requires not or do it in a manner he regards not They are like the Son that said to his Father I go Sir but went not Mat. 21.30 But shall we take it for granted that thou wilt worship him but wilt thou do it in truth and sincerity otherwise God will not regard it I fear we may say of many as Joshua of Israel Josh 24.19 You cannot serve the Lord for he is an holy God but is it your Resolution as theirs was in the verses following Nay but we will serve the Lord and that you will choose the Lord to serve him consider what you do you must take him to be your God and be willing to have your Souls cleansed from all your sins and must be willing to take the Lord Jesus Christ as he is offered in the Gospel to be your Lord and Husband and be as willing to be ruled by him as saved by him and must resolve to obey his Laws and do his will and live in the performance of those spiritual duties he requires at at thy hand Yea thou must have a setled Resolution to cleave to Christ and obey him even in the most despised disgraceful dangerous difficult and costly part of duty Though it be to the loss of thy worldly enjoyments yea and life it self I know many would pick of choose their duties this they would do but that they would not they scum of the Fat and sweet of duty but leave that which is difficult or dangerous but God will have no such Servants obey him thou must though thy Father Mother and all thy Friends become thine Enemies upon the account yea in some cases thou must not only leave but hate Father and Mother c. yea thy own life for his sake yea though thou loose thy credit and esteem in the World and be made a scorn and a reproach for his sake though thou loose thy pleasure and never see merry day whilst thou livest though it endanger thy Estate and bring thee to Poverty though thou loose thy Liberty and be cast into a Prison yea though thou loose thy life and be brought to a Stake to suffer yea though thou seest few or none walk that same way with thee Noah must obey God though the whole World disobey him yea thou must obey him though his commands be never so contrary to thy carnal interest or never so opposite to flesh and blood and though they are never so hard or difficult or dangerous or costly before ever thou take upon thee the profession of Religion sit down first and reckon the charges lest like many thou begin to build and be unable to finish it and not like many put their hands to the Plow and then look back or like the stony ground when persecution ariseth presently are offended resolve to give him thy heart with thy hand or he will have none of thee he knows the heart and trie the reins and thou canst not deceive him with a dissembling shew when Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire he slew them When Ananias and Saphira played the Hypocrite he struck them dead Cleanse thy heart therefore if thou wilt serve him and serve him thou must or do worse Thou canst never err on that hand in serving him too well he deserves more and better than thou canst give him his wages will be beyond thy work now that I may prevail with thee to serve God take these following Motives 1. Motive We should worship and serve the Lord our God because he hath commanded us so to do and his command makes it our duty we are his Creatures and we owe our selves and all that we have to him for our Creation He made us and therefore hath most right to us He made us for his service and therefore 't is all the reason in the World that we should serve him for who is the Pot but the Potters and this is the service he requires of us to worship him according to his will and praise him for his benefits this is all he requires at our hands even this Tribute of praise and shall we be so ingrateful to our great Benefactour to deny him this Nay we are his also by right of Redemption for we had sold our selves unto slavery even to Sathan and were become Bond-slaves to this hellish Pharaoh who exercised more cruelty to our Souls than ever Pharaoh did to the Bodies of the Israelites and in the slavery had remained for ever had not God sent his own Son to ransome us with the loss of his life and the shedding of his pretious blood Satan was the strong man armed that kept his house in peace till Christ a stronger than he disarmed him and took away his weapons wherein he boasted And now being bought with a price we should glorifie God with our Bodies and with our Souls which are Gods The end he aimed at in our Redemption was his own glory as well as our liberty and this he expects from our hands is we being delivered from the fear of our Enemies might serve him without fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the days of our Lives Luk. 2.74,75 Nay we are also his by Covenant under our Hand and Seal in our Baptisme we were dedicated to his service which Covenant since we have often ratified at the Sacrament of the Supper and how can we deny our own act and deed He is our Lord and we should worship him Psal 45 1â— Now that worship and service is required of us is evident Scripture and Reason speaks as much 2 Kings 17.36 You shall not fear other Gods nor bow your selves to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them but the Lord who brought you out of the Land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm him shall ye fear ond him shall ye worship and to him you shall do sacrifice and his statutes and his ordinances ye shall observe Exod. 34.4 You shall worship no other God but him the like we have Exod. 20.50 1 Chron. 16.29 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name bring an Offering and an Oblation before him worship him in the beauty of holiness Yea Christ himself preacheth this doctrine when the Divil tempted him to fall down and worship him he answered It is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Mat. 4.8 Yea he directs us with what worship to worship him John 4.23,24 The true worshippers worship him in Spirit and in Truth God is a Spirit and those that worship him must worship him in Spirit and of this spiritual worship we may also read Phil. 3.3 Or will you hear the counsel of an Angel from Heaven you have it Rev. 19.10 Worship God yea this is the practice of the Angels the work they do and the work that the Angels and gloryfied Saints shall do through all Eternity Heb. 1.6 But what are Testimonies in so plain a case few deny it though few
God's Blessing upon their Endeavours is great encouragement he would never succeed them in so sinful a Course were it such nay the remarkable Judgments of God upon Sabbath-breakers bespeakes God for the Author for none in the World could Lawfully have done it without him Thus I have shewn you I hope sufficient grounds to Build upon I proceed now to Direct you to keep it as a Sabbath 2. Direct If thou wouldst Faithfully Sanctifie the Sabbath as God Commands thee make preparation for it before it come for there is hardly any thing of great Concernment well done without some preparation and much more here we prepare the Body for Physick before we take it we provide in Summer for Winter and lay in Provision in Harvest we prepare in the Day for the Night and work when we have the Light We prepare in Health for Sickness and in Youth for Age And were we to appear before some great Man we should make preparation accordingly and shall we only be wanting in the Service of our Lord and Master and rush into his Presence without prepared Hearts God bids us remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy or to Sanctifie it as 't is Deut. 5.12 The word Remember signifies either to call to mind something past or to commit to Memory something for the Future and both are necessary to this business God sets this Memento upon it to Teach us that those that will keep it well when it is come must Remember it before it come or otherwise our Nature is so Corrupt that it will take hold upon some Occasion or other to draw us aside from the Duty in hand We can fore-cast for Fairs and Markets sometimes long before and make preparations for them according to our needs whether to buy or sell We consider our wants to have them supplyed and make preparations accordingly and yet how few make preparation for the Market day for the Soul Many tire themselves in the Labours of their Calling in the Week days and then use the Lord's day no otherwise than a Beast only Rest from their Labours for their Spirits being spent and their Bodies tyred they are more fit for sleep than any Holy Duty and rushing rudely out of the World into the Service of God they bring so much of the world with them that it renders them incapable of any Spiritual Duty But thy Care should be to sequester thy Heart Thoughts and Affections from the world and set them upon God and empty thy Heart of worldly Cares and Troubles that thou maist mind the business God sets thee about The want of this is one Cause why Men get so little benefit by the Ordinances and hear so much and profit so little because they come not with empty Hearts a full Vessel can receive no more when the Prophet multiplied the Widdows Oyl when there was no more empty Vessels the Oyl stayed When the Head and Heart are full of the World this Water of Life will run over But our Duty is to prepare the Heart for so great a work as the Entertaining our Lord and Master the great God of Heaven and Earth who invites himself to Sup with us He is the Searcher of the Heart and the Tryer of the Reins Before the Sabbath come use such fore-sight diligence and Meditation and dispose and seasonably dispatch thy Worldly business that thou maist be more free and fit for the Duties of the day We find Israel did thus prepare to Sanctifie the Sabbath Exod. 16.22 and gathered Manna enough the day before and this was usual among the Jews Luke 23.54 And that day was the Preparation and the Sabbath drew on Thus Nehemiah prepared against the Sabbath that it should not be prophaned Nehem. 13.19 And Gods Example in this is binding to us he finished his works before and so should we and should not meddle with any unnecessary Worldly business then either with Hand or Heart that our Duties be not pestered with the World but that we may be as free to serve the Lord if possible as if we had no worldly business to look to but many fore-cast business for that day or make it necessary through their former neglects but this will appear to be their Sin and their Folly Solomon bids us look well to our Feet viz. our Affections when we go into the House of God Eccl. 5.1 And 't is good to consider whose Presence we come into and with Holy David wash our Hands in Innocency before we compass his Altars Psal 26.6 Examine how the Case stands between God and thy Soul and venture not into his Presence in an unregenerate Condition or having sin unmortified or unrepented of lest he break thee in pieces and there be none to deliver thee Consider what sin thou hast Committed especially in the week past and be humbled for them lay aside thy worldly business betime on the Eve when others only sweep their Houses do thou sweep thy Heart Set some time apart for Reading Meditating Conferring Instructing thy Family and Praying with them reconcile the Differences if there be any in the Family between Husband and Wife Parent and Child Master and Servant yea Neighbour and Neighbour that your Prayers be not hindred for God can hardly be well served where the Members of a Family Live at Discord In a word prepare thy Heart to meet God the day following 3. Direct Wouldst thou Sanctifie the Sabbath Take heed thou do nothing that is unlawful upon that day This is appointed by God for a day of rest and not only as some say from sin which should be Committed no day but also from Labour which at other times is Lawful the works of our Calling yea unnecessary recreations are forbidden Exod. 20.10 In it thou shalt do no manner of Work thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter thy Man-Servant nor thy Maid-Servant thy Cattle nor the Stranger that is within thy Gates Jer. 17.21,22 Neither do ye any work but Hallow the Sabbath day c. Neither will a bare cessation from work serve the turn for rest is Commanded for an Higher End that we might serve God with more Freedom and therefore Idleness is a sin worse than Bodily Labour upon that day and when Men use not rest as a means but as an End 't is an egregious breach of the Fourth Command and 't is a gross mistake to think that is an acceptable Duty on that day which is a great sin any day He that keeps the Sabbath only by resting from his Labour keeps it but as a Bruit Beast yet the most of Men spend great part of the day in Idleness or what is worse and think if they give God their Bodily Presence for an hour or two it 's sufficeable but God will not be mocked we should think it were an unprofitable Servant that would work but two or three hours in the day God gives us six whole days for our work and shall not we give him one whole
Heaven in Christ and Glory and what Evidences for Salvation and what Signs of his Election Vocation Justification and Adoption and what right he hath to the Promises which are his Father's Legacy He would be able by the word to reprove Errors and defend the Truth yea to reprove the works of Darkness and repel all the fiery Darts of Satan and be able to walk comfortable in the way to Heaven and to fetch Consolations out of God's word to bear him up under the saddest Afflictions They would be able to teach others in the way they should walk and Instruct them in the Holy Path and reprove them when they err and convince them when they go astray and reduce them back that have wandered and gone awry and build them up that are already brought in These are some of the desires of the godly in Reading the Scriptures and not as the Butterflie only to paint her wings and these are the ends thou must aim at in thy Reading it and then thou wilt Read it with Profit 3. Direct If thou wouldest profit by thy Reading the Scripture and other good Books Read with the greatest diligence attention care and circumspection that possibly thou canst for all thou canst do is little enough This is a Commanded Duty and the work of God and a Curse is threatned to them that do the work of the Lord negligently Cursory Reading will do thee little good and hence it is that many read much and profit little because they read it carelessly many read an idle Romance or wanton Love-Song more attentively than the word of God Read it as if it were for thy Life and the Life of thy Soul and for Eternity as indeed it is Set thy Heart upon it then art thou like to profit by it Matters of Life and Death usually affect us and shall not matters of Salvation and Damnation affect us much more Were but thy Life endangered by a heartless careless Duty who would be mindless or careless in the performance Nay how vigilant diligent careful wouldest thou be And is not the Life of the Soul much more worth The word of God is of great Concernment whether we consider the Author or the Matter of it it should put us on to the utmost diligence The Author is the great God of Heaven one that can put Life into both his Promises and Threatnings nay will do it for he is Faithful And the word is an Epistle sent from Heaven from this great God and that for our Instruction Admonition Reproof and Consolation 1 Cor. 9.10 10.11 Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our hearing c. This is God's Statute-Book whereby he Rules the world wherein are greater Rewards promised to obedience and greater Punishments threatned to the disobedient than any King upon Earth can annex to his Law or can Execute if he should threaten them There is therefore great Reason why we should be more conversant in those Laws than the Laws of the Land though these be necessary because the danger is greater In the one we stand in danger of Life or Liberty or Confiscation of Goods in the other of Eternal Damnation It is said of the Jews that many of them could as readily Answer to any point in the Law as they could to their own Names and that they knew how many words yea syllables yea letters were in the whole Law God grant their diligence rise not up against us to condemn us for our negligence If a Father or Master or Ruler or Prince can Command Reverence from their Inferiors surely God may much more from us If we receive a Letter from a great Man with such heedfulness and Read it with such diligence and attention and mark every passage with such circumspection and care surely much more care and diligence should be used in this Epistle sent from Heaven from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Nay but the Contents thereof the Matter therein contained requires diligence 't is Matter of greatest Right and greatest Concernment 't is our Father's Will and herein is Recorded the Legacy he hath left us Now who will neglect a Fathers Will wherein an Inheritance is bequeathed Here is the Rule we must live by and the Law we must be Judged by and are these Matters to be slighted Here is all the Evidence we have for Heaven and should this be dis-regarded How careful are Men of their Evidences of their Lands They will hardly part with them out of their own Hands and yet alas how seldom do many men take these Evidences into their hands too Evident a Sign they have but little hopes of good by it Now without the diligent perusal how shall we come to the knowledge of them Here are High Mysteries in which we may easily be mistaken and 't is very dangerous to be mistaken what need have we then of circumspection These and many other Considerations may put us on to diligence in Reading Marking and Observing the Scriptures 4. Direct Wouldest thou Profit by Reading Then Read the Word with Judgment Understanding and Discretion This is necessary in every duty nay in every Action A Wise Man saith Solomon Orders his affairs with discretion but it is required especially in a work of so High a Nature and of so deep concernment as this is many Read much and profit little because they understand little they are like the Eunuch to whom Philip said Vnderstandest thou what thou Readest He said how can I except some man should guide me Acts 8.30,31 Now discretion should be used in regard of the Circumstances of Time and Place and Order and Method for the want of discretion in these a duty may be spoyled Concerning Time every thing saith Solomon is beautiful in it's season all our Time must not be spent in this Duty then others as necessary would be omitted one duty must not justle out another yet sometime must and as much as can well be spared should be reduced for it yea we should rather redeem Time out of our sleep or recreations than neglect it and it should be the most seasonable time a work is most excellent in it's season Morning and Evening seem ordinarily the fittest Seasons for Reading the Scriptures in the Family for private Reading as occasion serves and for Place that which is freest from distractions and fittest for Edification and Order for private Reading a private place this doth most benefit a private Person though that which is more publick Edifies more than one A Method also is to be heeded in Reading the Scriptures or any other Book a disorderly Action or Duty seldom profits Order and Method are good helps to the Memory Read the Scriptures throughout in order except some Chapters that are less to Edification and so for other good Books Read them throughout he that Reads a Chapter here or there at adventure or a leaf here and another there in another Book profits little and 't
is also necessary that thou understandest what thou readest 't is not so much the words and phrases as the sense thou shouldest look after The Jews as I told you had great care of the Scriptures they counted the Words Syllables and Letters contained in the Law and yet were Ignorant of the sense and mist of the meaning When thou readest a dark passage in the Scripture rest not till thou understand it To this end Divines have given several Directions such as these If thou be able compare the Original and Translation together and perhaps this may resolve thy doubt every Language hath a peculiar Elegancy and some words are of so hard a signification that they cannot fully be exprest in a Translation Now knowing the Original will abundantly help and the knowledge of Arts and Sciences is also of great use let the Enemies to Learning say what they will to the contrary If this help thee not look into the Context observe the Circumstances and scope of the Place and receive no Interpretation which Crosses that If this will not do compare this place with others the like and admit not such a sense as contradicts other Scriptures especially compare it with the analogy of Faith those plain Doctrinal conclusions gathered out of other plain Scriptures of which no doubt is made and if it agree not with this reject it for Truth it self cannot oppose it self We must reduce dark places to those that are plain and not force those that are plain to the dark ones If this help not read some Learned Exposition upon the place If this fail seek assistance from God for as the Sun cannot be seen but by it's own light so the will of God cannot be known but by his own Spirit he that Faithfully and Carefully observes these Directions may through Gods blessing come to know as much as is necessary 5. Direct If thou wouldest profit by the word thou readest carefully observe the general scope of it and what design God is aiming at and what End he aims at in it and prosecute the same design and aim at the same mark that he doth for all Scripture is given for our Instruction Now if we heedfully mark the general scope of the Scripture and the end which God drives on in the main is to make himself known to the world in his wisdom power and goodness to the end that man may own him as their Lord Owner and Benefactor and his Son Jesus Christ for their Redeemer and Saviour that he might get himself Glory in their Salvation Now in thy Reading prosecute the same design that God doth and aim at the same end which he doth and this is the likeliest way to profit The Scripture in general sets before thee the knowledge of God and thy self what God is and what he hath done what thou wast by Nature what by the Fall and what by thy Restauration and also what God requires at thy hand In the prosecution of this End the Scripture handles those points which conduce hereunto As first in the work of Creation thou maist see God in his wisdom and power for none else could make the world of nothing yea every Creature will point out God to an understanding man for it passeth the power of Men or Angels to make the least Fly especially without pre-existent matter nay the Creatures do not only shew that there is a God but also sâ—… forth the Attributes of God as his Eternity Wisdom Power Majesty Goodness and Perfection these clearly shine forth in these his works The least Creature if you follow him home to his Original by Divine Meditation will point out an Omnipotent Arm for his Creator And when thou readest of his works of Providence these also speak the same thing and Teach the same Lesson The wonderful works and Miracles he hath wrought for the preservation of his People The Rule and Government which he hath set in the world the preservation of his Church and the frequent deliverance he hath given to his People Recorded in the Scripture bespake to us his Power Wisdom Goodness and Truth When thou readest of the Works of Redemption this bespeaks Christ the Lord the Son of God as he is witnessed from Heaven by Angels by Saints by Enemies by Devils all which gave Testimony to his Divinity and that he was truly man is also evident by his Incarnation Birth Growth Actions Passions Death and Burial and Resurrection c. And that he is the true Messiah the Saviour of the World is clearly evident by Scripture light here thou maist finde that all the Prophesies that went before of him are clearly fulfilled in him and no other and such Miracles wrought and such mighty Works done and such gratious Words spoken that make it plainly appear that he is indeed the Son of God the Saviour of the World Again when thou readest the Commands Threatnings Punishments c. Know these are to deterre thee from Sin and to drive thee home to God thy Benefactor and when thou readest the Promises Invitations and Encouragements these are to draw the nearer to him therefore carefully observe what ever thou readest and some way or other it will conduce to bring thee neerer to God this is Gods end in writeing the Word and should be thy end in reading it 6. Direct Wouldst thou profit by Reading then meditate upon what thou readest this is the way to make what thou readest thine own it was this way that David got more understanding than the Antient and became wiser than his Teachers Psal 119.98,99,100 and 66.11 Now Meditation is a studious Art of the Mind wherein a Man searcheth out some hidden truth by the discourse of Reason and 't is one of the most profitable heart-enriching duties thou canst perform this will fetch in Provision like a Bee from every Herb and Flower yea from every Weed Thorn and Bramble will yield some Honey this will store thy Heart with Treasure new and old there is no Creature so barren but will yield some Fruit nor dead Tree or hard Stone that is so barren but it will yield some increase no Creature but will yield a helping hand no Fowl but will lend a Feather to mount the Soul aloft A Christian skil'd in the Divine Art of Holy Meditation can never want an Object fit to work upon and if the Creatures thus furnish us doubtless the Word of God cannot be fruitless the Word of God of it self is Mysterious and Dark at least some part of it the Well is deep and Meditation is the Bucket hereby Divine Mysteries are drawn out and the Water of Life pumpt in cursory Reading many things pass by without regard which by Meditation are fetcht back and made use of This is not only a help to the understanding but the Memory also it leaves a deep impression upon it What in cursory Reading is soon forgot is prest hard upon and imprinted to the Memory by Meditation hereby the Heart
Reconcile us to his Father 'T is he in whom he is well pleased and through him he cannot be offended He is the High-Priest that Offers up the Prayers of his People when he hath perfumed them with the Incense of his own Righteousness Rev. 8.3 'T is he that presents their Prayers to God and makes them acceptable which otherwise would be abominable He is the Altar whereon a broken Heart must Offer up the Sacrifice of Prayer and Praise Now when I speak of going to God in the Name of Christ I do not only mean using Christ's Name to God or Concluding our Prayers with such words through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Though this is Lawful if serious yet not sufficient we read of some Mat. 7.22 that had Preached in his Name and in his Name had cast out Devils and in his Name had done many wonderful works and 't is probable they had prayed in his Name also and yet he would not own them But those that come in his Name must believe in him for Salvation roul themselves upon him lay hold upon him by a Lively Faith for their Lord and Saviour for their Head and Husband for their Mediator and Advocate and give up themselves wholly unto him Take him upon his own terms as he is offered in the Gospel to love him above all and forsake all others for him to obey him in all though all the World be offended at it to resign up our selves and all we have to be at his dispose to be willing to be any thing do any thing suffer any thing he would have us and so to come with Confidence to God trusting in the Merits of Christ believing that for his sake we shall have our sins pardoned our wants supplyed and our Souls saved He is the only way to the Father and without him we can have no Admittance he opens the doors and brings us into the Presence-Chamber Eph. 2.18 He is the only Mediator between God and Man Heb. 9.14 1 Tim. 2.5 Now God never gave any such Honour to the Saints nor Angels in the Scripture though he denies them none that is their due Many Promises we have that whatsoever we ask in Christ's Name shall be given us John 14.13 But no promise in Scripture of prevailing in any other Name Nay the contrary for if Noah Daniel and Job departed Saints whom God dearly Loved could not be heard for Son or Daughter Ezek. 14.14 c. What hopes can we have of others Perhaps the Papists will tell us they do not pray to Saints or Angels that they should help them but only Mediate for them but who made them Mediators There is only one Mediator between God and Man even the Lord Christ Jesus 1 Tim 2.5 And there is no other qualified for the Office 'T is necessary that he must be both God and Man that is to Mediate between God and Man and that he be perfectly Righteous which no Son of Adam Christ excepted ever was All others have Oyl little enough and none to spare Neither doth the Scripture make mention of any other nay excludes all other For Christ is called the only Mediator None can make our imperfect prayers acceptable to God but he none can be present in all places to receive all Petitions but he The Saints and Angels are but finite Creatures and cannot be in all places at once and what assurance can we have when we pray that they are present and hear all prayers and understand all Languages How can Peter or the Virgin Mary at the same time be present at Rome Venice London and ten thousand places at once if they are not Infinite As we have no Precept in Scripture to make these our Mediators no more have we Examples of any that did though there were many Saints then dead Job 5.1 To which of the Saints wilt thou turn 'T is Christ alone that knows that meaning of the Spirit in the hearts of the Faithful Rom. 8.27 And in his Name we must go to God if we would be heard 5. Direct If thou wouldst put up prevalent Prayer at the Throne of Grace look well to the matter of them ask nothing of God but what thou hast some ground to believe thou shalt receive from God Every thing will no more bear a Prayer than every stream will a Ship Thou oughtest not to pray for those things which are against the Glory of God the Edification and good of the Church and thy own and others Salvation They are rather Curses than Prayers that are poured out by wicked men for the Extirpation of a Faithful Ministry and the rooting out of the Godly or the power of Godliness and these will prevail for a Curse upon the Head and Heart of the Imprecator Thou must not pray for a Commission to break thy Sovereign's Laws this will not be granted Or to do things contrary to his revealed or for any thing evil in it self or that which is contrary to God's Nature to grant or contrary to his Eternal decree Thou must not pray for a dispensation to sin and for assistance in the Act of Sin or to reconcile God and Mammon or Christ and Belial or for Salvation without Sanctification or for Pardon of Sin without Faith and Repentance Neither oughtest thou to pray for Trifles and things of small concernment 't is not fit for a Subject to go to his Prince to beg a Point or a Pin. Neither shouldest thou pray for that which thou wilt not endeavour to get Many could wish for Heaven that will not work for Heaven But thou maist pray for all those good things for Soul or Body for this Life or that to come for thy self or others which are necessary which God hath Commanded thee to ask or promised in his Word to give Thou hast a good Foundation for thy Faith to ask what Divine Writ Warrants thee to ask or promises shall be given And thou must beg them as they are promised what is absolutely promised thou maist beg absolutely And what is conditionally promised beg it if God see it good for thee Ye ask and have not saith the Apostle because ye ask amiss The Apostles are reproved that would have asked Fire from Heaven to burn up the unprofitable Samaritans Luke 9.54 Every Petition should be grounded upon the Word of God and not upon Carnal Conceits We should ask what God thinks fit and not what we our selves think fit It was an unanswerable Petition of the Mother of Zebedee's Children that her Sons might sit one at Christ's Right Hand and the other at his Left in his Kingdom If we ask any thing according to his Will he will grant it us 1 John 5.14 Where God Commands us to ask and promises us to give here is a double ground of assurance Now the good things we should beg of God for our selves or others are either Spiritual or Temporal Those which are Spiritual are absolutely necessary to Salvation or they are not
those that are are these or the like The Spirit of God Faith Repentance and the rest of the Graces of God's Spirit these we must beg absolutely because they are not promised upon Condition Others are not so necessary to the Being but the well-being of a Christian As Peace of Conscience Assurance Joy in the Holy Ghost c. And these as they are not absolutely promised nor absolutely necessary should be asked with submission to the Will of God as he sees it best for us Temporal Blessings as Meat Drink Cloaths Health Peace Prosperity c. We must beg in submission to God's Will as we have Christ for an Example Not my Will but thine be done Every Prayer must be grounded upon Faith when the promise is conditional you shall have them if they be good for you you must pray Lord give them if they be good for me and for the Circumstances we must not limit the Holy one of Israel to time place manner measure or such like And in Deprecation of evils Spiritual or Temporal observe also this Rule that which hinders Salvation pray absolutely it may be removed if not submit unto the Will of God These Rules observed thou maist expect an Answer 6. Direct Wouldest thou put up a pleasing and prevailing Prayer unto God then thou must regard the manner of it as well as the matter Every Prayer good for the Matter is not acceptable to God because 't is exceeded in the manner of the performance A wicked Man may put up a good Petition when God regards it not Balaam's wish was good to dye the Death of the Righteous and that his last end might be like his Now as it must proceed from a Right Fountain a Heart purified by Faith So every Petition must be pointed by Faith or it will never pierce Heaven Nay 't is not enough to have Faith in the Habit but it must be in the Excrcise also and drawn out into the Act without Faith we cannot please God Heb. 11.6 No wonder then if many mens prayers are rejected for all men have not Faith Now Faith helps a man to a Foundation to build upon the Promises and Attributes of God this keeps the Heart from wavering and the Soul from fluctuating It points us out to Christ the Mediator sitting at the Right hand of God which offers up our prayers and brings us an Answer of peace Now though Faith be absolutely necessary yet 't is not sufficient there must be Repentance also and hatred of sin If I regard Iniquity in my Heart God will not hear my Prayer Psal 66.18 Non prodest medicam salum dum ferrum in vulnere let every Sin thou confessest draw sorrow from thy Heart and if possible Tears from thine Eyes such prayers are likeliest to prevail with that God that cannot behold Iniquity with approbation So likewise Zeal and fervency is a necessary Qualification 't is not every cold Petition will get Admittance at the Throne of Grace or pierce the Ears of God he hears not sluggish prayers this puts denials into his Mouth Every one can deny a cold Suitor Had the Woman of Samaria been of this Temper she had gone away without an Answer We should be fervent in Spirit serving God Rom. 12.11 'T is God's complaint Hos 7.14 They have not cryed unto me with their Heart Prayer is a part of God's Worship and a Curse is threatned to them that do the Work of the Lord negligently The business is of great Concernment and therefore should not be slightly performed If a Man were to beg for his Life how earnest would he be He would use all the Arguments he could and beg heartily Now this is for thy Life and the Life of thy Soul if thou prevail well and good if not thou art undone Men or Angels cannot help thee thy Diseases are so many and thy wants so great These Zealous Prayers are sometimes called the renting of the heart Joel 2.13 Sometimes wrastling with God and thus Jacob wrastled and prevailed And in Scripture 't is sometimes expressed by the Motions of the Body Hannah moved her Lips Solomon spread abroad his Hands the Publican beat his Breast and Christ fell upon the Ground Sometimes 't is exprest by deep Sighs and Groans which cannot be exprest Rom. 8.26 Sometimes by loud Crys Psal 32.3 Sometimes by often repeating the same Words as in Christ Mat. 26.30 And sometimes by bitter Tears as in Peter Mat. 26.75 Heb. 5.7 Who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong Crys and Tears c. Yet this is not enough we must also watch and pray or watch in prayer 't is Christ's own Command Now Watching is the proper Act of the Body 't is but Metaphorically Attributed to the Soul Now both are required if the Body sleep the Soul cannot watch and if the Soul snort in Security Bodily Exereise profiteâ—… little Watch that there be no sin lying upon thy Conscience or Lived or delighted in that there be no passion predominant in the Soul no Temptation of Satan entertained no Worldly thoughts foisted in to spoil thy Duty no drousiness creeping upon thee watch that thy Heart grow neither Cold nor Lazy in the performance or steal away from the Duty that Pride nor self appear there that no roving Imagination vain thoughts or needless tautologies appear there But above all take heed thou come not in thine own strength but by the assistance of the Spirit of God perform the Duty which is given to this end Gal. 4.6 Rom. 8.26 Jude 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost this illuminates the heart discovers what is sin and what is Duty what a Man is what he hath and what he wants what a God he hath to deal with what he requires and worketh in us both the will and the Deed. 7. Direct If thou wouldest speed well at the Throne of Grace be sure to demean thy self well after the Duty if thou miscarry then thou wilt lose all thy Labour think not that the Duty is over when thou art off thy Knees no there is good part behind Call thy Heart to an Account how it hath carried it self in the Duty if this were duly done it durst not wander as it usually doth for fear of a check and having found out it's carriage be affected accordingly if well rejoyce and bless God for it it was he that kept it in Order If ill check it and make it smart for it and stir it up by some rousing Considerations Examine also what assistance thou hast had from the Spirit of God God promises the assistance of his Spirit in the Inditing their prayers and teaching them what to ask if he have made good this promise bless God for it and be encouraged by it for the future and expect the fulfilling those desires that the Spirit assisted in the powring out If thou hast not met with this assistance 't is doubtless thy own fault for God
never breaks his promise if we keep the Condition search out the fault and amend for the future set Faith on work for the return of thy prayers for no doubt if thou prayest according to God's Will thou shalt receive the Mercy prayed for Many deal by their prayers as foolish Children by their Arrows they shoot at Rovers and mark not where they light Most Men lose their prayers and heed not whether God hears them or not Answers them or not they make prayer the end of prayer and rest satisfied if the work be done without on Answer they observe not where they light or what comes of them If thy Petition be Lawful expect an Answer if it come be sure that which is gotten by prayer be worn with Thanksgiving be not like the unthankful Lepers go away and let God hear no more of you And when thou prayest against any sin be sure to set Heart and Hand on work to Mortifie that sin And when thou prayest for any Mercies be sure to Labour what thou canst in the use of means to attain that Mercy 't is a vain wish which is not seconded with endeavours 't is but a mocking of God that will not be mocked and a ridiculous thing to pray for that he will not endeavour for As if a man should pray to come to London and will not set a step that way If thou prayest for Spiritual Blessings use means to obtain them and if for Temporal things be diligent in the use of a Lawful Calling 't is the hand of the diligent that makes Rich. When thou prayest for thy Neighbour be as willing to help him to thy power as to pray for him Many men shew more Divinity in their Words than Humanity in their Actions one penny is more hardly got from them than thrice God help you And when thou hast put up thy Requests then with patience wait for an Answer as Hannah when she had poured out her Soul to God she depended upon him and looked no more sad 1 Sam. 1.18 It may be though God hath promised and will perform yet he will not give it at the first asking he will make thee seek again and wait also When Peter was in Prison and the Church prayed for his deliverance it was the last Night before God granted their Petitions Acts 12.5,6 But be it sooner or later when the Mercy comes give God his Tribute of praise this he requires Psal 50.15 And this was David's practice Psal 116.2 And Christ chargeth this upon the Lepers as their fault If he deny thy Request seek out what is the cause and perhaps thou maist find some sin un-repented of and then no wonder if God hear thee not resolve with Saul it shall dye though it be thy Jonathan 1 Sam. 4.37 Destroy that Achan that offends God and troubles Israel Or perhaps the Petition required is not sutable or thou failedst either in the manner or end if so be more wary the next time If neither of these wait for an Answer set upon the Duty with stronger resolutions if prayer be not strong enough joyn Fasting Some sins like some Devils come not out but by prayer and fasting If thou canst not do it thy self call in help take these Directions and thou wilt find the banefit of prayer CHAP. VII Directions in and about Singing of Psalms THE Next Duty I shall Instruct you in is Singing of Psalms A Duty much prest and practised both in the time of the Law and in the time of the Gospel and many thousands of Believers have received benefit and have been refreshed by it The Book of Psalms 't is evident is of Divine Institution and compiled by the assistance of the Spirit of God And though sundry other pieces of Scripture have been by several Persons in several Ages called in Question yet this was never Questioned by any 'T is expresly mentioned by the Apostle Peter Acts 1.20 Yea is acknowledged to be Canonical Scripture by Christ himself the great Doctor of the Church Luke 20.42 And David himself saith in the Book of Psalms the Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand till I make thine Enemies thy Foot-stool Luke 24.44 All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me The Hebrew Title of this Book is Sepher Tehillim a Book of Hymns because it chiefly consists in praise and thanksgiving unto God for his benefits And this Title seems to be taken from the Inscription of the 145 Psalm where the word is used and the whole Psalm spends it self in the praises of God In the Scripture indeed we read of Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Eph. 5.19 Col. 3.16 But what the difference is between these is not easie to shew no doubt one and the same Psalm may admit of either of these Names Some have distinguished them thus Psalms say they are those that contain Exhortation to Holiness and Directions to an Holy Life Hymns contain praises to God for his benefits Spiritual and Temporal and Spiritual Songs are a mixture of both The Original word Mizmar comes from a word that signifies cutting off superfluous things and signifies a eomposure of Harmonious words without Superfluity or Excess and 't is sufficient that the whole Book containing several Subjects is called by this one name of Psalms even by Christ himself Now this Divine Ordinance or Holy Duty though both Commanded and Commended and practised by Christ and his Apostles and the Church of God even down from David's Time to this day yet is denyed by some and Questioned by others to be a Duty but I think they may Question as some indeed do all the Ordinances as well as this for what but the Ignorance or wilful perverting of the Scripture can be the ground of such a denial It may be indeed they have never performed this Duty as they ought to do and so never received that benefit and refreshing from it that others have done and hence they judge it is improfitable and condemn the Ordinance for their own fault But doubtless many thousands of Believers may speak out their Experiences and tell you they have been refreshed by it That it is a Christian Duty shall God willing be further shewed you and that 't is both profitable and pleasant is easie to prove The Psalms are a Rich Store-House of all manner of Provision and those that are conversant herein cannot be Ignorant of it Here are Instructions for the Ignorant to lead them in the way to Heaven and guide them by all the by-ways of Error and Folly here are Incitations to the dull and sluggish to rouse them up out of the sleep of Security Here are prayers to draw down Mercies from God and praises to God for Mercies received What shall I say Whatsoever Estate a Christian can be in here he may find Comfort or Company or both Here as in a Glass are represented and
one for his well rest we must from our Labour but that is not all we must spend it in God's Service we must forbear our work that we may do his and beware of all that hinders us and that is not only our work but our pleasures and recreations works of our Calling we are forbidden and that upon pain of Death Exod. 31.15 He that doth any work upon it shall surely be put to Death And God meant as he spake we find that he Commanded the man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day to be put to Death and he was stoned Numb 15.36 And there is great reason for how can a man serve God when Heart and Hand when his Thoughts and Affections are intangled in the world How can he serve two Masters but he must sleight the one when the Body is indisposed by Labour how can the Heart be free And God Commands the Heart My Son give me thy Heart Neither will he have a divided Heart he will have all or none and he Commands not only our selves but also our Children and Servants yea even the Bruit Beasts to rest from their Labour that our Hearts may be the freer and there be no occasion for roving thoughts and to avoid distraction in God's Service Recreations also except those that are purely necessary are also forbidden even those which are at other times Lawful sports and pastimes are no less dangerous than work yea much more for they draw away the Heart more than honest Labour Augustine thought it was more Lawful to Plough on the Lord's day than to Dance but many of our wanton Youth are of another mind but the one brings Profit the other oft tends to the debauching of Youth And doubtless God himself hath forbidden these vain pastimes Isa 58.13 If thou turn thy Feet from the Sabbath doing thy Pleasure on my Holy day and call the Sabbath a delight the Holy of the Lord Honourable and shalt Honour him not doing thy own ways nor finding thy own Pleasures nor speaking thy own words c. Worldly and vain Discourse you see is also here forbidden for every moment of this precious time should if possible be improved to a Spiritual ufe our own words should not be spoken our own pleasure should not be sought worldly cares fears should that day be banished the mind for these distract a Man in the Service of God These are the Thorns that choak the Word and it becometh unfruitful Mat. 13.22 Indeed distracting carking Cares are always unlawful much more in recourse to God himself but provident Cares at other times a Duty now become a Sin and must be laid aside as much as may be that the Heart may be free we read in Scripture of many sorts of work forbidden As Jornying upon the Lords day but only to the Ordinance called a Sabbath days Journey Exod. 16.29 for this distracts the mind as well as work Let them look to it that use that time to Ride to Fairs or Markets Acts 1.12 Buying and Selling is also forbidden Nehem. 13.16,17 See how zealous he was against it but 't is a practice too much in Fashion Carrying of Burdens is also forbidden upon no less Cruelty than the Destruction of Jerusalem Jer. 17.22 Nehem. 13.19 In a word whatsoever hinders in God's Service nay doth not some way or other further it cannot be Justified As for dressing of Meat or Drink any further than is necessary or convenient or spending over-much time in Bed or needless Dressing or spending time any ways unnecessarily is no doubt a Sin 4. Direct Though there be a Rest Commanded by God and a Cessation from the works of our Calling upon the Sabbath day yet all works are not forbidden thereupon there is still Liberty given for good works for works are forbidden as they tend to the distraction of the mind and hinder us in the Service of God but those works that further it are not only Lawful but Commanded these in general are works of Piety works of Charity and works of Necessity Works of Piety are such as tend to the Worship and Service of God as part of it or as a means or help thereunto Thus it was Lawful for the Priests under the Law to kill and Sacrifice the Beasts that were to be Offered which was a servile work and unlawful had it not been Commanded Mat. 12.5 Have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath days the Priests in the Temple prophane the Sabbath and are blameless And no doubt 't is Lawful in Gospel Times for Ministers to Preach the Word Catechize and Personally to Instruct the People though it be to the spending of their Spirits and the Tyring of their Bodies more than on any other day of the week Paul he Preached long even till mid-night upon that day And 't is Lawful for him to Travel that day to the Meeting place and 't is Lawful for the People also to come to hear Yea 't is their Duty though it be several Miles if they cannot otherwise enjoy it We read of a Sabbath days Journey Acts 1.12 which is conceived to be about two Miles We may see this was a Custom in Israel 2 Kings 4.23 when the good Shunammite desired her Husbands leave to go to the Prophet he answered her wherefore wilt thou go to him to day it is neither New Moon nor Sabbath implying these were usual times to go Psal 84.7 Every one of them in Sion appeareth before God Works of Mercy also are necessary whether to Man or Beasts God desires Mercy and not Sacrifice Hos 6.6 Now this Mercy is either to the Soul or to the Body To the Body visiting the Sick healing their Diseases easing their pains relieving their Necessity if able this is approved by Christ Luke 13.11 when Christ healeth the Sick and disputes the Case with the Pharisees yea giving or gathering Alms upon that day which we find was the Apostles Command and the Churches practice 1 Cor. 16.1,2 and that which Christ will Reward at the last Mat. 25.35 Meat and Drink also must be taken moderately for the refreshing of thy Body and the making it fit for the Service of the day Christ himself approves of this when he justifies his Disciples for plucking the Ears of Corn Mat. 12.1,2 Spiritual Mercy must be shewed also such is informing the Ignorant reducing the Erroneous exhorting the Negligent comforting the Disconsolate Instructing one another in our most Holy Faith Reconciling those that are at variance yea the Bruit Beasts themselves must that day taste of thy bounty if one be fallen into a Ditch or Pitt we must lift him out Luke 14.5 We may yea must loose our Ox and our Ass from the Stall and lead them out to water upon that day Luke 13.15 Physitians in cases of necessity may Travel to Visit their sick Patients and Midwives attend upon their Office but it should be Charity and Necessity and not for filthy Lucre that this should be done
it may be it is a Metaphor taken from a Goldsmith that try their Gold whether it be pure and the dross purged out and consumed or from those that try their Coin not superficially but by the weight by the sight by the sound by the touch stone that so they may not be deceived with what is bad and counterfeit and so must we in this case Especially considering the Devil hath much counterfeit coin goes abroad for currant and most Men are deceived and 't is easie to be deceived especially when our own Hearts are the greatest Cheats Try thy Evidences for Heaven whether thou art Regenerated or not otherwise thou art not for Heaven John 3.3.5 Whether thou art an Adopted Child of God For none else ought to eat at his Table Christ will not be Food to nourish any other he will not have the Devils Brats Dine at his Table none ought to sit there but those that shall sit with him in the Kingdom of Heaven Hast thou those Graces that always accompany conversion For these are necessary in this work as Sanctified and Sanctifying knowledge without which thou canst not discern the Lord's Body or know God or thy self or the Tenure of the Covenant of Grace the Nature of the Sacrament or the state of thy own Soul c. Faith also is necessary to lay hold upon Christ in this Ordinance and feed upon him c. Repentance for sin past and new Obedience for the time to come Love also to God to his Word and to his Children with a longing desire after Christ in the Ordinance for what shall we do at a Feast without a stomack The Trial of these Graces I shall now wave having in another Treatise partly handled it 't is called The Souls Looking-Glass or a Spiritual Touch-stone to which I refer you because I will not Actum agere do a thing that is done before 2. Direct Though Habitual preparation and a gracious disposition of which we have Treated before be absolutely necessary without which a Man cannot be a welcom Guest to this Marriage Feast as we see in the Foolish Virgins Mat. 25.1,2 c. who notwithstanding they had Lamps in their Hands yet for want of this Oyl of Grace in their Hearts were not admitted but the door was shut against them I say though this be necessary yet it is not sufficient 't is not enough to have a Marriage Garment but we must have it on and made clean and handsom if we would Honour the Wedding 'T is not enough to have Faith and Knowledge and Love and Obedience c. in the Habit but we must have them in the Exercise what good will they do us if we use them not 'T is not enough to have Lamps in our Hands yea and Oyl in our Vessels though most go without but we must have our Lamps always burning we must rise and trim our Lamps When we go to meet the Bride-groom Christ in such a Duty we must snuff our Candles that they may burn bright 'T is not enough for a Musician to have an Instrument but he must have it in Tune or it will yield bad Musick nay he must have skill to use it or it will not do nay he must be in a capacity to make use of his skill which is not if his hands be cold or numb'd or otherwise out of Order The Souls Musick is quickly spoyled if it be out of Tune 'T is not enough for a Carpenter or Joyner to have Tools and Matter to work upon but he must often by grinding or whetting put an edge upon them or they are not fit for his purpose 'T is not enough to have Houshold stuff in abundance but it must be set in Order not on a confused heap yea and scoured and made bright if we would use them to adorn the House And in like manner 't is not enough for a Christian to have the fore-mentioned Habits and Qualifications but he must reduce them into Art and Exercise he must scour them up against such a good Time as this and rub off the rust and make them fit for use yea make use of them for to this End they were given And a Christian notwitstanding the Habits may and will be an unworthy Receiver if they be not in Exercise 'T is necessary that some Vital Operations co-operate to the Receiving Digesting and Concocting our Meat or it will not nourish and so that this Spiritual Food may prove Refreshing to the Soul 'T is necessary that there be a principle of Spiritual Life and the Actings of Grace concur with the Receiving and Digesting of it A Godly Man may sometimes be in an Appoplexy and have a stupifyed Soul and a benumbed Conscience he may have his swooning Fits when Life is scarce discerned to appear It may seem David sometimes was in this Condition or some other great Distemper Now you know though there be Life yet in such case 't is not safe to give Food stir up therefore thy Graces and get them in Exercise 't is the best way to procure heat and digestion Consider seriously what thou art about and with whom thou hast to do and what is the danger of unworty Receiving and the benefit of the contrary Consider thou hast a price put into thy Hand O let not an Heart be wanting to get wisdom In this Ordinance all thy wants may be supplyed here thy Graces may be strengthened and thy Communion with God renewed Thy Covenant with God is here ratified and Christ and all his Benefits made over to thy Soul Here thou mayst have the pardon of thy sins and whatever else is requisite for thy Soul if thou come preparedly and Act Faith upon the Promise and improve thy Interest in the Covenant come therefore with a Thirsting desire of Christ in the Ordinances this is a Qualification required Isa 55.12 John 7.37 Rev. 22.15 Long after this Bread of Life for this Longing shall be satisfied Come with Confidence to have thy needs and wants supplyed and to this End Exercise Faith on the Promise this Grace is all in all in the Duty 't is both the Hand and the Mouth Exercise Repentance for sin past and resolve to Obey for the time to come But if thou come unprepared thou eatest and drinkest thy own Damnation and becomest guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ let such such Considerations as these move thee 3. Direct If thou wouldst worthily partake of this Sacrament propound right Ends to thy self in so doing the End as I have said as in other Duties so in this either makes or marrs the Action Now the End though last in the Execution is first in the Intention 't is the first mover What is it that a man will do but is for some End this like the weights on a Clock or the Spring in a Watch sets all the Wheels on work and is the cause of the Entrance and continuance of the Motion Who is it that Builds an
sins Lev. 16.21 Christ is our Scape-Goat let him bear all our Iniquities To name thy sin without sorrow is but an aggravation of it mourn for it therefore but let the Love of God and not the fear of punishment be the strongest Motive to Repentance When thou seest Christ Crucified afresh before thine Eyes in the Ordinance consider and say to thy self Oh what a wretch was I to pluck him out of the Arms of his Father and cause him to suffer such Hellish Torments for my sake it was my sin that were the Nails that pierced his Hands and his Feet the Spear that wounded his Side the Thorns that pricked his Head the Traytor that betrayed him the Judge that Condemned him and the Executioner that put him to Death It was not the Devil nor his Instruments the Jews nor Gentiles nor all the wicked Men in the World could have done it had it not been for the sins of his Elect Me-thinks the consideration of this should work upon an Ingenious Heart and when thou hast confest thy sin resolve to forsake it God makes no promise of Pardon to any other And look stedfastly upon Christ offered to thee in the Sacrament for Pardon of sin and power against it he is a propitiation for sin Rom. 3.25 The Lamb of God that takes away the Sins of the World John 1.29 Having now found out thy defects of Grace for 't is weakness of Grace that makes us run into sin Go to God for a supply Christ is ready with supplies if thou be but sensible of thy wants come to the Ordinance in God's way and where thou art weak Christ will strengthen thee and where Corruptions are strong he will weaken them Be not ashamed to shew to him thy nakedness unlap thy Sores that thou mayst have a Plaister and Christ will be thy Chyrurgeon and Physitian In thy decays of Grace though there be great cause of shame and sorrow yet none of despair there are Recovering Plaisters as well as Healing be but sensible of thy want and go boldly for a supply Come with an empty Soul to Christ and he will fill it 't is the full that are sent empty way 5. Direct When thou comest to this Ordinance be sure to set thy Grace on work quicken them up unto the Duty let them not flag nor faint for then thy work will be to little purpose what good will Tools do if not used and how can they be used if not in Order A Workman that would Live by his Works sees that his Tools be sharp and fit for the work without them we can do nothing nay if they be dull or blunt the work will not go forward and therefore let us stir up our Graces as Deborah did her Soul when she was to sing forth the praises of the Lord Judg. 5.12 Awake awake Deborah awake awake utter a Song c. Or as David did his Soul Psal 42.5 Why art thou so sad O my Soul And why art thou so disquieted within me c. Psal 103.12 Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his Holy Name c. Stir up thy Self and lay hold upon him Isa 64.7 This is the time for thee to renew quicken and strengthen thy Grace it was given thee for such a time and for such a Use as this is let not this Opportunity be let slip that may be done now which cannot be done at another time renew thy Repentance and quicken it This may be done by the consideration of the Number Nature and Effects of thy sins and among the rest this is one it brought the Lord Jesus Christ to this shameful Death Here thou mayst see him Crucified before thy Face his Body broken and his Blood poured out and mayst look upon him whom thou hast pierced and mourn for him as for an only Son Zach. 12.10 Quicken thy Love to God also and this thou mayst do by the consideration of his Love to thee and what he hath done for thee especially in the work of thy Redemption held out in this Ordinance of the Sacrament Hadst thou had a Temporal deliverance from Turkish Slavery thou wouldst have been thankful to thy Deliverer and have Loved him for it much more then is due to him that Redeemed thee from the guilt of sin and from the filth of sin and from the punishment due to sin from the Curse of the Law the wrath of God the Slavery of Satan and from Everlasting Damnation Renew thy fear of him also consider the Fervency of his wrath against Sin and Sinners when thou seest it was so hot against his own Son when he stood in the room of Sinners and let this make thee fear to Offend This also may quicken thy Love to thy Brethren yea to thine Enemies when thou considerest how dearly God Loves thy Brethren in Christ and what he suffered for them and to thine Enemies when thou considerest the Torments which Christ indured for thy sake when thou wast his Enemy and Commands thee to imitate him in Loving those that hate thee But especially quicken and Exercise thy Faith for this is all and in all in this Duty and much conduceth to the well performing of it 'T is true Christ hath all fulness in himself to fill empty Souls he is the Bread and Water of Life to feed and Refresh the Hungry and Thirsty of his Fulness we receive Grace for Grace John 1.14.16 In him all Fulness dwells Col. 1.19 There is in him both fulness of Merit and fulness of Spirit Mortifying Sanctifying Quickning Virtue Here Soul-wants may be supplyed But the way of obtaining this at God's Hands the way of emptying of Christ into the Soul is by the way of Ordinances the Word and Sacraments are the Breasts of Consolation from whence we must suck and be satisfied These are the Pipes through which the Water of Life run from the Fountain into the Cistern from Christ to our Hearts Christ is the Olive and these the Golden Pipes that convey the Oyl into the Candlestick Zach. 4.12 'T is true he could convey it immediately and empty himself into the Soul without any Instrument at all but this is not usual where the Word and Ordinances are to be had But that we may get benefit by the Ordinances Faith is necessary the Well is deep and Faith is the Bucket to draw up this water of Life and though the Conduit be full of water and we empty Vessels yet if we bring them not thither they will still remain empty nay though we bring them and place them under the Cock if we turn not the Cock they are empty still The Child that plays with the Breast is not satisfied till it suck Thou must suck Honey and Oyl out of this flinty Rock Deut. 32.13 Faith is the Souls Eye which must be fixed upon Christ the Souls Hand to lay hold upon Christ the Souls Mouth to feed upon him Christ and all his Benefits are offered in
At these three Feasts all the Males were Commanded to appear before the Lord Exod. 23.7 The Annual Feasts of lesser Account were two the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Expiation both mentioned Lev. 23.24.27 In which also it was not allowed to do any Work nay it was forbidden upon pain of Death Other Feasts were to be Observed after certain Years for as every seventh day was Holy to the Lord so was every seventh Year For as Man and Beast was Commanded to Rest upon the seventh day so the Land was to Rest every seventh Year that it might gather Heart and that the Poor of the Land might be fed of those things which the Earth did Naturally bring forth without Labour and after seven times seven Years which is forty nine the next which is the fiftyeth Year was the Jubilee or Year of Gladness wherein Debts were forgiven Land sold returned to the Owners and Hebrew Servants were Released and made Free Lev. 25.9 To which Christ seems to allude John 4.18,19 who was sent to Preach the Acceptable Year of the Lord c. Some Festivals also were appointed by Man upon great Occasions and were Yearly Observed by the Church as the Feast of Purim Commanded by Esther the Queen and Mordecai the Jew upon the Account and in Memorial of the Famous Deliverance of the Church in their time from the wicked Conspiracy of Haman Est 9.17 And also the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple either after the Babylonish Captivity Ezra 6.16 Or after it was polluted by Antiochus Epiphanes and again Dedicated by Machabeus 1 Mac. 4.5,6 Which Feast Christ himself seems to approve by his Presence John 10.22 And in Gospel times we have our Feasts also as every Seventh day for a Sabbath of which I have already Treated Several other Festivals in later Ages have been Observed which Antienter Antiquity make no mention of as several in Memory of Christ's Birth Resurrection Assention c. Several to our Lady and many in Memory of Saints of which I shall say no more but what the Apostle doth Rom. 14.5,6 One Man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike let every Man be perswaded fully in his own mind c. Let us not Judge one another in those things but were those observed as days of Thanksgiving ought to be they would not be so eagerly contended for by some nor so eagerly contended against by others The Papists superstitiously forcing them upon us as parts of Gods worship and their Idol worship thereupon hath made some perhaps run too far on the other side but many spending them as Feasts to Bacchus hath made many abhor the other occasional Feasts we have had as the fifth of November c. commanded by Authority to be greatly observed and others as occasion falls out which if you would keep well or any of the forementioned Holy-days observe these Directions following 1. Direct If thou wouldest offer up to God a pleasing Sacrifice upon such a day as this is get thy heart rightly qualified and rightly prepared there is bad Musick like to be where the Instrument is out of tune this Duty is more difficult than Prayer pinching wants and eminent dangers puts a Man on to prayer as we see by the Mariners in Jonah's Ship but self-denyal is required in praising him ten Lepers could join in a petition for help and but one returned to give thanks Thy heart must be qualified with Grace or thou canst not praise God upon such occasions as thou oughtest for what hast thou to do to take the Word or Name of God in thy Mouth if thou hatest to be reformed Psal 50.16 'T is every ones duty for every one receives mercy and 't is a Rent due to the chief Land Lord but every one cannot do it Praise is comely for the upright Psal 38.1 It should be a Congregation of Saints where God is praised Psal 149.11 I do not perswade others from the Duty no more than I do from Prayer but perswade them to cleanse their hearts before they come to the Duty for none but the Righteous can do the work of the day as they ought neither indeed have they cause to rejoice when God is their Enemy and for ought they know they may Lodge next night in Hell that rejoicing is the work of the day is evident Lev. 23,40 Deut. 12.12 and many other places These only are exhorted to rejoice Psal 33.1 Rejoice in the Lord ye Righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Phil. 3.1 4.4 Psal 107.22 Declare his works with rejoycing But how can we rejoyce or praise God for Redemption Vocation Adoption and the hope of glory when we have no interest in them Thy evidence must be cleared up or thou art unfit for this Duty Those and those only that have an interest in Christ and a Title to Glory assured to them can eat their Bread with Joy and drink their Wine with a merry heart for â—od accepteth their works Others may speak as much and seem as confident like the Pharisee but there is a difference the true Christian speaks humbly the Pharisee proudly and boastingly the one is humbled for his remaining corruption the other brags though no sin is kill'd Paul cryes out O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of Death The Pharisee thanks God he is not as other Men are or as the Pulican The one thanks God for what he hath the other for what he never had How oft may we hear Men give thanks for their Election Vocation Sanctification c. when there is little appearance of it when their lives evidence that they are neither called nor sanctified the one praiseth God in pity to others the other in contempt Phil. 3.8 To me who am less than the least of Saints is this Grace given I thank thee saith the Pharisee I am not as other Men are One returns thanks out of Custome the other out of Conscience For preparation to the work dispose of and lay aside all thy Worldly occasions as much as possible that they interupt thee not in the work and take daily notice of and store up in thy Memory what God hath done for thy Body and for thy Soul for thy Family and Relations for the Land of thy Nativity and the Church in general How shall we praise God if we neglect and forget his benefits Psal 103.2 his Works and wonders Psal 78.7 this is commanded Psal 105.5 Exod. 13.8 The neglect of this is charged upon Israel Psal 78.11 they forgat his Works and the Wonders that he shewed them and how many are deeply guilty of this fault They heedlesly receive mercies and take no notice whence they come or let them slip out of memory even those they were somtimes affected with and thou shouldest not only remember them but meditate upon them to aflect thy heart with them take notice of the mercy justice and
goodness of God in them value them according to their worth as Jacob did Gen. 22.9.10 Lord saith he I am less than the least of thy mercies which thou hast shewed me for with my Staff I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two Bands David when he beheld the glorious Lamps of Heaven the wonderful works of God brake out into admiration Lord what is Man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of Man that thou regardest him Psal 8.3.4 Outward mercies but especially Spiritual should will affect the heart if laid home by meditation 2. Direct When thou keepest a day keep it to the Lord and not to thy self Let thy ultimate end and aim be Gods glory and the main design thou drivest on be his praise 't is true in all Duties this should be regarded but especially in this for this Time is set apart meerly upon that account to praise him with an inlarged heart and if thou propound lower ends than these God will not own thy work These days are appointed to praise God and not as many abuse them and pamper the Flesh 't is the Apostles advice and doubtless our Duty 1. Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the praise and glory of God And if in our ordinary course we should drive on this design much more in this extraordinary Duty in so solemn a day and exercise here the joy of the Lord should fill the heart Spiritual and not Carnal Joy the praise of the Lord should fill our Mouths not vain laughter we should speak out the great works of God which he hath done for our Souls and whatsoever suits not with this is unsuitable for the occasion but 't is a sad thing that many that pretend Conscience in the observation of Saints-days blame all those thot look upon them as indifferent I say that those to whom honest Labour at other times Lawful is held a great Transgression yet make no Conscience at all of serving God upon these days but spend their time vainly and prophanely neither to the benefit of Soul or Body These think they serve God better at an Ale-house at a Cock-pit or Bear-baiting or Stage-play at Cards or Dice or other unlawful Games than they can in an honest Calling But is this the Feast that God hath chosen to eat and drink and rise up to play This may serve turn if we worshiped such an Idol as Israel then did Fxod 32.6 But shall we serve our God with such service as the Heathen did Baccus He is a Spirit and must be worshiped in Spirit and in Truth and is eating and drinking to Gluttony and Drunkenness this Spiritual Service that is commanded Shall we praise God for his Creatures by intemperance and abuse of them Yet are not these the Exercises of some of the greatest Sticklers for such Festivals Look into an Ale-house and see whether more meet not there upon such days as these than the whole Week beside and many an Oath sworn and many a Lye told and many a vain word spoken at such times and upon such occasions yea much Drunkenness Debauchery Quarrels Fightings and sometimes Murder is there committtd And is this Gods Feast or the Devils Sacrifice It more suits an Heathen Idol than an holy God Is this the place where God is like to meet thee or wouldest have Death meet thee here or is the Discourse of the Company suitable to the work of the Day wilt thou thank God for thy Reason when thou hast lost the use of it by drinking and transformed thy self into a Beast or canst then remember Gods benefits to praise him for them when thou canst not remember what thou dost 'T is far from me to Judge any Man that keeps those days as days of Thanksgiving ought to be kept And 't is far from me to approve of them as they are kept I know the Godly are allowed to eat their Bread with Joy and drink their Wine with a merry heart but it is Spiritual not Carnal Joy They ought upon Thanksgiving days to cease from their Labour but that is not all then they keep it but as a Beast But as a Fast is a help to humiliation and makes Prayers the more fervent so Feasting in an holy manner elevates the Soul and makes praises the more hearty when we freshly tast Gods goodness in the Prevision made for us Labour in both is forbidden as 't is an hindrance in the Duties in hand but 't is sad that God is more dishonored in those days pretended to be set apart to honour him in than in all the days of the Year besides but God will not own such Servants nor accept of such Service when Men think there is nothing but work forbidden upon that day or nothing more than idleness required but many would glorifie God much better in a Lawful Calling than at an unlawful Exercise or unnecessary Recreation I know Recreation is Lawful as I hope in due time and place to demonstrate and give Directions in it But why should we take Gods time for our use if these days be appropriated to Gods Service let them be spent in his Service if for our Recreation let us never put the Title of Holy-days upon them let them be left indifferent to be used or not used at pleasure or People kept from dishonouring God in them 3. Direct In the observation of these days see thy grounds be good and that thou hast a lawful calling to it or otherwise God will not own it 'T is true Thanksgiving is a work of every day but every day is not to be observed as an holy Festival to God come not superstitiously to it as the Papists nor profanely as the Sensualist nor wickedly as the profane Enmies to God and Godliness See thou be invited to it by real mercies received and in giving thanks mistake not Judgements for Mercies and Mercies for Judgments 't is true we ought to Observe all God's Providences and Bless God for all Chastisements as well as others that is for the good which we receive by them as Job 1.21 But this should be with Humiliation not Exultation If thy Foundation be rotten the Building cannot be good there are many that heartily rejoyce and give thanks also to God after their manner for the downfall of the Church and the extirpation of the Power of Godliness I fear our times are not barren of Examples of this Nature This was the Sin of the Ammonites and will be the Sin of those that are guilty Ezek. 25.6 Because thou hast clapped thy Hands and stamped with thy Feet and Rejoyced in thine Heart with all despight against the Land of Israel therefore I will stretch forth my hand against thee and deliver thee for a spoil to the Heathen c. See God takes it ill when Men exult over his People in distress and if they praise him for Correcting them 't is unpleasing Service to him
received take notice of your unworthiness the more to exalt the Mercies received But Confession of Sin so as to Afflict the Soul with them is not suitable to the day Bring thy Family in due time to the Publick if it be publickly Observed otherwise carry it on in Private and pay your Vows in the great Congregation and behave your selves in the remaining part of the day as be-you were Directed in the Observation of the Sabbath for this time is Consecrated and made Holy to God and should be wholly spent in his Service And thou shouldest be as careful of thy Thoughts thy Words and thy Affections as though it were a Sabbath for there is no danger of keeping them too intent upon God When thou comest into the Congregation thou maist say as Jacob Gen. 28.17 This is no other but the House of God and the Gate of Heaven for here is done the work that shall be done in Heaven As for the oher expressions of Joy as Ringing of Bells shooting off Guns making of Bone-fires c. they are so far Lawful as they help forward the Work and raise the Heart to an higher pitch of Joy and rejoycing in the Lord. 5. Direct Having thus disposed and prepared thy Heart for the Work and set thy self as in the Presence of the ever-living God that sees and knows and takes notice of thee set thy self then upon the work of Glorifying God and render thanks to him from thy Heart for all the Benefits thou hast Received Praise is comely for the Saints And this Religious Thankfulness of which we speak is thy Duty Now 't is either External or Internal the Internal is to carry a thankful Heart to God and this is every days Duty External is when the Thankfulness of the Heart is expressed in Words or Actions the former without the latter is not sufficient the latter without the former is little worth Now the External manifestation of thy thankfulness is either Private or Publick Private by thy self or Family Publick in the great Congregation and this also is either Ordinary or Extraordinary Ordinary and this should be done at every time when we come together to Worship of God The Extraordinary is upon Extraordinary Occasions as some great Deliverances or the obtaining some great Mercies or the bringing down some great Enemies of the Church this the Church ought to bless God for and Offer this Sacrifice of Praise in the Name and Mediation of Christ who prays over all our Prayers for us and Offers our Praises performed with the Incense of his own Righteousness Now 't is requisite as I said before that a Catalogue of those Mercies God hath given in as a return of Prayers be laid up either in a Book or in the Memory for if we neglect or forget them how shall we speak of them to God's praise 't is not enough to remember them but we must also mention them to his praise Thus David I will tell you what God hath done for my Soul He acknowledgeth God the Author of his Mercies and doth not Sacrifice to his own Nets as many do and burn Incense to his Drags Hab. 1.16 But as the Church not unto us Lord not to us but to thy Name be the Praise he acknowledges frequently his own worthlessness that he may exalt God Lord saith he what is Man that thou shouldst be mindful of him Or the Son of Man that thou regardest him Psal 8.4 I am less than the least of thy Mercies saith Jacob I am less than the least of thy Saints saith Paul Yea when it comes let it be a Free-will Offering do it chearfully readily willingly as the Saints and Angels do it in Heaven heartily not heavily God Loves a chearful giver and matters not grumbling Service Be as willing to return Thanks as ever thou wast to have the Mercy Set thy Heart on Work in this Duty stir up thy self like the Psalmist Psal 103.1 Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me Praise his Holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his Benefits 'T is not enough to Praise him with the Lips or bring our Bodies before him but the Heart and Life should Praise him the Heart should Indite thy Praises and thy Tongue utter them and thy Life and Conversation Seal to them thou shouldst do thanks and Live thanks as well as speak thanks this is every days Duty especially when we receive signal Mercies we should return answerable thanks when National Mercies National thanks should be returned Psal 50.15 Moses did so at the Deliverance at the Red Sea Exod. 15.1 Deborah and Barak did so Judg. 5.12 The Jews also when delivered from Haman's Plots Est 8.11.17 And there is great reason it should be so for Praise is due to none but God and to him the Vow should be performed all our Springs are in him and all our Mercies are from him yea every good and perfect gift and this is the very End for which he gives them and 't is all he requires for them this Pepper-corn of Homage is all his Rent who is the great Land-Lord and though it be due from all yet he expects it from his own People especially he will extort his own from others in another way and none but his People can do it to please him This is to his Saints a fore-tast of Glory where it must be their constant Work 'T is a beneficial Duty also for Thanksgiving for one Mercy is a real yea a prevailing Request for another Those that Offer praise Glorifie God And yet we see how negligent most are in this Duty few take notice of the Mercies they Receive but like Swine eat the Acorns or Crabs and regard not whence they come Ten Lepers were cleansed and but one returns thanks many are sensible of their wants and with the Horse-Leach cry give give yet are not sensible of their enjoyments to return thanks yea suffer some petty Cross to hide a thousand Blessings and keep them out of their sight 6. Direct When thou art thus prepared thus fitted go on in re-counting the Mercies thou hast Received and bless God for them this is the main Work of the Day Now forasmuch as Mercies are various all Men receive not alike yet all receive some for which they should be thankful give me leave to lead you by the Hand a little and shew you some the rest you may Observe your selves Bless God for what he is in himself and what he is to his Creatures in himself admire his Essence for fathom it thou canst not the like we may say of his Attributes his Eternity Immutability his Power Wisdom Holiness Justice and Truth c. Thou maist spend thy days also in Admiring him in the Works of his Hand lift up thy Eyes to Heaven and see the Sun the Moon and Stars those Glorious Lamps those Beauty spots of Heaven observe their Distance Courses Influence and Virtues and well thou maist
thou fittest in thy House and when thou walkest by the way when thou lyest down and when thou risest up c. First get them in thy Heart and all the rest will be easie and there is great Reason for it Thy Children have Received a Poysonful Nature from thee and thou hast Dedicated them to God's Service in their Baptism and all the Reason in the World thou shouldst do thine Endeavour to bring them out of this miserable Condition and do what thou canst to make them the Faithful Servants of God Their Souls are precious pieces too good to be the Devils Drudges and thou that canst not endure to see a silly Lamb in the Mouth of a devouring Lyon rending and tearing it in pieces at his pleasure how canst thou endure to see thy own Children in the Devils Hand likely to Torment them for ever and not be troubled Set thy Hands therefore to the Work and by Catechising Instructions Exhortation and Admonition to work knowledge in them and bring them to Consider their ways for Consideration is the first step to Reformation Assure thy self God requires this Private Duty at thy Hands 4. Direct Another Private Duty in reference to thy Family is to Pray with them and for them and to joyn together in the mutual Praises of God I have already Treated of the Duty of Prayer in general and have given Directions in the managing well the Duty look back upon them and take the Directions I shall now press upon thee as thou art an Housholder and 't is no doubt but Secret Prayer is thy Duty because thou hast Secret Sins to Confess that none knows of but God and thine own Soul and Secret wants to beg supplyes for and Personal Mercies to be thankful for But though this be necessary 't is not sufficient but if thou have a Family these also must share in thy Prayers There is a Divine Imprecation against all those Families that call not upon the Name of God Now this Duty should be daily done yea Evening and Morning I think may Evidently be proved that 't is a daily Duty cannot be denyed The Scripture requires us to pray without ceasing to pray continually and in every thing to give thanks and such like expressions intimating to us that our Souls should be in a continual Praying Temper and upon all Occasions Offered ready to perform this Duty and we ought to Serve God all the days of our Lives in Righteousness and Holiness Luke 1.75 Now Prayer and Praise is part of that daily Service we owe to him which is also Typified out by the daily Sacrifices and Oblations which were Offered to him in the Time of the Law Christians Prayer and Praise being in allusion to this called the Offering up the Calves of our Lips Hos 4.2 And when Christ Teacheth his Disciples to Pray he bids them say Give us this day our daily Bread which shews us thus much that it was to be their daily Petition Acts 3.1 We Read that the Apostles went into the Temple at the hour of Prayer which shews they had their Stata precibus tempora their appointed hours And the Godly in all Ages have made Prayer their daily Practice David he Prays seven times a day Psal 119.164 Morning and Evening Psal 92.2 Morning Evening and at Noon Psal 55.17 Yea elsewhere at Midnight Daniel Prayed three times a day constantly yea when Death was threatned for so doing Dan. 6.10 And there is great reason for it for we Receive daily Mercies for which we have cause to be thankful and Commit daily sins for which we have cause to be humbled and we have need of daily Supplyes for which we have cause to be earnest And God hath given us leave to come as oft as we will and promiseth to hear us and supply us What a needless scruple then is it to ask whether it be our Duty when 't is our Priviledge as well as our Duty we do not ask how prove you it to be our Duty to eat Meat every day this would Argue but a bad Stomack The oftner we come to God the better welcom we shall be and have more Communion and Converse with him and the more we Converse with him the better Entertainment we are like to have Others Scruple whether a Man ought to pray in his Family these Men would fain find a knot in a Rush and would Quarrel the Duty they like not but doth not God tell us Where two or three are gathered together he will be in the midst of them Mat. 18.20 And are not some Families called Churches of God where Religious Exercises are performed Rom. 16.5 Col. 4.15 Philem. 2. Here the Houses of Priscilla and Aquila and Nymphas and Philemon are called Churches And Joshua resolves that he and his House would serve the Lord Josh 24.15 And we read of Christ praying with his Disciples and others What ground of doubt can then remain but this is a Duty Those that shake off this would willingly shake off all the Ordinances and the rest of the Commands In a Family are many particular Family-sins Committed which ought to be Confessed many Family Mercies bestowed which call for a thankful acknowledgment many wants and Infirmities to be supplyed which should be begged and all these cannot be known nor perhaps are fit to be expressed by him that is the Mouth of the People in publick and for Morning and Evening these times seem fittest for this Duty though some Quarrel this also God himself in the time of the Law appointed these for Sacrifices and Oblations and Reason speaks it fit that in the Morning we should praise God for the Mercies of the Night and pray for a blessing upon the business of the day and at Even confess the sins of the day and be thankful for the Mercies and Commend our selves into the Protection of God the Night following For as all we have is from him so we should bless God for all but Spiritual Mercy should not be forgotten especially for Christ and the work of our Redemption the means of Grace and the motions of the Spirit We should praise the Lord also with Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs this is a private Family Duty Also the want of these Duties expose us to the threatning Jer. 10.25 5. Direct Another private Duty which lyes upon thee in reference to thy Family and those under thy Charge is reproving them when they sin and Correcting them when they will not amend and restraining them what in thee lyes from breaking God's Laws and Divine Commands Thou art God's Vice-gerent in thy Family and bearest his Image and the stamp of Authority is put upon thee and must Imitate God in thy Government so far as thy Commission reaches though thou hast not the power of Life and Death as the Supreme Magistrate yet hast thou a restraining power yea and if need be the power to Correct so that it reach not to Life nor Limb and