the day 5. The same word or action on the Lords day which is unlawful to one man may be lawful to another as being no hinderance yea a duty to him As Christ saith The Priests in the Temple break or prophane the Sabbath that is the outward rest but not the command and are blameless Matth. 12. 15. And the Cook may lawfully be employed in dressing meat when it were a sin in another to do it voluntarily without need 6. The Lords day being to be kept as a day of Thanksgiving the dressing of such meat as is fit for a day of Thanksgiving is not to be scrupled The primitive Christians in the Apostles time had their Love-feasts constantly with the Lords Supper or after on the Evening of the day And they could not feast without dressing meat 7. Yet that which is lawful in it self must be so done as consisteth with care and compassion of the souls of servants that are employed about it that they may â—e deprived of no more of their spiritual benefit than needs 8. Also that which is lawful must sometimes be forborn when it may by scandal tempt others that are loose or weak to do that which is unlawful not that the meer displeasing of the erroneous should put us out of the right
as we are appointed Answ. 1. HAd I been a prescriber to others my self I should not have required the Church to stand up at the reading of one part of a Chapter by the name of the Gospel and not at the same words when the whole Chapter is read 2. But if I live where Rulers peremptorily command it I suppose not forbiding us to stand up at the Gospel read in Chapters but selecting this as an instance of their signified Consent to the Gospel who will do no more I would obey them rather than give offence by standing up at the Reading of the Chapters and all which I suppose will be no violation of their Laws Quest. 88. Is it lawful to kneel when the Decalogue is read Answ. 1. IF I lived in a Church that mistook the Commandments for Prayers as many ignorant people do I would not so harden them in that errour 2. And if I knew that many of the people present are of that mind I had rather do nothing that might scandalize or harden them in it But 1. That the thing in it self is Lawful is past doubt As we may kneel to the King when we hear him or speak to him so it is lawful to kneel to God when we read a Chapter or hear it read and specially the Decalogue so terribly delivered and written by his own finger iâ—â—stone 2. And if it be peremptorily commanded and the omission would be offensive I would use it though mistaking persons are present 1. Because I cannot disobey and also differ from the whole Assembly without a greater hurt and scandal than seeming to harden that mistaking person 2. And because I could and would by other means remove that persons danger as from me by making him know that it is no prayer 3. And the rather in our times because we can get the Minister in the Pulpit publickly to tell the people the Contrary 4. And in Catechizing it is his appointed duty so to do 5. And we find that the same old silly people who took the Commandments for a prayer took the Creed to be so too When yet none kneeled at the Creed By which it appeareth that it is not kneeling which deceived them Quest. 89. What Gestures are fittest in all the publick Worship Answ. 1. THE Customâ—s of several Countreys putting several significations on gestures much varieth the Case 2. We must not lightly differ from the customes of the Churches where we live in such a thing 3. According to the present state of our Churches and the signification of gestures and the necessities of mens bodies all considered I like best 1. To kneel in Prayer and Confession of sin unless it be in crowded Congregations where there is not room 2. To stand up in actions of meer Praise to God that is at the singing and reading of the Psalms of praise and at the other Hymnes 3. To sit at the hearing of the Word read and preached Because the body hath a necessity of some rest 4. Had I my choice I would receive the Lords Supper sitting But where I have not I will use the gesture which the Church useth And it is to be noted that the Church of England requireth the Communicant only to Râ—â—â—â—ive it kneeling but not to Eat or drink it kneeling when they have received it The ancient Churches took it for for an universal custome established by many general Councils and continued many hundred years that no Churches should kneel in any act of Adoration upon any Lords day in the year or any week day between Easter and Whitsonâ—ide but only stand all the time But because the weaâ—iness of the body is apt to draw the mind into Consent and make Gods service burdensome to us it seemeth a sufficient complyance with their custome and the 1 Chr. 17. 16. 2 Sam. 7. 18. reasons of it if we stand up only in acts of Praise and at the profession of our Assent to the Christian faith and Covenant 5. And because there is so great a difference between the auditors in most Assemblies some being weak and not able to stand long c. therefore it is utterly unmeet to be too rigorous in urging a Uniformity of Gesture or for any to be too censorious of other men for a Gesture Quest. 90. What if the Pastor and Church cannot agree about singing Psalms or what Version or Translation to use or time or place of meeting c Answ. 1. IT is the office of the Pastor to be the Guide and Ruler in such things when the Magistrate interposeth not And the people should obey him 2. But if the Pastor injure the Church by his mis-guidance and male-administration he ought to amend and give them satisfaction I meddle not here with the Magistrates part And if he do not they have their remedy before-mentioned 3. And if the people be obstinate in disobedience upon causeless quarrels the Pastor must first labour to convince them by reason and Love and his authority And if no means will bring them to submission he must consider whether it be better as to the pblick good of the Church of Christ that he comply with them and suffer them or that he depart and go to a more tractable people And accordingly he is to do For they cannot continue together in Communion if one yield not to the other Usually or ofttimes it will be better to leave such an obdurate self-willed people lest they be hardened by yielding to them in their sin and others encouraged in the like by their example And their own experience may at last convince them and make them yield to better things as Geneva did when they revoked Calvin But sometimes the publick good requireth that the Pastor give place to the peoples folly and stay among them and rather yield to that which is not best so it be otherwise lawful as a worse translation a worse version Liturgie order time place c. than quite forsake them And he that is in the right may in that case yield to him that is in the wrong in point of practice Quest. 91. What if the Pastor excommunicate a man and the people will not forbear his Communion as thinking him unjustly Excommunicated Answ. 1. EIther the Pastor or the people are in the Errour 2. Either the person is a dangerous Heretick or grosly wicked or not 3. Either the people do own the Errour or sin for which he is excommunicated or only judge the person not guilty 4. The Pastors and the peoples part in the execution must be distinguished And so I conclude 1. That if the Pastor err and wrong the people he must repent and give them satisfaction But if it be their errour and obstinacy then 2. If the Pastor foreknow that the people will dissent in some small dispensible cases he may forbear to excommunicate one that deserveth it or if he know it after that they will not forbear Communion with the person he may go on
to God who needeth fewest things for himself and doth most good to others And Christ telleth us that universal charity extending even to them that hate and persecute us doth make us as his Children like our heavenly Father Matth. 5. 44 45 46 48. As Hating and Hurting their neighbours is the mark of the Children of the Devil Iohn 8. 44. so Loving and Doing Good is the mark of the Children of God And it is observable that no one treateth so copiously and pathetically of Love both of Christs love to us and ours to him as the blessed Disciple whom Jesus is said to have eminently Loved as Iohn 13. 14 15 16. 17. 1 Iohn shew It hath often pleased me to hear how dearly you were beloved by that exceeding great and populous Parish where lately you were Preacher for your eminent Charity to their souls and bodies And to see that still you take it for your work and calling to be a provoker of others to Love and to Good Works Heb. 10. 24. whilest many that are taken for good Christians do deal in such works as Rarities or Recreations only a little now and then upon the by and whilest Satans Ministers are provoking others to Hatred and to Hurtfulness Your Labour is so amiable to me that it would contribute to my comforts if I were able to contribute any thing to your assistance You desire me to give you my judgement of the quota pars What proportion it is meet for most men to devote to Charitable uses Whether the Tenth Part of their increase be not ordinarily a fit proportion The reason why I use not to answer such Questions without much distinguishing when lazy impatient Readers would have them answered in a word is because the real difference of particular cases is so great as maketh it necessary unless we will deceive men or leave the matter as dark and unresolved as we found it I. Before I answer your Question I shall premise that I much approve of the way which you insist upon of setting so much constantly apart as is fit for us to give that it may be taken by us to be as a devoted or consecrated thing And methinks that there is much of a Divine Direction for the time in 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. together with the practice of the antient Church That upon the first day of the week every one lay by him in store as God hath prospered him And it will do much to cure Pharisaical Sabbatizing when the Lords Day is statedly used in this with holy works and will teach Hypocrites to know what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice Matth. 9. 13. and 12. 7. And that works of Charity are an odour a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God who of the riches of his Glory in Christ will supply all the need of such as bring forth such fruit to abound unto their account Phil. 4. 17 18 19. So it be done without any ensnaring vows or rash engagements to unnecessary things this constant setting apart a certain proportion for pious and charitable uses will have these advantages 1. Our distribution will be made deliberately and prudently when before-hand we study a due proportion and determine accordingly whereas they that give only occasionally as some object suddenly inviteth them will do it at randome without due respect to their own accounts whether the proportion given be answerable to their own estate and duty 2. This stated way will make mens charity much more extensive When objects of charity are not in their sight they will inquire after them and they will seek for the needy if the needy seek not unto them because they have so much by them to dispose of which is devoted to God But those who give but as occasional objects draw it from them will give to none but those that crave or will pass by many as needy whom they see not while they relieve only those few that they hap to see 3. And it will make mens charity also to be more constant and done obediently as a Christians daily work and duty when occasional charity will be more rarely and unconstantly exercised In a word as the observation of the Lords Day which is a stated proportion of time secureth the holy improvement of our time much better than if God be served but occasionally without a stated time and as a constant stated course of Preaching excelleth meer occasional exhortations even so a constant course of Giving wisely stated will find out objects and overcome temptations and discharge our Duty with much more integrity and success And if we can easily perceive that occasional Praying will not so well discharge the duty of prayer as a constant stated course will do why should we not think the same of occasional Giving if men did but perceive that Giving according to our ability is as sure and great a duty as Praying Now to your Question of the Proportion of our gifts II. We must distinguish 1. Between them that have no more than will supply their own and their families true necessities and those that have more 2. Between them that have a stock of money which yieldeth them no increase and those that have more increase by their labour but little stock 3. Between them whose increase is like to be constant and theirs that is uncertain sometime more and sometime less 4. Between them that have many children or near kindred that nature casteth upon them for relief and those that have few or no children or have a competent provision for them and have few needy kindred that they are especially obliged to relieve 5. Between those that live in times and places where the necessities of the poor are very great or some great works of Piety are in hand and those that live where the poor are in no great necessity and no considerable opportunity for any great work of Piety or Charity doth appear These distinctions premised I answer as followeth 1. It is certain that every true Sanctified Christian hath Devoted himself and all that he hath to God to be used in obedience to his will and for his glory 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. 1 Cor. 10. 31. Luke 18. 33. The Question therefore is not Whether the Tenth part of our estate should be devoted to and employed in the service of God one way or other as he directeth us For it is out of Question that all is his and we are but his stewards and must give account of our stewardship and of all our receivings Matth. 25. But the Question is only what proportion is best pleasing to God in our giving to others 2. A Christian being unseignedly thus resolved in the General to lay out that he hath or shall have as God would have him and to his glory as near as he can his next enquiry must be for finding out the will of God to know in the ordinary course of his distribution where
selfishness and pride and sensual pleasing of the fleshly appetite and fancy These are the most common radical and most mortal damning sins Direct 10. Take certain times to call your selves to a special strict account As 1. At your preparation Direct 10. for the Lords Day at the end of every Week 2. In your preparation for the Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood 3. And before a day of Humiliation 4. In a time of sickness or other affliction 5. Yea every night review the actions of the foregoing day He that useth to call his conscience seriously to account is likest to keep his accounts in order and to be ready to give them up to Christ. Direct 11. Make not light of any sin which you discover in your self-examination But humble Direct 11. your selves for it before the Lord and be affected according to its importance both in its guilt and evil signification Direct 12. And let the end of all be the renewed exercise of faith and thankfulness and resolutions Direct 12. for better obedience hereafter That you may see more of the need and use of a Saviour and may thankfully magnifie that Grace which doth abound where sin abounded and may walk the more watchfully and holily for the time to come Tit. 3. Directions for Self-judging as to our Estates to know whether we are in a regenerate and justified state or not Direct 1. IF you would so judge of the state of your souls as not to be deceived come not to Direct 1. the tryal with an over-confident prejudice or conceit of your own condition either as good or bad He that is already so prepossessed as to resolve what to judge before he tryeth doth make his tryal but a means to confirm him in his conceit Direct 2. Let not self-love partiality or pride on the one side or fear on the other side pervert Direct 2. your judgement in the tryal and hinder you from the discerning of the truth Some men cannot see the clearest evidences of their unsanctified hearts because self-love will give them leave to believe nothing of themselves which is bad or sad They will believe that which is good and pleasant be it never so evidently false As if a Thief could be saved from the Gallows by a strong conceit that he is a true man or the conceit that one is learned would make him learned Others through timerousness can believe nothing that is good or comfortable of themselves Like a man on the top of a Steeple who though he know that he standeth fast and safe yet trembleth when he looketh down and can scarce believe his own understanding Silence all the Objections of an over-timerous mind and it will doubt and tremble still Direct 3. Surprise not your selves on the sudden and unprepared with the question whether you Direct 3. are justified or not but set about it as the most serious business of your life A great and difficult question must have a well studied answer and not be answered hastily and rashly If one should meet you in the Street and demand some great and long account of you you would desire him to stay till you review your memorials or have time to cast it up Take some appointed time to do this when you have no intruding thoughts to hinder you and think not that it must be resolved easily or quickly upon the first enquiry but by the most sober and judicious consideration and patient attendance till it be done Direct 4. Understand the tenour of the Covenant of Grace which is the Law that you must Direct 4. judge of your estates by for if you mistake that you will err in the conclusion He is an unfit Judge who is ignorant of the Law Direct 5. Mistake not the nature of true faith in Christ. Those that think it is a believing that Direct 5. they are actually pardoned and shall be saved do some of them presume or believe it when it is false and some of them despair because they cannot believe it And those that think that faith is such a recumbency on Christ as alwayes quieteth the mind do think they have no faith when they have no such quietness And those that think it is only the resting on the blood of Christ for pardon do take up with that which is no true faith But he that knoweth that faith in Christ is nothing else but Christianity or consenting to the Christian Covenant may know that he Consenteth even when he findeth much timerousness and trouble and taketh not up with a deceitful faith Direct 6. Remember in your self-judging that the Will is the Man and what you truly would Direct 6. be that you are in the sense of the Covenant of Grace Direct 7. But remember also that your Endeavours must prove the truth of your Desires and that Direct 7. idle wishes are not the denominating acts of the Will Direct 8. Also your successes must be the proof of the sincerity of your Endeavours For such Direct 8. striving against sin as endeth in yielding to it and not in victory is no proof of the uprightness of your hearts Direct 9. Mark what you are in the day of tryal For at other times it is more easie to be Direct 9. deceived And record what you then discover in your self What a man is in tryal that he is indeed Direct 10. Especially try your selves in the great point of forsaking all for Christ and for the Direct 10. hopes of the fruition of God in Glory Know once whether God or the Creature can do more with you and whether Heaven or Earth be dearer to you and most esteemed and practically preferred and then you may judge infallibly of your state Direct 11. Remember that in melancholy and weakness of understanding you are not fit for Direct 11. the casting up of so great accounts but must take up with the remembrance of former discoveries and with the judgement of the judicious and be patient till a fitter season before you can expect to see in your selves the clear evidence of your state Direct 12. Neither forget what former discoveries you have made nor yet wholly rest in them Direct 12. without renewing your self-examination They that have found their sincerity and think that the next time they are in doubt they should fetch no comfort from what is past do deprive themselves of much of the means of their peace And those that trust all to the former discoveries of their good estate do proceed upon unsafe and negligent principles and will find that such slothful and venturous courses will not serve turn Direct 13. Iudge not of your selves by that which is unusual and extraordinary with you but by Direct 13. the tenour and drift of your hearts and lives A bad man may seem good in some good mood and a good man may seem bad in some extraordinary fall To judge of a bad man
strength are in their vigour and do not yet fail you And who should go fastest or work hardest but he that hath the greatest strength You may now get more by diligence in a day than hereafter you can get in many How few prove good Scholars or wise men that begin not to learn till they are old Fly youthful lusts therefore 2 Tim. 2. 22. Remember your Creator in the days of your youth Eccl. 12. 1. If you be now trained up in the way you should go you will not depart from it when you are old Prov 22. 6. O that you could but know what an unspeakable advantage and benefit and comfort it is to come to a ripe age with the provisions and furniture of that wisdom and holiness and acquaintance with God which should be attained in your youth and what a misery it is to be then to learn that which you should have been many years before in practising and to be then to begin to live when you must make an end much more to be cast to Hell if death should find you unready in your youth or to be forsaken of God to a hardened age Happy they that with Timothy and Obadiah do learn the Scripture and fear God in their Childhood and from their youth 1 King 18. 12. 2 Tim. 3. 15. § 63. Sort 2. Necessity maketh it incumbent on the weak and sick and aged in a special manner Sort 2. to Redeem their Time If they will not make much of it that are sure to have but a little and if they will trifle and loyter it away that know they are near their journeys end and ready to give up their accounts they are unexcusable above all others A Thief or Murderer will pray and speak good words when he is going out of the World Well may it be said to you as Paul doth Rom. 13. 11 12. Now it is high time to awake out of sleep when your salvation or damnation is so near It is high time for that man to look about him and prepare his soul and lose no time that is so speedily to appear before the most Holy God and be used for ever as he hath lived here § 64. Sort 3. It is specially incumbent on them to Redeem the Time who have loytered and Sort 3. mispent much time already If Conscience tell you that you have lost your youth in ignorance and vanity and much of your age in negligence and worldliness it is a double crime in you if you Redeem not diligently the Time that is left The just care of your salvation requireth it unless you 1 Pet. 4. 3. are willing to be damned Ingenuity and duty to God requireth it unless you will defie him and resolve to abuse and despise him to the utmost and spend all the time against him which he shall give you The nature of true Repentance requireth it unless you will know none but the Repentance of the damned and begin to Repent the mispending of your Time when it s gone and all is too late § 65. Sort 4. It is specially their duty to Redeem the Time who are scanted of time through poverty Sort 4. service or restraint If poor people that must labour all the day will not Redeem the Lords day and those few hours which they have they will then have no time at all for things spiritual servants that be not Masters of their time and are held close to their work had need to be very diligent in Redeeming those few hours which are allowed them for higher things Sort 5. § 66. Sort 5. Thâ—se that enjoy any special helps either publick or private must be specially carefull to improve them and Redeem the Time Do you live under a convincing powerful Ministry O improve it and Redeem the Time for you know not how soon they may be taken from you or you from them Do you live with Godly Relations Parents Husband Wife Masters in a Godly Family or with godly fellow-servants friends or Neighbours Redeem the time get somewhat by them every day you know not how short this season will be Do you live where you have Books and leisure Redeem the time This also may not be long Had not Ioshua been horribly unexcusable if he would have loitered when God made the Sun stand still while he pursued his enemies O loiter not you while the Sun of mercy patience means and helps do all attend you § 67. Sort 6. Those must especially Redeem the Time who are ignorant or graceless or weak in Sort 6. grace and have strong corruptions and little or no assurance of salvation and are unready to dye and have yet all or the most of their work to do If these loiter they are doubly to blame sure the Ephes. 2. 2. Time past of your lives may suffice to have loitered and done evil 1 Pet. 4. 3. Hath not the Devil had too much already Will ye stand all the day idle Mat. 20. 6. Look home and see what you have yet to do How much you want to a safe and comfortable death Hos. 10. 12. Sow to your selves in righteousness reap in mercy break up your fallow ground for it is time to seek the Lord till he come and rain righteousness upon you § 68. Sort 7. It much concerneth them to Redeem the Time who are in any office or have any Sort 7. opportunity of doing any special or publick good especially Magistrates and Ministers of Christ. Your life will not be long your office will not be long O bestir you against sin and Satan and for Christ and holiness while you may God will try you but a time Let Obadiah hide and feed the Prophets when he is called to it and while he may that God may hide him and not think to shift off duty and save himself to a better time saith Mordechai to Esther Esth. 9. 13 14. Think not with thy self that thou shalt escape in the Kings house more than all the Iews For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise from another place but thou and thy Fathers house shall be destroyed and who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this Are you Ministers O preach the Gospel while you may Redeem the time All times are your season so great a work and the worth of souls commandeth you to do it in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4. 2. A man that is to save many others from drowning or to quench a fire in the City is unexcusable above all men if he Redeem not time by his greatest diligence and speed § 69. Sort 8. Lastly it is specially incumbent on them to Redeem the time who being recovered Sort 8. from sickness or saved from any danger are under the obligation both of special mercy and special promises of their own who have promised God in the time of sickness or
a costly sin and consumeth more than would serve to many better purposes How great a part of the riches of most Kingdoms are spent in Luxury and Excess § 28. 13. It is a sin that is a great enemy to the common good Princes and Common-wealths have reason to hate it and restrain it as the enemy of their safety Men have not money to defray the publick charges necessary to the safety of the Land because they consume it on their Guts Armies and Navies must be unpaid and Fortifications neglected and all that tendeth to the glory of a people must be opposed as against their personal interest because all is too little for the throat No great works can be done to the honour of the Nation or the publick good no Schools or Almshouses built and endowed no Colledges erected no Hospitals nor any excellent work because the Guts devour it all If it were known how much of the Treasure of the Land is thrown down the Sink by Epicures of all degrees this sin would be frowned into more disgrace § 29. 14. Gluttony and Excess is a sin greatly aggravated by the Necessities of the poor Whâ—â— an incongruity is it that one member of Christ as he would be thought should be feeding himself deliciously every day and abounding with abused superfluities whilst another is starving and pining in a Cottage or begging at the door and that some families should do worse than cast their delicates and abundance to the Dogs whilst thousands at that time are ready to famish and are fain to feed on such unwholsome food as killeth them as soon as Luxury kills the Epicure Do these men believe that they shall be judged according to their feeding of the poor Or do they take themselves Matth â—5 â— to be members of the same body with those whose sufferings they so little feel 1 Cor. 12 26. It may be you 'll say I do relieve many of the poor But are there not more yet to be relieved As long as there are any in distress it is the greater sin for you to be luxurious Deut. 15. 7. If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren in thy land thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand against thy poor brother but thou shalt open thy hand wide unto him c. Nay how often are the poor oppressed to satisfie luxuâ—iâ—us appetites Abundance must have hard bargains and hard usage and toil like Horses and scarce be able to get bread for their families that they may bring in all to belly-god Landlords who consume the fruit of other mens labours upon their devouring flesh § 30. 15. And it is the heinouser sin because of the common calamities of the Church and Servants of Christ throughout the world One part of the Church is oppressed by the Turk and another by the Pope and many Countreys wasted by the cruelties of Armies and persecuted by proud impious enemies and is it fit then for others to be wallowing in sensuality and gluttony Amos 6. 1 3 4 5 6. Wo to them that are at ease in Zion Ye that put far away the evil day and cause the seat of violence to come near That lye upon beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches and eat the Lambs out of the flock and the Calves out of the midst of the stall that châ—unt to the sound of the Viol That drink Wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the chief oyntments but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph It is a time of great humiliation and are you now given up to fleshly luxury Read Isa. 22. 12 13 14. And in that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning and to baldness and to girding with sackcloth and behold joy and gladness slaying Oxen and killing Sheep eating Flesh and drinking Wine let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye dye saith the Lord of Hosts § 31. 16. Luxury is a sin most unseemly for men in so great misery and incongruous to the state of the Gluttonous themselves O man if thou hadst but a true sight of thy sin and misery of death and judgement and of the dreadful God whom thou dost offend thou wouldst percieve that fasting and prayer and tears become one in thy condition much better than glutting thy devouring flesh What a man unpardoned unsanctified in the power of Satan ready to be damned if thus thou dye for so I must suppose of a Glutton for such a man to be taking his fleshly pleasure For a Dives to be faring sumptuously every day that must shortly want a drop of water to cool his tongue is as foolish as for a Thief to feast before he goeth to hanging yea and much more For you might yet prevent your misery and another posture doth better beseem you to that end Fasting and crying mightily to God is fitter to your state See Ionah 3. 8. Ioel 1. 14. Ioel 2. 15. § 32. 17. Gluttony is a sin so much the greater by how much the more Will and Delight you have in the committing of it The sweetest most voluntary and beloved sin is caeteris paribus the greatest And few are more pleasant and beloved than this § 33. 18. Those are the worst sins that have least Repentance But Gluttony is so far from being truly Repented of by the luxurious Epicure that he loveth it and careth and contriveth how to commit it and buyeth it with the price of much of his estate § 34. 19. It is the greater sin because it is so frequently committed Men live in it as their daily practice and delight They live for it and make it the end of other sins It is not a sin that they seldom fall inâ—â— â—ut it is almost as familiar with them as to eat and drink Being turned into Beasts they live like Beasts continually § 35. 20. Lastly It is a spreading sin and therefore is become common even the sin of Countreys of rich and poor For both sorts love their bâ—llies though both have not the like provision for them And they are so far from taking warning one of another that they are encouraged one by another and the sin is scarce noted in one of a hundred that daily liveth in it Nor is there almost any that reprove it or help one another against it unless by impoveâ—â—shing each other but most by perswasions and examples do encourage it though some much more than others So that by this time you may see that it is no rare noâ— venial little sin § 36. And now you may see also that it is no wonder if no one of the Commandments expresly forbid this sin not only because it is a sin against our selves directly but also because it is against every one almost of the Commandments And think not that either Riches or Poverty will excuse it when even
case by comparing the good and the evil effects 7. To be bare when others lay the honour of the King or Superiours upon it is a Ceremony that on the aforesaid reason may be complyed with 8. When to avoid a greater evil we are extrordinarily put on any such Ceremony it is meet that we joyn such words where we have liberty as may prevent the scandal or hardening any present in sin 9. And it is a duty to avoid the company which will put us upon such inconveniences as far as our Calling will allow us V. But because it is the Drunkards heart or will that needs perswasion more than his understanding needs Direction I shall before the Directions yet endeavour his fuller conviction if he will but read and consider soberly if ever he be sober these following Questions and not leave them till he answer them to the satisfaction of his own Conscience § 42. Quest. 1. Dost thou know that thou art a man and what a man is Dost thou know that Quest. 1. Reason differenceth him from a beast that is ruled by Appetite and hath no Reason If thou do let thy Reason do its office and do not drown it or set the beast above it § 43. Quest. 2. Dost thou believe that there is a God that is the Governour of the world or not If Quest. 2. not tell me how thou camest to be a man And how came thy tongue and palate to taste thy drink or meat any more than thy finger Look on thy finger and on thy tongue and thou canst see no reason why one should taste and not the other If thou live in the midst of such a world which he hath made and daily governeth and yet believest not that there is a God thou art so much worse already than drunk or mad that it is no wonder if thou be a Drunkard But if thou do believe indeed that there is a God hear further thou stupid beast and tremble Is he the Governour of Heaven and Earth and is he not worthy to be the Governour of thee Is all the World at his dispose and is he not worthy to dispose of thy throat and appetite Are Crowns and Kingdoms Heaven and Hell at his dispose and will and is he not worthy to be master of thy Cup and Company wilt thou say to him by thy practice Go rule Sun and Moon and rule all the world except my Appetite and my Cup § 44. Quest. 3. Dost thou verily believe that God is present with thee and seeth and heareth all that Quest. 3. is done and said among you If not thou believest not that he is God! For he that is absent and ignorant and is not Infinite Omnipresent and Omniscient is not God And if God be not there thou art not there thy self For what can uphold thee and continue thy life and breath and being But if thou believe that God is present darest thou drink on and darest thou before him waste thy time in prating over a Pot with thy Companions § 45. Quest. 4. Tell me dost thou believe that the Holy Scripture is true If thou do not no wonder Quest. 4. if thou be a drunkard But if thou do remember that then it is true that drunkards shall not Iâ—â—ane magno Christianâ—s opprobrio est Ingam Regem barbarum idolis deditum ab ebrietate subditos sibi populos cohibuisse nostros vero quos opportebat mores quoque perditos emendaâ—e temulentiae incrementa tanta fecisse Acosta â— 3. c. 2â— inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 10. And then mark what the Scripture saith Isa. 21. 1. Woe to the Crown of Pride to the drunkards of Ephraim Hab. 2. 15. Woe to him that giveth his Neighbour drink that puttest thy bottle to him and makest him drunk also Isa. 5. 11. woe to them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink that continue till night till wine inflame them and the Harp and the Viol and the Tabret and the Pipe and Wine are in their Feasts but they regard not the work of the Lord nor consider the operation of his hands v. 22. Wâ—e unto them that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong drink Prov. 31. 4 5 6. It is not for Kings to drink wine nor for Princes strong drink lest they drink and â—â—rget the Law and pâ—rvert the judgement of any of the â—fflicted Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish and wine to those that be of heavy hearts Sâ—e Amos 6. 6. Luk. 21. 34. Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts â—e overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and â—ares of this life and so that day come upon you unâ—wares Rom. 13 13 14. Nâ—t in gluttony and drunkenness not in chambering and wantâ—nâ—ess not in strife and envying but put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and make no provision for the flâ—sh to satisfie the lâ—sts thereof Prov. 20. 1. Wine is a mecker strong drink is raging and whâ—sâ—ever is deceived thereby is nâ—t wise Prov. 23. 29 30 31 32. who hath wâ—e who hath sâ—rrow who hath contentions who hath babling who hath wounds without cause who hath redness of eyes They that tarry long at the wine they that go to seek mixt wine Look not thâ—u upon the wine when it is red when it giveth his colour in the cup when it moveth it self aright At last it â—iteth liâ—e a Serpent and sâ—ingeth like an Adder Thine eyes shall behold strange Women and thy heart shall utter perverse things yea thou shalt be as he that lyeth down in the midst of the Sea or as he that lyeth upon the top of a mast Hos. 4. 11. whâ—redom and wine and new wine take away the heart Joel 1. 5. Awake ye drunkards and weep and â—â—wle all ye drinkers of wine c. If thou do indeed believe the Word of God why do not such passages make thee tremble § 46. Quest. 5. Dost thou consider into how dangerous a case thou puttest thy self when thou art drunk Quest. 5. or joynest thy self with drunkards What abundance of other sin thou art lyable to And in what peril thou art of some present judgement of God Even those examples in Scripture which encourage thee should make thee tremble To think that even a Noah that was drunken but once is recorded to his shame for a warning unto others How horrid a crime even Lot fell into by the temptation 2 Sam 11. 1â— 2 Sam. 13. 28. of drunkenneâ—s How Uriah was made drunk by a David to have hid his sin How Davids son Amnon in Gods just revenge was murdered by his brother Absaloms command when his heart was merry with wine How Nabal was strucken dead by God after his drunkenness 1 Sam. 25. 36 Dan. 5. 1. 30 37 38. How King Elâ— was murdered as he was drinking himself drunk 1 Sam. 16. 9. And how the
Widow indeed and desolate trusteth in God and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day Night and day can be no less than Morning and Evening And if you say This is not Family-prayer I answer 1. It is all kind of Prayer belonging to her 2. And if it commend the less much more the greater Arg. 6. From Luk. 6. 14. 2. 37. 18. 17. Act. 26. 7. 1 Thes. 3. 10. 2 Tim. 1. 3. Rev. 7. 15. Nâ—h 1. 6. Psal. 88. 1. Josh. 1. 8. Psal. 1. 2. which shew that night and day Christ himself prayed and his servants prayed and meditated and read the Scripture Arg 7. Deut 6. 7. 11. 19. It is exprâ—sly commanded that Parents teach their Children the Word of God when they lye down and when they rise up And the parity of reason and conjunction of the word and prayer will prove that they should also pray with them lying down and rising up Arg. 8. For brâ—vity sake I offer you together Psal. 119. 164. David praised God seven times a day 145. 2. Every day will I bless thee Psal. 5. 3. my voiâ—e shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer to thee and will look up 59. 16. I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning 88. 13. In the morning shall my prayer prevent thee 92. 12. It is good to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises to thy name O mâ—st High to shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning and thy faithfulness every night 119. 147 148. I prevented the dâ—wning of the morning aâ—d cryed I hâ—ped in thy word mine eyes preveâ— the night watches that I might meditate on thy word 130. 6 My sâ—ul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning The Priests were to offer Sacrifices and thanks to God every morning 1 Chron. 23. 30. Exod 30. 7. 36. 3. Lev. 6. 12. 2 Chron. 13. 11. Ezek. 46. 13 14 15. Amos 4. 4. And Christians are a hâ—ly Priesthood to offer up sacrifices to God acceptable through Iesus Châ—ist 1 Pet. 2. 5 9. Expresly saith David Psal. 55. 17. Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice So Morning and Evening were Sacrifices and Burnt offerings offered to the Lord and there is at least equal reason that Gospel worship should be as frequent 1 Chron. 16. 40. 2 Chron. 2. 4. 13. 11. 31. 3. Ezr. 3. 3. 2 King 16. 15. 1 King 18. 29 36. Ezra 9. 5. And no doubt but they prayed with the Sacrifices Which David intimateth in comparing them Psal. 141. 2. Let my Prayer be set forth before thee as Incense and the lifting up of my hands aâ— the Evening sacrifice And God calleth for Prayer and praise as better than sacrifice Psal. 50. 14 15 23. All these I heap together for dispatch which fully shâ—w how frâ—quently Gods servants have been wont to Worship him and how often God expecteth it And you will all confess that it is reason that in Gospel times of greater light and holiness we should not come behind them in the times of the Law especially when Christ himself doth pray all night that had so little need in comparison of us And you may observe that these Scriptures speak of Prayer in general and limit it not to secresie and therefore they extend to all prayer according to opportunity No reason can limit all these examples to the most secret and least noble sort of prayer If but two or three are gathered together in his name Christ is especially among them If you say that by this rule we must as frequently pray in the Church-assemblies I answer The Church cannot ordinarily so oft assemble But when it can be without a greater inconvenience I doubt not but it would be a good work for many to meet the Minister daily for prayer as in some rich and populous Cities they may do I have been more tedious on this subject than a holy hungry Christian possibly may think necâ—ssary who needeth not so many arguments to perswade him to â—east his soul with God and to delight himself in the frequent exercises of faith and Love And if I have said less than the other sort of Readers shall think necessary let them know that if they will open their eyes and recover their appetites and feel their sins and observe their daily wants and dangers and get but a heart that Loveth God these Reasons then will seem sufficient to convince them of the need of so sweet and profitable and necessary a work And if they observe the difference between Praying and Prayerless families and care for their souls and for communion with God much fewer words than these may serve their turn It is a dead and graceless carnal heart that must be cured before these men will be well satisfied A better appetite would help their reason If God should say in general to all men You shall eat as oft as will do you good the sick stomach would say once a day and that but a little is enough and as much as God requireth when another would say Thrice a day is little enough A good and healthful Heart is a great help in the expounding of Gods word especially of his General Commandments That which men love not but are aweary of they will not easily believe to be their duty The new nature and holy Love and desires and experience of a sound believer do so far make all these Reasonings needless to him that I must confess I have written them principally to convince the carnal hypocrite and to stop the â—â—ouths of wrangling enemies CHAP. IV. General Directions for the Holy Government of Families § 1. THE Principal thing requisite to the right governing of Families is the Fitness of the Governours and the Governed thereto which is spoken of before in the Directions for the Constitution But if persons unfit for their Relations have joyned themselves together in a Family their first duty is to Repent of their former sin and rashness and presently to turn to God and seek after that fitness which is necessary to the right discharge of the duties of their several places And in the Governours of Families thâ—se three things are of greatest necessity hereunto I. Authority II. Skill III. Holiness and readiness of Will § 2. I Gen. Dir. Let Governours maintain their Authority in their Families For if once that be lost Direct 1. and you are despised by those that you should rule your word will be of no effect with them How to keep up Authorâ—ty you do but ride without a Bridle your power of Governing is gone when your Authority is lost And here you must first understand the Nature Use and Extent of your Authority For as your Relations are different to your Wife your Children and your Servants so
will be but a temptation to waste your time and neglect greater duty and to make you grow customary and sensless of such sins and mercies when the same come to be recited over and over from day to day But let the common mercies be more generally recorded and the common sins generally confessed yet neither of them therefore slighted and let the extraordinary mercies and greater sins have a more particular observation And yet remember that sins and mercies which it is not fit that others be acquainted with are safelyer committed to memory than to writing And methinks a well humbled and a thankful heart should not easily let the memory of them slip § 20. Direct 20. When you compose your selves to sleep again commit your selves to God through Direct 20. Christ and crave his protection and close up the day with some holy exercise of Faith and Love And if you are persons that must needs lye waking in the night let your meditations be holy and exercised upon that subject that is profitablest to your souls But I cannot give this as an ordinary direction because that the body must have sleep or else it will be unfit for labour and all thoughts of holy things must be serious and all serious thoughts will hinder sleep and those that wake in the night do wake unwillingly and would not put themselves out of hopes of sleep which such serious meditations would do Nor can I advise you ordinarily to rise in the night to prayer as the Papists Votaries do For this is but to serve God with irrational and hurtful ceremony And it is a wonder how far such men will go in Ceremony that will not be drawn to a life of Love and spiritual Worship Unless men did irrationally place the service of God in praying this hour rather than another they might see how improvidently and sinfully they lose their time in twice dressing and undressing and in the intervals of their sleep when they might spare all that time by sitting up the longer or rising the earlier for the same employment Besides what tendency it hath to the destruction of health by cold and interruption of necessary rest when God approveth not of the disabling of the body or destroying our health or shortning life no more than of murder or cruelty to others but only calleth us to deny our unnecessary sensual delights and use the body so as it may be most serviceable to the soul and him I have briefly laid together these twenty Directions for the right spending of every day that those that need them and cannot remember the larger more particular Directions may at least get these few engraven on their minds and make them the daily practice of their lives which if you will sincerely do you cannot conceive how much it will conduce to the holiness fruitfulness and quietness of your lives and to your peaceful and comfortable death CHAP. XVIII Tit. 1. Directions for the holy spending of the Lords Day in Families § 1. Direct 1 BE well resolved against the Cavils of those carnal men that would make you believe Direct 1. that the holy spending of the Lords Day is a needless thing For the Name Since the writing of this I have published a Treatise of the Lords Day whether it shall be called The Christian Sabbath is not much worth contending about Undoubtedly the Name of The Lords Day is that which was given it by the Spirit of God Rev. 1. 10. and the antient Christians who sometime called it The Sabbath by allusion as they used the names Sacrifice and Altar The question is not so much of the Name as the Thing whether we ought to spend the day in holy exercises without unnecessary divertisements And to settle your consciences in this you have all these evidences at hand § 2. 1. By the confession of all you have the Law of Nature to tell you that God must be openly worshipped and that some set time should be appointed for his Worship And whether the fourth Commandment be formally in force or abrogated yet it is commonly agreed on that the parity of reason and general equity of it serveth to acquaint us that it is the will of God that one day in seven be the least that we destinate to this use this being then judged a meet proportion by God himself even from the Creation and on the account of commemorating the Creation and Christians being no less obliged to take as large a space of time who have both the Creation and Redemption to commemorate and a more excellent manner of Worship to perform § 3. 2. It is confessed by all Christians that Christ rose on the first day of the Week and appeared to his congregated Disciples on that day and powred out the Holy Ghost upon them on that day and that the Apostles appointed and the Christian Churches observed their assemblies and communion ordinarily on that day And that these Apostles were filled with the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost that they might infallibly acquaint the Church with the Doctrine and Will of Jesus Mar. 16. 2 9. Luke 24. 1. Christ and leave it on record for succeeding ages and so were entrusted by Office and enabled by gifts to settle the Orders of the Gospel-Church as Moses did the matters of the Tabernacle and Worship then and so that their Laws or Orders thus setled were the Laws or Orders of the Holy Ghost Iohn 20. 1 19 26. Acts 2. 1. Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Rev. 1. 10. Matth. 28. 19 20 Iohn 16. 13 14 15. Rom. 16. 16. 2 Thess. 2. 15. § 4. 3. It is also confessed that the Universal Church from the dayes of the Apostles down till now hath constantly kept holy the Lords Day in the memorial of Christs Resurrection and that as by the will of Christ delivered to them by or from the Apostles In so much that I remember not either any Orthodox Christian or Heretick that ever opposed questioned or scrupled it till of late ages And as a historical discovery of the matter of fact this is a good evidence that indeed it was settled by the Apostles and consequently by Christ who gave them their Commission and inspired them by the Holy Ghost § 5. 4. It is confessed that it is still the practice of the Universal Church And those that take it to be but of Ecclesiastical appointment â—â—me of them mean it of such extraordinary Ecclesiasticks as inspired Apostles and all of them take the appointment as obligatory to all the members of the Church § 6. 5. The Laws of the Land where we live command it and the King by Proclamation urgeth the execution and the Canons and Homilies and Liturgy shew that the holy observation of the Lords Day is the judgement and will of the Governours of the Church Read the Homilies for the Time and place of Worship Yea they require the people to say when the fourth Commandment is
way but the scandal which is spoken against in Scripture is the laying a Temptation before men that are weak to make them sin 9. Take heed of that hypocritical and câ—nsorious temper which turneth the holy observation of the day into a Ceremonious abstinence from lawful things and censureth those as ungodly that are not of the same mind and forbear not such things as well as they Mark the difference between Christ and the Pharisees in this point Much of their contention with him was about the outward observation of the Sabbath because his disciples rubbed out Corn to eat on the Sabbath day and because he healed on the Sabbath and bid the healed man Take up his bed and walk And they said There are six dayes in which men ought to work they might come and be healed on them Luk 6. 1 5 6. 13. 12 14 15 16. Ioh. 5. 17 18. Mark 1. 21 24. 2. 23 24 25 26 27 28. 3. 2 3 5. 6. 2 5. Luk. 14. 1 3 5 6. Ioh. 5. 9 10 16. 7. 22 23 24. 9. 14 16. And a man that is of their spirit will think that the Pharisees were in the right No doubt Christ might have chosen another day to heal on But he knew that the works which most declared the power of God and honoured him before all and confirmed the Gospel were fittest for the Sabbath day Take heed therefore of the Pharisees Ceremoniousness and Censoriousness If you see a man walking abroad on the Lords day censure him not till you know that he doth it from prophaneness or negligence You know not but it may be necessary to his health and he may improve it in holy meditation If you hear some speak a word more than you think needful of common things or do more about meat and cloathing than you think meet censure them not till you hear their reason A scrupulousness about such outward observances when the holy duties of the day are no whit hindred by that thing and a censoriousness towards those that are not as scrupulous is too Pharisaical and Ceremonious a Religion for spiritual charitable Christians And the extreams of some Godly people in this kind have occasioned the Quakers and Seekers to take and use all daies alike and the prophane to contemn the sanctifying of the Lords day Tit. 2. More particular Directions for the order of holy duties § 1. Direct 1. REmember the Lords day before it cometh and prepare for it and prevent those Direct 1. disturbances that would hinder you and deprive you of the benefit For Preparation 1. Six daies you must labour and do all that you have to do Dispatch all your business that you may not have it then to hinder and disturb you And see that your Servants do the same 2. Shake off the thoughts of worldly things and clear your minds of worldly delights and cares 3. Call to mind the doctrine taught you the last Lords day and if you have servants cause them to remember it that you may be prepared to receive the next 4 Go seasonably to bed that you and your servants may not be constrained to lye long the next morning or be sleepy on the Lords day 5. Let your meditations be preparatory for the day Repent of the sins of the week past as particularly and seriously as you can and seek for pardon and peace through Christ that you come not with guilt or trouble upon your Consciences before the Lord. § 2. Direct 2. Let your first thoughts be not only Holy but suitable to the occasions of the day Direct 2. With gladness remember what a day of mercies you awake to and how early your Redeemer rose from the dead that day and what excellent work you are to be employed in § 3. Direct 3. Rise full as early that day as you do on other daies Be not like the carnal generation Direct 3. that sanctifie the Lords day but as a Swine doth by sleeping and idleness and fulness Think not your worldly business more worthy of your early rising than your spiritual imployment is § 4. Direct 4. Let your dressing time be spent in some fruitful meditation or conference Direct 4. or hearing some one read a Chapter And let it not be long to detain you from your duty § 5. Direct 5. If you can have leisure go first to secret prayer And if you are servants Direct 5. or have any necessary business to do dispatch it quickly that you may be free for better work § 6. Direct 6. Let Family-worship come next and not be slubbered over sleightly but be serious Direct 6. and reverent and suit all to the nature or end of the day Especially awaken your selves and servants to consider what you have to do in publick and to go with prepared sanctified hearts § 7. Direct 7. Enter the holy Assembly with reverence and joy and compose your selves as those Direct 7. that come thither to treat with the living God about the matters of Eternal life And watch your hearts that they wander not nor sleep not nor sleight the sacred matters which you are about And guard your eyes that they carry not away your hearts And let not your hearts be a moment idle but seriously employed all the Time And when hypocrites and distempered Christians are quarrelling with the imperfections of the speaker or congregation or mode of Worship do you rather make it your diligent endeavour to watch your hearts and improve what you hear § 8. Direct 8. As soon as you come home while dinner is preparing it will be a seasonable Direct 8. time either for secret prayer or meditation to call over what you heard and urge it on your hearts and beg Gods help for the improvement of it and pardon for your publick failings § 9. Direct 9. Let your time at meat be spent in the chearful remembrance or mention of the Direct 9. Love of your Redeemer or somewhat suitable to the company and the day § 10. Direct 10. After dinner call your families together and sing a Psalm of Praise and Direct 10. by examination or repetition or both cause them to remember what was publickly taught them § 11. Direct 11. Then go again to the Congregation to the beginning and behave your Direct 11. selves as before § 12. Direct 12. When you come home call your families together and first crave Gods assistance Direct 12. and acceptance and then sing a Psalm of Praise and then repeat the Sermon which â—â—u heard or if there was none read one out of some lively profitable book and then Pray and Praise God and all with the holy seriousness and joy which is suitable to the work and day § 13. Direct 13. Then while Supper is preparing betake your selves to secret prayer and meditation Direct 13. â—either in your Chambers or walking as you find most profitable And let your Servants have no
the poorest people and their children They never teach them to read nor teach them any thing for the saving of their souls and they think that their poverty will be an excuse for all When reason telleth them that none should be more careful to help their children to Heaven than they that can give them nothing upon earth § 21. Direct 9. Be acquainted with the special Duties of the poor and carefully perform them Direct 9. They are these 1. Let your sufferings teach you to contemn the world It will be a happy poverty if it do but help Duty 1. to wean your affections from all things below that you set as little by the world as it deserveth 2. Be eminently Heavenly-minded The less you have or hope for in this life the more fervently Duty 2. seek a better You are at least as capable of the heavenly treasures as the greatest Princes God purposely Phil. 3. 18 20 21. 2 Cor. 5. 7 8. straitneth your condition in the world that he may force up your hearts unto himself and teach you to seek first for that which indeed is worth your seeking Matth. 6. 33 19 20 21. 3. Learn to live upon God alone Study his Goodness and faithfulness and all-sufficiency When Duty 3. you have not a place nor a friend in the world that you can comfortably betake your selves to for relief Gal. 2. 20. Psal. 73. 25. 26 27 28. 2 Cor. 1. 10. retire unto God and trust him and dwell the more with him If your poverty have but this effect it will be better to you than all the Riches in the world 4. Be laborious and diligent in your Callings Both precept and necessity call you unto this And Duty 4. if you cheerfully serve him in the labour of your hands with a heavenly and obedient mind it will Ephes 4. 28. Prov. 21. 25. 1 Sam. 15. 22. 2 Thes. 3. 8 10 be as acceptable to him as if you had spent all that time in more spiritual exercises For he had rather have Obedience than Sacrifice and all things are pure and sanctified to the pure If you cheerfully serve God in the meanest work it is the more acceptable to him by how much the more subjection and submission there is in your obedience 5. Be humble and submissive unto all A poor man proud is doubly hateful And if Poverty Duty 5. cure your Pride and help you to be truly humble it will be no small mercy to you 〈…〉 1â— 23. 〈…〉 uty 6 6. You are specially obliged to mortifie the flesh and keep your senses and appetites in subjection because you have greater helps for it than the Rich You have not so many baits of lust and wantonness and gluttony and voluptuousness as they 7. Your corporal wants must make you more sensibly remember your spiritual wants and teach Duty 7. you to value spiritual blessings Think with your selves If a hungry cold and naked body be so great a calamity how much greater is a guilty graceless soul a dead or a diseased heart If bodily food and necessaries are so desirable O how desirable is Christ and his Spirit and the Love of God and life eternal 8. You must above all men be careful Redeemers of your Time Especially of the Lords Day Duty 8. Your labours take up so much of your time that you must be the more careful to catch every opportunity for your souls Rise earlier to get half an hour for holy duty and meditate on holy things in your labours and spend the Lords Day in special diligence and be glad of such seasons and let scarcity preserve your appetites 9. Be willing to dye Seeing the world giveth you so cold entertainment be the more content to Duty 9. let it go when God shall call you For what is here to detain your hearts 10. Above all men you should be most fearless of sufferings from men and therefore true to God Duty 10. and Conscience For you have no great matter of honour or riches or pleasure to lose As you fear not a Thief when you have nothing for him to rob you of 11. Be specially careful to fit your children also for Heaven Provide them a portion which is better Duty 11. than a Kingdom For you can provide but little for them in the world 12. Be exemplary in Patience and Contentedness with your state For that grace should be the Duty 12. strongest in us which is most exercised And Poverty calleth you to the frequent exercise of this § 22. Direct 10. Be specially furnished with those Reasons which should keep you in a chearful contentedness Direct 10. with your state and may suppress every thought of anxiety and discontent As 1. Consider as aforesaid that that is the best condition for you which helpeth you best to Heaven Phil. 4. 11 12 13. Maâ—â—h â— â— 1 Sam. 2. 7. Matth. â— 2â— c. 〈…〉 8. 2◠〈…〉 14. 11. 〈…〉 16. 9. 〈…〉 3 15. 〈…〉 9 〈…〉 30 31. 〈…〉 3â— 25. 〈…〉 1â— 14. 〈…〉 5. 22. 〈…〉 9. 20. 〈…〉 4. â— 10. Rom. 8. 28. Heb. 13. 5. and God best knoweth what will do you good or hurt 2. That it is rebellion to grudge at the Will of God which must dispose of us and should be our Rest. 3. Look over the life of Christ who chose a life of poverty for your sakes and had not a place to lay his head He was not one of the Rich and voluptuous in the world and are you grieved to be conformed to him Phil. 3. 7 8 9. 4. Look to all his Apostles and most holy Servants and Martyrs Were not they as great sufferers as you 5. Consider that the Rich will shortly be all as poor as you Naked they came into the world and naked they must go out And a little time makes little difference 6. It is no more comfort to dye Rich than poor but usually much less because the pleasanter the world is to them the more it grieveth them to leave it 7. All men cry out that the world is vanity at last How little is it valued by a dying man and how sadly will it cast him off 8. The time is very short and uncertain in which you must enjoy it We have but a few dayes more to walk about and we are gone Alas of how small concernment is it whether a man be rich or poor that is ready to step into another world 9. The Love of this world drawing the heart from God is the common cause of mens damnation And is not the world liker to be over-loved when it entertaineth you with prosperity than when it useth you like an enemy Are you displeased that God thus helpeth to save you from the most damning sin and that he maketh not your way to Heaven more dangerous 10. You little know the troubles of the Rich He that hath much hath much to do with it and
5. 9 10. Rev. 4. 11 8. Rev. 15. 3. Heb. 12. 9. Matth. 6. 13. thâ—u not said Behold I come quickly Even so Come Lord and let the great Marriage day of the Lamb make haste when thy Spouse shall be presented spotless unblamable and glorious and the glory of God in the New Jerusalem shall be Revealed to all his holy ones to delight and glorifie them for ever In the mean time Remember Lord thy promise Because I live therefore shall ye live also And let the dead that dye in thee be blessed And thou that art made a quickning Spirit and art the Lord and Prince of life and hast said that not a hair of our heads shall perish Gather our departing souls unto thy self into the Heavenly Jerusalem and Mount Zion the City of the living God and to the Myriads of holy Angels and to the general Assembly and Church of the first born and to the perfected Spirits of the just where thou wilt make us Kings and Priests to God whom we shall See and Love and Praise for ever For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things and for his pleasure they are and were created And O thou the blessed God of Love the Father of Spirits and King of Saints receive this unworthy Member of thy Son into the heavenly Chore which sing thy Praise who rest not saying night and day Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty who Is and Was and Is to Come For Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen The End of the Second TOME A Christian Directory The Third Part. Christian Ecclesiasticks OR DIRECTIONS TO PASTORS PEOPLE About Sacred Doctrine Worship and Discipline and their mutual Duties With the Solution of a multitude of Church-Controversies and Cases of Conscience By RICHARD BAXTER 1 Cor. 12. 25 27 28. That there should be no Schism in the body but the Members should have the same care one for another Now ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particular And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles c. Eph. 4. 3 4 12 c. Endeavouring to keep the Unity of the SPIRIT in the bond of Peace There is one Body one Spirit one Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptism Not One Ministerial Head one God * And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ Till we all come into the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carryed about with every wind of doctrine by the cogging or sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive But keeping the Truth in Love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ From whom the whole body compacted and cemented together by every joynt of supply according to its power in proportion of each part worketh increase of the body to the edifying of it self in Love 1 Tim. 3. 15. That thou maist know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God which is the Church of the living God as A pillar and basis of the truth 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their work sake and be at peace among your selves LONDON Printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons at the Sign of the Princes-Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1673. Reader THat this part and the next are Imperfect and so much only is written as I might and not as I would I need not excuse to thee if thou know me and where and when I live But some of that which is wanting if thou desire thou maist find 1. In my Universal Concord 2. In my Christian Concord 3. In our Agreement for Catechising and my Reformed Pastor 4. In the Reformed Lyturgie offered to the Commissioned Bishops at the Savoy Farewel A Christian Directory TOM III. Christian Ecclesiasticks CHAP. I. Of the Worship of God in general § 1. THAT God is to be Worshipped solemnly by man is confessed by Qui totos dies precabantur immolabant ut sui liberi sibi superstites essent Superstitiosi sunt appellati quod nomen paâ—uit postea latius Qui autem omnia quae ad cultum Deorum pertinerent diligenter pertractarent tanquam relegerent sunt dicti Religiosi ex relegendo ut elegantes ex eligendo à diligendo diligentes ex intelligendo intelligentes Superstitiosi Religiosi alterum vitii nomen alterum laudis Cicer. nat Deor. lib. 2. pag. 73 74. all that acknowledge that there is a God But about the Matter and Manner of his Worship there are no small dissensions and contentions in the world I am not now attempting a reconciliation of these contenders The sickness of mens minds and wills doth make that impossible to any but God which else were not only possible but easie the terms of reconciliation being in themselves so plain and obvious as they are But it is Directions to those that are willing to worship God aright which I am now to give § 2. Direct 1. Understand what it is to worship God aright lest you offer him Vanity and sin for Direct 1. Worship The worshipping of God is the direct acknowledging of his Being and Perfections to his honour Indirectly or consequentially he is acknowledged in every obediential act by those that truly obey and serve him And this is indirectly and participatively to worship him And therefore all things are Holy to the Holy because they are Holy in the use of all and Holiness to the Lord is as it were written upon all that they possess or do as they are Holy But this is not the worship which we are here to speak of but that which is Primarily and Directly done to glorifie him by the acknowledgement of his excellencies Thus God is worshipped either inwardly by the soul alone or also outwardly by the body expressing the worship of the soul. For that which is done by the Body alone without the concurrence of the Heart is not true worship but an Hypocritical Image or shew of it equivocally called Worship The inward worship of the Heart alone I have spoken If they that serve their God with meer word and ceremony and mimâ—ca actions were so served themselves they might be â—ilâ—â—ced with Aristâ—ppâ—â— his defence of his gallantry and sumptuâ—uâ— fare Si vituâ—â—randum ait hoc essâ—t in celebritatibus deorum profectò non fieret Laert. iâ— Aristip. So Plato allowed drunkenness only in the Feasts oâ— Baâ—châ—s of in the former Tome The outward or expressive worship
7. 26. 13. Mat. 23. 14. Mar. 1â— 40. Exod. 6. 30. Deuâ— 7. 12. 11. 13. 13. 18. 15. 5. 26. 17. 28. 1. Psal. 81. 8 9 10 11 12. of promoting unity and obedience and the Catholick Church while the Cloak or Cover of it is but the thin transparent Spider-web of humane Traditions and numerous Ceremonies and childish complementing with Goâ— And when they have nothing but the prayers of a long Liturgie to cover the effects of their earthly sensual and diabolical zeal and wisdom as St. Iames calls it 3. 15 16. and to concâ—ct the Widdows houses which they devour and to put a reverence upon the office and work which they labour all the week to render reproachful by a sensual luxurious idle life and by perfidious making merchandize of souls As ever you care what becometh of your souls take heed lest sin grow bold under Prayers and grow familiar and contemptuous of Sermons and holy speeches and lest you keep a custome of Religious exercises and wilful sins For oh how doth this harden now and wound hereafter He is the best hearer that is the holiest liver and faithfullest obeyer Direct 14. Be not a bare hearer of the Prayers of the Pastor whether it be by a Liturgie or Direct 14. without For that is but hypocrisie and a sin of omission You come not thither only to hear prayers but to pray And kneeling is not praying but it is a profession that you pray And will you be prayerless even in the house of Prayer and when you profess and seem to pray and so add hypocrisie to impiety I fear many that seem Religious and would have those kept from the Sacrament that Pray not in their Families do very ordinarily tolerate themselves in this gross omission and mocking of God and are Prayerless themselves even when they seem to Pray Direct 15. Stir up your hearts in a special manner to the greatest alacrity and joy in speaking Direct 15. and singing the Praises of God The Lords day is a day of Joy and Thanksgiving and the Praises of God are the highest and holyest employment upon Earth And if ever you should do any thing with all your might and with a joyful and triumphing frame of soul it is this Be glad that you may joyn with the Sacred Assemblies in heart and voice in so Heavenly a work And do not as some humersome pievish persons that know not the danger of that proud disease fall to quarreling with Davids Psalms as unsuitable to some of the hearers or to nauseate every failing in the Metâ—â— so as to turn so holy a duty into neglect or scorn for alas such there are near me where I dwell nor let prejudice against melody or Church-musick if you dwell where it is used possess you with a spleneâ—ick disgust of that which should be your most joyful work And if you know how much the incorporate soul must make use of the body in harmony and in the joyful praises of Iehovah do not then quarrel with lawful helps because they are sensible and corporeal Direct 16. Be very considerate and serious in Sacramental renewings of your Covenant with God Direct 16. O think what great things you come thither to Receive And think what a holy work you have to See Mâ— Rawlâ—â—s Book of Sacramental Covenanting do And think what a Life it is that you must promise So solemn a Covenanting with God and of so great importance requireth a most holy reverent and serious frame of soul. But yet let not the unwarrantable differencing this Ordinance from Gods praises and the rest seduce you into the common errours of the times I mean 1. Of those that hence are brought to think that the Sacrament should never be received without a preparatory day of humiliation above the preparation for an ordinary Lords days work 2. And therefore receive it seldom whereas the primitive Churches never spent a Lords day together without it 3. Those that turn it into a perplexing terrifying thing for fear of being unprepared when it should be their greatest comfort and when they are not so perplexed about their unpreparâ—dness to any other duty 4. Those that make so great a difference betwixt this and Church-prayers praises and other Church-woâ—ship as that they take this Sacrament only for the proper work and priviledge of Church-members And thereupon turn it into an occasion of our great contentions and divisions while they fly from Sacramental Communion with others more than from Communion in the other Church-worship O what hath our subtle enemy done against the Love Peace and Unity of Christians especially in England under pretence of Sacramental purity Direct 17. Perform all your Worship to God as in heart-Communion with all Christs Churches Direct 17. upon Earth Even those that are faulty though not with their faults Though you can be present but with one yâ—â— consent as present in spirit with all and separate not in heart from any one any further than they separate from Christ. Direct 18. Accordingly let the Interest of the Church of Christ be very much upon your heart Direct 18. and pray as hard for it as for your self Direct 19. Yâ—â— remember in all what Relation you have to the Heavenly Society and Chore and Direct 19. think how they Worship God in Heaven that you may strive to imitate than in your degree Of which more anâ—n Direct 20. Let your whole course of life after savour of a Church-frame Live as the servants of Direct 20. that God whâ—m you Worship and as ever before him Live in the Love of those Christians with whom you have Communion and do not quarrel with them at home nor despise nor persecute them with whom you joyn in the Worshipping of God And do not needlesly open the weaknesses of the Minister to prejudice others against him and the Worship And be not Religious at the Church alone for then you are not truly Religious at all CHAP. X. Directions about our Communion with Holy Souls Departed and now with Christ. THE oversight and neglect of our duty concerning the souls of the blessed now with Christ I have said more of â—his since in my â—â—â—â—e of Faith doth very much harden the Papists in their erroneous excesses here about And if we will ever reduce them or rightly confute them it must be by a judicious asserting of the Truth and observing so much with them as is our duty and commending that in them which is to be commended and not by running away from truth and duty that we may get for enough from them and errour For errour is an ill way of confuting errour The practical Truth lyeth in these following Precepts § 1. Direct 1. Remember that the departed souls in Heaven are part and the noblest part of the Body Direct 1. of Christ and family of God of which you are inferiour members and therefore that you owe
to its capacity therefore a Believers child is supposed to be Virtually not actually dedicated to God in his own dedication or Covenant as soon as his child hath a being 3. Being thus Virtually and Implicitly first dedicated he is after Actually and regularly dedicated in Baptism and Sacramentally receiveth the badge of the Church And this maketh him a visible member or Christian to which the two first were but introductory as Conception is to humane Nativity Object 2. But the seed of Believers as such are in the Covenant and therefore Church-members Answ. The word Covenant here is ambiguous Either it signifieth Gods Law of Grace or prescribed terms for salvation with his immediate offer of the benefits to accepters called the single Covenant of God or it signifieth this with mans Consent called the Mutual Covenant where both parties Covenant In the former sense the Covenant only offereth Church-membership but maketh no man a Church-member till Consent It is but Gods conditional promise If thou believe thou shalt be saved c. If thou give up thy self and children to me I will be your God and you shall be my people But it is only the Mutual Covenant that maketh a Christian or Church-member Object The promise is to us and our children as ours Answ. That is that you and your children dedicated to God shall be received into Covenant â—â—t not otherwise Believing is not only bare Assenting but Consenting to the Covenant and delivering up your selves to Christ And if you do not consent that your child shall be in the Covenant and deliver him to God also you cannot expect acceptance of him against your wills nor indeed are you to be taken for true believers your selves if you dedicate not your selves to him and all that are in your power Object This offer or Conditional Covenant belongeth also to Infidels Answ. The offer is to them but they accept it not But every believer accepteth it for himself and his or devoteth to God himself and his children when he shall have them And by that virtual dedication or Consent his children are Virtually in the Mutual Covenant And Actually upon actual Consent and dedication Object But it is Profession and not Baptism that makes a visible member Answ. That 's answered before It is profession by Baptism For Baptism is that peculiar act of profession which God hath chosen to this use when a person is absolutely devoted resigned and engaged to God in a solemn Sacrament this is our regular initiating profession And it is but an irregular Embrio of a profession which goeth before baptism ordinarily Prop. 3. The time of Infant membership in which we stand in Covenant by our Parents Consent cannot be determined by duration but by the insufficiency of Reason through immaturity of age or continuing ideots to choose for ones self Prop. 4. It is not necessary that the doctrine of the Lords Supper be taught Catechumens before Baptism nor was it usual with the antients so to do though it may very well be done Prop. 5. It is needful that the nature of the Lords Supper be taught all the baptized before they receive it As was opened before else they must do they know not what Prop. 6. Though the Sacrament of the Lords Supper seal not another but the same Covenant that baptism sealeth yet are there some further truths therein expressed and some more particular exercises of faith in Christs Sacrifice and coming c. and of Hope and Love and Gratitude c. requisite Therefore the same qualifications which will serve for Baptism Justification and Adoption and Salvation are not enough for the right use of Church communion in the Lords Supper the one being the Sacrament of initiation and our new birth the other of our Confirmation Exercise and Growth in Grace 7. Whether persons be baptized in Infancy or at age if they do not before understand these higher mysteries they must stay from the exercise of them till they understand them And so with most there must be a space of time between their Baptism and fuller Communion 8. But the same that we say of the Lords Supper must be said of other parts of Worship Singing Psalms Praise Thanksgiving c. men must learn them before they can practise them And usually these as Eucharistical acts concur with the Lords Supper 9. Whether you will call men in this state Church-members of a middle rank and order between the Baptized and the Communicants is but a lis de nomine a verbal Controversie It is granted that such a middle sort of men there are in the Church 10. It is to be maintained that these are in a state of salvation even before they thus communicate And that they are not kept away for want of a stated Relation-title but of an immediate capacity as is aforesaid 11. There is no necessity but upon such unfitness that there should be one dayes time between baptism and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper nor is it desirable For if the baptized understand those mysteries the first day they may communicate in them 12. Therefore as men are prepared some may suddenly communicate and some stay longer 13. When persons are at age if Pastors Parents and themselves be not grosly negligent they may and ought to learn these things in a very little time so that they need not be setled in a lower Learning state for any considerable time unless their own negligence be the cause 14. And in order to their Learning they have right to be Spectators and Auditors at the Eucharist and not to be driven away with the Catechumens as if they had no right to be there For it is a thing best taught by the practice to beholders 15. But if any shall by scandal or gross neglect of piety and not only by Ignorance give cause of questioning their title and suspending their possession of those sacred priviledges these are to be reckoned in another rank even among those whose title to Church-membership it self becometh controverted and must undergo a tryal in the Church And this much I think may serve to resolve this considerable question Quest. 71. Whether a Form of Prayer be lawful Answ. I Have said so much of this and some following questions in many Books already that to avoid repetition I shall say very little here The question must be out of question with all Christians I. Because the Scripture it self hath many forms of prayer which therefore cannot be unlawful Object They were lawful then but not now Answ. He that saith so must prove where God hath since forbidden them Which can never be Object They may lawfully be read in Scripture for instruction but not used as prayers Answ. They were used as prayers then and are never since forbidden Yea Iohn and Christ did teach their Disciples to pray and Christ thus prefaceth his form When ye pray say II. All things must be done to Edification But to use a form of prayer is
as much as may be in a way of Concord with the united faithful Pastors and Churches in your proximity or Countrey 3. Look to the publick good and interest of Religion more than to your particular Congregation 4. Neglect not the greatest advantages for your own edification But rather take them by a removal of your dwelling though you suffer by it in your estates than by any division disturbance of the Churches peace or common detriment 5. Do not easily go against the Magistrates Commands unless they be apparently unlawful and to the Churches detriment or ruine in the reception of your Pastors 6. Do not easily forsake him that hath been justly received by the Church and hath possession that is till necessity require it Quest. 106. To whom doth it belong to Reform a Corrupted Church to the Magistrates Pastors or People Answ. A Church is reformed three several wayes 1. By the personal reformation of every member 2. By doctrinal Direction and 3. By publick forcible Execution and constraint of others 1. Every member whether Magistrates Pastors or People must reform themselves by forsaking 1 Cor. 11. 28 29 31 33 34. 1 Cor. 5. 11. Dan. 3. 6. all their own sins and doing their own duties If a Ruler command a private person to go to Mass to own any falshood or to do any sin he is not to be obeyed because God is to be first obeyed 2. The Bishops or Pastors are to Reform the Church by Doctrine Reproof and just Exhortations 1 Cor. 5. 3. 4 5 1. Pet. 5. 2 3. Luke 22. 24 25 26 27. and Nunciative Commands in the name of Christ to Rulers and people to do their several duties and by the actual doing of his own 3. The King and Magistrates under him only must Reform by the Sword that is by outward force and Civil Laws and Corporal Penalties As forcibly to break down Images to cast out Idolaters or the Instruments of Idolatry from the Temples to put true Ministers in possession of the Temples or the Legal publick maintenance to destroy punish or hurt Idolaters c. Supposing still the Power of Parents and Masters in their several families Quest. 107. Who is to Call Synods Princes Pastors or People Answ. 1. THere are several wayes of Calling Synods 1. By Force and Civil Mandates 2. By The question of the power of Synods is sufficiently answered before Pastoral Perswasion and Counsel and 3. By humble intreaty and petition 1. Magistrates only that is the Supream by his own power and the Inferiour by power derived from him may call Synods by Laws and Mandates enforced by the Sword or Corporal Penalties or Mulcts 2. Bishops or Pastors in due Circumstances may call Synods by Counsel and perswasive invitation 3. The people in due Circumstances and necessity may Call Synods by way of Petition and Intreaty But what are the due Circumstances Answ. 1. The Magistrate may Call them by Command at his discretion for his own Counsel or for the Civil peace or the Churches good 2. The Pastors and people may not Call them nor meet when the Magistrate forbiddeth it except when the necessity of the Church requireth it Synods may profitably be stated for order when it may be lawfulâ—y obtained both as to limits of Place numbers and Time But these prudential Orders are not of stated necessity but must give place to weightier reasons on the contrary 3. Synods themselves are not ordinarily necessary by Nature or Institution Let him that affirmeth it prove it But that which is statedly necessary is The Concord of the Churches as the End and a necessary correspondency of the Churches as the Means and Synods when they may well be had as a convenient sort of means 4. When Synods cannot be had or are needless Messengers and Letters from Church to Church may keep up the Correspondency and Concord 5. In cases of real necessity which are very rare though usefulness be more frequent the Bishops and people should first petition the King for his consent And if that cannot be had they may meet secretly and in small numbers for mutual consultation and advice about the work of God and not by keeping up the formality of their set numbers times and places and orders provoke the King against them 6. The contempt of Synods by the separatists and the placing more power in Synods than ever God gave them by others yea and the insisting on their circumstantial orders making them like a Civil Senate or Court have been the two extreams which have greatly injured and divided the Churches throughout the World Quest. 108. To whom doth it belong to appoint dayes and assemblies for publick Humiliation and Thanksgiving Answ. THe answer of the last question may serve for this 1. The Magistrate only may do it by way of Laws or civil Mandate enforced by the sword 2. The Pastors may do it in case of necessity by Pastoral advice and exhortation and nunciative command in the name of Christ. 3. The people may do it by Petition 4. As ordinary Church Assemblies must be held if the Magistrate forbid them of which next so must extraordinary ones when extraordinary causes make it a duty 5. When the Magistrate forcibly hindereth them natural impossibility resolveth the question about our duty Quest. 109. May we omit Church-assemblies on the Lords day if the Magistrate forbid them Answ. 1. IT is one thing to forbid them for a time upon some special cause as Infection by May we omit Church-Assemblies on the Lords day if forbidden by Magistrates pestilence fire war c. And another thing to forbid them statedly or prophanely 2. It is one thing to omit them for a time and another to do it ordinarily 3. It is one thing to omit them in formal obedience to the Law and another thing to omit them in prudence or for necessity because we cannot keep them 4. The Assembly and the circumstances of the Assembly must be distinguished 1. If the Magistrate for a greater good as the common safety forbid Church Assemblies in a time of pestilence assault of enemies or fire or the like necessity it is a duty to obey him Because positive duties give place to those great natural duties which are their end so Christ justified himself and his disciples violation of the external rest of the Sabbath For the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath 2. Because Affirmatives bind not ad semper and out of season duties become sins 3. Because one Lords day or Assembly is not to be preferred before Many which by the omission of that one are like to be obtained 2. If Princes prophanely forbid holy assemblies and publick worship either statedly or as a renunciation of Christ and our religion it is not Lawful formally to obey them 3. But it is lawful prudently to do that secretly for the present necessity which we cannot do publickly and to do that with smaller numbers which we
that is eldest and ablest and be ruled by him 24. Whether there shall be any Deaconesses in the Church 25. Whether a Church shall have one Minister two or more 26. Who shall be the men 27. What space of ground shall be the Church bounds for the cohabitation of the members 28. How many Neighbour Churches shall make a Synod and which be they 29. How many members a Synod shall consist of 30. Who shall be president Or whether any And who shall gather the Votes 31. Who shall record their Acts as Scribe 32. What Messenger shall carry them to the Churches 33. What Letters for Correspondence and Communion shall be written to the Churches 34. When Pastors shall remove from one Church to another And to which 35. Who shall be ordained Ministers to Preach Baptize and gather Churches 36. How many the Ordainers shall be 37. Whether there shall be any Musick by Instruments in the Church or house for the praises of God and what 38. Who shall lead the Psalm 39. Who shall read 40. What words the Churches Profession of faith shall be expressed by 41. By what signes the Church shall signifie their consent Whether lifting up the hand standing up bowing the head or by voice or writing 42. By what sign or ceremony men shall take an oath Whether lifting up the hand toward Heaven or laying it on a Book or kissing the Book c. 43. Whether the people at the Sacrament sit neer the Table or keep farther off 44. Whether it be put into each persons hand or they take it themselves With many more such like 4. And it is a lawful Invention to determine of meer Circumstances of Time and place which God hath not determined of in Scripture As 1. At how many times in the year or week Baptism shall be administred 2. At what age persons be admitted to the Lords Supper 3. On what dayes and hours of the week there shall be Lectures or Church-assemblies 4. How oâ—t and when Ministers shall Caâ—echise and instruct the people privately 5. On what hour the Church shall assemble on the Lords dayes and receive the Sacrament 6. How long Prayer Reading and Sermon shall be 7. At what hour to end the publick exercises 8. At what hours to pray in Families or in secret 9. How often Disciplinary meetings shall be held for the trying of accused members 10. How often Synods shall meet and how long continue Of Holy dayes before 5. The same is to be said for the Places of Holy Exercises 1. What Edifices the Churches shall have for such uses 2. In what places they shall be scituate 3. Where the Pulpit shall stand 4. And where the Font 5. And where the Table 6. Where each of the people shall sit 7. Where Synods shall meet 8. How many Temples shall be in a City c. 6. The same is to be said of all Accidental subordinate Offices As Lectors Clerks Door-keepers Church-wardens and many more before mentioned 7. The same is to be said of Church Utensils As Table Cups Linen Pulpits Fonts Clock Hour-glass Bells Seats decent Habit of Cloaths c. 8. The same may be said of Decent Gestures not particularly commanded As what Gesture to Preach in standing or sitting What Gesture to Read in What Gesture to Hear in What Gesture to sing Psalms in Whether to be covered or bare-headed In what gesture to receive the Lords Supper In which Scripture no more regulateth us than of the room the hour of communicating the number of Communicants the place in all which Christs example was not a particular Law 9. The same may be said of Order 1. Whether the Pastor shall begin with Prayer reading or exhortation 2. Whether the people shall begin with prayer or ejaculations privately 3. Whether we shall make but one or two long continued prayers or many short ones 4. Whether we shall pray before Sermon immediately and after in the Pulpit or in the Reading place 5. When the Psalms shall be said or sung and how many 6. How many Chapters shall be read and which and in what order 7. Whether Baptism shall be before or after or when 8. When the Catechumens and Learners shall be dismissed and the proper Eucharistical Church Exercises begin 9. When Collections made c. But O Lord have compassion on thy scattered flocks who are afflicted and divided by the Imperiousness of those Pastors who think it not enough for the exercise of their Domination to promote all thine own holy Laws and doctrines and to make their own Canons in all these cases or such like but they must needs make more work than all this cometh to for themselves and for the flocks even unto those distractions and dissâ—pations and fierce persecutions and contentions which many hundred years have exercised the Greek and Latine Churches and many more throughout the World Quest. 134. What are the mischiefs of unlawful Additions in Religion Answ. ALas many and great 1. They tend to dethrone Christ from his Soveraignty and Legislative prerogative 2. And to advance Man blind and sinful man into his place 3. And thereby to debase Religion making it but a humane or a mixed thing And it can be no more noble than its Author is 4. And thereby they debase also the Church of God and the Government of it while they make it to be but a Humane policy and not Divine 5. They tend to depose God from his Authority in mens Consciences and to level or joyn him there but with man 6. They tend to mens doubtfulness and uncertainty of their Religion seeing man is fallible and so may his constitutions be 7. They tend to drive out all true Religion from the World while Man that is so Bad is the maker of it and it may be suspected to be bad that is made by so bad an Author 8. And it taketh off the fear of God and his judgement For it is man that must be feared so far as man is the maker of the Law And it destroyeth the consolation of believers which consisteth in the hopes of a reward from God For he that serveth man must be rewarded by man And though they do not exclude God but joyn him with themselves yet this mixture debaseth and destroyeth Religion as the mixture of God and Mammon in mens Love and as mixt and debased metals do the Soveraign's coin 9. It hardeneth Infidels and hindereth their Conversion For they will reverence no more of our Religion than we can prove to be Divine And when they find one part of it to be humane they suspect the rest to be so too and contemn it all Even as Protestants do Popery for the abundance of humane trinkets and toyes with which we see them exercise and delude their silly followers 10. It is the great engine of dividing all the Churches and breeding and feeding conâ—â—ntions in the Christian World 11. And because men that will command will be obeyed and they that are
Servants 2. Masters p. 490 CHAP. III. Disput. Whether the solemn Worship of God in and by families as such be of Divine appointment Aff. proved against the Cavils of the prophane and some Sectaries p. 493. What solemn Worship is What a family Proof as to Worship in general Family-advantages for Worship The Natural obligation on families to worship God Families must be sanctified societies Instructing families is a duty Family discipline is a duty Solemn prayer and prâ—ise is a family duty Objections answered Of the frequency and seasons of family worship 1. Whether it should be every day 2. Whether twice a day 3. Whether Morning and evening CHAP. IV. General Directions for the holy Government of famili 〈…〉 How to keep up Authority Of skill in Governing Of holy Willingness p. 509 CHAP. V. Special Motives to perswade men to the holy Government of their families p. 512 CHAP. VI. Motives for a holy and careful Education of Children p. 515 CHAP. VII The Mutual Duties of Husbands and Wives towards each other p. 520. How to maintain due Conjugal Love Of Adultery Motives and Means against dissention Motives and means to further each others salvation Further duties CHAP. VIII The special duties of Husbands to their Wives p. 529 CHAP. IX The special duty of Wives to their Husbands p. 531 Q. How far may a Wife give without her Husbands Consent Q. Of Wives propriety Q Is a Wife guilty of her Husbands unlawful getting if she keep it And is she bound to reveal it as in robbing Q. May a Wife go hear Sermons when her Husband forbiddeth her Q. Must a woman proceed to admonish a wicked Husband when it maketh him worse Q. What she must do in Controverted Cases of Religion when her judgement and her Husbands differ p. 534. Q. How long or in what Cases may Husbands and Wives be distant p. 535. Q. May the bare Commands of Princes separate Husbands and Wives as Ministers Iudges Souldiers Q. May Ministers leave their Wives to go abroad to preach the Gospel Q. May one leave a Wife to save his life in case of personal persecution or danger Q. May Husband and Wife part by consent if they find it to be for the good of both Q. May they consent to be divorced and to marry others Q. Doth Adultery dissolve marriage Q. Is the injured person bound to divorce the other or left free Q. Is it the proper priviledge of the man to put away an adulterous Wife or is it also in the womans power to depart from an adulterous Husband Q. May there be putting away or departing without the Magistrates divorce or license Q. Is not Sodomy and Buggery as lawful a reason of divorce as Adultery Q. What if both parties be adulterous Q. What if one purposely commit adultery to be separated from the other Q. Doth Infidelity dissolve the relation Q. Doth the desertion of one party disoblige the other Q. Must a woman follow a malignant Husband that goeth from the Means of Grace Q. Must she follow him if it be but to poverty or beggary Q. What to do in case of known intention of one to murder the other Q. Or if there be a fixed hatred of each other Q What if a man will not suffer his Wife to hear read or pray or do beat her so as to unfit her for duty or a woman will rail at the Husband in prayer time c. Q. What to do in danger of life by the Pox or Leprosie c. Q Who may marry after parting or divorce p. 539. Q Is it lawful to suffer yea or contribute to the known sin materially of Wife Child Servant or other relations Where is opened what is in our Power to do against sin and what not p. 539. Q. If a Gentleman have a great Estate by which he may do much good and his Wife be so Proud Prodigal and pievish that if she may not waste it all in house keeping and pride she will dye or grow mad or give him no quietness What is his duty in so sad a case p. 542 CHAP. X. The Duties of Parents for their Children Where are twenty special Directions for their Education p. 543 CHAP. XI The Duties of Children towards their Parents p. 547 CHAP. XII The special Duties of Children and Youth towards God p. 552 CHAP. XIII The Duties of Servants to their Masters p. 554 CHAP. XIV Tit. 1. The Duty of Masters towards their Servants p. 556 Tit. 2. The Duty of Masters to Slaves in the Plantations p. 557 Q. 1. Is it lawful for a Christian to buy and use a man as a Slave Q. 2. Is it lawful to use a Christian as a Slave p. 558 Q. 3. What difference must we make between a Servant and a Slave Q. 4. What if men buy Negro's or other Slaves of such as we may think did steal them or buy them of Robbers and Tyrants and not by Consent p. 559 Q. 5. May I not sell such again and make my mony of them Q. 6. May I not return them to him that I bought them of CHAP. XV. The Duties of Children and fellow servants to one another p. 561 CHAP. XVI Directions for holy Conference of fellow servants and others p. 562 Q. May we speak good when the Heart is not affected with it Q. Is that the fruit of the Spirit which we force our tongues to CHAP. XVII Directions for every member of the family how to spend every ordinary day of the Week p. 565 CHAP. XVIII Directions for the holy spending of the Lords Day in families Whether the whole day should be kept holy p. 569 Tit. 2. More particular Directions for the Order of holy duties on that day p. 572 CHAP. XIX Directions for profitable Hearing Gods Word preached p. 573 Tit. 2. Directions for Remembring what you Hear p. 575 Tit. 3. Directions for Holy Resolutions and Affections in hearing p. 576 Tit. 4. Directions to bring what we hear into practice p. 577 CHAP. XX. Directions for profitable Reading the holy Scriptures p. 579 CHAP. XXI Directions for Reading other Books p. 580 CHAP. XXII Directions for right Teaching Children and Servants so as is most likely to have success The summ of Christian Religion p. 582 CHAP. XXIII Directions for Prayer in general p 587 A Scheme or brief Explication of the Exact Method of the Lords Prayer p. 590 Tit. 2. Cases about Prayer p. 591. Q. 1. Is the Lords Prayer to be used as a form of words or only as a Directory for Matter and Method Q. 2. What need is there of any other prayer if this he perfect Q. 3. Is it lawful to pray in a set form of words Q. 4. Are those forms lawful which are prescribed by man and not by God Q 5 Is free praying called extemporate lawful Q. 6. Which is the better Q. 7. Must we ever follow the Method of the Lords Prayer Q. 8. Must we pray only when the Spirit moveth us or as Reason guideth
or a member of a particular Church who liveth so far from it as to be uncapable of personal communion with them p. 843 Q. 66. If a man be injuriously suspended or Excommunicated by the Pastor or people which way shall he have remedy ibid. Q. 67. Doth presence always make us guilty of the â—vils or faults of the Pastor in Gods Worship or of the Church or In what cases are we guilty ibid. Q. 68. Is it lawful to communicate in the Sacrament with wicked men p. 844 Q. 69. Have all the members of the Church right to the Lords Table and is suspension Lawful ibid. Q. 70. Is there any such thing in the Church as a rank or Classis or species of Church-members at age who are not to be admitted to the Lords Table but only to the hearing the Word and Prayer between Infant members and adult-confirmed ones p. 845 Q. 71. Whether a form of Prayer be lawful p. 847 Q. 72. Are formes of prayer or Preaching in the Church Lawful ibid. Q. 73. Are publick forms of mans devising or composing Lawful ibid. Q. 74. Is it lawful to Impose forms on the Congregation or the people in publick Worship p. 848 Q. 75. Is it Lawful to use forms composed by man and imposed not only on the people but on the Pastors of the Churches ibid. Q. 76. Doth not the calling of a Minister so consist in the exercise of his own ministerial gifts that he may not officiate without them nor make use of other mens gifts instead of them p. 849 Q. Is it lawful to read a Prayer in the Church p. 850 Q. 77. Is it Lawful to Pray in the Church without a prescribed or premeditated form of words ibid. Q. 78. Whether are set forms of words or free praying without them the better way and what are the Commodities and Incommodities of each way p. 851 Q. 79. Is it Lawful to forbear the Preaching of some truths upon mans prohibition that I may have liberty to Preach the rest yea and to promise to forbear them or to do it for the Churches peace p. 853 Q. 80. May or must a Minister silenced or forbid to Preach the Gâ—spel go on still to Preach it against the Law p. 854 Q. 81. May we lawfully keep the Lords day as a fast p. 855 Q. 82. How should the Lords day be spent in the main ibid. Q. 83. May the people bear a vocal part in Worship or do any more than say Amen p. 856 Q. 84. Is it not a sin for our Clerks to make themselves the mouth of the people who are not ordained Ministers of Christ p. 857 Q. 85. Are repetitions of the same words in Churchpraâ—ers lawful p. 858 Q. 86. Is it lawful to bow at the name of Iesus ibid. Q. 87. Is it Lawful to stand up at the Gospel as we are appointed ibid. Q. 88. Is it lawful to kneel when the Deâ—alogue is read p. 859 Q 89. What Gestures are fittest in all the publick Worship ibid. Q. 90. What if the Pastor and Church cannot agree about singing Psalms or what Version or Translation to use or time or place of meeting c. ibid. Q. 91. What if the Pastor excommunicate a man and the people will not forbear his Communion as thinking him unjustly excommunicated p. 860 Q. 92. May a whole Church or the greater part be excommunicated ibid. Q. 93. What if a Church have two Pastors and one excommunicate a man and the other absolve him what shall the Church and the Dissenter do p. 861 Q. 94. For what sins may a man be denyed Communion or Excommunicated Whether for impenitence in every little sin Or For great sin without impenitence ibid. Q. 95. Must the Pastor examine the people before the Sacrament ibid. Q. 96. Is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper a Converting Ordinance p. 862 Q. 97. Must no man come to the Sacrament that is uncertain or doubtful of the sincerity of his faith and repentance ibid. Q. 98. Is it Lawful or a duty to joyn oblations to the Sacrament and how p. 863 Q. 99. How many Sacraments are there appointed by Christ ibid. Q. 100. How far is it lawful needful or unlawful for a man to afflict himself by external penances for sin p. 864 Q. 101. Is it lawful to observe stated times of fasting imposed by others without extraordinary occasions And particularly Lent p. 865 Q. 102. May we continue in a Church where some one Ordinance of Christ is wanting as Discipline Prayer Preaching or Sacraments though we have all the rest p. 866 Q 103. Must the Pastors remove from one Church to another when ever the Magistrate commandeth us though the Bishops contradict it and the Church consent not to dismiss us And so of other cases of disagreement p. 867 Q. 104. Is a Pastor â—bliged to his flock for life or is it Lawful so to oblige himself And may he remove without their Consent And so also of a Chuch member the same questions are put p. 868 Q. 105. When many men pretend at once to be the true Pastors of a particular Church against each others title through differences between the Magistrates the Ordainers and the flocks what should the people do and whom should they adhere to p. 869 Q. 106. To whom doth it belong to Reform a Corrupted Church To the Magistrates Pastors or People p 869 Q. 107. Who is to call Synods Princes Pastors or People ibid. Q. 108. To whom doth it belong to appoint dayes and Assemblies for publick Humiliation and Thanksgiving p. 870 Q. 109. May we omit Church Assemblies on the Lords day if the Magistrate forbid them ibid. Q. 110. Must we obey the Magistrate if he only forbid us Worshipping God in such a place or Countrey or in such numbers or the like circumstances p. 871 Q. 111. Must Subjects or Servants forbear weekly Lectures Reading or such helps above the Lords days worship if Princes or Masters do forbid them p. 871 Q. 112. Whether Religious Worship may be given to a Creature and what p. 872 Q. 113. What Images and what use of Images is Lawful or Unlawful p. 873 Q. 114 Whether Stage-plays where the virtuous and vitious are personated be lawful p. 877 Q. 115. Is it ever unlawful to use the known Symbols and badges of Idolatry p. 878 Q. 116. Is it unlawful to use the Badge or Symbol of any errour or sect in the Worship of God p. 879 Q. 117. Are all Indifferent things made unlawful to us which shall be abused to Idolatrâ—us Worship p. 879 Q. 118. May we use the names of week dayes which Idolatâ—rs honoured their Idols with â—s Sunday Munday Saturday and the rest And so the Months p. 880 Q. 119. Is it lawful to pray secretly when we come first into the Church especially when the Church is otherwise employed ibid. Q. 120. May a Preacher kneel down in the Pulpit and use his private prayers when he is in the Assembly p. 881
〈…〉 Quaeâ—amque est praedicatio nostra quae fiducia signa certè non edimus vitae sanctitate non eminemus beneficentia non invitamus 〈…〉 â—pâ—â—itâ—s essiâ—â—cia non pâ—râ—uademus lachrymis ac precibus à Deo non impetramus immo ne magnopere quidem câ—ramus Quae ergo nostra 〈◊〉 est quae tanta Iudorum accusatio An ingeruous confession of the Roman Priesthood And such Priests can expect no better success But having seen another sort of Ministers through Gods mercy I have seen an answerable fruit of their endeavours lib. â— p. 365. all that have their senses awake and fit to serve their Minds To use Reason in the greatest matters is proper to wise men that know for what end God made them Reasonable Inconsiderate men are all ungodly men For Reason not used is as bad as no Reason and will prove much worse in the day of reckoning The truth is though sinners are exceeding blind and erroneous about the things of God yet all Gods precepts are so Reasonable and tend so clearly to our joy and happiness that if the Devil did not win most souls by silencing Reason and laying it asleep or drowning its voice with the noise and crowd of worldly business Hell would not have so many sad inhabitants I scarce believe that God will condemn any sinner that ever lived in the world that had the use of Reason no not the Heathens that had but one talent but he will be able to say to them as Luk. 19. 22. Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee thou wicked servant Thou knewest c. To serve God and labour diligently for salvation and prefer it before all worldly things is so Reasonable a thing that every one that Repenteth of the contrary course doth call it from his heart an impious madness Reason must needs be for God that made it Reason must needs be for that which is its proper End and Use. Sin as it is in the Understanding is nothing but Unreasonableness a blindness and error a loss and corruption of Reason in the matters of God and our salvation And Grace as in the understanding doth but cure this folly and distraction and make us Reasonable again It is but the opening of our eyes and making us wise in the greatest matters It is not a more unmanly thing to love and plead for blindness madness and diseases and to hate both sight and health and wit than it is to love and plead for sin and to hate and vilifie a holy life § 2. Grant me but this one thing that thou wilt but soberly exercise thy Reason about these great important questions Where must I abide for ever What must I do to be saved What was I created and Redeemed for And I shall hope that thy own understanding as erroneous as it is will work out something that will promote thy good Do but withdraw thy self one hour in a day from company and other business and Consider but as soberly and seriously of thy end and life as thou knowest the nature and weight of the matter doth require and I am perswaded thy own Reason and Conscience will call thee to Repentance and set thee at least in a far better way than thou wast in before When thou walkest alone or when thou wakest in the night remember soberly that God is present that time is hasting to an end that judgement is at hand where thou must give account of all thy hours of thy lusts and passions and desires of all thy thoughts and words and deeds and that thy endless joy or misery dependeth wholly and certainly on this little time Think but soberly on such things as these but one hour in a day or two and try whether it will not at once recover thee to wit and godliness and folly and sin will vanish away before the force of Considering Reason as the darkness vanisheth before the light I intreat thee now as in the presence of God and as thou wilt answer the denyal of so Reasonable a request at the day of Judgement that thou wilt but resolve to try this course of a sober serious Consideration about thy sin thy duty thy danger thy hope thy account and thy everlasting state Try it sometimes especially on the Lords dayes and do but mark the result of all and whither it is that such sober consideration doth point or lead thee Whether it be not towards a diligent holy heavenly life If thou deny me thus much God and thy Conscience shall bear witness that thou thoughtst thy salvation of little worth and therefore maist justly be denyed it § 3. Would it not be strange that a man should be penitent and Godly that never once thought of the matter with any seriousness in his life Can so many and great diseases of soul be cured before you have once soberly considered that you have them and how great and dangerous they are and by what remedies they must be cured Can grace be obtained and exercised while you never so much as think of it Can the main business of our lives be done without any serious thoughts when we think it fit to bestow so many upon the trivial matters of this world Doth the world and the flesh deserve to be remembred all the day and week and year and doth not God and thy salvation deserve to be thought on one hour in a day or one day in a week Judge of these things but as a man of reason If thou look that God who hath given thee Reason to guide thy Will and a Will to command thy actions should yet carry thee to Heaven like a Stone or save thee against or without thy will before thou didst ever once soberly think of it thou maist have leisure in Hell to lament the folly of such expectations Direction 6. SUffer not the Devil by company pleasure or worldly business to divert or hinder thee Direct 6. from these serious Considerations § 1. The Devil hath but two wayes to procure thy damnation The one is by keeping thee from any sober Remembrance of spiritual and eternal things and the other is if thou wilt needs think of them to deceive thee into false erroneous thoughts To bring to pass the first of these which is the most common powerful means his ordinary way is by diversion finding thee still something else to Even learning and honest studies may be used as a diversion from more necessary things Saith Petrarch in vita â—ua Iâ—gâ—nio sui ad omne boâ—um salâ—bâ—â— sâ—udiâ—m apto sed aâ— moâ—aâ—â—m pâ—aeâ—â—pâ—e phiâ—oâ—â—phiaâ— ad poeticam prono Quam ipsam pâ—ocessu temporis neglexi sacris literis delectatus in quibus seâ—si â—ulcedinem abditam quam aâ—â—uaâ—do 〈…〉 ram pâ—eticis literis noâ— nisi ad ornamentum reservatis do putting some other thoughts into thy mind and some other work into thy hand so that thou canst never have leisure for any sober thoughts of God
John 3. 18. 3. 5. Thou sleepest in Irons in the captivity of the Devil among the walking judgements of God in a life that is still expecting an end in a Boat that is swiftly carried to eternity just at the entrance of another world and that world will be Hell if Grace awake thee not Thou art going to see the face of God to see the world of Angels or Devils and to be a companion with one of them for ever And is this a place or case to sleep in Is thy Bed so soft thy dwelling so safe God standeth over thee man and dost thou sleep Christ is coming and death is coming and judgement coming and dost thou sleep Didst thou never read of the foolish Virgins that slept out their time and knockt and cryed in vain when it was too late Matth. 25. 5. Thou mightest wiselyer sleep on the Pinnacle of a Steeple in a Storm than have a soul asleep in so dangerous a case as thou art in The Devil is awake and is rocking thy Cradle How busie is he to keep off Ministers or Conscience or any that would awake thee None of thy enemies are asleep and yet wilt thou sleep in the thickest of thy foes Is the battle a sleeping time or thy race a sleeping time when Heaven or Hell must be the End While he can keep thee asleep the Devil can do almost what he liâ—t with thee He knows that thou hast now no use of thy eyes or understanding or power to resist him The Learnedst Doctor in his sleep is as unlearned actually as an Ideot and will dispute no better than an unlearned man This makes many learned men to be ungodly they are asleep in sin The Devil could never have made such a drudge of thee to do his work against Christ and thy soul if thou hadst been awake Thou wouldst never have followed his whistle to the Ale-house the Play-house the Gaming-house and to other sins if thou hadst been in thy wits and well awake Read Prov. 7. 23. 24. I cannot believe that thou longest to be damned or so hatest thy self as to have done as thou hast done to have a lived Godless a Graceless a Prayerless and yet a merry careless life if thy eyes had been opened and thou hadst known and feelingly known that this was the way to Hell Nature it self will hardly go to Hell awake But it 's easie to abuse a man that is asleep Thou hast Reason but didst thou ever awake it to one hours serious Consideration of thy endless state and present case O dreadful judgement to be given over to the Spirit of slumber Rom. 11. 8. Is it not high time now to awake out of sleep Rom. 13. 11. When the light is arisen and shines about thee When others that care for their souls are busily at work When thou hast slept out so much precious time already Many a mercy and perhaps some Ministers have been as Candles burnt out to light thee while thou hast slept How oâ—t hast thou been called already How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard Prov. 6. 9. 10. Yet thou hast thundering calls and allarums to awake thee God calls and Ministers call Mercies call and judgements call and yet wilt thou not awake The voice of the Lord is powerful full of Majesty breaketh the Cedars shaketh the Wilderness and yet cannot it awake thee Thou wilt not sleep about far smaller matters at meat or drink or in common talk or Market But O how much greater business hast thou to keep thee awake Thou hast yet an unholy soul to be renewed an ungodly life to be reformed an offended God to be reconciled to and many thousand sins to be forgiven Thou hast death and judgement to prepare for thou hast Heaven to win and Hell to scape Thou hast many a needful Truth to learn and many a holy duty to perform and yet dost thou think it time to sleep Paul that had less need than thou did watch and pray and labour day and night Acts 20. 31. 1 Thess. 3. 10. O that thou knewest how much better it is to be awake While thou sleepest thou losest the benefit of the Light and all the mercies that attend thee The Sun is but as a clod to a man asleep The world is as no world to him The beauty of Heaven and Earth are nothing to him Princes friends and all things are forgotten by him So doth thy sleep in sin make nothing of health and patience time and help Ministers Books and daily warnings O what a day hast thou for everlasting if thou hadst but a heart to use it What a price hast thou in thine hand Prov. 10. 5. Sleep not out thy day thy harvest time thy tide time They that sleep sleep in the night 1 Thess. 5. 7. Awake and Christ will give thee light Rom. 13. 12. Ephes. 5. 14. Awake to righteousness and sin not 1 Cor. 15. 34. O when thou seest the Light of Christ what a wonder will it possess thee with at the things which thou now forgettest What joy will it fill thee with and with what pity to the sleepy world But if thou wilt needs sleep on be it known to thee sinner it shall not be long If thou wilt wake no sooner death and vengeance will awake thee Thou wilt wake when thou seest the other world and seest the things which thou wouldst not believe and comest before thy dreadful Judge Thy damnation slumbereth not 2 Pet. 2. 3. There are no sleepy souls in Heaven or Hell all are awake there and the day that hath awakened so many shall waken thee Watch then if thou love thy soul lest thy Lord come suddenly and find thee sleeping Mark 13. 34 35 36 37. What I say to one I say to all Watch. § 4. Tempt 2. If Satan cannot keep the soul in a sleepy careless inconsiderate forgetfulness he would Tempt 2. make the unregenerate soul believe that there is no such thing as Regenerating Grace but that it is a fancied thing which no man hath experience of and he saith as Nicodemus How can these things be John 3. 4. He thinks that natural conscience is enough § 5. Direct 2. But this may be easily refuted by observing that Holiness is but the very Health and Direct 2. rectitude of the soul and is no otherwise supernatural than as Health to him that is born a Leper See 2 Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 15. Gal. 4. 19. Joh. 3. 3. 5. 6. Matth. 18. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 23. It is the rectitude of Nature or its disposition to the use and end that it was made for Though Grace be called supernatural 1. Because it is not born with us and 2. Corrupted Nature is against it 3. And the End of it is the God of Nature who is above Nature 4. And the Revelation and other means are supernatural as Christs incarnation resurrection c. Yet both Nature and Scripture and experience tell you
more of my observation of which these times have given us too much proof Profane and formal Enemies on the one hand and ignorant self-conceited wranglers on the other hand who think they are champions for the truth when they are venting their passions and fond opinions are the two Thieves between whom the Church hath suffered from the beginning to this day The first are the Persecutors and the other the Dividers and disturbers of the Church Mark what the Holy Ghost saith in this case 2 Tim. 2. 23 24. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strife and the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men Phil. 2. 14 15. Do all things without murmurings and disputings that ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5 6. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Iesus Christ and the doctrine which is according to godliliness he is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy strife raylings evil surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds c. So 1 Tim. 1. 4 5. Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which Minister Questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned § 6. Yet I must here profess that if any falsehearted worldly hypocrite that resolveth to be on the saving side and to hold all to be lawful that seemeth necessary to his safety or preferments shall take any encouragement from what I have here said to debauch his conscience and sell his soul and then call all those furious zealots that will not be as false to God as he let that man know that I have given him no cloak for so odious a sin nor will he find a cover for it at the barr of God though he may delude his conscience and bear it out by his carnal advantages before the world Direct 13. KNow that true Godliness is the Best Life upon Earth and the only may to perfect Direct 13. Happiness Still apprehend it therefore and Use it as the best and with great diligence â—â—sist those Temptations which would make it seem to you a confounding grievous or unpleasant thing § 1. There are all things concurrent in a Holy life to make it the most delectable life on earth to a rational purified mind that is not captivated to the flesh and liveth not on Air or Dung The Object of it is the Eternal God himself the Infallible Truth the only satisfactory Good and all these condescending and appearing to us in the mysterious but suitable glass of a Mediator Redeeming Reconciling teaching governing sanctifying justifying and glorifying all that are his own The End of it is the pleasing and glorifying of our Maker Redeemer and Sanctifier and the everlasting happiness of our selves and others The Rule of it is the infallible Revelation of God delivered to the Church by his Prophets and his Son and his Apostles and comprized in the Holy Scriptures and sealed by the Miracles and operations of the Holy Ghost that did indite them The work of Godliness is a living unto God and preparing for everlasting life by foreseeing foretasting seeking and rejoycing in that endless Happiness which we shall have with God and by walking after the Spirit and avoiding the filthiness delusions and vexations of the world and the flesh The nature of man is not capable of a more noble profitable and delectable life than this which God hath called us to by his Son And if we did but rightly know it we should follow it with continual alacrity and delight Be sure therefore to conceive of Godliness as it is and not as it is mis-represented by the Devil and the ungodly Read what I have written of this in my A Saint or a Brute § 2. As long as a man conceiveth of Religion as it is even the most sweet and delectable life so long he will follow it willingly and with his heart and despise the temptations and avocations of flâ—shly gain and pleasure He will be sincere as not being only drawn by other men or outward advantages nor frightned into it by a passion of fearfulness but loving Religion for it self and for its excellent ends And then he will be chearful in all the duties and under all the sufferings and difficulties of it And he will be most likely to persevere unto the end We cannot expect that the Heart or Will should be any more for God and Godliness than the Understanding practically apprehendeth them as Good Nay we must alwayes perceive in them a transcendent Goodness above all that is to be found in a worldly life Or else the appearing Goodness of the Creature will divert us and carry away our minds We may see in the very Brutes what a power apprehension hath upon their actions If your Horse be but going to his home or pasture how freely will he go through thick and thin but if he go unwillingly his travell is troublesome and slow and you have much ado to get him on It will be so with you in your way to Heaven § 2. It is therefore the principal design of the Devil to hide the Goodness and Pleasantness of Religion from you and to make it appear to you as a terrible or tedious life By this means it is that he keeps men from it and by this means he is still endeavouring to draw you back again and frustrate your good beginnings and your hopes If he can thus mis-represent Religion to your understandings he will suddenly alienate your wills and corrupt your lives and make you turn to the world again and seek for pleasure somewhere else and only take up with some heartless lip-service to keep up some deceitful hope of being saved And the means which Satan useth to these ends are such as these § 3. 1. He will do his worst to overwhelm you with appearing doubts and difficulties and bring How Satan would make Religion seem to be a câ—nfounding unpâ—â—aâ—an thing â— By difficulties you to a loss and to make Religion seem to you a confounding and not a satisfying thing This is one of his most dangerous assaults upon the weak and young beginners Difficulties and Passions are the things which he makes use of to confound you and put you out of a regular cheerful seeking of salvation When you read the Scriptures he will mind you of abundance of difficulties in all you read or hear He will shew you seeming contradictions and tell you that you will never be able to understand these things He will cast in thoughts of Unbelief and Blasphemy and cause you if he can to â—owl them in your
destroying the Kingdom of the Devil and next the purifying his peculiar people and calling home all that are ordained to eternal life § 60. But more particularly he looketh principally at the heart to plant there 1. Holy Knowledge 2. Faith 3. Godlyness or holy devotedness to God and Love to him above all 4. Thankfulness 5. Obedience 6. Humility 7. Heavenly-mindedness 8. Love to others 9. Self-denial and Mortification and contentment 10. Patience And in all these 1. sincerity 2. tenderness of heart 3. â—eal and holy strength and resolution And withal to make us actually serviceable and diligent in our masters work for our own and others salvation § 61. II. Christs order in working is direct and not backward as the Devils is He first revealeth saving truth to the understanding and affecteth the will â—â— shewing the Goodness of the things revealed And these employ the Thoughts and Passions and Senses and the whole body reducing the inferiour faculties to obedience and casting out by degrees those images which had deceived and prepossessed them § 62. The matter which Christ presenteth to the Soul is 1. Certain Truth from the Father of Lights set up against the Prince and Kingdom of darkness ignorance error and deceit 2. Spiritual and everlasting Good even God himself to be seen and Loved and Enjoyed for ever against the Tempters temporal corporal and seeming good Christs Kingdom and work are advanced by Light He is for the promoting of all useful knowledge and therefore for clear and convincing Preaching for reading the Scriptures in a known tongue and meditating in them day and night and for exhorting one another daily which Satan is against § 63. III. The Means by which he worketh against Satan are such as these 1. Sometime he maketh use of the very temper of the body as a preparative and being Lord of all he giveth such a temperature as will be most serviceable to the soul As a sober deliberate meek quiet and patient disposition But sometime he honoureth his Grace by the conquest of such sins as even bodily disposition doth entertain and cherish § 64. 2. Sometimes by his providence he withdraweth the matter of temptations that they shall not be too strong for feeble souls But sometimes his Grace doth make advantage of them all and leave them for the magnifying of its frequent victories § 65. 3. Sometimes he giveth his cause the major vote among the people so that it shall be a matter of dishonourable singularity not to be a professed Christian and somtime but exceeding rarely it is so with the life of Godliness and practice of Christianity also But ordinarily in the most places of the world Custom and the Multitude are against him and his grace is honoured by prevailing against these bands of Satan § 66. 4. He maketh his Ministers his principal Instruments qualifying disposing and calling them to his work and helping them in it and prospering it in their hands § 67. 5. He maketh it the duty of every Christian to do his part to carry on the work and furnisheth them with Love and Compassion and Knowledge and Zeal in their several measures § 68. 6. He giveth a very strict charge to Parents to devote their Children with themselves to God encouraging them with the promise of his accepting and blessing them and commandeth them to teach them the word of God with greatest diligence and to bring them up in the nurture and fear of God § 69. 7. He giveth Princes and Magistrates their power to promote his Kingdom and protect his servants and encourage the good and suppress iniquity and further the obedience of his Laws Though in most of the world they turn his enemies and he carrieth on his work without them and against their cruel persecuting opposition § 70. 8. His Light detecteth the nakedness of the Devils cause and among the Sons of Light it is odious and a common shame And as wisdom is justified of her children so the judgement of holy men condemning sin doth much to keep it under in the world § 71. 9. His providence usually casteth the sinner that he will do good to into the bosome and communion of his holy Church and the familiar company and acquaintance of the Godly who may help him by instruction affection and example § 72. 10. His providence fitteth all conditions to their good but especially helpeth them by seasonable quickning afflictions These are the means which ordinarily he useth But the powerful inward operations of his Spirit give efficacy to them all Tit. 2. Temptations to particular sins with Directions for preservation and Remedy IN Chapter 1. Part 2. I have opened the Temptations which hinder sinners from Conversion to God I shall now proceed to those which draw men to particular sins Here Satans Art is exercised 1. In fitting his baits to his particular use 2. In applying them thereto § 1. Tempt 1. The Devil fitteth his Temptations to the sinners age The same bait is not suitable Tempt 1. to all Children he tempteth to excess of playfullness lying disobedience unwillingness to learn the things that belong to their salvation and a senselesness of the great concernments of their souls He tempteth youth to wantonness rudeness gulosity unruliness and foolish inconsiderateness In the beginning of manhood he tempteth to lust voluptuousness and luxury or if these take not to designs of worldliness and ambition The aged he tempteth to covetousness and unmoveableness in their error and unteachableness and obstinacy in their ignorance and sin Thus every age hath its peculiar snare § 2. Direct 1. The Remedy against this is 1. To be distinctly acquainted with the Temptations of Direct 1. your own age and watch against them with a special heedfullness and fear 2. To know the special duties and advantages of your own age and turn your thoughts wholly unto those Scripture hath various precepts for the various ages study your own part The young have more time to learn their duty and less care and business to divert them Let them therefore be taken up in obedient learning The middle age hath most vigor of body and mind and therefore should do their masters work with the greatest vigor activity and zeal The Aged should have most judgement and experience and acquaintedness with Death and Heaven and therefore should teach the younger both by word and holy life § 3. Tempt 2. The Tempter also fitteth his Temptations to mens several bodily tempers as I Tempt â— shewed § 22. The hot and strong he tempteth to lust The sad and fearful to discouragement and continual self-vexations and to the Fear of Men and Devils Those that have strong appetites to Gluttony and Drunkenness Children and Women and weak-headed people to Pride of Apparel and trifling Complement And masculine wicked-unbelievers to Pride of Honour Parts and Grandeur and to an ambitious seeking of Rule and Greatness The meek and gentle he tempteth to a yieldingness unto the perswasions
save thee as the Devil Direct 47. can be to damn thee and which then should prevail 2. Be you as constant in resistance Be as oft in prayer and other confirming means Do as Paul 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. who prayed thrice as Christ did in his agony when the prick in the flesh was not removed 3. Tempt not the Tempter by giving him encouragement A faint denyal is an invitation to ask again Give him quickly a flat denial and put him out of hope if you would shorten the temptation § 119 Tempt 48. Lastly the Divel would sink the sinner in despair and perswade him now it Tempt 48. is too late § 120. Direct 48. Observe his design that it is but to take off that Hope which is the weight Direct 49. to set the wheels of the soul a going In all he is against God and you In other sins he is against Gods Authority In this he is against his Love and Mercy Read the Gospel and you will find that Christs death is sufficient the promise is universal full and free and that the day of Grace is so far continued till the day of death that no man shall be denied it that truly desireth it And that the same God that forbiddeth thy presumption forbiddeth also thy despair Tit. 3. Temptations to draw us off from duty § 1. Tempt 1. THe greatest Temptation against duty is by perswading men that it is no duty Tempt 1. Thus in our dayes we have seen almost all duty cast off by this erroneous fancy One saith that the â—â—ly observation of the Lords day is not commanded of God in Scripture Another saith What Scripture have you for family-prayer or singing Psalms or baptizing Infants or praying before and aâ—ter Sâ—rmâ—n or for your Office Ordination Tythes Churches c. Another saith that Church-Government and Discipline aâ—e not of Divine Institution Another saith that Baptism and the Lords Supper â—â—re but for that age And thus all duty is taken down instead of doing it § 2. Direct 1. Read and fear Matth. 5. 19. Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments Direct 1. and shall teach men sâ— he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven But whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall â—e called great in the Kingdom of Heaven Denying duty is too easie a way of â—vâ—â—ing obedience to serve turn Denying the Laws that bind you to publick payments will not save you from them but for all that if you deny you must be distrained on And God will make it deaâ—â—â—â— to you if you put him to distrain on you for duty Must he go to Law with you for it He 'll quickly shâ—w you Law for it and prove that it was your duty Open your doubts to able men and you will hear more evidence than you know But if pride and false-heartedness blind you you must bear your punishment § 3. Tempt 2. Saith the Tempter It is a duty to weak ones but not for you You must not be Tempt 2. still under Ordinances in the lower form every day must be a Sabbath to you and every bit a Sacrament and every place as a Church you must live above Ordinances in Christ. § 4. Direct 2. We must live above Mosaical Ordinances Col. 2. 18. 21. but not above Christs Ordinances Direct 2. unless you will live above obedience and above the Government of Christ Hath not Christ appointed the Ministry and Church helps till we all come to a perfect man Ephes. 4. 13. and promised to be with them to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. It is befooling Pride that can make you think you have no need of Christs instituted means § 5. Tempt 3. But thou art unworthy to pray or recieve the Sacrament It 's not for Dogs Tempt â— Direct ◠§ 6. Direct 3. The wilful impenitent refusers of Grace are unworthy The willing soul that fain would be what God would have him hath an accepted worthiness in Christ. § 7. Tempt 4. But while you doubt you do it not in faith and therefore to you it is sin Tempt 4. Direct 4. § 8. Direct 4. But is it not a greater sin to leave it undone Will doubting of all duty excuse you from it Then you have an easie way to be free from all Do but doubt whether you should believe in God or Christ or love him or live a godly life and it seems you think it will excuse you But if you doubt whether you should feed your child you deserve to be hanged for murthering it if you famish it If you doubt of duty it is duty still and you are first bound to lay by your doubts But things indifferent left to your choice must not be done with a doubting conscience It was of such things that Paul spake § 9. Tempt 5. The Devil puts somewhat still in the way that seemeth necessary to thrust out Tempt 5. duty § 10. Direct 5. God hath not set you work which he alloweth you no Time for Is all your Direct 5. time spent in better things Is it not your carnal mind that makes you think carnal things most needful Christ saith One thing is needful Luke 10. 42. Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you Had you that love and delight in holiness as you Matth. 6. 33. should you would find time for it An unwelcome Guest is put off with any excuse Others as poor as you can find time for duty because they are willing Set your business in order and let every thing keep its proper place and you may have time for every duty § 11. Tempt 6. But you are so unable and unskilful to pray to learn that it 's as good never Tempt 6. mâ—ddle with it § 12. Direct 6. Set your selves to learn and mark those that have skill and do what you can Direct 6. You must learn by practice The unskilfullest duty is better than none Unworded groans come oft from the Spirit of God and God understandeth and accepteth them Rom. 8. 26 27. § 13. Tempt 7. It will be so hard and long to learn that you will never overcome it Tempt 7. Direct 7. § 14. Direct 7. Willingness and diligence have the promise of Gods help Remember it is a thing that must be done When your own disuse and sin hath made it hard will you put God and your souls off with that as an excuse If you had neglected to teach your child to speak or go when it is young should he therefore never learn Will you despair and let go all your hope on this pretence or will you hope to be saved without prayer and other holy duty How foolish are both these Sick men must eat though their stomachs be against it they cannot live else § 15. Tempt 8. But thou findest thou art but the worse for duty and
ever the world had who taught it not only by his words but by his blood by his life and by his death If thou canst not learn it of him thou canst never learn it Love is the greatest commander of Love and the most effectual argument that can insuperably constrain us to it And none ever loved at the measure and rates that Christ hath loved To stand by such a fire is the way for a congealed heart to melt and the coldest affections to grow warm A lively faith still holding Christ the Glass of infinite Love and Goodness before our faces is the greatest Lesson in the Art of Love § 28. 2. Behold God also in his Covenant of Grace which he hath made in Christ. In that you may see sucâ— sâ—râ— such great and wonderful mercies freely given out to a world of sinners and to your selves among the rest as may afford abundant matter for Love and Thankfulness to feed on while you live There you may see how loth God is that sinners should perish How he delighteth in mercy And how great and unspeakable that mercy is There you may sâ—e an Act of Pardon and Oblivion granted upon the reasonable condition of Believing Penitent Acceptance to all mankind The sins that men have been committing many years together their willâ—ul hâ—ynous aggravated sins you may there see pardoned by more aggravated Mercy and the enemies of God reconciled to him and condemned rebels sav'd from Hell and brought into his family and made his sons O what an Image of the Goodness of God is apparent in the tenor of his word and Covenant Hâ—liness and Mercy make up the whole They are exprest in every leaf and line The precepts which seem too strict to sinners are but the perfect Rules of Holiness and Love for the health and happiness of man What Loveliness did David find in the Law it self And so should we if we read it with his eyes and heart It was sweeter to him than hony he loved it above gold Psalm 119. 127 and 97. he crieth out O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day And must not the Law-giver then be much more lovely whose Goodness here appeareth to us Good and upright is the Lord therefore will he teach sinners in the way Psalm 25. 8. I will delight my self in thy Commandments which I have loved My hands also will I lift up to thy Commandments which I have loved and I will meditate in thy statutes Psalm 119. 47 48. How delightfully then should I love and meditate on the Blessed Author of this holy Law But how can I read the history of Love the strange design of Grace in Christ the mystery which the Angels desirously pry into the pâ—omises of life to lost and miserable sinners and not feel the power of Love transform me Behold with what Love the Father hath Loved us that we shâ—uld be called the sons of God 1 John 3. 1. How doth God shed abroad his Love upon our hearts but by opening to us the superabundance of it in his word and opening our hearts by his spirit to perceive it O when a poor sinner that first had felt the load of sin and the wrath of God shall feelingly read or hear what mercy is rendered to him in the Covenant of Grace and hear Christs messengers tell him from God that All things are now ready and therefore invite him to the heavenly feast and even compel him to come in what melting Love must this affect a sinners heart with When we see the Grant of Life eternal sealed to us by the blood of Christ and a pardoning justifying saving Covenant so freely made and surely confirmed to us by that God whom we had so much offended O what an incentive is here for Love § 29. When I mention the Covenant I imply the Sacraments which are but its appendants or confirming seals and the investing the believer solemnly with its benefits But in these God is pleased to condescend to the most familiar communion with his Church that Love and Thankfulness might want no helps There it is that the Love of God in Christ applyeth it self most closely to particular sinners And the meat or drink will be sweet in the mouth which was not sweet to us on the table at all O how many a Heart hath this affected How many have felt the stirrings of that Love which before they felt not when they have seen Christ crucified before their eyes and have heard the Minister in his name and at his command bid them Take and Eat and Drink commanding them not to refuse their Saviour but Take him and the benefits of his blood as their own assuring them of his good will and readiness to forgive and save them § 30. 3. Behold also the Loveliness of God in his Holy ones who bear his Image and are advanced by his Love and Mercy If you are Christians indeed you are taught of God to Love his servants and to see an excellency in the Saints on earth and make them the people of your delight Psalm 16. 1 2. 1 Thes. 4. 9. And this must needs acquaint you with the greater Amiableness in the most Holy God that made them Holy O how oft have the feeling and heavenly prayers of lively believers excited those affections in me which before I felt not How oft have I been warmed with their Heavenly discourse How amiable is that Holy Heavenly disposition and conversation which appeareth in them Their faith their Love their trust in God their cheerful obedience their hatred of sin their desire of the good of all their meekness and patience how much do these advance them above the ignorant sensual proud malignant and ungodly world How Good then is that God that makes men Good And how little is the Goodness of the best of men compared to his unmeasurable Goodness Whenever your converse with holy men stirs up your Love to them rise by it presently to the God of Saints and let all be turned to him that giveth all to them and you § 31. And as the excellency of the saints so their priviledge and great advancement should shew you the Goodness of God that doth advance them As oft as thou seest a saint how poor and mean in the world soever thou seest a living monument of the abundant kindness of the Lord Thou seest a child of God a member of Christ an heir of Heaven Thou seest one that hath all his sins forgiven him and is snatcht as a brand out of the fire and delivered from the power of Satan and translated into the Kigdom of Christ Thou seest one for whom Christ hath conquered the powers of Hell and one that is freed from the bondage of the flesh and one that of the Devils slave is made a Priest to offer up the sacrifices of Praise to God Thou seest one that hath the spirit of God within him and one that hath daily intercourse with
and all the secrets of the heart Psalm 44. 21. 94. 11. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15. 18. His understanding is infinite Psalm 147. 5. What praise doth that Goodness and Mercy deserve which is diffused throughout all the world and is the life and hope and happiness of men and Angels His Mercy is Great unto the Heavens and his Truth unto the Clouds Psalm 57. 10. O how great is his Goodness to them that fear him Psalm 31. 10. and therefore how great should be his Praise Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord and who can shew forth all his Praise Psalm 106. 2. For great is the Glory of the Lord Psalm 138. 5. § 15. 2. It is the end of all Gods wondrous works and especially the end which man was made for that all things else might Praise him Objectively and men and Angels in estimation and expression that his Glorious excellency might be visible in his works and be admired and extolled by the rational creature For this all things were created and are continued For this we have our understanding and our speech This is the fruit that God expecteth from all his works Deny him this and you are guilty of frustrating the whole creation as much as in you lieth You would have the Sun to shine in vain and the Heavens and Earth to stand in vain and man and all things to live in vain if you would not have God have the praiâ—e and Glory of his works Therefore Sun and Moon and Starrs and Firmament are called on to Praise the Lord Psalm 148. 2 3 4. as they are the matter for which he must by us be praised O praise him therefore for his mighty acts Praise him according to his excellent greatness Psalm 150. 2. O that men would praise the Lord for his Goodness and declare his wondrous works for the children of men Psalm 107. 8 c. Yea it is the end of Christ in the Redemption of the world and in saving his elect that God might in the Church in Earth and Heaven have the praise and glory of his grace Ephes. 1. 6 12 14. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that iâ— the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name Heb. 13. 15. And let the redeemed of the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever Psalm 107. 2. For this all his Saints are a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people that they should shew forth the praises of him that hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 5 9. § 16. 3. The Praise of God is the highest and noblest work in it self 1. It hath the highest object even the glorious excellencies of God Thanksgiving is somewhat lower as having more respect to our selves and the Benefits received But Praise is terminated directly on the perfections of God himself 2. It is that work that is most immediately neerest on God as he is Our end And as the end as such is better than all the means set together as such so are the final duties about the end greater than all the mediate duties 3. It is the work of the most excellent creatures of God the holy Angels They proclaimed the coming of Christ by way of Praise Luke 2. 13 14. Glory to God in the highest on earth peace Good-will towards men Psalm 103. 20. 148. 2. And as we must be equal to the Angels it must be in equal Praising God or else it will not be in equality of Glory 4. It is the work of Heaven the place and state of all perfection And that is best and highest which is nearest Heaven Where they rest not day nor night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Allmighty which was and is and is to come Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4. 8. 10. Rev. 19. 5. A voice came out of the throne saying Praise our God all ye his servants and ye that fear him both small and great verse 6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundrings saying Allelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made herself ready § 17. 4. It beseemeth us and much concerneth us to learn and exercise that work which in Heaven we must do for ever and that is to Love and joyfully Praise the Lord. For earth is but the place of our apprentiship for Heaven The preparing works of mortifying repentance must in their place be done but only as subservient to these which we must ever do When we shall sing the new song before the Lamb Thou art worthy For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made us Kings and Priests unto our God Rev. 5. 9 10. Therefore the Primitive Church of believers is described as most like to Heaven Luke 24. 53. with great joy they were continually in the Temple Praising and blessing God O Praise the Lord therefore in the congregations of the Saints Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King Psalm 149. 1 2. Let the Saints be joyful in glory Let the high praises of God be in their mouths verse 5 6. § 18. 5. Though we are yet diseased sinners and in our warfare among enemies dangers and perplexities yet Praise is seasonable and suitable to our condition here as the greatest part of our duty which all the rest must but promote Pretend not that it is not fit for you because you are sinners and that humiliation only is suitable to your state For the design of your redemption the tenour of the Gospel and your own condition engage you to it Are they not engaged to Praise the Lord that are brought so near him to that end 1 Pet. 2 5. 9. that are reconciled to him To whom he hath given and forgiven so much 1 Tim. 1. 15. Tit. 3. 3 5. Psalm 103. 1 2 3. that have so many great and precious promises 2 Pet. 1. 4. that are the Temples of the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in them and sanctifieth them to God That have a Christ interâ—â—ding for them in the highest Rom. 8. 33 34. That are allways safe in the arms of Christ that are guarded by Angels and Devils and enemies forbidden to touch them further than their father sâ—eth necessary for their good That have the Lord for their God Psalm 33. 12. 4. 8. That have his Saints for their companions and helpers That have so many ordinances to help their souls And so
acceptance of their work O that we would do that honour and right to true Religion as to shew the world the nature and use of it by living in the cheerful Praises of our God and did not â—each them to blaspheme it by our mis-doings I have said the more of the excellency and benefits of this work because it is one of your best helps to perform it to know the Reasons of it and how much of your Religion and Duty and comfort consisteth in it and the forgetting of this is the common cause that it is so boldly and ordinarily neglected or slubbered over as it is § 23. Direct 2. The keeping of the heart in the admiration and glorifying o◠〈◊〉 according to Direct 2. the forâ—-going Directions is the principal help to the right praising of him with 〈…〉 ps For out of the hearts abundance the mouth will speak And if the Heart do not bear itâ— part no praise is mâ—lâ—dious to God § 24. Direct 3. â—ead much those Scriptures which speak of the praises of God especially the Psalms Direct 3. and furnish your memories with store of those holy expressions of the excellencies of God which he himself hath taught you in his Word None knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God who teacheth us in the Scriptures to speak divinely of things divine No other diâ—lâ—ct so well becometh the work of praise God that best knoweth himself doth best teach us how to know and praise him Every Christian should have a treasury of these sacred materials in his memory that he may be able at all times in Conference and in Worship to speak of God in the words of God § 25. Direct 4. Be much in singing Psalms of praise and that with the most heart-raising cheerfulness Direct 4. and melody especially in the holy assemblies The melody and the conjunction of many serious holy souls doth â—end much to elevate the heart And where it is done intelligibly reverently in conjunction with a rational spiritual serious Worship the use of Musical Instruments are not to be scrupled or refused any more than the Tunes and Melody of the Vâ—ic◠§ 26. Direct 5. Remember to allow the praises of God their due prâ—portion in all your prayers Direct 5. Use not to shut it out or forget it or cut it short with two or three words in the conclusion The Lords Prayer begins and ends with it and the three first Petitions are for the glorifying the Name of God and the coming of his Kingdom and the doing oâ— his Will by which he is glorified and all this before we ask any thing directly for our selves Use will much help you in the Praise of God § 27. Direct 6. Especially let the Lords Day be principally spent in Praises and Thanksgiving for the Direct 6. work of our Redemption and the benefits thereof This day is separated by God himself to this holy work And if you spend it ordinarily in other Religious duties that subserve not this you spend it not as God requireth you The thankful and praiseful Commemoration of the work of mans Redemption is the special work of the day And the celebrating of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ which is therefore called the Eucharist was part of these laudatory exercises and used every Lords Day by the Primitive Church It is not only a holy day separated to Gods Worship in general but to this Eucharistical Worship in special above the rest as a day of Praises and Thanksgiving unto God And thus all Christians ordinarily should use it § 28. Direct 7. Let your holy conferâ—â—ce with others be much about the glorious Excellencies Direct 7. Works and Mercies of the Lord in way â—f praise and admiration This is indeed to speak to Edification and as the Oracles of God Eph. 4. 29. that God in all things may be glorified 1 Pet. 4. 11. Psal. 29. 9. In his Temple doth every one speak of his glory Psal. 35. 28. My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praises all the day long Psal. 145. 6 11 21. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts They shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power to make known to the Sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious Majesty of his Kingdom My mouth shall speak of the praises of the Lord and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever Psal. 105. 2 3. Talk ye of all his wondrous works glory ye in his holy name § 29. Direct 8. Speak not of God in a light unreverent or common sort as if you talkt of common Direct 8. things but with all possible seriousness gravity and reverence as if you saw the Majesty of the Lord. A common and a holy manner of speech are contrary That only is holy which is separated to God from common use You speak prophanely in the manner how holy soever the matter be when you speak of God with that careless levity as you use to speak of common things Such speaking of God is dishonourable to him and hurts the hearers more than silence by breeding in them a contempt of God and teaching them to imitate you in sleight conceits and speech of the Almighty Whereas one that speaketh reverently of God as in his presence doth ofttimes more affect the hearers with a reverence of his Majesty with a few words than unreverent Preachers with the most accurate Sermons delivered in a common or affected strain When ever you speak of God let the hearers perceive that your hearts are possessed with his Fear and Love and that you put more difference between God and man than between a King and the smallest Worm so when you talk of death or judgement of Heaven or Hell of holiness or sin or any thing that nearly relates to God do it with that gravity and seriousness as the matter doth require § 30. Direct 9. Speak not so unskilfully and foolishly of God or holy things as may 〈…〉 pt the hearers Direct 9. to turn it into a matter of scorn or laughter Especially understand how your p 〈…〉 are suited to the company that you are in Among those that are more ignorant some weak discourses may be tolerable and profitable For they are most affected with that which is delivered in their own Dialect and Mode but among judicious or captious hearers unskilful persons must be very sparing of their words lest they do hurt while they desire to do good and make Religion sâ—em ridiculous We may rejoyce in the scorns which we undergo for Christ and which are bent against his holy Laws or the substance of our duty But if men are jeered for speaking ridiculously and foolishly of holy things they have little reason to take comfort in any thing of that but their honest meanings and intents Nay they must be humbled for being a dishonour to the name of godliness
through a Needles eye than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God And they that heard it said Who then can be saved And he said The things which are impossible with men are possible with God So Luke 6. 24 25. But wo unto you that are rich for you have received your consolation Wo unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Make but sense of these and many such like Texts and you can gather no less than this from them that Riches make the way to Heaven much harder and the salvation of the ☜ rich to be more difficult and rare proportionably than of other men And Paul saith 1 Cor. 1. 26. Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called And the Lovers of riches though they are poor must remember that it is said 1 Tim. 6. 10. That the Love of money is the root of all evil And 1 John 2. 15. Love not the world nor the things that are in the world For if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Do you believe that here lyeth the danger of your souls and yet can you so love and choose and seek it Would you have your salvation more difficult and doubtful and impossible with men You had rather choose to live where few dye young than where most dye young and where sicknesses are rare than where they are common If you were sick you had rather have the Physicion and Medicines and Dyet which cure most than those which few are cured by If the Countrey were beset with Thieves you had rather go the way that most scape in than that few scape in And yet so it may but please your flesh you will choose that way to Heaven that fewest scape in and you will choose that state of life which will make your salvation to be most hard and doubtful Doth your Conscience say that this is wisely done I know that if God put Riches into your hand by your Birth or his blessing on your honest labours you must not cast away your Masters talents because he is austere but by a holy improvement of them you may further his service and your salvation But this is no reason why you should ovâ—r-love them or desire and seek so great a danger Believe Christ heartily and it will quench your Love of Riches § 28. Direct 7. Remember that the more you have the more you have to give account for And Direct 7. â—f the day of Judgement be dreadful to you you should not make it more dreadful by greatning your own accounts If you desired Riches but for the service of your Lord and have used them for him and can tâ—uly give in this account that you laid them not out for the needless pleasure or pride of the flâ—sh but â—o furnish your selves and families and others for his service and as near as you â—â—uld employ them according to his will and for his use then you may expect the reward of good and faithful servants But if you desired and used them for the pride and pleasure of your selves while you lived and your posterity or kindred when you are dead dropping some inconsiderable â—râ—ms for God you will then find that Mammon was an unprofitable Master and Godliness with content Pâ—â—v 3. 14 1 â—â—m 6 â— 6. would have been greater gain § 29. Direct 8. Remember how dear it costeth men thus to hinder their salvation and greaten their Direct 8. danger and accounts What a deal of precious Time is lost upon the world by the Lovers of it which might have been improved to the getting of Wisdom and Grace and making their calling and election 〈…〉 2 sure If you had believed that the gain of holy wisdom had been so much better than the gaining of Gold as Solomon saith Prâ—v 3. 14. you would have laid out much of that time in labouring to understand the Scriptures and preparing for your endless life How many unnecessary Thoughtâ— have you cast away upon the world which might better have been laid out on your greater concernments How many â—ares and vexations and passions doth it cost men to overload themselves with worldly provisions Like a foolish travellâ—r who having a dayes journey to go doth spend all the day in gathering together a load of mâ—at and clothes and money more than he can carry for fear of wanting by the way or like a foolish runner that hath a race to run for his life and spends Saith Plutarâ—h 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—n Alexanâ—er wept because he was not Lord of the world when Câ—atâ—s having but a Wall â—â— and a thred-bare Cloke spent his whole life in mâ—râ—h and joy as if it had been a continual festival holy-day Psal. 37. 16. Prov 16. 8. the time in which he should be running in gathering a burden of pretended necessaries You have all the while Gods work to do and your souls to mind and judgement to prepare for and you are tiring and vexing your selves for unnecessary things as if it were the top of your ambition to be able to say in Hell that you dyed rich 1 Tim. 6. 5 6 7 8 9 10. Godliness with contentment is great gain For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out And having food and raiment let us be therewith content But they that will be Rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred or been seduced from the â—aith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows Piercing sorrows here and damnation hereafter are a very dear price to give for money For saith Christ himself What shall it profit a man to gain all the world and lose his own soul Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul that is What money or price will recover it if for the love of gain he lose it Mark 8. 36 37. Prov. 15. 27. He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house but he that hateth gifts shall live Do you not know that a godly man contented with his daily bread hath a far sweeter and quietter life and death than a self-troubling worldling You may easily perceive it Prov. 15. 16. Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith § 30. Direct 9. Look much on the life of Christ on earth and see how strangely he condemned worldliness Direct 9. by his example Did he choose to be a Prince or Lord or to have great possessions lands or money or sumptuous buildings or gallant attendance and plentiful provisions His housing you â—uke 9 58. may read of Matth. 8. 20. Fâ—xes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay
Direct 14. Remember how base a sin it is and how dishonourable and debasing to the mind of Direct 14. man If earth be baser than Heaven and money than God than an earthly mind is baser than a heavenly mind As the Serpents feeding on the dust is a baser life than that of Angels that are employed in admiring and obeying and praising the Mâ—st Holy God § 36. Direct 15. Call your selves to a daily reckoning how you lay out all that God committeth to Direct 15. your trust and try whether it be so as you would hear of it at judgement If you did but use to sit Pecunia apud cum nunquam mansâ—â—â—â—e probatur nisi 〈◊〉 hora oâ—â—eraâ—ur quando sol â—â—â—â— expâ—â—ans cursum nâ—cturnis tenebris daret locum Victor ut de Eugen. Epise Caâ—th Plato compareth our life to a Game at Tables We may wish for a good throw but what ever it be we must play it as well as we can Plutarch dâ— tranquil anim in judgement daily upon your selves as those that believe the judgement of God it would make you more careful to use well what you have than to get more And it would quench your thirst after plenty and prosperity when you perceived you must give so strict an account of it The flesh it self will less desire it when it finds it may not have the use of it § 37. Direct 16. When you find your Covetousness most eager and dangerous resolve most to cross Direct 16. it and give more to pious or charitable uses thoâ—â—â—â—t another time For a man hath reason to fly furthest from that sin which he is most in danger of And the acts tend to the encrease of the habit Obeying your Covetousness doth increase it And so the contrary acts and the disobeying and displeasing it do destroy it This course will bring your Covetousness into a despair of attaining its desires and so will make it sit down and give over the pursuit It is an open protesting against every covetous desire and an effectual kind of repenting and a wise and honest disarming sin and turning its motions against it self to its own destruction Use it thus oft and Covetousness will think it wisdom to be quiet § 38. Direct 17. Above all take heed that you think not of reconciling God and Mammon and Direct 17. mixing Heaven and Earth to be your felicity and of dreaming that you may keep Heaven for a reserve at last when the world hath been loved as your best so long as you could keep it Nothing so much defendeth worldliness as a cheating hope that you have it but in a subdued pardoned degree and that you are not worldlings when you are And nothing so much supports this hope as because you confess that Heaven only must be your last refuge and full felicity and therefore you do something for it on the by But is not the world more loved more sought more delighted in and â—aster Luke 14. 26 27 30 33. held Hath it not more of your hearts your delight desire and industry If you cannot let go all for Heaven and forsake all this world for a treasure above you cannot be Christs true Disciples § 39. Direct 18. If ever you would overcome the love of the world your great care must be to mortifie Direct 18. the Flesh for the world is desired but as its provision A mortified man hath no need of that which is a sensualists felicity Quench your hydropical feavorish thirst and then you will not make Socrates saepe cum eorum quae publice vendebantur multitudinem intueretur secum ista volvebat Quam multis ipse non egeo Laert. in Socr. Pecuniam perdidisti Bene si te illa non peâ—didit quod jam multis possessoribus suis fecit Gaude tibi ablatum unde infici posses teque illaesum inter pericula transivisse Petrarch l. 2. Dial. 13. such a stir for drink Cure the disease which enrageth your appetite and that is the safest and cheapest way of satisfying it Then you will be thankful to God when you look on other mens wealth and gallantry that you need not these things And you will think what a trouble and burden and interruption of your better work and comfort it would be to you to have so much land and so many servants and goods and business and persons to mind as rich men have And how much better you can enjoy God and your self in a more retired quiet state of life But of this more in the next Part. § 40. Did men but know how much of an ungodly damnable state doth consist in the Love of the world and how much it is the enemy of souls and how much of our Religion consisteth in Exod. 18. 21 2 Pet. 2. 14. 1 Tim. 3. â— Col. 3. 5. the contempt and conquest of it and what is the meaning of their renouncing the World in their baptismal Covenant and how many millions the Love of the world will damn for ever they would not make such a stir for nothing and spend all their dayes in providing for their perishing flesh nor think them happiest that are richest nor boast themselves of their hearts desire and bless the Covetous whom the Lord abhorreth Psal. 10. 3. They would not think that so small a sin which Christians should not so much as name but in detestation Ephes. 5. 3. When God hath resolved that the covetous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 10. Ephes. 5. 5. And a Christian must not so much as eat with them 1 Cor. 5. 11. Did Christ say in vain Take heed and beware of Covetousness Luke 12. 15. Wo to him that coveteth an evil Covetousness to his house that he may set his nest on high that he may be delivered from the power of evil Hab. 2. 9. O what deserving servants hath the world that will serve it so diligently so constantly and at so dear a rate when they before hand know that besides a little transitory deluding pleasure it will pay them with nothing but everlasting shame O wonderful deceiving power of such an empty shadow or rather wonderful folly of mankind That when so many ages have been deceived before us and almost every one at death confesseth it did but deceive them so many still should be deceived and take no warning by such a world of examples I conclude with Heb. 13. 5. Let your conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee PART VII Directions against the Master sin SENSUALITY FLESH-PLEASING or Voluptuousness § 1. I Shall be the shorter on this also because I have spoken so much already in my Treatise of Self-denyal Before we come to more particular Directions it is needful that we discern the nature and evil of the sin which we speak against I shall therefore 1. Telly you what
for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed The night is far spent the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armour of light let us walk honestly as in the day not in ryoting and drunkeness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envying but put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof 3. Time must be Redeemed from things indifferent and lawful at another time when things necessary do require it He that should save mens lives or quench a fire in his house or provide for his family or do his Masters work will not be excused if he neglect it by saying that he was about an indifferent or a lawful business Natural rest and sleep must be parted with for Time when necessary things require it Paul Preached till midnight being to depart on the morrow Act. 20. 7. The Lamenting Church calling out for Prayer saith Arise cry out in the night in the beginning of the watches pour out thy heart like water before the fac◠of the Lord Lam. 2. 19. Cleanthes Lamp must be used by such whose Sun-light must be otherwise employed 4. Time must be Redeemed from worldly business and commodity when matters of greater weight and commodity do require it Trades and Plow and profit must stand by when God calls us by necessity or otherwise to greater things Martha should not so much as trouble her self in providing meat for Christ and his followers to eat when Christ is offering her food for her soul and she should with Mary have been hearing at his feet Luk. 10. 42. Worldlings are thus called by him Isa. 55. 1 2 3. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the water Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfyeth not hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatness 5. Time must be Redeemed from smaller Duties which in their season must be done as being no duties when they hinder Greater duty which should then take place It is a duty in its time and place to shew respect to neighbours and superiours and to those about us and to look to our family affairs but not when we should be at Prayer to God or when a Minister should be Preaching or at his necessary studies Private Prayer and Meditation and visiting the sick are duties But not when we should be at Church or about any greater duty which they hinder The Directions contemplative for Redeeming Time § 8. Direct 1. Still keep upon thy Heart by Faith and Consideration the lively sense of the Greatness Direct 1. and absolute necessity of that work which must command thy Time remembring who setteth thee on work and on what a work he sets thee and on what terms and what will be the end It is God that calleth thee to labour And wilt thou stand still or be doing other things when God expecteth duty from thee Moses must go to Pharaoh when God bids him go Ionas must go to Nineve when God bids him go yea Abraham must go to Sacrifice his Son when God bids him go And may you go about your fleshly pleasures when God commandeth you to his service He hath appointed you a work that is worth your Time and all your labour to know him and serve him and obey him and to seek everlasting life How diligently should so excellent a work be done and so blessed and glorious a master be served especially considering the unutterable importance of our diligence we are in the race appointed us by our Maker and are to Run for an immortal Crown It 's Heaven that must be now won or lost And have we Time to spare in such a race We are fighting against the enemies of our salvation The question is now to be resolved whether the Flesh the World and the Devil or We shall win the day and have the victory And Heaven or Hell must be the issue of our warfare And have we Time to spare in the midst of such a fight when our very loss of Time is no small part of the enemies conquest Our most wise Omnipotent Creator hath been pleased to make this present life to be the trying preparation for another resolving that it shall go with us all for ever according to our preparations here And can we play and loyter away our Time that have such a work as this to do O miserable sensless souls do you believe indeed the Life everlasting and that all your lives are given you now to resolve the question whether you must be in Heaven or Hell for ever Do you believe this Again I ask you Do you believe this I beseech you ask your Consciences over and over whether you do indeed believe it Can you believe it and yet have Time to spare what find Time to play away and game away and idle and prate away and yet believe that this very Time is given you to prepare for life eternal and that salvation or damnation lyeth on the race which now even now you have to run Is not such a man a Monster of stupidity If you were asleep or mad it were the more excusable to be so sensless But to do thus awake and in your wits O where are the brains of those men and of what metal are their hardened hearts made that can idle and play away that Time that little Time that only Time which is given them for the everlasting saving of their souls Verily firs if sin had not turned the ungodly part of the world into a Bedlam where it is no wonder to see a man out of his wits people would run out with wonder into the Streets to see such a monster as this as they do to see mad men in the Country where they are rare and they would call to one another Come and see a man that can trifle and sport away his Time as he is going to Eternity and is ready to enter into another world Come and see a man that hath but a few dayes to win or lose his soul for ever in and is playing it away at Cards and Dice or wasting it in doing nothing Come and see a man that hath hours to spare and cast away upon trifles with Heaven and Hell before his eyes For thy souls sake consider and tell thy self If thy estate in the world did lye upon the spending of this day or week or if thy life lay on it so that thou must live or dye or be poor or rich sick or well as thou spendest it wouldst thou then waste it in dressings or complement or play and wouldst thou find any to spare upon impertinent triflings Or rather wouldst thou not be up betime and about thy business and turn by thy games and thy diverting company and disappoint thy idle visiters
and let them find that thou art not to be spoken with nor at leisure to do nothing but wilt rather seem uncivil and morose than be undone And wouldst thou do thus for a transitory prosperity or life and doth not life eternal require much more will thy weighty business in the world resolve thee to put by thy friends thy play-fellows and sports and to shake off thy idleness and should not the business of thy salvation do it I would desire no more to confute the distracted Time-wasters when they are disputing for their idle sports and vanities and asking what harm is in Cards and Dice and stage-plays or tedious feasts or complementing adorning idleness than if I could help them to one sight of Heaven and Hell and make them well know what greater business they have to do which is staying for them while they sleep or play If I were just now in disputing the case with an idle Lady or a sensual belly-slave or gamester and he were asking me scornfully what hurt is in all this if one did but knock at his door and tell him The King is at the door and calls for you it would make him cast away his game and his dispute Or if the house were on fire or a Child faln into fire or water or Thieves breaking in upon them it would make the Ladies cast by the other Lace or Ribband Or if there were but a good bargain or a Lordship to be got they could be up and going though sports and game and gawdery were cast off And yet the foresight of Heaven and Hell though one of them is even at the door will not do as much with them Because Heaven is as nothing to an unbeliever or an inconsiderate sensless wretch And as it is nothing to them when it should move them it shall be nothing to them when they would enjoy it Say not Recreation must be used in its season I know that necessary whetting is no letting But God and thy own Conscience shall tell thee shortly whether thy Recreation feastings long dressings and idleness were a necessary whetting or refreshment of thy Body to fit it for that work which thou wast born and livest for or whether they were the Pastimes of a voluptuous fleshly bruit that lived in these pleasures for the love of pleasure Verily if I lookt but on this one unreasonable sin of Time-wasting it would help me to understand the meaning of Luk. 15. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Prodigal is said to Come to himself and that conversion is the bringing a man to his wits § 9. Direct 2. Be not a stranger to the condition of thy own soul but look home till thou art acquainted Direct 2. what state it is in and what it is in danger of and what it wanteth and how far thou art behind hand in thy provisions for immortality and then be an idle Time-waster if thou canst Could I but go down with thee into that dungeon Heart of thine and shew thee by the light of truth what is there could I but let in one convincing beam from Heaven which might fully shew thee what a condition thou art in and what thou hast to do with thy remaining Time I should have no need to dispute thee out of thy childish fooleries nor to bid thee be up and doing for thy soul no more than to bid thee stir if a Bear were at thy back or the house in a flame about thy ears Alas our ordinary Time-wasters are such as are yet unconverted carnal wretches and are all the while in the power of the Devil who is the chief master of the sport and the greatest gainer They are such as are utter strangers to the regenerating sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost and are yet unjustified and under the guilt of all their sins and certain to be with Devils in Hell for ever if they die thus before they are converted This is true sinner and thou wilt shortly find it so by grace or vengeance though thy blind and hardened heart now rise against the mention of it And is this a case for a man to sit at cards and dice in or to sport and swagger in The Lord have mercy on thee and open thy eyes before it is too late or else thy Conscience will tell thee for ever in another manner than I am telling thee now that thou hadst need to have better improved thy Time and hadst greater things to have spent it in What for a man in thy case in an unrenewed unsanctified unpardoned state to be thus casting away that little Time which all his hopes lie on and in which if ever he must be recovered and saved O Lord have mercy on such sensless souls and bring them to themselves be fore it be too late I tell thee man an enlightened person that understandeth what it is and hath escaped it would not for all the Kingdoms of the world be a week or a day in thy condition for fear lest death cut off his hopes and shut him up in Hell that very day He durst not sleep quietly in thy condition a night lest death should snatch him away to Hell and canst thou sport and play in it and live securely in a sensual course O what a thing it is to be hoodwinkt in misery and to be led asleep to Hell who could perswade men to live thus awake and go dancing to Hell with their eyes open O if we should but imagine a Peter or a Paul or any of the blessed to be again brought into such a case as one of these unsanctified sinners and yet to know what now they know what would they do would they feast and game and play and trifle away their time in it or would they not rather suddenly bewail their former mispent time and all their sins and cry day and night to God for mercy and fly to Christ and spend all their time in Holiness and obedience to God! Alas poor sinner do but look into thy heart and see there what thou hast yet to do of greater weight than trimming and playing I almost tremble to think and write what a case thou art in and what thou hast to do while thou livest as if thou hadst Time to spare If thou know not I will tell thee and the Lord make thee know it Thou hast a hardened heart to be yet softened and an unbelieving heart to be brought to a lively powerful Belief of the word of God and the unseen world Thou hast an unholy Heart and life to be made Holy if ever thou wilt see the face of God Heb. 12. 14. Matth. 18. 3. Ioh. 3. 3 5 6. Thou hast a Heart-full of sins to be mortified and subdued and an unreformed life to be reformed And what abundance of particulars do these Generals contain Thou hast a pardon to procure through Jesus Christ for all the sins that ever thou didst commit and all the duties which ever thou
commandeth them Acts 20. Epist. Tim. § 7. 3. The work of a Magistrate a Lawyer a Physicion and such like is principally in doing Rule 3. good in their several Callings which must not be neglected for contemplation Yet so that all these and all others must allow Gods service and holy thoughts their due place in the beginning and middle and end of all their actions As Magistrates must read and meditate day and night in the Word of God Iosh. 1. 8 10. So the Eunuch Cornâ—lius c. Acts 8. 10. § 8. 4. Some persons in the same Calling whose Callings are not so urgent on them by any necessities Rule 4. of themselves or others and who may have more vacant time must gladly take it for the good of their souls in the use of contemplation and other holy duties And others that are under greater necessities urgencies obligations or cannot be spared from the service of others as Physicions Lawyers c. must be less in contemplation and prefer the greatest good § 9. 5. Publick necessities or service may with some be so great as to dispense with all secret duty Rule 5. both of prayer and contemplation except short mental ejaculations for some dayes together So in Wars it oft falls out that necessity forbiddeth all set or solemn holy service for many dayes together even on the Lords Day So a Physicion may sometime be tyed to so close attendance on his Patients as will not allow him time for a set prayer so sometime a Preacher may be so taken up in preaching and exhorting and resolving peoples weighty doubts that they shall scarce have time for secret duties for some dayes together Though such happy impediments are rare In these cases to do the lesser is a sin when the greater is neglected § 10. 6. Servants who are not Masters of their time must be faithful in employing it to their Rule 6. Masters service and take none for holy duty from that part which they should work in but rather from their rest so far as they are able intermixing Meditations with their labours when they can But redeeming such time as is allowed them the more diligently because their opportunities are so rare and short § 11. 7. The Lords day excepting works of necessity and such vacancies as hinder not other Rule 7. work as when they travel on the way or work or wake in the night c. are every mans own time which he is not to alienate to anothers service but to reserve and use for the service of God and for his soul in holy duties § 12. 8. Some persons â—â—nnot bear much contemplation especially Melancholy and weak-headed Rule 8. people And such must serve God so much the more in other duties which they are able for and must not tire out and distract themselves with striving to do that which they are not able to undergo But others feel no inconvenience by it at all as I can speak by my own experience my weakness and decay of Spirits inclining me most to a dulness of mind I find that the most exciting serious studies and contemplations in the greatest solitude are so far from hurting me by any abatement of health or hilarity or serenity of mind that they seem rather a help to all Those that can thus bear long solitude and contemplation ought to be the more exercised in it except when greater duties must take place But to melancholy persons it is to be avoided as a hurt § 13. 9. To the same persons sometimes their own necessities require contemplation most and Rule 9. sometime action and so that which is at one time a duty may at another time be none § 14. 10. A meer sinful backwardness is not to be indulged A diseased disability such as Rule 10. comes from melancholy weak-headedness or decay of memory must be endured and not too much accused when Christ excused worse in his Disciples saying The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak But a sinful backwardness in cases of absolute necessity is not at all to be endured but striven against with all your power what ever it cost you As to bring your selves to so much serious Consideration as is necessary to your Repentance and unfeigned faith and godly conversation this must be done whatever follow Though the Devil perswade you that it will make you melancholy or mad For without it you are far worse than mad § 15. 11. The most desirable life to those that have their choice is that which joyneth together Rule 11. Contemplation and Action so as there shall be convenient leisure for the most high and serious Contemplation and this improved to fit us for the most great and profitable Action And such is the life of a faithful Minister of Christ And therefore no sort of men on earth are more obliged to thankfulness than they § 16. 12. Servants and poor men and diseased men and others that are called off from much Rule 12. contemplation and employed in a life of obedient Action yea or suffering by the providence of God ☜ and not by their own sinful choice must understand that their Labour and Patience is the way of their acceptable attendance upon God in the expense of most part of their time And though it is madness in those that hope God will accept of their Labours instead of true Faith and Repentance and a godly life for these must go together and hinder not each other yet instead of such further contemplations as are not necessary to the being of a godly life a true Christian may believe that his obedient labours and sufferings shall be accepted If you set one servant to cast up an account and another to sweep your Chimney or Chanells you will not accept the former and reject the latter for the difference of their works But you will rather think that he hath most merited your acceptance who yielded without grudging to the basest service And doubtless it is an aggravation of acceptable obedience when we readily and willingly serve God in the lowest meanest work He is too fine to serve him who saith I will serve thee in the Magistracy or Ministry but not at Petrarch speaking of his intimacy and esteem with Kings and Princes addeth Multos tamen eorum quos valde amabam effugi tantus mihi fuit insitus amor liberta t is ut cujus vel nomen ipsum libertati vel illi esse contrarium videretur â—mni sâ—udio declinarâ—m In vita sua Plow or Cart or any such drâ—dgery And if thou be but in Gods way he can make thy very obedience a state of greater holiness and safety than if thou hadst spent all that time in the study of holy things as you see many ungodly Ministers do all their life time and are never the better for it It is not the quality of the work but Gods blessing that makes it do you
revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Would you have the fuller exposition of this It is in 1 Pet. 3. 10 11 12 13 14 15. For he that will love life and see good dayes let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile Let him eschew evil and do good let him seek peace and ensue it For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and his eares are open to their prayers but the face of the Lord When Socâ—aâ—es wife lamenâ—ing him said Injuste mâ—riâ—râ—s he answered An tu juste malles 〈◊〉 in So 〈…〉 is against them that do evil And who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake happy are ye and be not afraid of their terrour neither be troubled but sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alwayes to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear Having a good conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as evil-doers they may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil doing See also 1 Pet. 4. 13 14 15. § 5. Direct 5. Either you fear sufferings from men as guilty or as innocent for evil doing or for well doing or for nothing If as guilty and for evil doing turn your fears the right way and fear God and his wrath for sin and his threatnings of more than men can inflict and acknowledge the goodness of Iustice both from God and man But if it be as innocent or for well doing remember that Christ commandeth you exceedingly to rejoyce and remember that martyrs have the most glorious Crown And will you be excessively afraid of your highest honour and gain and joy Believe well what Christ hath said and you cannot be much afraid of suffering for him Matth. 5. 10 11 12. The seven Bâ—eâ—hren that suffâ—red in Aâ—â—â—â—â— under Hâ—â—â—â—eâ—iâ—us Incedâ—â—ans cum â—iducia ad supplicium quasi ad epulas decanâ—â—nâ—es Gloria Deo in excelsis c. Voâ—â—va nobis haec est dies omni solennitate fâ—stivior Ecce nunc tempus acceptabile ecce nunc dies est salutis quando pro side nunc domini dei nostri perferimus praeparatum supplicium ne amittamus acquifitae fidei vndumentum sed populi publica voce clamabant Ne timeatis populi Dei neque formidetis minas atque terrores presentium tribulationum sed moriâ—mur pro Christo ut ipse mortuus est redimens nos pretioso sanguine salutari Victor Uticâ—â—s p 368. In Paulo qumque gloriationes observavi Gloriatur in imbecillitate in cruce Christi in bona conscientia in afflictionibus in spe vitae aeternae Bucholtzâ—â— Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you And will you fear the way of blessedness and exceeding joy Matth. 10. 17 18 19. Beware of men for they will deliver you up to the Councils and they will scourge you in their Synagogues and ye shall be brought before Governours and Kings for my sake for a testimony against them But take no thought c. You are allowed to beware of them but not to be over fearful or thoughtful of the matter Vers. 22 23. And ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake but he that endureth to the end shall be saved But when they persecute you in this City fly to another Fly but fear them not with any immoderate fear vers 39. He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it Luk. 18. 29 30. Verily I say unto you there is no man that hath left house or Parents or Brethren or Wife or Children for the Kingdom of Gods sake who shall not receive manifold more in this present time and in the world to come life everlasting Can you believe all this and yet be so afraid of your own felicity O what a deal of secret unbelief is detected by our immoderate fears 1 Pet. 4. 12 13 14 16 19. Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you But rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the spirit of Glory and of God resteth on you On their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified But let none of you suffer as an evil doer yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him glorifie God on that behalf wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator There is scarce any point that God hath been pleased to be more full in in the holy Scriptures than the encouraging of his suffering servants against the fears of men acquainting them that their sufferings are the matter of their profit and exceeding joy and therefore not of too great fear § 6. Direct 6. Experience telleth us that men have never so much joy on earth as in suffering for the Direct 6. cause of Christ nor so much honour as by being dishonoured by men for him How joyfully did the ancient Christians go to Martyrdom many of them lamented that they could not attain it And what Idololatria taÌ„ altas in mundo egit radices ut non possit extirpari Ideo optimum est Câ—nsiteâ—i Patâ— Bâ—choltâ—â—r Victor Utiâ—ensis saith That Gensericus commanded that when Mâ—sculin â—s came to dye if he were fearful they should execute him that he might dye with shame but if he were constant they should forbear lest he should have the honour of a glorious Martyrdom And so his boldness saved his life Etsi martyrem invidus host is nolâ—â—t same coâ—â—â—â—â—orem tamen non potuit violaâ—e comfort have Christs Confessours found above what they could ever attain before And how honourable now are the names and memorials of those Martyrs who dyed then under the slanders scorn and cruelty of men Even the Papists that bloodily make more do yet honour the names of the antient Martyrs with keeping Holy dayes for them and magnifying their shrines and relicts For God will have it so for the honour of his holy sufferers that even that same generation that persecute the living Saints shall honour the dead and they
hoc enim sceleri juncta justitia est malo magno bonum ingens In illo autem scelus impunitas quae nescio an sceleâ—e ipso pejot sit Petrarch Dial. 66. li. 2. matter If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery Fornace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods c. Dan. 3. 16 17 18. Daniel would not cease praying thrice a day openly in his house for fear of the King or of the Lyons Moses forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for be endured as seeing him that is invisible Heb. 11. 27. So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me Heb. 13. 6. § 19. Direct 19. Remember the dangers which you have been saved from already Especially from Direct 19. Sin and Hell And is an uncircumcised Philistine more invincible than the Lyon and the Bear § 20. Direct 20. Remember the great approaching day of Iudgement where great and small will Direct 20. be equal before God and where God will right all that were wronged by men and be the full and final avenger of his children He hath promised though he bear long to avenge them speedily Luke 18. 7 8. Can you believe that day and yet not think that it is soon enough to justifie you fully and finally and to make you reparations of all your wrongs Cannot you stay till Christ come to judge the quick and the dead You will then be loth to be found with those that as Saul made haste to sacrifice because he could not stay till Samuel came whose souls drew back because they could not live by faith Matth. 10. 26. Fear them not therefore for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed and hid that shall not be known 2 Thess. 2. 6 7 8 9 10. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with us when the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance c. When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that do believe § 21. Direct 21. Remember that the fearful and unbelieving shall be shut out of Heaven Rev. 21. 8. Direct 21. that is Those that fear men more than God and cannot trust him with their lives and all but will rather venture upon his wrath by sin than on the wrath of man § 22. Direct 22. Turn your fear of the instruments of the Devil into pity and compassion to men in Direct 22. such lamentable misery and pray for them as Christ and Stephen did Foresee now the misery that is near them When you begin to be afraid of them suppose that just now were the day of Judgement and you saw how they will then tremble at the Bar of God as conscience sometimes makes some of them do at the hearing or remembring of it as Felix before Paul See them as ready to be sentenced to the fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels as Matth. 25. Can you fear him that is near such endless misery whom you should condole and pity as the antient Martyrs used to do 1 Pet. 4. 17. What shall the end of the persecutors be and where shall the ungodly sinners appear if judgement begin at the house of God and the righteous be saved with so much ado About the fear of Death I have written largely already in my Treatise of Self-denyal and in the See after To. 3. c. 29. Tit. 3. c. 30. Saints Rest and in The last Enemy Death c. and in The Believers Last Work Therefore I shall here pass it by Tit. 9. Directions against sinful Grief and Trouble § 1. SOrrow is planted in Nature to make man a subject capable of Government by making him capable of punishment that he might be kept from sin by the fear or sense of that which Nature hath made its punishment And that the beginnings of pain might help to prevent the sin that would bring more and might drive the wounded soul to its remedy or by sympathie might condole the misery of others § 2. Sorrow or grief in it self considered is neither Morally Good nor Evil but it is a Natural Passion and Evil that is hurtful to him that hath it but Good that is an apt conducible means to the Universal or higher Ends of Government to which the Creator and Universal King hath planted it in man The same may be said of all capacity of pain and natural misery § 3. Meer Sorrow in it self considered is a thing that God commandeth not nor taketh pleasure in Sorrow for our natural or penal hurt is in it self no duty but a necessary thing God doth not command it but threaten it Therefore there is no moral good in it God will not command or intreat men to feel when they are hurt or mourn under their torment but will make them do it whether they will or no Therefore humble souls must take heed of thinking they merit or please God meerly by sorrowing for their sufferings But yet sorrow for misery may accidentally become a duty and a moral good 1. Ratione principii by respect to the Principle it proceedeth from As when it is 1. The Even sorrow that profitteth not may testifie a just affection It is said by Laertius that when Solon was reproved for mourning for his Son with a Nihil proficis He answered At propter hoc ipsum illachrymor quia nihil proficio Belief of Gods threatnings which causeth the sorrow 2. When it cometh from a Love to God 2. Ratione materiae for the matters sake when it is the absence of God and his favour and his Spirit and Image which is the misery that we lament which therefore savoureth of some Love to God and not meer fleshly sensitive suffering 3. Ratione finis in respect of the end when we sorrow with intent to drive our hearts to Christ our Saviour and to value mercy and grace and to recover us to God 4. Ratione effecti in respect of the effect when these fore-mentioned Ends become the fruits of it § 4. Sorrow for sin is a duty and moral good 1. Formally in it self considered For to be sorrowful for offending God and violating his Law essentially containeth a will to please God and obey his Law 2. It must be also made good by a good principle that is by faith and Love 3. By a right end that it be to carry us from the sin to God 4. And by a right Guide and matter that it be sin indeed and not a mistaken seeming sin that is it we sorrow for But sorrow for sin materially may be made sinful 1. By an ill end and formal
Wilderness than with a contentious angry woman Prov. 29. 22. An angry man stirreth up strife and a furious man aboundeth in transgression There is no ruling the tongue if you cannot rule the passions Therefore it 's good counsel Prov. 22. 24. Make no friendship with an angry man and with a furious man thou shalt not go lest thou learn his way and get a snare to thy soul. § 47. Direct 9. Foresee your opportunities of profitable discourse and your temptations to evil Direct 9. speeches For we are seldom throughly prepared for sudden unexpected accidents Consider when you go forth what company you are like to fall into and what good you are like to be called to or what evil you are likest to be tempted to especially consider the ordinary stated duties and temptations of your daily company and converse § 48. Direct 10. Accordingly besides your aforesaid general preparations be prepared particularly Direct 10. for these duties and those temptations carry still about with you some special preservatives against those particular sins of speech which you are most in danger of and some special provisions and helps to those duties of speech which you may be called to As a Surgeon will carry about with him his instruments and Salves which he is like to have use for among the persons that he hath to do with And as a Traveller will carry such necessaries still with him as in his travail he cannot be without If you are to converse with angry men be still furnished with patience and firm resolutions to give place to wrath Rom. 12. 19. If you are to converse with ignorant ungodly men go furnished with powerful convincing reasons to humble them and change their minds If you are to go amongst the cavilling or scorning enemies of holiness go furnished with well digested arguments for the defence of that which they are likest to oppose that you may shame and stop the mouths of such gainsayers This must be done by the word of the spirit which is the word of God Ephes. 6. 17. Therefore be well acquainted with the Scripture and with particular plain Texts for each particular use By them the man of God is compleat throughly furnished to every good work 2 Tim. 3. 17. § 49. Direct 11. Continually walk as in the presence of God and as under his Government and Direct 11. Law and as those that are passing on to Iudgement Ask your selves whatever you say 1. Whether Psal. 1 9. 4. it be fit for God to hear 2. Whether it be agreeable to his holy Law 3. Whether it be such speech as you would hear of at the day of judgement If it be speech unmeet for the hearing of a grave and reverend man will you speak it before God will you speak wantonly or filthily or foolishly or maliciously when God forbiddeth it and when he is present and heareth every word and when you must certainly give account to him of all § 50. Direct 12. Pray every morning to God for preservation from the sins of speech that you are Direct 12. lyable to that day Commit the custody of your tongues to him Not so as to think your selves discharged of it but so as to implore and trust his grace Pray as David Psal. 141. 3 4. Set a watch O Lord before my mouth keep the door of my lips encline not my heart to any evil thing and that the Psal. 19. 14. words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart may be acceptable to him § 51. Direct 13. Make it part of your continual work to watch your tongues Carelesness and negligence Direct 13. will not serve turn in so difficult a work of government Iames telleth you that to tame and rule the tongue is harder than to tame and rule wild beasts and birds and serpents and as the ruling of a horse by the bridle and of a Ship that 's driven by fierce winds and that the tongue is an unruly evil and that he that offendeth not in word is a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body Jam. 3. Make it therefore your study and work and watch it continually § 52. Direct 14. Call your tongues daily to account and ask your selves what evil you have Direct 14. spoken and what good you have omitted every day and be humbled before God in the penitent confession of the sin which you discover and renew your resolution for a stricter watch for the time to come If your servant be every day faulty and never hear of it he will take it as no fault and be little careful to amend Nay you will remember your very Ox of his fault when he goeth out of the Furrow by a prick or stroke and your Horse when he is faulty by a spur or rod And do you think if you let your selves even your tongues be faulty every day and never tell them of it or call them to account that they are ever like to be reformed and not grow careless and accustomed to the sin Your first care must be for preventing the sin and doing the duty saying as David Psalm 39. 1 2 3. I said I will take heed to my ways that I offend not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me I was dumb with silence I held my peace Psalm 35. 28. My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long Psal. 71. 24. Psal. 119. 172. My tongue shall speak of thy word Psalm 45. 1. My tongue is as the pen of a ready writer But your next care must be to repent of the faults which you commit and to judge your selves for them and reform Remembering that there is not a word in your tongues but it is altogether known to God Psalm 139. 4. § 53. Direct 15. Make use of a faithful monitor or reprover We are apt through custom and partiality Direct 15. to overlook the faults of our own speech A friend is here exceeding useful Desire your friend therefore to watch over you in this And amend what he telleth you of And be not so foolish as to take part with your fault against your friend Tit. 2. Special Directions against prophane swearing and using Gods name unreverently and in vain § 1. I. TO swear is an affirming or denying of a thing with an appeal to some other thing or person as a witness of the truth or avenger of the untruth who is not producible as Witness What an Oath is or Iudge in humane courts An affirmation or negation is the matter of an oath The peculiar appellation is the form It is not every appeal or attestation that maketh an Deu 6. 13 10 20. oath To appeal to such a witness as is credible and may be produced in the Court from a partial incredible witness is no oath To appeal from an incompetent Iudge or an inferior Court to
some queazy stomachs distaste even the more wholsome food Pompey was so weary of Tully's talkativeness that he wisht he had been on Caesars side for then he would have feared me saith he whereas now his familiarity wearieth me Omne supervacuum pleno de pectore manat § 16. 2. It is an aggravation of the sin of loquacity and idle talk when it is done in a proud self-conceitedness of your own wit with an unmannerly contempt of others This is the case of abundance that have not the manners or patience to stay till another man hath done his speech They think others so long that their list will not hold till they come to the end Yea many pretended learned men and disputants have this disease that without any shame or respect to order or their own reputation they are in such hast to answer and talk themselves that they cut off the speech of others in the midst as if they should say Hold your tongue and let me speak that am wiser And their excuse is You are so long that I shall forget half before you come to the end But if it be in Disputation or about great matters it is usually much more to the advantage of the truth and hearers to speak all that necessarily must be considered together in a continued speech For the parts of truth have such a dependance one upon another like the members of a body or the wheels of a watch that they are not understood disjunctly half the sense of them being respective to the other parts Therefore to deliver it in such cases by fragments and chopping of words and frequent interruptions one of another is to chat or contend and not to open the truth with the clearness and gravity as it requireth These therefore that accuse others of speaking too long to excuse their uncivil interruptions may take their answer from Augustine Absit ut multiloquium deputem quando necessaria dicuntur quantalibet sermonem multitudine aut prolixitate dicantur The huge volumes of Augustin Chrysostom Suarez Calvin yea Tostatus himself are seldom accused of idle words If you depute to each their equal share of time a composed discourse is fitter and spareth time better than interrupting alterations and exchange of words And if your memory cannot hold all that 's said either take notes or crave the help of some repetition or answer the part which you do remember § 17. 3. Idle talk is worst when it is about Holy things and tendeth to profane them when men unreverently bable about the Scriptures or controversies of Religion Or when by fluent tongues men design the increase of some faction or propagating of some error or the setting forth their parts Sâ—ith Hierom ad Nepot Verba volvere apud imperitum vulgus admirationem sui facere indoctorum hominum est Nihil tam facile quam vilem plebem indâ—ctam volubilitate linguae decipere quae quicquid non intelligit plus miratur Profane loquacity is the worst kind of loquacity § 18. 4. Idle words are the greater sin when they are magnified and justified and taken to be lawful if not some excellent thing As some unhappy Scholars that spend whole days and months about some Col. 2. â— trivial unnecessary studies while Christ the wisdom of God or the subject of Divine Philosophy is neglected He that heareth some of their supposed critical curiosities would say with Paul 1 Cor. 3. 20. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vain And if he compare their lives with their studies perhaps he will remember Rom. 1. 21. They became vain in their imaginations their foolish hearts were darkned and professing themselves wise they became fools § 19. 5. Idle words are an aggravated sin when they are studied and pompously set forth at great labour and cost as a matter to be gloried in As in Playes and Romances worse than Tobacco-houses where men sell smoak The pleasure the love the labour the cost the time the deceit the temptation the impenitency are great aggravations of this sin § 20. Direct 3. Understand and consider the mischief of the sin of babling idle talk For the common Direct 3. The sinfulness of much idle talk cause of it is that men take it to be so small a sin that they think there is no danger in it and therefore they fear it no more than a scratcht finger § 21. 1. Besides the general evil mentioned Tit. 1. Direct 1. consider that much idle talk is a multitude of sins Though one idle word were never so small a sin yet when it cometh to hundreds and thousands and is your daily hourly custome all set together cannot be small Many thousand pence is more than one shilling or pound And your frequent custome of idle talk may amount to a greater sinfulness than Noah's once drunkenness or David's once adultery or Peter's once denying Christ. If a swearer should swear as oft or a lyar lye as oft or a Thief steal as oft as many women and men too speak idly what Monsters should we take them for § 22. 2. Idle talk excludeth all the good discourse and edifying speech that should have been used all â—â—d â—â—6 â—7 Ephes. 4 â—9 â—â—aâ— 10â— 1. that time We have many greater uses for our tongues You have your business to talk of and your God and your souls and your duties and your sins and the life to come to talk of O how many great and necessary things And will you shut out all this edifying speech by your idle chat Will you hinder others as well as your selves § 23. 3. Idle talk is a sinful consumer of time You have greater business to spend your hours in If you saw what a world you are ready to go to and saw how near you are to it you would think your selves that you had greater business than idle chat to spend your time in Do you know what you lose in losing all those hours § 24. 4. Idle talk corrupts the hearers minds and tendeth to make them light and vain and empty even as good discourse doth tend to make them good Why do you talk to others but to communicate your sense and affections to them by your words And for all that many take it for a little sin I am sure it is not a little hurt that it doth If men were not used to be entertained with so much vain discourse they could not tell how to keep better things from their minds or mouths nor would their thoughts be so habituated to vanity nor would they make such returns of idle words whereas one vain discourse begets another and it is a multiplying and very infectious sin § 25. 5. As your tongues are mis-employed so your wits and minds are dishonoured by vain talk Even good words will grow contemptible when they are too cheap and common A Fidler at the door goes but for a Rogue though Musick and Musicions be honoured
their happiness to live idly and take that for the best Service where they have least work But have you nothing to do for your selves for soul nor body If you have leisure from your Masters service you should thankfully improve it in Gods service and your own § 31. Direct 3. Settle your selves in a lawful Calling which will keep you under a necessity of ordinary Direct 3. and orderly employment As we cannot so easily bring our minds to a close attendance upon God in the Week days when we have our common businesses to divert us as we can do on the Lords Day which is purposely set apart for it and in which we have the use of his stated Ordinances to assist us even so a man that is out of a stated course of labour cannot avoid idleness so well as he that hath his ordinary time and course of business to keep him still at work It is a dangerous life to live out of a Calling § 32. Direct 4. Take heed of excess of meat and drink and sleep For these drown the senses and Direct 4. dull the spirits and load you with a burden of flesh or humours and greatly undispose the body to all diligent useful labours A full Belly and drowsie Brain are unfit for work It will seem work enough to such to carry the load of flesh or flegm which they have gathered A pampered body is more disposed to lust and wantonness than to work § 33. Direct 5. A man-like Resolution is an effectual course against sloth Resolve and it will be Direct 5. done Give not way to a slothful disposition Be up and doing you can do it if you will but resolve To this end be never without Gods quickning motives before-mentioned on your minds Think what a sin and shame it is to waste your Time to live like the dead to bury a rational soul in flesh to be a slave to so base a thing as sloth to neglect all Gods work while he supporteth and maintaineth you and looketh on to live in sloth with such miserable souls so neer to judgement and Eternity Such thoughts well set home will make you stir when a drowsie soul makes an idle body § 34. Direct 6. Take pleasure in your work and then you will not be slothful in it Your very Direct 6. Horse will go heavily where he goeth unwillingly and will go freely when he goeth thither where he would be Either your work is Good or bad If it be bad avoid it If it be good why should you not take pleasure in it It should be pleasant to do good § 35. Direct 7. To this end be sure to do all your work as that which God requireth of you Direct 7. and that which he hath promised to reward and believe his acceptance of your meanest labours which are done in obedience to his will Is it not a delightful thing to serve so great and good a master and to do that which God accepteth and promiseth to reward This interest of God in your lowest and hardest and servilest labour doth make it honourable and should make it sweet § 36. Direct 8. Suffer not your fancies to run after sensual vain delights for these will make you Direct 8. weary of your callings No wonder if foolish youths be idle whose minds are set upon their sports nor is it wonder that sensual Gentlemen live idly who glut themselves with corrupting pleasures The idleness of such sensualists is more unexcusable than other mens because it is not the labour it self that they are against but only such labour as is honest and profitable For they can bestow more labour in playing or dancing or running or hunting or any vanity than their work required And it is the folly and sickness of their minds that is the cause and not any disability in their bodies The busiest in evil are slothfullest to good § 37. Direct 9. Mortifie the flesh and keep it in an obedient dependance on the soul and you will Direct 9. not be captivated by sloth For idleness is but one way of Flesh-pleasing He that is a sensual slave to his flesh will please it in the way that it most desireth One man in Fornication and another in ambition and another in Ease But he that hath overcome and mortified the flesh hath mastered this with the rest of its Concupiscence § 38. Direct 10. Remember still that Time is short and Death makes haste and judgement will be just Direct 10. and that all must be judged according to what they have done in the body and that your souls are pretious and Heaven is Glorious and Hell is terrible and work is various and great and hinderances are many and that it is not idleness but labour that is comfortable in the reviews of time and this will powerfully expell your sloth § 39. Direct 11. Call your selves daily or frequently to account how you spend your time and what Direct 11. work you do and how you do it Suffer not one hour or moment so to pass as you cannot give your Consciences a just account of it § 40. Direct 12. Lastly Watch against the slothfulness of those that are under your charges as well Direct 12. as against your own Some persons of honour and greatness are diligent themselves and bestow their time for the Service of God their King and Countrey and their souls and Families and I would we had more such But if in the mean time their Wives and Children and many of their Servants spend most of the day and year in idleness and they are guilty of it for want of a through endeavour to reform it their burden will be found greater at last than they imagined In a word though the labour and diligence of a believing Saint and not that of a Covetous Worldling is it that tends to save the soul and diligence in doing evil is but a making haste to Hell yet sloth in it self is so great a nourisher of vice and deadly an enemy to all that 's good and idleness is such a course and swarm of sin that all your understandings resolution and authority should be used to cure it in your selves and others Tit. 3. Directions against Sloth and Laziness in things spiritual and for zeal and Diligence § 1. ZEal in things spiritual is contrary to sloth and coldness and remissness and Diligence is contrary to Idleness Zeal is the fervour or earnestness of the soul Its first subject is the will Rev. 3. 15 â—9 and affections excited by the judgement and thence it appeareth in the Practice It is not a distinct Grace or Affection but the vigor and livelyness of every grace and their fervent operations § 2. Direct 1. Be sure that you understand the nature and use of zeal and diligence and mistake Direct 1. The kinds of false zeal not a carnal degenerate sort of zeal for that which is spiritual and
all his work and lyeth not only in the heat of the brain or rigid opinions or heat of speech 10. It is not a sudden flash but a constant resolution of the soul Like the natural heat and not like a Feaver Though the feeling part is not still of one Gal. 4. 15 18. degree Therefore it concocteth and strengtheneth when false zeal only vexeth and consumeth § 5. Direct 2. When you are thus acquainted with the nature of true zeal consider next of its excellency Direct 2. and singular benefits that there may be a love to it and an honour of it in your hearts To that The excellency of zeal and diligence end consider of these following commendations of it § 6. 1. Zeal being nothing but the fervour and vigour of every grace hath in it all the beauty and excellency of that Grace and that in a high and excellent degree If Love to God be excellent then zealous fervent Love is most excellent § 7. 2. The nature of holy Objects are such so great and excellent so transcendent and of unspeakable consequence that we cannot be sincere in our estimation and seeking of them without zeal If it were about riches or honours a cold desire and a dull pursuit might serve the turn and well beseem us But about God and Christ and Grace and Heaven such cold desires and endeavours are but a contempt To love God without zeal is not to Love him because it is not a loving him as Psal. 69. 10. Joh. 2. 17. Gal. 4. 18. 2 Cor. 7. 11. Tit. 2. 14. Rev. 3 15 16 19. God To seek Heaven without Zeal and Diligence is not to seek it but contemn it To pray for salvation without any zeal is but hypocritically to babble instead of praying For no desire of Christ and Holiness and Heaven is saving but that which preferreth them before all the treasures and pleasures of the World And that which doth so hath sure some zeal in it so that some Zeal is essential to every Grace as life and heat is to a man § 8. 3. The integrity and honesty of the heart to God consisteth much in zeal As he is true to his friend that is zealous for him and not he that is indifferent and cold To do his service with zeal is to â—am 5. 16. Rom. 12. 11. do it willingly and heartily and entirely To do it without zeal is to do it heartlesly and by the halves and to leave out the life and kernel of the duty It is the Heart that God doth first require § 9. 4. Zeal is much of the strength of duty and maketh it likelyest to attain its end The Prayer Mat. 11. 12. Rom. 15. 30. Luk. 13. 24. 2 Tâ—m 2. 5. 1 Cor 9. 24 25 26. Heb. 12. 1. Deut. 6. 5. Mat. â—2 37. 2 Cor. 5. 14. Prov. 10. 4. of the faithful that 's effectual must be fervent Jam. 5. 16. Zeal must make us importunate suiters that will take no denyal if we will speed Luk. 18. 1 8 c. The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force We must strive to enter in at the strait gate for many shall seek to enter and not be able Not every one that striveth is crowned nor every one that runneth wins the prize but he that doth it effectually so as to attain No wonder if we be commanded to Love God with all our heart and soul and might which is a Zealous Love For this is it that overcometh all other love and will constrain to dutiful obedience As experience telleth us it is the zealous and diligent Preacher that doth good when the cold and negligent do but little so is it in all other duties The diligent hand maketh rich And God blesseth those that serve him heartily with all their might § 10 5. Zeal and diligence take the opportunity which sloth and negligence let slip They are up Joh. 9. 4. Isa 55. 6. Luk. 19. 42. Heb. 3. 7 15. Mat. 25. with the Sun and work while it is day They seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near They know the day of their Visitation and Salvation They delay not but take the accepted time When the slothful are still delaying and trifling and hear not Gods voice while it is called to day but harden their hearts and sleep with their lamps unfurnished and knock not till the door be shut They stand and look upon their work while they should do it They are never in readiness when Christ and Mercy are to be entertained They are still putting off their duty till some other time till time be done and their work undone and they are undone for ever § 11. 6. Zeal and diligence are the best improvers of Time and mercy As they delay not but take the present time so they loyter not but do their work to purpose As a speedy Traveller goeth farther in a day than a slothful one in many so a zealous diligent Christian will do more for God and his soul in a little time than a negligent dullard in all his life It is a wonder to think what Augustine and Chrysostome did among the Ancients what Calvin and Perkins and Whittaker and Reignolds and Chamier and many other Reformed Divines have done in a very little time And what Swarez and Vasquez and Iansenius and Tostatus and Cajetan and Aquinas and many other Papists have performed by diligence when Millions of men that have longer time go out of the World as unknown as they came into it having never attained to so much knowledge as might preserve them from the reproach of Bruitish ignorance nor so much as might save their souls from Hell And when many that had diligence enough to get some laudable abilities had never diligence enough to use them to any great benefit of others or themselves Zeal and diligence are that fruitful well-manured soil where God soweth his seed with best Mat. 13 8 23. Prov. 26. 14. success and which return him for his mercies an hundred fold and at his coming giveth him his own with usury Mat. 25. 27 20. But sloth and negligence are the grave of mercies where they are buried till they rise up in judgement against the despisers and consumers of them Aristotle and Plato Galen and Hippocrates improvers of nature shall condemn these slothful neglecters and abusers of nature and grace yea their Oxen and Horses shall be witnesses against many that served not God with any such diligence as these beasts served them yea many gallants of great estates never did so much service for the common good in all their lives as their very beasts have done Their parts their life and all is lost by them § 12. 7. Zeal and diligence are the victorious enemies of sin and Satan They bear not with sin They are to it as a consuming fire is to the thorns and bryars Zeal burneth up
knoweth what he is and what he hath done and what he hath deserved and in what a dangerous case his soul yet standeth must needs have his soul habituated to a humble frame Every penitent soul is vile in its own eyes and doth loath it self for its inward corruptions and actual sins And he that loatheth himself as vile will not be very desirous to have his sinful corruptible body seem fine nor by curious ornaments to attract And no wonder when the light of Nature reduced the serious sort of Philosophers to so plain a Garb no Socrates Zenocrates with almost all the Stâ—icks and Cyâ—â—ks and many of the Academicks and Pythagoreans the eyes of vain spectators How oft have I seen a proud vain Gallant suddenly cast off their bravery and gawdy gay attire and clothe themselves in plainness and sobriety as soon as God hath but opened their eyes and humbled their souls for sin and made them better know themselves and brought them home by true Repentance So that the next week they have not seemed the same persons And this was done by meer Humiliation without any arguments against their fashions or proud â—ttire As old Mr. Dod said when one desired him to preach against long hair Preach them once to Christ and true Repentance and they will cut their hair without our preaching against it As Pride would be seen in Proud apparel so humility will appear in a dress like it self though it desire not to be seen Maâ—k 1 Pet. 3. 3 4 5. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair or of wearing of Gold or of putting on of apparel that is curious dressing for adorning the body beyond plain simplicity of attire But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which in the sight of God is of great price For after this manner that is with inward Holiness and outward plainness in the old time the holy women also who trusted in God adorned themselves being in subjection to their own husbands O that God would print those words upon your hearts 1 Pet. 5. 5. Yea all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility For God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Plainness among Christians is a greater honour than fine clothing Jam. 2. 2 3 4 5. 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. In like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefasteness and sobriety not with broidered hair or Gold or Pearl or costly array but which becometh women professing godliness with good works I intreat those that are addicted to bravery or curiosity to read Isa. 3. from ver 16. to the end § 21. Direct 12. Make not too great a matter of your clothing but use it with such indifferency as a Direct 12. thing so indifferent should be used Set not your hearts upon it For that is a worse sign that the excess in it self Take no thought wherewith ye shall be cloathed but remember how God clotheth the Lillies of the field Matth 6. 28. If you have food and rayment be therewith content though it be never so plain 1 Tim. 6. 8. § 22. Direct 13. Be not too censorious of others for different fashions of apparel Be as plain and Direct 13. modest your selves as you can But lay no greater stress on the fashions of others than there is cause If they be grosly impudent disown such fashions and seek to reform them But to carp at every one that goeth â—â—â—â—â— than your selves or to censure them as proud because their fashions are not like yours may be of worse signification than the fashions you find fault with I have oft observed more pride in such censures than I could observe in the fashions which they censured When you have your eye upon every fashion that is not according to your breeding or the custom of your rank or place and are presently branding such as proud or vain it sheweth an arrogant mind that steppeth up in the judgement seat and sentenceth those that you have nothing to do with before they are heard or you know their reasons Perhaps their fashion was as common among the modest sort where they have lived as your fashion is among those that you have converst with Custom and common opinion do put much of the signification upon fashions of apparel I Should next have given you special Directions about the Using of your Estates about your Of the proportion of our Estates to be given see my Letter to Mr. Goâ—ge Dwellings about your Meat and Drink and about your Honour or good Name But being loth the Book should prove too tedious I shall refer you to what is said before against Covetousness Pride and Gluttony c. and what is said before and after of Works of Charity and Family-Government AS to Sacred Habits and the different Garbs Laws Orders of Life Dyet c. of those called Religious Orders among the Papists Regular and Secular whether and how far such are lawful or sinful they are handled so largely in the Controversies of Protestants and Papists that I shall pass them by Only remembring the words of the Clergy of Ravenna to Carolus Iunior King of France inter Epist. Hincmari Rhemensis Discernendi à plebe vel caeteris sumus doctrina non veste conversatione non habitu mentis puritate non cultu Docendi enim potius sunt populi quam ludendi nec imponendum est eorum oculis sed mentibus praecepta sunt infundenda The End of the first Tome A Christian Directory Or A SUMM of PRACTICAL DIVINITY THE SECOND PART VIZ. Christian Oeconomicks OR THE FAMILY DIRECTORY Containing Directions for the true Practice of all Duties belonging to Family Relations with the Appurtenances By RICHARD BAXTER Josh. 24. 15. And if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord choose you this day whom you will serve But as for Me and my House we will serve the Lord. Deut. 6. 6 7 8. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart And thou shalt teach them diligently to thy Children and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy House and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up c. Dan. 6. 10. When Daniel knew that the Writing was signed he went into his House and his Window being open in his Chamber towards Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and Prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did aforetime Acts 10. 1. 2. Cornelius a devout man and One that feared God with all his House which gave much Alms to the people and Prayed to God alwayes Ephes. 6. 4. Ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. Psal. 101. 6 7. He that walketh in a perfect way
unclean use and to devote it God to be employed in his service To alienate this from God or not to use it for God when it is dedicated to him or sanctified by his own election and separation of it from common use is Sacriledge God hath a double Right of Creation and Redemption to all persons But a treble Right to the sanctified Ananias his fearful judgement was a sad example of Gods wrath on those that withhold from him what was devoted to him If Christian families as such be sanctified to God they must as such worship him in their best capacity That Christian families are sanctified to God I prove thus 1. A Society of holy persons must needs be a holy Society But a family of Christians is a society of holy persons Therefore 2. We find in Scripture not only single persons but the societies of such sanctified to God Deut. 7. 6. Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God he hath chosen thee to be a special people to himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth So Deut. 14. 20 21. So the body of that Commonwealth did all jointly enter into Covenant with God and God to them Deut. 29. 30. 26. 17 18 19. Thou hast vouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes And the Lord hath vouched thee this day to be his peculiar people that thou maist be an holy people to the Lord. So 28. 9. Dan. 8. 24. 12. 7. Josh. 24. devoteth himself and his house to the Lord I and my house will serve the Lord. And Abraham by Circumcision the Covenant or seal of the Covenant of God consecrated his whole houshold to God and so were all families after him to do as to the Males in whom the whole was consecrated And whether besides the typifying Intent there were not somewhat more in the sanctifying of all the first born to God who if they lived were to be the heads of the families may be questioned The Passeover was a family duty by which they were yet further sanctified to God Yea it is especially to be observed how in the New Testament the Holy Ghost doth imitate the language of the old and speak of Gods people as of holy societies as the Iews were As in many Prophesies it was foretold that Nations and Kingdoms should serve him of which I have spoken more in my Book of Baptism and among those who should mourn over him whom they have pierced in Gospel times when the Spirit of grace and supplication is powred forth are the family of the House of David apart and their Wives apart the family of the house of Nathan apart and their Wives apart Every family even all the families that remained apart and their Wives apart Zach. 11. 12 13 14. So Christ sendeth his Disciples to baptize Nations having discipled them and the Kingdoms of the World shall become the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ. And as Exodus 19. 5 6. saith of the Jews Ye shall be êa peculiar treasure to me above all people and ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation so doth Peter say of all Christians 1 Pet. 2. 5 6 7 9. Ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house a holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ V. 9. But ye are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a peculiar people that you should shew forth the praises of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light Mark how fully this Text doth prove all that we are about It speaks of Christians Collectively as in Societies and in societies of all the most eminent sorts A Generation which seems especially to refer to Tribes and Families A Priesthood Nation People which comprehendeth all the orders in the Nation oft times And in all these respects they are holy and peculiar and chosen to shew that Gods people are sanctified in these Relations and Societies And then mark the End of this sanctification V. 5. to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. V. 9. to shew forth the praises of him that hath called you c. Yea it seems that there was a special dedication of families to God And therefore we read so frequently of housholds converted and baptized Though none at age were baptized but such as seemed believers yet when they professed faith they were all together initiated as A Houshold And it seems the Masters Interest and Duty were taken to be so great for the conversion of the rest that as he was not to content himself with his own Conversion but to labour presently even before his Baptism that his houshold should joyn with him that so the whole family at once might be devoted to God so God did bless this his own Order and Ordinance to that End And where he imposed Duty on Masters he usually gave success so that commonly the whole family was Converted and Baptized with the Ruler of the family So Acts 18. 8. Crispus believed on the Lord with all his house and they were Baptized And Acts 16. 32. Paul promiseth the Gaoler Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house and he and all his were Baptized straight way for he believed in God with all his house Ver. 33 34. And Lydia is described a Worshipper of God Acts 16. 14. ver 15. She was Baptized and her houshold And the Angel told Cornelius that Peter should tell him words whereby he and all his houshold should be saved Acts 11. 14. who were Baptized accordingly And 1 Cor. 1. 16. Paul baptized the houshold of Stephanus And Christ told Zacheus Salvation was come that day unto his house and he and all his houshold believed So that Noble man John 4. 53. Therefore when Christ sâ—nt â—orth his Disciples he â—aith If the house be worthy let your peace come upon it but if it be not worthy lâ—t yâ—ur peace return to you So that as it is apparently the Duty of every Christian Soveraign to do what he is able to make all his peâ—ple Gods people and so to dedicate them to God as a Holy Nation in a National Covenant as the Israelites were So is it the unquestionable Duty of every Christian Ruler of a family to improve his interest power and parts to the uttermost to bring all his family to be the people of Christ in the Baptismal Covenant and so to dedicate all his family to Christ. Yet farther I prove this in that believers themselves being all sanctified to God it must needs follow that all their Lawful Relations and especially all commanded states of Relation are also sanctified to God for when themselves are dedicated to God it is absolutely without reserve to serve him with all that they have and in every Relation and Capacity that he shall set them It were a
persons he bids them Continue in prayer and watch in the same c. 2. If neighbours are bound to speak together in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs with grace in their hearts to the Lord and to continue in prayer and thanksgiving then families much more who are nearlier related and have more necessities and opportunities as is said before 3. If whatever we do in word or deed we must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks then families must needs joyn in giving thanks For they have much daily business in word and deed to be done together and asunder Argument 15. From Dan. 6. 10. When Daniel knew that the Writing was signed he went into his house and his window being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did afore time Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God Here note 1. The Nature of the duty 2. The necessity of it 1. If it had not been open family-prayer which Daniel here performed how could they have known what he said It is not probable that he would speak so lowd in secret nor is it like they would have found him at it So great a Prince would have had some servants in his ouâ—ward rooms to have stayed them before they had come so near 2. And the Necessity of this prayer is such that Daniel would not omit it for a few dayes to save his life Argument 16. From Josh. 24. 15. But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Here note 1. That it is a Houshold that is here engaged For if any would prove that it extendeth further to all Ioshuah's Tribe or inferiour kindred yet his houshold would be most eminently included 2. That it is the same thing which Ioshuah promiseth for his house which he would have all Israel do for theirs for he maketh himself an example to move them to it If Housholds must serve the Lord then housholds must pray to him and praise him But housholds must serve him Therefore c. The consequence is proved in that Prayer and Praise are so necessary parts of Gods service that no family or person can be said in general to be devoted to serve God that are not devoted to them Calling upon God is oft put in Scripture for all Gods Worship as being a most eminent part and Atheisis are described to be such as call not upon the Lord Psal. 14 c. Argument 17. The story of Cornâ—lius Acts 10. proveth that he performed family-worship For observe 1. That verse 2. he is said to be A devoâ—t man and one that feared God with all his house which gâ—ve much almes to the people and prayed to God alway And vers 30. he saith at the ninth hour I prayed in my house And ver 24. he called together his kindred and near friends So ver 11. 14. Thou and all thy house shall be savâ—d So that in ver 2. Fearing God comprehendeth Prayer and is usually put for all Gods Worship therefore when he is said to Fear God with all his house it is included that he worshipped God with all his house And that he used to do it conjunctly with them is iâ—plyed in his gathering together his Kindred and Friends when Peter came not mentioning the calling together his houshold as being usual and supposed And when it is said that he prayed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his house it may signifie his houshold as in Scrâ—pture the word is often taken However the circumstances shew that he did it Argument 18. From 1. Tim 3. 4 5 12. One that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity For if a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the Church of God Let the Deacons be the Husbands of one Wife Ruling their Children and their own houses well Here mark that it is such a Ruling of their houses as is of the same nature as the Ruleing of the Church mutaâ—is mutandis and that is a training them up in the Worship of God and guiding them therein For the Apostle maketh the defect of the one to be a sure discovery of their unfitness for the other Now to Rule the Church is to teach and guide them as their mouth in prayer and praises unto God as well as to oversee their lives therefore it is such a Ruling of their houses as is pre-requisite to prove them fit They that must so Rule well their own houses as may partly prove them not unfit to Rule the Church must Rule them by holy instructions and guiding them as their mouth in the Worship of God But those mentioned 1 Tim. 3. must so Rule their houses Therefore c. The Pastors Ruling of the Church doth most consist in going before them and guiding them in Gods Worship Therefore so doth the Ruling of their own houses which is made a trying qualification of their fitness hereunto Though yet it reach not so high nor to so many things and the conclusion be not Affirmative He that ruleth his own house well is fit to rule the Church of God but Negative He that ruleth not his own house well is not fit to rule the Church of God But that is because 1. This is a lower degree of Ruling which will not prove him fit for a higher 2. And it is but one qualification of many that are requisite Yet it is apparent that some degree of aptitude is proved hence and that from a similitude of the things When Paul compareth Ruling the House to Ruling the Church he cannot be thought to take them to be wholly hetâ—rogeneous He would never have said He that cannot Rule an Army or Regiment or a City how shall he Rule the Church of God I conclude therefore that this Text doth shew that it is the duty of Masters of families to Rule well their own families in the right worshipping of God mutatis mutandis as Ministers must Rule the Church Argument 19. If families have special necessity of family-prayer conjunctly which cannot be supplyed otherwise then it is Gods will that family-prayer should be in use But families have such necessities Therefore c. The Consequent needs no proof The Antecedent is proved by instances Families have Family necessities which are larger than to be confined to a Closet and yet more private than to be brought still into the publick Assemblies of the Church 1. There are many worldly occasions about their Callings and Relations which its fit for them to mention among themselves but unfit to mentition before all the Congregation 2. There are many distempers in the hearts and lives of the members of the families and many miscarriages and differences and disagreements which must be taken up at home and which prayer must do much to cure and yet are not
strait or penurious therefore she will dispose of it without his consent this is thievery disobedience and injustice Quest. But as the case standeth with us in England hath the Wife a joint propriety or not Quest. 1. Answ. Three wayes at least she may have a propriety 1. By a reserve of what was her own before which however some question it may in some cases be done in their agreement at marriage 2. By the Law of the Land 3. By the Husbands consent or donation What the Law of the Land saith in this case I leave to the Lawyers But it seemeth to me that his words at Marriage with all my worldly goods I thee endow do signifie his consent to make her a joynt-proprietor And his consent is sufficient to the collation of a title to that which was his own Unless any can prove that Law or custome doth otherwise expound the words as an empty formality and that at the contract this was or should be known to her to be the sense And the Laws allowing the wife the third part upon death or separation doth intimate a joynt-propriety before Quest. 2. If the Husband live upon unlawful gain as cheating stealing robbing by the high-way c. Quest. 2. is not the wife guilty as a joynt proprietor in retaining such ill-gotten goods if she know it And is she bound to accuse her Husband or to restore such goods Answ. Her duty is first to admonish her husband of his sin and danger and endeavour his repentance in the mean time disclaiming all consent and reception of the goods And if she cannot prevail for his Repentance Restitution and Reformation she hath a double duty to perform the one is to help them to their goods whom he hath injured and robbed by prudent and just means The other is to prevent his robbing of others for the time to come But how these must be done is the great difficulty 1. If she foresee or may do that either by her husbands displeasure or by the cruel revenge of the injured party the hurt of discovering the fraud or robbery will be greater than the good then I think that she is not bound to discover it But by some secret indirect way to help the owner to his own if it may be done without a greater hurt 2. To prevent his sin and other mens future suffering by him she seemeth to me to be bound to reveal her husbands sinful purposes to the Magistrate if she can no other way prevail with him to forbear My reasons are Because the keeping of Gods Law and the Law of the Land and the publick order and good and the preventing of our Neighbours hurt by Robbery or fraud and so the interest of honesty and right is of greater importance than any duty to her Husband or preservation of her own peace which seemeth to be against it But then I must suppose that she liveth under a Magistrate who will take but a just revenge For if she know the Laws and Magistrate to be so unjust as to punish a fault with death which deserveth it not she is not to tell such a Magistrate but to preserve her Neighbours safety by some other way of intimation If any one think that a Wife may in no case accuse a husband to the hazzard of his life or estate let them 1. Remember what God obliged Parents to do against the lives of incorrigible Children Deut. 21. 2. And that the honour of God and the lives of our Neighbours should be preferred before the life of one offender and their estates before his estate alone 3. And that the light of Reason telleth us that a Wife is to reveal a Treason against the King which is plotted by a Husband and therefore also the robbing of the Kings Treasury or deceiving him in any matter of great concernment And therefore in due proportion the Laws and common good and our Neighbours welfare are to be preserved by us though against the nearest relation Only all due tenderness of the life and reputation of the Husband is to be preserved in the manner of proceedings as far as will stand with the interest of justice and the common good Quest. 3. May the Wife go hear Sermons when the Husband forbiddeth her Quest. 3. Answ. There are some Sermons which must not be heard There are some Sermons which may be heard and must when no greater matter doth divert us And there are some Sermons which must be heard whoever shall forbid it Those which must not be heard are such as are Heretical ordinarily and such as are superfluous and at such times when greater duties call us another way Those which may be heard are either occasional Sermons or such Lectures as are neither of Necessity to our selves nor yet to the owning of God and his publick Worship One that liveth where there are daily or hourly Sermons may hear them as oft as suiteth with their condition and their other duties But in this case the Command of a Husband with the inconveniences that will follow disobeying him may make it a duty to forbear But that we do sometimes publickly owne Gods Worship and Church-Ordinances and receive Ministerial teaching for our Edification is of double necessity that we dâ—ny not God and that we betray not or desert not our own souls And this is especially necessary ordinarily on the Lords Dayes which are appointed for these necessary uses And here the Husband hath no power to forbid the Wife nor should she formally obey his prohibition But yet as affirmatives bind not ad semper and no duty is a duty at every season so it is possible that on the Lords Day it may extraordinarily become a duty to forbear Sermons or Sacraments or other publick Worship As when any greater duty calleth us away As to quench a fire and to save mens lives and to save our Countrey from an enemy in a time of War and to save our own lives if we knew the assembly would be assaulted or to preserve our liberty for greater service Christ â—et us to learn the meaning of this Lesson I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice In such a case also a mischief may be avoided even from a Husband by the omission of a duty at that time when it would be no duty for this is but a transposition of it But this is but an act of prudent self-preservation and not an act of formal obedience Quest. 4. If a Woman have a Husband so incorrigible in Vice as that by long tryal she findeth that Quest. 4. speaking against it maketh him worse and causeth him to abuse her is she bound to continue her disswasion or to fâ—rbear Answ. That is not here a duty which is not a means to do some good And that is no means which we know before hand is like iâ— not certain to do no good or to do more harm We must not by weariness laziness or â—ensoriousness take a case to
you as your superiours and not as your inferiours See that they fare as well as your selves yea though you got not your riches by their means yet even for your being you are their debtors for more than that § 12. Direct 12. Imitate your Parents in all that is good both when they are living and when they Direct 12. are dead If they were lovers of God and of his word and service and of those that fear him let their example provoke you and let the love that you have to them engage you in this imitation A wicked child of godly Parents is one of the most miserable wretches in the world With what horror do I look on such a person How near is such a wretch to Hell When Father or Mother were eminent for Godliness and daily instructed them in the matters of their salvation and prayed with them and warned them and prayed for them and after all this the children shall prove covetous or drunkards or whoremongers or prophane and enemies to the servants of God and deride or neglect the way of their religious Parents it would make one tremble to look such wretches in the face For though yet there is some hope of them alas it is so little that they are next to desperate when they are hardned under the most excellent means and the light hath blinded them and their acquaintance with the wayes of God hath but turned their hearts more against them what means is left to do good to such resisters of the grace of God as these The likeliest is some heavy dreadful judgement O what a woful day will it be to them when all the prayers and tears and teachings and good examples of their religious Parents shall witness against them How will they be confounded before the Lord And how sad a thought is it to the heart of holy diligent Parents to think that all their prayers and pains must witness against their graceless children and sink them deeper into Hell And yet alas how many such woful spectacles are there before our eyes and how deeply doth the Church of Gâ—d 〈…〉 by the malice and wickedness of the children of those Parents that taught them better and walked before them in a holy exâ—mplary life But if Parents be ignorant superstitious idolatrous Pâ—pish or prophane their children are forward enough to imitate them Then they can say Our fâ—r fâ—â—hers were of this mind and we hope they are saved and we will rather imitate them than such in 〈…〉 ting reformers aâ— you As they said to Ieremy Chap. 44. 16 17 18. As for the word that 〈…〉 hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken to thee But we will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven as we have done we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Judah and in the Streets of Jerusalem for then we had plenty of victuals and were well and saw no evil But since we left off to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven we have wanted all things and have been consumed by the sword and famine Thus they walk after the imagination of their hearts and after Baalim the false Worship which their Fathers taught them Jâ—r 9. 14. And they forget Gods name as their Fathers did forget it Jâ—r 23. 27. They and their Fathers have transgressed to this day Ezek. 2. 3. Yea they harden their necks and do worse than their Fathers Jer. 7. 26. Thus in error and sin they can imitate their fore-fathers when they should rather remember 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. that it cost Christ his blood to redeem men from their vain conversation received by tradition from their Fathers And they should penitently confess as Dan. 9. 8. O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes and to our Fathers because we have sinned against thee v. 16. And as Psal. 106. 6. We have sinned with our Fathers c. Saith God Jer. 16. 11 12 13. Behold your Fathers have forsaken me and have not kept my Law and ye have done worse than your Fathers therefâ—re I will cast you out c. Jer. 43. 9. Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your Fathers and the wickedness of the Kings of Judah and your own wickedness they are not humbled even unto this day v. 21. Zâ—ch 1. 4. Be not as your Fathers to whom the former Prophets have cryed saying Turn ye now from your evil wayes but they did not hear Mal. 3. 7. Even from the dayes of your Fathers ye are gone away from mine Ordinances and have not kept them Return unto me and I will return unto you Ezek. 20. 18. Walk ye not in the Statutes of your Fathers So v. 27. 30 36. Follow not your Fathers in their sin and error but follow them where they follow Christ 1 Cor. 11. 1. CHAP. XII The special Duties of Children and Youth towards God THough I put your duty to your Parents first because it is first learned yet your Duty to God immediately is your greatest and most necessary duty Learn these following Precepts well § 1. Direct 1. Learn to understand the Covenant and Vow which in your Baptism you made Direct 1. with God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost your Creator Redeemer and Regenerater and when you well understand it renew that Covenant with God in your own persons and absolutely deliver up your selves to God as your Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier your Owner your Ruler and your Father and felicity Baptism is not an idle Ceremony but the solemn entring into Covenant with God in which you receive the greatest mercies and bind your selves to the greatest duties It is but the entring into that way which you must walk in all your lives and a vowing that to God which you must be still performing And though your Parents had authority to promise for you it is you that must perform it for it was you that they obliged If you ask by what authority they obliged you in Covenant to God I answer by the authority which God had given them in Nature and in Scripture as they oblige you to be Subjects of the King or as they enter your names into any Covenant by lease or other contract which is for your benefit And they do it for your good that you may have part in the blessings of the Covenant And if you grudge at it and refuse your own consent when you come to age you lose the benefits If you think they did you wrong you may be out of Covenant when you will if you will renounce the Kingdom of Heaven But it is much wiser to be thankful to God that your Parents were the means of so great a blessing to you and to do that again more expresly by your selves which they did for you and openly with thankfulness to own the Covenant in which you are engaged and live in the performance and in the comforts of it
and run greedily after the the errours of Balaam And 2 Pet. 2. 3 14 15. Through Covetousness they make mer handize of you An heart they have exercised with covetous practices Cursed Children or Children of a Curse which have for saken the right way and are gone astray following the way of Balaam the Son of Bosor who loved the wages of unrighteousness but was rebuked for his iniquity the duâ—b Asse speaking with mans voice forbad the madness of the Prophet When you shall every one hear Thou foâ—l this night shall thy soul be required of thee and then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided Luke 12. 19 20 21. will it not then cut deep in your perpetual torments to remember that you got that little pelf by betraying so many souls to hell What men in the World doth Iames speaks to if not to you Jam. 5. 1 2 3 4. Go to now ye Rich men weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire ye have heaped treasure together for the last dayes Behold the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth and the cryes of them which have reaped have entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath How much more the cry of betrayed souls And here we may seasonably answer these cases Quest. 1. Is it lawful for a Christian to buy and use a man as a slave Quest. 2. Is it lawful to use a Christian as a slave Quest. 3. What difference must we make between a free servant and a slave To Quest. 1. I answer There is a slavery to which some men may be Lawfully put and there is a slavery to which none may be put And there is a slavery to which only the criminal may be put by way of penalty 1. No man may be put to such a slavery as under the first Direction is denyed that is such as shall injure Gods interest and service or the mans salvation 2. No man but as a just punishment for his crimes may be so enslaved as to be deprived of those liberties benefits and comforts which brotherly love obligeth every man to grant to another for his good as far as is within our power all things considered That is the same man is a servant and a brother and therefore must at once be used as both 3. Though poverty or necessity do make a man consent to sell himself to a life of lesser misery to escape a greater or death it self yet is it not lawful for any other so to take advantage by his necessity as to bring him into a condition that shall make him miserable or in which we shâ—â— not exercise so much love as may tend to his sanctification comfort and salvation Because no Iustice is beseeming a Christian or a Man which is not conjoyned with a due measure of Charity But 1. He that deserveth it by way of penalty may be penally used 2. He that stole and cannot restore may be forced to work it out as a servant And in both these cases more may be done against anothers ease or liberty than by meer contract or consent He that may hang a flagitious offender doth him no wrong if he put him to a slavery which is less penal than death 3. More also may be done against Enemies taken in a lawful War than could be done against the innocent by necessitated consent 4. A certain degree of servitude or slavery is lawful by the necessitated consent of the innocent That is so much 1. As wrongeth no interest of God 2. Nor of mankind by breaking the Law of Nations 3. Nor the person himself by hindering his salvation or the needful means thereof nor those comforts of life which nature giveth to man as man 4. Nor the Common-wealth or society where we live Quest. 2. To the 2 Quest. I answer 1. As men must be variously Loved according to the various Quest. 2. degrees of amiableness in them so various degrees of Love must be exercised towards them Therefore good and real Christians must be used with more Love and brotherly tenderness than others 2. It is meet also that infidels have so much mercy shewed them in order to the saving of their souls as that they should be invited to Christianity by fit encouragements And so that they should know that if they will turn Christians they shall have more priviledges and emoluments than the enemies of truth and piety shall have It is therefore well done of Princes who make Laws that Infidel slaves shall be free men when they are duly Christened 3. But yet a nominal Christian who by wickedness forfeiteth his Life or freedom may penally be made a slave as well as Infidels 4. And a poor and needy Christian may sell himself into a harder state of servitude than he would choose or we could otherwise put him into But 5. To go as Pirats and catch up poor Negro's or people of another Land that never forfeited Life or Liberty and to make them slaves and sell them is one of the worst kinds of Thievery in the world and such persons are to be taken for the common enemies of mankind And they that buy them and use them as beasts for their meer commodity and betray or destroy or neglect their souls are fitter to be called incarnate Devils than Christians though they be no Christians whom they so abuse Quest. 3. To the 3 Quest. I answer That the solution of this case is to be gathered from what Quest. 3. is said already A Servant and a Voluntary slave were both free men till they sold or hired themselves And a criminal person was a freeman till he forfeited his life or liberty But afterward the difference is this that 1. A free servant is my servant no further than his own Covenant made him so Which is supposed to be 1. To a certain kind and measure of labour according to the meaning of his contract 2. For a limited time expressed in the contract whether a year or two or three or seven 2. A Slave by meer Contract is one that 1. Usually selleth himself absolutely to the will of another as to his labour both for kind and measure where yet the limitations of God and nature after and before named are supposed among Christians to take place 2. He is one that selleth himself to such labour during life 3. A Slave by just penalty is lyable to so much servitude as the Magistrate doth judge him to which may be 1. Not only such labour as aforesaid as pleaseth his master to impose 2. And that for life 3. But it may be also to stripes and severities which might not lawfully be inflicted on another 1. The Limitations of a
the week IT somewhat tendeth to make a holy life more easie to us when we know the ordinary course and method of our duties and every thing falleth into its proper place As it helpeth the Husbandman or Tradesman to know the ordinary course of his work that he need not go out of it unless in extraordinary cases Therefore I shall here give you some brief Directions for the holy spending of every day § 1. Direct 1. Proportion the time of your sleep aright if it be in your power that you waste Direct 1. not your pretious morning hours sluggishly in your bed Let the time of your sleep be rationally fitted to your health and labour and not sensually to your slothful pleasure About six hours is meet for healthful people and seven hours for the less healthful and eight for the more weak and aged ordinarily The morning hours are to most the preitousest of all the day for all our duties especially servants that are scanted of time must take it then for prayer if possible leâ—t they have none at all § 2. Direct 2. Let God have your first awaking thoughts Lift up your hearts to him reverently Direct 2. and thankfully for the rest of the night past and briefly cast your selves upon him for the following day and use your selves so constantly to this that your consciences may check you when common thoughts shall first intrude And if you have a Bed-fellow to speak to let your first speech be agreeable to your thoughts It will be a great help against the temptations that may else surprize you and a holy engagement of your hearts to God for all the day § 3. Direct 3. Resolve that pride and the fashions of the times shall never tempt you into such a Direct 3. garb of attire as will make you long in dressing you in the morning but wear such cloathing as is soon put on It 's dear-bought bravery or decency as they will needs call it which must cost every day an hours or a quarter of an hours time extraordinary I had rather go as the wilde Indians than have those morning hours to answer for as too many Ladies and other gallants have § 4. Direct 4. If you are persons of quality you may employ a child or servant to read a Chapter Direct 4. in the Bible while you are dressing you and eating your breakfast if you eat any Else you may employ that time in some fruitful meditation or conference with those about you as far as your necessary occasions do give leave As to think or speak of the mercy of a nights rest and of your renewed time and how many spent that night in hell and how many in prison and how many in a colder harder lodging and how many in grievous pain and sickness aweary of their beds and of their lives and how many in distracting terrours of their minds and how many souls that night were called from their bodies to appear before the dreadful God And think how fast days and nights â—oul on and how speedily your last night and day will come And observe what is wanting in the readiness of your soul for such a time and seek it presently without delay § 5. Direct 5. If more necessary duties call you not away let secret prayer by your self alone or Direct 5. with your chamber-fellow or both go before the common prayers of the family and delay it not causlesly but if it may be let it be first before any other work of the day Yet be not formal and superstitious to your hours as if God had absolutely tyed you to such a time nor think it not your duty to pray once in secret and once with your chamber-fellow and once with the family every morning when more necessary duties call you off That hour is best for one which is worst for another To most private prayer is most seasonable as soon as they are up and cloathed To others some other hour may be more free and fit And those persons that have not more necessary duties may do well to pray at all the opportunities before-mentioned But reading and meditation must be allowed their time also And the labours of your callings must be painfully followed And servants and poor people that are not at liberty or that have a necessity of providing for their families may not lawfully take so much time for prayer as some others may especially the aged and weak that cannot follow a calling may take longer time And Ministers that have many souls to look after and publick work to do must take heed of neglecting any of this that they may be longer and oftener in private prayer Allwayes remember that when two duties are at once before you and one must be omitted that you prefer that which all things considered is the greatest And understand what maketh a duty greatest Usually that is greatest which tendeth to the greatest good yet sometime that is greatest at that time which cannot be done at another time when others may Praying in it self considered is better than Plowing or Marketting or Conference And yet these may be greater than it in their proper seasons because prayer may be done at another time when these cannot § 6. Direct 6. Let family-worship be performed constantly and seasonably twice a day at that hour Direct 6. which is freest in regard of interruptions not delaying it without just cause But whenever it is performed be sure it be reverently seriously and spiritually done If greater duty hinder not begin with a brief invocation of Gods name and craving of his help and blessing through Christ and then read some part of the holy Scripture in order and either help the hearers to understand it and apply it or if you are unable for that then read some profitable Book to them for such ends and sing a Psalm if there be enough to do it fitly and earnestly pour out your souls in Prayer But if unavoidable occasions will not give way to all this do what you can especially in prayer and do the rest another time but pretend not necessity against any duty when it is but unwillingness or negligence The lively performance of Family-duties is a principal means to keep up the power and interest of Godliness in the world which all decays when these grow dead and slight and formal § 7. Direct 7. Renew the actual intention and remembrance of your ultimate end when you set your Direct 7. selves to your days work or set upon any notable business in the world Let HOLINESS TO THE LORD be written upon your hearts in all that you do Do no work which you cannot entitle God to and truly say he set you about And do nothing in the world for any other ultimate end than to Please and Glorifie and Enjoy him And remember that whatever you do must be done as a means to these and as by one that is that way going
read Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law And the command of Authority is not a contemptible obligation § 7. 6. It is granted by all that more than this is due to God and the life that is in every Christian telleth him that it is a very great mercy to us not only to servants but even to all men that one day in seven they may disburden themselves of all the cares and business of the world which may hinder their holy communion with God and one another and wholly apply themselves to learn the will of God And nature teacheth us to accept of mercy when it is offered to us and not dispute against our happiness § 8. 7. Common experience telleth us that where the Lords Day is more holily and carefully observed Knowledge and Religion prosper best and that more souls are converted on those dayes than on all the other dayes besides and that the people are accordingly more edified And that where ever the Lords Day is ordinarily neglected or mispent Religion and Civility decay and there is a visible lamentable difference between those places and families and the other § 9. 8. Reason and experience telleth us that if men werâ— leâ—t to themselves what Time they should appoint for Gods publick Worship in most plâ—â—es it would be so little and disordered and uncertain that Religion would be for the most part banished out of the now Christian world Therefore there being need of an Universal Law for it it is probable that such a Law there is And if so it can be by none but God the Creator Redeemer and Holy Ghost there being no other Universal Governour and Law-giver to impose it § 10. 9. All must confess that it is more desirable for Unity and Concord sake that all Christians hold their holy Assemblies on one and the same day and that all at once through all the world do worship God and seek his Grace than that they do it some on one day and some on another § 11. 10. And all that ever I have conversed with confess that if the holy spending of the Lords Day be not necessary it is lawful and therefore when there is so much to be said for the Necessity of it too to keep it holy is the safest way Seeing this cannot be a sin but the contrary may And Licâ—nce is encouragement enough to accept so great a mercy All this set together will satisfie a man that hath any spiritual sense of the concernments of his own and others souls § 12. Object But you will say That besides the name it is yet a controversie whether the whole day Object should be spâ—nt in holy exercises or only so much as is meet for publick communion it being not found in antiquiâ—y that the Churches used any further to observe it Answ. No sober man denyeth that works of necessity for the preservation of our own or other mens Answ. lives or health or goods may be done on the Lords Day so that when we say that the whole day is to be spent holily we exclude not eating and sleeping nor the necessary actions about Worship as the Priesâ—s in the Temple are said to break the Sabbath that is the external rest and to be blameless But otherwise that it is the whole day is evident in the Arguments produced The antient Histories and Canons of the Church speak not of one part of the day only but the whole All confess that when Labour or sinful sports are forbidden it is on the whole day and not only on a part And for what is alledged of the custome of the antient Church I answer 1. The antienâ—est Churches spent almost all the day in publick Worship and Communion They begun in the morning and continued without parting till the evening The first part of the day being spent in teaching the Catechumens they were then dismissed and the Church continued together in preaching and praying but especially in those laudatory Eucharistical Offices which accompany the celebration of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. They did not then as Gluttons do now account it fasting to forbear a dinner when they supped yea feasted at night It being not usual among the Romans to eat any dinners at all And they that spent all the day together in publick Worship and Communion you may be sure spent noâ— part of it in Dancing nor Stage-playes nor worldly businesses 2. And Church History giveth us but little account what particular persons did in private nor can it be expected 3. Who hath brought us any proof that ever the Church approved of spending any part of the day in sports or idleness or unnecessary worldly business Or that any Churches or persons regardable did actually so spend it 4. Unless their proof be from those many Canons of our own and other Churches that command the holy observation of it and forbid these playes and labours on it which I confess doth intimate that some there were that needed Laws to restrain them from the violation of it 5. Again I say that seeing few men will have the faces to say that playes and games or idleness are a duty on that day it will suffice a holy thankful Christian if he have but leave to spend all the day for the good of his soul and those about him and if he may be reading and meditating on the Word of God and praying and praising him and instructing his family while others waste that time in vanity especially to servants and poor men that have but little other leisure all the year to seek for knowledge or use any such helps for their salvation As to a poor man that is kept hungry all the Week a bare liberty of feasting with his Landlord on the Lords day would satisfie him without a Law to constrain him to it so is it here with a hungry soul. § 2. Direct 2. Remember that the work of the day â—â— in general to keep up knowledge and Religion Direct 2. in the world and to own and honour our Creater Redeemer and Regenerater openly before all and to have communion with God through Christ in the Spirit by Receiving and Exercising his Grace in order to our Communion with him in Glory Let these therefore well understood â—e your Ends and in these be you exercised all the day and stick not hypocritically in bodily rest and outward duties Remember that it is a day for heart-work as well as for the exercise of the tongue and ear and knees and that your principal business is with Heaven Follow your hearts therefore all the day and see that they be not idle while your bodies are exercised Nothing is done if the Heart do nothing § 3. Direct 3. Remember that the special work of the day is to celebrate the memorial of Christs Direct 3. Resurrection and of the whole work of mans Redemption by him Labour therefore with all diligence
more to hinder them from the same priviledge than what is of Necessity § 14. Direct 14. At Supper spend the time as is aforesaid at Dinner Alwayes remembring Direct 14. that though it be a day of Thansgiving it is not a day of gluttony and that you must not use too full a dyet lest it make you heavy and drowsie and unfit for holy duty § 15. Direct 15. After Supper examine your Children and Servants what they have learnt all Direct 15. day and sing a Psalm of praise and conclude with prayer and thanksgiving § 16. Direct 16. If there be time after both you and they may in secret review the duties Direct 16. and mercies and failings of the day and recommend your selves by Prayer into the bands of God for the night following and to betake your selves to your rest § 17. Direct 17. And to shut up all let your last thoughts be holy in the thankful sense of Direct 17. the mercy you have received and the goodness of God revealed by our Mediator and comfortably trusting your souls and bodies into his hands and longing for your nearer approach unto his Glory and the beholding and full enjoying of him for ever § 18. I have briefly named this order of duties for the memory of those that have opportunity to observe it But if any mans place and condition deny him opportunity for some of these he must do what he can but see that carnal negligence cause not his omission And now I appeal to Reason Conscience and Experience whether this employment be not more suitable to the principles ends and hopes of a Christian than idleness or vain talk or Cards or Dice or Dancing or Ale-house haunting or worldly business or discourse And whether this would not exceedingly conduce to the increase of Knowledge Holiness and Honesty And whether there be ever a worldling or voluptuous sensualist of them all that had not rather be found thus at death or look back when Time is past and gone upon the Lords days thus spent than as the idle fleshly and ungodly spend them CHAP. XIX Directions for profitable Hearing the Word Preached OMitting those Directions which concern the external modes of Worship for the Reasons mentioned Tom. 2. and known to all that know me and the time and place I live in I shall give you such Directions about the personal internal management of your duty as I think most necessary to your Edification And seeing that your Duty and benefit lyeth in these four General points 1. That you hear with understanding 2. That you Remember what you hear 3. That you be duly affected with it 4. And that you sincerely practise it I shall more particularly Direct you in order to all these ends and duties Tit. 1. Directions for the Understanding the Word which you hear § 1. Direct 1. REad and meditate on the holy Scriptures much in private and then you will be Direct 1. the better able to understand what is Preached on it in publick and to try the doctrine whether it be of God Whereas if you are unacquainted with the Scriptures all that is treated of or alledged from it will be so strange to you that you will be but little edified by it Psal. 1. 2. Psal. 119. Deut. 6. 11 12. § 2. Direct 2. Live under the clearest distinct convincing teaching that possibly you can procure Direct 2. There is an unspeakable difference as to the edification of the hearers between a judicious clear distinct and skilful Preacher and one that is ignorant confused general dry and only scrapeth together a Cento or mingle-mangle of some undigested sayings to fill up the hour with If in Philosophy Physicks Grammar Law and every Art and Science there be so great a difference between one Teacher and another it must needs be so in Divinity also Ignorant Teachers that understand not what they say themselves are unlike to make you men of understanding as Erroneous Teachers are unlike to make you Orthodox and Sound § 3. Direct 3. Come not to hear with a careless heart as if you were to hear a matter that little Direct 3. concerned you but come with a sense of the unspeakable weight necessity and consequence of the holy word which you are to bear and when you understand how much you are concerned in it and truly Love it as the word of Life it will greatly help your Understanding of every particular truth That which a man Loveth not and perceiveth no necessity of he will hear with so little regard and heed that it will make no considerable impression on his mind But a good understanding of the Excellency and Necessity exciting Love and â—â—rioâ—s attention would make the particulars easie to be understood when else you will be like â—â— stopt oâ— narrow mouthed bottle that keepeth out that which you desire to put in I know that understanding must go before affections But yet the understanding of the concernments and worth of your own souls must first procure such a serious care of your salvation and a general regard to the word of God as is needful to your further understanding of the particular instructions which you shall after hear § 4. Direct 4. Suffer not vain thoughts or drowsie negligence to hinder your attention If you mark Direct 4. not what is taught you how should you understand and learn set your selves to it as for your Prâ—â— 4. 1 20 ◠〈…〉 7. 24. lives Be as earnest and diligent in attending and learning as you would have the Preacher be in Teaching If a drowsie careless Preacher be bad a drowsie careless hearer is not good Saith Mâ—ses Dâ—ut 32. 46. Set your hearts to all the words which I testifie among you this day Neâ— 1 6. 1â— Psal. 130. 2. Prov. 28. 9. 47. For it is not a vain thing for you because it is your life You would have God attentive to your pâ—ayers in your distresses and why will you not then be attentive to his words when the prayers of him are abominable to God that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law â—â—ik 19. 48. All the people were very attentive to hear Christ. Neh. 8. 3. when Ezra read the Law from morning till mid day the ears of all the people were attentive to it when Paul continued his Lords day exercise Act 16. 14. Act. 10. 9. and speech untill midnight one young man that full asleep did fall down dead as a warning to them that will sleep when they should hear the message of Christ. Therefore you are excused that day from worldly business that you may attend oâ— the Lord with out distraction 1 Cor. 7. 35. Lydia's attending to the words of Paul accompanied the opening of her heart and her Conversion Act. 16. 14. § 5. Direct 5. Mark specially the design and drift and principal doctrine of the Sermon Both because Direct 5. that is the chief thing
with the holy Praise of God from day to day As he that is acquainted with all that is in any Book can copiously discourse of it when he that knoweth not what is in it hath little to say of it so he that knoweth God and his works and himself and his sins and wants is acquainted with the best Prayer Book and hath alwayes a full heap of matter before him when ever he cometh to speak to God 3. Let him study the mysterie of mans Redemption and the Person and Office and Covenant and Grace of Christ and he need not want matter for prayer or praise A very Child if he see but a Pedlars pack opened where there are abundance of things which he desireth will learn Rev 3. 17 18. without-book to say O Father buy me this and give me that c. So will the soul that seeth the treasuries and riches of Christ. 4. Let him know the extent of the Law of God and the meaning of the ten Commandments If he know but what sins are forbidden in each Commandment and what duties are required he may find matter enough for Confession and Petition And therefore the view of such a brief Exposition of the Commandments as you may find in Mr. Brinsley's True-Watch and in Dr. Downams and Mr. Whateleys Tables will be a present furniture for such a use especially in dayes of humiliation So it will also to have a particular understanding of the Creed and the Lords Prayer which will furnish you with much matter 5. Study well the Temptations which you carry about you in your flesh and meet with in the world and are suggested by the Tempter and think of the many duties you have to do and the many dangers and sufferings to undergo and you will never be unfurnished for matter for your prayers 6. Observe the daily passages of Providence to your selves and others Mark how things go with your souls every day and hearken how it goeth with the Church of God and mark also how it goeth with your neighbours and sure you will find matter enough for prayer 7. Think of the Heavenly Joyes that you are going to and the Streets of the New Ierusalem will be large enough for faith to walk in 8. For words be acquainted with the phrase of Scripture and you will find provisions for all occasions Read Dr. Wilkins Book called The Gift of Prayer or Mr. Brinsleyes Watch or Mr. El. Par's Abba Father 9. Keep up the heart in a reverend serious lively frame and it will be a continual spring to furnish you with Matter When a dead and barren heart hath a dry and sleepy tongue 10. Ioyn as oft as you can with those that are full and copious in prayer For example and use will be very great helps 11. Quench not the Spirit of God that must assist you 12. In case of necessity use those Books or Forms which are more full than you can be your selves till you come to ability to do better without them Read further the Directions Tom. 1. Chap. 6. Tit. 2. for more § 31. Quest. 31. How should a Christian keep up an ordinary fervency in prayer Quest. 31. How to keep up fervency in prayer Answ. 1. See that knowledge and faith provide you Matter For as the fire will go out if there be not fewell so fervency will decay when you are dry and scarce know what to say or do not well believe what you understand 2. Clog not the body either with overmuch eating and drinking or over-tiring labours For an active body helpeth much the activity of the mind And the holiest person will be able but poorly to exercise his fervency under a dull or languishing body 3. Rush not suddenly upon prayer out of a crowd of other businesses or before your last worldly cares or discourses be washed clean out of your minds In Study and Prayer how certain a truth is it that Non bene fit quod occupato animo fit Hieron Epist. 143. ad Paulin. That work is not well done which is done with a mind that is prepossessed or busied about other matters That mind must be wholly free from all other present thoughts or business that will either Pray or Study well 4. Keep a tender heart and conscience that is not senseless of your own concernments For all your prayers must needs be sleepy if the heart and conscience be once hardned seared or fallen asleep 5. Take more pains with your hearts than with your tongues Remember that the success of your work lyeth most on them Bear not with their sluggishness Do by them as you would do by your Child or Servant that sleepeth by you at prayer You will not let them snort on but jog them till you have awakened them So do by your hearts when you find them dull 6. Live as in the continual presence of God but labour to apprehend his special presence when you are about to speak to him Ask your hearts how they would behave themselves if they saw the Lord or but the lowest of his holy Angels 7. Let faith be called up to see Heaven and Hell as open all the while before you and such a fight will surely keep you serious 8. Keep death and judgement in your continual remembrance and expectation Remember how all your prayers will be lookt back upon Look not for long life Remember that this prayer for ought you know may be your last but certainly you have not long to pray Pray therefore as a dying man should do 9. Study well the unspeakable iâ—cessity of your souls If you prevail not for pardon and grace and preservation you are undone and lost for ever Remember that necessity is upon you and Heaven or Hell are at the end and you are praying for more than a thousand lives 10. Study well the unspeakable excellency of those mercies which you pray for O think how blessed a life it would be if you could know God more and love him more and live a blameless heavenly life and then live with Christ in Heaven for ever Study these mercies till the flames of Love put life into your prayers 11. Study well the exceeding encouragements that you have to Pray and Hope If your Hope decay your fervour will decay Think of the unconceivable Love of God the astonishing mercy shewed to you in your Redeemer and in the helps of the Holy Spirit and how Christ is now interceding for you Think of these till faith make glad your heart And in this gladness let Praise and thanksgiving have ordinarily no small share in your prayers for it will tire out the heart to be alwayes poreing on its own distempers and discourage it to look on nothing but its infirmities And then a sad discouraged temper will not be so lively a temper as a thankful praiseful joyful temper is For Laetitia loquax res est atque ostentatrix sui Gladness is a very expressive thing and apt to shew
and hope for audience when they beg for mercy and offer up prayer or praises to him § 15. III. In the Communication though the Sacrament have respect to the Father as the Joh. 3. 5. 1 Cor. 12. 12 â—3 1 Cor. 15 45. Gal. 3. 14. 4. 6. Eph. 2. 22. principal Giver and to the Son as both the Gift and Giver yet hath it a special respect to the Holy Ghost as being that spirit given in the flesh and blood which quickeneth souls without which the flesh will profit nothing And whose Operations must convey and apply Christs saving benefits to us Ioh. 6. 63. 7. 39. § 16. These three being the parts of the Sacrament in whole as comprehending that sacred Action and participation which is essential to it The material Parts called the Relate and correlate are 1. Substantial and Qualitative 2. Active and passive 1. The first are the Bread and Wine as signs and the Body and Blood of Christ with his graces and benefits as the things signified and given The second are the Actions of Breaking Pouring out and Delivering on the Ministers part after the Consecration and the Taking Eating and Drinking by the Receivers as the sign And the thing signified is the Crucifying or Sacrificing of Christ and the Delivering himself with his benefits to the believer and the Receivers thankful Accepting and using the said gift To these add the Relative form and the ends and you have the definition of this Sacrament Of which see more in my Univers Concord p. 46 c. § 17. Direct 3. Look upon the Minister as the Agent or Officer of Christ who is commissioned by Direct 3. him to seal and deliver to you the Covenant and its benefits And take the Bread and Wine as if you heard Christ himself saying to you Take my Body and Blood and the pardon and Grace which is thereby purchased It is a great â—â—â—â—p in the application to have Mercy and pardon brought us by the hand of a commissioned Officer of Christ. § 18. Direct 4. In your preparation before hand take heed of these two extreams 1. That you Direct 4. come not prophanely and carelesly with common hearts as to a common work For God will be sanctified in them that draw near him Lev. 10. 3. And they that eat and drink unworthily not discerning the Lords Body from common bread but eating as if it were a common meal do eat death to Quinam auteâ—â— indigâ—i ineptive sint quibus Angelorum panis praebeatur sacerdoâ—um ipsoâ—um audâ—ta confessione â—aeâ—erisque perspectis judicium esto Acosta â— 6. c. 10. p. 549. themselves instead of life 2. Take heed lest your mistakes of the nature of this Sacrament should possess you with such fears of unworthy receiving and the following dangers as may quite discompose and unfit your souls for the joyful exercises of faith and Love and Praise and Thanksgiving to which you are invited Many that are scrupulous of Receiving it in any save a feasting gesture are too little careful and scrupulous of Receiving it in any save a feasting frame of mind The first extream is caused by Prophaneness and negligence or by gross ignorance of the nature of the Sacramental work The later extream is frequently caused as followeth 1. By setting this Sacrament at a greater distance from other parts of Gods worship than there is cause so that the excess of Reverence doth overwhelm the minds of some with terrours 2. By studying more the terrible words of eating and drinking damnation to themselves if they do it unworthily than all the expressions of Love and mercy which that blessed feast is furnished with So that when the Views of infinite Love should ravish them they are studying wrath and vengeance to terrifie them as if they came to Moses and not to Christ. 3. By not understanding what maketh a Receiver worthy or unworthy but taking their unwilling infirmities for condemning unworthiness 4. By Receiving it so seldom as to make it strange to them and increase their fear whereas if it were administred every Lords day as it was in the Primitive Churches it would better acquaint them with it and cure that fear that cometh from strangeness 5. By imagining that none that want Assurance of their own sincerity can receive in faith 6. By contracting an ill habit of mistaken Religiousness placeing it all in poâ—ing on themselves and mourning for their corruptions and not in studying the Love of God in Christ and living in the daily Praises of his name and joyful Thanksgiving for his exceeding mercies 7. And if besides all these the Body contract a weak or timerous melancholy distemper it will leave the mind capable of almost nothing but fear and trouble even in the sweetest works From many such causes it cometh to pass that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is become more terrible and uncomfortable to abundance of such distempered Christians than any other ordinance of God And that which should most comfort them doth trouble them most § 19. Quest. 1. But is not this Sacrament more holy and dreadful and should it not have more preparation Quest. 1. than other parts of worship Answ. For the degree indeed it should have very careful preparation And we cannot well compare it with other parts of worship as Praise Thanksgiving Covenanting with God Prayer c. because that all these other parts are here comprized and performed But doubtless God must also be sanctified in all his other worship and his name must not be taken in vain And when this Sacrament was received every Lords day and often in the week besides Christians were supposed to live continually in a state of general preparation and not to be so far from a due particular preparation as many poor Christians think they are § 20. Quest. 2. How often should the Sacrament be now administred that it neither grow into contempt Quest. 2. or strangeness Answ. Ordinarily in well disciplined Churches it should be still every Lords day For 1. We have no reason to prove that the Apostles example and appointment in this case was proper to those times any more than that Praise and Thanksgiving daily is proper to them And we may as well deny the obligation of other institutions or Apostolical orders as that 2. It is a part of the seâ—led order for the Lords days worship And omitting it maimeth and altereth the worship of the day and occasioneth the omission of the Thansgiving and Praise and lively commemorations of Christ which should be then most performed And so Christians by use grow habited to sadness and a mourning melancholy Religion and grow unacquainted with much of the worship and spirit of the Gospel 3. Hereby the Papists lamentable corruptions of this ordinance have grown up even by an excess of reverence and fear which seldom receiving doth increase till they are come to Worship Bread as their God 4. By seldom communicating men are
experiences thou wilt be very hardly kept from desperation Thou wilt read such passages as Heb. 6 4 5 6. and Heb. 10. 26 27 28 29. with so much horrour that thou wilt hardly be perswaded that there is any hope Thou wilt be ready to think that thou hast sinned against the Holy Ghost and that thou hast trampled underfoot the blood of the Covenant and done despite to the spirit of grace And thou wilt think that there is no being twice born again Or if thou be restored to Life thou wilt hardly ever be restored to thy comforts here if thy backsliding should be very great But indeed the danger is exceeding great lest thou never be recovered at all if once thou be twice dead and pluckt up by the roots Jud. 6. and lest God do finally forsake thee And then how desperate will be thy case § 35. 16. Is it not the example of Backsliders very terrible which God hath set up for the warning of his servants as monuments of his wrath Luk. 17. 32. Remember Lot's Wife saith Christ to them that are about to lose their estates or goods or lives by saving them How frightful is the remembrance of a Cain a Iudas a Saul a Ioas 2 Chron. 24. 2. a Iulian How sad is it to hear but such a one as Spira especially at his death crying out of his backsliding in the horrour of his soul and to see such ready to make away themselves § 36. 17. Consider that there is none that so much dishonoureth God as a Backslider Others are supposed to sin in ignorance But you do by your lives as bad as speak such blaspheamy as this against the Lord As if you should say I thought once that God had been the best Master and his servants the wisest and happiest men and Godliness the best and safest life but now I have tryed both and I find by experience that the Devil is a better master and his servants are the happiest men and the world and the flesh do give the truest contentment to the mind This is the plain blaspheamy of your lives And bethink thee how God should bear with this § 37. 18. There is none that so much hardeneth the wicked in his sin and furthereth the damnation of souls as the Backslider If you would but drive your Sheep or Cattle into a house those that go in first do draw the rest after them but those that run out again make all the rest afraid and run away One apostate that hath been noted for Religion and afterwards turneth off again doth discourage many that would come in For he doth as it were say to them by his practice Keep off and meddle not with a Religious life for I have tryed it and found that a life of worldliness and fleshliness is better And people will think with themselves Such a man hath tryed a Religious life and he hath forsaken it again and therefore he had some reason for it and knew what he did Woe to the world because of offences and woe to him by whom the offence shall come â—â—k 17. 1. Mat. 18. 7. How dreadful a thing is it think that mens souls should lie in Hell and you be the cause of it It were good for that man that a milstone were hanged about his neck and be were drowned in the depth of the Sea Matth. 18. 6 7. Luk. 17. 2. § 38. 19. There is none that are so great a terrour to weak Christians as these Backsliders For they are thinking how far such went before they fell away And those that think that true grace may be lâ—st are saying Alas how shall I stand when such that were better and stronger than I have faln away And those that think true grace cannot be lost are as much perplexed and say How far may an Hypocrite go that after falleth away How piously did this man live how sorrowfully did he repâ—nt how blamelesly did he walk how fervently and constantly did he pray how savourily did he speak how charitably and usefully did he live And I that come far short of him as far as I can discern can have no assurance that I am sincere till I am sure that I go further than ever he did Woe to thee that thus perplexest the consciences of the weak and hinderest the comforts of believers § 39. 20. Thou art the greatest grief to the faithful Ministers of Christ Thou canst not conceive what a wound it giveth to the heart and comforts of a Minister when he hath taken a great deal of pains for thy Conversion and after that rejoyced when he saw thee come to the flock of Christ and after that laboured many a year to build thee up and suffered many a frown from the ungodly for thy sake to see all his labour at last come to nought and all his glorying of thee turned to his shame and all his hopes of thee disappointed I tell thee this is more doleful to his heart than any outward loss or cross that could have befaln him It is not persecution that is his greatest grief as long as it hindereth not the good of souls It is such as thou that are his â—orest persecutors that frustrate his labours and rob him of his joyes And his sorrows shall one day cost thee dear The life and comforts of your faithful Pastors is much in your hands 2 Cor. 7. 3. 1 Thes. 3. 8. Now we Live if ye stand fast in the Lord. § 40. 21. Thou art more treacherous to Christ than thou wouldst be to a common friend Wouldst thou forsake thy friend without a cause especially an old and tryed friend And especially when in forsaking him thou dost forsake thy self Prov. 27. 10. Thy own friend and thy fathers friend forsake not Prâ—v 17. 17. A friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity If thy friend were in distress wouldst thou forsake him And wilt thou forsake thy God that needs thee not but supplyeth thy needs Ruth was more faithful to Naomi Ruth 1. 16 17. that resolved Whither thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge where thou dyest I will dye And hath God deserved worse of thee § 41. 22. Nay thou dealest worse with God than the Devils servants do with him Alas they are too constant to him Reason will not change them nor the Commands of God nor the offers of everlasting life nor the fears of Hell nothing will change them till the spirit of God do it And wilt thou be less constant to thy God § 42. 23. Consider also that thy end is so near that thou hadst but a little while longer to have held out And thou mightest have known that thou couldst keep thy worldly pleasures but a little while And it is a pitiful thing to see a man that hath born the forest brunt of the battle and run till he is almost at the end of the race to lose all for want of a
when the next sickness cometh to remember that they were unthankful for their last recovery and how falsly they dealt with God in the breaking of their promises Foresee this that you may prevent it Tit. 3. Directions for a Comfortable or Peaceable Death COmfort is not desirable only as it Pleaseth us but also as it strengtheneth us and helpeth us in our greatest duties And when is it more needful than in sickness and the approach of death I shall therefore add such Directions as are necessary to make our departure comfortable or peaceful at the least as well as safe Direct 1. Because I would make this Treatise no longer than I needs must in order to overcome Direct 1. the fears of Death and get a chearful willingness to dye I desire the sick to read over those twenty Considerations and the following Directions which I have laid down in my Book of Self-denyal And when the fears of death are overcome the great impediment of their comfort is removed § 2. Direct 2. Misunderstand not sickness as if it were a greater evil than it is but observe how Direct 2. great a mercy it is that Death hath so suitable a harbinger or fore-runner That God should do so much before he taketh us hence to wean us from the world and make us willing to be gone that the unwilling flesh hath the help of pain and that the senses and appetite languish and decay which did draw the mind to earthly things and that we have so lowd a call and so great a help to true Mr. Vinâ—s Mr. Capell Mr. Holli gâ—orth Mr Aâ—hhâ—ost Mr A bâ—osâ— M 〈…〉 Bâ—raell c. repentance and serious preparation I know to those that have walked very close with God and are alwayes ready a sudden death may be a mercy as we have lately known divers holy Ministers and others that have dyed either after a Sacrament or in the Evening of the Lords Day or in the midst of some holy exercise with so little pain that none about them perecived when they dyed But ordinarily it is a mercy to have the flesh brought down and weakned by painful sickness to help to conquer our natural unwillingness to dye § 3. Direct 3. Remember whose Messenger sickness is and who it is that calleth you to dye It is Direct 3. he that is the Lord of all the world and gave us the Lives which he taketh from us And it is he that must dispose of Angels and Men of Princes and Kingdoms of Heaven and Earth and therefore there is no reason that such Worms as we should desire to be excepted You cannot deny him to be the Disposer of all things without denying him to be God It is he that Loveth us and never meant us harm in any thing that he hath done to us that gave the life of his Son to Redeem us and therefore thinketh not Life too good for us Our sickness and death are sent by the same Love that sent us a Saviour and sent us the powerful Preachers of his Word and sent us his Spirit and secretly and sweetly changed our hearts and knit them to himself in Love which gave us a life of pretious mercies for our souls and bodies and hath promised to give us life eternal And shall we think that he now intendeth us any harm Cannot he turn this also to our good as he hath done many an affliction which we have repined at § 4. Direct 4. Look by faith to your dying buryed risen ascended glorified Lord. Nothing will Direct 4. more powerfully overcome both the poyson and the fears of Death than the believing thoughts of him that hath triumphed over it Is it terrible as it separateth the soul from the body So it did by our Lord who yet overcame it Is it terrible as it layeth the body in the grave So it did by our Saviour though he saw not corruption but quickly rose by the power of his Godhead He dyed to teach us believingly and boldly to submit to death He was buried to teach us not overmuch to fear a grave He rose again to conquer death for us and to assure those that rise to newness of life that they shall be raised at last by his power unto glory and being made partakers of the first resurrection the second death shall have no power over them He liveth as our Head that we might live by him and that he might assure all those that are here risen with him and seek first the things that are above that though in themselves they are dead yet their life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Col. 3. 1 2 4 5. What a comfortable word is that John 14. 19. Because I live ye shall live also Death could not hold the Lord of life Nor can it hold us against his will who hath the keyes of death and Hell Rev. 1. 18. He loveth every one of his sanctified ones much better than you love an eye or a hand or any other member of your body which you will not lose if you are able to save it When he ascended he left us that message full of comfort for his followers John 20. 17. Go to my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father to my God and your God which with these two following I would have written before me on my sick-bed John 12. 26. If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there also shall my servant be And Luke 23. 43. Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise O what a joyful thought should it be to a Believer to think when he is dying that he is going to his Saviour and that our Lord is risen and gone before us to prepare a place for us and take us in season to himself Iohn 14. 2 3 4. As you believe in God believe thus in Christ and then your hearts will be less troubled Ver. 1. It is not a stranger that we talk of to you but your Head and Saviour that loveth you better than you love your selves whose office it is there to appear continually for you before God and at last to receive your departing souls and into his hand it is that you must then commend them as Stephen did Acts 7. 59. § 5. Direct 5. Choose out some Promises most suitable to your condition and roll them over and over Direct 5. in your mind and feed and live on them by faith A sick man is not usually fit to think of very many things and therefore two or three comfortable promises to be still before his eyes may be the most profitable matter of his thoughts such as those three which I named before If he be most troubled with the greatness of his sin let it be such as these Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world
and endeavours do contain the seed of life eternal and are such a preparation for it as cannot be in vain Would God concurr thus with any word which is not true and holy and good to make it effectual for the renovation of so many millions of souls Have you not found that his work of Grace is earryed on by heavenly Wisdom Love and Power and is a witness of his special providence and containeth his own Image upon the soul And shall we then question the Author of the seal when we see that the Image and superscription which it imprinteth is Divine And have you not had such experiences your 5. self of the fulfilling of this word in the answer of prayers manifest both on mens souls and bodies which are enough to confute the Tempter that would shake your faith when he seeth you in your weakness unfit to call up all those Evidences which at another time you have discerned For my own part I must bear this witness to the truth that I have known and felt and seen and heard such wonders wrought upon servent prayer as have many a time convinced me of the truth of the promises and the special providence of God to his poor petitioners I have oft known the Acute and Chronical Diseases of afflicted ones relieved by prayer without any natural means Some of the most violent cured in an hour and some by more slow degrees Besides the effects upon mens souls and estates and publick affairs which plainly demonstrated the means and cause And shall a promise thus sealed to us be ever questioned again Nay have you not the Witness in your self 6. 1 John 5. 10 11 12. Even the Spirit of Christ which is the pledge and earnest of your inheritance and the seal and mark of God upon you In a word it is an unquestionable truth that the rational 7. world neither is nor ever was nor can be governed agreeably to its nature without an End to move and rule them which is beyond this life and without the Hopes and fears of a Reward and Punishment hereafter Were this but taken out of the world man would no longer live like man but as the most odious noxious creature upon earth And it is as sure that it agreeth not with the Omnipotence Wisdom and Goodness of God to Govern so noble a Creature by a lye and to make a Nature that must be so governed And it is as certain that all other Revelation is defective and that Life and Immortality the end and the way were never so brought to light as they are in the Gospel by 2 Tim. 1. 10. Christ and by his Spirit Say then to the malitious Tempter The Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke theâ— Zech. 3. 2. O full of all subtilty and mischief thou enemy of God and righteousness Wilt thou not cease to be a lying Spirit and to pervert the truth and right wayes of the Lord Act 13. 10. Lift up your soul to God and say I believe Lord help mine unbelief Though Satan stand to resist me at my right hand am I not a brand pluckt out of the fire Am I not thine and have I not resigned this soul to thee and didst thou not accept it in thy holy Covenant O then defend it as thine own Plead thou my Cause and confirm thy work and justifie both thy truth and me against the malitious enemy of both O let the intercession of my Saviour prevail that my faith fail not And take away the filthy garments from me Zech. 3. 3 4. and cause mine iniquities to pass away And though my soul be troubled what shall I say Father save me from this hour But then what passage shall I have into thy presence I was born a mortal wight John 12. 23 27 28. John 17. 1. and go but the way as all Generations have gone before me and follow my Lord and all his Saints Father receive and glorifie thy servant that thy servant may glorifie thy name for ever Receive O Father the soul which thou hast made Receive O Saviour the soul which thou hast so dearly bought and loved to the death Acts 7. 59. and washed in thy blood Receive the soul which thou hast regenerated by thy Spirit and in some measure quickned Psal. 39. 5 7 8 11. Psal. 32. 1 2 3. Rom. 4. 7 8. 24. Psal. 25. 7. Psal. 19. 12 13. 1 Pet. 2. 22. Matth. 3. 15. Heb. 9. 26. Isa. 53. 10. 3 4 6 7 8 9. Matth. 3 17. 17. 5. 12. 18. Rom. 5. 1 2 3 5 10. Ephes. 2. 14. Heb. 10. 10 12 14 18. Heb 7. 26 2â— Ephes. 1. 6 7 11 13. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Phil. 3. 9 10 11. Eph. 5. 26 27. Psal. 139. 16 17 18. Psal. 16. 6 7. Psal. 6â— 9. Psal. 46. 4. Psal. 42. 3 4. Psal. 89. 15. Psal. 36. 8. John 4. 10 13 14. Psal. 42. 4. Psal. 107. 6. 13. Psal. 107. 17 14. by the immortal seed Behold thou hast made my dayes as an hand breadth my age before thee is as nothing and every man at his best estate is vanity When thy rebukes correct us for iniquity thou makest our beauty to câ—nsume as a nâ—oth And now O Lord what wait I for Is not my hope alone in thee Deliver me from my transgressions and impute not to me the sins which I have done Remember not against me the sins of my youth and forgive the iniquities of my riper years Charge not upon me my grieving of thy Spirit and neglects and resistances of thy grace Forgive my sins of ignorance and of knowledge my sins of slâ—thfulness rashness and presumption especially those which I have wilfully committed against thy warnings and the warnings of my Conscience Who can understand his errors Cleanse thou me from secret sins O pardon my unprofitableness and abuse of thy mercies and my sluggish loss of pretious time that I have served thee no better and loved thee no more and improved no better the day of grace Though folâ—y and sin have darknâ—d my light and blemished my most holy services and my transgressions have been multiplyed in thy sight yet is the Sacrifice sufficient which thou hast accepted from our great High Priest who made his soul an offering for sin In him thou art well pleased He is our peace In him I trust He was holy harmless undefiled and separate from sinners He did no iniquity He fulfilled all Righteousness and by once offering of himself he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified He is able to save to the utmost them that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Accept me O Father in him thy well beloved Let my sinful soul be healed by his stripes who bare our sins in his body on the Cross. Let me be found in him not having any Legal righteousness of my own but that which
among them and defile them 7. It is the duty of the several members of the flock if a Brother trespass against them to tell him his faults between them and him and if he hear not to take two or three and if he hear not them to tell the Church 8. It is the Pastors duty to admonish the unruly and call them to Repentance and pray for their Conversion 9. And it is the Pastors duty to declare the obstinately impenitent uncapable of Communion with the Church â—nd to charge him to forbear it and the Church to avoid him 10. It is the peoples duty to avoid such accordingly and have no familiarity with them that they may be ashamed and with such no not to eat 11. It is the Pastors duty to Absolve the Penitent declaring the remission of their sin and re-admitting to the Communion of the Saints 12. It is the peoples duty to re-admit the absolved to their Communion with joy and to take them as Brethren in the Lord. 13. Though every Pastor hath a General power to exercise his office in any part of the Church where he shall be truly called to it yet every Pastor hath a special obligation and consequently a special power to do it over the flock of which he hath received the special charge and oversight 14. The Lords day is separated by Gods appointment for the Churches ordinary holy Communion in Gods Worship under the conduct of these their Guides 15. And it is requisite that the several particular Churches do maintain as much agreement among themselves as their capacity will allow them and keep due Synods and correspondencies to that end Thus much of Gods Worship and Church-order and Government at least is of Divine institution and determined by Scripture and not left to the will or liberty of man Thus far the Form of Government at least is of Divine Right § 21. But on the contrary 1. About Doctrine and Worship the Scripture is no Law in any of these following cases but hath left them undetermined 1. There are many natural Truths which the Scripture meddleth not with As Physicks Metaphysicks Logick c. 2. Scripture telleth not a Minister what particular Text or Subject he shall Preach on this day or that 3. Nor what method his Text or Subject shall be opened and handled in 4. Nor what day of the week besides the Lords day he shall preach nor what hour on the Lords day he shall begin 5. Nor in what particular place the Church shall meet 6. Nor what particular sins we shall most confess nor what personal mercies we shall at this present time first ask nor for what we shall now most copiously give thanks For special occasions must determine all these 7. Nor what particular Chapter we shall now read nor what particular Psalm we shall now sing 8. Nor what particular translation of the Scripture or version of the Psalms we shall now use Nor into what Sections to distribute the Scripture as we do by Chapters and Verses Nor whether the Bible shall be Printed or Written or in what Characters or how bound 9. Nor just by what sign I shall express my consent to the truths or duties which I am called to express consent to besides the Sacraments and ordinary words 10. Nor whether I shall use written Notes to help my memory in Preaching or Preach without 11. Nor whether I shall use a writing or book in prayer or pray without 12. Nor whether I shall use the same words in preaching and prayer or various new expressions 13. Nor what utensils in holy administrations I shall use as a Temple or an ordinary house a Pulpit a font a Table cups cushions and many such which belong to the several parts of Worship 14. Nor in what particular gesture we shall preach or read or hear 15. Nor what particular garments Ministers or people shall wear in time of Worship 16. Nor what natural or artificial helps to our natural faculties Of which I have spoke more fully in my Disput. 5. of Church-Government p. 400. c. we shall use as medicaments for the Voice tunes musical instruments spectacles hour-glasses These and such like are undetermined in Scripture and are left to be determined by humane prudence not as men please but as means in order to the proper end according to the General Laws of Christ. For Scripture is a General Law for all such circumstances but not a particular Law So also for Order and Government Scripture hath not particularly determined 1. What individual persons shall be the Pastors of the Church 2. Or of just how many persons the Congregations shall consist 3. Or how the Pastors shall divide their work where there are many 4. Nor how many every Church shall have 5. Nor what particular people shall be a Pastors special charge 6. Nor what individual persons he shall Baptize receive to Communion admonish or absolve 7. Nor in what words most of these shall be expressed 8. Nor what number of Pastors shall meet in Synods for the communion and agreement of several Churches noâ— how oft nor at what time or place nor what particular order shall be among them in their consultations with many such like § 22. When you thus understand how far Scripture is a Law to you in the Worship of God it will be the greatest Direction to you to keep you both from disobeying God and your Superiours that you may neither pretend obedience to man for your disobedience to God nor pretend obedience to God against your due obedience to your Governours as those will do that think Scripture is a more particular Rule than ever Christ intended it And it will prevent abundance of unnecessary scruples contentions and divisions § 23. Direct 12. Observe well in Scripture the difference between Christs Universal Laws which Direct 12. bind all his Subjects in all times and places and those that are but local personal or alterable Laws What commands of God are not universal noâ— perpetual lest you think that you are bound to all that ever God bound any others to The Universal Laws and unalterable are those which result from the Foundation of the universal and unalierable nature of persons and things and those which God hath supernaturally revealed as suitable constantly to all The particular local or temporary Laws are those which either resulted from a particular or alterable nature of persons and things as mutually related as the Law of nature bound Adams Sons to marry their Sisters which bindeth others against it or those which God supernaturally enacted only for some particular people or person or for a time If you should mistake all the Iewish Laws for universal Laws as to persons or duration into how many errours would it lead you So also if you mistake every personal mandate sent by a Prophet or Apostle to a particular man as obliging all you would make a snare of it Every man is not to abstain
whole course of your lives As 1. Your first consent must Of Renewing the Covenant oft be habitually continued all your dayes for if that ceaseth your Grace and title to the benefits of Gods Covenant ceaseth 2. This Covenant is virtually renewed in every act of Worship to God For you speak to him as your God in Covenant and offer your selves to him as his Covenanted people 3. This Covenant should be actually renewed frequently in Prayer and Meditation and other such acts of communion with God 4. Especially when after a fall we beg the pardon of our sins and the mercies of the Covenant and on dayes of Humiliation and Thanksgiving and in great distresses or exhilerating mercies 5. And the Lords Supper is an ordinance instituted to this very end It is no small part of our Christian diligence and watchfulness to keep up and renew our Covenant-consent § 22. Direct 7. And as careful must you be to keep or perform your Covenant as to enter it and Direct 7. renew it which is done 1. By continuing our consent 2. By sincere obedience 3. And by perseverance We do not nor dare not promise to obey perfectly nor promise to be as obedient as the higher and better sort of Christians though we Desire both But to obey sincerely we must needs promise because we must needs perform it § 23. Obedience is sincere 1. When the radical consent or subjection of the Heart to God in Christ is Habitually and heartily continued 2. When Gods interest in us is most predominant and his authority and law can do more with us than any fleshly lust or worldly interest or than the authority word or perswasions of any man whosoever 3. When we unfeignedly Desire to be perfect and habitually and ordinarily have a predominant Love to all that is good and a hatred to that which is evil and had rather do our duty than be excused from it and rather be saved from our sin than keep it § 24. Direct 8. While you sincerely consent unto the Covenant live by faith upon the promised Benefits of it believing that God will make Good on his part all that he hath promised Take it for your Title to pardon sonship and eternal life O think what a mercy it is to have God in Covenant with you to be your God your Father Saviour Sanctifier and felicity And in this continually rejoice CHAP. IV. Directions about the Profession of our Religion to others § 1. Direct 1. UNderstand first how great a duty the Profession of true Religion is that you may Direct 1. not think as some foolish people that every man should conceal his Religion N 〈…〉 o jam 〈…〉 Qâ—in nec fa 〈…〉 e suâ religione mentiri Ex eo enim quod aliud à se coli dicit quam colit culturam honorem in alterum transferenâ—o j 〈…〉 iâ— quâ—d â—egavit Dicimus palam dicimus vobis torquentibus lacerati cruenti vociferamur Deum colimus per Christum Tâ—rtul Apolog. c. 11. or keep it to himself Observe therefore these Reasons following which require it § 2. 1. Our Tongues and bodies are made to exercise and shew forth that acknowledgement and adoration of God which is in our hearts And as he denyeth God with the Heart who doth not Believe in him and worship him in his heart so he denyeth God imputatively with his Tongue and life who doth not profess and honour him with his tongue and life and so he is a practical Atheist Isa. 45. 23 24 25. I have sworn by my self the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return that to me every knee shall bow every tongue shall swear surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory So Phil. 2. 9 10 11. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow and that every tongue should confess that Iesus Christ is the Lord to the Glory of God the father Isa. 44 5. One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call him by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the name of Israel § 3. 2. The publick Assemblies and Worship of God are purposely appointed by him that in them we might make open profession of our Religion He that denyeth Profession denyeth the publick faith and worship of the Church and denyeth Baptism and the Lords Supper which are Sacraments appointed for the solemn profession of our faith § 4. 3. Our Profession is needful to our Glorifying God Men see not our Hearts nor know whether we believe in God or not nor what we believe of him till they hear or see it in our profession and actions Pauls life and death was a Profession of Christ that in his boldness Christ might be magnified in his body Phil. 1. 20. Matth. 5. 14 15 16. Ye are the Light of the world A City that is set on an hill cannot be hid Neither do men light a candle to put it under a bushel but on a candlestick and it giveth light to all that are in the house Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven § 5. 4. Our Profession is the means of saving others that which is secret is no means to profit them They must see our good works that they may Glorifie God Phil. 1. 12 13 14. § 6. 5. God hath required our open and bold Profession of him with the strictest commands and upon the greatest penalties 1 Pet. 5. 3. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alway to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear Rom. 10. 9 10. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dâ—ad thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Mark 8. 38. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed 2 Tim. 2. 12. Mat. 10. 32 33. Luk. 9. 26. Direct 2. 1 Cor. 8. 1. 2 Cor. 10. 8. Rom. 15. 2. 1 Tim. 1. 4 Tit. 3. 9. when he câ—meth in the glory of his father with the holy Angels § 7. Direct 2. Next Understand what it is in Religion that you must principally profess It is not every lesser truth much less every opinion of your own in which you are confident that you are wiser than your brethren This is the meaning of Rom. 14 22. Hast thou faith have it to thy self before God By faith
he may not be forced nor constrained with terror but only perswaded to return entirely to the truth A Bishop cannot cure men with such authority as a Shepheard doth his sheep For of all men Christian Bishops may least correct the faults of men by force pag. â—26 but Ministerial And though the Papists make a scorn of the word Minister it is but in that pride and pâ—ssion and malice which maketh them speak against their knowledge For their Pope himself calleth himself the Servant of Gods Servants and Paul saith 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 3. 5. Who then is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed 2 Cor. 3. 6. Who made us able Ministers Matth. 20. 26. Mar. 10. 43. See Psal. 103. 21. 104. 4. Isa. 61. 6. Jer. 33 21. Joel 1 9 13. 2 17. of the New Testament 2 Cor. 6. 4. In all things approving our selves as the Ministers of God Even Magistrates yea and Angels are not too good to be called and used as the Ministers of God for the good of his servants Rom. 13. 3 6. Heb. 1. 7. and to minister for them shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1. 14. Yea Christ himself is so called Rom. 15. 8. And therefore you have no more excuse for your disobedience than for refusing his help that would pull you out of fire or water when you are perishing You see here that your Pastors cannot command you what they list nor a Cor. 11. 23. Acts 26 26 Rom. 15. 16. Ephes. 3. 7. Col. 1. 23 25. 1 Tim. 4. 6. 1 Thess. 3. 2. Col. 1. 7. how they list They have nothing to do with the Magistrates work nor can they usurp the Power of a Master over his Servants nor command you how to do your work and worldly business except in the Morality of it In the fifteen particulars before mentioned their work and office doth consist and in those it is that you owe them a rational obedience § 8. Direct 2. Know your own Pastors in particular and know both what you owe to a Minister as a Minister of Christ in common and what you owe him moreover as your Pastor by special relation and charge When any Minister of Christ delivereth his Word to you he must be heard as a Minister of Christ and Direct 2. not as a Private man But to your own Pastor you are bound in a peculiar relation to an ordinary â—unâ—â—â—â— nes in â—â—câ— sia pâ—rpâ—tuâ—e sunt dâ—ae Presbyterorum Diaâ—ororumn Presbyt râ—s voco cum omni Ecclesia veteri eos qui Ecclesiam pascunt verbi pâ—aedicatione Sacramentis clavibus quae Juâ—e Divinâ— sunt individua Croâ—ius dâ— Imperio pag. 267. c. 10. and regular attendance upon his Ministry in all the particulars before mentioned that concern you Your own Bishop must in a special manner be obeyed 1. As one that laboureth among you and is over you in the Lord and admonisheth you and preacheth to you the Word of God watching for your souls as one that must give account 1 Thess. 5. 12. Bish. Ier. Tailor of Repentance Pâ—ef I aâ—â—ure we caâ—not give account of soâ—ls of which we have no notice Heb. 13. 7. 17. and as one that Ruleth well and especially that laboureth in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5. 17. teaching you publickly and from house to house taking heed to himself and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made him an Overseer not ceasing to warn every one night and day with tears Acts 20. 19 20 24 28 31 33. Preaching Christ and warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that he may present every man perfect in Christ Col. 1. 28. 2. He is to be obeyed as the Guide of the Congregation in the management of Gods publick worship you must seriously and reverently joyn with him every Lords Day at least in the publick Prayers and Praises of the Church and not ordinarily go from him to another 3. You must receive from him or with him the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ which of old was administred every Lords Day and that only in the Church where the Bishop was Iâ—nat Epis. ad Phiâ—ad Viâ— Meads Disâ— of Churches p. 48 49 50. that is in every Church of the faithful for as Ignatius most observably saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 UNUM ALTARE OMNI ECCLESIAE ET UNUS EPISCOPUS CUM PRESBITERIO ET DIACONIS IN EVERY CHURCH there is ONE ALTAR and ONE BISHOP WITH THE PRESBYTERY and DEACONS So in his Epist. ad Magnes Come all as one to the Temple of God as to one Altar as to one Iesus Tertull. de Coroa Miâ—iâ— c. 3. Christ And saith Tertullian Eucharistae Sacramentum nec de aliorum manu quam praesidentium sumimus We take not the Sacrament of the Eucharist from the hand of any but the President 4. You must have recourse to him especially for the resolution of your weighty doubts in It is very observable that Acosta saith l. 6. c. 12. that they found it an old custome among the Indians to confess their sirs to the Priests before the Gospel came thither private 5. You must hear your Bishops and Repent when in Meekness and Love they convince and admonish you against your sins and not resist the Word of God which they powerfully and patiently lay home to your Consciences nor put them with grief to cut you off as impentient in scandalous sins from the Communion of the Church 6. You must after any scandalous sin which hath brought you under the censure of the Church go humble your selves by penitent confession and crave absolution and restoration to the Communion of the Church 7. Your publick Church-alms should ordinarily be deposited into the Bishops hands who relieveth the See more in Dr. Hammond ibid. Orphans and Widows and is the Curator or Guardian to all absolutely that are in want saith Ignatius to Polyâ— cited by Dr. Hammond on 1 Cor. 12. 28. 8. You must send for him in your sickness to pray with you and advise you See Dr. Hammond on Iames 5. 14. And on 1 Cor. 12. 28. he saith Polycarp himself speaking of the Elders or Bishops saith They visit and take care of all that are sick not neglecting the Widows the Orphans or the poor And Dr. Hammond on Iam. 5. 14. sheweth out of Antiquity that One part of the Bishops Office is Vid. Canon Aâ—ost 5. 32. Concil Antâ—och c. â— â—â— Concil Carthag 4. Caâ— 35. set down that they are those that Visit all the sick Not but that a stranger may be made use of also but ordinarily and especially your own Bishop must be sent for Because as you are his special charge and he watcheth for your souls as one that must give account Heb. 13. 17. So it is supposed
them greater Love and Honour than you ow 〈…〉 ny Saints on Earth Eph. 3. 15. The whole â—â—â—â—ly in Heaven and Earth is named of Christ. Those are the happiest and noblest paâ—â—s that are most pure and perfect and dwell in the highest and most glorious habitations nearest unto Christ yea with him If Holiness be lovely the most Holy are the most lovely We have many obligations therefore to Love them more than the Saints on earth They are more excellent and amiable and Christ Loveth them more And if any be Honourable it must especially be those spirits that are of greatest excellencies and perfections and advanced to the greatest Glory and nearness to their Lord. Make Conscience therefore of this as your duty not only to Love and Honour blessed souls but to Love and Honour them more than those that are yet on Earth And as every Duty is attended with Benefiâ— so we shall find this exceeding great benefit in the performance of this duty that iâ— will incline our â—earts to be the more Heavenly and draw up our Desires to the society which we so much Love and Honour § 2. Direct 2. Remember that it is a part of the life of faith to see by it the Heavenly Society of Direct 2. the blessed and a part of your Heavenly Conversation to have frequent serious and delightful thoughts Heb. 11. 1. of thâ—se Crowned souls that are with Christ. Otherwise God would never have given us such descriptions of the Heavenly Ierusalem and told us so much of the Hosts of God that must inhabit it for ever that must come from the East and from the West and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God When it is said that our conversatiâ—n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. the meaning extendeth both to our Relation Priviledges and Converse We are Denizâ—ns or Citizens of the Heavenly Society and our title to their happiness is our highest Priviledge and Honour and therefore our daily business is there and our sweetest and most serious converse is with Christ and all those blessed spirits Whatever we are doing here our Eye and Heart should still be there For we look not at the temporal things which are seen but at the eternal things which are not seen 2 Cor. 4. 18. A wise Christian that hath forsaken the Kingdom of darkness will be desirous to know what the Kingdom of Christ is into which he is translated and who are his fellow Subjects and what are their several ranks and dignities so far as tendeth to his congruous converse with them all And how should it affect us to find that we are come unto Mount Zion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of Iust men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant Heb. 12. 22 23 24. Live then as the members of this society and exclude not the chief members from your thoughts and converse though our local visible communion be only with these rural inferiour inhabitants and not with the Courtiers of the King of Heaven yet our Mental Communion may be much with them If our home and treasure be there with them our Hearts will be there also Mat. 6. 21. § 3. Direct 3. It is the will of God that the Memory of the Saints be honoured on earth when they are Direct 3. dead It is some part of his favour which he hath promised to them Prov. 10. 7. The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Matth. 26. 13. Verily I say unto you wheresoever this Gospel shall be Preached in the whole world there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memorial of her The history of the Scripture recordeth the Lives of the Saints to their perpetual honour And God will have it so also for the sake of his abused servants upon earth that they may see that the slanders of malicious tongues shall not be able to obscure the glory of his Grace and that the lies of the ungodly prevail but for a moment And God will have it so for the sake of the ungodly that they may be ashamed of their malicious enmity and lyes against the godly while they perceive that the departed Saints do leave behind them a surviving testimony of their sanctity and innocency sufficient to confound the venemous calumnies of the Serpents Seed Yea God will have the Names of his eminent servants to be honoured upon earth for the honour of their Head and of his Grace and Gospel so that while malice would cast dishonour upon Christ from the meanness and failings of his servants that are alive the memory of the dead who were once as much despised and slandered shall rise up against them to his honour and their shame And it is very observable how God constraineth the bitter enemies of Holiness to bear this Testimony for the honour of Holiness against themselves that many who are the cruelest persecutors and murderers of the Living Saints do honour the Dead even to excess How zealous are the Papists for the multitude of their Holy dayes Concil Later sub Innoc. 3. can 3. and the honouring of their Names and Relicts and pretending many Miracles to be wrought by a very touch of their Shrines or Bones whilest they revile and muder those that imitate them and deprive Temporal Lords of their Dominions that will not exterminate them Yea while they burn the living Saints they make it part of their crime or Heresie that they honour not the Dayes and Relicts of the Dead so much as they To shew us that the things that have been shall be and that wickedness is the same in all generations Matth. 23. 29 30 31 32 33. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites because ye build the Tâ—mbes of the Prophets and garnish the Sepulchres of the righteous and say If we had been in the dayes of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets wherefore ye be witnesses to your selves that ye are the Children of them which killed the Prophets Filâ— ye up then the measure of your fathers Ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of Hell I know that neither did the Pharisees nor do the Papists believe that those whom they murdered were Saints but Deceivers and Hereticks and the troublers of the World But if Charity be the grace most necessary to salvation then sure it will not keep any man from damnation that he had malice and uncharitableness sufficient to perswade him that the members of Christ were Children of the Devil But thus God will force even the persecutors and haters of his Saints to honour them And
our deliverance from the Powder-plot I know not why it should be thought unlawful to do the like in this case also Provided 1. That it be not terminated in the honour of a Saint but of the God of Saints for giving so great a mercy to his Church 2. That it be not to honour a Saint meerly as a Saint but to some extraordinary eminent Saints Otherwise all that go to Heaven must have Festivals kept in remembrance of them and so we might have a million for a day 3. That it be not made equal with the Lords Day but kept in such a subordination to that Day as the Life or death of Saints is of inferiour and subordinate respect to the work of Christ in mans Redemption 4. And if it be kept in a spiritual manner to invite men to imitate the Holiness of the Saints and the constancy of the Martyrs and not to encourage sensuality and sloth CHAP. XI Directions about our Communion with the Holy Angels § 1. Direct 1. BE satisfied in knowing so much of Angels as God in Nature and Scripture Direct 1. hath revealed but presume not to enquire further much less to determine of unrevealed things That there are Angels and that they are holy Spirits is past dispute But what number they are and of how many worlds and of what orders and different dignities and degrees and when they were created and what locality belongeth to them and how far they excell or differ from the souls of men these and many other such unnecessary questions neither Nature nor Scripture will teach us how infallibly to resolve Almost all the Hereticks in the first ages of the Church did make their doctrines of Angels the first and chief part of their Heresies arrogantly intruding into unrevealed things and boasting of their acquaintance with the orders and inhabitants of the higher worlds These being risen in the Apostles dayes occasioned Paul to say Col. 2. 18. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puft up by his fleshly mind Direct 2. § 2. Direct 2. Understand so much of the Ministry of Angels as God hath revealed and so far take notice of your communion with them but affect not any other sort of communion Angelorum vocabulum nomen est officii non naturae nam sancti illi coelestis patriae spiritus semper sunt spiritus sed semper vocari Angeli non possunt Greâ—or I shall here shew how much of the Ministry of Angels is revealed to us in Scripture § 3. 1. It is part of the appointed work of Angels to be Ministring Spirits for the heirs of salvation Dan. 4. 13. Gen. 32. 1 2. Exod. 32. 2. Dan. 6. 22. Acts 12. 7 11. 1 King 19. 5 â— Heb. 1. 14. Not Ministers or Servants of the godly but Ministers of God for the godly As the Shepherd is not a servant of the sheep but for the sheep It is not an accidental or occasional work which they do extraordinarily but it is their undertaken Office to which they are sent forth And this their Ministry is about the ordinary concernments of our lives and not only about some great or unusual cases or exigents Psal. 34. 6 7. Psal. 91. 11 12. § 4. 2. It is not some but All the Angels that are appointed by God to this Ministration Heb. 1. 1 4. Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth c. Mark here that if you enquire whether God have any higher Spirits that are not imployed in so low an Office but govern these Angels or if you enquire whether only this world be the Angels charge or whether they have many other worlds also of Viators to take care of neither Nature nor Scripture doth give you the determination of any of these questions and therefore you must leave them as unrevealed things with abundance more with which the old Hereticks and the Popish Schoolmen have diverted mens minds from plain and necessary things But that all the Angels minister for us is the express words of Scripture § 5. 3. The work of this Office is not left promiscuously among them but several Angels have their Luke 1. 13. 18. 19 26 28. 2. 10 13 21. Actâ— 10. 7. 22. 12. 8 9. Dan. 3 28. 6. 22. Gen. 24. 40. several works and charge Therefore Scripture telleth us of some sent of one message and some on an other And tells us that the meanest of Christs members on earth have their Angels before God in Heaven Matth. 18. 10. I say unto you that in Heaven their Angels do alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven Whether each true Believer hath one or more Angels and whether one Angel look to more than one Believer are questions which God hath not resolved us of either in Nature or Scripture But that each true Christian hath his Angel is here asserted by our Lord. § 6. 4. In this office of Ministration they are servants of Christ as the Head of the Church and the 1 Peâ— 3. 22. Matth. 26. 53. Mediator between God and man to promote the ends of his superiour office in mans Redemption Mat. 28. 18. All power is given to me in Heaven and Earth John 13. 3. Eph. 1. 20 21 22. And set him at his right hand in the celestials far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the Church Rev. 23. 16. I Iesus have sent Rev. 1. 1. mine Angel to testifie unto you these things in the Churches Whether the Angels were appointed about the service of Adam in innocency or only began their Office with Christ the Mediator as his Ministers is a thing that God hath not revealed But that they serve under Christ for his Church is plain § 7. 5. This care of the Angels for us is exercised throughout our lives for the saving of us from 2 Kings 6. 17. all our dangers and delivering us out of all our troubles Psal. 34. 6 7. This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles the Angel of the Lord encampeth about them that fear him and delivereth them Psal. 91. 11 12. For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes They shall bear thee up in their hand lest thou dash thy foot against a stone In all our wayes that are good and in every step we tread we have the care and Ministry of tutelar Angels They are our ordinary defence and guard § 8. 6. In all this Ministry they perfectly obey the Will of God and do nothing but by his command Dan. 4. 35. Psal. 103. 10. Zech. 1. 8 10.
order to our Absolution and Communion 4. Especially so far as is necessary to subdue our fleshly lusts and tame our bodies and bring them into a due subjection to our faith and to avoid our sin for the time to come And also by 2 Cor. 7. 9 10 11. 1 Cor. 9 27. Col. 1. 5 6. Rom. 13 13 14. the exercise of sober mortification prudently to keep under all our worldly phantasies and love of this present world without unfitting our selves for duty 5. And so far as is needful by such mortification to fit us for fervent prayer especially by fasting on dayes of humiliation and to help us in our meditations of death and judgement and to further our heavenly contemplations and conversation 6. The greatest difficulty is Whether any self-revenge be lawful or due which is answered by Psal. 69. 10. Lev. 16. 29 31. â—3 27 32. Numb 29. 7. 30. 13. Ezra 8. 21. what is said already None such as disableth us for Gods service is lawful But true Repentance is an anger or great displeasure with our selves for sin and a hatred of sin and loathing of our selves for it And to judge condemn and afflict our own souls by a voluntary self-punishing is but that exercise of justice on our selves which is fit for pardoned sinners that are not to be condemned by the Lord and indeed the just exercise of Repentance and displeasure against our selves On which accounts of sober self-revenge we may cherish such degrees of godly sorrow fasting course cloathing as Sackcloth and denying our selves the pleasures of this world as shall not be hurtful but helpful to our duty And if great and heinous sinners have of old on these terms exceeded other men in their austerities and self-afflictings we cannot condemn them of superstition unless we more particularly knew more cause for it But popishly to think that self-afflicting without respect to Isa. 58. 5. such causes or necessities is a meritorious perfection fit for others is superstition indeed And â—o think as many of the Melancholy do that self-murder is a lawful self-revenge is a heinous sin and leadeth to that which is more heinous and dangerous Quest. 101. Is it lawful to observe stated times of fasting imposed by others without extraordinary occasion And particularly Lent Answ. REmember that I here meddle not with the question how far it is lawful for Rulers to 2 Chron. 20 3. Ezâ—a 8. 21. Jonah 3. 5. Zech. 8. 19. Joel 2. 15. Read Dallaeus Treatise de Iejuniis impose such Fasts on others save only to say 1. That it is undoubtedly fit for Kings to do it by Precepts and Churches by Consent in extraordinary cases of defection sin or judgements 2. That it is undoubtedly sinful usurpation for either Pope or any pretended Ecclesiastical Universal Rulers to impose such on the Universal Church Because there are no Universal Rulers Or for a neighbour Bishop by usurpation to impose it on a neighbour Church 3. And that it is sinful in all or many Churches to make by their Agreements such things to be necessary to their Union or Communion with their neighbour Churches so that they will take all those for Schismaticks that differ from them in such indifferent things But as to the Using of such fasts omitting the imposing I say I. 1. Thâ—â— so great and extraordinary a duty as holy fasting must not be turned into a meer Isa. 58. 3 5 6 7 8. formality oâ— ceremony 2. No particular man must be so observant of a publick commanded anniversary fast as for it to neglect any duty commanded him by God which is inconsistent with it As to rejoyce or keep a day of Thanksgiving in Lent upon an extraordinary obliging cause To keep the Lords day in Lent as a day of Thanksgiving and Rejoycing To preserve our own health c. It is not lawful in obedience to man to fast so much or use such dyet as is like to destroy our lives or health These being not so far put into the power of man Nor can man dispence with us as to the duty of self-preservation If God himself require us not to offer him our lives and health needlesly as an acceptable Sacrifice nor ever maketh self-destruction our duty no nor any thing that is not for mans own good then we are not to believe without very clear proof that either Prince or Prelates have more power than ever God doth use himself 3. Such an Anniversary fast as is meet for the remembrance of some sin or judgement if commanded is to be kept both for the Reason of it and for the Authority of the Commander For 1. It is not unlawful as Anniversary For 1. It is not forbidden and 2. There may be just occasion Some arbitrarily keep an anniversary fast on the day of their Nativity as I have long done and some on the day that they fell into some great sin and some on the day of the death of a friend or of some personal domestick or National Calamity and none of this is forbidden 2. And that which is not unlawful in it self is not therefore unlawful to be done because it is commanded seeing obedience to superiours is our duty and not our sin unless in sinful things 4. Whether it be lawful or meet to commemorate Christs sufferings by anniversary fasts is next to be considered II. As for Lent in particular We must distinguish 1. Between the antient Lent and the later Lent 2. Between keeping it on a Civil account and on a Religious 3. Between true fasting and change of dyet 4. Between the Imitation of Christs fourty dayes fasting and the meer Commemoration of it Which premised I conclude 1. The keeping a true Fast or Abstinence from food for fourty dayes on what account soever being impossible or self-murder is not to be attempted 2. The Imitation of Christ in his fourty dayes fasting is not to be attempted or pretended to Because his miraculous works were not done for our imitation And it is presumption for us to pretend to such a power as is necessary to Miracles or yet to make any Essayes at such an imitation any more than at the raising of the dead 3. The pretending of a fast when men do but change their dyet Flesh for Fish Fruit Sweet-meats c. is but hypocritical and ridiculous Most poor labourers and temperate Ministers do live all the year on a more flesh-denying dyet and in greater abstinence than many Papists do in Lent or on their fasting dayes And what a ridiculous dispute is it to hear e. g. a Calvin that never eateth but one small meal a day for many years to plead against the keeping of the Popish fasts and their Clergy call him voracious and carnal and an Epicure and plead for fasting as holy mortification who eat as many meals and as much meat on a Lent day or fasting day as Calvin did in three feasting dayes and drink as much Wine in
a Lent as he in twenty years Sure I am I know many such on both sides Some that eat but a small meal a day and never drink Wine at all and others that drink Wine daily and eat of many dishes at a meal and that to the full and of the sweetest as Fish Fruits c. yet rail at the former for not fasting as they do So delusory are the outward appearances and so â—alse the pretensions of the carnal sort 4. The antient Lent consisted first of one day Good-fryday alone and after that of three dayes and then of six and at last it came up to fourty Of which read Dallaeus ubi supra at large 5. None can question the lawfulness of an obedient keeping of such a Civil Lent fast as our Statutes command for the vending of Fish and for the breed of Cattle so be it no bodily necessity oâ— greater duty be against it 6. It is not unlawful for those that cannot totally fast yet to use more abstinence and a more mortifying sort of dyet than ordinary for the exercises of repentance and mortification in due time 7. If Authority shall appoint such a mortifying abstemious course upon lawful or tolerable grounds and ends I will obey them if they peremptorily require it when my health or some greater duty forbiddeth it not 8. As for the Commanding such an Abstinence as in Lent not in Imitation but bare Commemoration of Christs forty dayes fast I would not command it if it were in my power But being peremptorily commanded I cannot prove it unlawful to obey with the fore-mentioned exceptions 9. It was antiently held a crime to fast on the Lords dayes even in Lent And I take that day to be separated by Christ and the Holy Ghost for a Church Festival or day of Thanksgiving Therefore I will not keep it as a fast though I were commanded unless in such an extraordinary necessity as aforesaid OF Pilgrimages Saints Relicts and Shrines Temples of their Miracles of Pray 〈…〉 to Angels to Saints for the Dead of Purgatory of the Popes Pardons Indulgences Dispensations of the Power of true Pastors to forgive sins with a multitude of such cases which are commonly handled in our Controversal Writers against the Papists I must thither refer the Reader for a Solution because the handling of all such particular Cases would swell my Book to a magnitude beyond my intention and make this part unfuitable to the rest Quest. 102. May we continue in a Church where some one Ordinance of Christ is wanting as Discipline Prayer Preaching or Sacraments though we have all the rest Answ. DIstinguish 1. Of Ordinances 2. Of a stated want and a temporary want 3. Of one that may have better and one that cannot 1. Teaching Prayer and Praise are Ordinances of such necessity that Church Assemblies have not their proper use without them 2. The Lords Supper is of a secondary need and must be used when 〈…〉 but a Church-Assembly may attain its ends sometimes without it in a good degree 3. Discipline is implicitly exercised when none but the Baptized are Communicants and when professed Christians voluntarily assemble and the preaching of the Word doth distinguish the precious from the vile Much more when notorious scandalous sinners are by the Laws kept from the Sacrament As our Rubrick and Canons do require 4. But for the fuller explicite and exacter exercise of discipline it is very desirable for the well being of the Churches but it is but a stronger fence or hedge and preservative of Sacred Order And both the being of a Church and the profitable use of holy assemblies may subsist without it As in Helvetia and other Countreys it is found I conclude then 1. That he that consideratis considerandis is a free man should choose that place Acts 28. ult 11. 26. 20. 7 20 c. 1 Cor. 14. Acts 2. 42. 1 Tim. 4. 13 14 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. 2 Tim. 3. 16. Heb. 10. 25 26 Col 4. 16. Acts 13 27. 15 2â— â— Theâ—s 5 27. 1 Cor. 5. 3 4 c. where he hath the fullest opportunities of worshipping God and edifying his soul. 2. He is not to be accounted a free-man that cannot remove without a greater hurt than the good either to the Church or Countrey or to his family his neighbours or himself 3. Without Teaching Prayer and Divine Praises we are not to reckon that we have proper Church-Assemblies and Communion 4. We must do all that is in our power to procure the right use of Sacraments and Discipline 5. When we cannot procure it it is lawful and a duty to joyn in those Assemblies that are without it and rather to enjoy the rest than none Few Churches have the Lords Supper above once a moneth which in the Primitive Church was used every Lords day and ofter And yet they meet on other dayes 6. It is possible that Preaching Prayer and Praise may be so excellently performed in some Churches that want both Discipline and the Lords Supper and all so coldly and ignorantly managed in another Church that hath all the Ordinances that mens souls may much more flourish and prosper under the former than the later 7. If forbearing or wanting some Ordinances for a time be but in order to a probable procurement Matth. 26. 31. Acts 8. 1. of them we may the better forbear 8. The time is not to be judged of only by the length but by the probability of success For sometime Gods Providence and the disturbances of the times or the craft of men in power may keep men so long in the dark that a long expectation or waiting may become our duty Quest. 103. Must the Pastors remove from one Church to another when ever the Magistrate commandeth us though the Bishops contradict it and the Church consent not to dismiss us And so of other Cases of disagreement Answ. 1. AS in mans soul the Intellectual Guidance the Will and the executive power do concur so in Church Cases of this nature the Potestative Government of the Magistrate the Directive Guidance of the senior Pastors and the Attractive Love of the people who are the chief inferiour final Cause should all concur And when they do not it is confusion And when Gods order is broken which commandeth their concurrence it is hard to know what to do in such a division which God alloweth not As it is to know whether I should take part with the Heart against the Head or with the Head against the Stomach and Liver on supposition of cross inclinations or interests when as Nature supposeth either a concord of inclination and interests or else the ruine sickness or death of the person And the Cure must be by reconciling them rather than by knowing which to side with against the rest But seeing we must suppose such diseases frequently to happen they that cannot cure them must know how to behave themselves and to do their own duty For my
paribus by an unnecessary thing to occasion divisions in the Churches But where one part judgeth Church Musick unlawful for another part to use it would occasion divisions in the Churches and drive away the other part Therefore I would wish Church-musick to be no where set up but where the Congregation can accord in the use of it or at least where they will not divide thereupon 2. And I think it unlawful to use such streins of Musick as are Light or as the Congregation cannot easily be brought to understand Much more on purpose to commit the whole work of singing to the Choristers and exclude the Congregation I am not willing to joyn in such a Church where I shall be shut out of this noble work of praise 3. But plain intelligible Church-musick which occasioneth not divisions but the Church agreeth in for my part I never doubted to be lawful For 1. God set it up long after Moses Ceremonial Law by David Solomon c. 2. It is not an instituted Ceremony meerly but a natural help to the minds alacrity And it is a 1 Sam. 18. 6. 1 Chron. 15. 16. 2 Chron. 5. 13. 7. 6. 23. 13. 34. 22. Psal. 98. 99. 149. 150. duty and not a sin to use the helps of nature and Lawful art though to institute Sacraments c. of our own As it is lawful to use the comfortable helps of spectacles in reading the Bible so is it of Musick to exhilerate the soul towards God 3. Jesus Christ joyned with the Jews that used it and never spake a word against it 4. No Scripture forbiddeth it therefore it is not unlawful 5. Nothing can be against it that I know of but what is said against Tunes and Melody of Voice For whereas they say that it is a humane invention so are our Tunes and Metre and Versions Yea it is not a humane invention As the last Psalm and many other shew which call us to praise the Lord with instruments of musick And whereas it is said to be a carnal kind of pleasure they may say as much of a Melodious harmonious confort of Voices which is more excellent Musick than any Instruments And whereas some say that they find it do them harm so others say of melodious singing But as wise men say they find it do them good And why should the experience of some prejudiced self-conceited person or of a half-man that knoweth not what melody is be set against the experience of all others and deprive them of all such helps and mercies as these people say they find no benefit by And as some deride Church-musick by many scornful names so others do by singing as some Congregations neer me testifie who these many years have forsaken it and will not endure it but their Pastor is fain to unite them by the constant and total omission of singing Psalms It is a great wrong that some do to ignorant Christians by putting such whimseyes and scruples into their heads which as soon as they enter turn that to a scorn and snare and trouble which might be a real help and comfort to them as well as it is to others Quest. 128. Is the Lords day a Sabbath and so to be called and kept and that of Divine institution And is the seventh day Sabbath abrogated c. Answ. ALL the Cases about the Lords day except those practical directions for keeping it in the Oeconomical part of this Book I have put into a peculiar Treatise on that subject by it self and therefore shall here pass them over referring the Reader to them in that discourse Quest. 129. Is it Lawful to appoint humane Holy dayes and observe them Answ. THis also I have spoke to in the foresaid Treatise and in my Disput. of Church-Govern and Cer. Briefly 1. It is not lawful to appoint another weekly sabbath or day wholly separated to the Commemoration of our redemption For that is to mend pretendedly the institutions of God Yea and to contradict him who hath judged one day only in seven to be the fittest weekly proportion 2. As part of some dayes may be weekly used in holy assemblies so may whole days on just extraordinary occasions of prayer preaching humiliation and thanksgiving 3. The holy doctrine lives and sufferings of the Martyrâ— and other holy men hath been so great a mercy to the Church that for any thing I know it is lawful to keep anniversary Thanksgivings in remembrance of them and to encourage the weak and prâ—voke them to constancy and imitation 4. But to dedicate dayes or Temples to them in any higher sence as the Heathens and Idolaters did to their Hero's is unlawful or any way to intimate an attribution of Divinity to them by word or Worship 5. And they that live among such Idolaters must take heed of giving them scandalous encouragement 6. And they that scrupulously fear such sin more than there is cause should not be forced to sin against their Consciences 7. But yet no Christians should causelesly refuse that which is lawful nor to joyn with the Churches in holy exercises on the dayes of thankful commemoration of the Apostles and Martyrs and excellent instruments in the Church Much less peâ—ulantly to work and set open Shops to the offence of others But rather to perswade all to imitate the holy lives of those Saints to whom they give such honours Quest. 130. How far is the holy Scriptures a Law and perfect Rule to us Answ. 1. FOr all thoughts words affections and actions of Divine faith and obedience supposing still Gods Law of Nature For it is no Believing God to believe what he never revealed nor no Trusting God to trust that he will certainly give us that which he never either directly nor indirectly promised Nor no obeying God to do that which he never commanded 2. The Contents will best shew the Extent Whatever is Revealed promised and commanded in it for that it is a perfect Rule For certainly it is perfect in its kind and to its proper use 3. It is a perfect Rule for all that is of Universal Moral necessity That is Whatever it is necessary that 1 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 20. 2 Tim. â— 15. Rom. 15. 4. 16. 26. Joh. â— 3â— Act. 1â— 2. 11. Joh. 19. 24 28 36 37. man believe think or do in all ages and places of the World this is of Divine obligation Whatever the World is Universally bound to that is All men in it it is certain that Gods Law in Nature or Scripture or both bindeth them to it For the World hath no Universal King or Lawgiver but God 4. Gods own Laws in Nature and Scripture are a perfect Rule for all the duties of the understanding thoughts affections passions immediately to be exercised on God himself For no one else is a discerner or judge of such matters 5. It perfectly containeth all the Essential and Integral parts of the Christian Religion so
serious Direct 5. words about their souls and the life to come in such a plain familiar manner as tendeth most to the awakening of their Consciences and making them perceive how greatly what you say concerneth them A little such familiar serious discourse in an interlocutory way may go to their hearts and never be forgotten when meer forms alone are lifeless and unprofitable Abundance of good might be done on Children if Parents and Schoolmasters did well perform their parts in this § 6. Direct 6. Take strict account of their spending the Lords day How they hear and what they Direct 6. remember and how they spend the rest of the day For the right spending of that day is of great importance to their souls And a custome of play and idleness on that day doth usually debauch them and prepare them for much worse Though they are from under your eye on the Lords day yet if on Munday they be called to account it will leave an awe upon them in your absence § 7. Direct 7. Pray with them and for them If God give not the increase by the dews of Heaven Direct 7. and shine not on your labours your planting and watering will be all in vain Therefore prayer is as suitable a means as Teaching to do them good and they must go together He that hath a heart to pray earnestly for his Scholars shall certainly have himself most comfort in his labours and it is likely that he shall do most good to them § 8. Direct 8. Watch over them by one another when they are behind your backs at their sports or Direct 8. converse with each other For it is abundance of wickedness that Children use to learn and practise which never cometh to their Masters ears especially in some great and publick Schools They that came thither to learn sobriety and piety of their Masters do oftentimes learn profaneness and ribaldry and cursing and swearing and scorning deriding and reviling one another of their ungracious School-fellows And those lessons are so easily learnt that there are few Children but are infected with some such debauchery though their Parents and Masters watch against it and perhaps it never cometh to their knowledge So also for gameing and robbing Orchards and fighting with one another and reading Play-books and Romances and lying and abundance other vices which must be carefully watcht against § 9. Direct 9. Correct them more sharply for sins against God than for their dulness and failing at their Direct 9. books Though negligence in their learning is not to be indulged yet smart should teach them especially to take heed of sinning that they may understand that sin is the greatest evil § 10. Direct 10. Especially curb or cashier the leaders of impiety and rebellion who corrupt the rest Direct 10. There are few great Schools but have some that are notoriously debauched that glory in their wickedness that in filthy talking and fighting and cursing and reviling words are the infecters of the rest And usually they are some of the bigger sort that are the greatest fighters and master the rest and by domineering over them and abusing them force them both to follow them in their sin and to conceal it The correcting of such or expelling them if incorrigible is of great necessity to preserve the rest For if they are suffered the rest will be secretly infected and undone before the Master is aware This causeth many that have a care of their Childrens souls to be very fearful of sending them to great and publick Schools and rather choose private Schools that are freer from that danger It being almost of as great concernment to Children what their companions be as what their Master is CHAP. VII Directions for Souldiers about their duty in point of Conscience THough it is likely that few Souldiers will read what I shall write for them yet for the sake of those few that will I will do as Iohn Baptist did and give them some few necessary Directions and not omit them as some do as if they were a hopeless sort of men § 1. Direct 1. Be careful to make your peace with God and live in a continual readiness to dye Direct 1. This being the great duty of every rational man you cannot deny it to be especially yours whose calling setteth you so frequently in the face of death Though some Garrison Souldiers are so seldom if ever put to fight that they live more securely than most other men yet a Souldier as such being by his place engaged to fight I must fit my Directions to the ordinary condition and expectation of men in that employment It is a most irrational and worse than beastly negligence for any man to live carelesly in an unpreparedness for death considering how certain it is and how uncertain the time and how unconceivably great is the change which it inferreth But for a Souldier to be unready to dye who hath such special reason to expect it and who listeth himself into a state which is so near it this is to live and fight like beasts and to be Souldiers before you understand what it is to be a Christian or a Man First therefore make sure that your souls are regenerate and reconciled unto God by Christ and that when you dye you have a part in Heaven and that you are not yet in the state of sin and nature An unrenewed unsanctified soul is sure to go to Hell by what death or in what cause soever he dyeth If such a man be a Souldier he must be a coward or a mad man If he will run upon death when he knoweth not whither it will send him yea when Hell is certainly the next step he is worse than mad But if he know and consider the terribleness of such a change it must needs make him tremble when he thinks of dying He can be no good Souldier that dare not dye And who can expect that he should dare to dye who must be damned when he dyeth Reason may command a man to venture upon death but no reason will allow him to venture upon Hell I never knew but two sorts of valiant Souldiers The one was Boyes and bruitish ignorant sots who had no sense of the concernments of their souls and the other who only were truly valiant were those that had made such preparations for Eternity as at least perswaded them that it should go well with them when they dyed And many a debauched Souldier I have known whose Conscience hath made them Cowards and shift or run away when they should venture upon death because they knew they were unready to dye and were more afraid of Hell than of the Enemy He that is fit to be a Martyr is the fittest man to be a Souldier He that is regenerate and hath laid up his treasure and his hopes in Heaven and so hath overcome the fears of death may be bold as a Lyon and ready for
spirit of God hath taught them to perform or would force men from that which the spirit of Christ is sent to draw them to this is to raise War against that spirit into whose name you were your selves baptized § 11. 4. Persecution endeavoureth the damnation of mens souls either by depriving them of the Preaching of the Gospel which should save them or by forcing them upon that sin for which God will condemn them Yea the banishing or silencing of one faithful Preacher may conduce to the damnation of many hundreds If it be said that others who are set up in their stead may save mens souls as well as they I answer 1. God seldome if ever did qualifie supernumeraries for the work of the Ministry Many a Nation hath had too few but I never read of any Nation that had too many who were well qualified for that great and difficult work no not from the dayes of Christ till now so that if they are all fit men there are none of them to be spared but all are too few if they conjoyn their greatest skill and diligence Christ biddeth us pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth more labourers into his Harvest but never biddeth us pray to send out fewer or to call any in that were but tolerably fitted for the work 2. Many persecutors banish all Preachers of the Gospel and set up no other to do the service which they were called to And it is rarely seen that any who can find in their hearts to cast out any faithful Ministers of Christ have hearts to set up better or any that are competent in their stead But it is ordinarily seen that when the judgement is so far depraved as to approve of the casting out of worthy men it is also so far depraved as to think an ignorant unskilful heartless or scandalous sort of Ministers to be as fit to save men souls as they And how many poor Congregations in the Eastern and the Western Churches nay how many thousand have ignorant ungodly sensual Pastors who are such unsavoury Salt as to be unfit for the Land or for the Dunghill Whilest men are extinguishing the clearest lights or thrusting them into obscurity Matth. 5. 13 14 15. Luk. 14. 35. 3. And there may be something of suitableness between a Pastor and the flock which may give him advantage to be more profitable to their souls than another man of equal parts 4. And though God can work by the weakest means yet ordinarily we see that his work upon mens souls is so far Moral as that he usually prospereth men according to the fitness of their labours to the work and some men have far more success than others He that should expell a dozen or twenty of the ablest Physicions out of London and say theâ—e are enough left in their steads who may save mens lives as well as they might notwithstanding that assertion be found guilty of the blood of no small numbers And as men have sometime an averseness to one sort of food as good as any to another man and as this distemper is not laudable and yet he that would force them to eat nothing else but that which they so abhor were liker to kill them than to cure them so is it with the souls of many And there are few who have any spiritual discerning and relish but have some special sense of what is helpful or hurtful to their souls in Sermons Books and Conference which a stander by is not so fit a judge of as themselves So that it is clear that persecution driveth men towards their damnation And O how sad a case it is to have the damnation of one soul to answer for which is worse than the murdering of many bodies Much more to be guilty of the perdition of a multitude § 12. 5. Persecution is unjustice and oppression of the innocent And what a multitude of terrible threatnings against this sin are found throughout the holy Scriptures Doth a man deserve to be cruelly used for being faithful to his God and for preferring him before man and for being afraid to sin against him or for doing that which God commandeth him and that upon pain of greater sufferings than man can inflict upon him Is it not his Saviour that hath said Fear not them that can kill the body and after that have no more that they can do but fear him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say unto you fear him Though Christianity was once called a Sect which every where was spoken against Act. 28. 22. and Paul was accused as a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition among the people Act. 24. 5. and Christ was Crucified as a Usurper of the Crown yet innocency shall be innocency still in spight of malice and lying accusations because God will be the final Judge and will bring all secret things to light and will justifie those whom injustice hath condemned and will not call them as slandering tongues have called them Yea the Consciences of the persecuters are often forced to say as they did of Daniel Dan. 6. 5. We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the Law of his God And therefore the net which they were fain to lay for him was a Law against his Religion or prayers to God For a Law against Treason sedition swearing drunkenness fornication c. would have done them no service And yet they would fain have aspersed him there verse 4. Jer. 22. 13. Woe to hiâ— that buildeth his house by unrighteousness c. Isa. 33. 1. Woe to thee that spoilest and thou wast not spoiled Isa. 5. 20. Woe to them that call evil good and good evil Jer. 2. 34. In thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents Prov. 6. 16 17. Hands that shed innocent blood the Lord doth hate c. § 13. 6. Persecution maketh men likest unto Devils and maketh them his most notable servants in Daemones ex hominibus fieri quidam opinatâ— sunt perpetua criminum licentia c. Quod ut forte tolerabiliter dictum sit malarum voluntatum similitudo efficit qua homo malus atque in malis obstinatus pene daemonem aequat Petrarch de injusto Domin the world Many wicked men may neglect that duty which they are convinced they should do But to hate it and malice men that do it and seek their ruine this if any thing is a work more beseeming a Devil than a man These are the Commanders in the Armies of the Devil against the Cause and Kingdom of the Lord Iohn 8. 42. 44. and accordingly shall they speed § 14. 7. Persecution is an inhumane disingenuous sin and sheweth an extinction of the light of Nature A good natured man if he had no grace at all would abhorr to be cruel and to oppress his brethren and that meeâ—ly because they are true to their
thus oppression destroyeth Religion and the peoples souls as well as their estates § 14. 5. Oppression further endangereth both the souls of men and the publick peace and the safety of Princes by tempting the poor multitude into discontents sedition and insurrections Every man is naturally a lover of himself above others And the poor as well as the rich and Rulers have an interest of their own which ruleth them And they will hardly honour or love or think well of them by whom they suffer It is as natural almost for a man under oppression to be discontented and complain as for a man in a Feavor to complain of sickness heat and thirst No Kingdom on earth is so holy and happy as to have all or most of the subjects such confirmed eminent Saints as will be contented to be undone and will love and honour those that undo them Therefore men must be taken as they are If oppression maketh wise men mad Eccles. 7. 7. much more the multitude who are far from wisdom Misery maketh men desperate when they think that they cannot be much worse than they are How many Kingdoms have been thus fired as wooden wheels will be when one part rubbeth too hard and long upon the other Yea if the Prince be never so good and blameless the cruelty of the Nobles and the rich men of the Land may have the same effects And in these combustions the peace of the Kingdom the lives and souls of the seditious are made a sacrifice to the lusts of the Oppressors § 15. Direct 2. Consider with fear how Oppression turneth the groans and cryes of the poor to the Direct 2. God of revenge against the Oppressors And wo to that man that hath the tears and prayers of oppressed innocents sounding the alarm to vindictive Justice to awake for their relief And shall not God avenge his own elect which cry day and night to him though he bear long with them I tell you that he will avenge them speedily Luke 18. 7 8. The Lord will be a refuge to the oppressed Psal. 9. 9. To judge the fatherless and the oppressed that the man of the earth may no more oppress Psal. 10. 18. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed Psal. 103. 6. 146. 7. Yea God is doubly engaged to be revenged upon oppressors and hath threatned a special execution of his judgement against them above most other sinners Partly as it is an act of mercy and relief to the oppressed So that the matter of threatning and vengeance to the oppressor is the matter of Gods promise and favour to the sufferers And partly as it is an act of his Vindictive Iustice against such as so heinously break his Laws The oppressor hath indeed his time of Power and in that time the oppressed seem to be forsaken and neglected of God as if he did not hear their cryes But when his patience hath endured the tyranny of the proud and his wisdom hath tryed the patience of the sufferers to the determined time how speedily and terribly then both vengeance overtake the oppressors and make them warnings to those that follow them In the hour of the wicked and of the power of darkness Christ himself was oppressed and afflicted Isa. 53. 7. and in his humiliation his judgement taken was away Acts 8. But how quickly did the destroying revenge overtake those bloody Zealots and how grievous is the ruine which they lye under to this day which they thought by that same murder to have scaped Solomon saith Eccles. 4. 1. he considered all the oppressions that are under the Sun and behold the tears of such as were oppressed and they had no comforter and on the side of the oppressors there was power but they had no comforter Which made him praise the dâ—ad and the unborn But yet he that goeth with David into the Sanctuary and seeth the end of the oppressors shall perceive them set in slippery places and tumbling down to destruction in a moment Psal. 37. 73. The Israelites in Aegypt seemed long to groan and cry in vain But when the determinate time of their deliverance came God saith I have surely seen the affliction of my people and have heard their cry by reason of their task-masters for I know their sorrows and I am come down to deliver them Behold the cry of the children of Israel is come up unto me and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Aegyptians oppress them Exod. 3. 7 8 9. Deut. 26. 6 7. The Aegyptians evil intreated us and afflicted us and laid upon us hard bondage and when we cryed to the Lord God of our Fathers the Lord heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labour and our oppression See Psal. 107. 39 40 41 42. So Psal. 12. 5 6. For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him or would ensnare him Thou shalt keep them O Lord thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever Trust not therefore in oppression Psal. 62. 10. for God is the avenger and his plagues shall revenge the injuries of the oppressed § 16. Direct 3. Remember what an odious name Oppressors commonly leave behind them upon earth Direct 3. No sort of men are mentioned by posterity with greater hatred and contempt For the interest of mankind directeth them hereunto and may prognosticate it as well as the Iustice of God However the power of proud oppressors may make men afraid of speaking to their faces what they think yet those that are out of their reach will pour out the bitterness of their souls against them And when once death hath tyed their cruel hands or any judgement of God hath cast them down and knockt out their teeth how freely will the distressed vent their grief and same will not be afraid to deliver their ugly picture to posterity according to their desert Methinks therefore that even Pride it self should be a great help to banish oppression from the world What an honourable name hath a Trajan a Titus an Antonine an Alexander Severus And what an odious name hath a Nero a Caligula a Commodus a D' Alva c. Most proud men affect to be extolled and to have a glorious name survive them when they are dead and yet they take the course to make their memory abominable So much doth sin contradict and disappoint the sinners hopes § 17. Direct 4. Be not strangers to the condition or complaints of any that are your inferiours It Direct 4. is the misery of many Princes and Nobles that they are guarded about with such as keep all the lamentations of their Subjects and Tenants from their cars or represent them only as the murmurings of unquiet discontented men So that Superiours shall know no more of their inferiours case than their attendants please nor no
instruments of the Devil § 4. III. The Evil of Unrighteous Judgements 1. An unrighteous Judge doth condemn the Cause of God himself For every righteous cause is his 2. Yea he condemneth Christ himself in his members For in that he doth it to one of the least of those whom he calleth Brethren he doth it to himself Matth. 25. It is a damnable sin Not to relieve the innocent and imprisoned in their distress when we have power What is it then to oppress them and unrighteously condemn them 3. It is a turning of the remedy into a double misery and taking away the only help of oppressed innocency What other defence hath innocency but Law and Justice And when their refuge it self doth fall upon them and oppress them whither shall the righteous flye 4. It subverteth Laws and Government and abuseth it to destroy the ends which it is appointed for 5. Thereby it turneth humane society into a state of misery like the depredations of hostility 6. It is a deliberate resolved sin and not done in a passion by surprize It is committed in that place and in that form as acts of greatest deliberation should be done As if he should say Upon full disquisition evidence and deliberation I condemn this person and his cause 7. All this is done as in the Name of God and by his own Commission by one that pretendeth to be his Officer or Minister Rom. 3. 3 4 5 6. For the Iudgement is the Lords 2 Chron. 19. 8 10. 19. 5 6 7. And how great a wickedness is it thus to blaspheme and to represent him as Satan an enemy to truth and righteousness to his servants and himself As if he had said God hath sent me to condemn this Cause and person If false Prophets sin so heinously who belye the Lord and say He hath sent us to speak this which is untruth the sin of false Judges cannot be much less 8. It is sin against the fullest and frequentest prohibitions of God Read over Exod. 23. 1 2 3 c. Lev. 10. 15. Deut. 1. 16 17. 16 18. Isa 1. 17 20 23. Deut. 24. 17. 27. 19. Cursed be he that perverteth the judgement of the stranger the fatherless and widow and all the people shall say Amen Ezra 7. 26. Psal. 33. 5. 37. 28. 72. 2. 94. 15. 106. 3. 30. Prov. 17. 27. 19. 28. 20. 8. 29. 4. 31. 5. Eccles. 5. 8. Isa. 5. 7. 10. 2. 56. 1 2. 59. 14 15. Ier. 5. 1. 7. 5. 9. 24. Ezek. 18. 8. 45. 9. Hos. 12. 6. Amos 5 7 15 24. 6. 12. Mic. 3 9. Zech. 7. 9 8. 16. Gen. 18. 19. Prov. 21. 3 7 15. I cite not the words to avoid prolixity Scarce any sin is so oft and vehemently condemned of God 9. False Judges cause the poor to appeal to God against them and the cryes of the afflicted shall not be forgotten Luke 18. 5 6 7 8. 10. They call for Gods Judgement upon themselves and devolve the work into his hands How can that man expect any other than a judgement of damnation from the righteous God who hath deliberately condemned Christ himself in his cause and servants and sate in judgement to condemn the innocent Psal. 9. 7 8 9. The Lord hath prepared his throne for judgement and he shall judge the world in righteousness he shall minister judgement to the people in uprightness he will be a refuge for the oppressed Psal. 37. 6. He will bring forth righteousness as the light and thy judgement as the noon day Psal. 89. 14. Iustice and judgement are the habitation of his throne Psal. 103. 6. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgement for all that are oppressed Psal. 146. 7. In a word the sentence of an unjust Judge is passed against his own soul and he calleth to God to condemn him righteously who unrighteously condemned others Of all men he cannot stand in judgement nor abide the righteous doom of Christ. § 5. Direct 2. When you well understand the greatness of the sin find out and overcome the root Direct 2. and causes of it in your selves Especially selfishness covetousness and passion A selfish man careth not what another suffereth so that his own ends and interest be promoted by it A covetous man will contend and injure his neighbour when ever his own commodity requireth it He so much loveth his money that it can prevail with him to sin against God and cast away his own soul much more to hurt and wrong his neighbour A proud and passionate man is so thirsty after revenge to make others stoop to him that he careth not what it cost him to accomplish it Overcome these inward vices and you may easily forbear the outward sins § 6. Direct 3. Love your neighbours as your selves For that is the universal remedy against all Direct 3. injurious and uncharitable undertakings § 7. Direct 4. Keep a tender conscience which will not make light of sin It is those that have Direct 4. seared their consciences by infidelity or a course of sinning who dare venture with Iudas or Gehezi for the prey and dare oppress the poor and innocent and feel not nor fear not whilst they cast themselves on the revenge of God § 8. Direct 5 Remember the day when all these causes must be heard again and the righteous God Direct 5. will set all strait and vindicate the cause of the oppressed Consider what a dreadful appearance that man is like to have at the Bar of Heaven who hath falsly accused or condemned the just in the Courts of men What a terrible inditement accusation conviction and sentence must that man expect If the hearing of righteousness and the judgement to come made Faelix tremble surely it is infidelity or the plague of a stupified heart which keepeth contentious persons perverters of justice false witnesses and unjust Judges from trembling § 9. Direct 6. Remember the presence of that God who must be your final Iudge That he seeth Direct 6. all your Pride and Covetousness and all your secret contrivances for revenge and is privy to all your deceits and injuries You commit them in his open sight § 10. Direct 7. Meddle not with Law Suits till you have offered an equal arbitration of indifferent Direct 7. men or used all possible means of love to prevent them Law Suits are not the first but the last remedy Try all others before you use them § 11. Direct 8. When you must needs go to Law compose your minds to unfeigned love towards him Direct 8. that you must contend with and watch over your hearts with suspicion and the strictest care lest secret disaffection get advantage by it And go to your neighbour and labour to possess his heart also with love and to demulce his mind that you may not use the Courts of Iustice as Souldiers do their weapons to do the
more for Heaven or Earth And therefore that thou art capable of self-judging in this case Perhaps you will say that while I am directing you to be Holy I suppose you to be Holy first For all this seemeth to go far towards it But I must profess that I see not any thing in all these suppositions but what I may suppose to be in a Heathen And that I think all this is but supposing thee to have the use of thy Reason in the points in hand Speak freely Is there any one of all these points that thou canst or darest deny I think there is not And therefore if Heathens and wicked men deny them in their practise that doth but shew that sin doth bruitifie them and that as men asleep or in a crowd of business they have not the use of the Reason which they possess in the matters which their minds are turned from § 21. 18. Yea one thing more I think I may suppose in all or most that will read this Book 18. That most among us profess to believe in Christ and confess the Gospel to be true c. that you take on you also to believe in Iesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost the Sanctifier and that the Scriptures are the Word of God And if you do so indeed I may then hope that my work is in a manner done before I begin it But if you do it but opinionatively and uneffectually yet God and man may plead with you the truths which you profess § 22. Having told you what I presuppose in you I proceed now to the Directions But I again intreat and charge thee Reader as thou lovest thy soul and wouldst not be condemned for Hypocrisie and sloth that thou dost not refuse to put in practise what is taught thee and shew thereby that Abâ—â—nt omâ—ia â—â—d oâ—ta sunt Câ—â— in Cat. Maj. Dii immortales sparserunt animos iâ— corpora humana ut essâ—nt qui terras tuerentur quique coelestem ordinem contemplantes imitarentur eum vitae â—odo atque Constantia Câ—c in Cato majore Ex terrâ sunt homines non ut iâ—colae habitatores sed quasi spectatores superarum rerum atque 〈…〉 tium quâ—â—um spâ—ctacuâ—um ad nullum aliud genus animantium pertinet Cicero 2. de Nat. Deor. Sic habeto te non esse mortalem sed 〈…〉 us hoc Idem Somn. Scip. Cum natura caeteras animantes abjecisset ad pastum solum hominâ—m erexit ad coeli quasi cognationis doâ—â—ciâ—iique pristini conspectum excâ—tavit tum speciem ita formavit oris ut in ea penitus reconditos mores effingeret Cic. 1. de Legib. Nisi Deus 〈◊〉 tâ— coâ—poris custodiis liberaverit ad coelum aditus patere non potest Cicero Somn. Scip. Animi omnium sunt immortales sed bonorum diâ—iâ—i Cic. 2. de â—egib Boaorum mentes mihi divinae atque aeternae videntur ex hominum vita ad deorum religionem sanctimoniamque migrare Idem Animus est ingeneâ—atus à Deo ex quo vere vel agnatio nobis cum coelestibus vel genus vel stirps appellaâ—i potest Idem 1. de Leg. whatever thou pretendest thou are not willing to do thy part for thy own salvation no not in the most reasonable necessary things Direction 1. IF thou be truly willing to be sanctified and a child of God Remain not in a state of Ignorance Direct 1. but do thy best to come into the light and understand the Word of God in the matters of salvation § 1. If knowledge be unnecessary why have we Understanding And wherein doth a man excell Qui seipsâ—m cognoverit cogno â—â—t in sâ— omnia Deum ad cujus imaâ—iâ—â—â—â— factus est M 〈…〉 d on câ—jus si â—ula 〈…〉 n geâ—it 〈…〉 as omnes cum quibus symboâ—â—m habet Paul Scaligeâ— Thes. p. 72â— a Beast If any knowledge at all be necessary certainly it must be the knowledge of the greatest and most necessary things And nothing is so great and necessary as to Obey thy Maker and to save thy soul. Knowledge is to be valued according to its Usefulness If it be a matter of as great concernment to know how to do your worldly business and to trade and gather worldly wealth and to understand the Laws and to maintain your honour as it is to know how to be reconciled unto God to be pardoned and justified to please your Creator to prepare in time for death and judgement and an endless life then let worldly wisdom have the preheminence But if all earthly things be dreams and shadows and valuable only as they serve us in the way to Heaven then surely the Heavenly Wisdom is the best Alas how far is that man from being wise that is acquainted with all the punctilio's of the Law that is excellent in the knowledge of all the Languages Sciences and Arts and yet knoweth not how to Live to God to mortifie the flesh to conquer sin to deny himself nor to answer in Judgement for his fleshly life nor to escape damnation As far is such a Learned man from being wise as he is from being happy § 2. Two sorts among us do quietly live in damning ignorance First Abundance of poor people who think they may continue in it because they were bred in it and that because they are not Book-learned therefore they need not learn how to be saved and because their Parents neglected to teach them when they were young therefore they may neglect themselves ever after and need not learn the things they were made for Alas Sirs What have you your lives your time and Reason for Do you think it is only to know how to do your worldly business Or is it to prepare for a better world It is better that you knew not how to eat or drink or speak or go or dress your selves than that you know not the will of God and the way to your salvation Hear what the Holy Ghost saith 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them Darkness is unsafe and full of fears the Light is safe and comfortable A man in ignorance is never like to hit his way Nor can he know whether he be in or out nor what enemy or danger he is near It is the Devil that is the Prince of Darkness and his Kingdom is a Kingdom of darkness and his works are works of darkness See Ephes. 6. 12. Col. 1. 13. 1 Iohn 2. 11. Luke 11. 34 35. Grace turneth men from darkness to light Acts 26. 18. and causeth them to cast off the works of darkness Rom. 13. 12. Because we are the children of light and of the day and not of darkness or of night 1
Thess. 5. 5. They that were sometimes darkness are light in the Lord when they are converted and must walk as the children of the light Ephes. 5. 8. In the dark the Devil and wicked men may cheat you and do almost what they list with you You will not buy your wares in the dark nor travel or do your work in the dark And will you judge of the state of your souls in the dark and do the work of your salvation in the dark I tell you the Devil could never entice so many souls to Hell if he did not first put out the light or put out their eyes They would never so follow him by crowds to everlasting torments by day-light and with open eyes If men did but know well what they do when they are sinning and whither they go in a carnal life they would quickly stop and go no further All the Devils in Hell could never draw so many thither if mens Ignorance were not the advantage of temptations § 3. Another sort among us that are Ignorant of the things of God are sensual Gentlemen and Schollars Cum quâ—m paenitet pâ—câ—asse pene innoceâ—s est Maxima pâ—rgationum pars est volunta ia poeâ—iâ—entia dâ—lictoâ—um Scal. Thes. p. 74â— Faâ—ilius iis ignos itur qâ—i non peâ—severaâ—e sed ab â—râ—ato se revâ—care moâ—iâ—ntur est enim hâ—r aâ—â—m peccare sed belluinâ—m iâ— errore persâ—verare Cicero in Vat. Even Aristotle could say that he that believed as he ought of the Gods should think as well of himself as Alexander that commandeth so many men Plutarch de Tranquil Anim. p. 155. Nullus suavior animo cibus est quam cognitio vtâ—itatis Lactant. Instit. l. 1. c. 1. It is a marvelous and doleful case to think how ignorant some people live even to old age under constant and excellent Teaching Some learn neither words nor sense but hear as it they heard not Some learn words and know the sense no more than if they had learnt but a tongue unknown And will repeat their Creed and Catechism when they know not what it is that they say A worthy Minister of Helvetia told me that their people are very constant at their Sermons and yet most of them grosly ignorant of the things which they most frequently hear It is almost incredible what ignorance some Ministers report that they have found in some of the eldest of their auditors Nay when I have examined some that have professed strictness in Religion above the common sort of people I have found some ignorant of some of the fundamentals of the Christian faith And I remember what an ancient Bishop about twelve hundred years ago saith Maximus Taurinensis in his Homilies that when he had long preached to his people even on an evening after one of his Sermons he heard a cry or noise among the people and hearkening what it was they were by their outcry helping to deliver the Moon that was in labour and wanted help His words are Quis non moleste ferat sic vos esse vestrae salutis immemores ut etiam coelo teste peccetis Nam cum ante dies plerosque cum cupiditate pulsaverim ipsa die circiter vesperam tanta vociferatio populi extitit ut irreligiositas ejus penetraret ad coelum Quod cum requirerim quid sibi clamor hic velit dixerunt mihi quod Laboranti Lunae vestra vociferatio subveniret defectum ejus suis clamoris adjuvaret Risi equidem miratus sum vanitatem quod quasi devoti Christiani Deo â—erebatis auxilium Claâ—abatis enim ne â—acentibus vobis elementum tanquam infirmus enim imbecillis nisi vestâ—is adjuvaretur vocibus noâ— possâ—t luminaria defendere quae creavit It is cited also by Papiriuâ— Massonus in vita Hilarii Papae â—ol 67. Therefore Popery is suitable to the children of darkness and unsuitable to the children of light because it greatly befriendeth ignorancé hindering the people from reading the holy Scriptures and quieting them with the opiate of an easie implicite faith in believing as the Roman Church believeth though they know not what it believeth or mistake and think it believeth that which it doth not Ockam lib. de Sa ram Altar cap. 1. citeth Innocent Extra de sum Trin. to prove the great benefit and efficacy of implicite faith that it would prove an error to be no sin In tantum inquit valet fides iâ—plicita ut dicunt aliqui ut si aliquis eam habet quod scilicet credit quicquid Ecclesia credit si false opinatur ratione naturali motus quia pater est vel prior filio vel quod tres pâ—rjonae sint tâ—es â—â—s ab invicem distantes non est haeâ—eticus nec peccat dâ—mmodo hunc errorem non defendat hoc ipsum credit quia credit Ecclesiam sic credeâ—e suam opinionem fidei Ecclesiae supponit Quia licet sic male opinâ—tur non tamen est illa fides sua immo fides sua est fides Ecclesiae This implicite faith being nothing but to believe that the Church erreth not is not an Implicite faith in God to believe that all that God revealeth is true which all men have that believe in God as rational an excuse for ignorance and error as a belief in the Church of â—ome This is too short and easie a faith to be effectual to the true ends of faith Si igitur tantae sit efficaciae fides implâ—câ—â—a ut excuset ignoranter erraâ—tem ciâ—ca illa quae in Scriptura Canonica sunt expressa multo magis excusaâ—it ignoranter opinaâ—tem aliqâ—id quod nec in Scripâ—uâ—a Canonica reperituâ— expressum Okam ibid. that have so much breeding as to understand the words and speak somewhat better than the ruder sort but indeed never knew the nature truth and goodness of the things they speak of They are many of them as ignorant of the nature of faith and sanctification and the workings of the Holy Ghost in planting the Image of God upon the soul and of the Saints communion with God and the nature of a holy life as if they had never heard or believed that there is such a thing as any of these in being Nicodemus is a lively instance in this case A Ruler in Israel and a Pharisee and yet knew not what it was to be born again And the pride of these Gallants maketh their ignorance much harder to be cured than other mens because it hindereth them from knowing and confessing it If any one would convince them of it they say with scorn as the Pharisees to Christ Iohn 9. 40. Are we blind also Yea they are ready to insult over the Children of the Light that are wise to salvation because they differ from the loose or hypocritical Opinions of these Gentlemen in some matters of Gods Worship of which their Worships are as competent Judges as the Pharisees of the doctrine of Christ or as Nicodemus of Regeneration or
Come to him therefore as the Saviour of souls that be may Teach you the will of God and Reconcile you to his Father and pardon your sins and renew you by his spirit and acquaint you with his Fathers Love and save you from damnation and make you heirs of life eternal For all this may yet possibly be done as short as your time is like to be And it will yet be long of you if it be not done The Covenant of Grace doth promise pardon and salvation to every Penitent Believer when ever they truly turn to God without excepting any hour or any person in all the world Nothing but an unbelieving hardened heart resisting his grace and unwilling to be Holy can deprive you of pardon and salvation even at the last It was a most foolish wickedness of you to put it off till now but yet for all that if you are not yet saved it shall not be long of Christ but you Yet he doth freely offer you his mercy and he will be your Lord and Saviour if you will not refuse him yet the match shall not break on his part see that it break not on your part and you shall be saved Know therefore what he is as God and Man and what a blessed work he hath undertaken to Redeem a sinful miserable world and what he hath already done for us in his life and doctrine in his death and sufferings by his Resurrection and his Covenant of Grace and what he is now doing at his Fathers right hand in making intercession for penitent believers and Heb. Rom. 5. what an endless Glory he is preparing for them and how he will save to the uttermost all that come to God by him O yet let your heart even leap for Joy that you have an allsufficient willing gracious Saviour whose Grace aboundeth more than sin aboundeth If the Devils and poor damned souls in Hell were yet but in your case and had your offers and your hopes how glad do you imagine they would be Cast your selves therefore in Faith and Confidence upon this Saviour Trust your souls upon his Sacrifice and Merit for the pardon of your sins and peace with God Beg of him yet the renewing grace of his spirit Be willing to be made holy and a new Creature and to live a holy life if you should survive Resolve to be wholly ruled by him and give up your self absolutely to him as your Saviour to be justified and sanctified and saved by him and then trust in him for everlasting happiness O happy soul if yet you can do thus without deceit § 8. Direct 4. Believe now and consider what God is and will be to your soul and what Love he Direct 4. hath shewed to you by Christ and what endless Ioy and Glory you may have with him in Heaven for For a new heart and the Love of God and a Resolution for a holy obedient life ever notwithstanding all the sins that you have done And think what the world and the flesh hath done for you in comparison of God Think of this till you fall in Love with God and till your hearts and hopes are set on Heaven and turned from this world and flesh and till you feel your self in Love with Holiness and till you are firmly Resolved in the strength of Christ to live a holy life if God recover you and then you are truly sanctified and shall be saved if you die in this condition Take heed that you take not a Repentance and good purposes which come from nothing but Fear to be sufficient If you recover all this may die again when your fear is over You are not sanctified nor God hath not your hearts till your Love be to him that which you do through fear alone you had rather not do if you might be excused And therefore your Hearts are still against it When the feeling of Gods unspeakable Love in Christ doth melt and overcome your hearts when the infinite Goodness of God himself and his mercies to your souls and bodies do make you take him as more Lovely and desirable than all the world when you so believe the Heavenly Joyes above as to desire them more than earthly pleasures when you Love God better than worldly prosperity and when a life of such ☜ Love and Holiness seemeth better to you than all the merriments of sinners and you had rather be a Saint than the most prosperous of the ungodly and are firmly resolved for a holy life if God recover you then are you indeed in a state of grace and not till then This must be your case or you are undone for ever And therefore meditate on the Love of Christ and the Goodness of God and the Joyes of Heaven and the happiness of Saints and the misery of worldlings and ungodly men meditate on these till your eyes be opened and your hearts be touched with a holy love and Heaven and Holiness be the very things that you desire above all and then you may boldly go to God and believe that all your sins are pardoned And it is not bare terrour but these believing thoughts of God and Heaven and Christ and Love that must change your hearts and do the work § 9. These four Directions truly practised will yet set you on safe ground as sad and dangerous as your condition is But it is not the hearing of them or the bare approbation of them that will serve the turn To find out your sinful miserable state and to be truly humbled for it and to discern the Remedy which you have in Christ and penitently and believing to enter into his Covenant and to see that your Happiness is wholly in the Love and fruition of God and to believe the Glory prepared for the Saints and to prefer it before all the prosperity of the world and Love it and set your hearts upon it and to resolve on a holy life if you should recover forsaking this deceitful world and flesh all this is a work that is not so easily done as mentioned and requireth your most serious fixed thoughts and indeed had been fitter for your youthful vigor than for a painful weak distempered state But necessity is upon you It must needs be yet done and throughly and sincerely done or you are lost for ever And therefore do it as well as you can and see that your hearts do not trifle and deceive you In some respect you have greater helps than ever you had before You cannot now keep up your hard-heartedness and security by looking at death as a great way off You have now fuller experience than ever you had before what the flâ—sh and all its pleasures will come to and what good your sinful sports and recreations and merriments will do you and what all the riches and greatness and gallantry and honours of the world are worth and what they will do for you in the day of your necessity You stand so
neer another world and must so quickly appear before the Lord that methinks a dead and sensless heart should no longer be able to make you sleight your God your Saviour and your endless life And one would think that the flesh and world should never be able to deceive you any more O happy soul if yet at last you are not only frightened into an unsound Repentance but can hate all sin and Love the Lord and trust in Christ and give up your self entirely to him and set your heart upon that blessed life where you may see and Love him perfectly for ever § 10. Quest. But will so late Repentance serve the turn for one that hath been so long ungodly Quest. 1. Answ. Yes if it be sincere But there 's all the doubt and that 's it that your salvation now dependeth Oâ— late Repentance on Quest. But how many I knâ—w whether it be sincere Quest. 2. Answ. 1. If you be not only â—rightened into it but your very heart and will and Love is changed 2. If it extend both to the end and the necessary means so that you Love God and the Ioyes of ☞ Heaven above all earthly prosperity and pleasure and also you had rather be perfectly Holy than live in all the delights of sin and if you hate every known sin and Love the holy wayes and servants of God and this unfeignedly this is a true change 3. And if this Repentance and change be such as will hold if God should recover you and would shew it self in a new and holy and self-denying life which certainly it will do if it come not only from fear but from Love But if you renounce the world and the flesh against your wills because you know there is no remedy and if you bid farewell to your worldly sinful pleasures not because you love God better but because you cannot keep them though you would and if you take not God and Hâ—aven as your Best but only for Better than Hell but not as Better than worldly prosperity which yet you would choose if you had your choice This kind of Repentance will never save you and if you should recover it would vanish away and come to nothing as soon as your fears of death are over and you are returned to your worldly delights again Though now in your extremity you cry out never so confidently O I had rather have Heaven than Earth and I had rather have Christ and Holiness than all the pleasures and prosperity of sinners yet if it be not from a renewed sanctified Heart that had rather be such indeed but from meer necessity and fear and against the Habit of your Hearts and wills this is but such a Repentance as Iudas had that is neither sincere at present nor if you recover will hold you to a holy life II. Directions to the Sanctified for a safe departure § 1. When the soul is truly Converted and Sanctified the principal business is dispatched that is necessary to a safe departure But yet I cannot say that there is no more to be done They were Godly persons that are exhorted 2 Pet. 1. 10. to give diligence to make their calling and election sure which being as the Greek importeth not only to make it known or certain but to make it firm doth signifie more than barely to discern it These following duties are yet further necessary § 2. Direct 1. Satisfie not your selves that once you found your selves sincere but if your understandings Direct 1. he clear and free renew the tryal and if you are insufficient for it of your self make use of the help of a faithful judicious Minister or friend For when a man is going to the bar of God it concerneth him to make all as sure as possibly he can § 3. Direct 2. Review your lives and renew your universal Repentance for all the sins that ever you Direct 2. committed and also let your particular Repentance extend to every particular sin which you remember but especially Repent of your most aggravated soul-wounding sins For if your Repentance be universal and true it will also be particular and you will be specially humbled for your special sins And search deep and see that none escape you And think not that you are not called to Repent of them or ask forgiveness because you have Repented of them long agoe and received a pardon For this is a thing to be done even to the last § 4. Direct 3. Renew your faith in Iesus Christ and cast your souls upon his Merits and Mediation Direct 3. Satisfie not your selves that you have a habit of Faith and that formerly you did Believe but fly to your trusty Rock and refuge and continue the exercise of your faith and again give up your souls to Christ. § 5. Direct 4. Make it your chief work to stir up in your Hearts the Love of God and a desire to Direct 4. live with Christ in glory Let those comforting and encouraging objects which are the instruments of this be still in your thoughts And if you can do this it will be the surest proof of your title to the Crown § 6. Direct 5. If you have wronged any by word or deed be sure that you do your best to right Direct 5. them and make them satisfaction and if you have fallen out with any be reconciled to them Leave not other mens goods to your Heirs or Executors Restore what you have wrongfully gotten before you leave your Legacies to any Confess your faults where you can do no more And ask those forgiveness whom you have injured and leave not mens names or estates or souls under the effects of your former wrongs so far as you are able to make them reparation Direct 6. § 7. Direct 6. Be still taken up in your duty to God even that which he now calleth you to that you may not be found idle or in the sins of omission but may be most holy and fruitful at the last Though sickness call you not to all the same duties which were incumbent on you in your health yet think not therefore that there is no duty at all expected from the sick Every season and state hath its peculiar duties and it s peculiar mercies which it much concerneth us to know I shall anon tell you more particularly what they are § 8. Direct 7. Be specially fortified and vigilant against the most dangerous Temptations of Satan by Direct 7. which he useth to assault the sick Pray now especially that God would not lead you into Temptation but deliver you from the Evil one For in your weakness you may be less fit to wrestle with them than at another time O beg of God that as he hath upheld you and preserved you till now he would not forsake you at last in your extremity Particularly § 9. Tempt 1. One of the most dangerous Temptations of the enemy is to take the