promises and all-sufficiency in performance the profit of it in this life seeing it bringeth with it peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost and maketh way for our eternall saluation in the life to come the necessity of it seeing without it nothing can saue vs with it no sinne can condemne vs being an inseparable fruit of faith which is the alone condition of all promised happinesse c. And these with many other are the causes O my soule which all concurre together to worke thy heart vnto vnfained repentance which being in themselues so powerfull and preualent to produce this effect will leaue thee quite without excuse if they be not effectuall to this end §. Sect. 7 Of the matter forme parts of repentance and first of humiliation And now my soule that thou seest the efficient causes of repentance consider also the matter and forme of it as they meet together in the parts thereof which are humiliation and godly sorrow for thy sinnes and turning vnto God by reformation and amendment the former part more directly expressing the matter the latter the forme of thy repentance And both these the Scriptures conioyne in this one worke For thus Salomon speaketh of it when they shall humble themselues and turne from their euill 2. Chro. 7. 14. wayes and Ioel exhorteth the people to turne vnto the Lord with weeping to Joel 2. 11 12. Act. 26. 20. rend their hearts and not their garments and to turne vnto the Lord. Howsoeuer in many places they name but one of them and thereby vnderstand the other And therefore O my soule see that thou disioyne not those things which thy God hath ioyned together content not thy selfe with Esa 58. such a sorrow as bringeth foorth no amendment which was reiected in Ahab Iudas Cain and the people of the Iewes for these teares like filthy waters doe but the more pollute thee and this worldly sorrow proceeding 2. Cor. 7. 10 11. not from hatred of sinne or loue of God but from selfe-loue and feare of punishment causeth death and is a sorrow which must be sorrovved for nor yet vvith such an amendment vvhich ariseth not from sense of sinne and godly remorse and sorrovv for it vvhich vvas the repentance of Herod who is said to haue done many things according to the Baptists doctrine and direction but not to haue sorrowed for sinne past as hee obeyed for the present of Iudas who was outwardly reformed as the other Apostles but neuer truely and thorowly humbled and so of Demas and many ciuill worldlings and temporaries who in many things change their course from euill to good but haue no change of their hearts grounded vpon vnfained contrition and humiliation But what is this but to build without a foundation and to dismember and destroy this perfect body by pulling one part from another And therefore my soule ioyne these parts in thy repentance lay first the foundation and then build vpon it bewayle thy sinnes with bitter griefe and then forsake them in heart and action and turne to thy God in amendment of life Now vnto this humiliation thou must first be prepared by the Law which like a Schoole-master whippeth thee and maketh thee to cry out in the sense of thy sinnes and the curse due vnto them and vtterly to deny thy selfe and thine owne righteousnesse as altogether insufficient to satisfie Gods Iustice and then it must be wrought in thee by the Gospell which reuealeth vnto thee the perfect righteousnesse and obedience of thy Sauiour Christ by which his Iustice being fully satisfied his wrath also is appeased the pardon of thy sinnes if thou bathe thy selfe in the blood of Christ by the hand of faith and assureth thee that thou art reconciled vnto God and become his child by grace and adoption The which will make thee to melt and resolue into teares of vnfained sorrow for thy sinnes whereby thou hast displeased so gracious a Father which godly griefe will cause repentance not to bee repented of And this is that sound humiliation which the Scriptures doe so often call for which thou mayest discerne if it be truely in thee by diuers signes that alwayes accompany it For the obiect of it is not punishment chiefly but thy sinne and not sinne as it stingeth and tormenteth thy conscience but as it is an offence which hath displeased thy God causing thee to say vnto him with Dauid Take away my sinne and purge me from my guilt and not with Pharaoh Let my sinne alone but take away this plague It alwayes causeth thee to draw neerer vnto God that thou mayest begge and obtaine pardon and not to flee from him to escape his punishing Hos 6. 1. hand It worketh repentance and reformation of those sins which we bewayle and not like children to lye still and cry It is a willing and free-will Psal 51. 17. offring of thine heart in which as God is delighted so is it pleasing and sweet vnto thee causing thee to lift vp thine head with hope and comfort when thou art thus humbled and to reioyce in such sorrow and is not pressed out of thee by the waight of Gods wrath the curse of the Law or smart of punishment The effects of this thy humiliation is that it driueth thee to God by prayer wherein thou humbly acknowledgest thy sinnes accusing thy selfe for them as liable to the curse by reason of their guilt aggrauating them by many circumstances condemning thy selfe as worthy of all punishments temporall and eternall iustifying Gods righteous iudgement if he should impose them magnifying his mercy with the repentant Church if hee spare thee in any and doe not vtterly consume Lamen 3 22. thee After which confession there followeth an humble and earnest suite for pardon and remission wherein thou must with Dauid cry out vnto thy God Haue mercy vpon me O Lord according to thy louing kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash mee Psal 51. 1 2. thorowly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sinne §. Sect. 3 Of the second part of repentance which consisteth in conuersion and amendment The second part of thy repentance O my soule is thy conuersion and amendment whereby thou turnest from thy sinnes vnto God desiring and indeuouring to serue and please him in newnesse of life the things from which thou must turne O my soule are thy sinnes yea from all thy sinnes great and small none being so great that they need to discourage thee seeing they are incomparably exceeded by Gods infinite mercies and the All-sufficient merits of thy Sauiour nor any so small that thou shouldest neglect amendment seeing the least bring euerlasting death if they be not washed away with the blood of Christ who also dyed for them as well as for the greatest Or if there bee any difference in thy conuersion from thy sinnes O my soule it must be in leauing those sinnes with
and bodies in purity and honour free from the pollution of any sinne To which end wee must daily with all conscionable care keepe a diligent and straight watch ouer all our workes and wayes but especially ouer our hearts that they be not ouertaken with Pro. 4. 23. any loue or liking of sinne but constantly repell the first motions and allurements of it when they present themselues vnto vs especially we must haue an eye to our naturall infirmities and those sinnes vnto which being Heb. 12. 1 4. most prone we are most easily ouertaken of them Yea wee must in this watch carefully auoide not onely the sinnes themselues but also all the occasions and meanes which may draw vs to the committing of them especially the familiar society of wicked men who are most apt to corrupt and infect vs with their perswasions and euill examples Finally wee must daily resolue and indeuour not onely to leaue and forsake all sinne but also to serue the Lord in performing all the contrary duties of holinesse righteousnesse and sobriety according to all good occasions and opportunities which in the whole day or any part thereof shall be offred vnto vs and in all our thoughts words and deeds to please the Lord by yeelding cheerefull obedience vnto his holy will Especially our care and indeuour must be to perfect those graces in which wee finde our selues most defectiue and with extraordinary diligence to practise those duties towards God our neighbours and our selues which our consciences tell vs we haue formerly most neglected and vnto which we feele our corrupt natures to bee most backward and auerse that so we may daily aspire to a greater growth in godlinesse and bring forth the longer we liue the more and better fruits of new obedience §. Sect. 6 The benefits which would arise of this exercise of renewing our repentance And if wee would thus daily renew our repentance the benefits arising vnto vs from this holy exercise would be inestimable For first we should preuent innumerable sinnes into which through the neglect of this duty we fall daily vnaduisedly and at vnawares but especially wee should bee armed heereby against all sinnes committed against knowledge and conscience Secondly if at any time through frailty we be ouertaken with any sinne we should not lye in it but rise againe by vnfained repentance and so heale the sores of sinne whilest the wound is greene with much greater ease and not suffer them to fester and rankle to our greater paine and danger Thirdly wee should much abate the violence of our fleshly lusts when as though they with much labour put vs to a foyle yet they shall not bee able no not for one day to keepe their hold and rule ouer vs and who will take any great paines to so little purpose or swallow downe that potion with any pleasure which he must be forced to cast vp so quickly with much griefe or imbrace that sinne vvith any great delight which within a few houres shall be plucked from him with an holy violence and indignation or offend so good a God or hazard a precious soule or disturbe the sweete peace of a good conscience for the fruition of a sinfull pleasure so vaine so momentany Fourthly though through infirmity we sometimes fall yet shall wee hereby be preserued from sleeping in carnall security and from being hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne and though through weakenesse of the flesh we slumber Heb. 3. 13. with the Spouse in the Canticles yet shall we not fall into a dead sleepe but say with her I sleepe but my heart waketh Fifthly we shall heereby preserue Cant. 5. 3. our consciences tender so as they will giue vs warning when sinne maketh the least appearance and our hearts pure and soft so as they will easily relent with the least touch Sixthly we shall make the practice of a godly life easie and familiar and Christs yoke light when as we are accustomed to beare it euery day Seuenthly wee shall either altogether keepe it from entring into our hearts or at least from holding possession by pleading custome and prescription Eighthly we shall preserue peace with God and an holy communion with him and the peace also of a good conscience or if there be any cause of inward iarres we shall compound and take them vp before we sleepe Ninthly we shall goe to rest securely when as we goe to bed with our quietus est and sleepe quietly Psal 4. 8. when we haue our pardon vnder our pillow Finally we shall alwayes be prepared for the approach of death and Iudgement when as we keepe alwayes our accounts ready made and though with the fiue wise Virgins we sometimes slumber and sleepe as well as the foolish yet hauing our oyle in our lampes we shall be ready to rise at the first call to enter with our Bridegroome into the marriage chamber and communicate with him in all ioy and happinesse CAP. III. Of our daily exercise in renewing of our faith §. Sect. 1 That the daily renewing of our faith is very profitable and necessary VNto this daily exercise of renevving of our repentance vvee must adde also the renewing of our faith which is no lesse necessary then the other for as the vertue and vigour of our bodies soone fainteth and decayeth if they be not often and daily nourished with those elements whereof they are made and composed so will the strength of faith be weakened and abated if it bee not daily sustained and refreshed with those meanes and helpes by which it was begot and begun in vs and therefore if vvhilest vve haue good stomacks in our youthfull dayes vve thinke it not enough to refresh and nourish our bodies one day in a vveeke nor yet once in a day but must haue our dinners and suppers breakefasts and beuers let vs not thinke that it is enough for the nourishment of our soules and strengthening of our faith to vse spirituall repast on the Sabbath onely vvhich though it may hold life and soule together yet shall vve not be thriuing and in good liking in our spirituall man if vvee relieue and cherish it not vvith a more liberall hand and allot some part of euery day to this spirituall exercise Againe as faith in it selfe will faint and languish if it be not daily refreshed and renewed so are there also outward causes which shake and weakē it if it be not duly euen daily nourished For we daily wound and weaken it with our sins whilst our inward guilt abateth our assurance of Gods loue and confidence in his fauour by laying to our charge our great vnworthines of his least mercies And therfore we had need to renew daily our faith as we daily renew our sins by laying hold on the Couenant of grace which assureth vs that our sinnes shall not stop the course of Gods mercies because their current is free and if the streames bee not dammed vp as it were in
without which we can haue no assurance that wee shall receiue any thing at the hands of God heereby it manifestly appeareth that our prayers also ought to be daily and continuall Thirdly we are daily and continually subiect to innumerable dangers in respect of the euils that may befall vs in our soules bodies and estates and it is God onely watching ouer vs with his prouidence that can both preserue vs from them and deliuer vs out of them the which we cannot expect vnlesse we serue his prouidence by vsing this meanes of prayer whereby onely his gracious helpe and assistance Mat. 7. 7. is obtained and therefore our continuall dangers needing continuall preseruation from them commendeth vnto vs the necessary vse of our daily and continuall prayers Finally the many and mighty enemies of our saluation doe continually assault vs with their tentations that ouercomming they may bring vs to destruction And prayer is the chiefe meanes both of buckling vnto vs the whole Armour of God whereby we are inabled to stand in the euill day and of obtaining the helpe and assistance of his holy Spirit whereby alone we are inabled to ouercome And therfore as we are continually tempted to one sinne or other so must we continually pray for grace to withstand the tentation and as the Apostle speaketh Pray alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit Ephes 6. 18. watching thereunto with all perseuerance c. CAP. XI Of the daily exercise of Thankesgiuing and how it ought to bee performed §. Sect. 1 What things are required in the duty of thanksgiuing ANd as we are thus to pray daily continually by making our suites and petitions vnto God so also by thankesgiuing returning thankes and praise for all the benefits and blessings which wee receiue at his hands Vnto which duty diuers things are required first that it bee done in the name of Christ according to that of the Apostle By him therefore let vs offer the Ephes 5. 20. Heb. 13. 15. Ro. 1. 8. 7. 25. sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giuing thanks to his name Secondly that it be done in a right manner vnto which is required that it be done first not onely in outward profession with the lips but also inwardly with the soule with all the powers and faculties of it according to that of the Psalmist Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that Psal 103. 1. 104. 1. is within me blesse his holy name First in our vnderstanding we are to take notice and rightly to conceiue of Gods benefits not onely in some generality but also of those particular blessings which we daily and continually receiue from him that we may not be vngratefull through ignorance and heedlesnesse but haue thankefull mindes and so as the Psalmist speaketh sing praises with vnderstanding Neither must we onely know Gods Psal 47. 7. benefits and blessings but also acknowledge them to be his free gifts and that he is the principall Author and fountaine of all the good which wee Jam. 1. 17. Habac. 1. 16. either presently inioy or hope for in time to come giuing him the whole glory of his gifts and not attributing them to secondary causes and inferiour meanes which are onely his instruments by which hee conserreth these gifts vpon vs. In our iudgements we must rightly value and highly esteeme of Gods benefits as well when we inioy them as before we had them or when they are taken from vs not extenuating but rather amplisying his gifts to the aduancing of his glory and increasing of our thankfulnesse Psal 16. 6. In our memories we must thankefully retaine the remembrance of Gods manifold mercies and inestimable benefits that wee may continually Deut. 6. 11 12. 8. 14. take occasion thereby to praise him for them esteeming it one of the worst kinds of vngratitude to forget our benefactour or the gifts and blessings which wee haue receiued from him And this God often imposeth vpon his people that they should not forget him nor his blessings and Psal 103. 2. Dauid vpon his owne soule Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his Ps 9. 1. 138. 1. 86. 12. benefits But aboue all we must be thankefull vnto the Lord with all our hearts according to that of Dauid I will praise thee O Lord with my whole Psal 119. 7. heart Or if we faile herein of that perfection which the Law requireth yet at least let vs doe it in vprightnesse and integrity which will be accepted of God in Iesus Christ Vnto which thankfulnesse of the heart is required first that it be done in humility giuing God the whole praise of Psal 115. 1. his owne workes and acknowledging his glory and greatnesse his goodnesse and graciousnesse who dayneth and vouchsafeth of his free grace to respect vs who are dust and ashes base and contemptible sinfull and miserable Gen. 32. 10. 1. Chro. 17. 16. and are so farre off from deseruing the least of his mercies and benefits that we haue iustly merited the greatest of his iudgements and punishments Secondly we must shew our thankfulnesse with all due reuerence in respect of Gods glorious Maiesty acknowledging it to bee a singular priuiledge that so mighty a King and Soueraigne Lord of heauen and earth will receiue any thing at our hands Thirdly wee must performe it with all alacrity and cheerefulnesse reioycing much in that he giueth vs not onely the occasions of this duty but hearts also to doe it in some poore and weake measure §. Sect. 2 That we must giue thankes in all things And after this manner must we shew our thankfulnesse vnto God The obiect of our thanksgiuing or the cause and occasion of giuing thankes 1. Thes 5. 18. Ephes 5. 20. is all things according to that of the Apostle In euery thing giue thankes And againe giuing thankes alwayes for all things vnto God the Father in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ That is we must giue thankes for all good things which are so in their owne nature or which through Gods wisedome power and goodnesse are made so vnto vs for positiue good things as all Gods blessings and benefits both temporall spirituall and eternall or priuatiue when God in his loue and mercy freeth vs from those euils of punishment which our sinnes haue deserued or at least doth not inflict them in that measure and degree which hee might iustly impose vpon vs in which respect the Church in her greatest afflictions Iam. 3. 22. tooke occasion of praysing God and acknowledging his mercies in that they were not vtterly consumed And doth also turne these light and Rom. 8. 28. momentany afflictions to our good as the mortification of our sinnes the inriching of vs with spirituall graces the furthering of our saluation and the increasing of our heauenly ioy and happinesse §. Sect. 3 That we must
meanes to be freed from them but as we are to pray that we may not be led into tentation so also that we may be deliuered from euill §. Sect. 3 That we must beare our afflictions with patience and what things are required heereunto And these are the rules which are to bee obserued before afflictions befall vs. In our afflictions the mayne duty to be performed is that we beare them with patience which is that passiue obedience whereby wee submit our selues vnto Gods will with all meekenesse humility and contentation in all estates bearing his fatherly chastisements quietly constantly and willingly till hee deliuer vs and giue vnto vs lawfull meanes to bee freed from our afflictions So that if wee would rightly demeane our selues in the time of our troubles wee must beare them with patience vnto which is required first obedience humility and contentation whereby wee meekely submit our selues vnto Gods good pleasure to bee chastized of him and to beare that crosse which he imposeth saying with Eli It is the 1. Sam. 3. 18. Lord let him doe what seemeth good vnto him and with Dauid Heere I am 2. Sam. 15. 26. let him doe vnto me as it seemeth good in his eyes and with our Sauiour Christ Not as I will but as thou wilt Secondly that we beare our crosse Mat. 26. 39 42. quietly with Dauid not opening our mouthes to murmure and mutter Psal 39. 9. because it is the Lord that hath imposed it and professing with Iob that we will lay our hands vpon our mouthes keepe silence and speake no more And Iob 39. 37. howsoeuer we may and ought to grieue moderately in our afflictions as being the chastizements of our heauenly Father for our sinnes which the Apostle telleth vs we must not despise yet we must labour as much as may Heb. 12. 6. Ier. 5. 3. be to be free from tumultuous passion from repining against Gods prouidence or raging against the inferiour meanes of our afflictions which are but as rods in his hands imitating as neere as wee can the example of our Sauiour Christ who was brought out as a sheepe to the slaughter and as Esa 53. 7. a sheepe before the shearer is dumbe so opened he not his mouth Thirdly there is required constancy whereby wee resolue to beare our burthen so long till God who laid it vpon vs doe put to his helping hand and take it off that is we must not vse vnlawfull meanes to shift it from vs nor murmure against Gods prouidence whilest it lyeth heauy vpon vs but hold out to beare it with all patience till God giue vs lawfull meanes to be eased of it Which that we may doe we must after one assault is past prepare our selues for another and like good Pilots in a storme after wee haue broken many billowes we are not to be secure but still be in readinesse expecting others neuer ceasing our care and diligence till we be safely arriued in the Hauen of rest And this our Sauiour hath warned vs of when hee saith that he who will bee his Disciple must take vp his crosse daily and follow him Luk. 9. 23. And the Apostle Iames would not haue our patience onely to begin well but to haue her perfect worke and lacke nothing Lastly there is required to Iam. 1. 4. this patience that we beare our afflictions willingly and cheerefully not because we can doe no otherwise but with all alacrity and readinesse as Rom. 8. 18 28. 2. Cor. 4. 17. being sent of God who by his wisedome and power can and in respect of his goodnesse and truth will dispose of them for our good And this our cheerefulnesse must shew it selfe in our readinesse to praise and magnifie Gods Name not so much in regard of the afflictions themselues though in respect of that greater measure which our sinnes haue deserued wee haue in our greatest afflictions iust cause to blesse God with Iob Iob 1. 21. and with the Church to acknowledge the mercies of the Lord in that we Ier. 3. 22. are not vtterly consumed as in regard of his wisedome goodnesse and truth whereby he causeth them to worke together for the best and to serue as meanes to further our saluation And this the Apostle Peter requireth that if any man suffer as a Christian he should not be ashamed but glorifie God 1. Pet. 4. 16. on this behalfe The which was practised by Paul and Silas who when they Act. 16. 25. were cast into the dungeon and after they were cruelly whipped put into the stockes bore all with patience and expressed their thankfulnesse by singing of Psalmes Secondly our cheerefulnesse must shew it selfe by our spirituall reioycing and ioy in the holy Ghost not in respect of our afflictions themselues which in their owne nature or as they are fruits of sinne doe iustly bring with them griefe and mourning but in respect of the fruits and benefits which through Gods infinite wisedome and goodnesse they bring vnto vs in this life and the life to come And in this regard our Sauiour willeth his Disciples to reioyce in their persecutions because their reward Mat. 5. 11 12. was great in heauen The which they accordingly performed reioycing when they were beat at the commandement of the Councell because they were thought worthy to suffer rebuke for Christs Name Vnto Act. 5. 41. Rom. 5. 3. 1. Thes 1. 6. which high degrees of patience though wee cannot attaine in any perfection yet must we labour and striue after them and though wee cannot hit the marke of perfection yet we must shoote as neere it as we can being Iam. 1. 5. in the meane time sorry for our wants and infirmities and vsing all good meanes whereby they may be supplied §. Sect. 4 Of the meanes of patience first because God is the Author of all our afflictions Now the chiefe meanes whereby wee may attaine vnto patience in our tribulations are principally two the first is feruent and effectuall prayer Iam. 1. 5. 2. Cor. 13. 4. Rom. 15. 5. Phil. 4. 13. according to that of the Apostle Iames If any of you lacke wisedome that is to beare the crosse of which he there speaketh let him aske it of God which giueth to men liberally reproaching none and it shall be giuen him For it is God alone who doth comfort vs in all our tribulations He is the God of patience and consolation the Father of mercies and God of all comforts by whose wisedome directing vs and power assisting vs we are able to doe all things and preserued from sinking vnder the heauiest afflictions The second helpe and meanes of working patience in afflictions is meditation vpon such reasons as may cause and begin it where it is not and increase it where it is already begun And these concerne either the induring of the crosse or the end and issue The former are simple or comparatiue The simple reasons arise
such manifold and plentifull meanes to presse it vpon thee for thine owne inestimable benefit For hee sendeth daily his Ambassadours vnto thee to call and inuite thee to repentance by preaching vnto thee the glad tidings of reconciliation Hee by them instructeth thee in the right way wherein thou must returne admonisheth thee of thy errours reprooueth thy transgressions and wilfull wandrings comforteth and incourageth thee against all difficulties and oppositions perswadeth thee by his gracious promises terrifieth thee in thy course of sinning with his seuere threatnings allureth thee by his manifold blessings discourageth thee in the way of sinne by his chastizements and gentle corrections all which outward meanes he presseth vpon thee that they may become effectuall by the inward motions of his Spirit drawing thee from thy sins and driuing thee to God O thrice vngratefull soule if thou sufferest so great grace to be spent in vaine O more then miserable if thou like the barren earth drinkest so many gracious showres of heauenly blessings and bringest forth no other fruits vnto him Heb. 6. 6 7 8. by whom thou art dressed but thornes and briers seeing then thou shouldest be reiected of God and neere vnto his fearefull curse But I am perswaded Vers 9. better things of thee my soule and things that accompany saluation though I haue thus spoken For though this and all other thy graces are but weake and imperfect yet are they in sincerity truth Acknowledge with thankfulnesse Gods graces in thee and thine owne wants Behold with sorrow thy imperfections labour without discouragement after more perfection He that could begin this worke of grace when it was wanting can increase Phil. 1. 6. it now it is begun Hee that could raise thee who wast dead in thy sinnes can quicken thee more and more seeing it is a farre greater worke Eph. 2. 1. to giue life to the dead then health to the liuing §. Sect. 3 Motiues to perswade vs to the renewing and perfecting of our repentance and first our humiliation and vnfained sorrow for sinne Rest not then thy selfe O my soule in some first beginnings of this worke but goe vnto him that is both able and willing to finish it Content not thy selfe in some small degrees seeing that is no true grace which standeth at a stay and tendeth not towards perfection Thou hast already repented but let not that suffice thee He seemeth to repent of his repentance that doth not renue it againe and againe Doe not cease to sorrow till thou ceasest to sinne Neuer leaue striking at this many-headed monster whilest any one remaineth If thou willingly suffer any one to liue they will multiply and such mortall enemies they are vnto thee that their life will be thy death God begun this worke and inioyned thee to continue it giue it not ouer till hee call thee from it to pay thee thy wages Mourne for thy sinnes till hee come and wipe away the teares from thine eyes and with thy sinnes take away thy sorrowes and thinke not that it is time to cease amending till thou commest to perfection and art made compleate both in holinesse and in happinesse Practise repentance O my soule not by patches and pieces but in both the parts ioyntly together Repent and amend Sorrow for thy sinnes and withall forsake them For he that lamenteth his sinnes and indeuoureth not to leaue them doth it not out of hatred but of loue which maketh him to grieue because feare of Gods Iudgements make him thinke of their parting But first humble thy selfe my soule in the sight and sense of thy sinnes that God may exalt thee in his due time Humble thy selfe thorowly with vnfained sorrow and bitter griefe for the deeper thou layest the foundation of thy repentance the more substantiall shalt thou finde thy building Thy sinnes are many and grieuous and great sinnes would haue great sorrow Thy God whom thou hast offended and dishonoured is not onely glorious and full of Maiesty but infinitely gracious and of abundant mercy Yea thou my soule hast not onely seene and tasted how good thy God is but hast drunke deepe draughts out of the fountaine of his bounty Hee hath giuen thee thy being and preserued thee in it he hath multiplied his blessings vpon thee temporall and spirituall and is the Author and giuer of all the good which thou inioyest or expectest And which is first of all and aboue all he hath loued thee vnworthy sinfull rebellious soule before thou couldest loue him yea so loued thee that he hath giuen his onely begotten and best beloued Sonne that by his death thou mightest liue Admire this infinite loue O my soule and loue thy God againe as much as thou canst and be sorry thou canst loue him no better Loue him who is most worthy in himselfe and best deserueth it of thee which if thou truely doest thou canst not but lament thy sinnes with bitter griefe whereby thou hast displeased him who so loueth thee and whom thou so louest Looke also vpon thy Sauiour whom by thy sinnes thou hast pearced and lament thy sinnes which haue beene the causes of his sufferings as a man mourneth for his sonne and be sorry for them as one is sorry for his first borne It is not so much Iudas that betrayed him nor the Scribes and Pharises that accused him nor Pilate that condemned him nor the Souldiers that crucified him nor the deuill himselfe that set them all on worke as thy sinnes deliuering him into their hands that haue beene the chiefe causes of his death These these my soule were the whips that scourged his innocent body the nailes that fastened him to the Crosse the speare which pearced his blessed side and heart Mourne then and lament thy sinnes O my soule whereby thou hast caused him to be condemned that came to iustifie thee to be killed that came to saue thee to be put to a cursed death who being the Lord of life was content to die that hee might Eph. 2. 3. giue vnto thee life and happinesse that wast dead in thy sins and liable to Gods wrath as well as others Thinke not much my soule to shead teares for thy sins seeing thy Sauiour was content to shead his blood for them nor that it is too much trouble to bee a little grieued in the sight and sense of their burthen and thy heauenly Fathers displeasure seeing Christs innocent soule was troubled for them and heauy vnto the death yea was so Mat. 26. 38. oppressed with their waight and his Fathers wrath that it forced out from his body a bloody sweat and from his distressed and afflicted soule that lamentable complaint My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Consider also O my soule how often thou hast vexed and grieued the good Spirit of God dwelling in thee and made him weary of his lodging by polluting it with thy sinnes How often thou hast tyred this peaceable Ghest by contending with him
diligently heard the Word of God and applyed it vnto thy selfe for this end the threatnings of the Law for thy humiliation and the sweet and gracious promises of the Gospell assuring thee of the pardon of thy sinnes and of Gods loue and fauour that thou mightest loue God againe who hath so loued thee and forgiuen thee so great a debt and testifie this loue by bewailing thy sinnes whereby thou hast displeased so gracious a Father Hath Gods mercy patience and long-suffering drawne thee to repentance and hast thou beene offended with thy selfe because thou hast offended thy God who hath multiplied vpon thee so many testimonies of his loue Hast thou made right vse of Gods blessings and benefits to be made thereby more carefull to please him and of his chastisements and fatherly corrections to be made thereby more fearefull to offend him Hath thy sorrow in any good measure been sutable to thy sinnes and hast thou more bewailed thy sins then the punishment the guilt then the smart and in this respect chiefly because thou hast by them dishonoured thy God rather then for the miseries which they haue brought vpon thy selfe Hast thou bewailed all thy sinnes and those most of all whereunto thy corrupt nature is most inclined and not onely thy sinnes of grosse commission but also thy sinnes of omission and the wants and imperfections of thy best actions Hast thou been affected with Gods Iudgements and with those most of all which are spirituall and touch thee rather then thy sinfull flesh Hath the smart of thy sores been such that nothing would ease them but the balme of Gilead the blood of Christ applyed by faith and haue carnall sports rather increased then abated thy griefe Hast thou so washed thy selfe in the waters of repentance as that thou hast thereby been cleansed from thy Esa 1. 16. sinnes and hast thou being freed from sinne become the seruant of righteousnesse Hast thou been earnest in thy repentance and taken occasion from thy former negligence and vnprofitablenesse to redeeme thy lost time by redoubling thy diligence in Gods seruice Hast thou found plentifull fruits in thee worthy repentance and amendment of life And as thou hast increased in yeeres hast thou increased in fruitfulnesse bringing forth most in thine older age Hast thou found in thee those speciall fruits of care cleering indignation feare desire zeale and holy reuenge before spoken of §. Sect. 2 Of Confession Alas my soule how defectiue hast thou been in all these things Alas my God how should I without much shame and confusion of face looke vpon thee seeing when I come to pay that debt and duty which I owe thee my siluer is turned into drosse my medicine is become a poyson Esa 1. 22. my repentance which should be the salue for my other sinnes is so full of wants and imperfections that it selfe needeth to bee repented of and if this bath wherein I should wash my polluted selfe were not it selfe bathed and cleansed in a pured fountaine the precious blood of Iesus Christ so foule it is through the filth of my corruptions that it would but the more defile me and make me lothsome in thy sight It is true my God and I acknowledge it to thy glory that through thy grace I haue repented and doe desire to repent still more and more And that small measure which I haue receiued and which I returne vnto thee is not false and counterfet but in sincerity and truth But alas my Lord it is so maimed with imperfections and defiled with corruptions that it is vtterly vnworthy thine acceptance And seeing thou hast forbidden in thy Law that any sacrifices should be offered vnto thee which were maimed or vncleane how should I presume to offer this sacrifice of my sighes and teares which are so imperfect and defiled were it not that thou hast told me that the sacrifice wherein thou chiefly delightest is a broken heart and humble and contrite spirit And because thy perfection can indure no imperfection thou hast appoynted another sacrifice pure and perfect euen that which thy deare Sonne hath offered vnto thee vpon the Crosse to cleanse and couer the impurity and imperfection of mine that it may be acceptable in thy sight These waters of thy grace O my God were pure and perfect as they came from thee the Fountaine of all purity and perfection but alas they are now defiled by running thorow the polluted channell of my filthy heart But being againe cleansed by running thorow the pure Fountaine of my Sauiours blood they are restored to their purity and fit for thine acceptance From my selfe immediately I dare not offer vnto thee my repentance for it is wholly stained and defiled with my corruption and mingled with much impenitency carnall security and hardnesse of heart And though it be most imperfect yet haue I been too too slothfull in vsing any of those good meanes wherby I might attaine vnto more perfection or when I haue vsed them it hath been so formally and negligently that they haue had little efficacie to worke this grace in me Thy legall threatenings haue not humbled me thy Euangelicall promises haue little affected mee the good motions of thy Spirit haue been quenched in me thy blessings and benefits haue not allured me thy chastisements and corrections haue not drawne me but notwithstanding all these helpes I haue continued in my sinnes with much impenitency or laboured to come out of them with much weakenesse My sorrow for sinne hath been very small and ioyned with much hardnesse of heart my desires of amendment exceeding feeble and faint my resolutions weake and vnconstant and my actions and indeuours impotent and imperfect and when to will is present with me I finde no power to Rom. 7. performe that which is good so that I cannot doe the good I would nor leaue vndone the euill I would not §. Sect. 3 Of Complaint Alas my soule how farre hath thy carnall security preuailed with thee How hath it rocked thee in such a deepe slumber that thou hast little or no sense of thy sloth but when thou art asleepe dreamest that thou art waking How is thine heart hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne that it is scarce sensible of its owne hardnesse yea when thou dost discerne it how art thou hampred and fettered with the gâ—ues of thy corruption that thou hast neither power nor will to better thine estate Repentance is the meanes of curing thine infirmities and sicknesses of sinnes But thou fearest the medicine more then the disease and neglectest or formally vsest all good meanes whereby it might be obtained and applyed Thou thinkest no care or cost too much for the compassing of worldly vanities and thou canst in pursuing them keepe thy desires within no bounds but the more thou drinkest the more thou thirstest But how soone art thou tyred in working thy heart to sorrow for thy sinnes and how little of this doest thou thinke enough In
§. Sect. 2 That wee must in our Fast abstaine for the most part from all worldly comforts And as we must thus totally abstaine from meates and drinkes so must we in the greatest part from all other bodily and worldly comforts Col. 4. 2. Eph. 6. 18. and delights and much more moderate our selues in the vse of them so farre forth as will stand with necessity and comelinesse then at other times Thus wee must abridge our selues from some part of our ordinary sleepe that by this bodily waking wee may be more ready to keep the spirituall watch haue more time to spend in religious and spirituall duties as also that we may hereby testifie our humiliation acknowledging our selues vnworthy as of other blessings so of our ordinary rest and sleepe To which purpose the Faithfull 2. Sam. 12. 16. Ioel 1. 16. vnder the Law did lie vpon the ground and in sack-cloth and hard beds that lying thus vneasily they might take the lesse rest Wherein our care must be that wee so performe this bodily exercise as that it doe not the next day disable vs for Gods spirituall seruice as hearing the Word and prayer which are the ends of it by making vs drowzy and sleepie through ouer-much watching Secondly we must moderate our selues in the vse of our apparell putting on our worst attire which may be most fit to signifie and also further our humiliation And in any case for that time to forbeare such shew of brauerie in our Exod. 33. 5 6. garments either in respect of the costlinesse of the stuffe or fashion as may in the eyes of others be an ensigne of our pride and in our owne hearts the fuell of it And much lesse are we at such times to vse light and vaine fashions frizling of the haire and painting of the 1. Pet. 5. 5. face which if they be at all times vnlawfull and vtterly mis-beseeming Christians whose best ornaments are humility and modestie then surely are they in the day of our humiliation odious and abominable Thirdly we must abstaine this day from all carnall and worldly Quod si gula sola peccauit sola quoque ieiunet sufficit Si verò peccauerunt caetera membra cur non ieiunent ipsa c Bernard de ieiunio Quadrages Serm 3. Ioel 2. 16. 1. Cor. 7. 5. delights and pleasing the senses which would lessen our sorrow for our sinnes hinder our humiliation and abstract our mindes from spirituall duties And as we must not delight the taste with meates and drinkes so neither the eyes with delightfull sights nor the cares with pleasant musicke and witty and merrie discourses nor the smell with sweete odours especially the vse of the marriage bed is to be forborne euen of the bride and bridegroome and much more of others and recreations in all kindes which are at other times lawfull and necessary for the refreshing and chearing of the heart and minde Lastly wee must in the day of our fast abstaine from all worldly businesses and workes of our callings seeing it is to bee obserued as a Sabbath and day of rest in the strictest kinde for the Lord inioyneth vs Leuit. 23. 36. Esa 58. 13. that in this Sabbath of humiliation we doe not our owne pleasures walke in our owne waies nor speake our owne words The which rest is necessary on this Day that wee may consecrate it wholy vnto the Lord by spending it in the duties of his seruice without distraction and also that we may hereby be put in minde of our rest from sinne for if the workes of our callings which are lawfull in themselues may not on this Day be lawfully done then how odious must wee needs thinke will it bee vnto God if doing the workes of darknesse we serue the world the diuell and our owne flesh Now the time of this bodily exercise which it is to continue may bee diuers in respect of the diuers occasions which require greater or lesser humiliation and the diuers states of mens bodies as they are able to hold out in this exercise without impayring of their health The ordinary time of a fast is the space of foure and twenty houres or of a naturall day from supper time on one day to supper time on another or from dinner to dinner though this be lesse fit and more rarely vsed because it should be a whole day that is consecrated vnto God as a Sabbath of humiliation and not part of two dayes So the Lord inioyning it saith It shall bee vnto you a Sabbath of rest and ye shall afflict Leuit. 23. 36. Iud. 20. 26. Jos 7. 6. 2. Sam. 1 12. 3. 35. your soules in the ninth day of the moneth at euen from euen to euen shall you celebrate your Sabbath The which was accordingly obserued by the faithfull from time to time But when the occasion hath beene extraordinarily great and the causes of humiliation of greatest waight and importance the faithfull haue prolonged the time of their fast to testifie their sorrow for their sinne so much the more and that with greater feruency they might implore Gods mercy for the deliuerance of them from some imminent danger of fearefull destruction In which case Hester the Iewes continued their fast three days together Daniel Hest 4. 16 17. Dan. 10. 2 3. Act. 9 9. one and twenty dayes Paul three dayes to the end that hauing a longer time for this exercise their humiliation might be the greater and their hearts more thorowly touched with a thorow sense of their sinnes and with a liuely feeling of their distressed estates then they could haue beene in a shorter time §. Sect. 3 Of the inward and spirituall exercises in our fast The second part of the Christian fast is the inward and spirituall exercise which is the end of the outward and without which it is of no 1. Tim. 4. 8. Rom. 14. 17. value for as the Apostle telleth vs Bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable vnto all things and The Kingdome of God consisteth not in meates and drinkes but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost In which regard the Lord hath alwaies reiected the outward fast as hypocriticall and superstitious if the inward fast were not ioyned with it Thus hee chargeth the Iewes that they fasted to themselues and not to him when they rested in the externall abstinence and bodily humiliation and telleth them that if they would keepe a fast which should bee acceptable vnto him they must execute iudgement and shew mercy and compassion euery man to his brother and not oppresse the fatherlesse Zach. 7. 5 6 9 10. stranger and poore nor so much as imagine euill against their brother in their heart So elsewhere he reiecteth the fast of the Iewes because therein they onely afflicted their soules with bodily abstinence and did hang downe their heads like a bulrush for a day and did spread sackcloth Esa
58. 3. to the 8. and ashes vnder them but did not ioyne with it the Spirituall fast in abstaining from carnall pleasures and couetous exactions losing the bonds of wickednesse and vndoing the heauy burthens ceasing from oppression and doing the workes of mercy To which purpose one demandeth What doth Quid prodest quòd of fligis corpus tuum quando nihil proficit cor tuū Euseb emiss ad Monach. Homil 4. it profit thee that thou afflictest thy body when as thine heart is neuer the better To fast and watch and not to amend thy manners is all one as if a man should take paines to weede and husband the ground about the vineyard but let the vineyard it selfe grow like a desart full of thornes and thistles §. Sect. 4 Of humiliation and penitencie in the time of our fast Now this spirituall and inward exercise is nothing else but a serious humiliation of our soules before God ioyned with feruent prayer and vnfained repentance that wee may finde grace with God and haue our speciall suites heard and granted The first thing is humiliation or penitency vnto which is required First a thorow sense and feeling of our sinnes whereby we haue prouoked Gods anger against vs. Secondly vnfained sorrow and bitter griefe chiefely in this respect because by our sinnes wee haue displeased and dishonoured our glorious God and gracious Father vnto which wee must attaine by considering and aggrauating our sinnes in respect of the quantity and quality their number and haynousnesse by meditating on Gods Iudgements and Mercies the curse and threatnings of the Law and the gracious promises of the Gospell on Gods gloriousnesse in himselfe and graciousnesse towards vs that by our sinnes wee haue pearced ad crucified our Sauiour Christ and caused the Lord of life to be put to a shamefull death vexed and grieued Gods good Spirit dwelling in vs slandered our profession giuen offence to our neighbours and drawne vpon our selues Gods heauie punishments in this life and the life to come and especially the present Iudgement which we feare as imminent or feele as being already inflicted vpon vs. Thirdly A vile and base conceite of our selues in respect of our sinnes whereby wee adiudge our selues as vtterly vnworthy of Gods least mercies and contrariwise that wee haue deserued the greatest of his plagues and not onely that which we presently feare or feele but all other punishments temporall and eternall Lastly in this humiliation we are to expresse our sorrow and griefe of heart by our lamentations and wofull complaints bewailing our wretched condition both in respect of sinne and punishment and bemoning our miserie before the Lord as a fit subiect whereon hee may exercise his aboundant and rich mercies in pardoning our sinnes and remouing our punishments §. Sect. 5 That prayer must be ioyned with our fasting Ieiunium orationem roborat oratio ieiunium sanctificat Bernard in Quadrages Serm. 4. The second thing required in the spirituall exercise is effectuall prayer for this is that which giueth vertue and vigour to our fasting euen as fasting helpeth and strengtheneth prayer And here first wee must beginne with humble confession of our sinnes principally insisting vpon those whereby we haue most displeased and dishonoured God and drawne vpon our selues his present Iudgements The which wee may profitably aggrauate by all their particular circumstances as before I haue shewed but chiefely because wee haue committed them Psal 5◠4. Nehe. 5. Ezr. 9. 6. Dan. 9. 51. against such a gracious God who hath multiplied vpon vs so many fauours and testimonies of his loue respecting our soules bodies and estates this life and the life to come Vnto which confession we must adioyne the adiudging and condemning of our selues to deserued punishments both temporall and euerlasting this which we feare or feele and all others with it if God should deale with vs according to our deserts By which confession and condemning of our selues wee shall glorify God both by iustifying his righteous Iudgements magnifying his Mercies either because he deliuereth vs out of our afflictions or Lam. 3. 22. doth not inflict them in a measure proportionable to our sins Secondly hereby wee shall increase our humiliation and sorrow for our sinnes when as we thus rip them vp and recount them and as it were set them in order before vs. And finally wee shall hereby much strengthen our faith in the assurance of the pardon of them seeing if we confesse Pro. 28. 13. 1. Iohn 1. 7. our sinnes the Lord will vouchsafe mercy if wee acknowledge them he is faithfull and righteous to forgiue them And consequently wee may bee assured that our present iudgements shall be auerted or remoued when as sinne which is the cause of them is done away or if they be continued that their nature shall be changed seeing they shall cease to Heb. 12. 6. Apoc. 3. 19. Rom. 8. 28. 2. Cor. 4. 17. be punishments which are inflicted to satisfie Gods Iustice and shall bee vnto vs the chastizements of a gracious Father signes of our adoption testimonies of his loue and much further our spirituall inriching with all sauing graces and the eternall saluation of our soules In which assurance of faith grounded vpon Gods infinite mercies and free promises wee are to proceed in making our suits knowne vnto God either for our freedome and deliuerance from euill by deprecation or the obtaining of some good by petition For after that we haue made our peace with God and obtained by vnfained humiliation and confession the assurance of the remission of our sinnes we must in the next place become suiters at the Throne of grace in the mediation of Iesus Christ that the Lord will be pleased for his owne mercies and his merits to remoue the Iudgements which our sinnes haue drawne vpon vs. And thus the Lord hauing proclaimed a Fast to his people doth prescribe vnto them a forme of deprecation after that they were humbled and had bewayled their sinnes Let the Ministers Ioel. 2. 17. saith he weepe and say Spare thy people O Lord and giue not thine heritage to reproach that the heathen should rule ouer them The which was also practized by Daniel and Nehemiah in their fasts where after the Dan. 9. 5 16 17. Neh. 9. 32. confession of their owne and the peoples sinnes they craue pardon and deliuerance out of their afflictions In which suites for freedome out of our miseries we are to strengthen our faith in this assurance that wee shall bee heard by Gods speciall promises which he hath made Matth. 7. 7. Ioh. 16. 23. Psal 50. 15. Ioel. 2. 12 13. that hee will heare our prayers and aboue all other times when wee call vpon him in the day of trouble Or if the sentence being pronounced cannot be reuoked let vs humbly sue vnto God that hee will at least accomplish his promises in sanctifying our afflictions vnto vs that they may not be punishments for
be merry which they would not be so desperately mad to doe if that terrible voyce of God still sounded in their eares Thou foole this night thy soule shall bee required of Mat. 24. 45 46. thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided But contrariwise if with the wise seruant they well waighed the vncertainty of their Lords comming to call them to an account they would still be prepared and be in readinesse that they might enter with him into his heauenly ioyes Neither is there any better meanes to remooue this impediment then to meditate often not onely of the momentany shortnesse of our liues but also of the great vncertainty of this short time For if wee would seriously consider that our life in respect of eternity is but as one day yea an houre a minute a moment that it passeth away as swiftly as a Weauers shuttle as a tale told as a Post and is but a flower a vapour a shadow yea as vanity it selfe If we would also remember that this short time is also vncertaine seeing we may dye to day as well as to morrow this very houre as well as the next hauing no assurance of any more time then the present as being tenants at will who hold not life by lease but onely at the Lords pleasure without so much as a minutes warning And finally seeing in this short and vncertaine time euerlasting life and saluation is either gotten or lost what folly and madnesse is it to goe on in our sinnes and neglect all Christian duties in hope of long life and to hazard our precious soules vpon so vncertaine and tickle a poynt It may be thou shalt liue another yeere and it may bee not another day The which resteth not onely on a possibility but vpon some probability likewise in respect of those innumerable dangers which outwardly beset vs and the inward infirmities of our fraile nature which being the matter or as it were the harbingers of death wee carry still about and in vs which is also made more likely by the experience of many others who haue been taken away suddenly in the prime of their age and chiefe of their strength not hauing had so much as a dayes or houres warning And shall we venture our chiefe iewels our precious soules which are of much more price vnto vs then ten thousand worlds vpon may-bees and vncertaine hopes which being once lost can neuer be recouered Shall we hazard the euerlasting ioyes of heauen which are vnspeakable and inestimable and indanger our selues to intolerable and endlesse torments in hell fire vpon some likelihoods onely which haue so often failed It may be thou shalt liue as long as thou expectest And what then gainest thou in this course of wickednesse but the pleasures of sinne accompanied with the present checks and terrours of an euill conscience and the feares of imminent and approaching iudgements and attended vpon at the best with continuall sorrow and repentance euen to the day of death And it may be thou shalt die before thou art prepared for it by repenting for thy sinnes and deuoting thy selfe to Gods seruice And then what losest thou in lieu of the former gaines which are so vaine in true value and momentany in continuance Surely those pleasures which are at Gods right hand for euermore the ioyes of heauen the fellowship of the Saints and the vision and fruition of God and his Christ who being infinite in all goodnesse beauty glory and all perfection doe make all those perfectly and eternally happy who hauing faithfully serued them in this life shall see and inioy them in the life to come §. Sect. 2 That carnall presumption is a great impediment to a godly life The second corrupt affection which hindreth vs in the duties of a godly life is carnall presumption which carrying with it some shew and semblance of a strong faith in the opinion of those who are blinded with ignorance becommeth vnto them a notable impediment hindring them from the profession and practice of true godlinesse Yea it is the deuils ordinary preuailing weapon wherewith hee assaulteth secure worldlings which hee findeth by common experience so powerfull for his purpose that for the most part hee vseth no other vnlesse they haue wounded their consciences with committing of some horrible and outragious sinnes which will suffer them to entertaine no hope of Gods fauour and mercy in the forgiuenesse of them In which case hee possesseth them with terrours and feares and driueth them into the contrary extreme of desperation The which hee also doth when hee hath to deale with melancholike persons who being naturally of a timorous and fearefull disposition cannot so easily be perswaded to presume when there is no cause Otherwise hee seldome awakeneth their sleeping consciences but carrieth them quietly to hell and destruction without noise For the more sensible we are of our disease the more we feare the issue of it and the more earnest and diligent we are to seeke all meanes of helpe vnlesse we haue no hope of cure In which regard it may be truely said that whereas one perisheth through despaire many hundred are plunged into destruction by security and presumption so much more dangerous this is then the other although nothing so horrid and terrible to looke vpon Now this presumption may be considered in respect of the obiect either generally or more specially Generally when as we presume of Gods mercy and goodnesse of the pardon of all our sinnes and of the saluation of our soules without any sound ground or warrant out of Gods Word when as wee are in no sort qualified and fitted to receiue them The fruit and effect of which perswasion is a purpose and resolution to continue still in our sinnes because God is mercifull to forgiue them and to neglect the duties of a godly life because they are not onely tedious and irkesome vnto vs but also of no great necessity seeing God respecting our frailty and weakenesse will receiue vs to grace and mercy Whereas contrariwise a true and liuely faith doth alwayes bring foorth the fruits of vnfained repentance and perswading vs of Gods loue doth worke in our hearts true loue towards him againe and a desire and indeuour to expresse it in all holy obedience to Gods will that we may thereby glorifie him who hath beene so good and gracious vnto vs. With like presumption men are hindred from entring into the wayes of godlinesse and heartned to continue in their sinnes whilest they plead that Christ came to saue sinners and that his death and merits as they are sufficient in themselues to satisfie Gods lustice so they will bee effectuall vnto them for their iustification and saluation though they bee not so strict and precise in making conscience of all sinnes or in practising the duties of a godly life §. Sect. 3 Of the meanes to remoue the former impediment Now if we would auoyd these impediments let vs know and
consider first that this is a shamefull and horrible abuse of Gods mercy and goodnesse which hee will neuer let goe vnpunished to take occasion thereby the more to offend and diplease him by wilfull continuing in sinne and neglecting the duties of his seruice To prouoke God to wrath because he is patient and long-suffering and to sinne against him because hee is good and gracious and ready to forgiue And finally to neglect all duties of his seruice because he is such a bountifull Master that he giueth of his free grace and mercy rich wages and rewards without all merit and desert For these should rather be arguments to inflame our loue towards him and to make vs so much the more zealous of his glory and fearefull to offend so gracious a God according to that of the Psalmist There is mercy or forgiuenesse with thee that thou mayest bee feared Or if through Psal 130. 4. frailty and infirmity we haue contrary to our purpose and resolution been ouertaken of any sinne this patience and loue of God should be a strong motiue to make vs to rise out of it by vnfained repentance according to that of the Apostle Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance Secondly let vs consider that as the Lord is infinite in mercy and compassion so hee is no lesse infinite in iustice and truth that as he is mercifull Exod. 34. 6 7. and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquity to ansgression and sinne so also hee is iust in all his wayes and holy in all his workes and will by no meanes cleare the Psal 145. 17. guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation that as he is a mercifull Sauiour so also a iust God and Esa 45. 21. Psal 11. 7. a righteous Lord who loueth righteousnesse and will not let sinne goe vnpunished but will iudge euery man according to his works and that he is a terrible 2. Cor. 5. 10. Iudge especially to those who abuse his mercy and long-suffering And therefore let vs not disioyne these things which cannot be seuered nor imagine such a mercy in God as will not stand with his Iustice which were to mayme the Diuine nature and to pull as it were one of his hands from him which outragious violence offered vnto his holy Maiesty hee will neuer suffer to goe vnpunished Let vs with Dauid so acknowledge that hee is good as that wee doe not deny that Psal 25. 8. Psal â—01 1. hee is also vpright and in our songs so sing of his mercy as that wee doe not disioyne his Iudgement from it Let vs remember that in God and in all his workes mercy and truth doe meete together righteousnesse Psal 8â— 10. and peace doe kisse each other Let vs not say His mercy is great he will Ecclus 5. 6 7. be pacified for the multitude of my sinnes for mercy and wrath come from him and his indignation resteth vpon sinners Neither let vs presuming on Gods mercy and patience make any tarrying to turne vnto the Lord nor put it off from day to day for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord come foorth and in thy security thou shalt be destroyed and perish in the day of vengeance Thus the Apostle telleth vs that if we despise the riches of Gods goodnesse and forbearance Rom. 2. 4 5 6 which should leade vs to repentance we shall after our hardnesse and impenitent heart treasure vp vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath and reuelation of the righteous iudgement of God who will render vnto euery man according to his deeds And the Lord threatneth that if any man hearing the words of his curse against sinners doe blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I walke in the imagination of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst that he will not spare him but that his anger and iealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in the booke of the Law shall Deut. 29. 19 20. lie vpon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from vnder heauen Let vs remember what the Apostle teacheth vs namely that no outragious sinners continuing in their wickednesse without repentance shall inherit the Kingdome of Christ and of God and therefore exhorteth that wee suffer no Eph. 5. 5 6. man to deceiue vs with vaine words seeing because of these things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience Finally let vs consider that though Gods mercies be in themselues infinite and aboue all his workes and all his gracious promises which are in Christ yea and Amen yet they are limited by his infallible truth and appropriated vnto repentant sinners and therefore cannot extend to the presumptuous who take occasion from his mercies to continue impenitently in their sinnes but he will glorifie his iustice in punishing them as hee glorifieth his mercy in pardoning the sinnes of all those who turne vnto him by vnfained repentance And therefore let vs acknowledge with the Psalmist that the Lord is good Psal 73. â— and gracious yet not to all but onely to Israel euen to such as are of a cleane heart and that as the eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares open to heare their cry so the face of the Lord is against them that do euill to cut off the Psal 34. 15 16. remembrance of them from of the earth Let vs not presume vpon Gods mercy whilst we continue impenitently in our sins but let vs stand in awe of Gods Iustice and Iudgements and sin not and offer first the sacrifice of righteousnesse Psal 4. 4 5. and then put our trust in the Lord. Those likewise who presuming vpon the all-sufficiencie of Christs death merits and satisfaction doe take occasion thereby to continue in their sinnes without repentance and to neglect the duties of a godly life may easily remooue this dangerous impediment out of their way if they will but seriously consider that this is a most fearefull abuse of his inestimable loue who hath done so much for vs when as we vse his helpe to vphold vs in our sinnes and his death and merits as a pillow whereon we may sleepe more securely in our wickednesse Whereas he came not to ratifie and confirme but to dissolue and abolish 1. Ioh. 3. 8. the workes of the deuill And gaue himselfe for vs not onely to free vs from all sinne in respect of the guilt and punishment but also to purge Tit. 2. 14. vs from all iniquity and that being his peculiar people we should bee zealous of good workes He hath redeemed vs out of the hands of all our spirituall enemies Luk. 1. 74 75. that wee may serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse
Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and thy holy Spirit one true and euerlasting God we ascribe the glory and praise of all goodnesse and perfection both now and euermore Amen A Prayer for the Family in the Euening O Lord our God most high and holy most dreadfull and glorious in thy might and Maiesty vnto all creatures terrible and like a consuming fire vnto all impenitent sinners but a most gracious and louing Father vnto all those who are reconciled vnto thee in Iesus Christ Thou hast commanded vs to call vpon thee in all our necessities and hast incouraged vs hereunto by thy most gracious and free promise that where two or three are gathered together in the name of thy Sonne there thou wilt be present amongst them by thy holy Spirit to heare their suits and relieue their wants In obedience to which Commandement and in some assurance of thy gracious promise we thy poore and vnworthy seruants doe heere in the mediation of Iesus Christ humbly prostrate our selues before thy Throne of grace and mercy acknowledging our selues guilty of innumerable sinnes and thereby lyable to as many fearefull punishments but yet in the merits of thy Sonne and in the truth of thy promises pleading for pardon and forgiuenesse We confesse vnto thee that wee were conceiued and borne in sinne hauing all the faculties and powers of our soules and bodies so wholly defiled with originall corruption that wee are vtterly disabled for thy seruice and prone vnto all manner of wickednesse and haue in the whole course of our liues multiplied against thee our actuall transgressions by breaking thy whole Law and euery Commandement thereof in thought word and deed Wee are naturally full of ignorance and blindnesse of mind neither knowing thee nor thy truth and after that thou hast caused the light of the Gospell to shine vnto vs for many yeeres our minds are still full of darknesse We content our selues with a small measure of knowledge and continue children in vnderstanding when we should be of ripe age not striuing after more perfection neither according to the measure of our meanes are we rich in knowledge and in the fruits of new obedience We are full of infidelity and doubting and negligent in the vse of the meanes whereby our faith should be confirmed and strengthened and are full also of impenitency security and hardnesse of heart and doe both seldome and slightly bewaile our sinnes past and but weakly and vnconstantly resolue and indeuour to amend our liues for the time to come We are ready to trust in the creature more then in thee the Creator and cannot as we ought rest vpon thy power and promises in the absence of inferiour meanes We are apt to forget thee when thou most remembrest vs and the more that wee abound with thy blessings the lesse mindfull wee are of thee from whom we haue receiued them Wee haue loued the world and earthly things more then thee and heauenly excellencies and haue preferred the pleasures of sinne before thy loue and fauour being ready to hazard these rather then to forgoe them We are full of selfe-loue and haue been moued hereby to sow vnto the flesh of which we can reape nothing but sin and punishment and haue set our hearts so much vpon carnall vanities that they easily draw them away from thee We doe not patiently and constantly hope and waite for the accomplishment of thy promises though we haue great experience of thy power truth and goodnesse towards vs. We are cold or luke-warme in our zeale and haue not with any feruency aduanced the meanes of thy glory nor remoued the impediments whereby it is hindred Our reioycing is more in the flesh then in the Spirit in worldly things and the pleasures of sinne more then in thee the Fountaine of all true ioy in the fruition of thy present fauours and expectation of heauenly happinesse Wee are vngratefull vnto thee for thy manifold benefits and oftentimes when we praise thee it is with our lips onely and not with inward ioy and cheerfulnesse of our hearts Wee doe not approoue our loue and thankefulnesse vnto thee by our fruits of obedience but haue been negligent in the duties of holinesse and righteousnesse that wee might giue glory to thy holy Name and all wee doe is maimed and imperfect full of wants and weaknesses and stained with many corruptions Wee are ready to murmure and repine in our least afflictions and doe not beare thy fatherly corrections with patience and thankfulnesse being more sensible of the smart then of our sinnes which haue caused it and looking more to the rod then vnto thy hand which thereby chastizest vs for our amendment Wee doe not feare to displease thee by our sinnes nor auoyd thine anger as the greatest euill or if we doe feare thee at all it is not so much for thy mercies as to auoyd thy Iudgements We haue not adorned our selues with humility and meeknesse in the sight and sense of our owne vilenesse and vnworthinesse but are full of spirituall pride arrogating vnto our selues those gifts we haue not and ouerweening those we haue or ascribing the praise of them vnto our selues which is onely due to thee We are negligent in the duties of thy seruice and doe not performe them in Spirit and truth but either neglect them vpon euery slight occasion or doe them without due preparation coldly and formally without any feruency of zeale respecting thy glory or our spirituall good We haue often taken thy holy Name in vaine and abused thine holy ordinances and prophaned thy Sabbaths not doing thy will onely on thy holy Day but speaking our owne words walking in our owne waies and seeking our owne carnall delights We haue also neglected the duties of righteousnesse charity and mercy towards our neighbours and of temperance and sobriety towards our selues By all which and many other our sinnes wee haue made our selues subiect to thy wrath and the curse of the Law and haue iustly deserued to be depriued of all testimonies of thy loue and to bee ouerwhelmed with all thy iudgements and punishments both in this life and the life to come O Lord our God affect our hearts with sonne-like sorrow because we haue so much and often displeased thee our gracious Father and let vs be grieued in our soules that wee are so little grieued for our sinnes whereby we haue pierced our Sauiour and grieued thy good Spirit dwelling in vs. And further wee beseech thee in the multitude of thy mercies to remit and forgiue all our sinnes and wash vs cleane from the guilt and punishment of them all that they may neither depriue vs of thy loue and manifold blessings temporall and eternall nor expose vs to thy wrath and fearfull punishments And not onely remit our sins and heale our soules but speake comfortably to our consciences by the secret voyce of thy Spirit as once thy Sonne did to the sicke of the palsie Sonnes be of good
comfort your sinnes are forgiuen you Strengthen our weake faith in the assurance of thy loue and the remission of our sinnes and let vs labour earnestly in the vse of all good meanes whereby it may bee more and more increased and confirmed that so without wauering and doubting we may apply Christ vnto vs with all his benefits and thy gracious promises made in him Let vs not weaken and wound it with sinnes committed against our knowledge and consciences but nourish it by bringing foorth the fruits of obedience in a godly life Assure vs that wee are thy children by adoption and grace and heires of that heauenly inheritance reserued for thy Saints and let vs approoue our selues to bee so by demeaning our selues in all things as it beseemeth thy Sonnes Let vs loue reuerence and obey thee our heauenly Father and thinke all too little which wee can doe or suffer for thy sake that thereby we may expresse our loue towards thee Let vs aboue all things be zealous of thy glory reioycing when it is magnified and grieuing when it is neglected either by our selues or others Let vs not hazzard our heauenly inheritance by wilfull sinning for the gayning of the whole world but let vs labour to make our calling and election sure and worke out our saluation with feare and trembling Giue vnto vs peace of a good conscience and replenish our hearts with spirituall ioy in the assurance of thy fauour Let vs vndoubtedly expect the performance of al thy gracious promises made in Christ euen when thou seemest to delay them especially that mayne promise of euerlasting life and happinesse and hauing this hope let vs daily purge our selues as hee also is pure But especially giue vs grace that wee may bring foorth the fruits of our faith in true hearty and vnfained repentance bewayling our sinnes past hating our present corruptions which still hang vpon vs and both purposing and seriously indeuouring to leaue and forsake our sinnes and to serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our liues Let vs not deferre our repentance from day to day but seeing the necessity thereof vnto saluation let vs lay hold of the acceptable time and whilest it is called to day let vs not harden our hearts but turne vnto thee with all our soules Let vs as we daily renew our sinnes renew also our faith and repentance and haue an earnest and serious study of pleasing thee in all things Let vs not content our selues with a small measure of repentance seeing our sinnes are many and grieuous but let vs aspire to the highest perfection hating sinne with a perfect hatred and bewayling it with bitter griefe Finally let vs constantly perseuere in the practice of repentance and hauing begun in it let vs continue it to the very end of our liues And as wee begge these benefits at thy hands so wee yeeld vnto thee most humble and hearty thankes for all thy mercies and fauours vouchsafed vnto vs especially for all thy spirituall graces concerning eternall life and aboue all for that inestimable pledge of thy loue thy deare and onely Sonne whom thou hast giuen to the death that hee might free vs from all our spirituall enemies and purchase for vs euerlasting happinesse Wee praise thee for that thou hast watched ouer vs with thy gracious prouidence in the whole course of our liues and namely this day past preseruing vs from all dangers and furnishing vs with all necessaries and blessing vs in all our labours and indeuours Wee beseech thee holy Father to continue with our thankfulnesse thy loue towards vs and care ouer vs. Take vs this night into thy gracious protection and watch ouer vs with thy prouidence waking and sleeping and thereby preserue vs from all perils and dangers and from the malice and fury of all our enemies spirituall and temporall especially of that raging and roaring Lyon the deuill who seeketh all aduantages to worke our destruction Let vs not sleepe like others the sleepe of sinne which bringeth death but let vs still keepe the spirituall watch that wee may alwayes bee prepared for the day of death and Iudgement and haue our accounts continually in readinesse that when wee are called to a reckoning wee may with comfort appeare before our Iudge Preserue vs in the darke from the workes of darkenesse and let vs day and night behaue our selues as in thy sight and presence making no lesse conscience of secret sinnes then of those which are open and manifest Let vs whilest our bodies rest haue our mindes exercised with holy and heauenly Meditations and let them bee so seasoned with thy grace and guided by thy good Spirit that they may not in our sleepe giue way to sinfull thoughts and vaine imaginations Giue vnto vs such quiet and moderate rest that our bodies may thereby bee refreshed and their decayed strength repaired and so blesse and sanctifie our sleepe vnto vs that it may bee a meanes of preseruing our health and of making vs more fit for all duties of thy seruice Heare vs gracious God in all these our suites and vouchsafe these and all other blessings which in thy wisedome thou knowest needfull not onely vnto vs but also to all thy children and seruants and especially such as bee of this Church the Magistrates Ministers and whole people euen for Iesus Christ his sake In whose Name and words wee conclude our prayers as hee himselfe hath taught vs saying Our Father which art in heauen c. Another Prayer for the Family in the Euening O Immortall inuisible and onely true God most wise mighty iust and mercifull holy and infinite in all perfection Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and in him our most gracious and louing Father Thou hast in thy Word inuited sinners to come vnto thee promising that if wee confesse and forsake our sinnes wee shall finde mercy if wee lay them open thou wilt hide them and if wee acknowledge and bewaile them thou wilt shew thy selfe faithfull and righteous in forgiuing them wee thy vnworthy seruants being loaden with sinne and misery doe heere humble our selues before thee and in the mediation of Iesus Christ prostrate our selues before the Throne of grace suing vnto thee for mercy and forgiuenesse We confesse vnto thee holy Father that wee are by nature dead in trespasses and sinnes and the children of wrath as well as others loaded with the guilt both of that corruption in which wee were conceiued and of innumerable actuall transgressions whereby wee haue violated thy whole Law and so made our selues subiect to the curse thereof and euerlasting death of body and soule The which our sinne and misery is much aggrauated in that wee haue long liued without any sense of it or any desire to be freed from it but tooke all our delight in displeasing thy Maiesty and in performing cheerefull seruice vnto sinne and Satan Yea Lord after that thou of thy free grace hast giuen vs a sight of our
neglect of the duties of thy seruice and our weake imperfect performances when we haue vndertaken them our profanation of thy Sabbaths and abuse of thine holy Ordinances our little profiting by those plentifull meanes of our saluation which for a long time thou hast graciously affoorded vs either for the increasing of sauing knowledge the strengthening of our faith or bringing forth fruits of new obedience our want of faith and feruency of spirit in calling vpon thy Name our want of reuerence and attention in hearing thy Word our many distractions and wandring thoughts our want of care to treasure it vp in our hearts and of conscience to make an holy vse of it in our liues and conuersations By all which and innumerable other sinnes we acknowledge good Lord that we haue iustly deserued to be depriued of all meanes of our saluation and that thou shouldest take away from vs the food of our soules and cause them to perish through Spirituall famine or that thou shouldest turne our meate into poyson and make it to become the sauour of death to our deeper condemnation which in it owne nature is the sauour of life vnto life and thine owne strong power vnto saluation But wee beseech thee good Lord for thy Sonnes sake to be gracious vnto vs in the free pardon of these and all other our sinnes and seeing hee hath fully satisfied thy Iustice by that all-sufficient sacrifice which he hath once offered vpon his Crosse be reconciled vnto vs in him and clense vs thorowly from the guilt and punishment of all our sinnes that they may not be as a wall of separation to stop from vs thy blessings nor as strong chaines to pull downe vpon vs thy iudgements and punishments either in this world or in the world to come And being thus freed from all our sinnes let vs deuote our selues wholly to thy seruice which that we may performe with greater cheerfulnesse and diligence let vs haue the comfortable assurance of this thy mercy in the remission of our sinnes sealed in our hearts by thy good Spirit witnessing vnto vs that we are thy children by adoption and grace And thereby not only seale vs vp vnto the Day of our Redemption but also sanctifie vs throughout in our bodies and soules by the mortification of the flesh and our spirituall quickening in the inner man that wee may in the whole course of our liues serue and please thee But in a more especiall manner we beseech thee good Lord to sanctifie vs that we may sanctifie this thy Sabbath and assist vs by thy grace and holy Spirit that wee may so performe the religious duties of thy seruice as that wee may bee made more holy and inabled vnto the leading of such a Christian life as may bee acceptable in thy sight Take away from vs the corruption of our natures wherby we are made backward and vntoward to the duties of thy seruice and make vs willing to sequester our selues from all worldly affaires that we may wholly be imployed in them Let vs reioyce in thy Sabbaths as being the time of our spirituall refection and the market of our soules and let vs not rest in a formall keeping of them but performe the duties required in them with all care and good conscience not onely in the outward man but with our hearts and soules in spirit and truth Free vs from carnall wearines as thinking the time long till they be past but knowing that time to be best spent which is imployed in thy seruice let vs take most comfort and contentment in it Inable vs good Lord by priuate preparation to fit our selues for thy publike seruice meditating on our wants that we may vse all good meanes whereby they may be supplyed and on our speciall sins corruptions that we may get spiritual strength against them and imploring the assistance of thy good Spirit that we may be inabled thereby to performe in an holy manner all duties which thou requirest Let vs keep an holy Rest vnto thee and abstaine not only from the ordinary workes of our callings and worldly affaires but also from all carnall pleasures and sensual delights Suffer not our thoughts to be taken vp with worldly or wicked cogitations but let our minds bee exercised in spirituall and heauenly meditations Set a watch before our mouthes that we may not on thine holy Day speak our owne words nor vtter any idle vaine worldly or wicked speeches but let our tongues speak to thy praise and be exercised in holy religious conferences tending to the mutuall edification one of another Let vs not content our selues with a meere cessation from our labours but refer this Rest to holinesse as the maine end thereof without which the outward rest is but vaine and with the externall let vs ioyne the internall rest from sin exercising our selues in repentance from dead workes Make vs carefull in vsing all good means which thou hast ordained for the sanctifying of thy Day both publikely and priuately and let vs with one hart and voyce ioyne with the rest of the Congregation in all the parts of thy seruice Inable all thy Ministers in all places and him especially to whose charge thou hast committed vs that they may break vnto vs the Bread of life and rightly diuide thy Word for our spirituall nourishment Furnish them with all gifts and graces necessary for their high calling and let them deliuer thy truth as in thy presence faithfully and powerfully truly and sincerely and so assist them with the inward working of thine holy Spirit that thy Word may be effectual for the conuersion edification and saluation of their hearers Inable vs by the same Spirit to call vpon thee with faith feruency and with all loue and thankfulnes to praise thee for all thy blessings vouchsafed vnto vs. Let vs with all due reuerence attention heare thy Word lay it vp in our harts and memories and bring forth the fruits of it in our liues and conuersations Giue vs grace also O Lord to sanctifie thy Sabbaths priuately by performing by our selues and in our owne families those priuate duties which are specially required on this thy Day Let vs meditate on thy Word after we haue heard it and apply it vnto our selues for our owne vse Let vs meditate on thy maruellous works of Creation Preseruation and Redemption but especially on the death and Resurrection of our Lord and Sauiour that they may be effectuall to mortifie our sins and to quicken vs vnto newnes of life Let vs spend our time in religious exercises and in the works of charity mercy as being those sacrifices wherein thou most delightest but especially in those spirituall duties which tend to the saluation of our owne and others soules taking care not onely to sanctifie thine holy Day our selues but as much as in vs lyeth that it may be sanctified by all those who any wayes belong to our charge Accept of our praise and thanksgiuing
is no better backed then with the strength of a bubble To thinke that we can constantly hold Gods gifts which in their owne nature are the wages of those that feare and serue him when as by multiplying our sinnes and especially our pride and presumption we daily prouoke his wrath and moue him in his iust displeasure to take them from vs Finally what greater signe of extreme securitie then to be proud of our Masters wealth committed to our keeping as if it were our owne and because we are more indebted and haue a greater account to make then other men as though we should neuer be called to a reckoning §. 6 The fift signe is customable sinning The fift signe is customable sinning without renuing of repentance especially if these sinnes be committed not through frailtie and infirmitie but against knowledge and conscience For howsoeuer he that feareth God may fall into sinne yet the secure person alone committeth commonly knowne sinnes which either wound or feare the Conscience Though he may fall often as the wise Man speaketh for in many things we sinne all Yet he maketh not a custome Eccles 7. 20. Iam. 3. 2. of it neither is it his way but his slips and errors but it is the secure man onely that maketh sinne his vsuall trade that walketh in the Psal 19. 1. counsatle of the vngodly as his way that standeth in the way of sinners as his place of abode that sitteth in the seate of the scornefull as in the place of his rest and chiefe repose Finally though the faithfull through his owne wickednesse and strength of Satans tentations may grieuously fall into haynous sinnes yet it is not his but a propertie of a secure Worldling to continue in such sinnes without repentance It is a great signe of carnall securitie to commit a knowne sinne for the base hire of earthly vanities seeing if God take him with the manner and lay it to his charge it is the bane of his Soule the losse of Heauen and purchase of euerlasting torments in Hell fire And who not blinded with securitie could run these hazards for things of such small value But how much more if hauing often hardly escaped these dangers we make a common practise of thrusting our selues into them by our ordinary course of sinne and by carelesse liuing in these sinnes without repentance For who not drowned in securitie could imagine himselfe to be in any safety that hath the halter about his necke and the knife at his throat and is euery minute in danger of execution yea who can cast himselfe vpon the Pikes and take deepe draughts of this deadly poyson of sinne and yet presume of health and safetie §. 7 The sixt signe abuse of Gods Patience to impenitency Rom. 2. 4. The sixt signe of securitie is when a Man taketh incouragement by Gods patience and long suffering and his owne impunitie for his former offences of multiplying his transgressions and of going on in sin without repentance For the riches of Gods goodnesse and patient forbearance should as the Apostle saith leade vs to repentance filling our hearts with sorrow and our faces with shame because we haue so long and so often offended a God so gracious and mercifull And besides it is a notable incouragement to make vs hasten our repentance seeing vpon it we are sure of pardon For we shall surely find him gracious in our returning whom we haue found so gracious in our backsliding he will vndoubtedly shew mercy and pardon our sinnes vpon our repentance who hath so long time patiently wayted that he might take occasion vpon our true conuersion to haue mercy vpon vs. But if we abuse and despise so great a mercy and vnspeakable goodnesse and take occasion of Gods patience and loue the more to prouoke him and to goe on more carelesly in our sinfull courses what doth this argue but an hard and secure heart which cannot repent but treasureth vp vnto it selfe wrath against the day of wrath and reuelation of the righteous Iudgement of God who though now he be patient yet shall at that day render vnto euery man according to his deeds Rom. 2. 5 6. rowsing him vp with greatest torment and smart who hath liued in his sinnes with greatest securitie and inflicting vpon him the sorest Apoc. 18. 7. punishment who hath most contemptuously abused his greatest patience §. 8 The seuenth signe presumption on Gods mercy The seuenth signe is presumption on Gods Mercy whereby the impenitent sinner perswadeth himselfe that sinne he neuer so much yet God is so gracious that he will forgiue him and so taketh occasion hereby to giue liberty vnto his carnall lusts that they may glut themselues with their sinfull delights and imbrace all wicked obiects without feare of danger Now this argueth an heart destitute of all grace and desperately hardned with carnall securitie For though Gods mercy be great and infinite yet he hath none for them who thus grosly abuse it but for those alone who take occasion thereby to reuerence his goodnesse and to shun with greater care his displeasure according to that of the Psalmist There is mercy with thee that thou mayest Psal 130. 4. be feared and they onely are his true Israel and Vessels of Grace in whose saluation he will glorifie and set forth the prayse of his rich Mercies who returne and seeke the Lord their God and Dauid their King that is the sonne of Dauid and his holy anoynted Iesus Christ and feare the Lord and his goodnesse as the Prophet speaketh Hos 3. 5. §. 9 The eight signe is the contempt of the meanes of saluation The eight signe is the contempt and vtter neglect of the meanes of Grace and Saluation as the Hearing Reading and meditating in the Word Prayer the Sacrament of the Lords Supper communion with the Faithfull and the rest or the cold and carelesse formall and negligent vsing of them without any desire or indeauour to profit by them For they whose hearts are seasoned with any true feare of God at all doe feare and seeke his Face and fauour in his holy Ordinances they tremble at his Word as the Prophet speaketh they worke out their Esa 66. 2. Phil. 2. 12. saluation in the vse of all good meanes sanctified for this purpose with feare and trembling as the Apostle teacheth vs their hearts long after the Waters of Life like the thirstie Lands and as the chased Hart Psal 42. 1. bray after the Riuers of Water and if they bee restrayned from comming into Gods holy Assemblies passionately crie out with Dauid O how amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my Soule longeth Psal 84. 1 2. yea euen fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the liuing God! And when they heare the Law their hearts melt as did the heart of good Iosiah they are astonyed in the sight of sense of their sinnes and heare the
so much in respect of the cleere euidence heereof in it selfe or the forciblenesse of the arguments which are brought to conuince and perswade naturall reason as in regard of Gods authority who is most infallible in his truth infinite in his goodnesse and almighty to performe whatsoeuer he hath promised Which assent being effectuall in vs doth worke in our vnderstandings a perswasion that our sinnes though in themselues haynous yet compared with Gods infinite mercies and the all-sufficient merits of Iesus Christ are pardonable in our iudgements a precious and high esteeme of these mercies and merits aboue all worldly things In our hearts an hungring and thirsting desire to be made partakers of them for the remission of our sinnes in our wils a firme resolution to renounce all other meanes and to rest wholly vpon Gods mercies and Christs merits for our iustification and saluation And in our actions a carefull indeuour to vse all good meanes whereby we may bee more and more assured of Gods loue in Christ and among the rest in all things to please God in all our thoughts words and workes that so we may glorifie him from whom wee expect so great grace and mercy and make our calling and election sure The third thing required is an apprehension and application of the promises of the Gospell the infinite mercies of God and all-sufficient merits of Christ vnto our selues in particular which is the forme and very life of faith and maketh the things thus applyed vsefull and effectuall for our iustification and without which wee shall haue no more benefit by them then a man hath by a soueraigne salue and cordiall medicine not applyed and taken or by warme clothes which are not put on The last thing required is affiance and confidence when as knowing assenting vnto and applying Gods mercies and Christs merits vnto our selues we rest and rely wholly vpon them for our iustification and saluation §. Sect. 6 That after illuminatiō there are three degrees of faith and the maner how they are wrought in vs. So that after illumination there are three degrees of faith the first is an effectuall assent to the promises of the Gospell which worketh in our hearts an hungring desire after Christ and his benefits and in our wills a resolution to cast our selues vpon him alone for our saluation By which the Christian truly liueth but yet like a new borne babe who weakely performeth the actions of life but knoweth not that he either liueth or mooueth And so weake it is in apprehension and application that he can hardly discerne it and often calleth in question whether he hath any hold at all or no. It is strong in desiring but feeble in performing resolued by all meanes to sticke vnto Christ but yet scarce sensible of any vnion It admireth the glorious beames and brightnesse of Gods loue shining in the Word but feeleth little warmth of ioy and comfort by it in his owne heart and conscience It worketh in the weake Christian an hungring after the sincere milke of the Word that he may grow vp thereby but with little or no sense that he is nourished or any whit increased in the spirituall growth He seeketh earnestly for grace and peace but they seeme to fly from him and is still wishing for more and more but hath little comfort in feeling and fruition His desires so farre exceed the proportion which he hath receiued that it is swallowed vp of them so that nothing in appearance remaineth And like couetous men he thinketh not on what he hath but vpon what he hath not and spends a great part of that time in complaints of his wants which should be imployed in praysing God for that plenty which hee hath receiued But this faith is still in growth though they that haue it doe not see it growing for the Lord is no more ready to inlarge our hearts with hungring desires after grace then to satisfie them this being his maine end why like the Merchant hee stretcheth out these empty bags that he may replenish them with a greater portion of these hid treasures And therefore when the weake beleeuer carefully and conscionably laboureth in the vse of all good meanes for the strengthening and increasing of his faith as hearing the Word Sacraments Meditation Prayer and such like the Lord with his Spirit so blesseth them vnto him that from this first degree of faith he commeth to the second namely to a comfortable apprehension of Gods promises as belonging to himselfe to some sense and feeling of the loue of God shed abroad in his heart by the holy Ghost and to some assurance that hee in particular hath part and interest in Gods mercies and Christs merits whereby he is iustified and shall be saued And this is the second degree of faith which being but weake in the apprehension of Christ and his righteousnesse and in the sense and feeling of Gods loue is assaulted with much doubting and oftentimes shaken with grieuous tentations whereby the Christians hold seemeth for the time wholly lost and his faith in the operations of it almost quite extinguished and therefore hauing attained vnto this degree he resteth not in it as sufficient but laboureth in the vse of all good meanes whereby his faith may bee more and more strengthened and increased vntill it come to the third and last degree of perfection which is that plerophorie and fulnesse of perswasion of the remission of our sinnes of our vnion with Christ and Gods vnchangeable Rom. 8. 38 39. loue towards vs in him from which nothing in the world shall be able to diuide vs as we see in the Apostle Pauls example Vpon which followeth Christian security in the assurance of Gods protection and peace of conscience that passeth all vnderstanding which though it be assaulted yet Rom. 5. 3. is seldome impeached and impugned with any violence of tentations trouble of mind or terrours of conscience And from hence springeth inward ioy vnspeakeable and glorious out of our assurance and sweete feeling 1. Pet. 1. 8. of Gods loue and the certaine perswasion of our owne saluation whereby wee are made cheerefull and constant not onely in doing all which God commandeth but also in suffering whatsoeuer hee inflicteth §. Sect. 7 That the duties of a godly life hold a proportion with our faith whether it bee weake or strong And these are the degrees of a liuely faith without which or some one of them we cannot doe any thing pleasing vnto God or set one step forward in the way of godlinesse for faith is a cause and an inseparable companion of a godly life of which if we be destitute in the least degrees well may we be ignorantly deuout and zealously superstitious but wee shall neuer performe any one dutie in such sort as God will accept of it And according to the degree and measure of our faith such also will bee our fruits of godlinesse they holding a proportion the one with
thou Daquod iubes iube quod vis commandest and then command what thou wilt §. Sect. 2 Reasons moouing vs to imbrace piety first because it is most excellent And thus we generally see what piety is Let vs in the next place consider briefly of some arguments which may mooue vs to imbrace and practise it in the whole course of our liues The first is that piety and the duties of it are most excellent and to be preferred before righteousnesse both in regard of our iudgements which ought to esteeme them aboue the other in respect of the obiect God himselfe vnto whom immediatly they are to be performed who infinitely exceeding men the duties which wee owe vnto him are incomparably to bee preferred before those which are due to them In regard also of our hearts and affections which ought to imbrace with greater loue and desire those things which our iudgements doe most highly value and in respect of our indeuour and practice wherein we ought to giue priority and precedencie in regard of time and place vnto the duties of piety aboue all earthly things according to that of our Sauiour First seeke the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse c. Againe Mat. 6. 33. Christ calleth the first Table inioyning piety The great Commandement Mat. 6. 38. vnto which the second is like but not equall For piety is the fountaine of righteousnesse and the alone sure foundation vpon which it standeth which if it wanteth or is built vpon any other ground as it were vpon a quagmire or the sands it will soone fall and come to ruine seeing the building can stand no longer then it hath a foundation to rest vpon as we daily see in the Morall and meere ciuill righteousnesse of worldlings which resting vpon their credit or profit or feare of humane Lawes doth last no longer then they lust It is the heart and head of Iustice which giueth life heate and motion vnto it without which it is but a dead trunke yea the very soule which doth informe it without which it is but a lothsome carkasse in Gods sight And therefore in the practice of a godly life we are more highly to esteeme and answerably with more care earnestnesse and delight to put in practice the duties of piety which concerne God immediately then the duties of righteousnesse which respect our neighbours As for example we must loue and feare and obey God more then men and when both will not stand together we must neglect the one in comparison of the other as wee see in the example of the Apostles who when men forbade that which God commanded obeyed him rather Act. 5. 29. then them But yet seeing all duties both to God and men are commanded of God and in that regard we ferue or disobey him mediately and indirectly when wee doe or neglect the duties which concerne them therefore in performing the duties of the first Table in our iudgement affection and practice we are to obserue a due proportion betweene them comparing like with like the greatest with the greatest middle with middle and the least with the least neyther are the ceremonies and circumstances and meanes of pious duties to be preferred before the maine and substantiall duties of righteousnesse as we see in Gods owne choice vvho preferred mercy before sacrifice and the duties of righteousnesse Hos 6. 6. Esa 58. 3 6. Mat. 12. 1 2. c. Leuit. 24. 9. Exod. 29. 33. mercy and loue before an externall fast or the outvvard rest of the Sabbath vvhich is but a meanes of the seruice of God and of our spirituall resting from sinne §. Sect. 3 The second reason is taken from the profit of Piety The second reason is taken from the profit of piety vvhich may much induce vs to the imbracing of it For if mens hearts are set chiefely vpon Psal 4. 6. gaine and are ready to enquire after it vpon all occasions according to that of the Psalmist There be many that say Who will shew vs any good And if their affections and desires are inflamed and inlarged according to the greatnesse of the profit vvhich they pursue then vvhen our iudgements are conuinced and persvvaded that there is most gaine in godlinesse there is great reason why our hearts should be set vpon it as our chiefest treasure But the Apostle telleth vs that godlinesse is gaine yea 1. Tim. 6. 6. great gaine with contentation where he maketh not the gaine of godlinesse to depend vpon the condition of our contentment as though there were no profit in it vnlesse wee be contented with it but that it is the effect and an inseparable companion of godlinesse to make vs contented with all estates and therefore not gaine onely if it be ioyned with content but because it alwaies bringeth with it contentation Euen as the Sunne is said to bee comfortable not if it giue light but because it giueth light it doth bring vs comfort with his beames and brightnesse Now this profit of piety is incomparably greater then the gaine of the whole world for this is profitable but for some purposes but the other for all things that onely for the present but this also for eternity according to that of the Apostle Godlinesse is profitable vnto all things hauing promise of the life that 1. Tim. 4. 8. now is and of that which is to come In this life it assureth vs of Gods grace and fauour that we are his children and heyres of his promises who are continually vnder his protection and thereby safe from all danger that though we haue but little yet there is cause of great contentment seeing our small pittance is better then the riches of many wicked it being a pledge Psal 37. 16. of Gods loue and an earnest penny of our heauenly happinesse That we are blessed in all estates prosperity and aduersity pouerty and riches health and sicknesse life and death because God that loueth vs will by Rom. 8. 28. his wisdome and power cause all things to worke together for our good In the life to come also godlinesse will be most gainefull for when all worldly profits are vtterly ceased and the glory and beauty of them withered and vanished out of sight then shall we finde most profit in our piety and reape a ioyfull haruest of all our holy indeuours Then shall we with confidence approach into Gods presence when as we expect that Crowne of glory which he hath freely promised to those who haue serued him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of this life and hauing on this wedding garment we shall be admitted into the Bridall chamber of our Head and Husband Iesus Christ and there eternally solace ourselues in the fruition of his loue and of that heauenly happinesse which he hath prepared for vs. Whereas contrariwise all worldly things without piety are vnprofitable to all in many things and in all things to many giuing
what can more strengthen our resolutions in performing faithfull seruice vnto God then to be assured by his assistance of victorie ouer all enemies strength in ouercomming all difficulties safety in all dangers and prosperous successe and an happie issue of all our indeuours And thus Moses exhorteth Iosua to resolution and courage because God had promised to be with him He it is saith hee that doth goe before thee he will be with Deut. 31. 8. thee he will not faile thee neither forsake thee feare not neither be dismayed Fourthly let vs remember that it is impossible to lose the fruit benefit of our labour whatsoeuer paines we take in Gods seruice for besides the present pay of temporal benefits we shal haue the rich rewards of eternall and heauenly happinesse of which the other are but small earnest pennies and pawnes So that if we in Gods seruice lose our earthly riches we shall haue for them heauenly treasures if our fame and reputation amongst men we shall be recompenced with eternall glory in the presence of God his Saints and Angels yea if we lose our life it selfe in losing we shall finde it Mat. 10. 39. euen an euerlasting and most happy life for one that was momentany and miserable Fifthly if we would haue this Christian resolution firme and constant it must be well grounded when we first begin and wee must expect when we enter into the course of a godly life not the fauour of men ease and prosperity but many enemies to encounter vs and many difficulties and dangers in our Christian way which if we doe not forecast before they happen and arme our resolution against them they will vtterly daunt and discourage vs at their first approching And therefore before we make purchase of this gaine of godlinesse let vs cast before-hand what it will cost vs and resolue to leaue it at no rate Sixthly let vs meditate often of the excellency vtility and necessity of a godly life in which respects it is to be preferred before all worldly things whatsoeuer seeing thereby and by no other meanes without it we are assured of Gods loue and our owne saluation of his grace in this world and glory and happinesse in the world to come Seuenthly let vs thinke of the preciousnesse of our soules which are of much more value then ten thousand worlds and that there is no other meanes to prouide for their eternall happinesse and their fruition of Gods presence which perfecteth our blessednesse in heauen then by framing our hearts to adhere vnto him with firme resolution to serue and please him whilst wee liue vpon the earth And let vs often meditate on that speech of our Sauiour What will it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his soule For heere our soules are saued or lost heere Mar. 8. 36. the acceptable time and day of saluation lasteth which if we let passe it is neuer againe to be regained but our precious soules for the price of momentany vanities shall be eternally sold to hellish torments Lastly because our resolution of adhering vnto God and pleasing him in all things is apt to faint and languish therefore our care must be often to suruey it that when we finde any faylings or vnsettlednesse in it we may repaire and strengthen it yea in truth this is a worke fit for euery morning to take a view of our spirituall state and to renew our resolution that wee will the day following vse all meanes whereby it may bee improoued and bettered inrich our selues in our spiritual stocke and to our vttermost indeuour doe all things which may please God as wee shall more fully shew heereafter Yea if we finde our resolutions weake and vnsettled we must confirme them by making with God a solemne Couenant that our hearts in all things shall adhere vnto him and start aside vpon no occasion according to the example of Asa and the rest of Gods people who entred 2. Chro. 15. 12 14 34. 31. into a Couenant to seeke the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soule yea if neede be wee must confirme this Couenant not onely by solemne protestation but by an inuiolable oath as they did at that time and the Prophet Dauid long before them I haue sworne saith Psal 119. 106. he and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements CAP. IIII. Of trust affiance and hope in God §. Sect. 1 Of affiance in God wherein it consisteth and of the reasons which may mooue vs vnto it THe speciall duties whereby we adhere and cleaue vnto God with all our hearts are either principall or those which arise out of them and depend vpon them the chiefe and principall are affiance the loue and feare of God By affiance wee adhere and cleaue vnto him when as knowing acknowledging beleeuing and remembring the omniscience omnipotence all sufficiency trueth and goodnesse of God towards vs we doe put our trust and affiance in him for the obtaining of all good and preseruation from all euill both in the presence and absence of all inferiour meanes Vnto which affiance the Scriptures exhort vs. So Dauid Trust in the Lord and Psal 37. 3. doe good And Salomon Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and leane not Pro. 3. 5. to thine owne vnderstanding Which if we performe wee haue diuers gracious promises made vnto vs as first that we shall be greatly rewarded Cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward and be Heb. 10. 35. incompassed with all Gods mercies and fauours according to that of the Psalmist He that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compasse him about Secondly Psal 32. 10. that wee shall bee sustained and preserued by his prouidence Cast thy Psal 55. 22. burthen vpon the Lord and he shall sustaine thee he shall neuer suffer the righteous to be mooued And againe They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Ps 125. 1. Sion which cannot be remooued but abideth for euer Thirdly that we shall haue the good things of the earth for the present and eternall blessednesse in the life to come for he that trusteth in the Lord shall possesse the land and Esa 57 13. shall inherit his holy mountaine So Ieremie Blessed is the man that trusteth in Ier. 17. 7. the Lord and whose hope the Lord is And the Psalmist O trust and see that Psal 34 8. the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him And thus wee must trust in the Lord for the obtaining of all good and the auoiding of all euill vnto the former Dauid exhorteth Commit thy way vnto the Lord Psal 37. 5. trust also in him and he shall bring it to passe And of the other we haue him for our example The Lord is my light and my saluation whom shall I feare Psal 27. 1. the Lord is the
that he shall neuer taste of the same stripes and reuerenceth him in respect of his power iustice grauity and authority ouer him though he expecteth nothing from them but all good So the Apostle Peter vseth this argument And if ye call on 1. Pet. 1. 17. the Father who without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans worke passe the time of your soiourning heere in feare And the Apostle Paul vseth Gods seuerity to the reiected Iewes as a reason to make vs to feare God and exhorteth vs to worke out our saluation with feare and trembling Rom 11. 28. Phil. 2. 12. Besides being partly flesh as well as Spirit and therefore full of infirmities and corruptions it is profitable for the vnregenerate part which is a slaue and not a sonne to be contained in dutie and restrained from sinne by the feare of Gods Iustice power and punishments For our loue being imperfect our feare cannot attaine in this life to filiall perfection but so farre foorth as we are vnregenerate is seruile and slauish And to this end are Gods iudgements denounced and punishments inflicted in the Heb. 3. 12 13. Psal 119. 120. 1. Cor. 10. 6 11. hearing and sight of the godly that they may feare to offend so iust and mighty a God and so escape these fearefull punishments But the chiefe grounds and causes of Gods feare in the hearts of his children are sauing knowledge and a liuely faith whereby being assured of Gods loue in Christ we loue him againe and are aboue all things afraid to doe any thing which is displeasing in his sight either in the omission of any duty or commission of any sinne which our gracious and louing Father either commandeth or forbiddeth §. Sect. 2 That this feare of God is commended vnto vs in the Scriptures and of the great profit of it And this is that feare of God which in the Scriptures is so much commended vnto vs and causeth those who in their hearts imbrace it to bee Pro. 28. 14. Deut. 6. 13. 10. 12. happy and blessed according to that of Salomon Blessed is the man that feareth alway which blessednesse that we may attaine vnto let vs labour after this feare and to this end let vs consider the excellencie and profit of it that our hearts being inflamed with the loue of it we may carefully vse all good meanes whereby we may obtaine it The excellency of it heerein appeareth in that it compriseth in it all other duties and is vsually put for the whole seruice of God wherein the whole man is to bee imployed according to that of Salomon Let vs heare the conclusion of the whole matter Eccles 12. 13. Feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole of man Secondly it is called in this respect the head and beginning of wisedome that is Psal 111. 10. Pro. 1. 7. of all godlinesse and true Religion Thirdly it giueth grace and vertue vnto all other duties and maketh them acceptable in Gods sight For our whole conuersation must be a constant walking in Gods feare In it wee Act. 9. 31. must worship and serue God Serue the Lord with feare And in thy feare will I worship towards thine holy Temple By it our sanctification is perfected Ps 2. 11. 5. 7. 2. Cor. 7. 1. Phil. 2. 12. and our saluation wrought out and finished The profit of this feare of God is also inestimable for it restraineth vs from all vice and sinne according to that of Salomon A wise man feareth and departeth from euill and of Pro. 14. 16. 8. 13. Psal 4. 4. Gen. 39. 9. Dauid Stand in awe and sinne not As we see in the example of Ioseph who had his eares and heart stopped against the vnchaste allurements of his mistresse by the feare of God And of the Egyptian Midwiues who by the Exod. 1. 17 21. feare of God were kept from obeying the wicked edict of the King Whereas contrariwise the want of this feare is the cause of all disobedience and sinne as Abraham implyeth in his speech to Pharaoh and the Gen. 20. 11. Apostle plainely expresseth for hauing set downe a Catalogue of many sinnes he concludeth with this as the cause of all the rest There is no feare Rom. 3. 15. of God before their eyes Secondly it is a fountaine of life making vs to depart Pro. 14. 27. from the snares of death Thirdly it incites and inables vs to the performance of all good duties and therefore the Lord hauing deliuered his Law wisheth that the hearts of his people might be alwayes fraughted Deut. 5. 29. with his feare that thereby they might bee mooued to obey it and the Preacher in this respect compriseth in it alone all other vertues and duties Pro. 15. 33. Eccl. 12. 13. because it mooueth vs to the imbracing of them all Fourthly it deliuereth from all other feares and causeth them to giue place when it is present as the Sunne all other inferiour lights For if we feare God we will not feare the threatnings of men if we feare him that can cast body and soule into hell we neede not feare them that can onely and that by his Act. 5. 29. Luk. 12. 5. permission kill the body as our Sauiour implyeth Fifthly it maketh vs partakers of all good things promised in this life for hee that feareth the Psal 34. 9. Esa 66. 2. Lord wanteth nothing which is good but God is present with such to take notice of all their wants and his eares are open to heare their prayers Psal 145. 19. and grant their desires Finally it bringeth with it euerlasting blessednesse For blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that walketh in his wayes Psal 128. 1. 112. Pro. 28. 14. And happie is the man that feareth alway but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe Which promises belong not alone to those that feare God but also to their posterity after them for their seede shall bee mighty Psal 112. 2. vpon earth and their generation blessed as the Psalmist speaketh §. Sect. 3 Of the meanes of obtaining this feare of God Now the meanes of attaining vnto this feare of God are diuers First to consider and meditate of Gods nature and attributes as of his omnisciency whereby he seeth all things euen the secret corners of our hearts of his omnipotency whereby he is able to reward vs if we feare him or punish vs if we neglect him of his Iustice whereby he impartially iudgeth all men without respect of persons of his truth which neuer fayleth in his promises or threatnings But especially of his mercy and goodnesse towards vs in Christ which will inflame our hearts with his loue and out of this loue cause vs to feare his displeasure as the greatest euill according to that of the Psalmist There is mercy or forgiuenesse with thee that thou mayest be feared The second
meanes is the consideration of Gods Iudgements Psal 130. 4. executed on the wicked which are so many instructions vnto vs to feare God and auoide his displeasure that we be not partakers with them in their punishments So the Psalmist saith that the righteous seeing the destruction of the wicked should feare God and deride their folly and the Apostle Psal 52. 6. telleth vs that the former examples of Gods Iudgements were written for 1. Cor. 10. 11. our learning that they might admonish vs to take warning by their harmes lest we fall into the same euils The third meanes is the diligent reading and hearing of the Scriptures which are called The feare of God Psal 19. 9. because they worke his feare in vs. And thus the Lord inioyneth the King to haue the Law with him and to reade therein all the dayes of his life that hee Deut. 17. 19. may learne to feare the Lord his God For in them are contained many Commandements inioyning many exhortations moouing and many reasons perswading to this feare Feare the Lord with reuerence and reioyce Psal 2. 11. with trembling Let all the earth feare the Lord let all the inhabitants of the earth stand in awe of him for he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast O feare the Lord all ye his Saints for there is no want to them that Psal 33. 8 9. 34. 9. Isa 8. 13. Heb. 12. 28. feare him The fourth meanes is to deny our selues and our owne wisedome and when God commandeth any thing not to aske counsell of carnall reason vnto which the more we incline the more the feare of God abateth in vs as we see in the example of Eue who following sense and reason obeyed the deuils aduice and cast off the feare of God And this the Wiseman implyeth Bee not wise in thine owne eyes but feare God and Pro. 3. 7. depart from euill The fifth meanes is to meditate often on our owne infirmities and weakenesse and of the malice and might of our spirituall 1. Pet. 5. 8. Eph. 6. 11 12. Phil. 2. 12. 1. Cor. 12. 10. enemies which will make vs worke out our saluation with feare and trembling and whilest we stand to take heede of falling The sixth is to remember our end daily and continually as first the day of our death which will worke our hearts to Gods feare as the Psalmist implyeth and Psal 90. 12. secondly the day of Iudgement and end of the world which is called The 2. Cor. 5. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Pet. 3. 11 14. terrour of the Lord because it is a notable meanes to worke his feare in our hearts The last and chiefe meanes whereby all the rest are made effectuall is feruent prayer For it is no naturall faculty or habit but the gift of God which he promiseth to put in the hearts of the faithfull that they Ier. 32. 39 40. may not depart from him and is to bee obtained by faithfull and effectuall prayer As we see in the example of the Psalmist who prayeth the Lord to knit their hearts vnto him that they might feare his Name Psal 86. 11. §. Sect. 4 Of humility what it is and the causes of it The last vertue required is humility whereby knowing and acknowledging Gods power iustice maiesty goodnesse mercy and infinite perfection and our owne vilenesse and vnworthinesse imperfections and sinfull corruptions we doe renounce all glory and praise as not belonging vnto vs and ascribe it wholly vnto God vnto whom alone it rightly appertaineth So that it is the nature of humility to vilifie and abase our selues in our owne sight euen to the ground as the word importeth to cast off all opinion of our workes and worthinesse and in the sight and sense of our sinnes and corruptions to acknowledge our selues worthy of Gods most heauie punishments in this life and the life to come and contrariwise to ascribe all glory and praise vnto God alone euen of all the good we haue in vs or is done by vs from whom alone we haue it according to that of the Psalmist Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy Psal 115. 1. name giue the glory And of Daniel O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto Dan. 9. 7 11. thee but vnto vs confusion of faces because wee haue sinned against thee The causes of this humility are first the knowledge and acknowledgement of Gods infinitenesse in all excellency goodnesse and perfection in which he is so incomprehensibly glorious that when we come in his presence it maketh vs to vilifie and abase our selues what opinion soeuer before wee had of our owne worth and excellencie euen as the light of a Glow-worme is quite dazeled when the glorious beames of the Sunne doe shine vpon it Thus in the sight and sense of Gods glory and maiesty Ezechiel was cast to the ground Manoah concluded that hee should Ezech. 2. 1. Iudg. 13. 22. Esa 6. 5. die Esayas cryeth out Woe is me for I am vndone because I am a man of vncleane lips c. for mine eyes haue seene the King the Lord of hosts And Iob hauing seene the Lord abhorred himselfe and repented in dust and ashes Iob 42. 6. Especially if wee consider that this God mighty and glorious in himselfe is so infinitely gracious vnto vs in conferring vpon vs so innumerable benefits and aboue all that inestimable gift of his onely Sonne to worke that great worke of our Redemption The consideration whereof will make vs to humble our selues with Iacob and to confesse that we are lesse then the least of Gods mercies and to say with Dauid Who am I and my 2. Sam. 7. 18 22. house that thou hast brought me hitherto wherefore thou art great O Lord God for there is none like thee c. Secondly the knowledge and acknowledgement of our owne vilenesse and vnworthinesse both in regard of our bodies which are but dust and ashes as Abraham acknowledgeth and in respect Gen. 18. 27. of our soules which howsoeuer they were created according to Gods Image in wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse yet through the fall of our first parents and the corruption deriued from them vnto vs they are wholly defiled in all the powers and faculties of them with originall corruption and loaded with the guilt of innumerable numbers of actuall transgressions whereby we are made subiect to the wrath of God the curse of the Law the plagues and punishments of this life and eternall death and condemnation in the life to come In which regard wee haue just cause to humble our selues with the prodigall sonne and to say with him Father I haue sinned against heauen and earth and am no more Luk. 15. worthy to be called thy sonne And if there be any good thing in vs or done by vs to acknowledge with the Apostle that wee haue it of Gods free 1. Cor.
15. 10. grace seeing of our selues we are not able so much as to thinke a good thought 2. Cor. 3. 5. Phil. 2. 13. but it is God alone that worketh in vs both the will and the deed §. Sect. 5 Of the excellency and vtility of humility And this is that humility which as it is in it selfe most excellent so vnto vs most profitable and therefore of vs to be much esteemed and earnestly 1. Pet. 5. 5. desired It is most excellent as being the most beautifull ornament which maketh vs appeare glorious in the sight of God in which respect the Apostle exhorteth vs to decke our selues with it Yea it adorneth all other vertues making them as the foyle the Iewell being in themselues rich and beautifull much more precious and glorious in the sight of God and men It is most profitable also for when we humble our selues and become euen with the earth we are thereby preserued from falling and when we iudge our selues we shall not be iudged of the Lord. Yea if wee humble our selues the Lord will exalt vs and if with the poore Publicane we 1. Cor. 15. 32. Luk. 18. 12. acknowledge our sinnes we shall depart iustified and find God faithfull 1. Ioh. 1. 9. of his promise in forgiuing vs our sinnes So the Apostle Iames Humble your selues in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you vp And the Apostle Jam. 4. 10. Pro. 15. 35. Peter Humble your selues therefore vnder the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time And thus the Lord exalteth the humble by inriching them with all his gifts both temporall spirituall and eternall With temporall benefits for by humility and the feare of the Lord are riches honour Pro. 22. 4. and life With spirituall graces for he resisteth the proud but giueth his 1. Pet. 5. 5. grace to the humble Hee filleth the hungry with good things but sendeth the proud empty away For he a Psal 25. 9. Mat 11. 25. Pro. 11. 2. teacheth them his wayes and reuealeth vnto them the secrets of his Kingdome making them thereby wise vnto their saluation He giueth them the grace of iustification and the b Luk 18. 12. Mat. 11. 28. forgiuenesse of of all their sinnes Hee maketh them c Gen. 32. 10. 1. Chro. 29. 15. thankefull in prosperity acknowledging themselues with Iacob and Dauid lesse then the least of Gods mercies and that all the good which they haue they haue receiued it from God and not onely patient but also thankefull d Lam. 3. 22. in greatest afflictions acknowledging that it is the mercies of the Lord that they are not vtterly consumed He blesseth them with his e Esa 57. 15. Iob 22. 29. presence taking delight to dwell with them that are of an humble heart and contrite spirit and so with his power and prouidence safegardeth them from all euill Finally in the life to come he crowneth humility with eternall glory and felicity according to that of our Sauiour Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome Mat. 5. 3. of heauen So that humility is not onely it selfe a most excellent grace but the chiefe meanes also of obtaining all other graces seeing God giueth them onely to the humble For they only shall haue the riches of Gods best and most precious gifts who will bee thankefull vnto God for them those onely are thankefull who highly esteeme them and they alone make this estimate who haue felt the want of them and earnestly desired them and they and no other haue thus done who are thorowly humbled in the sight and sense of their owne pouertie emptinesse and nakednesse §. Sect. 6 Of the meanes whereby we may attaine vnto humility And thus when our hearts are inlarged with that loue of this excellent and profitable grace let vs in the next place carefully vse all good meanes whereby we may be decked and adorned with it And first we must often and seriously meditate vpon Gods excellency and infinitenesse in wisedome glory power iustice and goodnesse and then the opinion of our owne worth will vanish like the light of a candle when the Sunne shineth in its full brightnesse and our seeming perfection which much pleased vs when we beheld it alone or compared it with others who come short of vs will appeare to be nothing but imperfection and wee vile and of no worth in our owne eyes Secondly let vs compare our state as it is with that it was in our creation and there will be great cause of humiliation in the best gifts and graces in vs seeing they are but the ruines of an old building and like base worne-out ragges of sumptuous apparell Thirdly let vs compare our vertues and duties with that which the Law requireth and so we shall haue good cause to be cast downe in the sight of our imperfection when we see what perfection euen vpon the penaltie of the curse it exacteth of vs. Fourthly let vs meditate on the matter whereof we are made and into which we shall againe be resolued and then may wee in all humility say with Iob to corruption Thou art my father and to the Iob 17. 14. worme Thou art my mother and my sister yea with Dauid that we are wormes and no men And acknowledge with Abraham that wee are but dust and Psal 22. 6. Gen. 18. 27. ashes vnworthy to appeare in Gods presence or to make any suite vnto him Fifthly let vs set our many and grieuous sinnes before vs our originall corruption which is the roote of all wickednesse and our actuall transgressions both of omission and commission and withall the wrath of God and curse of the Law due vnto them and this will make vs with the Publicane to cast downe our eyes and smite our brests and with broken and contrite hearts to cry out God be mercifull vnto me a sinner Luk. 18. Sixthly with our graces and vertues let vs compare our vices and corruptions and so our few graines of gold will be couered with such a masse of drosse our small quantity of good corne mixed with so much chaffe that our good parts will not so much lift vs vp as our ill will pull downe and humble vs if we weigh them in the ballance of an vnpartiall iudgement Seuenthly let vs remember that we haue nothing but what we haue receiued 1. Cor. 4. 7. and 15. 10. and that by the grace of God we are that we are and therefore let vs not boast as though we had not receiued them but retaining the ioy and comfort of Gods graces vnto our selues let vs returne all the praise and Iam. 1. 17. glory vnto him whose gifts they are and not carry our selues as proud owners but as humble and thankefull debters Eighthly let vs consider that what good things soeuer are in vs they are the Lords talents of Luk. 16. 2. which we must giue an account at
in them Pro. 6. 6. Matth. 6. 26. Psal 32. 9. that which the Scriptures propound as good for our imitation and auoyding the contrary And finally that wee receiue them with thankesgiuing 2. Pet. 2. 22. 1. Tim. 4. 5. and sanctifie them to our vse by the Word and Prayer So also here is required that wee make an holy vse of the creatures in respect of Gods gouernement and prouidence as first for the determining of doubts and controuersies which can no otherwise be cleared and decided by casting of lots in the vse whereof we are to vse prayer vnto God and sometimes Pro. 16. 33. Act. 1. 23 24. when the occasion is waighty fasting desiring of him that by his good prouidēce he wil direct them to the right end for which we vse them And Pro. 18. 18. as before they are cast we are to referre our selues wholy to Gods determination so after wee are to rest contented and well pleased with his sentence Secondly we are to make an holy vse of Gods prouidence first in conferring rewards and blessings either vpon our selues or others In respect of our selues wee make a right vse of Gods blessings and benefits When as in our hearts we bee vnfainedly thankefull vnto God for them Psal 144. 6. 26. 12. 66. 16 when in our words we praise and magnifie his bounty and goodnesse towards vs and tell what great things he hath done for vs and when in our workes and actions we referre them wholy to Gods glory and both Psal 130. 4. Rom. 2. 4. our owne and others good taking occasion of his mercy and goodnesse to feare him and to turne vnto him from our sinnes by vnfained repentance In respect of Gods blessings bestowed vpon others we carry our selues holily when as we reioyce with them in Gods bounty and goodnes 1. Cor. 12. 26. and ioyne with them in praises and thanksgiuing The like holy vse we are Psal 35. 17. Gal. 1. 23. to make of Gods prouidence in respect of punishments and afflictions whether they bee inflicted vpon our selues or vpon others As when Iob 1. 20 21. God layeth his hand vpon vs by his iudgements and chastizements wee are to be humbled in the sight and sence of our sinnes and beare them with patience and thankfulnes acknowledging Gods mercy in that we are Lam. 3. 22. not vtterly consumed and profit by them both for the mortifying of our sinnes and for our spirituall quickning vnto new obedience So when Heb. 5. 8. we see Gods Iudgements vpon others we are to take warning by their example and communicate with the faithfull in their sorrowes bearing Iosh 22. 20. 1 Cor. 10. 6. Rom. 12. 1. Psal 58 11. a part of their griefe and magnifying Gods Iustice which hath found out the wicked to inflict vpon them deserued punishments §. Sect. 2 Of the sanctifying of Gods name in lawfull oathes More especially there is required in this Commandement that wee glorifie and sanctifie Gods name by our oathes and vowes First by our oathes Deut. 6. 13. Esa 45. 23. vnto which is required first that we honour Gods name in swearing by it vpon a iust and necessary occasion acknowledging thereby Gods infinite wisdome from which nothing canly hid his Truth which abhorreth all lies and falshoods his Iustice which when he is called to be a witnesse and Iudge will neither suffer truth and innocency to goe vnrewarded nor vntruth and guiltinesse vnpunished without respect of persons Secondly that we sweare only by the name of God either directly Esa 65. 16. Ier. 12 6. or indirectly and by no creature in heauen or earth Thirdly that wee sweare after a lawfull manner vnto which is required that we sweare in truth that is to that which is true and truly according to the perswasion Ier. 4. 2. Rom. 9. 1. of our mindes In righteousnesse binding our selues thereby only vnto things lawfull and in iudgement whereby we discerne the necessitie of it in regard that we can no otherwise cleare the truth nor be beleeued in a matter of importance which much respecteth Gods glory or our owne or neighbours good And so come to the performance of this high and holy action with all reuerence as in Gods presence duly weighing and considering the conditions and circumstances of our oath according to the Scriptures Lastly that we sweare vnto a right end namely to the glory Iosh 7. 19. of God by reuealing and ratifying a necessary and vnknowne truth which could no otherwise bee made manifest and to the good of our neighbours Heb. 6. 16. and our selues that they may be satisfied all controuersies and strifes ended all doubts and suspitions remoued and our owne truth and Exod. 22. 11. innocency declared and cleared §. Sect. 3 Of the sanctifying Gods name by making and performing our vowes The second speciall thing here required is lawfull vowes whereby we cheerefully promise vnto God some thing which may be acceptable vnto him either because we haue already found him gracious and good vnto vs which moueth vs to doe this duty out of loue and thankefulnesse or because we expect his mercy and goodnesse for some benefit to be receiued or punishment to be auoided or remoued out of our faith and hope grounded vpon Gods promises Vnto which vowes that they may bee lawfull and acceptable vnto God there are two things required namely that we make them lawfully and truly to performe them Vnto the making of a lawfull vowe is required First that it be performed as a religious Psal 76. 11. act to God and none other Secondly that it bee done after a religious and holy manner 1. In truth with a sincere and cheerefull heart 2. In 2. Chro. 15. 15. righteousnesse vnto which is required in respect of the person that hee haue power in himselfe to vow that thing or haue the consent of his gouernours Secondly that the thing vowed be lawfull and acceptable vnto God as being good and commanded or of an indifferent nature but in respect of vs good and profitable and therefore to be vsed or hurtfull and inconuenient and therefore to be auoided Thirdly that we vowe in iudgement whereby we discerne that our vowe is in the former respects lawfull and very profitable either for the aduancing of Gods glory or our owne good The last thing required is that we make it to a right end as Psal 66. 13. namely to the glory of God the good of our neighbours and our owne benefit for the exercising of our temperance and sobriety or the renewing 61. 8. and furthering of our repentance or for the strengthening of our Num. 30. 14. 1. Sam. 1. 11. faith and our good purposes and resolutions about the performance of good duties In respect of performance of our vowes there is required Eccles 5. 3. Num. 30 3. that it be done at the time appointed and without delay and
and stretch out our hands towards him If iniquity be in our Iob 11. 13 14. hand we must put it away and not let wickednesse dwell in our tabernacles For if we doe not wash and make vs cleane and put away the euill of our doings but come before him defiled in our sins then though wee spread forth our hands Esa 1. 15 16. God will hide his eyes from vs and when we make many prayers he wil not heare CAP. XIIII Of such things as are required as essentiall vnto prayer §. Sect. 1 That we must pray in truth with attention and not with wandring thoughts IN respect of the action many things are required both in regard of the substance and circumstances Of the former 1. Iohn 5. 14. Iam. 4. 3. sort are the essentials of prayer as 1. in generall that it bee according to Gods reuealed will for if wee frame not our prayers according to this rule we shall goe awry and asking amisse obtaine nothing More especially there is required that wee worship God internally with our hearts as well as externally with our bodies and that we powre forth our soules vnto him in our prayers as Hannah 1. Sam. 1. 15. Psalm 25. 1. Lam. 3. 41. did so as we may say with Dauid Vnto thee O Lord I lift vp my soule and with the afflicted Church Let vs lift vp our heart with our hands vnto God in the heauens For God is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. 24. Prou. 23. 26. Ier. 29. 13. and aboue all other seruice he requireth the seruice of the heart seeing all other without it is but meere hypocrisie Neither can we hope to obtaine any thing at Gods hands vnlesse our prayers proceed from sincere and vpright hearts seeing he hath limited his promise of hearing only to such according to that of the Psalmist The Lord is neere vnto all that call vpon Psal 145. 18. him to all that call vpon him in truth Let vs therefore take heed when wee call vpon God that our prayer be in truth and not onely the words of the mouth but the prayer of the soule And to this end that we doe with like care auoyd praying with a lying tongue and deceitfull lips when as wee Psal 17. 1. and 119. 7. aske those things with our mouthes which wee desire not in our hearts like those hypocriticall Israelites of whom the Lord complaineth that they had spoken lies against him not crying vnto him with their heart when Hos 7. 13 14. they howled vpon their beds Secondly praying with wandring thoughts hauing when we direct our speech in prayer vnto God our mindes and hearts rouing about worldly vanities and our earthly affaires without either respect to Gods presence or the suits that we haue in hand For this is a grosse abuse of Gods Maiesty which wee are ashamed to offer to our superiours yea euen to our equals speaking vnto them and yet not minding what we say It discouereth great irreuerence and neglect of Gods glorious presence who beholding the secrets of our hearts seeth how far they and our tongues are one from another It argueth great security and hardnesse of heart when as we thus approch into his presence and offer vnto him such heartlesse sacrifices not fearing that dreadfull speech sealed and confirmed by such a terrible example that the Lord will be sanctified and glorified in them that come nigh him either in his mercies or in his Leuit. 10. 2 3. iudgements It makes prayer to bee no prayer but lip-labour and the wind of words which is not the language of the mouth but the speech of the heart It causeth vs to spend our labour in vaine when as we minde not what we say For how shall God vouchsafe to vnderstand our suits when as we our selues will take no notice of them Or how shall he giue vs his rich graces of greatest value when as wee so meanely esteeme them that we can coldly and carelesly aske them at his hands and not thinke them worthy the minding and affecting in our soules and hearts §. Sect. 2 That we must with all diligence banish out of our minds all wandring thoghts and the means hereof And yet seeing through the malice of the diuell and our owne corruption we are euen at our best apt to fall into this foule infirmity let vs with Jer. â—2 40. Psal 86. 11. all care and diligence looke to our hearts when wee performe this duty and earnestly desire the Lord to tye them fast vnto himselfe in the bonds of his feare that they may not in this holy exercise slip aside and depart from him And if wee finde our sinfull flesh so sluggish and secure so worldly and earthly-minded that it dulleth our deuotion and stealeth and carryeth euery hand while our hearts away after things impertinent if not worldly and carnall I think it a good course in our priuate prayer to repeate that againe in which wee were distracted labouring in our repetition to call our hearts backe to ioyne with our voyce seeing heereof commeth a double benefit first that wee shall haue our suites more powerfully offered vnto God when as they are propounded in this hearty manner And secondly hereby we shall tame the flesh and make it not so eager to interrupt vs in these holy duties when as the spirituall part imposeth vpon it this punishment by way of reuenge for its sloth and worldlinesse to make it to continue so much the longer at this exercise vnto which naturally it is so backward and auerse and not to feed it selfe vpon any worldly thoughts wherein it wholly delighteth till it haue first waited on the Spirit and suffered it without interruption to refresh it selfe with this heauenly breakfast Let vs meditate also on that glorious presence before whom we stand who looketh not so much to the phrase of our words and the well-running stile of our speech as to the discourse of our soules and hearts which being so full of distractions and senselesse rauings and rouings from the matter one while speaking to God and as it were with the same breath and in the middest of a sentence breaking off and speaking to the world iumbling and confusedly mingling things spirituall and carnall heauenly and earthly holy and profane how can it be but vgly and mis-shapen in his sight being like Anticke-worke consisting of monstrous compositions wherein the body of a bird and the taile of a serpent the face and fore-part of a man and the hind-part and legs of a beast or the taile of a fish are ioyned together Let vs thinke vpon the excellency profit and necessity of those gifts and graces which in our prayers wee desire of God and how infinitely they excell those worldly vanities which Satan and our owne flesh doe cast into our minds to distract vs in our suites Vnto vvhose suggestions it is no lesse folly to listen then
something of the method and right disposing of the parts The parts of prayer to be vsed ordinarily of vs are three confession petition and thanksgiuing In our priuate confessions of our sins we are hauing first a true sense and feeling hatred detestation of thē to acknowledge them bewaile them not only generally but also specially and particularly and those aboue the rest which we haue last committed and with which we haue most often and grieuously displeased and dishonoured God and wounded our owne consciences according to the example of Dauid in the one and fiftieth Psalme and withall aggrauate them by their seuerall circumstances especially the consideration of the person against whom they were committed our glorious God and gracious Father in Iesus Christ adiudging and condemning our selues in regard of them to bee lesse then the least of Gods mercies and worthy of his greatest plagues and punishments Vnto which we are to adioyne petition and first that God for his mercies sake his promise sake and his Christs sake will forgiue vs all our sinnes and neuer lay them to our charge seeing our Sauiour hath fully satisfied his Iustice for them and so that being iustified and freed from the guilt and punishment of our sinnes he will be reconciled vnto vs and receiue vs into his loue and fauour Secondly that God will be pleased to seale vp the assurance hereof in our hearts and consciences by the gracious testimony of his holy Spirit and giue vnto vs the spirit of Adoption crying in our hearts Rom. 8. 15. Abba Father and witnessing to our spirits that wee are his children by adoption and grace Thirdly that he will sanctifie vs by the same Spirit mortifying and crucifying in vs more and more our sinfull corruptions so as they may not rule and raigne in vs as at former times and that he will also quicken vs vnto holinesse and newnesse of life and inable vs to yeeld obedience to his holy and heauenly will Fourthly that he will to these ends graciously vouchsafe vnto vs the meanes which may inable vs vnto them and make them effectuall by his good blessing vpon them Especially that he will indue vs with the sanctifying gifts and graces of his holy Spirit as sauing knowledge a liuely faith vnfained repentance firme affiance feruent loue and ardent zeale hope patience humility the true feare of God and the rest Fifthly that God will daily increase his graces in vs and our strength and ability to serue him that wee may grow from one measure to another vntill we come to a perfect age in Christ Sixthly that he will establish vs with his free Spirit that we may constantly perseuere in the profession and practice of true godlines vnto the end and in the end and that he will thereby so assist and strengthen vs against all the assaults of our spirituall enemies that we may haue victory ouer them and not be hindred by their tentations from proceeding in our course of godlinesse or from finishing the great worke of our saluation Seuenthly we must heereunto adde petitions for speciall benefits whereof wee stand in neede concerning things either temporall or spirituall and eternall and particularly such as are necessary and profitable for the well passing of the day following especially preseruation from all dangers direction in all our courses our thoughts words and actions and the blessing of God vpon all our labours with a right vse of all Gods benefits and chastisements Finally we must pray for the good estate of the whole Church of that in which wee liue and for all the principall members of it for our friends and benefactours for the afflicted for those of the same family and such vnto whom wee are bound by any speciall bond of duty And lastly we must from petition descend to thanksgiuing praysing God for all his blessings both corporall spirituall and eternall and especially for those peculiar benefits which he hath vouchsafed vnto vs in the whole course of our liues for those of late receiued and namely the night past in our preseruation and quiet rest And this I hold to bee the best method and order to bee obserued in our prayers ordinarily although I would tye no man vnto it but that he may herein vse his discretion beginning with confession thanksgiuing or petition as his heart leadeth him and fit occasion shall be offered §. Sect. 5 What duties are to be performed after wee haue prayed And these are the duties which are to bee daily performed in this holy exercise of prayer Now after wee haue thus prayed there are certaine other things required of vs. First a liuely faith whereby we doe not onely giue our vnfained assent vnto our prayer made but also rest perswaded that the Lord hath heard vs in the things for which we haue prayed and will assuredly accept of our humiliation and thanksgiuing and grant all our suites and requests as it will best stand with his owne glory our spirituall good and eternall happinesse And this our Sauiour requireth What Mark 11. 24. things soeuer yee desire when yee pray beleeue that yee shall receiue them and ye shall haue them Secondly hope patience and humility whereby we make no haste nor prescribe vnto God any time of doing the things which we haue desired but meekely acknowledging his infinite wisedome in himselfe and goodnesse towards vs doe resigne wholly our selues and suites vnto his good pleasure expecting with all patience his leasure when as he shall thinke it fittest to bestow vpon vs those gifts and graces which wee haue begged at his hands Thirdly there is required of vs after prayer an earnest indeuour in the vse of all good meanes whereby we may obtaine those things which wee haue prayed for whereby wee shall serue Gods prouidence and be his instruments to further the accomplishment of his promises and also make it manifest that in our hearts we sincerely desired those things which we begged with our mouthes For example after we haue prayed for the pardon of our sinnes we must vse carefully all good meanes whereby we may be further assured that God hath forgiuen them after we haue craued sanctification we must labour and indeuour that we may be sanctified and exercise our selues in the duties of holinesse after we haue desired spirituall and sauing graces we must vse all the helpes and meanes whereby we may attaine vnto them For otherwise we shall discouer our selues to be but meere hypocrites who with our lips haue prayed for those things which we haue neither esteemed in our iudgements nor affected in our hearts and therefore receiue nothing at Gods hands who giueth his gifts not to idle loyterers but vnto such as pursue them with thirsting desires and earnestly labour and indeuour in the vse of all good meanes whereby they may obtaine them §. Sect. 6 Of the time in the morning when we are to vse priuate prayer The last direction which I will set downe
publike seruice out of our great plenty either for the better effecting of it or for the easing of those who by reason of their weake estates are not so able as wee to beare the burthen The latter by exercising our bounty and Christian charity in almes-deeds and in doing the works of mercy feeding the hungry clothing the naked visiting and relieuing the poore that are sicke and imprisoned To which end let vs consider that God hath giuen vnto vs our plenty and greater store not as vnto absolute Lords to spend it how we list but as vnto Stewards for the good also of our fellow seruants who shall be called vnto account if we haue beene faithfull in thus imploying them and haue giuen to euery one in the houshold their due portion that where God hath giuen much there hee will also require much and that they who by his bounty haue much goods and exceede in riches doe also much good and as the Apostle speaketh Be rich in good workes ready to 1. Tim. 6. 17 18 19. distribute and willing to communicate laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life Finally let vs consider that they are not so much to bee valued in their owne excellency or the present profit which they bring vnto vs seeing these commodities haue so many discommodities that it is hard to say whether exceede but as they are the great instruments of well-doing and as it were spacious fields in which our bounty and charity are not confined in narrow limits but may take large liberty to walke abroad and to exercise themselues vnto full contentment Whereby as wee are inabled to doe good vnto many so most of all to our selues seeing for the present wee purchase of them their best iewels at low rates euen their loue hearts and feruent prayers for some poore pittance of earthly trifles and for the time to come the Lord will infinitely reward of his meere grace and large bounty these gifts of ours which hee hath first giuen vs as though wee were not Stewards but Owners and in our owne right had bestowed them not so much vpon the poore as vpon Iesus Christ himselfe as he will before the Saints and Angels professe at the day of Iudgement Mat. 25. 34. The which excellent dutie is so necessary vnto the exercise of a godly life and is so much neglected in this cold and vncharitable age not onely amongst gripple and greedy worldlings who are ready rather to strip the poore then to clothe them and to pull the meate out of their mouthes by depriuing them through oppression of their meanes then to feed and nourish them but euen among professors of Religion who seeming to make conscience of religious duties are notwithstanding exceeding cold in their deuotion and charity that I would much more fully and effectually haue insisted vpon and pressed it had I not already published a full Treatise of this argument §. Sect. 3 Three other Cautions to be obserued for the right vse of prosperity Fifthly vnto the right vse of prosperity and temporall benefits there is required that wee vse them as pilgrims and strangers and not as Citizens of the world for so Gods Saints haue alwaies acknowledged themselues Gen. 47. 9. Psal 39. 12 Heb. 11. 9 13. 13. 14. 1. Pet. 2. 11. Heb. 12. 1. Phil. 3. 20. Col. 3. 1 2. and that they had heere no continuing city but sought one to come The consideration whereof must weane our hearts and affections from the immoderate loue of the world earthly vanities and cause vs to fix them on heauen and heauenly things which is our country and place of residence to fight against our carnall lusts which fight against our soules and to contemne and cast away whatsoeuer becommeth an hindrance in our iourney towards our heauenly home And seeing wee are Citizens of heauen wee must haue our conuersation there seeking those things which are aboue and not those which are beneath and thinke that nothing more doth misbeseeme vs then that being the children of God heires apparent to his heauenly Kingdome wee should like base slaues spend our time and strength in the diuels drudgerie and in toyling in the workes of darknesse and seruitude of sin for the contemptible wages of earthly vanities Sixthly we must vse them not as durable and permanent riches and inheritances but as things momentany and mutable which are ready daily and hourely to leaue vs and wee them And therefore our best course will bee to vse so these flitting vanities as that they may further our assurance of our heauenly patrimonie which is permanent and euerlasting and as our Sauiour counsaileth vs to make vs friends of the Mammon of iniquitie by vsing them as helpes and instruments to further vs in the workes of Luke 16. 9. mercy that when they are taken from vs and wee from them wee may bee receiued into heauenly habitations Finally if wee would rightly vse our prosperity and temporall blessings wee must not suffer our mindes and hearts to rest vpon them but vse them onely as steps whereby wee may mount vp aloft in heauenly meditations and desires As when wee see any beautie or excellencie in the creatures to thinke how infinitely they exceede in the Creator from whom they haue them when wee are ready with the Queene of Sheba to thinke our selues happie in hearing the wisedome of an earthly Salomon to raise our mindes higher and to thinke on their happinesse who attaine vnto the vision and fruition of God and heare with rauishing admiration his all-knowing and infinite wisedome When we are delighted with the society of Gods Saints in earth who like our selues are full of imperfections to take occasion hereby of meditating of that felicity wee shall haue in our heauenly fellowship when both they and wee shall bee perfected in loue and louelynesse When wee take pleasure in our earthly prosperity honours and riches mixed with many miseries and are but Gods common gifts which he giueth in as great plenty to his slaues as to his sonnes to his enemies as well as vnto his friends nor to rest in these worldly delights and to say with Peter in another case It is good being here but raise our mindes and hearts by these occasions to an higher pitch thinking how incomparably greater our ioy shall be when we shall attaine vnto the full fruition of our heauenly happinesse which shall not be embittered with any miserie and to the inheritance which God hath prepared in peculiar for his Sonnes and Saints in whom hee is chiefly delighted And so shall we not dote in our worldly and carnall loue nor haue our minds and hearts caught and intangled in this birdlime of worldly vanities but vse them onely for present necessity and refreshing that so wee may againe like Eagles leaue the earth and mount aloft in heauenly meditations and desires §.
vertue vice or other thing handled the causes effects and common affections the subiect place the time and other adiuncts the dissentanies and contraries the distribution of the whole into the parts or of the generall into the specials and how euery branch is followed prooued illustrated and applyed Or if the Sermon want method or wee skill to conceiue it or memory to retaine it for it sometime happeneth that method which is the chiefe help of memory through too much curiosity and multiplicity of diuisions is a meanes to confound it yet let vs at least obserue those things that are deliuered which we knew not before for the increasing of our knowledge and bettering of our iudgement what vices are reproued or vertues commended with the reasons and illustrations of them both what hath most conuinced our consciences what hath been well pressed and wrought effectually vpon our hearts and affections for the withdrawing of them from any sinne their inflaming with the loue of any thing that is good and the stirring of them vp to the imbracing and practising of any Christian and holy duty §. Sect. 3 That we must stay in the Church from the beginning to the end of the Sermon The last duty in hearing is that we continue from the beginning of the Sermon to the end and as we are to come with the first so wee must not as the manner of many is depart till all the exercises of Religion being fully concluded the whole Assembly bee dismissed For as it is great vnmannerlinesse at a solemne feast to rise before the table is taken away vnlesse it be in case of sicknesse weaknesse or some important businesse so they which depart from this spirituall Feast before it be ended are either very vnmannerly and voyd of due reuerence and respect of Gods presence and his holy ghests and if they be not troubled with bodily infirmities doe shew the sicknesse of their soules when their spirituall appetite is so queazie that they loath their nourishment or that they thinke the imployment which they goe about of greater waight or at least much more necessary then the feeding of their soules with this spirituall Manna and vsing the meanes of their saluation Neither must we haste away after the Sermon is ended as though wee would rush out of prison as soone as the doore is opened but we must stay still that we may ioyne with the Minister and the Congregation in prayer and thankesgiuing if any bee as there ought to be after the concluding of the Sermon seeing as in receiuing our corporall food so also in the spirituall we haue as iust cause and occasion of praising God for benefits receiued as of praying for his blessing vpon them before we receiued them But if it bee omitted wee must supply this defect in respect of our owne particular by lifting vp our hearts vnto God praising him for causing the light of his Gospell to shine still vnto vs and for all the wholesome instructions admonitions reproofes and consolations which he hath graciously at that time imparted vnto vs. And if there be a Psalme sung we must ioyne with the Congregation praising the Lord with minde and voyce and making melody vnto him with our hearts which being ended we must expect the blessing of God pronounced by the mouth of his Minister with all reuerence and deuotion esteeming it of great efficacie as if God himselfe did blesse vs by them For so we reade that God appoynting Aaron to pronounce Num. 6. 23 24 c. such a blessing vpon the people saith that he should hereby put his name vpon them and he himselfe also would blesse them And therefore being of such importance we must not through ouer-much haste leaue it behinde vs as a needlesse complement §. Sect. 4 Of our duty in receiuing the Lords Supper And if the Sacrament of the Lords Supper bee administred hauing duly prepared our selues we are to communicate with the rest of the Congregation Luk 22. 19. and not vnmannerly depart from this holy Feast being inuited when we see it set vpon the Lords Table For it is a part of Gods publike seruice which is not left as arbitrary at our choyce to doe or leaue vndone but expressely inioyned by our Sauiour Doe this in remembrance 1. Cor. 11. 24 25 26. of me It is a notable meanes of confirming and increasing our faith being the Lords Seale wherewith he hath ratified his Couenant of grace and saluation with vs the which being often shaken with tentations and wounded and weakened with our sinnes needeth often to be strengthened and renewed It is the badge and liuery whereby we are knowne to bee Gods seruants and therefore comming to doe him seruice we ought not to cast it off when the rest of the family put it on It is a testification of our thankfulnesse to God and his Christ for all their benefits especially that great worke of our Redemption and a profession of our faith that we rest vpon the mercies of God and the death and merits of Christ for our iustification and saluation which wee are not to neglect when others performe it but to take all good occasions of testifying our faith loue and thankfulnesse vnto them It is a notable meanes to put vs in mind of Christs death and to apply all the fruits and benefits thereof vnto our selues when as wee see him crucified his body broken and his blood powred out before our eyes It is the Sacrament of our vnion with Christ and communion one with another wherein wee are knit together in the bond of loue and make profession that wee are fellow-members of the same body whereof Christ Iesus is the Head whereof if wee refuse to communicate hauing no good and necessary ground for it wee shall make a rent in the body and deny the communion and profession of our loue one with another §. Sect. 5 Of our duties to be performed when Baptisme is administred So likewise if the Sacrament of Baptisme be administred wee are not to depart before this holy action bee finished but to continue in the Congregation not as idle spectators but as being tyed heereby to performe diuers Christian duties both vnto God our selues and the party baptized In respect of God we are to stay the administration of this Sacrament that wee may shew our reuerence to his holy ordinances and glorifie his blessed Name for granting vnto his Church and vs the vse of them Secondly in respect of our selues that wee may renew our Couenant with God by calling it afresh to our remembrance together with his sweet mercies and gracious promises in Iesus Christ and also our owne vow and couenant which we haue made with him in our Baptisme that we may renew our resolutions and indeuours to performe it daily in more perfection and in the meane time take occasion vpon our slips and failings to bewaile our wants and imperfections That we may also call to mind what
Christian duties §. Sect. 2 Diuers reasons which may moue vs to diligence First because God requireth it And thus we see what diligence and labour wee are to vse in leading a godly life Let vs now consider of the reasons and motiues which may Deut. 6. 17. Psal 119. 4. Ezra 7. 23. perswade vs hereunto And first this diligence must bee vsed in the duties of Gods seruice because God requireth it at our hands You shall diligently keepe the Commandements of the Lord your God and his testimonies and Statutes which he hath commanded thee Of which Commandement Dauid taketh notice Thou hast saith he commanded vs to keepe thy precepts diligently And Ezra like a good Gouernour backeth it with all his authority Whatsoeuer is commanded by the God of heauen let it be diligently done c. Vnto this diligence the Apostle exhorteth in whatsoeuer office or duty we vndertake Rom. 12. 6 7 8. and contrariwise disswadeth from being slothfull in any busines vers 11. especially in the seruice of God vnto which hee requireth feruency of spirit More especially this diligence is required in all good meanes whereby we may be inriched with all vertue and sauing grace So the Apostle Peter Giuing all diligence adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge 2. Pet. 1. 5. vers 10. c. and in getting thereby assurance of our saluation Giue diligence to make your calling and Election sure And aboue all in the religious duties of Gods seruice according to that of our Sauiour Take you heed watch Mark 13. 33. and pray And of his holy Apostle Pray continually in euery thing giue 1. Thes 5. 17. 18. 1. Cor. 15. 10. thankes and againe Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thankesgiuing Of which laborious diligence and vnwearied industry we haue them for examples of their owne precepts For not onely in the painfull labours of his Apostolike ministery this holy Apostle exceeded all the rest but also in attaining vnto spirituall graces and in the exercise of a godly life For forgetting those which were behind hee reached forth vnto Phil. 3. 13. 14. those things which were before and pressed towards the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Iesus Christ But aboue all examples of this diligence is that of our Sauiour Christ whose time was wholly imployed in the duties of Gods seruice spending the day in preaching and working miracles and the night in praying yea with such vnwearied diligence he performed these functions of his office that the wearinesse of his trauell could make him weary of these workes Yea hee preferred the doing of these duties before the satisfying of his hunger and esteemed it as his meate and drinke to doe the workes of him that sent him Now as God requireth Ioh. 4. 34. this diligence and paines in all duties of his seruice so doth hee much approue it wheresoeuer he finds it As in the Angell of the Church of Ephesus I know thy workes and thy labour and thy patience And in the Apoc. 2. 2. seruant who had well imployed his Masters Talents Well done good and Math. 25. 21 26 faithfull seruant c. So doth he much abhorre sloth and negligence in his seruice as appeareth in his sharpe reproofe of the vnprofitable seruant who had hid his Lords Talent in a napkin Thou wicked and slothfull seruant c. branding him with the name of wickednesse because of his slothfulnesse and not because he had riotously mispent his Talent or spoyled his fellowes of those Talents which were committed vnto them but because through his idlenesse and negligence he had been vnprofitable to his Master § Sect. 3 Of the rewards promised to the diligent Secondly the manifold and great benefits wherewith the Lord rich in mercy towards all who diligently serue him will liberally reward their labours may serue as an effectuall reason to incite vs to this duty For wee cannot serue a more bountifull Master nor imploy our labours to better aduantage then in performing vnto him our duty with all diligence seeing he will suffer none of our paines to be spent in vaine but will proportion our wages according to the greatnesse of our worke In this life hee bestoweth vpon those who are diligent in the duties of his seruice not onely a large measure of his temporall benefits and his blessing vpon them whereby they become truly profitable for their vse according to those many and gracious promises which in his Law he hath made vnto Deut. 28. 1 2. c. them but also inricheth their soules with the treasures of his spirituall graces For we can be no more ready to vse the meanes then the Lord is to giue his blessing vpon them whereby they become effectuall vnto those ends for which we vse them Neither is hee euer in this kind wanting to any who are not through their negligence wanting vnto themselues In which regard that may be truly said of our spirituall estate which is spoken of our temporall He becommeth poore that dealeth with a slacke hand Prou. 10. 4. but the hand of the diligent maketh rich Hereby also we attaine vnto the assurance of our Election and effectuall calling which is no otherwise to be had then by this diligence in labouring after it as the Apostle implyeth in those words Brethren giue diligence to make your calling and election 2. Pet. 1. 10. sure and that we shall perseuere in the state of grace vnto saluation for if we giue all diligence in adding one grace and vertue vnto another the same Apostle assureth vs that we shall neuer fall And the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes remembring the workes of piety and mercy which had been performed by some of the faithfull desireth others to shew Heb. 6. 11 11. the same diligence to their full assurance of hope vnto the end and that they would not be slothfull but followers of them who through faith and patience inherited the promises §. Sect. 4 That this diligence in all Christian duties is in many respects most necessary Thirdly the necessity of this diligence in holy duties may mooue vs to imbrace and vse it For if in ciuill and worldly things no great matter is atchieued without paines and diligence how much lesse in spirituall and heauenly which are so high aboue our reach so excellent aboue all other things and so contrary to our corrupt nature and disposition And if no man can reasonably hope to attaine vnto riches of his owne purchase who gathereth with one hand and scattereth with the other or playeth the good husband at some times and at another neglecteth his businesse and wastfully mispendeth his time and substance nor vnto any great learning if he be slothfull and negligent in his studies or to get the glory of famous victories and glorious triumphs if hee lye idly in the Garison and neuer exercise himselfe in feats of armes
possession neuer care to make further vse of them But we are to know that the end is to be preferred as more excellent before the meanes that conduce vnto it As the life is better then food and rayment health then the medicine treasure then the paines that getteth it or the chest locke and key that keepeth and preserueth it In which respect the practice of religious duties in our liues and conuersations which is the end of our teaching and learning is to be preferred before either of them and accordingly our chiefe zeale and most earnest indeuour is to be imployed and spent in doing the Word rather then in hearing of it though both are most necessary in their due time and place to all that intend to lead a Christian life Finally we must preferre both in our choice and practice internall duties of the mind and heart before the externall and bodily seruice for that is the life soule of Religion this the body and without the other but a dead carkasse which God accepteth not nor will bring vnto vs any 1. Tim. 4. 8. profit as the Apostle teacheth vs. And lastly the great and waighty matters of the Law as iudgement mercy and faith before those of small importance Mat. 23. 23. as tything Mint Annise and Cummin seeing our righteousnesse shal be Pharisaicall and Hypocriticall if we spend our chiefe zeale and strength about trifles and things of small importance and be in the meane time cold and slacke in the maine parts of Gods seruice §. Sect. 10 That we must vse all helpes and meanes which may inable vs vnto godlinesse The sixth rule is that as wee desire spirituall graces and to expresse them outwardly in the duties of a godly life so also that we vse all good meanes and helpes wherby we may obtaine the one and practise the other For the meanes and the end doe inseparably goe together in all ordinary courses of proceeding they who neglect the one in vaine professe either their loue and desire or their hope that by their idle wishes the other may be obtained Neither is it more possible that wee should obtaine any sauing graces or performe the duties of a godly life if wee neglect the meanes which inable vs vnto them then it is for a man to liue without meate and drinke or come to his iourneys end and neuer trauell in the way that leadeth vnto it Contrariwise with no lesse care and diligence wee are to auoyd or ouercome all lets and impediments which stop and hinder vs in our Christian course of which I shall haue occasion to speake at large in the following discourse Heere let it suffice to name one or two as examples of all the rest First euill company which will taint and infect vs with the poyson of their breath and by their euill examples and corrupt communication will first bring vs to a neglecting and then to a lothing and vtter forsaking of all vertue and Christian duties Among these wee must shun with greatest care those dangerous tame beasts clawing flatterers which are as one calleth them the pestilence of the soule and the poysoners of good mens minds and manners Hier. ad Celant For so powerfull are their cunning insinuations being assisted with our pride and selfe-loue that wee are ready to giue more credit to their false praises then to the vnpartiall testimony of our owne consciences and to thinke our selues because they say so such proficients in all vertue Quandiu versamur in rebus seculi anima nostra possâ—ssionum redâ—â—uum procuratione deuincta est de Dâ—o lâ—herè cogitare non possumus Hier. ad Liciaium and godlinesse that wee neede not further to vse any meanes whereby wee might bee bettered and improoued in our spirituall state when as wee are so farre from the marke of perfection that wee haue scarcely as yet aimed at it But aboue all other impediments let vs carefully shunne the immoderate loue of the world and earthly things which will so wholly take vs vp that we shall haue neither leasure power nor will to thinke on spirituall and heauenly things or to spend any time in the duties of a godly life or vsing any good meanes to further our assurance of heauenly happinesse And therefore we are not to set our hearts vpon them but to vse them onely as comforts of our pilgrimage and as steps to lift vs vp in diuine contemplation and to inflame our hearts with greater loue of heauenly excellencies concluding with our selues that if the Lord in greatest plentie imparteth the best things the world can boast of to his enemies then how vnspeakeable are the riches pleasures and glory of his owne Kingdome which hee hath reserued as his peculiar blessings for his owne children and faithfull seruants CAP. II. Of the rules of a godly life which respect the circumstances of it §. Sect. 1 That we must make precious account of our time which God hath allotted vs for his seruice ANd these are the rules which concerne the causes both principall and fundamentall of a godly life and those also which are inferiour and subordinate Those which respect the circumstances of it are these First that wee make precious account of our time which God hath allotted vnto vs for his seruice suffering as much as in vs lyeth no part thereof to be spent vainely and vnfruitfully about those things which profit not either for the inriching of our soules with spirituall grace or the furthering and assuring of our saluation But either we must continually be taken vp with spirituall exercises as Prayer Meditation hearing the Word Reading holy conferences and such like or in the workes of our honest callings and of iustice and mercy for the good of our brethren or in honest and moderate recreations that wee may bee refreshed and better inabled to performe these duties with more fruit To which purpose let vs often consider that these are the mayne ends for which wee came into the world and are suffered by God to liue and continue in it and therefore that time which is not imployed to aduance these ends is spent in vaine That time is the most precious Iewell in the world which cannot bee bought at any price nor the least minute of it redeemed when once it is past with the treasures of the richest Monarchy That wee haue onely assurance of the time present for our vse and cannot promise vnto our selues one moneth or moment of that which is to come That our whole time were farre too little though it were all spent in the duties of Gods seruice from whom wee haue receiued so great and manifold blessings as pledges and pawnes of farre greater which wee assuredly expect in the life to come That our imployments in our course of Christianity are so many and important so full of difficulties and yet so necessary as attaining to the knowledge of God and his will and the practice of
of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood ye haue no life in you Yea this Supper of the Lord is not such a spare meale and bare Commons as onely holdeth life and soule together and doth not reuiue the spirits increase the strength and fit vs for action and imployment but it is a plentifull feast for our soules which maketh vs grow in grace and spirituall strength and stature vnto a perfect age in Christ making them strong and vigorous vnto all Christian duties of Gods seruice Whereof it is that as Baptisme is called the Sacrament of our imitation and new birth so this of our augmentation and growth in grace affording vnto vs plentifull nourishment for this end For as God is so bountifull in affording man meanes for the preseruing his bodily life that he alloweth him such things not onely which are absolutely necessary but also for delight and not bread alone to strengthen mans heart but also wine to make it glad and oyle to expresse this ioy in the face and countenance So hee hath dealt Psa 104. 14. 115. much more bountifully for our soules prouiding for their nourishment a plentifull feast the strengthening Bread of Christs Body and the cheering and gladding Wine of his precious Blood the delicious viands and dishes of his spirituall benefits and sauing graces and sweet comforts of his holy Spirit and not onely setteth these things before vs to looke vpon but giueth vnto vs gracious entertainement inuiting vs to feed vpon them not onely vnto necessity but also to delight So that our welcome is no lesse worth then our cheere and as the Spouse speaketh his loue better Cant. 1. 2. then wine Yea vnto his feast he addeth a banket of spirituall comforts imbracing vs with the armes of his loue cheering vs with the consolations of his Spirit and rauishing our soules with the sweet feelings of his fauour and such inward ioy that being with the Spouse thus brought into Cant. 2. 4 5 6. his Banketting-house and hauing for a Canopie ouer our heads his Banners of loue we are ready as it were in an extasie to cry out Stay me with flagons comfort mee with Apples for I am sicke of loue Now how can our poore soules being thus royally feasted and cherished at the Supper of the great King but bee inwardly replenished with all thankfulnesse towards God for his so rich mercies What can they doe lesse then enter into a serious consideration with themselues what they may returne vnto God that they may expresse their loue and gracefulnesse for so many and inestimable fauours without any desert vouchsafed vnto them saying with the Prophet Dauid What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefits towards Ps 116. 12 13. mee And finding themselues to be vtterly vnable to make any other requitall then by remaining thankfull debters what can they doe lesse then conclude with him that they will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the Name of the Lord praising and magnifying his mercies in the sight of all the people And finding our selues preserued in spirituall life growne 1. Pet. 1. 18. in Gods graces and strengthened and fitted for all good imployment by the royall bounty of our heauenly King feasting vs with such cordiall restoratiues and delicious food aboue the price of siluer or gold or any other corruptible thing how vngratefull should we be if we did not imploy this strength which he hath giuen vs in the duties of his seruice that we may glorifie his holy Name and bee accepted of him by doing that which is pleasing in his sight §. Sect. 8 Fourthly because it is an action which we doe in remembrance of Christ Fourthly the right vse of the Lords Supper much conduceth vnto a godly life as it is an action which we doe in remembrance of Christ and are thereby put in minde how much he hath done and suffered for vs. For who can lightly esteeme of any sinne which cost Christ no lesse then the price of his precious blood Who will not bewaile his sinnes past with bitter griefe abhorre his present corruptions with mortall hatred and vtterly renounce and forsake them for the time to come who duly considereth that they were the nayles which fastened our Sauiour Christ to the Crosse and that vnsupportable waight which made his soule heauy to the death pressed out of his innocent body that bloody sweate and extorted from him that lamentable complaint My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Who will bee hired with the base wages of worldly vanities to defile his soule againe with the filth of sinne which could no otherwise be clensed and purged then by the precious blood of Iesus Christ of infinite more value then ten thousand worlds And so on the other side who can bee slacke in the seruice of so gracious a Sauiour or bee sparing in his paines to glorifie him who for his redemption hath not spared his dearest blood Who would not worship him in all the duties of holinesse who hath purchased his happinesse at such a rate as men and Angels were not able to discourse who is so vnthankfully slothfull that will not spend his sweate in his seruice and his teares because he cannot spend so much as he should and euen his blood to make vp what is wanting in them both for him and his sake that hath clensed our bodies and soules from the ingrained spots and vncurable leprosie of sinne with his bloody sweate yea full streames of his precious blood Who will now grudge to doe works of mercy or to feed the poore members of Iesus Christ with his spare food to clothe them with his cast apparell which remembreth that this bread of life came downe from heauen to be our food and hath not spared to feast vs at his owne royall Table with his owne body and blood for our spirituall nourishment vnto eternall life that he who is the liuely and expresse Image of his Father and equall vnto him in glory and Maiesty dis-roabed himselfe of this glorious garment and tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant yea was content to be stripped of those poore clothes he had suiting with his meane condition and whilest he bore our sinnes to beare our shame hanging naked vpon the Crosse that he might clothe vs that were spiritually naked with the rich and glorious robe of his righteousnesse and obedience §. Sect. 9 Because thereby we are occasioned to renew our Couenant with God Finally the Lords Supper rightly vsed is a notable meanes to confirme and strengthen vs vnto all duties of a godly life because it giueth vs occasion in our preparation that we may come as worthy ghests to the Lords Table to renew our Couenant with God by renewing our faith in Christ our repentance for our sinnes our loue towards God and our neighbours and all other sauing graces in vs. We renew our faith by meditating vpon Gods infinite mercies
God and of his Church but desireth that the Church of Corinth should ioyne together in prayer for him that the gift bestowed vpon him by the meanes of many persons might giue 2. Cor. 1. 10 11. occasion vnto many of giuing thankes also in his behalfe For as much fuell and fire laid together doth make the flame and heate so much the more vehement and many small streames meeting in the same channel grow great and vnresistable So the fire and fuell of our zealous and feruent prayers ioyned together in the publike Congregation maketh a flame that scorning all stop mounteth vp to heauen and when we ioyntly powre out our soules before God like many waters met in one current they haue the force of a great torrent and vnresistable flood which beare downe all before them and neuer stay till falling into that infinite Ocean of all mercy and goodnesse they are graciously receiued and accepted of him And therfore let no man proudly attribute so much vnto his priuate deuotion that he should be moued thereby to neglect the publike prayers of the Congregation as needlesse and of lesse efficacy seeing they are a much more principall and potent meanes to preuaile with God then our priuate and proud deuotions scorning such excellent helpes which may well kindle in vs that elementary and flashing flame of blind and vngrounded zeale which lasting but a while serueth for no vse but to set the Church on fire with hurtfull Schismes and furious contentions but will neuer kindly warme our hearts with that heauenly heate of feruent zeale which maketh vs fit and forward vnto all Christian duties and the substantiall parts of Gods seruice In which regard I may well say to such as proudly presuming of the strength of their owne deuotions thus single themselues from the Congregation by their priuate duties as the Wise man in another case Woe vnto him that is alone for if hee falleth and faileth in this duty Eccles 4. 10. through want of attention and wandring thoughts faintnesse of faith and lacke of feruency there is none by to helpe him whereas praying in the Congregation wee mutually supply one anothers defects one being deuoutly diligent when another groweth cold and remissely negligent and he rising againe as ashamed of his foyles and falls and recouering the feruor of his zeale and deuotion requiteth the other with his assistance when he beginneth to faint and grow weary Herein like vnto souldiers who being singled from one another are easily ouercome but ioyned in a battell doe mutually second and succour one another one fighting when the other fainteth and he with renewed strength giuing a fresh charge bringgeth of the other farre ingaged when through weaknesse and wearinesse he is able no longer to beare the brunt And thus much of the third publike meanes of a godly life to wit prayer Concerning the fourth and last which is the reading of the Scriptures I will speake when I come to intreat of priuate reading because many things to be spoken are coincident to both and I would not distract them in my Discourse Onely let it be remembred that whatsoeuer can be said of the benefit and efficacy of priuate reading is in a higher degree of excellency verified in that which is publike because being a ministeriall function ordained of God for the common good of the whole Church and euery particular Congregation it is more powerfull to all good vses then priuate reading Gods more speciall blessing by the inward operation of his holy Spirit alwayes more effectually accompanying his more excellent and publike ordinances then such as are priuate and of an inferiour nature And therefore as the Word publikely preached is more powerfull and profitable then a Sermon priuately read in our owne houses as I haue shewed not in regard of the substance or matter contained in both nor onely in respect of elocution and action wherein preaching excelleth reading but chiefly because Gods blessing accompanyeth more effectually that ordinance vnto which he hath giuen the preeminence so by the same reason publike reading is to be preferred before priuate not onely because the Minister ordinarily readeth with more iudgement and vnderstanding more plainly and distinctly giuing euery word and sentence their due waight emphasis and accent and thereby giuing such light to the vnderstanding and life to the affections of the hearers that such reading is not much inferiour to a meane comment but chiefly and principally as I said because it is a ministeriall function vpon which we may expect a larger blessing then vpon our owne priuate actions The which I touch by the way to shew vnto those their errour in iudgement and fault in practice who highly esteeme and diligently exercise themselues in their owne priuate reading of the Scriptures and yet so despise publike reading in the Congregation that they will hardly or not at all vouchsafe their presence or if that yet not their reuerent and diligent attention CAP. IX Of the priuate meanes of a godly life and first of Christian watchfulnesse §. Sect. 1 That we must not rest vpon the publike meanes onely but vse the priuate also BVt howsoeuer we are to ascribe to the publike meanes the chiefe preeminence as being of greater vertue and efficacy for the inriching of our soules with all sauing grace and strengthening of them vnto all Christian duties of a godly life yet wee must in any case take heed that wee doe not as it is the custome of many cold and carelesse Christians content our selues with them alone and rest vpon them as being alone sufficient for all purposes But we must also with no lesse diligence care and good conscience adioyne vnto them the vse of priuate meanes to helpe vs forward in our spirituall growth First because God hath inioyned vs the vse of them as well as of the publike and the Saints from time to time yeelding obedience herein vnto God haue made them their daily exercise as wee shall see when we come to speake of them in particular Secondly because they adde strength to our faith and fuell to our deuotion whereby we are inabled to performe vnto God publike seruice with more life and zeale delight and profit whereas if we neglect priuate duties all the weeke and suffer our hearts to be taken vp with worldly things they will be quite out of frame for spirituall exercises and hardly brought vnto any religious duties of Gods seruice But when we present our bodies in the Congregation we shall leaue our hearts at home about our earthly affaires and drawing neere vnto God with our lips shall in the meane time haue our hearts farre remoued from him offering vnto him a dead and formall cold and Esa 29. 13. heartlesse seruice wherein he taketh no delight Thirdly because Gods publike seruice cannot sometime be inioyed at all as in the dayes of persecution and is alwayes stinted and limited to one or few dayes in the weeke when as our
through pride breake out into anger and contention When we go to compound differences between neighbours we must take heed that we be not partial to either side for worldly respects nor through stiffenesse and obstinacie cause more discord in stead of making peace When we are going to a feast let vs set a watch ouer our appetite that it doe not draw vs to gluttony and excesse but that we so vse Gods greater blessings as that wee be fitted by them to doe him better seruice When we are about to doe the workes of mercy we must take heed of pride and affectation of humane praises or that wee haue in them any opinion of meriting thereby any thing at Gods hands When we are to pray or heare the Word or to performe any other religious duty of Gods seruice knowing that in them also Satan layeth his snares and spareth for no paines to make these exercises vnprofitable and euen turne them into sinne let vs obserue our watch when we goe about them that we may be well prepared and performe them with all reuerence and attention faith and feruencie of spirit carefully looking to our minds and hearts that they bee not hindred in these duties with worldly distractions and wandring thoughts dulnesse drowzinesse and carnall wearinesse In a word there is nothing wherein this watch is not to bee kept seeing in all things through Satans wiles and the deceitfulnesse of our owne hearts wee are indangered vnto sinne either sayling in the matter of our actions or in our manner of doing them §. Sect. 6 That we must watch ouer all the powers and parts of our soules and bodies Neither must this watch be kept ouer some of our parts onely neglecting the rest as ouer the body alone but not the soule or the soule and not the body but ouer the whole man that in all our powers and parts inward faculties and outward actions we may please God by doing his will But yet the more accurate and diligent watch must bee ouer the soule as being the more subtile and excellent part according to that expresse charge of Almighty God Take heed to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently implying that though this watch must be kept ouer the whole man yet Deut. 4. 9. the soule which is the better part must bee looked vnto with greatest care and circumspection Thus wee must watch ouer all the speciall faculties of our soules as ouer our reason and iudgement that they be not darkned with ignorance for if the light be darkenesse how great is that darkenesse nor corrupted and mis-led into errours and heresies Ouer our memories Mat. 6. 23. that they neither retaine those vanities and sinfull impression which should be rased and blotted out nor forget those things which God hath entrusted to their keeping Ouer our consciences that they bee pure and cleane purged from dead workes and that they be not slacke in doing their duty in excusing and accusing nor wee negligent in giuing heed to their euidence Ouer our wills that they goe not before but waite vpon holy reason chusing and imbracing that which it commendeth and refusing and reiecting that which it condemneth and dis-alloweth But especially wee must keepe this carefull watch ouer our mindes and imaginations which naturally are euill and that continually being most disordered and licentious and not to be kept within any compasse if we leaue them vnto their owne liberty And therefore if we would keepe our soules in good plight and free from danger we must not foolishly imagine that thought is free or that wee may suffer our phantasies and imaginations to take their full scope and pleasure in rouing and ranging which way they list for if they thus get the bridle as it were betweene their teeth they will run with vs in a headlong course into vanity and sinne whereby displeasing God we shall mooue him to giue vs ouer to our owne imaginations and to the tentations of Satan suggesting into them horrible blasphemies For when hee findeth them Dina-like wandring abroad and from vnder the gard of Gods protection he defloureth and defileth them with hellish pollution and turneth the pleasure of their liberty into horrour and griefe Moreouer by giuing liberty to our thoughts and imaginations to range whither they list and not accustoming to keepe them in any compasse and within the bounds of Gods feare we shall not be able when we most desire it to bring them into any order but they will be ready to disturbe and distract vs in our best duties For like runagate seruants they will bee to seeke when we most need them and be ranging about worldly vanities when wee would haue them wholly exercised in religious duties Or if with much paines we doe bring them home and binde them to their taske being inured to liberty and delighting themselues in rouing abroad they will to recouer their lost pleasure breake all their bonds run away from vs and be taken vp with worldly cogitations so as we shall not be able to heare the Word or pray or meditate or performe any other religious duties without being distracted and interrupted in them with these earthly thoughts and wandring imaginations From which if wee would be free our best course is to watch ouer our cogitations and phantasies at other times and to keepe them vnder command that they may bee exercised about things profitable For if wee vsually giue them liberty to range whither they list custome will cause an habit and this liberty will grow to licentiousnesse so as we shall reduce them into no order nor make them fit for any good imployment Neither is it enough that we restraine our thoughts from rouing after worldly vanities but we must also haue them taken vp and exercised in spirituall heauenly or at least ciuill and morall Meditations about the affaires of our honest callings for if they bee not busied about these Satan will thrust in the other and finding them empty of any good thing hee will easily replenish them with those that are euill §. Sect. 7 That we must chiefly watch ouer our hearts But aboue all other our internall parts we must keepe our watch with greatest care ouer our hearts according to the Wisemans counsell Aboue Pro. 4. 23. Heb. 3. 12. all keeping or with all diligence keepe thy heart for out of it are the issues of life and the admonition of the Apostle Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeliefe in departing from the liuing God For the heart is the treasury either of all good or euill and out of it the tongue speaketh and the hand worketh It is the fountaine of all our words and actions and if it be corrupt it will defile them too but if it bee clensed and purified by faith it will also purifie the streames which flow from it Act. 15. 9. It is a vessell apt to receiue all liquors good or euill and therefore
to such an hidious summe that they are afraid to reuiew their reckonings heerein like Banquerupts who hauing consumed their meanes and made their estates desperate cannot indure to keepe any accounts or if they doe to cast vp their reckonings because their debts are growne so great that they haue no hope that they shall euer discharge them and therefore they will not grieue themselues in looking vpon those euils which they cannot auoyd Or like vnto foolish and desperate Patients who haue let their sores run so long without vsing the meanes whereby they might haue been cured that now they feare the remedy more then the disease and chuse rather to rot in their corruption then to haue their festred sores searched to the bottome Thirdly because they so ouermuch loue and minde worldly things that they securely neglect their spirituall estate and are so wholly taken vp in keeping their accounts with men that they can find no leisure to account with God Yea so wholly are they possessed with earthly vanities that they neuer so much as thinke of it as a thing necessary that they should spend any time in examining themselues and searching out their sinnes Fourthly because they presume so much of Gods mercy that they imagine that he wil forgiue all their debts in the grosse summe and neuer Eccles 11. 9. Math. 12 33. and 16. 2. and 25. 19. 2. Cor. 5. 10. trouble either himselfe or them in examining particulars though in many expresse places of Scripture he hath professed the contrary and though it will not stand with Gods infinite wisdome to forgiue such great debts before his debters take notice of them that they may loue him who hath forgiuen them so much be thankfull and render vnto him due praise for his infinite bounty Wherein what doe they else but make an Idoll of Gods mercy in separating it not onely from his Iustice but also from his Wisedome and Truth CAP. XXIIII Containing diuers effectuall reasons to mooue vs vnto this exercise of Meditation §. Sect. 1 That this duty is required in the Scriptures BVt that those who truly feare God may not bee carryed away in this common streame of negligence and corruption sporting themselues in the pleasures of sinne vntill they fall into the dead sea of endlesse destruction let them first consider that this duty of consideration and examination of our estates is strictly required of God and hath been alwayes practised by the faithfull The former is manifest by plaine testimonies of holy Scriptures Dauid exhorteth vs to stand in awe and sinne not and to commune Psal 4. 4. with our owne hearts vpon our bed and be still The Church in the Lamentations demandeth why a liuing man should complaine seeing a man is Lam. 3. 39 40. punished for his sinnes and therefore his best way is not to lye lamenting his paine but to finde out and remooue the cause that the effect may cease Let vs search and try our wayes saith she and turne againe to the Lord. So the Lord saith that the people of Israel vpon their freedome out of captiuity should remember their wayes and all their doings wherein they Ezek. 20. 43. had been defiled that they might be lothsome in their owne sight for all the euils Hag. 1. 5 7. which they had committed Thus the Apostle exhorteth vs to examine our 1. Cor. 11. 28 31. Gal. 6. 4 5. selues before we come to the Lords Table and telleth vs that if we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord. So elsewhere Examine 2. Cor. 13. 5. your selues whether you be in the faith prooue your selues c. And thus in many Rom. 6. 17. 1. Cor. 6. 9 10. Ephes 2. 11. places he putteth those in mind to whom he writeth of their former sinfull estate out of which through Gods mercy they were deliuered that they might repent of their sinnes past and praise the Lord for their present condition The neglect of which duty the Lord complaineth of and condemneth in the Iewes as the cause of their grosse ingratitude and impenitency The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters crib but Esa 1. 3. Israel doth not know my people doth not consider So Ieremie I hearkened and Jer. 8. 6. heard but they spake not aright no man repented of his wickednesse saying What haue I done As on the other side the practice of this duty is commended vnto vs in the examples of the godly Thus Dauid performing himselfe what he perswaded vnto others saith that hee considered his owne Psal 119. 59. Luk. 15. 17. wayes and turned his feet vnto Gods testimonies So the Prodigall did begin his repentance by comming to himselfe as it were out of the dead swoone of sinne calling to remembrance his departing from such a gracious Father and his owne wandrings in the wayes of wickednesse in which he had lost himselfe as in an inextricable and endlesse Labyrinth And the Apostle often recalleth his sinnes to his remembrance to humble himselfe that had committed them glorifie God who had forgiuen them and comfort others who had alike falne and to incourage them with him to forsake their sinnes and turne vnto God by vnfained repentance §. Sect. 2 The great profit of this exercise of examination Vnto these precepts drawing vs and these examples leading vs to this duty of examination we may adde the great profit which may allure vs Plus teipsum explora quà m proximos nam illud lucrum tuum est hoc proximorum c. Nazianzen in sentent and the vrgent necessity which presseth it vpon vs. For first the benefits are manifold which accompany this exercise Examine thy selfe more saith one then thy neighbours for that is thy gaine this theirs Thou shouldest rather take an account of thy actions then of thy moneyes seeing these perish but they are permanent and shall continue with thee More especially this examination bringeth vs vnto a distinct knowledge of sinne which otherwise wee should onely see in generall view and as it were in the whole lumpe or masse It discouereth vnto vs their innumerable numbers both great and small and as the Sun-shine helpeth vs to discerne euery sluttish corner which before was not seene and reuealeth not onely the grosse vncleannesse of the house but much dust and innumerable moates which we not discerning thought the house cleane and free from them So doth this searching of our hearts lay open vnto vs many annoyances which before were hid and innumerable numbers of our lesser sinnes which wee thinking to be nothing supposed our selues to bee so pure that there was no need to be purged of them It sheweth vnto vs not onely our grosse offences but also the corruptions and imperfections of our best actions and with our errours and wandrings out of the way of truth our lamenesse and slownesse whilest we are walking in it It discouereth with the number of our sinnes their
corruption doth yet lye vnmortified in vs and preuaileth against vs notwithstanding our many purposes and promises to subdue and root it out then is this exercise seasonable that humbling our selues in an extraordinary manner wee may with all feruency desire the assistance of Gods holy Spirit for the healing of our selues and the Land by turning vs vnto God and for pulling vs out of these preuailing and raigning sins through serious and sound repentance for the subduing of our corruptions that they may no more leade vs captiue vnto sinne and bringing of them in subiection to the spirituall part And thus Paul in the sight and sense of his sinnes especially that haynous wickednesse in persecuting the Saints of God in his first conuersion is said to haue fasted three dayes Act. 9. 9 11. And Ezra with the people humbled themselues by fasting before the Ezr. 9. 3 6. 10. 6. Neh. 9. 1 2. Lord because they had grieuously sinned by taking strange wines the which raigned and swayed so powerfully amongst them that the authority of the Magistrates and preaching of the Prophets was not for a good while sufficient to pull them out of it The euill of punishment is also a sufficient motiue to make vs humble our selues before God by fasting and prayer and that either when some heauy iudgement is threatned and imminent that we may auert it or already imposed that we may bee deliuered out of it whether it bee priuate and concerne our owne person and family or publike respecting either the Church or Common-wealth Concerning the first when the heauy Iudgements of God are but threatned and ready to light vpon vs then the Lord especially calleth vs to fasting and mourning that vnfainedly repenting of our sinnes Esa 22. 12. which are the causes the iudgement which is the effect may cease and be auerted And then this exercise is most seasonable and profitable because the sentence is more easily stayed then reuoked and the malefactour with lesse suite acquitted or pardoned then the execution put off after he once hath his doome besides that it is a greater benefit and much more safe and sweet to be kept from the fire then to be pulled out like fire-brands that are halfe burned and much more pleasing vnto God seeing he attaineth vnto the end of his threatnings which is not to punish for hee delighteth Ezek. 33. 12. Micah 7. 18. not in the smart of his children whom he correcteth but that by mature and seasonable repentance we may escape and so his mercy may be magnified in the forgiuenesse of our sinnes An example whereof we haue in Iehosaphat who by humbling himselfe by fasting and prayer escaped the inuasion of his many and mighty enemies and in the Nineuites who at Ionas preaching repenting of their sinnes were spared and preserued from that imminent destruction which was threatned against them Neither are Gods threatnings absolute but to be vnderstood with Ier. 18. 7 8. the condition of repentance namely that the punishment denounced shall be inflicted if we goe on in our sinnes but auerted if wee humble our selues before God and so leaue and forsake our sinnes But if wee haue neglected this duty till the Iudgement haue already seazed vpon vs then our best course is to doe it rather late then neuer and to labour by our sound humiliation to haue our sinnes first pardoned and then to haue the punishment remooued which we haue had no care to preuent Whether it bee a priuate iudgement inflicted on our selues as sickenesse pouerty losses disgraces and such like or publike lying vpon the Church and Common-wealth wherein wee haue our part and share either in our owne persons or by sympathy and compassion as being fellow-members Iudg. 2. 4 5. 3. 9. Dan. 9. 3. Ios 7. 6. Ioel 1 14. 2. 12 15. of the same body as the sword captiuity pestilence famine and the rest So likewise this exercise is profitable when wee addresse our selues vnto God as humble suters for the obtaining of some speciall and important benefit which is no lesse necessary for the good estate of our selues or others then hard and vnlikely to bee obtained or atchieued by any meanes of our owne deuizing And thus it is fit that wee should humble our selues before God by fasting and prayer when wee vndertake any waighty businesse either for our selues or the good of the Church and Common-wealth vpon which occasion Ezra Nehemiah and Hester Ezr. 8. 21. Nehem. 1. 4 13. Hest. 4. 16. Act. 13. 3. fasted and the Church when they sent foorth Barnabas and Paul about that great worke the conuersion of the Gentiles But especially wee haue iust cause of thus humbling our selues when we finde some great defect in any of Gods sauing graces and would labour earnestly with God by Prayer that it may bee supplied when wee finde our selues exceeding weake in faith and desire to haue it increased and strengthened when we feele our hearts hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne so as we cannot repent and would haue them suppled and softened that they may resolue and melt in vnfained sorrow for our sinnes when wee finde our affiance in God so feeble that it is ready to faint and faile in euery small triall or when we perceiue want of gifts and abilities in our selues for the well performing of the duties of Christianity or of our callings and would be suters to him who is the Fountaine and Author of euery good Iam. 1. 5 17. and perfect gift that hee will inable vs at least with competency and sufficiency of such gifts as are necessary for the discharge of our duty with comfort to our selues and profit to others but especially so as Gods glory may receiue no damage or detriment §. Sect. 4 The ends of a true fast And these are the causes which may moue vs to fasting The ends at which we must chiefely ayme in this action are of two sorts The first and principall is the glory of God which wee then most magnifie when we vilifie and abase our selues acknowledging our great vnworthinesse of his least mercies and extolling his grace goodnesse in that he doth not inflict vpon vs those fearefull Iudgements which our sinnes haue deserued In which respect it is quite contrary to the nature of a true Fast if we propound this as the maine end of it that we may satisfie Gods Iustice and merit by it at Gods hand the pardon of any of our sinnes or the ioyes in heauen in any part or degree For such a Fast is fit for none but Pharisees and proud Iusticiaries who would rob God of the glory of his free grace and mercie and our Sauiour Christ of the all-sufficiencie of his merits and satisfaction that they may in some part arrogate it vnto themselues by hauing some share in the praise of their iustification and saluation And they who thus fast the Lord may iustly charge them as he did the
owne sinfull lusts but we must consecrate Rom. 12. 1. 1. Cor. 5. 20. our bodies and soules vnto the seruice of God alone in the duties of a godly life seeing he is a iealous God who is impatient of any copartners and will haue all or none §. Sect. 2 The second reason taken from Gods loue towards vs. The workes also of God doe yeeld vnto vs most effectuall reasons to perswade vs vnto all duties of a godly life but especially his manifold and inestimable benefits which he hath vouchsafed to bestow vpon vs whether wee consider the Fountaine from which they all spring or the blessings and benefits themselues which as streames doe issue and flow from them The fountaine of them all is his diuine and incomprehensible loue whereby of his free grace and meere goodnesse Ier. 31. 3. he hath loued vs from all eternity without any respect of our deserts and worthinesse The which he hath manifested when as we were dead in our sinnes and the children of wrath as well as others when we Eph. 2. 1 3. were weake and of no strength hauing not so much as any power to desire Rom. 5. 8 10. his fauour and mercie to free and deliuer vs out of our wofull misery When as wee were like poore impotent infants new borne whose Nauell was not cut and who wallowed in the filthy and bloody Ezech. 16. 4 5 6 gore of our naturall corruptions no eye pitying vs nor hauing any friend that was able to help vs or to wash vs cleane from our corruption For euen then when we were helpelesse and hopelesse this loue mooued him to take compassion on vs and to say vnto vs whilest wee were in our blood You shall liue And when wee were so deepe stained yea euen in-grained in the filthy dye of our sinnes that all the waters in the world could not make vs cleane he in this incomprehensible loue gaue his Son to the death that we might be washed in the Lauer of his precious blood and so purged from our crimson and scarlet sinnes Esa 1. 26. both in respect of the guilt punishment and corruption of them that thereby we are restored vnto a snowie whitenesse and being washed with the blood of his innocent Sonne are recouered and cleansed from our incurable Leprosie O how ought this vnspeakeable loue to affect and warme our frozen hearts with vnfained loue towards him againe How should our soules cleaue vnto him and be inflamed with most feruent affection towards him who being infinite in all goodnesse and perfection and needed neither vs nor any thing from vs yet vouchsafed to set his Loue vpon vs who were so vnlouely and vnworthy yea so sinnefull and wicked that wee iustly deserued his wrath and fearefull vengeance How can we chuse if we thorowly consider this but haue our hearts thorowly inflamed with most feruent affection towards him who is the chiefe Goodnes most amiable in himselfe and most gracious vnto vs How can we sufficiently expresse our loue by doing or suffering any thing for his sake How fearefull should this make vs to offend him and how carefull in all things to please him How zealous should wee be of his glory and how diligent and cheerefull in doing him faithfull seruice by performing all duties of a godly life How should this weane our hearts and affections from the loue of the world and earthly vanities and 1. Joh. 2. 15. make them to become as bitter as gall and wormwood to our spirituall Iam. 4. 4. taste seeme they neuer so sweet and pleasant to our carnall appetite when as they are offered as the deuils bayts to withdraw our hearts from God and to make vs more slothfull in his seruice §. Sect. 3 The third reason taken from Gods decree of our election The fruits also and effects of Gods Loue towards vs doe serue as strong arguments to moue vs vnto a godly life As first his decree of election whereby from all eternity he hath chosen vs in Christ out of the corrupt masse of mankinde vnto eternall life and happinesse and vnto all the meanes which may bring vs vnto it What greater mercy can be imagined then that God of his free grace should chuse vs in Christ who were vtterly lost in Adam dead in our sinnes and the children of wrath as well as others not vnto some meane estate or low degree of happinesse but to the highest greatest priuiledges as to be his owne peculiar people and seruants of his owne family yea to be his adopted children coheires with Christ not of some earthly patrimony or worldly kingdome which though it were neuer so great and glorious yet is it mutable and momentary but of an heauenly 1. Pet. 1. 4 5. inheritance which is incorruptible vndefiled and fadeth not away as the Apostle speaketh The which benefit will be much amplified if we consider his infinit Maiesty and Glory who hath thus chosen vs and our owne vilenesse and vnworthinesse whom he hath aduanced to these rich and wonderfull priuiledges seeing we were dust and ashes corrupt and sinnefull strangers yea enemies vnto God which if it be well weighed may iustly make vs cry out with the Psalmist O Lord what is Psal 8. 4. man that thou art mindfull of him and the Son of man that thou visitest him Especially if we consider vnto what dignity wee who were so low are exalted For if it had beene a matchlesse mercie for vs that were so base to haue beene made the meanest of Gods family euen doore-keepers in the House of our God what incomparable kindenesse and loue is this to be made his owne Sonnes and Heires of his Kingdome The which mercie is not indefinitely communicated vnto all though all haue deserued it as well as we but to the least part of mankinde and yet such is his goodnesse towards vs that passing by many great Kings and Monarches many rich noble and wise in the world he hath vouchsafed to make vs of this small number Not because wee deserued such extraordinary fauour more then others that want it but of his meere grace and free good will O how should our hearts be inflamed with the Loue of God in the sight and sense of such an inestimable benefit How should it fill our hearts with thankefulnesse and our mouthes with his prayses How zealous and diligent should it make vs in his seruice And to thinke all time lost which is not spent in doing something which may tend to his glory who of his meere Loue hath done so much for vs Out of the same lumpe of Rom. 9. which haue beene made so many vessels to dishonour he hath chosen vs that he might make vs vessels of grace and honour O how should we delight to be seruiceable to so gracious a Lord and to shine in the light of godlinesse to his glory who hath thus aduanced vs He hath chosen vs which were children of wrath
the least moment withdraw his hand and cast vs from vnder the protection of his wise and powerfull prouidence we should vtterly perish and come to nothing §. Sect. 4 That he guideth and gouerneth the godly with his grace and holy Spirit 1. In their prosperity The third priuiledge which the Lord vouchsafeth vnto the godly is that he so guideth and gouerneth them by his grace and holy Spirit that they make a right vse of all estates both of prosperity and aduersity and turne all things which happen vnto them by the Diuine prouidence to their spirituall good the inriching of their soules with all sauing graces and the furthering and assuring of their eternall saluation For whereas wicked men inioying worldly prosperity doe stand in slippery places their table becomming a snare vnto them and their honours riches and pleasures the baits of sinne which make them to fall into the diuels nets of perdition for their honours nourish and increase their ambition their riches serue as sweet drinkes to make them thirst the more and increase their swelling dropsie of couetous desires their pleasures make them more sensuall and voluptuous and all together worke in them pride and forgetfulnesse of God carnall selfe-loue and loue of the world affiance in earthly vanities and contempt of spirituall and heauenly things The Lord preserueth those that feare and serue him from falling into these tentations by moderating their desires and mortifying their carnall concupiscence so as they doe not excessiuely affect these worldly vanities nor dote vpon them when they haue them but vse them onely as helpes and comforts of their pilgrimage and not set their hearts vpon them as their Paradise and the rewards of their Countrey because they know them to be vaine and vncertaine both in their getting and keeping momentany and mutable being euery day ready to leaue vs or we them Their honours doe not puffe them vp in pride but make them the more humble seeing they possesse them not as their owne proprieties but as Gods Talent whereof one day they must giue a reckoning as wee see in the example of Dauid who though he were aduanced from a lowe estate to a Kingdome yet professeth that his heart was not haughty nor his eyes Psal 131. 1 2. lofty but that he behaued himselfe in all meeknesse and mildnesse as a child weaned of his mother Their riches doe not withdraw their hearts from God though they abound in them neither doe they trust in them because they know them to be vncertaine but in the euerliuing God who giueth them 1. Tim. 6. 17. richly all things to inioy as we see in the example of Iob who though hee Job 31. 24. were the wealthiest man in all the East yet he did not make gold his hope Iob. 31. 24. nor said vnto the fine gold Thou art my confidence nor reioyced because his wealth was great nor because his hand had gotten much But onely they vse them as the great instruments of well doing and as meanes to inable them to exercise themselues in the workes of mercy according to Iobs example who being rich and able to doe good did not withhold from the Iob 31. 16 17 19. poore their desire nor caused the eyes of the widow to faile nor did eate his morsels alone but did let the fatherlesse eate thereof nor would see any perish for want of clothing nor the poore to lye without a couering Their pleasures though as great as they inioy who haue eminent places in Kings Courts doe not like intoxicating cups bewitch them and make them so drunke that they forget the ioyes of heauen vnto which they aspire but euen when they haue drunke the deepest draught of them they can with Salomon say of them that all is vanity and vexation of spirit and that there is no profit Eccles 2. 11. vnder the Sunne And when they are put to their choyce so as they must of necessity leaue the one to imbrace the other they will with Moses haue such respect to the recompence of their heauenly reward that they will chuse rather Heb. 11. 25 26. to suffer affliction with the people of God then to inioy the pleasures of sinne for a season Finally though with the Patriarches they abound with Gods blessings yet they will not fixe their hearts vpon them because here they Heb. 13. 14. and 11. 10. haue no continuing City but they seeke one to come which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God and therefore like the Workman is permanent and euerlasting Now what a priuiledge is this to be vpheld in such slippery places in which all that are left to themselues doe fearfully fall to haue antidotes against these dangerous drinkes wherewith all that want them are poysoned to bee made more humble mindfull of God and thankfull vnto him by these worldly things which make the most proud forgetfull and vngratefull Finally to haue such a right vse of all these earthly and temporary blessings that they become vnto vs pledges of Gods loue and earnest pennies of eternall happinesse and so to inioy both earth and heauen all the comforts of this life as helpes and furtherances to assure vs of the glory and ioyes of the life to come Of which seeing none but the godly are partakers what a strong motiue should it be to perswade vs vnto the seruice of God in an holy life §. Sect. 5 Secondly he guideth the godly in the time of their afflictions In respect also of the afflictions of this present life godlines hath no lesse priuiledges For first they which carefully serue please God are wholly 1. Pet. 2. 24. Col. 2. 14. Gal. 3. 13. deliuered from thē as they are punishments of sin to satisfie Gods Iustice because Christ hath in their stead satisfied for them paid their debt to the vttermost farthing and by taking away their sinnes through his death and sufferings hath also cancelled the hand-writing which was against them freed them from the curse of the Law and all the punishments which were due vnto them Secondly by leading of a godly life we are freed from afflictions in the greatest part as they are the corrections of Gods children For howsoeuer sometimes the chiefe end at which God aimeth in afflicting the godly is the triall of those graces which hee hath giuen them that being approoued he may be glorified that gaue them and Jam. 1. 12. his gifts crowned in those that haue receiued them yet for the most part sinne being the occasion euen of these trials and the cause of other crosses according to that in the Lamentations Wherefore doth a liuing Lam. 3. 39. man complaine a man suffereth for his sinnes Hereof it followeth that wee may escape these afflictions if we carefully flee sinne and serue the Lord in the duties of a godly life For though the Lord iudgeth his children 1. Cor. 11. 32. in this life that they may
are so bitter and vnpleasant to the flesh that they make vs immoderately sorrowfull and to breake out into some impatiency as though they were signes of Gods wrath and displeasure and not of his fatherly loue correcting vs for our amendment Seuenthly and lastly this sorrow ariseth in the hearts of weake Christians when as they compare themselues with others that haue made a better and greater progresse in the graces of Gods Spirit and in the duties of a godly life being hereby moued to think that the graces which they see in others are wholly wanting in themselues because their lesser light is obscured by a greater and seemeth nothing because it is not of equall brightnesse Or if they haue any at all yet that it is false and hypocriticall because it is but of slender growth and much inferiour to those which we obserue in many others whom notwithstanding we haue as much exceeded in meanes as they vs in the fruits of them By which sorrowes and heauinesse arising from these and such like causes the poore Christian doth more more weaken the operation of Gods graces in him in the duties of a godly life because he doth too much already apprehend their weaknesse and more disableth himselfe because he seeth his inability For hauing with immoderate griefe weakened his body and spent his spirits oppressed his heart and terrified his conscience he is made lumpish and dull vncheerfull and vncomfortable in all the duties of Gods seruice For the remouing of which impediment we must carefully take heed that we doe not disioyne faith from our repentance but as wee haue one eye vpon our sinnes that wee may sorrow for them so the other eye vpon our Sauiour Christ who hath fully satisfied for them Secondly we must not dreame vpon any perfection of sanctification in this life though we labour after it and then we shal not be too much deiected and mourne immoderately for our imperfection whereas if we fancy vnto our selues a farre greater measure of grace and holinesse then it is possible for vs to attaine it will be a cause of excessiue sorrow when we finde how farre we come short of our hopes Thirdly we must looke vpon Gods graces and the fruits of them in holy obedience as testimonies of Gods loue and euidences of our sanctification and not as being any meritorious causes of his fauour and our saluation For then we need not to stand so much vpon the quantity and degree of them as vpon their sincerity and truth which when we finde we may reioyce in the assurance of Gods free grace and loue through Iesus Christ Whereas if we looke vpon them in their worth and worthinesse the sight of their imperfections will bereaue our hearts of all sound comfort Fourthly we must consider that the first and least degrees of true grace are accepted of God and will make vs also acceptable vnto him For hee will not breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax He respecteth Math. 12. 20. and tendreth his young lings and weaklings as well as those who haue attained to greater strength and he hath pronounced them blessed who Math. 5. 6. hunger and thirst after righteousnesse as well as those which are perfectly righteous Finally as we must take notice of that wee haue not that wee may labour after it so also we must not neglect what wee haue that wee may be truly thankfull vnto God from whose free grace we haue receiued it among which we may number spirituall life whereby onely we can be sensible of our wounds and weaknesse the sight and sense of our sinnes by which we are moued to deny our selues and to fly vnto Christ hungring desires of grace and holinesse seeing wee haue Gods promise that they shall be satisfied And so we shall ioyne faith with our repentance ioy with our mourning loue and thankfulnesse with our meeknesse and humility §. Sect. 5 Of desperation and that it is a great impediment to godlinesse Finally these scrupulous feares and carnall sorrow if they bee not remoued or moderated will bring vs by degrees into that fearfull gulph of deepe despaire whereby we shall cast off all hope of Gods mercy and reiect the all-sufficient merits and satisfaction of Iesus Christ through our incredulity as though the multitude and hainousnesse of our sinnes did farre exceed them And this is the very cut-throat of all piety and the diuels strongest and most horrid chaine to inslaue men in his seruice and to hinder them from entertaining so much as a thought or desire of seruing God in the duties of a godly life For it wholly discourageth a man from proceeding in such a way as offreth no hope of bringing him to his iourneys end It maketh a seruant wholly to neglect his duty when as hee is quite cut off from all expectation of reward It causeth men to giue themselues to all sensuality voluptuousnesse and prophanesse when they haue no other hopes but what this present life offereth vnto them and the rather that they may hereby put off for a little while their terrours of conscience and griefes of minde as it were by drinking of cold water in the fit of a feauer And wanting faith by which wee are vnited vnto Christ in whom a lone we can bring forth fruits of holinesse and righteousnesse how can we otherwise chuse but be vtterly barren in all true obedience and like wild Oliue trees bring forth onely fruits of impiety and wickednesse Which impediment if we would remoue we must remember that the Lord is infinite in grace and mercy as he describeth himselfe Exod. 34. 7. in his Word so that though our sinnes be many and grieuous yet they are infinitely exceeded by them for his mercies are aboue all his workes Micah 7. 18. That he taketh delight in shewing mercy toward repentant sinners seeing hereby he exerciseth his nature and magnifieth his holy name in the manifestation of his grace and goodnesse That he loued vs when we were his enemies yea so loued vs that he sent his onely begotten and dearely Ioh. 3. 16. beloued Sonne to dye for vs and therefore will not now reiect vs when as through Christ we sue and seeke to be reconciled vnto him That he hath made his free couenant of grace with vs wherein hee hath promised the remission of all our sinnes vpon the alone condition of faith bringing forth the fruits thereof in vnfained repentance and that his promises are indefinite without exception of any sinners and therefore shall assuredly belong vnto vs if we doe not reiect them through vnbeliefe That the merits and satisfaction of Christ are of infinite value and an all-sufficient satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world if they were applyed by faith and that he hath giuen vnto vs his couenant in writing and ratified it by his Sacraments which he hath annexed as seales to the great Charter of our peace that there might no place be
such slippery places where they haue falne and be supported so with Gods grace and holy Spirit notwithstanding our greater frailty and weakenesse that we may challenge all the world to accuse vs of any grosse sin If indeede he who hath professed himselfe the child of God and approued himselfe to be so by his sonne-like obedience should like the wicked make sin his way and trade defend it when he is reproued and continue in it without repentance this were a matter of deserued wonder but not so if walking constantly in the wayes of Godlinesse they sometimes slip get a fall especially when they plainely shew by their sorrow insuing that they are not pleased with their sin but hauing done the euill which they hated in the inner Rom. 7. 20 22. man do not continue in it but rise out of it by vnfained repentance But suppose for all this that professing sincerity we shall be wondred at of the world if we hap to fall into any open and scandalous sinne It is not better that with the godly wee should be wondred at for doing euill then that with wicked men our good actions should cause wonder For though it be our shame to sin and thereby to expose our selues to wonderment yet this wondring it selfe is rather a grace then a blemish vnto vs seeing men wonder not at matters common and ordinary but at such only as rarely happen We wonder not at profane rakehells when they breake their word lie sweare deale vniustly but to see one that is reputed iust and honest to doe thus at any time doth make all that know them to maruaile at it the reason is because it is common and ordinary in the one but very rare and a thing seldome or neuer before seene in the other And yet there is no man that is not gracelesse desperate who would not rather chuse so to carry himself as that he may be reputed an honest man though his faults are more obserued wondred at then so as to gaine the reproch of a wicked person although their faults being ordinary are little obserued and lesse maruailed at Though euery man wonder when he seeth a botching piece of work to come out of the hands of a cunning and curious artizan and maruaileth nothing at all if he should see such an one or worse come out of the hands of a bungler yet euery one desireth rather to be a skilfull workman and to be so reputed then a bungling botcher And though a spot be sooner seene in a beautifull face then in one foule and deformed or a blot and staine in a fine piece of Lawne or Cambricke then in some common rag or coorse canuas and a faithful seruant be more wondred at that is taken halting in some deceitfull action then when a false fellow doth so that maketh deceitfull dealing his vsuall trade yet euery one preferreth beauty with some blemish before foulenesse and deformity fine cloth though a little spotted before filthy worne-out rags and a faithfull seruant with his seldom slips before a dishonest fellow whose worst dealing rayseth no wonder because being his ordinary custome no man that knoweth him expecteth better fruits from such a bramble And so though our profession of godlinesse and indeuour to bring forth ordinary fruits of it in an holy conuersation should more expose vs to be wondred at when we fall through humane frailty and infirmitie yet this should not hinder vs from entring into this Christian course seeing it is a meanes to make vs stand more vpon our credit to restraine vs from all sin whereby we might blemish it and to keepe with Dauid a carefull watch ouer our selues that our hearts being found Psal 119. 18. in Gods Statutes there may be no cause why we should be ashamed And howsoeuer when we are ouertaken our faults are more obserued and maruailed at yet though our sinne shameth vs this wonder at it is rather our praise and commendation And when wee are at the worst yet our state is better and we preferred in Gods estimate and in the opinion of all that feare him before those who neuer tooke vpon them the profession of piety nor cared to bring forth any fruits of it in a godly life though their faults are little obserued or regarded and not like the others matter of table-talke because no man thinketh them to be any newes §. Sect. 7 That the duties of a godly life must not be delayed The last obiection which the flesh maketh is that it is yet too soone to enter into this strict course of a godly life seeing howsoeuer it may be necessary in due time and place to doe it yet the present time of our youth and strength is not fit for such austerity It cannot bee denied but that God must bee religiously serued but all in good time wee haue the day before vs and shall haue leysure inough to serue our selues and God too After wee haue better settled our worldly estate and attayned vnto such a proportion of wealth for our owne maintenance and those that belong vnto vs or haue delighted our selues with such and such pleasures then it will be more seasonable to sequester our selues from the world and to betake our selues vnto our deuotions And thus when the flesh cannot any longer hide from vs the profit and necessity of leading a godly life then it moueth vs to make delaies and to poast it off from time to time till at last we be preuented with vnexpected death and so perish in our sinnes Of this Augustine propoundeth himselfe as an example As no man saith hee is so sluggish that will in his iudgement preferre perpetuall sleeping before waking and going about his businesse but yet when sloth hath seazed vpon his members deferreth to shake it off though it bee high time that he should rise so I thought it better to yeeld my selfe rather to thy loue then mine owne lust but that pleased and ouercame me this liked me and held me captiue For I had nothing to answere when thou saidst vnto mee Arise thou that sleepest Ephe. 5. 14. stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light being conuinced with the truth but onely the words of the slothfull and sleepie Anon behold Modo ecce modo sine paululum Sed modo modo non habebant modum sine paululum in longum ibat Confes lib. 8. cap. 5. by and by let me alone yet a little But a little and a little exceeded all measure and Let me alone a little grew out to a great length For the answering of which obiection let vs know that the seruice of God in the duties of a godly life is a matter of greatest moment profit and necessity and therefore that it is great folly to put it off with delayes seeing all our life is too little for it For if God is so bountifull and rich in mercy that he is content to reward
and branches thereof and the speciall duties required vnto it but also the meanes both publike and priuate whereby wee may bee inabled and the arguments and reasons whereby wee may be moued and perswaded to performe them and likewise haue shewed the greatest and most vsuall lets and impediments whereby men are commonly hindred from entring into and proceeding in the wayes of godlinesse and how also wee may remoue and ouercome them And now nothing remaineth but that I intreat thee Christian Reader by the mercies of God and as thou tendrest his glory and the eternall saluation of thine owne soule that thou wilt resolue and indeuour to walke in this alone way that leadeth to heauenly happinesse now that he hath so plainly discouered it vnto thee For much better were it for thee neuer to haue knowne the way of truth and godlinesse then after thou knowest it not to walke in it seeing the seruant Luk. 12. 47. that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Heretofore thy ignorance might somewhat extenuate thy sinne and neglect of Gods seruice in the duties of a godly life and mitigate also thy punishment because thou mightest pretend thy willingnesse to walke in this way but that thou diddest want a guide to goe before thee But now this pretence is taken away and thou quite left without all excuse For what can the Lord by his Ministers doe more for the saluation of thy precious soule then to shew thee the way that leadeth to eternall blessednes and to teach thee how thou maist walke in it to make knowne vnto thee what thou must doe that thou maist be saued and the meanes also whereby Act. 2. 37. thou maist be inabled to doe it to exhort and perswade thee by effectuall reasons to vse these meanes that so thou maist walke in this way and to teach thee how to remooue all those impediments which might otherwise hinder and discourage thee in thy course O let not therefore his so great grace be vnto thee not onely in vaine but also to thy losse Let nor O let not these my poore yet painfull labours which I haue vndertaken with cheerfulnesse proceeded in with comfort and finished with ioy that I might glorifie God in thy saluation rise vp as a witnesse against thee at that great Day because thou hast onely read them and after cast them into some corner without further vse If thou knowest these things Luk. 11. 28. Joh. 13. 17. blessed art thou if thou doest them And happy yea thrice happy shall I thinke my selfe if being furthered by my poore meanes in the wayes of saluation thou maist be my crowne and my reioycing Frustrate not I beseech thee the maine end of my painfull labours so much desired so often and earnestly begged and defraud mee not of my hope and ioy and therewith thy selfe also of thine owne saluation It is not my writing nor thy reading that can saue our soules in that great Day of the Lord but the holy practice of those duties which I teach and thou learnest in the whole course of our liues and conuersations which because wee are vnable to performe in our owne strength but it is the Lord onely which inableth Phil. 2. 13. vs both to will and to doe let vs I intreat thee pray one for another desiring of the Lord that we may not onely bee filled with the knowledge of Col. 1. 10 11. his will in all wisedome and spiritual vnderstanding but also that in this light we may walke worthy of the Lord vnto all pleasing being fruitfull in euery good worke and increasing in the knowledge of God strengthened with all might according 2. Tim. 3. 17. to his glorious power vnto all patience and long-suffering with ioyfulnesse And that we may not onely be perfect and thorowly furnished vnto all good workes but also that we may be stedfast vnmoueable and alwayes abounding 1. Cor. 5. 58. Prou. 16. 9. and 20. 24. Ier. 20. 23. in the worke of the Lord for as much as we know that our labour is not vaine in the Lord. But man knoweth not his owne wayes neither is it in man that walketh to direct his steps and how much lesse is hee able in his owne strength to be a guide vnto others or by his most powerfull perswasions to moue them to accompany him in the wayes of godlinesse O thou therefore who art the Authour of light and life and the rich Fountaine of all grace and glory as thou hast graciously inlightened my mind with the knowledge of thy will and inabled me also to reueale it vnto others so inflame mine heart with the beauty and brightnesse of it that I may loue and imbrace it kindle in me more and more holy desires confirme my resolutions and strengthen all my good indeuours that as I haue taught thy wayes vnto others so I my selfe may walk constantly in them that so I may shine before them both in the light of doctrine and also of a good and holy example in the whole course of my life and conuersation Ioyne also I humbly beseech thee with these my poore labours which I haue wholly deuoted to thy glory and the good of my brethren the inward assistance of thy grace and holy Spirit and thereby adde such power and efficacie vertue and vigour vnto them that they may not onely reueale the way of saluation to the vnderstanding of the Christian Readers but may also effectually moue and perswade them to walke in it sincerely and vprightly constantly and continually vnto the very end of their liues to the glory of thy great Name and the comfort and saluation of all our soules through thine onely Sonne and our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ to whom with thee and thy most holy Spirit three persons and one onely true God most wise glorious gracious and blessed be ascribed of vs and thy whole Church all glory and praise might Maiesty and dominion both now and euermore Amen A PARAPHRASE VPON THE LORDS PRAYER ALmighty and eternall God Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and in him our gracious Father wee thy poore children by adoption and grace heere acknowledge that wee are vtterly vnworthy to bee counted in the number of thy meanest seruants and much lesse deserue that high title and priuiledge to bee called thy sonnes and children For wee haue not demeaned our selues as it becommeth children of such a Father in all loue reuerence and obedience nor approoued our selues to be like vnto thee in wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse We haue abased our selues to doe seruice vnto sinne and Satan for the trifling wages of worldly vanities neuer considering that wee are the children of such a glorious Father and heires to such an heauenly inheritance We doe not like children securely rest vpon thy fatherly prouidence and cannot with boldnesse approch to the Throne of Grace to make our suits knowne vnto thee by reason of our self-guiltiness
with a liuely hope and still waite vpon thee when thou seemest to defer thy helpe Let vs haue a sensible feeling of thy loue shed abroad in our hearts by thy holy Spirit that being inflamed thereby wee may loue thee againe with all our soules and strength and all others in and for thee Let this fire of holy loue shew and approue it selfe by the flame and heate of godly zeale in seeking thy glory in and aboue all things feruently yet wisely and discreetly opposing whatsoeuer hindreth it and furthering all the meanes whereby it is furthered Worke thy feare in our hearts and let vs stand in awe of thee not onely for thy Iudgements but also for thy mercies abhorring nothing more then thy displeasure who hast euer beene vnto vs so gracious and good a Father Giue vs grace to yeeld vnto thee all sonne-like and true obedience both by doing that which thou enioynest and suffring that which thou imposest Adorne vs with meekenesse and humility and let vs be base in our owne eyes that wee may be precious in thy sight Replenish our hearts with Spirituall ioy in the assurance of thy loue and our saluation that nothing may dant or dampe it and stablish vs with thy free Spirit that we may neuer fall from thee but may perseuere in the profession and practice of true godlinesse till death summoneth vs to Iudgement Let vs be iust towards all and mercifull towards the poore and afflicted still abounding in all good workes and make vs temperate sober and thankefull in the vse of all thy blessings that they may further and not hinder vs in all Christian duties And as we implore thy goodnesse for those things which we want so with thankfull hearts and voyces we prayse magnifie thy great and glorious Name for all thy mercies and fauours vouchsafed vnto vs respecting either this life or the life to come And namely for preseruing our liues and blessing our labors for releeuing our wants and defending vs from danger this day past We beseech thee vnto the multitude of thy other graces adde this with the rest that we may make right vse of them for the stirring vp of our thankfulnes and inflaming of our hearts with thy loue O Lord be still gracious vnto vs and now receiue our bodies and soules into thy hand this night that they may be safe in thy keeping from all euill both of sinne and punishment and as we cease from the workes of our callings so much more let vs rest from all workes of darkenesse with a full purpose neuer againe to vndertake them Giue vs comfortable and quiet sleepe that our spirits being thereby refreshed and our strength renewed wee may be the fitter to serue thee in the generall duties of Christianity and the speciall duties of our callings Let not our sleepe breake off our spirituall watch but let vs still be in readinesse for the glorious appearing of Iesus Christ When we wake let vs wake with thee lifting vp our hearts and soules in holy and heauenly Meditations and praysing thee for all thy goodnesse Together with vs blesse thy whole Church this in which we liue our soueraigne Lord and King our Noble Prince the Prince and Princesse Palatine the Councell Magistrates and Ministers those which are afflicted and thy whole people beseeching thee in our seuerall places to giue vs whatsoeuer thou knowest needfull for vs for Iesus Christs sake to whom with thee and thy holy Spirit wee ascribe all glory and prayse both now and euermore Amen A Prayer for the Lords Day in the Morning O Lord our God glorious in Maiesty omnipotent in power infinite in all goodnesse perfection and our most gracious Father in Iesus Christ who hast created all things of nothing for thine own glory and man especially for thine own seruice the which he is bound to performe both by the right of creation wherin thou hast vouchsafed vnto him his being of Redemption whereby thou hast giuen vnto him his wel-being by restoring him to that estate of blessednes which he had lost by his sins But yet in a more especiall maner ought this seruice to be performed on thine owne peculiar Day which thou hast appropriated to thy worship consecrated to an holy rest both by thy commandement and also thine owne example We thine vnprofitable seruants and vtterly vnworthy of these high and holy priuiledges doe here present our selues before thee desiring and in some poore measure indeuouring to sanctifie this Day of rest and to glorifie thee by performing as we are able such duties of thy seruice as thou requirest Howbeit we must needs acknowledge to thy glory our own shame that we haue vtterly disabled our selues vnto them by our manifold grieuous sins For through our naturall corruption thy Sabbaths which should be our delight are become tedious vnpleasant thy seruice which should be our meat and drinke and euen the very life of our life and ioy of our hearts is become so lothsome and distastfull to our carnall appetite that either we vtterly neglect it or else performe it after a cold and carelesse manner with much dulnesse drowzines and irksome wearinesse Our wisdome is enmity against thee our vnderstandings dull in conceiuing spirituall things our thoughts imaginations so wholy carried away with earthly vanities that when they should be wholy intent vnto spirituall exercises they roue and wander after worldly trifles Our consciences are so loaded with dead works the guilt of our sins that they weaken our faith in applying thy promises and depriue vs of that confidence and comfort which we should otherwise haue in our praying and hearing Our memories are like riuen vessels which suffer the precious liquor of thy Word to run out without vse or profit Our wils are so stubborne and rebellious that we cannot submit to thine holy Ordinances but resist both the outward ministry of thy Word and the inward motions of thy holy Spirit Our hearts are so hardned with the deceitfulnesse of sin that they are not easily mollified with thy sweet promises and gracious benefits nor terrified and broken with thy threatnings and righteous Iudgements Our affections are so wholy corrupted and disordred that they are wholy set vpon worldly things and little loue and delight in thee and thy sauing truth in thy seruice and Sabbaths doe wee feele in our dead hearts in comparison of that feruour of affection which we sensibly perceiue in the pleasures of sinne and worldly delights And with this corruption of our sinfull soules our bodies likewise are so tainted and infected that they are altogether indisposed vnto thy seruice and exceeding dead and lumpish in the performance of all holy and Religious duties From which totall corruption of our natures haue issued and sprung those innumerable numbers of actuall transgressions whereby we haue broken thy whole Law and euery Commandement thereof in thought word and deed But especially we acknowledge our fearefull
bodies afresh euen in the Fountaine of Christs precious Blood and in the teares of vnfained sorrow mourning with bitter griefe because wee haue pierced him with our sinnes and caused the Lord of life to bee put vnto a shamefull death Inflame our hearts with most feruent loue towards thee and our neighbours yea euen our enemies for thy sake and lincke our hearts together in an holy Communion as it becommeth the true members of Iesus Christ Let vs also approoue our loue to bee sound and sincere by the fruits of it and especially by forgiuing and forgetting all our wrongs and iniuries as heartily as wee desire to bee forgiuen of thee and by performing all workes of mercy and Christian charity towards all those who neede our helpe not onely by comforting and refreshing their bodies but also by performing all Christian duties for the eternall saluation of their soules And being thus prepared let vs when we come to thy Table performe that dutie of thy seruice in some good and acceptable manner with all reuerence faith and inward feruencie and deuotion Let vs with the outward signes receiue the things signified Iesus Christ and all his benefits that being more and more vnited vnto him we may receiue from him the Spirituall life of Grace and those holy vertues of his diuine nature that we may grow vp in him vnto a perfect man Let vs bring with vs the hand and mouth of faith and let it be more and more strengthened in the assurance of all thy gracious promises by these seales of thy couenant communicated vnto vs. Make vs partakers of Christs merits by imputation of his nature and essence by coniunction and of his power and efficacy by thy holy Spirit and let vs shew his death till he come gratefully remembring this great worke of our Redemption by his bloud that we may be thankfull and prayse thee the blessed Trinity in vnity all the dayes of our liues Finally as we doe by these meanes professe our selues thy seruants in taking vpon vs thy liuery and cognizance so giue vs grace that we may constantly striue and indeuour to walke worthy this high calling and to glorifie thee in the duties of holinesse and righteousnesse whilest we haue any breath or beeing Heare vs and helpe vs O God of our saluation and answer vs graciusly in these our suits and petitions for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and thine holy Spirit be rendred of vs and thy whole Church all glory and prayse power and dominion both now and euermore Amen A thankesgiuing after the receiuing of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper O Lord our God most glorious and most gracious infinite in bountie and goodnesse vnto all thy children and seruants in Iesus Christ we doe here offer vnto thee the sacrifice of prayse and thankesgiuing and doe laud and magnifie thy great and glorious Name for all thy mercies and fauours vouchsafed vnto vs especially because thou hast loued vs with an euerlasting loue yea so loued vs that thou hast of thy meere grace and free good will euen when we were strangers and enemies giuen vnto vs thy Best-beloued and onely Sonne to worke the great worke of our Redemption and by his death and precious blood-shed to deliuer vs out of the hands of all our spirituall enemies and to free vs from euerlasting death and condemnation that we might be heires through him of eternall glory and happinesse in thy Kingdome We prayse thee also for the free couenant of grace and saluation which thou hast made with vs in him whereby thou hast assured vs of the remission of our sinnes our reconciliation with thee and of endlesse happinesse in the life to come and for confirming this couenant vnto vs by annexing thereunto the seales thy Sacraments that thereby our weake faith might be strengthened and increased and wee more and more freed from doubting and incredulity We thanke thee holy Father for renewing this thy couenant with vs this day and for confirming our vnion with Iesus Christ our head and one with another by giuing vnto vs his precious body and blood as the Spirituall food of our soules whereby they are nourished vnto euerlasting life O Lord our God it is thy great mercie that thou nourishest our mortall bodies with food that perisheth but how wonderfull is this thy bounty and goodnesse in that thou feedest our soules with this bread of Life that came downe from heauen and with this food that endureth to life eternall If thou shouldest permit vs but to gather vp the crummes that fall from thy Table we must needes acknowledge that it were a fauour farre aboue our deserts O then how should wee admire and magnifie thy mercie and bountie in vouchsafing such vile and vnworthy wretches this high and holy priuiledge to be feasted at thine owne Table not with ordinary cheare but with such spirituall and diuine delicacies euen the precious body and blood of thine onely deare Sonne whereby he becommeth one with vs and we with him euen as thou holy Father and he are one in that holy and happie vnion O that our narrow hearts were inlarged that we might in some measure apprehend this thine infinite and incomprehensible goodnesse O that being cold in themselues they were warmed and inflamed with the fire and flame of this diuine loue that with the liuely sense and feeling of it wee might be mooued to returne loue for loue and expresse it by our feruent zeale and indeuour in all things to please and glorifie thee throughout the whole course of our liues and conuersations Which because it is not in our owne power O thou the rich fountaine of all grace and goodnesse inspire and inflame our cold and frozen hearts with the beames of thy loue shed abroad in them by thine holy Spirit that we may loue thee with vnfained loue and contemning all things in comparison of thee may long and labour after nothing so much as to enioy thee in this life by grace and the presence of thy blessed Spirit and by full and perfect vision and fruition in the life to come To this end gracious God blesse vnto vs thine holy Ordinances and meanes of our saluation and by the inward assistance of thy good Spirit make them powerfull and effectuall to the attayning of those ends for which thou hast giuen and wee receiued them Let vs finde hereby our vnion with Christ strengthened and confirmed by feeling the Spirituall life and sap of grace deriued vnto vs and increased in vs from this roote of righteousnesse not onely for our further assurance of our iustification but also for the perfecting of our sanctification and the strengthening of vs vnto all Christian duties of a godly life Let vs by this Spirituall food of our soules finde our selues nourished and inriched with all sauing graces especially let vs feele our weake faith confirmed and increased that wee may without wauering be perswaded of all thy gracious promises made
hastening his Iudgement doth strike the conscience with such horrors and feare and so vexeth and tormenteth it with the guilt of sinne and apprehension of his wrath that securitie is not able by all the former meanes to bring or keepe it asleepe or to stop and quiet the lowd cryes thereof In which case it is forced to giue place and to yeeld ouer the Regencie of such tormented wretches to his aduersarie and opposite hellish desperation which is like vnto it in nothing but this in that it is alike faithfull seruant to their great Gouernour Satan holding men firmely though after a rougher manner as his Vassalls and Slaues to doe his will till hauing finished their worke they receiue the wages of Hell torments and endlesse destruction §. 4 Of that carnal securitie which remayneth in the regenerate and how it groweth vpon them The carnall securitie of the faithfull is those reliques that remayne of naturall securitie in the part vnregenerate and one especiall fruit of Gal. 5. 17. the Flesh which is but in part mortified by the Spirit For our regeneration and sanctification being vnperfect in this life the Christian Man is partly Flesh and partly Spirit both which are accompanyed with their seuerall fruits as the Apostle sheweth the which continually fight and lust one against the other and sometime the Flesh and its Corruption sometime the Spirit and its sauing Graces preuayleth and giueth the aduerse part the foile as elsewhere I haue more fully In the fourth part of the Christian warfare shewed Thus the part vnregenerate retayneth and nourisheth carnall securitie forgetfulnesse of God and his all-seeing Wisedome his omnipotent Power and seuere Iustice in punishing sinne his Mercy and Goodnesse towards those that feare and serue him and thereby becommeth carelesse and secure and goeth on in sinne without repentance And contrariwise the part regenerate remembring these holy Attributes still retayneth and cherisheth the true feare of God and thereby is made carefull and watchfull to please him in all things and consequently to auoid sinne as the greatest euill or hauing beene ouertaken with it through frailtie and infirmitie not to continue in it but to arise againe out of it by vnfayned repentance And these continually make warre one against the other and sometime the feare of God preuaileth and bringeth securitie in subiection and then the Christian maketh conscience of all sinne and with all care and watchfulnesse auoydeth all tentations causes and occasions that might allure or draw him vnto wickednesse then he daily renueth his repentance and laboureth diligently in the vse of all good meanes whereby hee may make 2. Pet. 1. 10. Phil. 2. 12. 1. Cor. 10. 12. his calling and election sure and as the Apostle speaketh worketh out his saluation with feare and trembling and by his owne and others fals is made more carefull to looke vnto his standing Sometimes securitie getteth the vpper hand and giueth Gods feare the foyle so that in respect of sense and feeling it groweth cold and languishing and very faintly and remisly exerciseth it selfe in its actions and operations And then the Christian presuming on his owne present strength and of his former progresse in the wayes of godlinesse beginneth to stand at a stay supposing that he is now rich enough in spirituall grace and therefore may leaue gathering and spend vpon the stocke that hee is out of all danger of declyning and going backe and that God will keepe him safe in his greatest negligence and howsoeuer hee carryeth himselfe make good vnto him his gracious promises of life and saluation And then forgetting Gods Iustice and Iudgements and his Mercy and Goodnesse towards him hee beginneth securely to glut himselfe with worldly pleasures and to pursue earthly profits and preferments he groweth timorous to be seene in any course of Godlines which may crosse him in their fruition and willing to strayne his conscience in vsing all meanes whereby he may obtayne and securely inioy them Then he sticketh not to quench the good motions of Gods Spirit inciting him to returne to his former holy courses and restrayning him from sinne wherby he grieueth this holy Ghest and were he not most gracious without respect of desert would soone make him wearie of his lodging Then he beginneth to neglect the exercises of mortification which tend to the subduing of the Flesh and his former care in often renuing his Couenant with God by renuing the condition thereof Faith and Repentance Then he groweth carelesse and negligent in the meanes of Grace and Saluation as hearing the Word receiuing the Sacrament Prayer communion with the Faithfull and holy Conferences whereby they are mutuall helps to stirre vp Gods graces in one another not caring much whether he vse them or no and therefore taking slight occasions as lawfull and sufficient excuses of their neglect or when he doth performe these duties it is after a cold and formall manner dully and drowsily negligently and wearily without any taste or spirituall feeling of ioy and comfort in the vse of them And in a word is little or nothing affected either with Gods Promises or Threatnings either with his Mercies or with his Iudgements either with loue and delight in that which is good or with hatred and dislike of that which is euill and therefore securely lyeth snorting in his sinnes as though there were no feare of danger and taketh no care to better his present estate by rising out of them by vnfayned repentance §. 5 Of insensible and sensible securitie in the faithfull And this is that carnall securitie which is incident to Gods dearest Children the which neuerthelesse may bee distinguished in respect of the diuers degrees of it for either it is insensible and not perceiued or else sensible and discerned The former like a deepe sleepe doth stupifie for the time of the continuance of it all their senses and abuseth their mind and imaginations with deceiuing dreames and false apprehensions whereby they conceiue that they are in good estate highly in Gods fauour and free from all danger and therefore securely goe on in their sinfull courses without repentance and neglect the meanes whereby the feare of God might bee renued and repayred in them or else vse them after a cold and formall manner And this was the case of holy Dauid himselfe after his fearefull fall into those grieuous sinnes of Adulterie and Murther till he was awakned out of this 2. Sam. 12. dead sleepe by that message which God by Nathan sent vnto him and of the Angell of the Church of Laodicea who in his carnall securitie blessed himselfe with a false opinion that his estate was in such a degree of excellency and perfection that nothing was wanting vnto Apoc. 3. 17. him whereas in truth he was exceeding miserable poore blind and naked as our Sauiour testifieth The other securitie which is sensible bringeth the faithfull but into an heauy slumber so as they may say with the Spouse
come out of our naturall ignorance and to haue our minds illightned with the knowledge of God and of those attributes whereby his true feare is wrought in our hearts as his omnipotent power omniscient wisedome omnipresence iustice trueth mercie goodnesse and the rest For there are scarce any that are ignorant of these who are not wholly possessed with carnall securitie neither doth it make them watchfull and fearefull to be compassed about with desperate dangers because liuing in the blindnesse of ignorance and in such palpable darknesse as obscureth all things they want both light and sight to see and apprehend them §. 2 The second remedie is to consider and meditate often on Gods attributes The second meanes and remedie against securitie is not onely to know God and his attributes but also often to meditate and consider of them As still to thinke and remember that hee who seeth all things seeth and beholdeth our most secret actions yea searcheth our very hearts and reines discerning euery turning and winding in this Labyrinth much better then we our selues So Salomon The eyes of the Lord are in euery place beholding the euill and the good Prouerb 15. 3. And Iob I know that thou canst doe euery thing and that no thought can be with-holden from thee Iob 42. 2. And therefore Dauid setteth God continually before him I haue saith he set the Lord alwayes before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moued Psal 16. 8. and Psal 119. 168. Yea a Deus totus est senâ—us totus viâ—us totus â—udiâ—us Plâ—â— hist 〈◊〉 l. â— c. 7. that he looketh not thus vpon vs afarre off he being in heauen and we on earth but being in all b Sphaeâ—â— cuius â—enâ—â—um vbique circâ—mfâ—rentia â—uâ—quam Empâ—â—ocles Psal 1â—9 8 9. places alike is present with vs and standeth by to see how in all things we carrie our selues and not as an idle speculatour only to gaze on our actions with either liking or dislike of them but as our c Magna tibi custodâ—a necessaria est qui ante ocules â—udicis vâ—uis cuncta cernentis Bernard mâ—dâ—t c. 6. Iudge who will either acquit and reward vs if we doe well or condemne and punish vs if we doe euill And not such a corrupt Iudge who may be blinded with rewards and taketh more care to weigh the bribe then the cause or a respecter of persons who may easily be mis-led by fauour or friendship or one so weake in authoritie or confined in his iurisdiction to such narrow limits or of such small power and strength that we may appeale from his sentence to an higher Court flee out of his dominions or by our owne wisedome and strength or helpe of our friends deliuer our selues from his iust doome by mayne force But let vs remember that the Iudge who standeth by and looketh vpon our actions is most vpright and vnpartiall who accepteth no mans person and so all-sufficient in himselfe that hee needeth no rewards and supreme Lord of all so that wee cannot giue him any thing which is not his owne alreadie That his dominion lasteth vnto all ages and extendeth vnto all creatures and his presence filleth all places so that If we could ascend into heauen he is there if we should 2. Cor. 5. 10. make our heds in hell he is there if we should take the wings of the morning to flee from his presence and dwell in the vtmost parts of the sea euen there the hand of his power and prouidence would find vs out that his sentence and decrees are much more firme and irreuocable then those of the Medes and Persians and his truth so inuiolable and vnchangeable that what hee hath spoken cannot bee disanulled but shall surely be accomplished That he is so omnipotent in power that all the creatures in heauen and earth cannot resist his will That hee is a God that hateth iniquitie and is a consuming fire to burne vp impenitent Heb. 12. 31. sinners as stubble in which regard it is a fearefull things to fall into the hands of this iust true powerfull and euerliuing God Finally let vs consider that hee who looketh vpon vs and standeth by vs is infinitly good and gracious our deare Father in Iesus Christ who hath bestowed on vs all the benefits which wee enioy in present possession and future hope and therefore that it is great impietie and foule shame to abuse such infinite mercie and inestimable benefits by neglecting his eye and presence and sleeping through carnall securitie quietly in our sinnes without any desire to come out of them by vnfained repentance And if thus considering and meditating on Gods nature and attributes we set him continually before our eyes and ourselues and all our actions in his presence it is not possible that there should be any place to lodge securitie in our hearts For if the eye of the louing and wise Father of the iust Iudge and soueraigne King doe make Children and Subiects to shake off securitie and to carrie themselues in their presence with awfull reuerence and with a desire to approue their words and workes vnto them how much more shall we thus doe if we continually set God before vs the King of Kings the supreme Iudge of men and Angels and our most gracious Father in Iesus Christ §. 3 The third meanes is to cast off all self-confidence The third meanes is to cast of all selfe-confidence and opinion of our owne wisedome and strength as being altogether insufficient to preserue vs from the least dangers Which that wee may doe let vs consider that we are neuer neerer falling then when we rest vpon the broken staffe of our owne strength and neuer further from it then when vtterly despayring of all our owne abilities we cast these brittle reeds out of our hands which doe but trouble vs and hinder our hold and relye our selues vpon the Lord the sure and neuer fayling pillar of our strength And this we see in the example of Dauid who Psal 30. 6 7. in the strength of his prosperitie growing confident that hee could not be moued was presently troubled and foiled But when finding Psal 94. 18. his foot to slip he despaired of standing in his owne strength then the mercie of the Lord did hold him vp But especially let vs wholly denie and reiect our owne worth and merits the opinion our good natures good meanings and intentions yea of the strength of our spirituall graces as though they were sufficient to deserue Gods protection or to vphold and defend vs against all perils For this maketh vs much the lesse to respect God and reuerence his holy Maiestie and to sleepe more deadly in our carnall securitie when wee lodge in the castle of our owne strength and abilities and haue the keyes of our safetie and protection in our owne keeping Whereas if we see and acknowledge our owne insufficiencie our want of wisedome and power
the hand of his mercie hee will thrust from him with the hand of his iustice and that the greater mercie he hath shewed to mooue vs to repentance the more fearefull iudgements will he inflict vpon vs if we neglect it through our carnall securitie and because wee haue not onely wilfully wounded our soules with sinne but also haue despited our heauenly Chyrurgeon by casting away the plaisters which hee hath applied for our cure hee will let vs rot in our corruptions laugh at our destruction and mocke when Apoc. 22. 11. Pro. 1. 24 26. our feare cometh §. 9 The eighth remedie is to vse carefully the meanes of saluation The eighth meanes is that wee diligently vse the meanes of saluation seeing they are also the meanes of implanting the feare of God Ier. 3. 4. in our hearts and so remoouing and rooting out of this carnall securitie As first the carefull and conscionable hearing of the Word which is that Plow and Harrow that breaketh vp the fallow grounds of our hearts and that bruiseth and maketh them contrite so as they are fit to receiue the seeds of all spirituall graces that Hammer which breaketh these rockes in pieces and that Fire which melteth and dissolueth those mettals that cannot be broken as Ieremie speaketh and Ier. 23. 29. finally that Sword of the Spirit which giueth a deadly wound to carnall securitie whilest it layeth open the hainousnesse of sinne the wrath of God and curse of the law due vnto it the rewards promised vnto those who feare the Lord and the punishments denounced against those who liue in their securitie both in this life and the life to come Neither is it possible that we should long sleepe in carnall securitie if we leaue our eares open to receiue the voyce of these sonnes of thunder speaking vnto vs. Especially let vs withall diligence hearken vnto those admonitions and exhortations which are purposely vsed by the holy Ghost to rouze vs vp out of this sleepe of securitie As that admonition of our Sauiour Watch therefore for yee know not Matth. 24. 42. what houre your Lord doth come And againe Take yee heed watch and Mar. 13. 33. pray for yee know not when the time is Let your loynes be girded about Luk. 12. 35 36. and your lights burning and yee your selues like vnto them that wait for their Lord when he shall returne from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh yee may open vnto him immediatly Blessed are those Seruants whom the Lord when he commeth shall find watching So let vs hearken vnto and with all care meditate vpon those admonitions and exhortations of the Apostles Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp Eph. 5. 14. from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light It is now high time to awake from sleepe for now is our saluation neerer then when wee beleeued The night is farre spent and the day is at hand let vs therefore cast off the workes of darkenesse and let vs put on the armour of light Let vs not Rom. 13. 11 12. 1. Thess 5. 6. 1. Cor. 10. 12. Phil. 2. 12. sleepe as doe others but let watch and be sober He that thinketh he standeth let him take heed lest hee fall Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling Take heed lest there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeliefe in departing from the liuing God But exhort one another daily whilest it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Be sober be vigilant because your aduersarie the Deuill as Heb. 3. 12 13. a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may deuoure So also meditating in Gods law which in it selfe is sufficient to cause our hearts 2. Kings 22. 10. to melt like the heart of Iosias with true compunction and contrition so as the frozen dregs of securitie can haue no harbour and in the Gospell which will implant in them the feare of God arising out of faith and loue To this purpose serueth also the often receiuing of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper whilest labouring to come prepared that we may receiue it to life and saluation and not to iudgement and condemnation it giueth vs occasion to examine our estate and to call our selues to a strict account before Gods Tribunall and to renew our couenant with him by renewing the condition of faith and repentance And finally holy conferences whereby wee stirre vp Gods graces in one another keepe and vphold them from falling and raise them vp being fallen exuscitate and re-enliue the gifts of Gods Spirit which are readie to be cooled and quenched and by mutuall exhortations preserue one another that wee bee not hardned Heb. 3. 13. through the deceitfulnesse of sinne §. 10 The ninth remedie is to heare the Word with faith The ninth meanes is that we receiue the Word with faith without which it cannot profit vs for the shaking off this carnall securitie For as vngratious Children and Seruants proceed in their euill courses though they heare their Parents and Gouernours encouraging them to obedience by many promises and indeauouring to terrifie them by threatning punishment if they giue no credite to their word so vnlesse we beleeue Gods gratious promises made to those that feare him and his threatnings against those who securely neglect him his mercies and judgements wee will neither entertaine this feare nor banish securitie out of our hearts Whereas contrariwise if wee giue credite to the things wee heare namely that thete is a just God who beholdeth all our workes who will call all that we doe to judgement euen our vnknowne actions and secret thoughts either to crowne them with euerlasting rewards or to punish them with intolerable and endlesse torments it is not possible that we should be secure For if no man can liue in securitie who is perswaded that being liable to the Law his necke is daily in danger of the halter or that a sword hangeth ouer his head in a weake thread though these are but temporall euils which when they haue done their worst doe but hasten that death with nature would bring vnto vs with a little slower pace much lesse could they bee secure if they thought themselues indeed endangered to hellish torments and euerlasting death and condemnation §. 11 The tenth remedie is to applie the Word vnto ourselues The tenth meanes is that we doe applie vnto our selues the Word which we heare and not if we dislike it shift it off from our selues to others saying vnto our soules when wee heare reproofes this is my sinne which is reprooued seeing I haue either committed it or hauing the seeds of it in me may bring forth the fruits of it in outward act if God by his Word and holy Spirit nippe and restraine them not This admonition belongeth vnto me and I will take warning and grow wiser and more watchfull by it This instruction is mine for my better
themselues against mee round about The Lord Psal 27. 1 3. is my light and saluation whom shall I feare the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Though an host should encampe against mee my heart shall not feare though warre should rise against me in this I will be confident And with the Church God is our refuge and strength a very Psal 46. 1 2. present helpe in trouble therefore will wee not feare though the earth be remooued and though the mountaines be carried into the middest of the sea So in the time not onely of worldly prosperitie when God hedgeth him in on all sides with the pledges of his loue but also of affliction trouble and persecution hee is secure in the assurance of Gods fauour because he knoweth that these are signes of his adoption Rom. 8. 28. and that all things worke together for good to them that loue God to them that are the Called according to his purpose That vers 35. Afflictions Tribulation Distresse Persecution Famine Nakednesse Perill or Sword shall not bee able to separate him from the loue of Christ That they doe not hinder but further him in the way to euerlasting happinesse For by many tribulations we must enter into the Act. 14. 22. Kingdome of God wee must first suffer with Christ that afterwards 2. Tim. 2. 12. wee may raigne with him and these short and momentanie afflictions 2. Cor. 4. 17. shall cause vnto vs a farre most excellent and an eternall waight of glorie That they are not vnto them effects of the Legall curse but assurances of euerlasting Blessednes according to that of Dauid Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out Psal 94. 12. of thy Law And of the Apostle Peter If yee suffer for Righteousnesse Pet. 3. 14. happy are yee and bee not afraid of their terrour neither bee yee troubled And of the Apostle Iames Blessed is the man that indureth Iam. 1. 12. tentation for when he is tried he shall receiue the Crowne of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him And finally that of our Sauiour Blessed are they that are persecuted for Righteousnesse Matth. 5. 10 11. sake for theirs is the Kingdome of Heauen Blessed are yee when men reuile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of euill against you falsely for my sake reioyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heauen In which respects they that are iustified by Faith Rom. 5. 1 3. and haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ not onely reioyce in hope of the glorie of God and beare their afflictions with patience but euen glorie in tribulation as the Apostle speaketh In a word hee loseth not his spirituall securitie no not in the agonie of death it selfe because the Righteous hath hope in death and when hee Pro. 14. 32. is killed euen by Gods owne hand can say with Iob Though hee slay Iob 13. 15. mee yet will I trust in him And because hee knoweth that though Death bee able to separate his soule from the body yet it is not able Rom. 8. 38 39. to separate him from the loue of God in Christ Yea contrariwise it shall serue as a passage conducting him into Gods presence and hasten the fruition of this glorious Majestie and supreme goodnesse In whose presence is fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand there are Psal 16. 11. pleasures for euer more CHAP. II. Of the Causes and Effects of spirituall Securitie §. 1 The causes of spirituall securitie respecting God HAuing shewed what spirituall Securitie is it now followeth that wee intreate of the Causes of it which are of Deus nobis haec otiasecit Virgil. Eclog. 1. two sorts the first respecting God the other our selues The chiefe and principall cause of it is Gods free grace working this spirituall securitie in our hearts that wee may with greater ioy and cheerfulnesse performe vnto him faithfull seruice when as wee are assured that though wee haue many enemies which oppose vs in it yet none shall bee able to doe vs any hurt nor hinder vs from receiuing the recompence of reward which the Lord of his free mercy and grace hath promised vnto vs. And thus Dauid acknowledgeth that it was no wisedome power or prouidence of his owne but the Lord onely that did make him dwell in safetie And that Psal 4. 1. 91. 1. he who dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide safe from all danger vnder the shadow of the Almightie Secondly we haue this securitie by the free donation and legacie of Iesus Christ who at his comming in the flesh brought this peace with him and caused it to be proclaymed by his holy Angels Glorie to God in the Highest and on Luk. 2. 14. Earth peace good will towards men And leauing the Earth bequeathed vnto the faithfull and left this peace behind him Peace I leaue with Ioh. 14. 27. you my peace I giue vnto you not as the world giueth giue I vnto you that is a worldly and outward peace for in the World ye shall haue Ioh. 16. 33. tribulation but a spirituall peace with God and peace of Conscience by which yee shall haue inward tranquillitie of mind and securitie from all danger in the middest of earthly troubles and therefore let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid The fruit of which peace is the securitie of all the faithfull following their regeneration and change of their nature from sauage crueltie vnto a Doue-like simplicitie and Lambe-like meeknesse one towards another according to that prophesie of Esay foretelling the state of Christs Kingdome The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye downe Esa 11. 6 7. with the Kid and the Calfe and the yong Lion and the Fatling together and a little Child shall leade them c. And the suckling Child shall play on the hole of the Aspe and the weaned Child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice Den. They shall not destroy in all mine holy Mountayne for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the Waters that couer the Sea Thirdly we enioy this securitie by vertue of the Couenant of grace which God hath made with vs in Iesus Christ Wherein the Lord hath freely promised that he will be our God and King and we his peculiar People and Subiects of his Kingdome whom he will therefore receiue vnder his protection and preserue safe and secure from all danger and that he will be our Shepheard and we his Flocke and the Sheepe of his pasture whom he will keepe safe in his Sheepe-fold from the Wolfe Lion Beare and all other rauenous Beasts which shall attempt to hurt vs according to that of the Prophet I will saue my Flocke and they shall no more be a prey And I