may likewise serve as a reason why in the New Testament there is no express command for the baptizing of Infants in particular namely because there was no question moved about the same in the Apostles times III. Come wee now to the Directions how to sanctifie the Lords Day To the sanctification whereof two things are required 1 An observing of a rest 2 A consecrating of that rest wholly to the worship and service of God I. There must bee a resting and that from several things As 1 From all the ordinary works of our Calling which is expresly set down in the Commandement Six daies shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work viz. of thy Calling And let not any pretend the greatness of their charge as a plea for their working But know assuredly that what you get that day by your labour will contribute little towards your charge For whatsoever is got on that day will not be blessed of the Lord but will prove like Achans wedge of gold which being got contrary to the command of God brought the fire of Gods curse upon all the rest which hee had lawfully gotten 2 From all kinds of recreations especially such as tend to carnal and â—ensual delight which though they may be lawful at other times yet are unlawful on the Lords Day being as expresly forbidden by God himself as the works of our Calling as you shall finde in Isa. 58. 13. where the Lord requires of his People That they turn away their feet from doing their own pleasures on his holy day And that they call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and honour him not doing their own waiâ—s nor finding their own pleasures And it is found by experience that recreations do more steal away our affections from heavenly meditations and distract us in Gods service than the works of our Calling Whereupon saith St. Augustine How much better is it to plow on the Lords Day than to dance 3 From all immoderate eating and drinking whereby wee are fitter to sleep than to attend upon the Ordinances of God And therefore how blame-worthy are they who make the Lords Day a day of Feasting their neighbours and friends For though it be lawful upon this day to make such provision as shall be convenient for our own families or for the relief of our poor neighbours yet to make solemn feasts upon this day as is the custome of too many whereby servants are kept from the publick Ordinances and our selves and guests are more indisposed to the duties of Gods worship and service must needs be unlawful And therefore though wee be not forbidden upon the Lords Day to kindle a fire for the dressing of meat yet we must take heed that wee make not such a flame as shall kindle the fire of Gods wrath against us 4 From all worldly words and discoursing of earthly affairs which the Lord himself expresly forbiddeth by the Prophet Isaiah Not speaking thine own words which imports talking and discoursing of worldly matters on the Sabbath day For where the Lord hath commanded the whole man to rest from worldly works there hee commands as the hand to rest from working so the tongue from talking of worldly matters But in the fourth Commandement the Lord hath commanded the whole man to rest from worldly works where hee saith Thou shalt do no manner of work c. Therefore hee commands the tongue to rest from talking of worldly matters as well as the hand from working of servile and worldly works How blame-worthy then are they who make the Lords Day a reckoning-day with work-men and servants or at least a visiting day amongst their friends and neighbours and so confequently a day of idle tattle about their profits pleasures or other mens matters 5 As from worldly words so from worldly thoughts as much as wee can For 1 Know that every Commandement extends to our very thoughts binding them as well as to the outward actions ex gr The sixth Commandement from murtherous thoughts as well as from the act of Murther The seventh from adulterous and lustful thoughts as well as from the act of Adultery The eighth from covetous thoughts as well as from the act of Covetousness 2 Know that the Lord requireth not onely the outward man and external actions to bee consecrated unto him but especially the inward man in which regard wee ought as much as possibly wee can to sequester our thoughts from worldly matters that they may be wholly taken up with spiritual and heavenly Meditations 6 There is another rest expected from every one on the Lords Day and that is a resting from sin which wee ought to do as much as in us lyeth at all times but especially on the Lords Day which ought to be kept as an holy rest And truly wee cannot offer unto God a greater indignity than to serve the Devil in the works of darkness on the Lords Day which is consecrated to the honour and service of God Thus much of the first particular requisite to the sanctification of the Lords Day namely an observing of a rest II. Come wee now to the second viz. A consecrating that rest wholly to the worship and service of God For it is not enough that wee keep a rest but wee must keep an holy rest barely to rest on the Sabbath day is but a Sabbath of beasts Wee must remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy For this is the chief end whereunto the outward rest tendeth Now the consecration of the Sabbaths rest consists 1 In our preparation thereunto 2 In a conscionable performance of those duties the Lord then requireth of us which may be brought to two heads viz. 1 Duties of Piety 2 Works of Mercy Duties of Piety are of three sorts viz 1 Publick 2 Private 3 Secret The which because they are interchangeably mixed with one another therefore I shall interchangeably speak of them The duties to be performed by way of preparation are these 1 Remember the day beforehand to the end you may so order and dispose of your worldly affairs that they may be dispatched in convenient time on the Eve of the Sabbath that so both your selves and servants may goe to bed in such time that your bodies may be well refreshed with sleep and your mindes fitted for the duties of the day This the Lord intimateth in the beginning of the fourth Commandement saying Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day where by remembring it may bee meant a minding of it before hand How blame worthy then are they who sit up themselves and keep their servants so late up in the night before the Sabbath that they are enforced to lye longer in their beds than ordinary on the Sabbath Day yea and when they are come into the Congregation are fitter to sleep than to hear Is this
it out of conscience to the Word and command of God who requireth you to yeeld sincere service and obedience to your Masters for this will stirre you up to doe it after the best manner you can that so God may accept thereof and reward you for the same 3 Your obedience must be cheerful This the Apostle intimateth Collos. 3. 23. where he saith Whatsoever yee doe doe it heartily i. e. whatsoever yee doe in the service of your Masters doe it from the heart as it is in the Greek that is with good will as the Apostle in another place expounds himself saying With good will doing service or us the Greek word properly signifieth with a good and cheerful mind So that Servants ought not to doe their work grudgingly or discontentedly as it were with an ill will but cheerfully with a good will 4 Your obedience must be universal unto every thing which they require of you so much the Apostle expresseth Servants saith he obey your Masters in all things i. e. not only in such things as seem easie and most pleasing to your fancy but whatsoever they command you being not contrary to the Word of God but are in themselves honest and lawful for if they shall command you to lye swear or to use false weights and measures which are things forbidden by God you ought not therein to yeeld to their commands but to say unto them as Ioseph did to his Mistris How shall I doe this great wickedness and sin against God though hee was a Servant to his Master yet would hee not be a Servant to his Mistris lusts II. Another Duty incumbent upon Servants is Diligence in dispatching their Masters work and business without loitering or minding their own ease and pleasure but as their strength and time is their Masters so they ought to put forth their strength and imploy their whole time in their Masters service I say their whole time excepting some part thereof for their secret devotions especially their Morning and Evening Prayers unto God for Servants must have respect to their Master in Heaven as well as to their Master on earth and make as much conscience of performing their duty to him as to their Masters according to the flesh for indeed the Lord is the best Master who gives the best wages and largest rewards III. Another Duty is Faithfulness Servants must shew all faithfulness to their Masters as the Apostle expresseth Both that trust that is reposed in Servants and that account that is to bee taken of them require faithfulness Doe you not remember what the Lord said to his Steward Give an account of thy stewardship And were not all the servants to whom talents were committed called to an account How then doth it concern all Servants to be faithful to their Masters which they ought to express both in their words and deeds 1 In words not daring to excuse any unwarrantable act with the telling of a lye which is to adde sin unto sin let all lying Servants consider the fearful Judgement executed on Gehazâ— who when his Master asked him where he had been presently answered him with a lye saying Thy servant went no whither whereupon he went out of his presence a Leper as white as snow 2 In deeds and that several wayes 1 Not disposing their Masters goods at their own pleasures either to themselves by taking more than is allowed them or to others by giving any part thereof away Many Servants think they may lawfully give away Victuals and other things of their Masters to the Poor but though they may inform their Masters or Mistresses of such things in the house meet to be given away and likewise of persons fit to receive such almes yet have they no power of themselves to give away any thing of their Masters and pretence of Charity is no good excuse for Theft 2 Not pilfering and purloyning their Masters goods to their own private use which the Apostle expresly condemneth in Servants Tit. 2. 10. Let all pilfering Servants know that there is a Book full of Curses and Plagues against every one that stealeth or sweareth which Book is large twenty cubits long and ten cub its broad and yet is filled with Curses that shall come swiftly upon them as the Prophet Zechary speaketh 3 But rather labouring to preserve and increase their Masters estate by all good and lawful means Thus the Apostle Paul expresseth the duties of Servants Not purloining but shewing all good fidelity viz. to their Masters in increasing their estate which is highly commended in that faithful servant in the Parable for which hee received from his Lord and Master both a gracious approbation in these words Well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful in a few things and also a plentiful remuneration in the next words I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. So that hee that is faithful in a little taketh the best course to become Ruler of much if the Lord see it good for him CHAP. XXX Of resting upon Christ alone for Life and for Salvation HAving in the foregoing Chapters given you several practical Directions for your Christian Conversation in the world shewing you how to walk with God all the day long in your several Callings Conditions and Relations I shall close this Treatise with one general Caution namely That when you have in some measure put in practice the foremetioned Rules and Directions you would beware of resting therein and of looking for life and for salvation in and thorow them And truly there is good reason for this Caution because it is natural for men out of Christ to seek for salvation by their own works and to rest on them which is one of the most dangerous things in the world For so long as a man doth so hee is uncapable of Christ as seeing no need hee hath of a Saviour It is said of the Iews that they lost salvation because they sought it not by Faith i. e. by Faith in Christs Righteousness in what he had done and suffered but sought it by the own Righteousness i. e. by resting in their own works which indeed is the high-way to hell and destruction as well as the way of sin though it be somewhat a cleaner way For there is a double way to hell The way of Sin and the way of Duty The way of Sin is a filthy dirty way whereas the way of Duty is a fairer cleaner way I mean Duties rested in are the ready way to hell and destruction Whereupon it was the counsel of Luther To take heed not onely of our sins but also of our duties i. e. of resting in them and building our hope of salvation upon them Therefore to take you off from that I shall commend to your serious consideration two fundamental Principles necessary to be known of all that will be saved 1 That Iesus Christ
prayer say with thy self Lord what need have I of a Saviour I see thou mayest condemn mee for my most holy services and therefore I go wholly out of my self unto Iesus Christ resting upon his perfect Righteousness and all-sufficient Merits for life and for salvation CHAP. III. Of Ejaculatory Prayers BEsides thy solemn Morning Prayer it will bee good to send up Ejaculatory Prayers and Praises unto God and that frequently upon all occasions By Ejaculatory Prayers and Praises I mean The sudden lifting up of the heart unto God upon some present occasion either in way of Petition or Thanksgiving Which kinde of Prayers wee finde commanded under those general Precepts of praying alwaies and praying without ceasing The meaning whereof is not that thou shouldest wholly and only attend on prayer so as to neglect the word and other duties of piety or the ordinary works of thy calling But that besides thine ordinary and set times of prayer thou shouldest alwaies have a praying frame of spirit bee ready upon all occasions to lift up thine heart unto God in some short Ejaculations For the more profitable pressing of this kinde of prayer I shall 1 Give thee some Motives to quicken thee up to a frequent performance thereof 2 Add some Cautioâ—â— The Motives may bee drawn to three heads 1 The Excellency 2 The Necessity 3 The Utility of this kinde of Prayer I. The Excellency of Ejaculatory Prayer appeareth In that at all times and in all places even in our converses with men wee may thereby converse with God and injoy an holy familiarity with him and yet others in our company take no notice thereof And when we are about the works of our Calling we may without any hinderance thereof lift up our hearts to God in some short Ejaculatory Prayer for his assistance and blessing which though they are but as Parentheses in our worldly imployments yet will prove very advantagious to us therein II. Another Motive may bee taken from the Necessity of these Ejaculatory Prayers and that 1 In regard of the sudden dangers and plunges whereunto the people of God are many times brought which will not afford time for continued prayer 2 In regard of the manifold slips and infirmities of the people of God which put them upon praying for the pardon and forgiveness of them 3 In regard of the manifold mercies blessings and deliverances which unexpectedly thou receivest from God there is frequent occasion of Ejaculatory Prayers and thanksgivings unto him III. A third Motive may bee taken from the Utility of those Ejaculatory Prayers which appeareth 1 From Gods gracious acceptation and remuneration of the same whereof the Scripture giveth abundant instances and examples As of Davids Ejaculatory Prayer against Achitophel that God would turn his counsel into foolishness was graciously accepâ—ed and granted in defeating the same The like wee read of Nehemiah's Ejaculatory Prayer unto God to incline the heart of the King to grant his request which was graciously heard and answered So also the poor penitent Theef's Ejaculatory Prayer unto Christ Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy Kingdome Holy Ejaculations are the Spiritual breathings of a gracious heart which as they are very pleasing unto God so exceedingly advantagious unto Christians for though they are very short and sudden yet seldome do they return empty 2 These Ejaculatory Prayers are a special means for the improving of every opportunity and occurrence of Providence to thy spiritual advantage Herein bee careful to observe these two Cautions 1 Content not thy self with these Ejaculatory Prayers and Praises as if they were sufficient at thy lying down and rising up and that thou needest not to trouble thy self with any longer prayers Oh let not thy Ejaculatory Prayers justle out either thy closet or family prayers but as God in his Word requireth the one as well as the other do thou make conscience of every one of them in their time and place 2 Beware of formal and prophane Ejaculations which come from the lip but not from the heart as Good Lord and Good God or The Lord bless mee and Lord have mercy upon mee with such like which can bee no better than a taking of the name of God in vain in that they are uttered customarily in a way of form meerly from the teeth outward for which without true and unfeigned repentance God will not hold thee guiltless CHAP. IV. Of Reading the Scriptures in private ANother duty to be performed alone is Reading of the Scriptures And indeed the Word and Prayer should go hand in hand together as the Christians daily exercise For every thing is sanctifâ—ed by the Word of God and Prayer Appoint therefore some set time in every day for the reading of the Word The morning is the freest when our spirits and wits are freshest By reading three chapters a day the whole Bible may bee read over in a year But I would not so strictly tye any to this as still to go on in reading some part of the Scriptures every day And if extraordinary occasion hinder thine ordinary task double it another time For by the holy Scriptures onely wee may attain to the knowledge of the whole will of God For the more profitable pressing this duty I shall 1 Give you some Rules and Directions to bee observed 1 Before the reading of the Scriptures 2 In reading of the Scriptures 3 After the reading of them 2 Give you some Motives to quicken you to a frequent reading of them I. The Rules and Directions to be observed before reading are these 1 Go about it with all holy reverence as in the sight and presence of God beleeving it to bee the Word of God written by holy men as they were moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost as the Apostle Peter expresseth it when therefore thou settest thy self to read the Word say to thy self I will hearken what the Lord will speak unto mee therein 2 Lift up thine heart in prayer unto God as for the Spirit of Illumination to open the eyes of thine understanding that thou mayest rightly conceive his Word so for wisdome to apply memory to retain faith to beleeve and grace to practise what thou shalt read II. The Rules and Directions to bee observed in reading of the Word are these 1 Read the holy lives and actions of Gods Children not onely as matters of history but as patterns of imitation for for this end are they recorded unto us as St. Paul testifieth Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning 2 In reading the Promises and Threatnings the Exhortations and Admonitions and other parts of the Scripture so apply them to thy self as if God by name had delivered the same unto thee whereby the Word will become very profitable unto thee For thus will promises to others incourage thee threatnings against others restrain thee from sin exhortations to others stir thee up to thy duty and admonitions
thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guâ—â—e For the profitable handling of this part of Christian watchfulness I shall give you 1 Some Helps and directions thereunto 2 Some Motives to quicken you up to a conscionable use of those helps and directions The helps and directions are these I Avoyd all corrupt and rotten communication which direction the Apostle Paul giveth Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth The corrupt speeches we ought carefully to avoyd are of several sorts which may be reduced to these Heads 1 Such as tend to the dishonour of God 2 Such as tend to mans disgrace and hurt Those which tend to Gods dishonour are especially these I Unlawful Swearing which is in three respects especially 1 When men swear falsly or as wee speak forswear themselves 2 When they swear impiously 3 When they swear rashly 1 They who swear falsly whom we call perjured persons are such as confirm any thing by Oath against their knowledge or swear to doe a thing which they intend not or intending at first to doe it yet afterwards are careless and negligent in the performance of it These false Swearers doe not only sin themselves but as much as in them is bring God in compass of their sin and make him partaker thereof he is made a witness and an approver of a Lye and therein made like unto the Devil who is the Father of Lies which is a most abominable dishonour done to the holy name of God 2 To swear impiously is an unlawful Oath either in regard of the matter or of the form An impious oath in respect of the matter is by oath to bind a mans self to doe some wicked thing as those Iews who bound themselves with an oath to kill Paul and Iezabel who took an oath to slay Elijah This kind of Oath maketh God a Patron and approver of wickedness An impious oath in respect of the form of it is when we swear by other things besides Gods holy name as by any Creature as Ioseph by the life of Pharaoh 3 To swear raâ—hly is to swear lightly and frequently in our familiar talk and discourse this though it be a common and ordinary sin indeed too too common and ordinary yet it is a most grievous Sin and a sin that crieth loud in the ears of God for vengeance The hainousness of this sin appeareth 1 In that Gods name is thereby taken in vain which is a direct breach of the third Commandement for that forbiddeth us to take the name of God in vain Now then is Gods name taken in vain when needlesly without any just cause it is used by any against which there is a judgement threatned in the next words The Lord will not hold him guiltless i. e. hee shall not goe unpunished 2 Swearing in our ordinary discourse is the very Livery of the Devil and badge of prophaneness which the Wise man hinteth unto us Eccles. 9. 2. where as he maketh it a sure sign of a godly man to fear an oath so of a wicked and prophane person not to fear an oath but to make no conscience of it And truly ordinary swearing may well be a badge and note of a prophane person for such an one will make little or no conscience of any sin who maketh no conscience of this sin of swearing which is so vain and unprofitable a sin for the excuse whereof the swearer cannot plead any outward good neither profit as the covetous worldling nor honour and preferment as the ambitious person nor pleasure as the voluptuous and therefore wee may well conclude that he who makes no conscience of swearing will make little conscience of any other sin for hee that will sin for nothing as the swearer doth certainly will sin for something Nay what sin will not he commit for profit pleasure or preferment who sticks not to prophane the holy name of God for nothing Our blessed Saviour speaking of this sin saith expresly it cometh of evil meaning the Devil Let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil i. e. that evil one the Devil who is the author of all vain oathes Which me thinks should be a powerful argument to prevail with men to avoyd in their ordinary communication all vain oathes yea and needless protestations considering they come from the Devil who is the School-master that teacheth men to use them and therefore by a frequent use of them they shew themselves to be the Scholars if not the children of the Devil II. Another kind of corrupt speech is when Gods holy titles are upon every light occasion used and so plainly abused as when any thing suddenly happens out then we presently say O Lord O God O Iesus Again when we would have any thing then we are apt to say for Gods sake doe this for Christs sake doe that and yet with no reverence doe wee think of God or of Jesus if we think of them at all for commonly it is but a phrase of course to say the least of this it is a direct taking of Gods name in vain and so maketh us liable to that curse God will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain These are some of those corrupt words and speeches which tend to the dishonour of God Come we now to such as tend to mans disgrace or hurt and they are such as are against our selves directly or against others The corrupt speeches that are against our selves are Imprecations It is usual with many by imprecating some mischief against themselves to confirm their speeches methinks such should be afraid lest God in judgement should hear them and justly cause the vengeance they call for to fall upon themselves let such remember the Iewes who cried out His bloud be upon us and our children and from that day to this hath it lain heavily upon them Of corrupt speeches against others there are many kinds as 1 Imprecations for it is usual if not much more usual to make fearful imprecations against others as well as against our selves which as they are corrupt speeches so are they ill-beseeming Christians 2 Unclean and unchasteâ— speeches are another kind of corrupt communication Some mens mouthes are always full of them which plainly sheweth the pollution of their hearts and how their minds are wholly set on lust 3 Idle and vain discourses whâ—ch tend to no good are another kind of corrupt speeches as old Wives fables talking of matters not belonging to us pratling of any thing that comes into ones head Our Saviour saith That every idle word that men shall speak â—hey shall give accoâ—nt thereof â—in the day of Iudgement Here our Saviour sheweth that at the Day of Judgement we must give an account not only for filthy unclean and unchast speeches but likewise for idle words yea for every idle word and therefore how doth it concern us to bee watchful over
the better strengthening of their hearts and faith as Psal. 6. 2 3. III. When God shall exercise you with any losses crosses or afflictions labour to bear them Christianâ—like to that end observe these rules 1 Bear them sensibly the Lord expects we should be sensible of the waight of our afflictions hee would not have us as Stoicks or Stocks which are not affected with his stripes but like Children he would have us sensible of the smart of the rod. Thus was Iob. There are two Extreams whereunto we are very prone to run in times of afflictions the one is a despising of afflictions the other is a fainting under them both which are hinted to us by the Author to the Hebrews My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him these are the two extreans we are carefully to avoyd in times of afflictions 1 Not to despise or slight the chastisement of the Lord saying If God will have my estate let him have it if hee will have my Husband or Wife or Child let him have them this is a despising of the chastening of the Lord a little regarding yea a contemning thereof as the Greek word implieth which is very displeasing unto God 2 Not to faint under our losses crosses and afflictions as when Children dye then the spirit of the Parent to dye also or when the Husband dyeth then the spirit of the Wife to dye also this is a fainting under the burthen of our afflictions as if they were unsupportable not to be indured as the notation of the Greek word implieth 2 If you would bear your afflictions Christian-like bear them with patience and silence according to the example of David who when God laid his hand upon his back he presently laid his hand upon his mouth as appeareth by his own expression I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it This patient silent bearing of Afflictions is opposed to two things 1 To an inward repining at the Dispensations of God towards you 2 To an outward complaining and murmuring at them both which you must carefully avoyd 1 You must carefully avoyd all inward repinings at the dispensations of Gods Providence towards you whatsoever storms are without you yea and blow upon you yet your hearts within you should be calm and quiet what though the Lords dealings with you be very sharp yet you ought not to repine at them but quietly and silently to submit thereunto acknowledging the equity of Gods proceeding with you that as he is righteous in all his ways so in particular towards you and thereupon to say with good old Ely It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good and with our blessed Saviour Father not my will but thy will be done And if you bear your afflictions thus quietly you shall bear them with much more ease at present and find them more profitable in the end 2 As you must carefully avoyd all inward repining so likewise all outward complaining and murmuring under the sad dispensations of Gods providence As you must not entertain any hard thoughts of God as if he punished you above your deservings or more than you are able to bear so neither must you express any discontented words against the Lords dealings with you for though a Christian may mourn under sad Providences yet may hee not murmâ—â—e at them though he may groan yet not grumble but quietly bear all losses crosses and afflictions both in opposition to all inward repining and outward murmuring 3 If you would bear your afflictions Christian-like you must bear them willingly and cheerfully To help you herein take these few considerations 1 That no afflictions befall any without the wise ordering Providence of God as Eliphas implieth when he saith That affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth evil spring out of the ground Truly there is not a Warrant comes to Arrest thy Body with Pain or Sickness but it comes under the Hand and Seal of thy heavenly Father there is not a Habeas Corpus comes to remove thy Yoke-fellow Child or Friend but it is signed by thy heavenly Father This consideration hath been a ground of comfort unto the people of God in all their afflictions The Lord said Iob hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. And this must needs be a ground of comfort yea and joy unto all the people of God especially if you shall consider in the next place 2 That the end God aims at in your afflictions is to doe you good yea some special good that could not be done so well in any other way The Lord chasteneth us for our profit saith the Apostle every Cross will bring with it some blessing or other if the fault be not in our selves yea the greatest cross will bring the greatest blessing 3 As God doth intend our good thâ—reby so when it hath effected that good which God intended thereby hee will soon remove your affliction from you for the Lord taketh no delight or pleasure in your pains or sufferings but delighteth in mercy and therefore will not neither can he suffer his afflicting hand to lye longer upon you than in his wisdome he seeth to be needful and necessary for the effecting of that good which he intends you thereby and therefore if your afflictions seem long unto you know it is no longer than needs must and that that good for which God sent it is not yet effected 4 That God will either proportion your afflictions to the measure of your strength or your strength to the measure of your affliction laying no more upon you than he will enable you to bear according to that of the Apostle God is faithful and will not suffer you to bee tempted above what you are able to bear IV. If you would bear you afflictions Christian-like you must bear them fruitfully by labouring to make a sanctified use and improvement of them whereby they will become comfortable blessings unto you for a sanctified affliction is a great blessing Q. What course should I take to have my afflictions so sanctified unto me that I may be able to say with David It is good for me that I have been afflicted A. I. In every Affliction take notice of the displeasure of God against thee for though the Lord doth sometimes afflict his Children for the trial and exercise of their Graces rather than for any displeasure he hath conceived against them as in Iobs case it was yet usually he strikes not till he be provoked by our Sins and therefore it will be thy wisedome in every affliction to take notice of the displeasure of God against thee II. Search into thine own heart and labour to find out the cause of Gods displeasure against thee for it is not for nought that God afflicts thee something or other is amiss in thee which God would have
that trespass against us which latter clause is added partly to stir us up readily to forgive those who have wronged us and partly to strengthen our faith in the assurance of the forgiveness of our sins committed against God from our readiness to forgive those who have wronged us in that our forgiving of our Brother is a fruit proceeding from Gods forgiving of us V. Labour to clear up thine Evidences for Heaven that thou maist upon good ground be able to say with the Apostle Paul I know that when the earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved I shall have a building with God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens The Scripture layeth down sundry clear evidences of a true right and title unto Heaven which who so finds in himself may rest assured of a blessed life after this I shall instance only in one which indeed is the principal of all and a very comprehensive one viz. Faith in Iesus Christ which we find often set down in Scripture as a sure evidence for Heaven for saith our Saviour God so loved the world that he gave his only begotton Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life and saith Iohn Baptist He that beleeveth on the Son hath everlasting life i. e. he is as sure of it as if he were in actual possession of it Q. How may I know whether I have a true sâ—ving faith A. Most Divines doe hold forth the fruiâ—s and effects of faith as the only signs thereof and means whereby men should try and examine their faith but the truth is the fruits of a saving faith in many Christians are often times so weak that if they should examine their faith only by them they would bee apt to question the truth thereof yea to conclude against themselves that they have no true faith at all therefore I shall briefly shew thee the Antecedents of Faith by declaring the ordinary method oâ— Gods Spirit in working true faith in the soul which is this 1 God by his Spirit in the Ministery of the Word doth awaken a mans Conscience and maketh him to see and discern as his manifold sins and transgressions so his misery by them in regard of the dreadful punishments due unto him for the same This method the Lord observed in those three thousand Converts mentioned Acts. 2. 37. Examine therefore whether thou hast by the Ministery or the Word been convinced of thy Sins and of thy miserable condition thereby how thou art liable to the Wrath of God to all Judgements and Plagues here and to Eternal Death and Condemnation hereafter for till thou beest convinced of thy sins and misery thou canst see no need nor want of Jesus Christ. Hence the Law is said to be our School-master to bring us to Christ because it doth discover as our sins and our misery by reason of them so our need of Christ. 2 The next Work of Gods Spirit is to make the soul sensible of its wretched miserable condition affecting it with some measure of grief and sorrow for the same This method likewise the Lord observed in those three thousand Converts mentioned Acts 2. 37. where it is said When they heard this i. e. when they were convinced of that horrible Sin of theirs in Crucifying the Lord of life they were pricked in their hearts viz. with the sence and apprehension of their wretched miserable condition Examine therefore whether thou hast been truly sensible of thy wretched miserable condition and whether the sence thereof hath affected thee with true grief and sorrow for the same Though all men are noâ— alike afflicted with a sence of their wretched miserable condition but some much more deeply than others yet few pass through the pangs of their New Birth without some throws some grief and sorrow for their sins neither can I conceive how any should cloze with Jesus Christ as their Saviour till they have been so sensible of their sins as that they are sensible of their need of a Saviour 3 Another Work of the Spirit is to convince the Soul of its own unrighteousness that so it may the more willingly seek out after the righteousness of Christ to be cloathed therewith for so long as a man is conceited of any righteousness of his own he will never be beholding unto Jesus Christ for life and for salvation for as our Saviour saith The whole need not a Physician they need neither Physick nor Physician and therefore care for neither In like manner such as are strongly possessed with a good conceit of their own estate and condition of their own righteousness see no need they have of Christ and his Righteousness and so regard him not Examine thy self therefore whether thou hast ever been truly and thorowly convinced of thine own unrighteousness whether thou hast discerned the Sins of thy holy services whether thou hast cried out with the Church All my righteousness is as filthy raggs c. 4 The next Work of the Spirit is to convince the soul of the perfection of Christs Righteousness and of the All-sufficiency of his Sacrifice that his righteousness is a most perfect and exact righteousness that his sacrifice upon the Cross was a full satisfaction to Gods Justice for the sins of all the Elect it being the sacrifice of the Son of God even of him that was God as well as Man which indeed added an infinite value to all which Christ did and suffered for mans Redemption in which respect the redemption wrought by Christ is called plenteous redemption enough and enough for all the sins of his people how many or how hainous soever they were Now examine whether thou hast found this work of the Spirit upon thy soul so that thou art convinced thorowly as of thine own unrighteousness so of the perfection of Christs righteousness and of the all-sufficiency of his Sacrifice which far exceedeth the merits of thy sins 5 The next Work of the Spirit is to convince the soul of Christs willingness to receive all poor Sinners sensible of their sins who will come unto him and cast themselves and the burden of their sins upon him by affecting them with a serious apprehension of the manifold gracious invitations of Christ unto poor Sinners as that in Isaiah Hâ— every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters he that hath no money i. e. no goodness nor righteousness of his own let him come and that fore-mentioned place Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all yee that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest Examine thy self therefore whether thou hast been thorowly convinced of Christs willingness to receive all poor Sinners that will come unto him and cast the burden of their sins upon him 6 The next Work of the Spirit is to stirre up in the soul some earnest longing desire after Jesus Christ so that the soul cries out Oh that Christ were mine oh that upon
every day so we should every day offer up our morning and evening sacrifice of Prayer and truly by duties of piety to God are our worldly businesses sanctified and seasoned and therefore are every day to be performed but yet so as the duties of our ordinary Callings be likewise performed and not neglected by us 2 Upon the same ground neither Adam nor the Iewes before Christ should have observed any Sabbath because they were bound to rest from sin as well as Christians 3 Neither are we to keep days of fasting because we are to fast from sin every day Having thus proved the Morality of the Sabbath and answered some Objections against it II. I shall in the next place give you the grounds for the change of the Sabbath from the last day of the week to the first 1 Divine institution even the institution of Christ himself which appeareth two ways 1 By the title given to the first Day of the Week namely the Lords Day for whatsoever in Holy Writ is said to be the Lords denominatively fo that Christ is the Author and institutor as for instance The Lords Supper because he instituted it The people of the Lord because he chose them the Lords Messengers because he sends them Upon the same ground the first day of the week is denominatively called the Lords Day and that not by Creation for so every day is his from the beginning but by Divine institution because it was instituted by Christ the Lord for Divine Worship and Service and for the memorial of the great work of Redemption wrought by him Agreeable hereunto is that of Augustine who saith that the Apostles appointed the Lords Day to be kept with all religious solemnity because in that day our Redeemer rose from the dead and therefore is called the Lords Day 2 By the practise of the Apostles who constantly assembled together on the first day of the week which is our Lords Day and that without doubt upon the command of Christ himself for whereas he continued forty days on earth after his resurrection before he ascended into Heaâ—en it is said in that time hee gave Commandements unto his Apostles and spake unto them of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God that is he instructed them how they should change the bodily sacrifices of Beasts into the spiritual sacrifices of Prayer and Praises the Sacrament of Circumcision into the Sacrament of Baptism the Sacrament of the Passeover into the Sacrament of the Lords Supper And then likewise he instructed his Apostles touching the change of the Sabbath into the Lords Day To which agreeth that of learned Iunius who saith positively that the change of the Sabbath was not by the tradition of men but by the observation and appointment of Christ who both on the day of his resurrection and on every seventh day after unto his Ascension into Heaven appeared to his Disciples and came into their assemblies Hereupon we read the Apostles met together on every first day of the week to preach the Word and to communicate the Lords Supper as Ioh. 20. 19 26. Acts 2. 1. Acts 20. 7 and in divers other places And wee find it expresly ordained by the Apostle Paul that the weekly Collections for the Poor should be on that day Now concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so doe yee upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him c. And why on that day surely no other reason can well bee imagined but that their assembling together to partake of the Ordinances of God was wont to be on that day And therefore because works of charity suit well with duties of piety and that by the Ordinances then dispensed they might be stirred up to a more free and chearful contribution the Apostle ordained also that the Collections for the poor should be on the same day viz. the first day of the week 2 Another Argument proving the first day of the week commonly called the Lords Day to bee the true Christian Sabbath now under the Gospel may bee taken from the constant practice of the Church and People of God since the Apostles times As I have shewed you that it was the practice of the Apostles to observe the first day of the week which is argument enough to warrant the day they being guided by the Spirit of Christ in an especial manner So it doth clearly appear that it hath been the practice of all holy men since the Apostles times to observe this day and that under the name of the Lords Day Ignatius who lived in St. Iohns time saith Let every one that loveth Christ keep holy the Lords Day which is the Queen of daies Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical history plainly shews how the Church and People of God in several ages after the Apostles times observed the first day of the week as instituted by Christ and ordained afterwards by the Apostles I might spend much paper in shewing how this day hath been observed in all ages from the Apostles times to these daies Now the constant custome of the Church is not to bee sleighted That expression of the Apostle If any man seem to bee contentious wee have no such custome neither the Churches of God sheweth that the custome of the Church is a matter to be regarded 3 The Resurrection of Christ both giveth a ground for the sanctifying of our Christian Sabbath and likewise sheweth a reason for the changing of the day For the work of Redemption wrought by Jesus Christ being far more excellent than the work of Creation did much more deserve a weekly memorial That the work of Redemption was more excellent appears In that it cost more to redeem the world of Gods Elect than to create the whole world for to create the world it cost God but a word as it were Hee but spake the word and it was done But to redeem the world of Gods Elect it cost no less than the precious blood of the Son of God So that this work hath swallowed up the former as the Temple did the Tabernacle And wee who live after Christs Resurrection are as much bound to the celebration of the first day of the week as they who lived before to the last It is very observable that a seventh day hath been observed to the honour of God ever since the Creation and such a seventh as never a week in the alteration was without a Sabbath and never a week had two Sabbaths for as the week ended with the former Sabbath so the next week began with our Sabbath which could not have been if any other seventh day had been chosen If any shall ask why the change of the day is not more clearly expressed in the New Testament I answer because there was no question moved about the same in the Apostles times which
to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy 2 At your first awaking in the morning lift up your hearts to God in Prayer and Thanksgiving for that comfortable rest and sleep hee hath vouchsafed unto you the night past For it is he â—hat giveth his beloved sleep and who reneweth his mercy every morning And then begge of God the assistance of his Spirit to carry you through all the duties of the day 3 Rise early on the Sabbath Day for in regard there are as secret duties of Piety to be performed by you in your Clossets so private duties of Piety in and with the Family if you live in a Family before you goe to the publick Congregation yee ought to rise so early that you may have convenient time for these duties and be at the Church at the beginning of the Exercises How blame worthy then are they who on the week-dayes can rise betimes to follow their worldly businesses but on the Lords Day doe lye longer in bed than ordinarily giving themselves up to their carnal ease and rest Is this to keep holy the Sabbath Day thus to sleep away the first and chiefest part thereof 4 In your rising let out your hearts in a serious meditation of Iesus Christ and of the great things he hath done and suffered for you and of the many good things whereof in and through him you are made partakers Meditate likewise on the infinite Majesty of God whom the glorious Angels adore with covered faces that your hearts being possessed with an aweful apprehension thereof you may perform the duties of Gods worship and service with such everence as becometh so sacred a Majesty 5 So soon as you are up and ready with-draw your self into some privaâ—e place and there read some porâ—ion of the Scriptures which will be an excellent means to season your hearts and compose your minds yea hereby you will be the better prepared to hear the Word preached and the better enabled to try the Doctrines delivered according to the exhortation of the Apostle Prove all things hold fast that which is good 6 As Prayer is a duty to be performed every morning so especially on the Lords-Day morning which is in some measure to bee suitable thereunto Having therefore confessed your sins and begged the pardon of them together with power against them and grace to serve God then pray both for the Minister and for your selves 1 For the Minister that God would give him a door of utterance that he may open his mouth boldly to publish the Mysteries of the Gospel yea that he may speak the VVord truly sincerely powerfully and profitably delivering that which is suitable and seasonable to your condition 2 For your selves that God would banish out of your heads all worldly wandring thoughts which may distract your minds in the hearing of the Word and so choaking that heavenly seed make it fruitless And that he would give unto you as attention to hearken so understanding to conceive wisdome to apply judgement to discern faith to beleeve memory to retain and grace to practise what you shall hear that so the Word may prove unto you a savour of life unto life and not a savour of death unto death These two last duties of reading the Word and Prayer are not to be performed only alone in secret but likewise in and with your Families if so be you be Parents and Masters of Families and therefore before you goe to the publick Ordinances call your Family together and pray with them as for other things so in special for the influences of the grace of God and the incomes of his Spirit upon your hearts and spirits in the good duties you shall take in hand that so you may perform them after such a manner as glory may redound to Gods name and some spiritual good and advantage to your own souls These are the duties to be performed by way of preparation Having thus fitted and prepared your selves I. Call your Fâ—mily together your Children and Servants and take them along with you to the publick Congregation and â—et Ioshuahs resolution bee often in your mind As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. And as you are going 1 Consider whither you are going viz. Not to a Fair or Market but to the House of God where God himself is present to behold you yea where God himself speaketh by the mouth of his Ministers 2 Go with a readiness of heart and resolution of mind to receive every truth that shall bee made known unto you out of Gods Word with such an heart came Cornelius to hear Peter Wee are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God said Cornelius to Peter And it is said of the Bereans that they received the Word with all readiness of mind II. Being come into Gods House observe these Rules and Directions 1 Set your selves as in the sight and presence of God who not onely observeth your outward carriage and behaviour but likewise understandeth all the imaginations of your hearts and is privy to every wandring thought in praying hearing and other holy duties which will be a special means to keep your minds from roving after other matters 2 Labour to hear the word with profit To this end and purpose I finde four special virtues commended in the Scripture viz. 1 Humility 2 Honesty 3 Attention 4 Faith 1 Humility for when a man is of an humble lowly meek and contrite spirit then is hee fit to hear the Word because hiâ— heart being emptied of pride and self-conceitedness there will be room for the Word to take place therefore saith David The meek will the Lord guide in judgement and the meek will hee teacâ— his way And saith the Lord himself by his Prophet Isaiah To this man will I look even to him that is poor viz. poor in spirit and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word 2 Another virtue requisite to the profitable hearing of the Word is Honesty or uprightness of heart whereby a man sincerely purposeth in every thing to approve himself unto God as to avoid every sin whatsoever that the Word condemneth be it never so delightsome or profitable unto him so to indeavour himself to the performance of every duty belonging to his place and calling which the Word commandeth This is that honest and good heart which our Saviour intendeth Luk. 8. 15. 3 As Honesty so Attention is requisite while the Word is preaching you must diligently attend thereunto as they who would be loath to lose a word that should be delivered This particular is noted of those that heard Christ-preach of whom it is said That they were attentive to hear him or as the Greek text hath it All the people hanged on him to hear him i. e. They were very attentive as unwilling to let any thing pass them So should you be as attentive to the Ministery of the
Word To this end keep your eyes steddy on the Preacher And as hee passeth from point to point think briefly on the point which is past which will exceedingly help your memory 4 Faith is another virtue requisite to the profitable hearing of the Word I say Faith whereby we do not only beleeve that which is taught us out of the Word to be true but also apply it unto our selves as if it were in special directed unto us The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation saith the Apostle but to whom even to every one that beleeveth And saith the Author to the Hebrews The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it In whose heart there is true Faith that man will apply the whole Word of-God unto himself whether it be the threatnings of the Law to terrifie him from sin or the sweet promises of the Gospel to allure him to holiness and so maketh much profit of every Sermon hee heareth Thus much for your hehaviour in the publick Congregation But you must not rest here thinking you have thereby sanctified the Sabbath day For there are likewise both Private and Secret duties of Piety required to a true sanctification of the Lords Day of which you ought to be as careful and conscionable as of the publick duties in the publick Congregation For God requires the whole day and not a part onely As therefore you would not be contented your servants should work for you only an hour or two on each of the six daies So neither should you yeeld less unto God than you require for your selves By Private duties of Piety I mean such as are perfoâ—med in a private Family And by Secret such as are done in some secret and retired place between God and ones self alone Now the Private duties of Piety which are especially required of such who are Parents and Masters of Families and wherein every member thereof are to joyn are these I. Repeating the Sermons they have heard with their family and examining them one after another what they remember explaining the same unto them which is commended to us by the practice and example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who when he was come home said unto his Disciples Have yee understood all these things viz. that he had preached to the multitude And St. Mark saith When they were alone hee expounded all things to his Disciples Wherupon one observeth That Christ by his example doth instruct every Master of a family how to carry himself in reference to those under his charge on the Lords Daies after their departure from the publick Congregation And truly a treble benefit will follow hereupon 1 In respect of your selves for the more you build up others the more your selves are built up in Knowledge Faith and every grace of God 2 In respect of your children and servants for it will make them to hearken more attentively to that which is delivered in the publick Congregation if they know they shall be called to an account for the same when they come home 3 It would much help both your selves and servants in the understaâ—ding and beleeving of that which you have heard in the publick if at home you would repeat it and confer of it and examine the proofs that have been delivered for the confirmation of it II. Another private duty is singing of Psalms for this may and ought to be performed in your families as well as in the Congregation This David commends for one duty of the Sabbath as Psal. 92. 1. The title of the Psalm is A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath day And thus it begins It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord to sing praises unto thy Name O most High This Ordinance being questioned by some and denied by others I shall 1 Prove the lawfulness thereof 2 Give you some directions for the right manner of performing the same First the lawfulness of singing Psalms doth appear both from Scripture Example and Reasons 1 For Scripture-proofs there are many both in the Old and New Testament but not to mention those in the Old Testament which may not prove so convincing In the New wee finde it commanded by the Apostle to the Ephesians Speak to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. And saith the Apostle Iames Is any among you afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalms Where you see it is in express terms commanded and that as a Gospel duty 2 We finde it commended both by the example of our Saviour and the practice of the Apostles and other Saints of God in the Primitive times 1 By the example of our Saviour of whom it is recorded that as at other times so the night in which he was betrayed hee sung a Psalm together with his Disciples And when they had sung an Hymn or Psalm they went out into the Mount of Olives 2 By the practice of the Apostles and other Saints in the Primitive times For wee read That at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God and the prisoners heard them Plinius Secundus though an Heathen who lived about two hundred years after Christ testified of Christians that they had their morning songs using to rise before day to sing Psalms 2 Reasons commending this duty may be taken from the benefits accompanying the same For 1 By this duty joyntly performed our own spirits will bee much quickened and enlivened 2 Wee shall thereby quicken and enliven the spirits of others 3 We shall all thereby be made the more chearful in serving God which may be one reason why Paul and Silas joyned singing of Psalms with their prayers 4 It manifesteth an holy zeal that wee bear unto our God and witnesseth that we are not ashamed to profess and praise his holy Name and therefore our tongue doth with chearfulness sound out aloud the praises of God This holy zeal did David express saying I will give thanks unto thee O Lord. among the Heathen and sing praises unto thy name Having thus proved the lawfulness of this duty by Scripture Example and Reason II. Come we now to the Directions for the right manner of performing the same which are set down by the Apostle in these words Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 1 First therefore it must be in the heart or with the heart i. e. our hearts must go with our voices the one must be lift up as well as the other For God is a Spirit and therefore will be worshipped with our hearts and spirits as well as with our bodies And truly singing with the voice without the concurrence of the heart and spirit is no more pleasing to God than a sounding brass or tinkling Cymbal 2 As we must sing with the heart so with grace in the
heart that is we must exercise the graces of Gods holy Spirit in singing as well as in praying labouring to express the same affection in singing the Psalm as David had in penning the same as if it be a Psalm of Confession then to express some humility and brokenness of heart and spirit in singing it If it be a Psalm of prayers and petitions then must our affections be fervent If a Psalm of praises and thanksgivings then must our hearts be chearful And thus must the affection of the heart be ever suitable to the quality of the Psalm 3 It must be to the Lord that is as in the sight and presence of the Lord and to his honour and glory As the Apostle expresseth it in the next verse Whatsoever yee do in word or deed do it as in the name of Christ so to the praise and glory of God making his glory the main end and aim of what you do III. Another private Duty to be performed with our Family is Prayer For if this duty ought to be performed every day twice at least viz. in the morning and evening then especially on the Lords Day which the Lord hath wholly consecrated to his worship and service The Directions for the right manner of performing this duty of Prayer so as it may be an acceptable service and sacrifice unto God you may finde in Chapter second about the latter part thereof IV. Reading the Scriptures is another Duty to be performed in and with our Family that so they may bee acquainted with the Body of the Scriptures yea and with the Precepts and Promises the Directions and Consolations of the Word for their direction and comfort Directions for the more profitable reading of the Scriptures see Chap. 4. These are the Private duties of Piety to bee performed on the Lords Day Besides the Publick and Private there are likewise secret duties to be performed by every one alone in their Closets or Chambers which are briefly these 1 Reading some part of Gods Word or other good Books 2 Meditating of what you have heard or read that day which is an excellent means to make the Word both read and preached profitable unto you For as meat though it be never so wholsome nourisheth us not if it be not concocted and digested so is it with the Word of God the food of our souls if it be not by meditation concocted and digested it will nothing at all profit us but being by meditation digested it will then prove effectual to the nourishing of our souls 3 Examining your selves as of your former life conversation so especially of your carriage the last week and of the manner of your performing the duties of the day and as you should be humbled for your faylings therein so you should resolve with the assistance of Gods grace to be more watchful over your selves for the time to come and to be more careful in sanctifying the Lords Day by a conscionable manner of performing the duties thereof 4 Praying unto God is another duty to be performed by you in secret as well as publickly and privately yea you should double and treble your Prayers on the Lords Day Under the Law we read how the Lord required double Sacrifices on the Sabbath Day for besides the daily Sacrifices two Lambs more were appointed to be offered up on the Sabbath day four in all to shew the holiness of the day And in like manner ought you to double your spiritual sacrifices of Prayer and Praises on the Lords Day earnestly beseeching him for Christs sake to pardon as your sins in general so in special the manifold infirmities and imperfections which have passed from you in the performance of your holy seâ—vices and to enable you by his Spirit to perform them for the time to come with more life and vigor with more fervency and affection Having thus shewed you both the Publick Private and Secret duties of Piety to be performed on the Lords Day Come we now to the Works of Mercy which is another Head of duties which ought to be performed on thatday and therefore to duties of Piety you must adde Works of Mercy on the Sabbath day in a conscionable performance of both which consisteth the true sanctification of the Sabbath And because man consists of two Parts viz. of Soul and Body and both of them are subject to many Maladies therefore the Works of Mercy may be brought to these two Heads 1 Such as concern the Soul 2 Such as concern the Body of your Neighbour I The Works of Mercy which concern the Soul of your Neighbour are these and such like 1 To instruct the ignorant in Points of Doctrine needful and necessary to be known herein Iob expressed his charity as Eliphas testifieth of him Thou hast instructed many viz. in the knowledge of God 2 To draw Sinners to repentance by setting before them as the severity of Gods Justice against all impenitent Sinners so the freeness of his grace and riches of his mercy to all penitenâ— Sinners 3 To comfort such as are comfortless through an apprehension of the number and hainousness of their sins by setting before them the All-sufficiency of Christs Sacrifice and the gracious offers in the Gospel to all who find their sins a burthen to them 4 To exhort and stirre up such as have begun well to hold on patiently and constantly whereunto the Apostle exhorteth us Let us saith he consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works or to whet on to love and good works as the word in the Original properly signifieth 5 To reprove and rebuke such as are scandalous and offensive in their waies Thus Iohn reproved Herod for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for many other evils 6 To resolve the doubtful 7 To strengthen and establish such as are weak in grace These indeed in one respect may be called works of Piety namely as they are instructions directions and consolations gathered out of the holy Scriptures But in another respect they are works of mercy namely as they tend to the good of your neighbours souls In which the poorest that are may be rich in good works II. The works of mercy which concern the body of our neighbour are these and such like 1 Relieving such as are in want The Apostle enjoyning the Corinthians to lay up some thing in store every first day of the week which is the Lords Day implieth that that is a very fit season not only to do such works of mercy which are then offered unto us but also to prepare for other times And surely if every one would every Lords Day set apart something out of his commings in that week for a stock to give to charitable uses much good might be done thereby For as men by this means will have more to give than otherwise they will finde in their hearts to do on the week days So they will give both more
thou art present at the Ordinance put forth all the strength thou canst in the partaking thereof I mean the strength of thy affections For though thou art very weak yet if thou put forth thy weakness God will accept thereof Content not thy self therefore with a meer outward participation of the Lords Supper but let thy care be to bring up thine heart and thine affections to the Ordinance and to put forth what strength thou canst II. Remember the death of Christ which is Christs command in the institution of this Ordinance for saith he This do in remembrance of mee viz. in remembrance of my bitter death and passion For the Apostle Paul explaining this remembrance of Christ applieth it to his death and the shewing it forth This do saith hee in remembrance of mee For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come So that this Ordinance of the Lords Supper was instituted for a solemn Memorial of that great Sacrifice the Lord Jesus Christ that his death might never be forgotten but be ever fresh in our memories And why must his death be thus remembred Surely because thereby was the Covenant of Grace ratified and sealed our Redemption purchased our sins expiated our reconciliation made with God and the foundation of our peace laid And therefore at the Table let out thine heart in a serious meditation of the manifold sufferings of Christ which is the main business of this Ordinance And meditate not only of his sufferings at his death but likewise in the whole course of his life even from his cratch to his Cross from his birth to his death For his whole life was a continual suffering Meditate therefore of his mean birth and flight in his infancy of the manifold reproaches which were cast upon him from time to time yea of his manifold persecutions of their cruel handling of him at the time of his death when they apprehended him like a theef bound him arraigned and condemned him as a Malefactor buffeted him with their hands beat him with staves scourged him with whips making loâ—g furrows on his back platted on his head a Crown of sharp Thorns laid an heavy cross on his back nailed his hands and feet to that Cross give him Gall and Vineger to drink and sundry waies much afflicted him Thus was his body broken with torments In relation hereunto it is said of him That he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs Especially when thou art present at the Sacrament take a turn with Christ in the Garden by meditating of his bitter Agony wherein he sweat drops of blood which was never read or heard of in any before or since yea the blood which Christ then sweat was not thin watery blood but thick blood as St. Luke expresseth it Being in an agony his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground which latter clause sheweth that the blood of Christ passed through the pores of his body in such a plentiful manner that it trickled down to the ground in great abundance so that not only the eyes of Christ but all the parts of his body did seem to weep and that tears of blood as Bernard speaketh In this sweat of Christ there are three things remarkable which doe exceedingly set forth the greatness of his Agony 1 It was in a cold night for which cause afterwards they kindled a Fire in the High-Priests Hall and cold driveth the blood inward 2 Hee lay upon the cold ground which was enough to drive the blood inward 3 He was in exceeding great fear which naturally draweth the blood from the outward parts to the Heart and yet in a cold night lying upon the cold ground and being in great fear he sweat drops of blood Who can imagine the bitterness of our Saviours Agony at that time And what was it which put him into that agony questionless the apprehension of what hee was to suffer as appeareth by his Prayer in his Agony Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me Now if the apprehension of what hee was to suffer was so bitter oh how bitter think you were his Sufferings upon the Cross when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me which words doe not imply that the Deity was severed from the Humanity but that the Father had withdrawn from him all sensible feeling of his loving favour had restrained the influence of those beams which might any way refresh his troubled soul so that Christ might well take up the words of the captive Iews and say Behold and see if there bee any sorrow like to my sorrow wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his fierce anger These things call to mind in the time of the administration of the Sacrament not only when thou art eating the Bread and drinking the Wine but also when thou seest the Bread broken and the Wine poured forth then thou shouldst think how Christs Body was broken with torments and his Blood shed for remission of sins and also when thou seest others taking the Bread and the Wine thou shouldst then be steeping thy thoughts in the meditation of Christs bitter death and manifold sufferings This remembrance of Christs Death at the Sacrament must not be a bare Historical remembrance thereof contenting thy self with a remembrance of the History of Christs death as it is set forth by the Evangelists but it must be an operative and practical remembrance working up thine heart 1 To an unfeigned love of God who out of his free grace and rich mercy did send his dearly beloved Son out of his own bosome into the world to take our Nature upon him and therein to dye a bitter cursed death for mans redemption Who can sufficiently admire the riches of Gods love to man therein How may we with David cry out and say Lord what is maâ— that thou art mindful of him especially that thou shouldest be so mindful of him as to give the Son of thy love to suffer a cursed death upon the Cross to make us who were children of Wrath and bondslaves of Sathan Sons of God and Heirs of eternal life and salvation And how should this incomprehensible love of God fire and inflame our cold and frozen hearts with a fervent love unto him again 2 The remembrance of Christs death should work up our hearts to an ardent love of Christ for that wonderful love of his in giving himself for us his Body to be crucified his Blood to be shed and his Soul to bear the intollerable burden of his Fathers Wrath due to our Sins which made him sweat drops of blood in the Garden and to cry out on the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Oh how should this ravish our souls with admiration of so great love and inflame our hearts with love
bread according to their families And it is recorded of Ruth that she did not only glean for Naomi her Mother in Law but having food given her by Boaz servants for her refreshment she reserved part thereof and gave it to her mother I have read of a Daughter whose Father being sentenced to be famished to death and thereupon none being suffered to bring him Meat she gave him suck with her own breasts How blame-worthy then yea and unnatural are such Children whose Parents being poor and themselves able to releeve them doe notwithstanding 〈◊〉 them to want things needful Saint Iohn saith That the lâ—ve of God dwelleth not in him who shutteth up his bowels of compâ—ssion from his brother How then can it dwell in that Child who shutteth up his bowels of compassion against his own Father or Mother who having not only a sufficiency but also an affluency of worldly things suffers his Parents to want necessaries 2 By loving their Parents And truly that love which Parents bear unto their Children and have manifested by bringing them up in the world should by the law of equity stirre up in Children a love to their Parents for love deserveth love 3 By concealing and covering their infirmities which will evidence the truth of their love to their Parents and procure Gods blessing upon them Shem and Iaphet we read were blessed for this because they would not behold the nakedness of their Father when being drunken he lay uncovered in his Tent and Cham for discovering and making known his Fathers nakedness was cursed of God As therefore Children would avoyd Chams curse let them carefully shun Chams Sin forbearing to blazen abroad their fathers infirmity CHAP. XXVIII Of the Duties of Masters THe last Head of Family relations is Master and Servants The Duties of Masters in reference to their Servants may be brought under two Heads 1 Such as concern the Bodies of their Servants 2 Such as concern the Souls of their Servants The Duties of Masters in reference to the Bodies of their Servants are 1 To provide fitting raiment for them such as may fence them against the extremity of the weather I mean if by agreement they are bound to find them apparel as is the condition of most Apprentices 2 To give them wholsome and sufficient food As their food must be wholsome for the preservation of their health so sufficient for the encrease of their strength that they may be the better enabled with cheerfulness to doe their Masters service Solomons Housewife among other things is commended for her giving meat to her houshold and a portion to her maidens VVhereby is meant a sufficient portion and quantity of meat to her servants Oh that all Huswives would imitate her herein and not pinch their Servants bellies which too many doe 3 To afford them Physick when they are sick For Masters are commanded to give unto their servants that which is just and equal And is it not just and equal that those servants who labour for their Masters in the time of their health should be cared for by their Masters in the time of their sickness The Centurions care for his sick Servant is left upon record for our imitation who used the best means he knew for his Servants recovery which was to goe unto Christ. The humanity of this Centurion being a Gentâ—le may be a witness against the inhumanity of many Christians who take little care for their sick Servants 4 Not to oppress them with labour by over-working them requiring more of them than they are well able to perform This would be cruelty in a man to his Beast much more in a Master to his Servant Indeed the Aegyptians dealt so cruelly with the Israelites that they groaned under their burthens whose groans ascended unto the ears of God who thereupon came down to deliver them from their bondage And let Gods hearing the cry of those oppressed Servants and revenging them of their Oppressors make all Masters beware of laying heavie burthens upon their Servants requiring more of them than they are well able to perform lest their groans ascend up unto God 5 To pay them their wages when it is due without delaying it or defrauding them of any part thereof It is reckoned in Scripture as a crying Sin to keep back and with-hold the Labourers or Servants wages a sin that crieth unto God for vengeance who is the Poors avenger and as he taketh special notice of their wrongs and oppressions so will he take care to avenge the same II. The Duties of Masters in reference to the Souls of their Servants are 1 To instruct and Catechise their Servants in the Principles of religion For if it be a duty incumbent upon all Masters of Families to provide for the nourishment of the bodies of their Servants how much more then should they be careful for the nourish-of their souls yea let all Masters of Families know that they are as expresly charged to teach and Catechise their Servants as the Minister is to instruct his Flock witness Gods command to the Israelites Thou shalt talk of my Lawes when thou fittest in thine house and when 〈◊〉 walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up And God hath manifested his approbation thereof by commending Abraham for his practice therein 2 To cause the Scriptures to bee frequently read in the Family We read that under the Law the people of Israel were commanded to cause the words of the Lord to be written upon the Posts of their Houses to the end they might be frequently read by every one in the House And saith the Apostle Paul Let the Word of Christ dwell in you By the Word of Christ the Apostle meaneth the Doctrin of the Gospel which was published by Christ and is contained in the Old and New Testament Let this word saith the Apostle dwell in you i. e. be yee much imployed in the reading thereof as in your Closets so in your Families or as Calvin interprets it Make the Word familiar to you by giving it household entertainment But oh what a stranger is the Word to most Families how seldome is it read amongst them If that house bee an Hell where the Scriptures are not read as Luther said Oh how many houses are there as so many hells for want of reading the Scriptures 3 To pray daily in and with their Family To offer up a morning and an evening Sacrifice of prayer and praises unto God in their Family For the better stirring you up to this much negleâ—ted duty of Family-prayer I shall commend a few Arguments 1 Taken from the practice of the faithful in all ages Wee read it was Abrahams practice wheresoever hee came to build an Altar to God where God should be called upon joyntly by him and his family Wee read likewise it was Iobs practice as you shall finde Iob 1. 5. And
Ioshuahs as appears by his protestation as for mee and my family wee will serve the Lord. In the New Testament it is recorded of Cornelius That hee was a devout wan who feared God with all his house and prayed to God alwaies which implieth hee kept a constant course in prayer Now these things are recorded for our learning that so we might write after their Copy by following their Example in so excellent a duty 2 Every Master in his Family is both a King a Prophet and a Priest Hee is a King to govern his Family a Prophet to teach and instruct his Family and a Priest to offer the sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving not only for himself but also for all those who are committed to his charge Let therefore all Masters of Families know that it is their duty which God will require of them not onely to pray by themselves and yet I would to God all did but that but also to call together all their family and to bee their mouth unto God in prayer unto which they may be incouraged by Gods gracious promise That where two or three are gathered together in Christs name there hee will be in the midst of them 3 A Master of a Family by his daily offering up a morning and evening Sacrifize of prayer and praise will make his house an house of prayer or little Temple which God will fill with his presence Yea a Christians house is hereby made Gods Church by a constant performance of holy duties which is a great honour unto a family 4 Family-prayers are a special means to bring down Gods blessing upon the whole family and upon all their lawful undertakings As God blessed the house of Obed-Edom for the Arks sake So will God bless those families in which his name is called upon For godliness is profitable unto all things as well in families as in any other societies 5 Another Argument may be taken from the danger of neglecting this duty of Family-prayer for such do incur the danger of Gods wrath and fury Pour out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not upon thy Name saith the Prophet Ieremiah Which words contain a fearful imprecation against all prayerless-families And it is observable that such as neglect this duty of prayer in their family are joyned with the Heathen and truly very fitly for wherein do they differ from the Heathens who have not so much as a form of godliness in their families upon whom God will power out his fury Oh think of this all yee who make no conscience of praying daily with your families consider it well and lay it to heart Are yee not under that Prophetical curse and liable to the pouring forth of Gods wrath and fury both upon your selves and upon all that belong unto you even your Wives your Children your Servants yea and very wares and goods It may well be written upon the doors of such houses as one saith Lord have mercy on us for surely the plague of God is not far from them but nigh unto them Obj. Mee thinks I hear some saying they are convinced of the necessity of the duty and fain they would do it but oh they cannot they know not how to pray Answ. I would advise such rather to read some good prayer than altogether to omit the duty for many Masters of Families who are not able to conceive a prayer of themselves yet if they meet with a form of prayer answerable to their occasions can pray heartily and earnestly Yet I would not have them ever content themselves with reading a form of prayer but to labour to pray of themselves without a book And for your help therein take these two Directions 1 Carefully observe the prayers of others their order and method 2 Take notice of your own sins in particular and of your particular wants what graces you stand in need of and desire As also take notice of the particular blessings God bestoweth on you and thereby you will be inabled in some measure to pray your selves by confessing your sins unto God and begging as the pardon of them in and thorow the merits of Jesus Christ so such graces as you stand in need of And when once in any competent measure you can pray for your selves then by degrees you may come to pray with your Family CHAP. XXIX Of Servants Duties to their Masters HAving shewed the Duties of Masters in reference to their Servants Come wee now to the Duties of Servants in reference to their Masters which may be brought to three heads viz. 1 Obedience 2 Diligence 3 Faithfulness I. Obedience is that the Apostle St. Paul often presseth upon Servants as a main and principal duty And indeed no inferiours are more bound to obedience than Servants Your Obedience must be manifested in two particulars 1 In a ready yeelding to your Masters commands For indeed it is the proper work of a Servant to hearken to his Masters Precepts and to yeeld ready obedience unto them 2 In a patient bearing of reproofs and corrections yea though the correction be wrongfully inflicted without just cause which the Apostle Peter expresly requireth of Servants for saith hee Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear not onely to the good and gentle but also to the froward For this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience towards God indure grief suffering wrongfully For what glory is it if when yee be buffeted for your faults yee take it patiently but if when yee do well and suffer for it yee take it patiently this is acceptable with God And if unjust correction ought patiently to be born then much more unjust reproofs But if the reproof or correction be just then you ought speedily to amend and reform the things for which you are â—ustly reproved or corrected For the Manner of Servants Obedience the Apostle sets it down in several expressions As 1 It must be a sincere Obedience This the Apostle Paul sets down with two expressions in one verse 1 Negatively Not with eye-service 2 Affirmatively With singleness of heart Not with eye-service which implieth a meer outward service only to satisfie the eye of man But with singleness of heart q. d. Let not your Obedience be hypocritical meerly to be seen of your Masters but let it be in truth and uprightness of heart doing service to your Masters in the sincerity of your hearts without any hypocrisie or dissimulation labouring in your Masters absence as well as in his presence remembring Gods eye is ever upon you 2 Your obedience must be consciencious for conscience sake because the Lord requireth it at your hands so much the Apostle expresseth for speaking to Servants he saith Whatsoever yee doe doe it heartily as to the Lord q. d. whatsoever service yee doe to your Masters doe it for the Lords sake because he hath commanded it and therefore doe