Psal 4. 4 The second Duty preparatory to the Sabbath is holy Meditation We must meditate on those things which may quicken grace in our hearts First As chiefly upon the greatness holiness and infinite Majesty of the Lord before whom we are to appear Sit et nobis parasceue non tantùm qâ—ae domos sed quae animos ad sacra festa peragenda praeparet Musc Gen. 41. 14 the approaching Sabbath and to present our selves when the light of the day cometh this will certainly move and stir up spiritual devotion and affection as we see by experience in worldly things how carefull we are to trimme and fit our selves when we are to go to an earthly King or some great Nobles And in the next place let us meditate what holiness and purity especially of heart and soul is required in using the Lev. 20. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. holy Ordinanoes of God and in approaching near to him And that Holiness which becomes the blessed Sabbath and the Ordinances of it is the putting on humility mercy Humilitas primum medium ultimum in Scholâ Christi Alap meekness and all other affections and departing from all iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. It is the Image of Christ in the New Creature which is created after God in Righteousness and Holiness Eph. 4. 24. This is the embroydery we are to Eph. 4. 24. wear when we meet with the King of Saints on his own day Rev. 15. 3. We are to meditate on those Scriptures which require holy preparation as Eccles 5. 1. which shews Gods anger against such who approach his presence in an unprepared frame Eccles 5. 1. Mat. 22. 12. The wise Virgins trimmed their lamps before they entered the Bride-Chamber and we must trimme our Mat. 22. 12. selves before we enter the Presence-Chamber upon the solemn day of his appearance God disgusts mans regardlesness Mat. 25. 7. and a curious plaiting of the soul pleases our Beloved The harder our labour is to fit our selves for Gods presence the sweeter will our wages be in the influences of that presence Let us meditate on that whereof the Sabbath is a signe and a pledge viz. Our resurrection to Eternal Life and to the Eternal Rest of Glory in Heaven in the fight and fruition of God whom none can see without holiness And Tertiam requiem notat Atostolus Heb. 4. 7. quae per duas praecedentes scil per requiem Sabbati et requiem in Canaan anagogicè fuerit significata quam nobis praestat Jesus Christus Heb. 12. 14. Heb. 12. 2. this will be most powerfull to stir up spiritual affection and to quicken Grace in our hearts Our life should be a continual preparation for our Eternal Sabbath and some time should be granted for a temporary preparation for our weekly Sabbath we should be very active in this work and despise the toyle and trouble looking to the joy that is set before us whereof the weekly Sabbath is to every Saint a happy Harbinger Thirdly Our third Duty which must precede the holy observation of the Sabbath is self examination and this is two fold First External We must reflect back upon the past week and review our Erratas sin before must be found out least we come to Sabbath-work with week-day guilt On the Saturday in the Evening we must cast up our spiritual accounts and when we have found the Jonah cast him over-board Jon. 1. 15. by holy faith and serious repentance It is very unseemly to keep a Sabbath with our filthy Garments with Zach. 3. 4. unwashen hearts with untuned tongues with untamenting eyes with unrepented sins When Joseph was to come into Gen. 41. 14. the presence of Pharaoh he shaved himself and changed his rayment and came in to Pharaoh And shall not we throw off our sinfull incumberances and put off our prison clothes our noysome irregularities by diligent search and holy repentance when the day draws on and we are to come into the Effunde cortuum sicut aquâ—m coram facie Domini extolle ad eum manus tuas pro remedio peccatorum tuorum accipe igitur lamentum Hier. presence of the great God Our memories should be the surveyours to view and our consciences the secretaries to set down our hearts the mourners to lament the sins of the week that Christ would bring his spunge to blot them out before Gods holy day comes upon us It is observable those herbs rise high in the Summer time that in the Winter shrink lowest in the ground and those hearts that in the week-time are laid lowest they rise highest upon the Sabbath day There must be soul-humblings for the daily trespasses of the week else the day of Gods service comes but we cannot comfortably and confidently serve God on that day especially if any fouler spot hath deformed any day of Josh 24. 19. the week Secondly But there must be an inward examination as well as an outward a search into our thoughts our desires our delights our dispositions what they have been the foregoing week we must examine the passages of our souls how it hath fared with the inward man The Psalmist commands heart communion a serious discourse concerning the Psal 4. 4. behaviours of the heart As the Shop-keeper casts up his Ex corde vita et actio procedit accounts not onely concerning his debts abroad but his wares at home He turns every piece in the chest to see how it goes with his estate We must dive into our souls and see what growth of grace what decays of corruption what ornaments and additional beauty we have gained all the week before whether Christ hath given us new bracelets Ezek. 16. 11. Armillae significant nihil indecorum esse agendum sed manus i. e. opera debere esse decora Orig. and Jewels superadded grace or whether we are more wrinckled in the complexion of our souls and look more like to the old man Holy Master Greenham sends us to civil and wordly wisdome for the practise of this duty We see saith he worldly thriving men if not every day yet at least once in the week they search their books cast up their accounts confer their expences with their gain and make even their reckonings whereby they may see whether they have gained Eph. 4. 22. or lost whether they are beforehand or come short and shall Mr. Greenh not we much more once a week at least call our selves to a reckning by examination what hath gone from us what hath come towards us how we have gone forward or backward in godliness that if we have holy increases we may then give thanks to God and if we have come short to travel with our selves the more earnestly to recover our former loss In a word the impartial survey of our inward man will necessarily lead us to a more profitable observation of Gods holy day seeing those wants will be
too is little enough to make him write well That of the Wise man Eccles 9. 10. is chiefly true in the Sanctuary what ever our hand finds to do we must do it with all our might And holy resolution best answers this case with a serious endeavour that former negligence shall be repaired by future diligence If thou hast been formal or neglectful on a Sabbath shame thy self in the observation of the melting behaviours of others There was once a General who when his souldiers fought faintly and cowardly he allighted from his Horse and run into the middle of the foot-souldiers and shamed his Army by his own valourous example When thou seest Agendum est à nobis secundum ideam divinam one weeping in the Congregation another sighing anotehr hanging upon the lips of the Minister by serious and vigorous attention say within thy self O my soul why art thou Psalm 43. 5. so formal so dead and superficial and why art thou so Exod. 25. 40. discomposed within me Curious pictures are drawn from Heb. 8. 5. lovely persons and thou shouldst do well to correct thy formality by the serious examples of others Emulation in spirituals 1 Cor. 11. 1. is very commendable and it doth well become a Christian to copy out the religious custome of an Isaac in holy meditation Gen. 24. 63. The gust and satisfaction of David in holy Ordinances Psal 63. 5. The humility of a Daniel in holy Prayer â—an 9. 3. The attention of a Lydia in hearing the Word Acts 16. 14. The melting frame of a Josiah Vides fratrem profluentem lacrymis huic colluge et condole Ita enim fiet ut alienis malis castiges propria Bas in reâ—ding the Law 2 Chron. 34. 27. The heart-breaking expressions of an Ezra in confession of sin Ezra 9. 3 4 5 t. Thus others musick may shame our jarring and cause our harmony truly sometimes the sight of another mans carriage doth more enflame us then the sense of Gods presence the Assembly which we see doth more affect us then God whom we do not see In Ordinances the Apostle his counsel is very authentical we must rejoyce with them that rejoyce and weep with them that weep Rom. 12. 15. Symphony is the sweetness and credit of an Ordinance The Prophet speaketh of one Name and one Lord Zach. 3. 9. Zach. 14. 9. It may be added one weeping eye and one melting heart doth very much beautifie social worship In a word others humble carriage in Gospel opportunities should constrain ours we will thank a beggar who puts us in the way Thus much for the first Case Case 2 What must we do in the good performance of holy duties and the happy enjoyment of God in Ordinances It is sometimes the felicity of Gods people to be in a flame in holy services Exod. 34. 30. and to enjoy much of God on the day of God their faces shine while they are in the Mount with God with holy David Obiectam habuit saciem Moses prae splendore vultus quem Israelitae intueri non puterant Lyppom they see the glory and power of God in the Sanctuary Psalm 63. 2. with the two Disciples travelling to Emmaus their hearts burn Luke 24. 32. whilst Christ communes with them in Gospel dispensations As once it was said of Viretus his Auditours they were ever rapt up into heaven in holy Prayer and in the evening of a Sabbath thus satisfactorily spent they are ready to sing Requiems to their souls and to say one day in Gods Courts is better then a thousand Psalm 34. 10. In this case when duties have been transformed John 2. 8. into delights as water turned into wine by a miracle of Love Then it is incumbent upon us To be thankful Surely gratitude becomes us is our comely oblation as the Psalmist speaks Psal 33. 1. is our convenient sacrifice as the Syriack reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when God gives us not onely the space but the grace of a Sabbath not only the Sabbath of mercy but the mercy of a Sabbath The stone wall reflects the beams of the Sun which shine upon it If beams of love and joy have visited Paulus raptus est ab eo quod est secundum naturam ad illud quod est supra naturam vi superioris naturae Thom. us in holy opportunities on Gods blessed day reflections of praise are our suitable tribute it is most rare mercy with Paul to be caught up when we have been in the lower stories of Gospel-grace Nehemiah blessed the Lord for the priviledge of a Sabbath how much more shouldst thou for the divine pleasures of it when thou hast tasted how good and gracious the Lord is and thou hast discharged thy self sweetly and sincerely in holy performances The Hallelujahs of Heaven 2 Cor. 13. 2. are the glorified Saints onely offering for their seraphical Nehem. 9. 14. and eternal Rest Indeed the enjoyment of God in Ordinances is our clearest Sunshine on this side glory If thou Psalm 27. 5. hast had such an enjoyment speak in the language of the sweet Singer of Israel Bless the Lord O my soul let all that Psalm 103. 1. is within me bless his holy Name To be careful The Saints usually after the best spent Sabbaths meet with the worst assaults It was the speech of an experienced Christian I look for the Devil every Munday morning I am sure he will come to rob my soul of Sabbath 1 Thes 3. 5. good if it be possible Have our hearts been raised ravished enliven'd and enlarged upon the Lords day we Datur morbus mentis etiam et morsus serpentis est malum innâ—tum est et seminatum Bern. had need watch the tempter least he damp our joyes and so grieve our spirits and embitter our sweets and lest our mind which one day hath been heavenly the next day become haughty for pride is a worm which is apt to breed in the best weed It is a rare observation of Bernard That the mind can swell as well as the Serpent can bite we have evil within us as well as assaults without us When we have comfortably waited on our God we must as sedulously watch over our own hearts or else our sweet raptures will turn into swelling conceits as refreshing fires send up a black smoak It was not for nothing that Paul had a thorn in his flesh after 2 Cor. 12. 7. he had had a Paradise in his view We are apt to surfet on the richest Banquets Too much light doth not encrease but dazle the sight After well-spent Sabbaths let us admire our good and double our guard If the Devil will steal away the seed Mat. 13. 19. he will surely attempt the harvest the Thief will sooner fetch away bags then pence To be faithful If our souls have been sweetned by holy Ordinances upon Gods holy day let us study to
above all his works Psal 145. 9. Quiâ—quid est in deo est deus Psal 145. 9. Gen. 22. 17. 2 Chron. 33. 12. How sweet was his mercy in multiplying Abraham's Seed in knocking off Israels bonds in sanctifying Manassah's Fetters in throwing Devils out of Mary Magdalen and introducing himself in the room in stopping Paul in the carier of his persecution of the Saints and destruction to Exod. â—2 51. Luke 8. 2. himself It was Mercy pâ—nned the Covenant of Grace sent an onely Son into the world and it is the same mercy which Acts 9. 4 5. Deus non pater judiciorum aut ultionum dicitur sed Pater misericordiarum non â—â—dò quia Pater filicrum misereâ—â—â— timentium so sed quod miserendi causam et originem sumat ex proprio Bern. scatters Gospel-light for mans direction to eternal life Divine mercies are the brightest rayes to enlighten us the sweetest drops to soften us the surest forts to safe-guard us The Hand of mercy giveth us the bonds of the promises the Ear of mercy gives us an account of our prayers the Tongue of mercy speaks comfortably to us in our distresses the Eye of mercy beholds and pities us in our falls and lapses the Heart of mercy yearns over us in our sins and iniquities A learned man observes God in infinite mercy places our justification upon faith not upon works upon the stretching out of a hand not the exact performance of a work If God should lay the stress upon accurate obedience we should assuredly fall short of a Crown Let us meditate on the glory of his wonders He is a wonder-working God He can fetch water out of the Rock Exod. 17. 6. Gen. 19. 24. send fire out of heaven he can rain down Manna and so Exod. 16. 4. furnish the table with a showre and fetch provisions not 2 Kings 20. 10. from the Kitchin but the Clouds He can make the Sun Dan. 3. 25. run in a retrograde motion and turn a flaming furnace into an arboret a walk of safety and delight He can fright Armies 2 Kings 7. 6. with a noyse they shall be discomfited by the weak 2 Kings 19. 7. sound of a rumour He can raise an host of Caterpillers Joel 2. 25. and Palmer worms and they shall do execution and overthrow his Enemies without Sword or Spear Christ can Mark 6. â—2 John 2 9. prepare bread without going to the meal in the Barrel and provide wine without going to the store in the wine Cellar and his Command shall yield more then the Vine And the wonders of God Sometimes they are destructive They strangled the first-born of Aegypt and washed away the Princeliness and Glory Exod. 12. 29. of the Land of Ham in the Red Sea God miraculously stirred Exod. 14. 28. 2 Chro. 20. 2 3. up the Inhabitants of Seir to help forward the destruction one of another Sometimes Gods wonders are preservative The Mariners see Gods wonders in the deep and the boisterous Psal 104. 24. waves by Gods wonderfull power are their Pillars not their Dan. 6. 22. Perdition they support them not swallow them up Thus Deuâ— solus est qui â—acit miracula multâ— enim sunt stultis miracula quae talia non sunt sapientibus Aug. God wonderfully preserved Daniel in the Lions Den and those beasts of prey served for his Guard and not his execution Gods wonders are sometimes walls of fire to scorch and burn and sometimes walls of brass to secure and defend Sometimes God works wonderfully to shew his love and faithfulness and sometimes to shew his wrath and indignation Gods wonders are sometimes declarative they are the essay of his power before the eyes of the world the Heavens take notice of them Psal 89. 5. The children of men take notice Psal 89. 5. Job 9. 10. Psal 105. 5. Psal 77. 14 15. Nehem. 9. 10 Josh 2 10. Psal 136. 4. of them Job 9. 10. Holy Job was a notary to set them down and the sweet singer of Israel an instrument to set them out Psal 105. 5. And not onely the children of Israel Nehem. 9. 10. But the people of the Nations have taken notice of the wonders of the Lord Josh 2. 10. and resented them with astonishment and admiration CHAP. XVII God is most Adorable in his blessed Attributes LEt us meditate on the Attributes of God The Divine Attributes are those glorious beams which give us the best discovery of the Divine Being His Justice is a scorching beam His Mercy is a warming beam His Faithfulness is a refreshing beam His Truth is an enlightning beam His Infiniteness is a dazling beam His Power is a piercing beam But this prospect is so pleasant we cannot so suddenly take off our eye and therefore we shall glance at the Divine Attributes something more distinctly Let us meditate on the Power of God His Power as his Glory is transcendent He can bow the Heavens he can Psal 144. 5. Judges 5. 20. Job 37. 16. Psal 104. 32. Isa 5. 26. Isa 7. 18. Exod. 14 24 25. marshal the Stars he can ballance the Clouds he can destroy single persons he can subvert whole Cities wash away the World with a Flood he can make the Mountains smoak with a touch he can summon the Nations with a hiss and he can take off Pharaohs Chariot wheels with a look If God frown the Mountains quake the Hills melt the Earth is burnt the World is blasted and the Inhabitants of it tremble Nah. 1. 5. He can scatter Nations hurle Mountanes Lev. 10. 1 2. to and fro as the dust Hab. 3. 6. Such divine discoveries Gen. 19. 24. of Gods infinite power we meet with in sacred writ Gen. 7. 19. He created the World by the Power of his Word and blâ—w Ad imperium nutum etinstinctum dei volentis puniâ—e Judaeos staâ—im quasi liâ—lores accurrunt Egyptii et Assiâ—ii sibilo tantùm opus est et advolant Alap the Vniverse into a being by the breath of his mouth His Fiat reared the Heavens and the Earth into an existence it fill'd the Sun with light bespangled the Firmament with stars deck't the fields with grass laded the trees with fruit and made the vallies sing with Corn Psal 65. 13. Paradise Mans first and delightfull seat was but the issue of Gods Commanding Power He planted every Flower he sowed every Seed he set up every Tree not with his Hand but his Word And as in Naturals so is Gods Power seen in Spirituals He can subdue the strongest corruptions break the hardest Ezek. 11. 19. Dan. 4. 33. Luke 7. 38. Jer. 5. 22 hearts relieve the most fainting graces he can unhorse the proudest Persecutors and put the greatest Kings to 2 Sam. 17. 23. grass and throw the leudest Curtizans at his fect And as Hest 7. 10. Gods Power is seen in perfective so in destructive actions he
Son too He takes upon him the rags of our flesh and they are farther torn by sorrows and afflictions and at last dipt in bloud How Christ glosses upon his own love Joh. 15. 13. and sheweth us that death was the most sincere testimony and the most superlative Character of entire love his wounds dropt more love than bloud his arms spread upon the Cross were stretched out for amicable and Cùm inimici essemus reconcilâ—ati sumus deo per sanguinem filii sui et Christus mortuus esâ— pro â—â—â—cis et si nondum qâ—iâ—â—m amantibuâ— sed tamâ—n jam amatis Bern. amiable embraces There was a threefold Inscription upon the Cross of Christ I will only a little invert it let it be this The wisdom of the Father the love of the Son and the Salvation of sinners Christs heart was full of love Joh. 10. 15. He lays down his life it is not forced from him Ioh. 10. 18. he deposits it as the pawn of his affection Christ dies for his friends saith Bernard happily not yet loving him yet already beloved by him The mercy of God did most illustriously shine in the glorious work of Mans Redemption The Apostle Rom. 5. 10. Rom. 5. 8. assures us that Christ died to reconcile enemies to his Father and what would have been the issue of enemies how bitter Coristus ex charitate suâ et Patris pro â—ohn injustis et malefactoribus peccatoribusque mori voluit Christus ergo longe omnem omnium hominum charitatem superat et transcendit Alap in Rom. Ezek. 16. 6. their portion how full of wrath their Cup how sure their slaughter Luke 19. 27. But Christ comes to die for us in this low and lost condition Ezek. 16. 6. when we were ready to receive the reward of enemies when we were falling by the hand of Justice as so many enemies How sweet and seasonable was this pity and compassion we had all the Characters of misery upon us which are fastned upon the Church of Laodicea Rev. 3. 17. we were blind miserable poor and naked both helpless and hopeless then Christ redeemed this dying Captive crew by the ransom of his bloud and as the price of his death Our Messiah must die for us when nothing else can help us and his wounds must bleed to stanch ours his bloud must be our balsam his Corrosives our Cordials his fresh wounds must cure our festred ones Heart-breaking pity and mercy brings our beloved to the slaughter when mankind was ready to drop into the flames Alapide observes There was more charity Gen. 42. 25. â—en 44. 1. and pity in one Christ dying for sinners then there can be bowels in all mankind Joseph in pity preserves his Family from famine Christ in softer bowels preserves his people from raine The wisdom of God was greatly seen in the work of mans Redemption in this work there was apparent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3. 9 10. the manifold wisdom of God as the Apostle speaks all the embroydery and artifices of rare contrivance and wisdom Omnes illae â—ultae variae eâ—pâ—gnantes inter sâ—râ—tiones quibus usâ—s â—â—t deus in redimendis electâ—s Christo conjungendis omnes haerationes ab aeterno definitae fuerunt in divino consilio admirabilem vere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fuisse aeternam Dei sapientiam Zanch. in Eph. Zanchy observes that many seeming contrarietiâ—s and contradictions were reconciled in the Redemption of mankind Jew and Gentile dissevered in Name Nature and Priviledge are copulated in the same Gospel with the joyful news of our Redemption by Christ God and Man at an infinite distance united in the same person of Christ who is our blessed Redeemer Justice and Mercy in a mutual antipathy one to the other meet and kiss each other in the same work of our Redemption What an efflux of wisdom was this that the Son of God should die to free the Sons of men that so the Sons of men should become the Sons of God what rare contrivance of divine wisdom That justice should be executed and yet mercy no way impaired that justice should over-take the surety but mercy should be displayed to the sinner that our pardons should be written in anothers bloud our favours should lie in anothers smiles our persons clothed with anothers robe of spotless righteousness Rom 13. 14. 2 Cor. 5. 19 20 Heb. 7. 25. Rev. 1. 5. Christus jam vivit non sibi sed nobis nostram causam agens in conspectu dei that our Prayers should be heard upon the account of anothers intercession Heb. 7. 25. That our souls should be cleansed in the bath of anothers bleeding Rev. 1. 5. All these methods of interwoven wisdom may be both our wonder and meditation Christ is the wisdom of his Father 1 Cor. 1. 24. not only as he was his Son and his Character but as he was our All-sufficient Redeemer The power of God did eminently appear in the work of our Redemption Love brought Christ to the grave but power Heb 9. 14. brought him out of the grave Justice laid the weight of sin upon Christ but power sustained him under that burden Simplicius est res postulat de ipsâ Christi divinitate intelligere hunc phrasm aeternum scil spiritum quae nisi aeternam fragantiam humanae Christi victimae ospirasset utique satisfactoria pro mundi peccatis aeternaeque justitiae meritoria esse non poâ—â—isset Par. which would have crushed men and Angels into nothing It was nothing but Almighty power which supported Christ and carryed him effectually and gloriously through the work of mans Redemption which must necessarily be exerted to sustain Christ under those effusions and chataracts of divine wrath which were poured out upon him and to raise him from that grave where he lay breathless for an appointed time What but omnipotency could break the bonds of death and petarre the Sepulchre to make way for the Resurrection of a glorious Redeemer CHAP. XXI God exceedingly to be praised in his works of Grace and Glory LEt us meditate on the morning of Gods holy day upon the works of grace Now divine grace may be taken in a Rom. 8. 28. Rom. 9. 11. Eph. 1. 11. Eph. 3. 11. double sense First Either for grace the cause which is nothing but the favour and good-will of the Lord his rich grace and mercy folded up in purposes of eternal love and therefore the Apostle 2 Tim. 1. 9. joyns Gods purpose and his grace together Gratia ab aeterno data in decreto scil Dei praedestinatione et haec donandi voluntas absoluta est et irrevocabilis Alap to evidence his gracious purposes of favour which he had from eternity towards his dear Saints These methods of grace are various and admirable The rejection of the Jews and the calling in of the Gentiles the different dispensations used in the Church before the Law under the
tamenillam agnoscunt valde infirmam lanquidam et obscuratam propter perpetuam illam pugnam rebellionem carnis Daven wing and was upon the flight from him Psal 51. 11. The Apostle saith Col. 3. 3. Our life is hid with Christ both in point of security and in point of secresie with Christ as in the spring with Christ as in the root and principle and the root we know is under ground and no eye of the passenger observes it with the several threads of it Let one thing more come within our view This work of grace is often under a mask and faces are not discovered under a mask there is a continual combat between the flesh and the spirit and the poor Saint stands as a spectatour he waits and cannot tell which of the two combatants will go away with Gal. 5. 17. flying colours Let us meditate on the beautifullness of the work of Grace The Scripture best depaints this lovely work Sometimes it Nova creatâ—ra spiritualis effecta novam gratiae vitâ—m fortua est ut deâ—â—â—ceps in novitate vitae ambulet is called Regeneration Joh. 3. 5. Sometimes it is called a new Creation Gal. 6. 15. With what flourish and glory did the world look when God did first create it and it first put on its comly dress and attire how pleasant was the Earth in its first spring Sometimes the work of grace is called Gods workmanship Eph. 2. 10. and this work must be good Gen. 1. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is his All things he made were very good Gen. 1. 31. Nay sometimes this work is called our coming to our selves Luke 15. 17. And when lunatick persons are reduced to their wits what a comly and a lovely sight is it Indeed holiness is an attribute of God it is the loveliness of Angels it is the beauty of Saints this makes them excellent Psal 16. Psal 16. 3. Prov. 12. 26. Prov. 17. 27. Ezek. 16. 7. Phil. 1. 10. 3. nay more excellent then their neighbours Prov. 12. 26. The habits of grace are excellent ornaments Ezek. 16. 7. The wayes of grace are excellent wayes Phil. 1. 10. The work of grace it sheds light into the understanding makes it day there the beginnings of grace are day break in the soul Grace it shapes the will and brings it into form it sublimates Col. 3. 1 2. the affections and raises them from the dung-hill and makes them as it was said of the Bereans Acts 17. 11. more noble it softens the heart and makes it pliable to the tenders of the Gospel it cleanses the conscience from its filth and nastiness Acts 15. 9. it composes the conversation 1 Cor. 15 58 59 it adorns the life and bespangles it with good works those beautiful issues of a work of grace Let us meditate on the beneficialness of the work of grace Grace is glory initiated the dawning of future glory and glory is the noon-tide of grace There is a connection between grace and glory Psal 84. 11. They are clasped together by an eternal decree Gods everlasting purpose of love hath espoused grace to glory The work of grace foreruns Deus dedit nobis pignus futurae haereditatis gratiam quâ nos unxit â—t signavit in filios dei discrevitque à filiis diaboli the wages of glory Grace is onely glory in its infancy and glory is grace in its full growth Grace and glory differ in degree not in kind The spirits work is onely the first Scene of heaven here the spirit is a refining above it will be a ravishing spirit Death blows the bud of grace into the flower of glory 2 Cor. 1. 22. Eph. 1. 14. Grace onely ushers in glory it is onely the greener fruit of heaven and in Oecum future blessedness it comes to its full maturation In a word 2 Cor. 1. 22. the work of grace is the beginning of heaven in the soul and Eph. 1. 14. Christ in the heart doth fully assure us we shall see Christ Eph. 3. 17. in the Throne Let us meditate in the morning of a Sabbath on the works of glory How should we contemplate on heavenly things Psal 36. 8. Heb 4. 9. Rev. 3. 21. 2 Tim. 4. 8. 1 Cor. 2. 9. O ineffabile gaudium in sanctis glorificatis qui ad dextram Christi sistent ut subditi serenissimo suo principi ut filii benignissimo suo patri ut regale sacerdotium gratiosissimo suo pontifici Glass on Gods heavenly day what those chambers of rest what those rivers of pleasure what those crowns of righteousness what those thrones of glory are which God hath prepared for his believing and beloved ones who have rejoyced in his holy day here and made it their seraphical delight From the mount of meditation as from mount Nebo we may take a prospect of the land of Promise which Christ hath taken the possession of in the name of all believers Heb. 6. 20. Heaven must needs be a glorious City which hath God both for its builder and inhabitant it must needs be the extract and quintessence of all blessedness On Gods day in the morning let meditation listen to the musicks of the Bride-chamber take a tast of our Masters joy peep within the vail and take a glance of the face of God and make an essay how well a crown of righteousness becomes the believers head And surely we cannot meditate on these things but we Quanta erit illa felicitas ubi nullum erit malum nullum latebit bonum vacabitur dei laudibus qui erit omnia in omnibus Aug. must rejoyce in hope What prisoner shackled with the chains of temptation and fettered with the irons of his own corruption being in the dark prison of the world can meditate on the time when all these restraints shall be filed off and he enjoy the pleasant light and glorious liberty of the Sons of God Rom. 8. 21. but he will be transported with joy and exultation Meditation brings down heaven to us and we travel in the view of things superlative and ineffable In Glory we shall see the King in his beauty Isa 33. 17. There John 14. 2. Psal 16. 11. God shall be all in all 1 Cor. 15. 28. There shall be beauty Rev. 3. 21. to the eye musick to the ear joy to the heart light to the mind perfection to the soul plenary and absolute satisfaction to the Saint Glory is meditations upper-loft it is its highest gallery to walk in it is its pleasing nest among the stars Meditation may take a view of the pompous Theater 2 Cor. 1. 3. Mat. 1. 21. Heb. 7. 25. of glory where there are the three persons in the God-head The Father of our mercies Jesus Christ the Saviour of our souls the Holy Ghost the Healer of our natures the Father who hears our prayers the Son who is our intercessour above us and the
spirit who is our intercessour within us And in correspondence to this blessed Trinity there Rom. 8. 26 27. are three species of beings who enjoy glory the glorious God the holy Angels the glorified Saints and thus meditation may tune the morning of a Sabbath and the musick may sound all the ensuing day CHAP. XXII God is most illustrious in his Bounty and Presence WE must meditate on the morning of a Sabbath not onely on the nature of God on the attributes of God and on the works of God but likewise on the bounty of God and his indulgence in giving us his Sabbath Our very work on this day is our reward our spiritual duties are our greatest dignities O what an honour what a favour what a happiness doth God vouchsafe us in giving us this golden season David though a King and the Head of the Psal 84. 10. Psal 42. 2. best people in the world esteemed it an honour to be the lowest Officer in Gods house Psal 84. 10. The ordinances Psal 63. 2. of God are called our appearing before God Psal 42. 2. The fruition of them is as the seeing of his face Capernaum Deut. 4. 7. because of them was lifted up to heaven Mat. 11. 23. Who can tell what honour it is to appear in the presence of this King Or what happiness to see his lovely countenance In the ordinances of God the Christian hath sweet communion with ravishing delight in and enflamed affection to the blessed God if in them he tasts God to be gracious and hath the first fruits of his glorious and eternal harvest Well might the Protestants of France call the place of their publick meeting on Gods holy day Paradise Ordinances are heaven in a Glass and the Londs day is heaven in a Map O the bounty of God in giving us this blessed day This day is to be valued at a high rate therein we enjoy fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ we have tasts of the Spirit and feel the influential impressions of his grace we are going up the stairs till we come to the highest loft of 1 Joh. 1. 3. Psal 34. 8. glory The Jewes call the week dayes prophane dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Sabbath a holy and precious day The Greeks call week days working dayes but the Sabbath is a day of sweet rest Other dayes are common and ordinary dayes but this holy Sabbath is the chief of dayes Many daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all Many dayes as Lecture Prov. 31. 25. dayes Fast dayes Thanksgiving dayes have done vertuously but thou O Sabbath excellest them all Well might the good soul run to meet thee in the morning and salute thee with a Come my sweet spouse thee have I loved for thee have I longed and thou art my dearest delight How far then Honos ne sit onus nec verba spiritus verbera carnis should we be from accounting the Sabbath our burden and our attendance on Ordinances upon that blessed day our task or bondage O let us not esteem spiritual opportunities our fetters but our freedom Think what the Phaenix is among the birds the Lyon among the beasts the Fire among the elements the Prince among the Subjects that is the Lords day among other dayes Wax in the shop is worth something but wax put to some Deeds is worth thousands Ordinary dayes are wax in the shop but the Lords day is wax put to the deeds Upon this day Christ carries the soul into his wine-Cellar and his banner over him Cant. 2. 4. is love Can. 2. 4 5. Upon other dayes Christ feeds his members but on this day he feasts them on other dayes they have their ordinary dyet but on the Sabbath they have their exceedings on this day Christ brings forth his living waters Gen. 43. 34. his best wine Joh. 2. 10. His finest bread his Benjamins Haec visio non est personalis et Jacobi solummodò consolatio sed commune piorum solamen ut de praesentiâ et divino auxilio dubitemus Par mess On the Lords day Christ pitches his Tabernacle among us we are as it were taken up into the mount with God there to be transfigured before him Mat. 17. 2. When the Lord appeared unto Jacob in a vision by night he saw a Ladder erected between Heaven and Earth and the Lord on the top of it the Angels ascending and descending by it and when he awoke How dreadfull saith he is this place the Lord was here and I was not aware surely it is no other Gen. 28. 16 17. then the house of God and this is the gate of heaven Are not Hos 11. 9. our places of assembling the very gates of heaven In our Deut. 33. 3. solemn assemblies is there not a ladder erected between earth and heaven and is not the Lord at the top of it The gracious Sicut deus sanctus est sic etiam populum sonctificat et servat et in medio eorum est et apparet Riv. instructions which we receive are they not so many Angels descending The gracious motions which arise in our hearts upon meditation on Gods word upon thanksgiving to God or rejoycing in him or else sorrowing for our sins are they not as so many Angels ascending And have we not then great cause to be filled with admiration and holy gratulations to God for Sabbath indulgence for his rich bounty in the donation of his blessed day On the morning of the Sabbath let us meditate on the presence of God Many miscarriages are acted by man and many miseries do seize upon man for the neglect of this ever Deus totus oculus est et minima videt August seasonable meditation A solemn consideration of Gods presence would restrain us from sin would quicken us in duty would draw out our graces would compose our spirits and cast a holy awe upon us which things would be inductive of much fruitfulness and piety When we sin we forget Gods eye is upon us when we flag in duty we do not think God is nigh to us when we trifle away Sabbath we do not remember Gods hand will certainly be against us Now there is a two-fold presence of God There is a more general presence and God is present every where Deus presens est 1. Per Essentiam Psal 139. 12. 1 Chron. 28. 9. First By his Essence and so he fills all things 1 Kings 8. 27. and thus he fills heaven with his glory Earth with his goodness and Hell it self with his power and justice Secondly God is present every where by his knowledge so he beholds all things 2 Chron. 16. 9. Light and darkness 2 Per Cognitionem night and day are all one to him Psal 139. 12. He seeth the very imaginations of our hearts His eyes behold and his eye lids try the children of men Psal 11. 4.