may likewise serve as a reason why in the New Testament there is no express command for the baptizing of Infants in particular namely because there was no question moved about the same in the Apostles times III. Come wee now to the Directions how to sanctifie the Lords Day To the sanctification whereof two things are required 1 An observing of a rest 2 A consecrating of that rest wholly to the worship and service of God I. There must bee a resting and that from several things As 1 From all the ordinary works of our Calling which is expresly set down in the Commandement Six daies shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work viz. of thy Calling And let not any pretend the greatness of their charge as a plea for their working But know assuredly that what you get that day by your labour will contribute little towards your charge For whatsoever is got on that day will not be blessed of the Lord but will prove like Achans wedge of gold which being got contrary to the command of God brought the fire of Gods curse upon all the rest which hee had lawfully gotten 2 From all kinds of recreations especially such as tend to carnal and â—ensual delight which though they may be lawful at other times yet are unlawful on the Lords Day being as expresly forbidden by God himself as the works of our Calling as you shall finde in Isa. 58. 13. where the Lord requires of his People That they turn away their feet from doing their own pleasures on his holy day And that they call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and honour him not doing their own waiâ—s nor finding their own pleasures And it is found by experience that recreations do more steal away our affections from heavenly meditations and distract us in Gods service than the works of our Calling Whereupon saith St. Augustine How much better is it to plow on the Lords Day than to dance 3 From all immoderate eating and drinking whereby wee are fitter to sleep than to attend upon the Ordinances of God And therefore how blame-worthy are they who make the Lords Day a day of Feasting their neighbours and friends For though it be lawful upon this day to make such provision as shall be convenient for our own families or for the relief of our poor neighbours yet to make solemn feasts upon this day as is the custome of too many whereby servants are kept from the publick Ordinances and our selves and guests are more indisposed to the duties of Gods worship and service must needs be unlawful And therefore though wee be not forbidden upon the Lords Day to kindle a fire for the dressing of meat yet we must take heed that wee make not such a flame as shall kindle the fire of Gods wrath against us 4 From all worldly words and discoursing of earthly affairs which the Lord himself expresly forbiddeth by the Prophet Isaiah Not speaking thine own words which imports talking and discoursing of worldly matters on the Sabbath day For where the Lord hath commanded the whole man to rest from worldly works there hee commands as the hand to rest from working so the tongue from talking of worldly matters But in the fourth Commandement the Lord hath commanded the whole man to rest from worldly works where hee saith Thou shalt do no manner of work c. Therefore hee commands the tongue to rest from talking of worldly matters as well as the hand from working of servile and worldly works How blame-worthy then are they who make the Lords Day a reckoning-day with work-men and servants or at least a visiting day amongst their friends and neighbours and so confequently a day of idle tattle about their profits pleasures or other mens matters 5 As from worldly words so from worldly thoughts as much as wee can For 1 Know that every Commandement extends to our very thoughts binding them as well as to the outward actions ex gr The sixth Commandement from murtherous thoughts as well as from the act of Murther The seventh from adulterous and lustful thoughts as well as from the act of Adultery The eighth from covetous thoughts as well as from the act of Covetousness 2 Know that the Lord requireth not onely the outward man and external actions to bee consecrated unto him but especially the inward man in which regard wee ought as much as possibly wee can to sequester our thoughts from worldly matters that they may be wholly taken up with spiritual and heavenly Meditations 6 There is another rest expected from every one on the Lords Day and that is a resting from sin which wee ought to do as much as in us lyeth at all times but especially on the Lords Day which ought to be kept as an holy rest And truly wee cannot offer unto God a greater indignity than to serve the Devil in the works of darkness on the Lords Day which is consecrated to the honour and service of God Thus much of the first particular requisite to the sanctification of the Lords Day namely an observing of a rest II. Come wee now to the second viz. A consecrating that rest wholly to the worship and service of God For it is not enough that wee keep a rest but wee must keep an holy rest barely to rest on the Sabbath day is but a Sabbath of beasts Wee must remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy For this is the chief end whereunto the outward rest tendeth Now the consecration of the Sabbaths rest consists 1 In our preparation thereunto 2 In a conscionable performance of those duties the Lord then requireth of us which may be brought to two heads viz. 1 Duties of Piety 2 Works of Mercy Duties of Piety are of three sorts viz 1 Publick 2 Private 3 Secret The which because they are interchangeably mixed with one another therefore I shall interchangeably speak of them The duties to be performed by way of preparation are these 1 Remember the day beforehand to the end you may so order and dispose of your worldly affairs that they may be dispatched in convenient time on the Eve of the Sabbath that so both your selves and servants may goe to bed in such time that your bodies may be well refreshed with sleep and your mindes fitted for the duties of the day This the Lord intimateth in the beginning of the fourth Commandement saying Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day where by remembring it may bee meant a minding of it before hand How blame worthy then are they who sit up themselves and keep their servants so late up in the night before the Sabbath that they are enforced to lye longer in their beds than ordinary on the Sabbath Day yea and when they are come into the Congregation are fitter to sleep than to hear Is this
Religion especially touching mans miserable condition by Nature and the state of redemption by Jesus Christ. 5 If thou perceivest that he hath not a due sence of his Sins endeavour to affect him with a sence and apprehension of his Sins and the hainousness of them as also of his miserable condition in regard of the punishments due unto him for the same which are all Judgements and Plagues here and eternal death and damnation with the Devils and damned in Hell 6 Question him concerning his willingness to dye and his hope of a better life after this and upon what foundation he builds his hope of salvation whether upon his good meaning and desires or upon his just and honest dealing with men or upon his frequent performance of holy duties If thou perceivest that hee builds his hope of Salvation upon any of these or upon any thing besides Jesus Christ labour to take him off from those false bottoms by shewing him the insufficiency of his good meaning and desires yea of his civil and religious righteousness to salvation how they are but rotten foundations whereon to build the hope of his Salvation 7 Having taken him off from his false bottoms and rotten foundations then instruct him in the only true ground of Salvation whereon hee may safely bottom his hope of Salvation viz. Christ and his righteousness with the Merits of his Death and Passion 8 Labour to convince him that there is no way or means of Salvation but only by beleeving in Jesus Christ by receiving him as his Priest and King by resting upon his all-sufficient Sacrifice for the pardon and forgiveness of his sins here and for eternal life and salvation hereafter 9 Perswade him thereupon to goe out of himself unto Christ to adventure his soul upon him with a disclaiming of all his own righteousness as filthy raggs to place his whole confidence upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ and upon the merits of his Death and Passion To this end set forth unto him the perfection of Christs righteousness the all-sufficiency of Christs Sacrifice with his willingness to receive and embrace all poor Sinners that will but come unto him and cast themselves and the burden of their sins upon him 10 Perswade him from his heart to forgive those who have wronged him as he expects forgiveness at the hand of God and if he hath wronged any by acts of injustice perswade him to make what restitution and satisfaction he is able telling him that goods ill gotten will prove a moath to consume and a fire to burn his whole estate 11 Because as the Apostle speaketh If we judge our selves we shall not be judged of the Lord. Perswade him to keep a Day of Judgement in his own Soul by calling to mind his Sins together with the aggravating circumstances of them and then to arraign and condemn himself for the same judging himself guilty as of all Judgements and Plagues here so of eternal torments in Hell hereafter and then to fly unto Jesus Christ for the pardon and forgiveness of his Sins who is a true City of refuge to all those who fly unto him against the Hue and Cry of their Sins and will in no wise cast out any who come unto him CHAP. XX. How to cloze the Day with God HAving shewed you how to walk with God all the day long I come now to shew you how to cloze the day and lye down with God in the evening The Directions may be brought to these two Heads 1 Such as concern our behaviour in the Evening before our going to bed 2 Such as concern our behaviour at our going to bed I. The Directions which concern our behaviour in the Evening before we goe to bed are these 1 With-draw thy self into some secret and retired place and there look back and call to mind how thou hast spent the day consider how thou hast performed the fore-mentioned Duties belonging to the several parts of the day call to mind what thy carriage hath been in secret and what in company how thou hast improved the one and the other and whether thou hast discharged the duties of thy place calling and relations As he is the best Trades-man that every day in the evening taketh an account of his worldly losses and gains so he is the best Christian that every day in the evening taketh an account of his Spiritual losses and gains whether he goe forward or backward in the ways of godliness And therefore as many Shop-keepers have their Day-books where into they enter all their buyings and sellings even all their worldly transactions which they usually review in the evening so will it be a point of Spiritual husbandry in us every evening to review the passages of the day and our transactions therein which would tend exceedingly to the good and welfare of our souls History tells us of many Heathens who were wont every evening to review the transactions of the day as of Sextius the Roman Philosopher of whom it is recorded that every evening as he was going to bed hee would question his soul what Evil he had healed what Vice he had withstood that day in what regard he was better then before an example worthy our Christian imitation and a shame it would be to us to fall short of Heathens herein II. Call to mind the passages of Gods Providence towards thee and treasure them up in thine heart and memory labouring to make a right use of them The truth is it is an argument of a prophane and irreligious heart to let the remarkable passages of Gods Providence pass away without any due observation of them for as the Psalmist speaketh The Lord hath so done his marvellous works that they ought to be had in remembrance and therefore it is thy duty and will be thy wisdome as in the day to take notice of all the passages of Gods Providence towards thee so in the evening to call them to remembrance that they may take the deeper impression upon thee III. If thou hast been moved to anger in the day time let not the Sun goe down upon thy wrath which is the counsel of the Apostle Paul whereby he implieth such a speedy suppression of anger that it may not sleep with thee for saith he in the next verse This is to give place to the Devil who like the Lion that is greedy of his Prey when the Sun is down creepeth forth seeking whom he may devour and in the night season coming to the angry man in his bed saith Gregory he setteth before him the greatness of the wrong done unto him and aggravateth the â—ame by all the amplifying circumstances thereof to heighten up his anger to a revenge and therefore saith the Apostle Let not the Sun goe down upon your wrath but if you have been moved unâ—o anger it must not live past a day lest in the day having conceived some displeasure thou travel with
thou art present at the Ordinance put forth all the strength thou canst in the partaking thereof I mean the strength of thy affections For though thou art very weak yet if thou put forth thy weakness God will accept thereof Content not thy self therefore with a meer outward participation of the Lords Supper but let thy care be to bring up thine heart and thine affections to the Ordinance and to put forth what strength thou canst II. Remember the death of Christ which is Christs command in the institution of this Ordinance for saith he This do in remembrance of mee viz. in remembrance of my bitter death and passion For the Apostle Paul explaining this remembrance of Christ applieth it to his death and the shewing it forth This do saith hee in remembrance of mee For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lords death till he come So that this Ordinance of the Lords Supper was instituted for a solemn Memorial of that great Sacrifice the Lord Jesus Christ that his death might never be forgotten but be ever fresh in our memories And why must his death be thus remembred Surely because thereby was the Covenant of Grace ratified and sealed our Redemption purchased our sins expiated our reconciliation made with God and the foundation of our peace laid And therefore at the Table let out thine heart in a serious meditation of the manifold sufferings of Christ which is the main business of this Ordinance And meditate not only of his sufferings at his death but likewise in the whole course of his life even from his cratch to his Cross from his birth to his death For his whole life was a continual suffering Meditate therefore of his mean birth and flight in his infancy of the manifold reproaches which were cast upon him from time to time yea of his manifold persecutions of their cruel handling of him at the time of his death when they apprehended him like a theef bound him arraigned and condemned him as a Malefactor buffeted him with their hands beat him with staves scourged him with whips making loâ—g furrows on his back platted on his head a Crown of sharp Thorns laid an heavy cross on his back nailed his hands and feet to that Cross give him Gall and Vineger to drink and sundry waies much afflicted him Thus was his body broken with torments In relation hereunto it is said of him That he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs Especially when thou art present at the Sacrament take a turn with Christ in the Garden by meditating of his bitter Agony wherein he sweat drops of blood which was never read or heard of in any before or since yea the blood which Christ then sweat was not thin watery blood but thick blood as St. Luke expresseth it Being in an agony his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground which latter clause sheweth that the blood of Christ passed through the pores of his body in such a plentiful manner that it trickled down to the ground in great abundance so that not only the eyes of Christ but all the parts of his body did seem to weep and that tears of blood as Bernard speaketh In this sweat of Christ there are three things remarkable which doe exceedingly set forth the greatness of his Agony 1 It was in a cold night for which cause afterwards they kindled a Fire in the High-Priests Hall and cold driveth the blood inward 2 Hee lay upon the cold ground which was enough to drive the blood inward 3 He was in exceeding great fear which naturally draweth the blood from the outward parts to the Heart and yet in a cold night lying upon the cold ground and being in great fear he sweat drops of blood Who can imagine the bitterness of our Saviours Agony at that time And what was it which put him into that agony questionless the apprehension of what hee was to suffer as appeareth by his Prayer in his Agony Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me Now if the apprehension of what hee was to suffer was so bitter oh how bitter think you were his Sufferings upon the Cross when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me which words doe not imply that the Deity was severed from the Humanity but that the Father had withdrawn from him all sensible feeling of his loving favour had restrained the influence of those beams which might any way refresh his troubled soul so that Christ might well take up the words of the captive Iews and say Behold and see if there bee any sorrow like to my sorrow wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his fierce anger These things call to mind in the time of the administration of the Sacrament not only when thou art eating the Bread and drinking the Wine but also when thou seest the Bread broken and the Wine poured forth then thou shouldst think how Christs Body was broken with torments and his Blood shed for remission of sins and also when thou seest others taking the Bread and the Wine thou shouldst then be steeping thy thoughts in the meditation of Christs bitter death and manifold sufferings This remembrance of Christs Death at the Sacrament must not be a bare Historical remembrance thereof contenting thy self with a remembrance of the History of Christs death as it is set forth by the Evangelists but it must be an operative and practical remembrance working up thine heart 1 To an unfeigned love of God who out of his free grace and rich mercy did send his dearly beloved Son out of his own bosome into the world to take our Nature upon him and therein to dye a bitter cursed death for mans redemption Who can sufficiently admire the riches of Gods love to man therein How may we with David cry out and say Lord what is maâ— that thou art mindful of him especially that thou shouldest be so mindful of him as to give the Son of thy love to suffer a cursed death upon the Cross to make us who were children of Wrath and bondslaves of Sathan Sons of God and Heirs of eternal life and salvation And how should this incomprehensible love of God fire and inflame our cold and frozen hearts with a fervent love unto him again 2 The remembrance of Christs death should work up our hearts to an ardent love of Christ for that wonderful love of his in giving himself for us his Body to be crucified his Blood to be shed and his Soul to bear the intollerable burden of his Fathers Wrath due to our Sins which made him sweat drops of blood in the Garden and to cry out on the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Oh how should this ravish our souls with admiration of so great love and inflame our hearts with love
resolution as against that sin so against the occasions and allurements thereunto For it is not possible for thee to forbear any sin to which thou hast a natural propensity unless thou shun all the occasions and alluremenâ—s thereunto IV. Every morning exercise thy Faith in Jesus Christ and thereby draw forth of his fulness grace sufficient for the day and the duties thereof To this end 1 Meditate of that fulness which is in Jesus Christ for the thorow supply of all thy wants needs and necessities as the Apostle expresseth in Col. 1. 19. It pleased the Father that in Christ should all fulness dwell Fulness of power to strengthen us in all our weaknesses fulness of wisdome to direct us in all our doubts yea fulness of spirit for the supply of his members with all needful necessary graces 2 Beleeve that Christ is thus filled for the good of his Church and Members that hee may communicate unto them of his fulness grace sufficient for the discharge of the duties both of their general and particular callings For in Christ there is not onely a fulness of abundance in regard whereof hee is sufficiently full in himself but also a fulness of redundance an overflowing fulness for the supply of all his members In which respect wee are said Iohn 1. 16. Of his fulness to receive grace for grace or grace upon grace one grace of the Spirit heaped upon another 3 Cast thy self upon Christ and his fulness resting and relying thereupon for supply of all thy wants for strength to carry thee thorow all the duties both of thy general and particular calling For by resting and relying upon the fulness that is in Jesus Christ thou wilt draw forth thereof for thy comfort and support and so make it thine own V. As thou art rising out of thy bed take all occasions of holy and heavenly meditations To give you some hints 1 When thou seest the nakedness of thy body let that minde thee of thy sin which caused thee first to be ashamed of it For our first Parents before they had sinned were not ashamed of their nakedness as you have it Gen. 2. 25. They were both naked the man and his wife and were not ashamed not because they did not know themselves to bee naked but because there was in their nakedness nothing to be ashamed of their bodies being more comely than any apparel could make them But after our first Parents had sinned then were they ashamed of their nakedness And how should the consideration thereof stir thee up earnestly to long after the Robe of Christs Righteousness to be cloathed therewith which will make thee lovely and amiable in the sight of God 2 Let thy rising out of thy bed minde thee as of a resurrection from the death of sin unto the life of grace here so likewise of the resurrection of thy body out of the grave unto eternal life at the last day when thou and every one of us must appear before the great Judge to give an account of whatsoever wee have done here 3 Let the light of the day minde thee of Jesus Christ who is often in Scripture termed Light yea the True Light 4 When thou art putting on thine Apparel let out thine heart in a serious Meditation of the Robe of Christs Righteousness which alone can make thee amiable in the sight of God And by Faith apply Christ and his Righteousness unto thy self resting and relying thereupon for the pardon and forgiveness of thy sins here and for eternal salvation hereafter Having thus shewed thee how to begin the day with God I shall adde a few Motives to quicken thee up to a conscionable use of these fore-mentioned directions 1 This will be a special means to keep out worldly wanton and impure thoughts out of thine heart so that either they will not dare to come in or shall the easier be kept out 2 Hereby thine heart will be exceedingly fenced and guarded against all the suggestions of Sathan for the heart being first possessed with the thoughts of God it will keep out the suggestions of Sathan who otherwise will not bee wanting to cast his hellish fire-brands into thy soul. 3 Good and holy thoughts first let into the heart of a Christian in the morning will keep it in the better tune all the day after so that the heart seasoned with heavenly meditations or spiritual matter in the morning will be the more savoury and spiritual all the day after For the heart retains all the day a tincture of its first thoughts in the morning As a vessel retains the favour of the liquor first put into it Obj. Happily some will object that to put in practice these rules and directions will take up too much time even more than their Callings and imployments will afford Ans. 1. True it is some mens Callings and Imployments doe not afford them so much time as others doe yet there is none but may find some time for spiritual and heavenly meditations if it be but in their rising out of their beds and putting on their cloaths 2 If thou hast not time to put in practice all these directions at least thou maist goe over some or other of them yea I shall give thee this as my special advice If thou art straightned in time rather to fix upon one or two at one time then in an overly and perfunctory manner to ramble over them all every morning Thus much of morning Meditation CHAP. II. Of secret Prayer in the morning SO soon as thou art up goe into thy Closet or into some private place and there offer up unto God a Morning Sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving let any thing be omitted rather than that if thy business be urgent and great rise the sooner dare not to attempt any thing till thou hast commended thy self and thine affairs unto God by prayer if thou take any little liberty to omit this duty the Devil will so work upon thee that by little and little thou wilt wax weary of it if Gods grace bee not the more powerful in thee And truly the morning is the fittest time for this duty of secret prayer men being then freshest and freest from worldly businesses and distractions Wee have a saying amongst us that the morning is a friend to the Muses as being the best time for study I am sure it is as true that the morning is a friend to the Graces as being the best time for any holy service For reason and experience doe teach us that in the morning our memories and senses are the quickest and all the faculties of our souls at their best having recovered fresh strength through the sweet sleep and comfortable rest we had the night past and in the morning the sooner the better for if thou shalt enter upon any worldly business or discourse before thou hast offered up thy morning Sacrifice thou shalt find it much harder to keep the
world out of thine head and thine heart close unto the duty But if some extraordinary business have occasioned thee to delay it doe not thereupon wholly omit it but be careful to take the first opportunity of retiring into thy Closet there to offer up thy morning sacrifice unto God Thus duty of secret Prayer is expresly commanded and the practice of it especially in the morning wee find also very much commended to us in the World of God First The duty it self is expresly commanded by our Lord and Saviour When thou prayest enter into thy Closet and when thou hast shut thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Here you see is a positive command for the practice of secret Prayer Enter into thy Closet or into some private place and having shut the door pray Secondly The morning is commended to us for the choysest time of practising this duty 1 By the example of Christ 2 By the practice of the faithful 1 By the example of Christ himself of whom it is recorded by Saint Mark that he rose early in the morning a great while before day and went out into a solitary place and there prayed His rising betimes shewed his earnest desire and diligent care in the performance of this duty for when wee have a good mind to do a thing wee use to rise betimes and go about it 2 For the practice of the Saints of God herein the Scripture is very plentiful It is recorded of Iob That hee rose early in the morning and offered burnt offerings before the Lord. Hee did not onely rise in the morning but early in the morning giving unto God the first fruits of the day And Davids morning devotions are often expressed in the book of Psalms As My voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up And again O God thou art my God early will I seek thee And it is recorded of Daniel That three times a day hee kneeled upon his knees and prayed and gave thanks viz. in the morning before hee entred upon any business at noon before hee went to his dinner and in the evening before hee went to bed And that this was his usual practice appears from the following expression viz. As hee did aforetime i. e. hee prayed three times a day as hee was formerly accustomed to do For the more profitable pressing of this duty of secret prayer 1 I shall give you some motives to quicken you up to a conscionable performance thereof 2 Answer some Objections 3 Give you some Directions for the right manner of performing it The Motives may bee drawn to Three Heads 1 The Excellency 2 The Necessity 3 The Utility thereof I. The Excellency of secret prayer appears in two particulars 1 In that it increaseth our Communion and Fellowship with God bringing us into a familiar acquaintance with him As the converses of a Christian soul with God in secret prayer are sweet so oh how sweet are the discoveries that the Lord often makes of himself to the soul of a Christian in his secret prayers When Daniel was praying alone in secret it was said unto him Thou art greatly beloved 2 The Excellency of secret prayer appears in that it procures a comfort and sweetness upon those mercies which it obtaineth For this is an experimental Truth That those mercies which are given in as answers and returns to our prayers are the sweetest and most comfortable And certainly this is one reason why many finde so little comfort in their yoak-fellows in their children in their estate and the like they did not seek them of God by secret prayer and so did not receive them as answers to their prayers but only from an hand of common providence without any seeking of theirs II. The Necessity of secret prayer especially in the morning appeareth 1 In that without it wee cannot with any confidence expect Gods blessing upon our pains and indeavours For as the Psalmist speaketh Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it So except the Lord bless our pains and indeavours it is in vain to rise◠up early to sit up late and to eat the bread of sorrow and prayer is the means God hath sanctified for the obtaining his blessing 2 In regard of manifold casualties whereunto we are subject for death lieth every where in wait for us so that wee go every moment in danger of our lives If wee walk in the streets so many tiles on the house top so many deaths hang over our heads if wee walk in the fields so many beasts as wee meet withall so many enemies to indanger our lives Yea how many have risen well in the morning who have been found dead before the evening And what hath befallen one may befall another And how sad a thing will it be to be Arrested by Death and called to the Bar of Gods Judgement to plead Guilty or not Guilty before we have 〈◊〉 our selves at the Throne of Grace to Sue forth our pardon III. A third Motive may bee taken from the utility of this duty and indeed manifold are the benefits which usually follow and accompany the same As 1 It is the proper means appointed by God himself for the obtaining of all sorts of good things at his hands and therefore where this duty is enjoyned we very often finde it attended with very excellent Promises annexed to encourage us with faith and confidence to call upon him as Ask and it shall be given you seek and yee shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you c. 2 By accustoming our selves to pray in our Closets or private Chambers we shall be the better fitted to pray in the presence of others And such as are Parents and Masters of Families will bee thereby enabled to pray with their Families for certainly one special reason why many Parents and Masters of Families doe neglect that necessary duty of praying with their Families is their not accustoming themselves to pray in secret morning and evening What David said of Saul's armour I cannot goe therein for I never proved it The like may some say of Prayer I cannot goe thereto for I never used it The accustoming ourselves to pray alone in secret will fit us to pray in the presence of others Having given you some Motives to quicken you up to a conscionable performance of Secret Prayer and that especially in the morning I shall answer an objection or two Obj. 1. Some are apt to object their little leasure and great imployment to excuse themselves from offering up their morning Sacrifice unto God Answ. 1. The greater your imployments are the more need you have to offer up your morning Sacrifice unto God thereby to seek his assistance and blessing upon your pains and endeavours
bountifully and more willingly because the stock out of which they give is prepared before-hand and it being a sacred Stock by their voluntary setting it apart to such an use their conscience will account it sacriledge to lay it out any other way If poor men that live by their daies labour and servants that live on their wages would every Lords Day lay up some half-pennies or pence for this end and purpose they might have without any sensible dammage to themselves a stock for the poor How much greater store would be for the poor if rich men according to Gods blessing on them would so do 2 Visiting the sick and such as are otherwise restrained of liberty This we finde practised by our Saviour and that upon the Sabbath day after the publick ordinances were ended as Mark. 1 29 30. where we read that our Saviour with some of his Apostles After they were come out of the Synagogue went to visit Peters wives Mother who lay sick of a Feaver which sheweth That Christ accounted it a work of mercy suitable to the Sabbath to visit the sick From whence we may learn as just occasion is offered to spend some time of the Sabbath in visiting the sick it being an especial work of mercy proper to the Sabbath yea and an especial means to fill our minds with spiritual Meditations and our mouths with holy conferences which are parts of private sanctification of the Sabbath What time therefore others spend in idleness or vain company or sitting at street-doors or walking abroad in the streets and fields let us spend in this and such like works of mercy Directions for the right manner of visiting the Sick see in Chap. XIX Besides these duties of Piety and works of Mercy which are commanded to be done on the Lords Day There are some things which the Lord permits unto us in regard of the weakness and infirmities of our bodies viz. Sleep Food and Apparel Because we cannot with strength and delight spend the whole day in Sabbath duties without competent rest food and apparel therefore it is lawful for us to spend some time as in sleep so in apparelling our selves and in refreshing our bodies with food which otherwise would be ready to faint But by a moderate use of these we are inabled to do the things we take in hand the more chearfully But herein two Cautions ought carefully to be observed 1 You must spend no more time about them than needs must Wherefore your bodies being refreshed with moderate sleep you ought to get up early on the Lords Day as about six or seven of the clock and to use all possible speed in dressing your selves and not to sit longer than needs must at your meals that so you may have the more time for the duties of Gods worship and service on his day And truly since the Lord is so good and gracious unto you as to afford you some part of his own day for the refreshment of your bodies Far be it from you to abuse his goodness by lavishing away more time therein than needs must Second Caution Do them as Sabbath-dayes-works which is done two waies 1 By doing them for this end that thereby you may bee the better inabled to serve God Thus when at your lying down the evening before the Sabbath you desire God to give you quiet comfortable sleep that thereby your weak bodies may be refreshed and you the better inabled to serve him the next day in the duties of his worship and service this is a Sabbath-sleep In like manner when you eat and drink for this very end that your bodies may be refreshed and your spirits revived and you thereby the better inabled with chearfulness to serve God the remaining part of the day this is a Sabbaths-eating and drinking 2 By raising spiritual and heavenly Meditations from the same At your first awaking you should call to minde what day it is and having blessed God for your comfortable rest and sleep that night you should beg of him the special assistance of his grace to carry you thorow all the duties of the day When you are rising out of your beds you should think as of the Resurrection of Christs body out of his grave early on that day so likewise of the Resurrection of your Souls here out of the death of sin to the life of holiness and of your bodies at the last day out of the grave of the earth to the life of glory in Heaven In your apparessing your selves you should then think of the long white Robe of Christs Righteousness and of the happiness of those who have an interest therein When you are washing your hands and your faces from the cleansing virtue of the water you should take occasion to meditate of the cleansing virtue of Christs blood which alone washeth your souls from the filthy spots and stains of sin When you go to your Tables to partake of Gods good creatures your corporal food for the nourishment of your bodies should minister occasion of meditating on the spiritual food of your souls whereby they are nourished unto everlasting life The bread on your Tables should minde you of Jesus Christ who is the bread of life that came down from Heaven to quicken your dead souls Thus from every thing should you indeavour to draw matter of spiritual and heavenly meditation labouring to keep your hearâ—s in an holy frame all the day long For what our Saviour said to his Disciples concerning the loaves and the fishes Gather up the fragments let nothing bee lost The like he seemeth to speak unto you concerning the Lords Day gather up the parcels thereof let no part of the day be lost no not the least minutes which are precious as the least filings of Gold As the Lord doth permit unto you some things which your weak bodies stand in need of that thereby you may be the better inabled to serve him on his day So he is pleased to allow some things to be done by you even on his day though they hinder the performance of the proper works thereof and they are such things as are of absolute necessity Quest. If you ask what I mean by works of absolute necessity Answ. Such as must needs be done and yet could not be done the day before the Sabbath nor put off to the day after without great prejudâ—ce But on the other side such things as do no way further the sanctification of the day but rather hinder the same and may as well be done the day before or the day after or some other time ought not to be done on the Lords Day Having thus done with the Directions for the right sanctification of the Lords Day IV. Come we now to the Motives to quicken you up to a conscionable observation of the Directions 1 A right sanctification of the Lords Day maketh much to the honour of God Mark what the Lord himself saith to his Church in this case by his