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
Christian Directions SHEWING How to walk with GOD All the Day long Drawn up for the use and benefit of the Inhabitants of SEPULCHRES Parish By THO GOUGE Pastor thereof 1 Sam. 12. 23 24. I will teach you the good and the right way only fear the Lord and serve him with all your heart considering how great things hee hath done for you 2 Pet. 1. 12. I will not bee negligent to put you alwayes in remembrance of these things though yee know them and bee established in the present truth Luke 17. 10. When yee shall have done all these things which are commanded you say wee are unprofitable servants wee have done that which was our duty to do LONDON Printed by R. Ibbitson and M. Wright at the Kings-head in the Old Bayley MDCLXI TO My dearly beloved Friends and Neighbours the Inhabitants of Sepulchres Parish Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father of Mercies and the God of all Consolation My Dear Friends COnsidering with my self how besides my Lords-daies Preaching and Week-daies Catechizing I might be further serviceable to your souls in promoting their spiritual welfare It pleased God to put it into my heart to draw up some practical Directions for your better guidance in the way to Heaven and to give to every Family in my Parish a Copy of them Accordingly I set upon the work with all readiness and alacrity being much perswaded in my self that some spiritual advantage might through Gods blessing accrew unto your souls thereby The Lord who is the searcher of all hearts knoweth that my only end and aim herein is the advancement of your everlasting salvation which if it shall be any way furthered by this small Treatise I shall never repent of my pains and cost But shall very much rejoyce that the Lord hath inabled mee in any measure to be serviceable to him in the furtherance of the Gospel of his dear Son especially among you my dear flock Two considerations among others have had some influence upon mee in this undertaking The one is of that mutual love which hath hitherto been between us As I have you in my heart so am I perswaded that you have mee in yours During the whole time of my abode with you which is now above two and twenty years I do not remember that we have had the least difference no not about the point of Maintenance the usual unhappy make-bate between Minister and People For though the value of the Living be not so much by half as is generally reported abroad being no Parsonage but a Vicaridge endowed with a third part of that Tithe which the Parson doth collect yet I cannot but with much thankfulness acknowledge that what I have had hath been with much love and friendliness For when you have made any composition with mee for my part of the Tithe you have alwaies given mee more than I could demand or expect If then the blessed Apostle Paul were willing and that with gladness to spend and to bee spent for his Corinthians and that although the more abundantly hee loved them the less hee was loved of them Much more ought I to be like-minded towards you who have not at any time so ill requited my love but alwaies been ready to answer it with reciprocal affections That therefore I might leave to posterity some publick acknowledgement and perpetual memorâ—al of your constant love and respect to mee together with my due resentment of it was one consideration which put mee upon this design Another was the gladsome reflexion upon your great and godly care of your poor which I look upon even as it is meet for mee so to do as the fruit of the Gospel preached among you and an argument of your profiting therein And indeed it is such as I willingly take occasion to make publick mention of it for an example to others For though your poor bee many hundreds yet I think I may say truly without offence to other Parishes they are in some respect better provided for than any poor in the City For by the voluntary contribution of divers of you with the assistance of some other charitable persons 1 All the poor children in your Parish are taught to read and write gratis by such School-Masters and School-Mistresses who teach them their Catechize whereof my self sometimes take an account 2 All the Antient poor who can either spin or knit may have Flax and Yarn for fetching to set themselves on work an are well paid for the same immediately upon the return thereof This consideration as it hath very much affected mee so have I alwaies accounted my self your debtor upon this score And surely if our Lord and Master doth take what is done unto the poor for their relief as done unto himself then should wee also especially his Ministers in some sort be like-minded Your debtor therefore I have taken my self to bee nor could I bethink my self how to discharge this debt in a way more suitable to the nature of it and my relation to you than by indeavouring something extraordinary for your good hereafter as you have done extraordinarily for the present good of our poor and as you have put your selves to special pains and charge for the succour of their bodies so to put my self upon some special labour and willingly be at some cost for the advantage of your souls But the main Motive which hath put mee upon this undertaking is the single sense of my Relation to you that it hath pleased God of his infinite goodness and free grace to entrust mee a weak frail earthen vessel with that inestimable Treasure the Mysteries of the Gospel and appointed mee to preach unto you in particular the Unsearchable Riches of Christ. I account it the greatest honour a poor creature can be capable of to be made directly subservient to the glorious counsel and gracious purpose of his Creator for the recovery and restauration of the world by Jesus Christ and therefore that we Ministers of the Gospel whom God hath vouchsafed this honour have the strongest ingagement and obligation laid upon us to preach the Gospel both in season and out of season and to lay out our selves all manner of waies if by any means we may gain souls unto Christ and build them up in him Now this way I have here taken will have this advantage above others above my ordinary preaching and performance of other Ministerial duties among you that whereas by them I can minde you of the things which belong unto your everlasting peace only while I am in this Tabernacle By this as it is said of Abel I may still speak to you even when dead Accept therefore my dear Friends and Neighbours this little Treatise from the hands of your loving Pastor whose heart is exceedingly inlarged towards you greatly longing after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. For what is my hope or joy or crown of rejoycing Are not even yee in the
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
longer than ordinary 3 Sleep refresheth the body of a man so doth death the bodies of the Saints for the body lieth down a weak frail mortal corruptible body but riseth a strong glorious immortal and incorruptible body so much the Apostle Paul plainly expresseth where speaking of the resurrection of the body he saith It is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption it is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sown in weakness it is raised in power it is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body 4 Sleep oftentimes cometh upon a man unexpectedly so doth death for how many dye on the sudden when they least of all looked for it and therefore how doth it concern us to live in a continual expectation of and preparation for death 5 Sleep cometh acceptably to some men so doth death to beleevers who welcome death as their best friend next to Jesus Christ. Thus let thy sleep mind thee of thy death and that not as farre off but as near at hand thinking thou mayest this night sleep the sleep of death for how many have gone well to bed and been dead before the morning and that which happeneth unto one may befall another II. As thou art going to sleep commend thy self thy relations wife children servants and all that thou hast into the armes of Gods protection knowing that they are safe whom the Lord keepeth And then labour to fall asleep as thou art meditating of some good thing for then will thy sleep bee more sweet thy dreams more comfortable and thine heart will be in better plight when thou awakest CHAP. XXI Of the Morality of the Sabbath HAving shewed you how to walk with God on the Week days I shall now shew you how to walk with God on the Sabbath Day so as it may prove a comfortable day unto you To this end I shall 1 Prove the Morality of the Sabbath 2 Give you grounds for the change of the Sabbath from the last day of the week to the first proving our Lords Day to be now the true Sabbath 3 Give you Directions how to sanctifie the same 4 Adde some Motives to quicken you up to a conscionable observation of the directions 1 Because there are many who are not convinced of the Morality of the Sabbath and so not of the continuance thereof therefore it is requisite that I first prove the Commandement of the Sabbath to be moral and perpetual and to continue in force even to the end of the world for that is accounted Moral which as a rule of life bindeth all Persons in all places at all times Arguments proving the Morality of the Sabbath 1 Because it was sanctified in the time of Adams innocency as we read Gen. 2. 3 4. now Adam in his innocent estate was a Publick person the great representative of all the World that therefore which was commanded to him in his innocency appertained to all his Posterity even to the end of the world And if God saw it necessary for our first Parents in the time of their innocency to have a Sabbath Day to serve him in that they might more freely and fully give themselves to holy and religious exercises Then what need have we the Posterity of Adam now in our corrupted estate to have a Sabbath to take our thoughts off from our worldly businesses and bestow them wholly on God and the duties of his Worship and Service 2 The Commandement concerning the Sabbath is placed in the number of the Moral Commandements for when God renewed the whole Moral Law delivering it most solemnly on Mount Sinai and ingraved it in two Tables hee placed this Commandement concerning the Sabbath amongst the rest and made it one entire Precept so as if the morality thereof be denied and this Commandement made no part of the Moral Law then the Moral Law would consist but of nine Commandements which is contrary to the Word of God which often maketh express mention of Ten. 3 The manner of the delivery of this Commandement confirms the morality and perpetuity of it and shews that it is of as great force as any of the other Nine 1 For first God by his immediate Voyce commanded this as well as the rest 2 This Commandement was written by the Finger of God in Tables of Stone as well as the other as to signifie the hardness of our hearts so likewise the continuance and perpetuity of this Commandement 3 It was placed in the very heart of the Ten Commandements as that which by a careful and conscionable performance of the duties required therein would give life to the keeping of all the rest And it is a certain truth that he who makes no conscience to keep holy the Sabbath Day will make little conscience of keeping any of the other Commandements so he may doe it without discredit of his reputation or danger of mans Law Look how a man is careful and conscionable in the performance of the duties of piety to God on this Day in like manner is he careful and conscionable in the performance of the duties of righteousness toward his neighbour on the week days Obj I Some object that of the Apostle Yee observe days months and times and years as also that to the Colossians Let no man judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath Day Ans. The Apostle here condemns not the Moral Sabbath which we now call the Lords Day but he speaks of the Levitical Sabbaths which were the first day of every month and the first and last days of every one of their solemn Feasts which were called Sabbaths all which are now abrogated Obj. 2 Some object that to a Christian every day is a Sabbath and therefore say that we should not restrain it to one day more than to another Ans. 1 True it is every day should be a Sabbath to a Christian in two respects 1 In a resting from Sin 2 In a readiness to serve God For as we should at all times rest from Sin so we should bee always in a readiness and disposition to serve God Yet are we not bound to spend every day as a Sabbath by laying aside the lawful works of our Callings and giving up our selves wholly to the solemn duties of Gods Worship and Service which is contrary to the command of God who saith Six days shalt thou labour and doe all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any work where the Lord doth require of us as well to follow the works of our Calling on the six days as to keep holy the Sabbath Day by a conscionable performance of his Worship and Service I deny not but Divine Worship is to bee performed unto God every day as under the Law we read they had their Morning and Evening sacrifice
every day so we should every day offer up our morning and evening sacrifice of Prayer and truly by duties of piety to God are our worldly businesses sanctified and seasoned and therefore are every day to be performed but yet so as the duties of our ordinary Callings be likewise performed and not neglected by us 2 Upon the same ground neither Adam nor the Iewes before Christ should have observed any Sabbath because they were bound to rest from sin as well as Christians 3 Neither are we to keep days of fasting because we are to fast from sin every day Having thus proved the Morality of the Sabbath and answered some Objections against it II. I shall in the next place give you the grounds for the change of the Sabbath from the last day of the week to the first 1 Divine institution even the institution of Christ himself which appeareth two ways 1 By the title given to the first Day of the Week namely the Lords Day for whatsoever in Holy Writ is said to be the Lords denominatively fo that Christ is the Author and institutor as for instance The Lords Supper because he instituted it The people of the Lord because he chose them the Lords Messengers because he sends them Upon the same ground the first day of the week is denominatively called the Lords Day and that not by Creation for so every day is his from the beginning but by Divine institution because it was instituted by Christ the Lord for Divine Worship and Service and for the memorial of the great work of Redemption wrought by him Agreeable hereunto is that of Augustine who saith that the Apostles appointed the Lords Day to be kept with all religious solemnity because in that day our Redeemer rose from the dead and therefore is called the Lords Day 2 By the practise of the Apostles who constantly assembled together on the first day of the week which is our Lords Day and that without doubt upon the command of Christ himself for whereas he continued forty days on earth after his resurrection before he ascended into Heaâ—en it is said in that time hee gave Commandements unto his Apostles and spake unto them of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God that is he instructed them how they should change the bodily sacrifices of Beasts into the spiritual sacrifices of Prayer and Praises the Sacrament of Circumcision into the Sacrament of Baptism the Sacrament of the Passeover into the Sacrament of the Lords Supper And then likewise he instructed his Apostles touching the change of the Sabbath into the Lords Day To which agreeth that of learned Iunius who saith positively that the change of the Sabbath was not by the tradition of men but by the observation and appointment of Christ who both on the day of his resurrection and on every seventh day after unto his Ascension into Heaven appeared to his Disciples and came into their assemblies Hereupon we read the Apostles met together on every first day of the week to preach the Word and to communicate the Lords Supper as Ioh. 20. 19 26. Acts 2. 1. Acts 20. 7 and in divers other places And wee find it expresly ordained by the Apostle Paul that the weekly Collections for the Poor should be on that day Now concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so doe yee upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him c. And why on that day surely no other reason can well bee imagined but that their assembling together to partake of the Ordinances of God was wont to be on that day And therefore because works of charity suit well with duties of piety and that by the Ordinances then dispensed they might be stirred up to a more free and chearful contribution the Apostle ordained also that the Collections for the poor should be on the same day viz. the first day of the week 2 Another Argument proving the first day of the week commonly called the Lords Day to bee the true Christian Sabbath now under the Gospel may bee taken from the constant practice of the Church and People of God since the Apostles times As I have shewed you that it was the practice of the Apostles to observe the first day of the week which is argument enough to warrant the day they being guided by the Spirit of Christ in an especial manner So it doth clearly appear that it hath been the practice of all holy men since the Apostles times to observe this day and that under the name of the Lords Day Ignatius who lived in St. Iohns time saith Let every one that loveth Christ keep holy the Lords Day which is the Queen of daies Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical history plainly shews how the Church and People of God in several ages after the Apostles times observed the first day of the week as instituted by Christ and ordained afterwards by the Apostles I might spend much paper in shewing how this day hath been observed in all ages from the Apostles times to these daies Now the constant custome of the Church is not to bee sleighted That expression of the Apostle If any man seem to bee contentious wee have no such custome neither the Churches of God sheweth that the custome of the Church is a matter to be regarded 3 The Resurrection of Christ both giveth a ground for the sanctifying of our Christian Sabbath and likewise sheweth a reason for the changing of the day For the work of Redemption wrought by Jesus Christ being far more excellent than the work of Creation did much more deserve a weekly memorial That the work of Redemption was more excellent appears In that it cost more to redeem the world of Gods Elect than to create the whole world for to create the world it cost God but a word as it were Hee but spake the word and it was done But to redeem the world of Gods Elect it cost no less than the precious blood of the Son of God So that this work hath swallowed up the former as the Temple did the Tabernacle And wee who live after Christs Resurrection are as much bound to the celebration of the first day of the week as they who lived before to the last It is very observable that a seventh day hath been observed to the honour of God ever since the Creation and such a seventh as never a week in the alteration was without a Sabbath and never a week had two Sabbaths for as the week ended with the former Sabbath so the next week began with our Sabbath which could not have been if any other seventh day had been chosen If any shall ask why the change of the day is not more clearly expressed in the New Testament I answer because there was no question moved about the same in the Apostles times which
heart that is we must exercise the graces of Gods holy Spirit in singing as well as in praying labouring to express the same affection in singing the Psalm as David had in penning the same as if it be a Psalm of Confession then to express some humility and brokenness of heart and spirit in singing it If it be a Psalm of prayers and petitions then must our affections be fervent If a Psalm of praises and thanksgivings then must our hearts be chearful And thus must the affection of the heart be ever suitable to the quality of the Psalm 3 It must be to the Lord that is as in the sight and presence of the Lord and to his honour and glory As the Apostle expresseth it in the next verse Whatsoever yee do in word or deed do it as in the name of Christ so to the praise and glory of God making his glory the main end and aim of what you do III. Another private Duty to be performed with our Family is Prayer For if this duty ought to be performed every day twice at least viz. in the morning and evening then especially on the Lords Day which the Lord hath wholly consecrated to his worship and service The Directions for the right manner of performing this duty of Prayer so as it may be an acceptable service and sacrifice unto God you may finde in Chapter second about the latter part thereof IV. Reading the Scriptures is another Duty to be performed in and with our Family that so they may bee acquainted with the Body of the Scriptures yea and with the Precepts and Promises the Directions and Consolations of the Word for their direction and comfort Directions for the more profitable reading of the Scriptures see Chap. 4. These are the Private duties of Piety to bee performed on the Lords Day Besides the Publick and Private there are likewise secret duties to be performed by every one alone in their Closets or Chambers which are briefly these 1 Reading some part of Gods Word or other good Books 2 Meditating of what you have heard or read that day which is an excellent means to make the Word both read and preached profitable unto you For as meat though it be never so wholsome nourisheth us not if it be not concocted and digested so is it with the Word of God the food of our souls if it be not by meditation concocted and digested it will nothing at all profit us but being by meditation digested it will then prove effectual to the nourishing of our souls 3 Examining your selves as of your former life conversation so especially of your carriage the last week and of the manner of your performing the duties of the day and as you should be humbled for your faylings therein so you should resolve with the assistance of Gods grace to be more watchful over your selves for the time to come and to be more careful in sanctifying the Lords Day by a conscionable manner of performing the duties thereof 4 Praying unto God is another duty to be performed by you in secret as well as publickly and privately yea you should double and treble your Prayers on the Lords Day Under the Law we read how the Lord required double Sacrifices on the Sabbath Day for besides the daily Sacrifices two Lambs more were appointed to be offered up on the Sabbath day four in all to shew the holiness of the day And in like manner ought you to double your spiritual sacrifices of Prayer and Praises on the Lords Day earnestly beseeching him for Christs sake to pardon as your sins in general so in special the manifold infirmities and imperfections which have passed from you in the performance of your holy seâ—vices and to enable you by his Spirit to perform them for the time to come with more life and vigor with more fervency and affection Having thus shewed you both the Publick Private and Secret duties of Piety to be performed on the Lords Day Come we now to the Works of Mercy which is another Head of duties which ought to be performed on thatday and therefore to duties of Piety you must adde Works of Mercy on the Sabbath day in a conscionable performance of both which consisteth the true sanctification of the Sabbath And because man consists of two Parts viz. of Soul and Body and both of them are subject to many Maladies therefore the Works of Mercy may be brought to these two Heads 1 Such as concern the Soul 2 Such as concern the Body of your Neighbour I The Works of Mercy which concern the Soul of your Neighbour are these and such like 1 To instruct the ignorant in Points of Doctrine needful and necessary to be known herein Iob expressed his charity as Eliphas testifieth of him Thou hast instructed many viz. in the knowledge of God 2 To draw Sinners to repentance by setting before them as the severity of Gods Justice against all impenitent Sinners so the freeness of his grace and riches of his mercy to all penitenâ— Sinners 3 To comfort such as are comfortless through an apprehension of the number and hainousness of their sins by setting before them the All-sufficiency of Christs Sacrifice and the gracious offers in the Gospel to all who find their sins a burthen to them 4 To exhort and stirre up such as have begun well to hold on patiently and constantly whereunto the Apostle exhorteth us Let us saith he consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works or to whet on to love and good works as the word in the Original properly signifieth 5 To reprove and rebuke such as are scandalous and offensive in their waies Thus Iohn reproved Herod for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for many other evils 6 To resolve the doubtful 7 To strengthen and establish such as are weak in grace These indeed in one respect may be called works of Piety namely as they are instructions directions and consolations gathered out of the holy Scriptures But in another respect they are works of mercy namely as they tend to the good of your neighbours souls In which the poorest that are may be rich in good works II. The works of mercy which concern the body of our neighbour are these and such like 1 Relieving such as are in want The Apostle enjoyning the Corinthians to lay up some thing in store every first day of the week which is the Lords Day implieth that that is a very fit season not only to do such works of mercy which are then offered unto us but also to prepare for other times And surely if every one would every Lords Day set apart something out of his commings in that week for a stock to give to charitable uses much good might be done thereby For as men by this means will have more to give than otherwise they will finde in their hearts to do on the week days So they will give both more
bountifully and more willingly because the stock out of which they give is prepared before-hand and it being a sacred Stock by their voluntary setting it apart to such an use their conscience will account it sacriledge to lay it out any other way If poor men that live by their daies labour and servants that live on their wages would every Lords Day lay up some half-pennies or pence for this end and purpose they might have without any sensible dammage to themselves a stock for the poor How much greater store would be for the poor if rich men according to Gods blessing on them would so do 2 Visiting the sick and such as are otherwise restrained of liberty This we finde practised by our Saviour and that upon the Sabbath day after the publick ordinances were ended as Mark. 1 29 30. where we read that our Saviour with some of his Apostles After they were come out of the Synagogue went to visit Peters wives Mother who lay sick of a Feaver which sheweth That Christ accounted it a work of mercy suitable to the Sabbath to visit the sick From whence we may learn as just occasion is offered to spend some time of the Sabbath in visiting the sick it being an especial work of mercy proper to the Sabbath yea and an especial means to fill our minds with spiritual Meditations and our mouths with holy conferences which are parts of private sanctification of the Sabbath What time therefore others spend in idleness or vain company or sitting at street-doors or walking abroad in the streets and fields let us spend in this and such like works of mercy Directions for the right manner of visiting the Sick see in Chap. XIX Besides these duties of Piety and works of Mercy which are commanded to be done on the Lords Day There are some things which the Lord permits unto us in regard of the weakness and infirmities of our bodies viz. Sleep Food and Apparel Because we cannot with strength and delight spend the whole day in Sabbath duties without competent rest food and apparel therefore it is lawful for us to spend some time as in sleep so in apparelling our selves and in refreshing our bodies with food which otherwise would be ready to faint But by a moderate use of these we are inabled to do the things we take in hand the more chearfully But herein two Cautions ought carefully to be observed 1 You must spend no more time about them than needs must Wherefore your bodies being refreshed with moderate sleep you ought to get up early on the Lords Day as about six or seven of the clock and to use all possible speed in dressing your selves and not to sit longer than needs must at your meals that so you may have the more time for the duties of Gods worship and service on his day And truly since the Lord is so good and gracious unto you as to afford you some part of his own day for the refreshment of your bodies Far be it from you to abuse his goodness by lavishing away more time therein than needs must Second Caution Do them as Sabbath-dayes-works which is done two waies 1 By doing them for this end that thereby you may bee the better inabled to serve God Thus when at your lying down the evening before the Sabbath you desire God to give you quiet comfortable sleep that thereby your weak bodies may be refreshed and you the better inabled to serve him the next day in the duties of his worship and service this is a Sabbath-sleep In like manner when you eat and drink for this very end that your bodies may be refreshed and your spirits revived and you thereby the better inabled with chearfulness to serve God the remaining part of the day this is a Sabbaths-eating and drinking 2 By raising spiritual and heavenly Meditations from the same At your first awaking you should call to minde what day it is and having blessed God for your comfortable rest and sleep that night you should beg of him the special assistance of his grace to carry you thorow all the duties of the day When you are rising out of your beds you should think as of the Resurrection of Christs body out of his grave early on that day so likewise of the Resurrection of your Souls here out of the death of sin to the life of holiness and of your bodies at the last day out of the grave of the earth to the life of glory in Heaven In your apparessing your selves you should then think of the long white Robe of Christs Righteousness and of the happiness of those who have an interest therein When you are washing your hands and your faces from the cleansing virtue of the water you should take occasion to meditate of the cleansing virtue of Christs blood which alone washeth your souls from the filthy spots and stains of sin When you go to your Tables to partake of Gods good creatures your corporal food for the nourishment of your bodies should minister occasion of meditating on the spiritual food of your souls whereby they are nourished unto everlasting life The bread on your Tables should minde you of Jesus Christ who is the bread of life that came down from Heaven to quicken your dead souls Thus from every thing should you indeavour to draw matter of spiritual and heavenly meditation labouring to keep your hearâ—s in an holy frame all the day long For what our Saviour said to his Disciples concerning the loaves and the fishes Gather up the fragments let nothing bee lost The like he seemeth to speak unto you concerning the Lords Day gather up the parcels thereof let no part of the day be lost no not the least minutes which are precious as the least filings of Gold As the Lord doth permit unto you some things which your weak bodies stand in need of that thereby you may be the better inabled to serve him on his day So he is pleased to allow some things to be done by you even on his day though they hinder the performance of the proper works thereof and they are such things as are of absolute necessity Quest. If you ask what I mean by works of absolute necessity Answ. Such as must needs be done and yet could not be done the day before the Sabbath nor put off to the day after without great prejudâ—ce But on the other side such things as do no way further the sanctification of the day but rather hinder the same and may as well be done the day before or the day after or some other time ought not to be done on the Lords Day Having thus done with the Directions for the right sanctification of the Lords Day IV. Come we now to the Motives to quicken you up to a conscionable observation of the Directions 1 A right sanctification of the Lords Day maketh much to the honour of God Mark what the Lord himself saith to his Church in this case by his
to himself to the members of his mystical body than to the members of his naturalâ— body For he offered up his natural body as a Sacrifice for the redemption of his mystical body What greater love than this can be imagined Oh how doth it then concern us to go to that ordinance with hearts inflamed with a love to Jesus This much of the necessity of our love to God and to his Son Jesus Christ. II. For the Trial thereof you may know it by these notes and characters 1 Where there is a true hearty love to God and to Iesus Christ the heart will bee much taken up with the thoughts of them Such an one will be often thinking of God and of Jesus Christ and of their transcendent love manifested in the great work of Redemption David having said Oh how do I love thy Law he presently adds It is my meditation all the day And indeed whatsoever and whomsoever we love we cannot but frequently think and meditate on Indeed such as love God and the Lord Jesus Christ in truth and sincerity may have multitude of vain wanton worldly covetous thoughts in their hearts but they take no true delight in them they are rather their grief and their burden but the thoughts of God and of Christ are very sweet and comfortable unto them By this therefore try and examine the truth of thy love unto God and Jesus Christ. 2 Where there is an hearty love to God and to Iesus Christ such an one will bee often speaking of them For the tongue cannot but be speaking of those things and persons upon whom the heart is set If the heart of a man be set upon the world and the things thereof his tongue will be most frequently talking and discoursing of them In like manner if the heart of a man be set upon God and Jesus Christ his tongue will be frequently talking and discoursing of them By this therefore try and examine the truth of thy love unto God and Jesus Christ. For hee that saith hee loveth God and the Lord Jesus Christ and yet seldome thinks of them or speaks of them certainly hee deceiveth himself for wee cannot but bee thinking and speaking of those whom we truly love 3 Where there is an hearty love unto God and Iesus Christ it will make a man willing to do any thing for them Iacob loved Rachel and what did hee not do for her Hee served two Apprentiships and yet all seemed nothing to him for the love he had to her And therefore where there is a sincere love to God and Christ it will constrain such an one to lay out himself to the uttermost for them to put himself upon the practice of such duties which are hard and difficult and require much labour and pains By this then try and examine the truth of thy love unto God and his Son Jesus Christ. 4 Where there is an hearty love to God and Iesus Christ it will make a man willing to suffer any thing for them It is said of the Primitive Saints that out of their abundant love unto the Lord Jesus Christ they accounted not their estates too dear for him but took joyfully the spoiling of their goods Neither did they account their lives too dear For it is expresly said They loved not their lives to death for him i. e. they despised their lives in comparison of Christ they willingly exposed not only their goods and estates to the spoil and their persons to all manner of shame and contempt but also their bodies to painful deaths for the cause of Christ. By this then try and examine the truth of thy love unto Jesus Christ namely by thy willingness to suffer for the cause and truths of Jesus Christ. II. Love of thy neighbour is another branch of that love which is required of every Communicant Touching which I shall briefly shew 1 The Necessity thereof in every Communicant 2 The Trial thereof I. The Necessity thereof appeareth in that the Lord will not accept of any service thou performest unto him if thou bee not in love and charity with thy neighbour as our Saviour himself speaketh in that known place If therefore thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee Leave there thy gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift This phrase Thy brother hath ought against thee may be indefinitely taken of one that hath provoked another or hath been provoked himself hath ought against thee whether by thy default or his So that hereby is implied whether wrong be done by thee or to thee if there be any variance between thee and thy neighbour peace and reconciliation must be speedily sought For without it God will not accept of any worship or service thou offerest unto him Though Christ here instanceth but in one kind of worship which was the offering up of Sacrifice yet under this hee comprehendeth all the parts and kinds of Gods worship as praying hearing receiving the Sacrament or the like So that Christs meaning is that whensoever thou settest upon any part of Gods worship and service and then remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee i. e. that thou hast any way wronged and offended thy brother or as Mark hath it If thou hast ought against thy brother i. e. if he hath wronged thee first be reconciled to thy brother and then go to the ordinance of God II. For the Trial of the truth of thy love to thy brother thou mayest know it by these notes 1 If thou hast truly forgiven thy brother thou wilt be so far from doing him any harm though it lay in thy power that thou wilt not wish any harm unto him 2 If thou hast truly forgiven thy offending brother thou wilt willingly imbrace occasions of doing him good that so he may know and be assured that thou art reconciled to him This our Saviour requireth of all his Disciples where he saith Love your enemies i. e. those who have any way wronged you and as an evidence of the truth of your love he addeth Do good to them thâ—t hate you intimating that it is not sufficient that you speak friendly and peaceably to your enemies but you must likewise take all occasions of doing them what good you can which is true Christian love and charity Having thus spoken largely to the first head of Examination namely our graces I come now to the second namely our sins wherein I shall study brevity As it is the duty of every Communicant to examine himself concerning his graces so likewise concerning his sins which are like that accursed thing whereof God speaketh to Ioshua Iosh. 7. 11. they must therefore be searched out Yea they are like the wilde gourd that brought death into the pot If they be not searched out and cast away they will turn the Sacramental
they are born The Iew. vere commanded to circumcize their children on the eighth day But though Baptism succeeded in the room of Circumcision as the Apostle hinteth yet are not wee now under the Gospel strictly tied to that day notwithstanding from that command of God to the Iews wee may doubtless infer that the Children of Christians may and ought to be baptized within some few daies after they are born II. To train them up in the fear and nurture of the Lord. This duty the Apostle Paul in special presseth upon Parents Yee Parents saith hee bring up your Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord q. â— Let your main care be not how to make them rich but religious how to work the sincere fear of God into their souls that as God of his infinite goodness hath made them your children by natural Generation so you should strive and indeavour to make them his Children by a godly and religious education Austin in his fifth Book of Confessions speaking of his Mother Monica saith That shee travelled with greater care and stronger paiâ— for his spiritual birth than for his natural birth And truly the like care and pains should be in all Parenâ—â— towards their Children Not thinking it sufficient that they have brought them up to some good Trade whereby they may live another day But they must likewise bring them up in the fear of God teaching them so to serve him here that they may live with him eternally in the Heavens For your better help herein take these few Directions 1 Instruct them in the Principles of Religion by teaching them some good Catechism which should be frequently if not daily performed though but a very little at once to prevent wearisomeness in your children Q. How soon should wee begin to teach our children A. When they are able to learn any thing that is evil it is high time to teach them something that is good Solomon saith when hee was young and tender his Father taught him And that his Mother did so too you may read in the last chapter of the Book of Proverbs 2 Betimes instruct them in the practical part of Christianity by calling upon them frequently to read the Scriptures daily to offer up a morning and an evening Sacrifice of prayer and praise unto God constantly to give thanks before and after meals carefully to avoid all known sins and diligently to perform every known duty and that out of conscience This the Lord commended in Abraham I know him saith God that hee will command his children and his houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement 3 Bring them with you to the House of God so soon as they can remember any thing which they hear When Ioshua read the words of the Law before the Congregation of Israel it is expresly said That the women and the little-ones were amongst the men 4 Examine your children at home of what they have heard in the publick Congregation and labour to make it more clear and plain to their understanding 5 Bee often speaking before them of the great things the Lord hath done for his Church and people both of old and in your daies This the Lord commanded the Israelitish Parents to do to their children which wee finde accordingly practised by them As children generally have good memories so they are excellent at the remembring of stories 6 Bee patterns of piety and godlâ—ness unto your children For the truth is there is great force in Examples to draw others either to good or evil And it is usually the disposition of Children to follow their Parents And therefore how doth it concern Parents to look to their waies and courses especially how they behave themselves before their children who are much inclined to follow their example Oh that all Parents would seriously think of this that the consideration hereof might reclaim them from all loose and wicked courses lest by their evil example they make their children twofold more the children of Hell than they were by nature 7 Bee sure you forget not daily to pray to God for them especially that hee would indue them with his saving sanctifying graces that as they grow in years so they may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And for your incouragement know that children of many prayers seldome miscarry Parents are generally careful to lay up wealth and riches for their children oh that they would be as careful to lay up a stock of prayers for them in Heaven which will questionless prove their childrens best portion Oh that all Parents would thus indeavour to bring up their children in the fear and nurture of the Lord that as they were instruments to beget them in the flesh so they might be instruments to beget them in the Faith which is the main duty incumbent upon Parents in reference to their children III. Another duty is To provide for the bodies of their children as well as for their souls This the Apostle intimateth where hee saith If any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own house hee is worse than an Infidel viz. in this point because he by the light of nature knoweth this to be a duty And again saith the Apostle in 2 Cor. 12. 14. Children ought not to lay up for their Parents but Parents for their children as God shall bless them But yet beware of with-holding thy hand from works of charity because of many children nay rather the more children thou hast the more liberal thou oughtest to be that so the Lord may double his blessing upon thee and thine for the seed of the merciful saith the Psalmist are blessed And saith the Apostle Hee that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully IV. It is the duty of Parents to rebuke their children when they do amiss whereby you may both free your selves from the guilt of your childrens sin and prevent much evil in your children For questionless the want thereof is one special cause of so much wickedness and prophaneness in many children V. When reproof prevails not you ought to correct them for their faults This duty the Scripture often presseth upon Parents Chasten thy Son while there is hope and let not thy soul spare for his crying or as the Original properly signifieth Let not thy soul spare to his destruction Intimating that the Fathers sparing of his child may tend to his destruction or as wee use to say bring him to the Gallows So that too much lenity may prove the greatest cruelty in the issue An Antient Father in the Church relates a sad story of a youth whose usual custome it was upon auy thing that crossed him to curse and blaspheme and not being duly corrected for the same hee continued in that wicked course to his dying-day and as the story noteth the Devil
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
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