wide Ocean which yet is but as a babe in the hands of the great God and as a little Infant in swadling bands Job 38. 9. If you or any that are near or dear to you be concern'd at Sea Oh how may this consideration comfort you that your God can as easily rule and repress the unruly Ocean as the mother doth her tender suckling when it is swadled up by her hands 't is the work of the Almighty to set bounds to that raging Element Job 38. 9 10. 2. Thus also it may mind you that though the Dragon cast forth flouds to drown the man-child Rev. 12. 15. and though the waters of affliction do rise rage against the Church and children of God yet at the rebuke of your God the waters shall be abated and the dry land shall appear Gen. 1.9 8. 3. and the Ship the Church shall come safe to shore whatever contrary wind she meets with in the world Mat. 8. 26. 14. 24. 3. The continual fluctuation of the Sea in its being tossed with tempests to keep it from stinking like a standing pool which if so would destroy the Earth This may teach you the wisdom of God in ordering all things in sending tides and winds to toss the waters and to make them some out their mire and dirt Isa 57. 20. and so keep them from corruption and likewise how needful it is for you to be afflicted and to be poured from vessel to vessel that you may not settle upon the lees as Moab did Jer. 48. 11. 4. Oh the divine Meditations that holy David had on this subject of the Sea in Psal 107.23 24 c. although his concernments lay very little in that Element as he had done before in looking upon the heavens Psal 19. 1. 8. 3. look upon all with Davids spectacles and spirit and the Sea as well as heaven and earth will afford you many divine Instructions It will teach you 1 that your heart like Reuben is as unstable as water for God and God lives Gen. 49. 4. 2 That the Lord sitteth upon the floods Psal 29. 10. and rules for ever all the fluctuations of your and the Churches afflictons God sits when they flote and fly away 3 That Merchants and Mariners in their trading and trafficking by Sea hang both their safety and success upon a few Ropes or rather upon a special immediate hand of Gods providence 4 That they which go down into the deep see such wonders of the Lord as may convince the worst Atheist in the world first as the ebbing and flowing of the Sea which should it always flow would soon overflow this Island if the hand of the Lord did not command it back by its ebb 2. As that it should not swell above its banks and break its swadling bands by the falling and flowing of so many great rivers into it 3. As the saltness of its waters although all those mighty rivers that flow into it be fresh and the innumerable company of fish in it be all fresh also 4. As those trade-winds that lay upon the face of the Sea to further Navigation every way with many other wonders 1. Thus far of occasional Meditation upon the book of Nature there is also Meditation appointed upon the book of Scripture which you must be acquainted with as far exceeding the other for the book of Nature though never so diligently read over yet will it not bring you to the saving knowledg of God in Christ nor throughly furnish you for every good work but the book of Scripture is a larger field furnished with all sorts of spiritual and fragrant flowers whereupon you may freely feed your best thoughts without ever hauseating If you can but unclasp the tables of your own heart when you unclasp your Bible a praying heart can never want a profitable subject Oh let it not please you that carnal hearts can think of things below not only an hour a day a week a month but even a whole year without weariness and that to think on Gods name Mal. 3. 17. should weary you so soon 2. This second sort of Meditation is a set and solemn acting of all the faculties of the soul upon some chosen subject till you can extract some sweet and soul-ravishing thoughts out of your own heart thereby your subject or matter of meditation must be some scriptural truth such as are summarily comprehended in Phil. 4. 8. that little Bible Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things In that one verse is contained the whole duty of man the good and the all of man Eccles 12. 13. Mic. 6. 8. The second Religious Action is Prayer which well follows Meditation for as 1. Meditation is a blessed beginning to prayer so prayer is a blessed conclusion of meditation and therefore is the double reading of Gen. 24. 63. Isaac went out to meditate or he went out to pray So then when your heart is well warmed with the Angelical duty of Meditation then fall upon the Evangelical duty of Prayer then tender and render your homage to the God of all your mercies crying with David Oh the God of my mercies Psal 59. 10. 2. You must know that Prayer is the pouring out of the heart to God Psal 62. 8. 'T is not the pouring out of your speech but of your spirit unto the Lord. God looks not so much at what you do as with what spirit you do for him you must serve God with your spirit in the Gospel of his Son Rom. 1. 9. not resting in a bare gift of prayer without the grace of prayer Zach. 12. 10. you may not fetch materials or abilities for this work from your self but you must pray in the Holy Ghost Jud. v. 20. Rom. 8.26 The lifting up of your own tools upon Gods Altar will not polish but pollute it Exod. 20. ult That earnestness in prayer which flows meerly from a natural spirit is but the cry of the creature and not the groans of that holy Spirit which helps our infirmities but expressions without impressions 3. You must pray that God may rebuke Satan that resists you in prayer watch the adversary that watches you and watch your own heart likewise which will not only hang off from this work but will also conspire with Satan to give you disturbance when you are breathing out your desires into your fathers bosom and sending this winged messenger to him you will find it hard to serve the Lord in this duty without distraction as 1 Cor. 7. 35. No enemy like one treacherous within 4. Take heed of formality in this duty as a Musicians fingers will run over such a song as he hath often played although his mind all the while be employed about other things so many run over such a
and to pray continually 1 Thes 5. 17 to wit keeping your heart in a continual praying frame your leaky vessel as aforesaid requires you to ply continually this pump of prayer Direct 4. Depend upon God for a blessing upon your daily labours Abrahams servant pray'd for success in his Enterprize Gen. 24. 12. And Moses prays Lord prosper the work of our hands Psal 90. ult 'T is true God may give success without it but never so sweet as with it Except the Lord build the house c. Psal 127.1 'T is not your diligence alone but Gods blessing that enriches Prov. 10.4 22. You may not ascribe to your own power Deut. 8. 17 nor sacrifice to your own Net Hab. 1. 16 as that proud Prince did Ezek. 29. 2. Alas all your policy and power without prayer is but Arena sine calce sand without lime mans diligence must be subordinate to Gods blessing then your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. God will bless your basket and store Deut. 28 5. though you gather little you shall have no lack the blessing of God will make it up an homer that is sufficient for you Exod. 16. 18 and your little shall be better than the riches of many wicked Psal 37. 16. The second natural action is Rest or Recreation 1. You may look upon Rest and Recreation as lawful upon a twofold account 1. Rest from labour and refreshing the body and mind are necessary because mans nature is like the bow which being always bent is easily broken therefore did the Lord appoint the Night to succeed the Day and the Sabbath to succeed the Week as fit seasons for man to rest from his labours in now that which is necessary is also lawful for God never necessitates a man to sin against him and if Rest be lawful then is some Recreation which is call'd so as it is a second creation in due time and place there must be Otium as well as Negotium The second account is your Christian liberty which Christ hath purchas'd for you extends it self not only to use the Creatures of God for necessity but also for meet and convenient delight you may delight your self in Gods great goodness Neh. 9. 25. You may be righteous over-much in denying your self such a free use of the Creature yea and condemning it too which you are allowed to have by the purchase and promise of Christ Thus Isaac who was the most loving Husband in holy Writ for 't is said of him and of none else that he loved his Wife Gen. 24.67 sported with Rebeccah his wife Gen. 26. 8. And the Jew was commanded to cheer up the heart of his Wife the first year Deut. 24. 5. And Solomon bids the Husband be always ravished with her beauty Prov. 5. 18 19. Thus Ezekiels Wife was call'd the desire of his eyes Ezek. 24. 16. Assuredly men ought to take singular Complacency in their Wives company and yet without all uncomely uxoriousness None questions Parents dandling their Children upon their knees as old Joseph did his Grand-children Gen. 50. 23. Isa 66.12 2. But then you must take these following Directions for managing your heart aright in your Rest or Recreations 1 Direct You must take heed of wasting too much precious time therein Indeed we do not so much want time as waste time a vain expence of that time which either your general calling requires in holy duties or your particular calling calls upon you for in necessary employments is not only unlawful but abominable You are commanded to redeem time Ephes 5. 16 but never to pass-time the loss of time is such a precious thing that God commands satisfaction for it Exod. 21. 19. It will be but a poor reckoning at your Lords returning in your accompt for expence of your talent of time Item spent so many days or hours in Recreation Oh what would the damned in Hell give for but one of those hours which we have wilfully wasted Time is like the Urchion or Hedghog that must not be handled by the head but by the heels in its going from you take time while time serves 2 Dir. The second Direction is be sure you be moderate in your Recreation 't is compared to honey it must be taken upon the tip of the finger only and not whole handfuls of it for fear of surfeiting Omne nimium vertitur in vitium alas man 's weak heart is soon over-charged Luk. 21. 34 and soon grows frothy foolish if not sensual and sinful in it you must know that the holy end of Recreation is to fit you the more for the duties of your general and particular calling in case of weariness of body or tiredness of mind but if it indispose you to either or both your heart doth deceive you such as spend their lives in sports and their livelihood too will prove but bad accomptants when they bring in the broken accomptants of their stewardship to their Lord and Master at the last day 3 Direct The third Direction is chuse your Recreations that are of best report and of least offence Phil. 4.8 1 Cor. 8. 13. You may not make any of Gods Judgments or Punishments for sin either in man or beast the matter or object of your sport and recreation as the folly of the natural fool the antipathy of beasts whereby they tear and destroy one another which are fruits of the fall and of mans rebellion against God so should be rather matter of mourning than of rejoycing Neither may you chuse for your sport whatsoever moves troublesome passions as fear anger c. nor those wherein is a lot which is a religious act and an ordinance of God which ought not to be sported with 4 Dir. The fourth Direction is having pitch'd upon such Recreations as are harmless and sinless yet may you not stain them with bad companions such as you cannot consort with but you must either countenance sin or contract sin such as you must contract either guilt or grief as before All tares must be bundled together such as spend their time together in sports on earth may howl in hell together to all eternity 5 Dir. The fifth Direction Notwithstanding all yet must you account it safer not to trust your heart with any Recreation at all any further than is plainly necessary get therefore up your heart to live without them and take up your whole delight in God Psal 37. 4. Then if at any time you be constrained to use them you will be as if you used them not 1 Cor. 7. 29 and as not having yet still having 2 Cor. 6. 10 that is your heart will not be engaged to any thing but to God and your affections will keep uppermost for Jesus Christ the truth is were but our affections more mortified and spiritual duties more natural to us we might better live without those than the Philosophers as they said could dine and sup without musick therefore as Joshuah houghed the
prayer as they have often used yet their hearts are roving all the time about other things God requires the strength of your affections in his service every offering must be made by fire if of a sweet favour to the Lord Levit. 1.9 13 17. yea your self as well as your sacrifice must be salted with fire Mark 6.49 David prayed and cryed with his whole heart Psal 119. 58 145. Sampson bows himself with all his might at the pillars of Dagons Temple Judg. 16. 30. and have not you the strong-holds of sin in you to be pull'd down by prayer You must go to prayer as the Sun in its strength Judg. 5.31 and come to God as a Prince Job 31. 37. the Sun in his might doth disperse clouds that would darken it and a princely spirit to wrestle with God as Jacob hath power with God and prevaileth for the blessing to put off God with cold formal devotion is the epidemical disease of all Christendom 5. Be not regardless about the returns of your prayers nor careless of the event and issue of them be not like those Archers that shoot not at a mark but at rovers at random never observing where their arrows fall Spiritual prayers are the arrows of Gods deliverance 2 King 13. 16 17. Prayer is like the bow of Ionathan 2 Sam. 1.22 it never returns empty If you dare be careless in asking how can you wonder that God is careless in answering 6. Be clothed with Humility while you are in prayer to God he that resists the proud gives grace to the humble In order hereto get the majesty of the great God with whom you have to do therein wrought kindly upon your heart till you know aright your distance not only your natural distance 'twixt God and you as you are a creature but especially your moral distance 'twixt God and you as you are a sinner In the third place I shall add but one Religious Action more to wit 1. the Observation of the Sabbath which yet is instar omnium wherein all religious actions be summarily comprehended You must look upon the Sabbath as the Epitome and Compendium of all Religion having all the priviledges that commend the most substantial precepts in Scripture to us as 1. its frequent mentioning almost in every book of the Bible 2. Gods interest after a special manner in it 't is frequently call'd His Sabbath And 3ly 't is called a special gift and favour of God to his people Exod. 16. 29. Ezek. 20. 12. Neh. 9. 14. 'T is a great favour of God that it is given to you 2. Therefore you must remember to keep it holy Exod. 20. 8. it may be read thus Remember to keep holy a day of rest unto me six days shalt thou labour but a seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God The very Preface Remember which none of the other Commands have instructs you how weighty and necessary this duty is which you are prone to forget 3. That you may keep it holy you must in the first place have an high and holy estimation of it the phrase is He that esteemeth a day and he that regardeth a day Rom. 14. 5 6. You must have an high regard for it and esteem it honourable Isa 58. 13. as the day which the Lord hath made Psal 118. 12. this Christ applys to the day of his Resurrection Mat. 21. 24. How can it but be an honourable day to you which the Lord your God hath sanctified for you 2ly As you must have an holy estimation of it so you must make an holy preparation for it you must prepare to meet your God Amos 4. 12 as the Bride prepares her self to meet her bride-groom how did Ruth wash her self and anoint her and put on her best raiment that she might become amiable and acceptable to Boaz Ruth 3. 3. how much more should you be purified for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Jews had a preparation for the Passeover Joh. 19.42 you must make preparation for the Sabbath the want of which may hinder your souls of a Sabbath-blessing as no doubt it has done 3ly You must keep it holy by an holy observation of it in using all holy means and doing all holy duties both private and publick all the whole day 4. Be sure it be a desirable day to you as well as holy and honourable it should be the desire of days You should cry with that good man to it in the morning of the Sabbath Come my bride of days thou art welcome and with David say Oh when shall I come and appear before my God Psal 42.2 where are your pantings and palpitations of heart after an enjoyment of Gods Sabbath You have six days to provide for the worser part and but one for the better how careful are you all the six days for the beast in you Oh be not careless upon that one day for the Angel in you 5. Let not your hold go of any one precious Sabbath without some sweet refreshment to your soul as well as rest to your body 't is said Exod. 31. 17. the Lord rested and was refreshed is it so with you do you find any rest for your wandring thoughts and any refreshing for your feeble spirit account it a very great loss to lose one Sabbath-day without some advantage and growth Oh what a God-blessing heart should you have that God should give you such a day and call upon you also and that often to observe that day and that not for any advantage to himself for your goodness extends not to God Psal 16. 3. though his doth to you but all for your own good This obliges you to be careful and conscientious in the improvement of the day and honouring the Son with his day under the Gospel as they honor'd the Father with
calls you 2. Of Conscience what satisfaction you find there both concerning the lawfulness and the expediency of the action 3. Of the word which ought to warrant all our actions as it is the rule of all Righteousness and 4ly of the Spirit which gives its testimony to all the aforesaid the fruits of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth Eph. 5. 9. and witnesses with our spirits that we are in Gods way and in our own duty The voice of Providence alone may deceive you as it might have done David had Abishai's apprehensions prevailed with him as 1 Sam. 26. 8. God hath delivered thine enemy Saul into thine hand this day he would not have David to tempt God any longer by letting slip this so fair an opportunity but holy David had the three other voices to hearken unto as well as that voice of Providence ver 9 10 11 neither the Word would warrant him nor his own spirit nor the spirit of God which last hinder'd Paul and Silas from going into Asia and Bithynia Act. 16. 6 7. 14. In things wherein self may sway it is safest for you to be passive in such cases you will be strongly tempted both by a subtil devil and by a deceitful heart to out-run God both in his Promises and in his Providences as Israel in Numb 14.40 We will go up unto the place which the Lord hath promised they must needs go up that very morning for self swayed their hearts that way though the pillar of Providence which was their guide by night and by day did not go before them and though they plead Gods promise yet they did not consider Gods promises are fealed but they are not dated You must wait therefore in such cases of self Gods time your time will be always ready when Gods time is not yet Joh. 7. 6. You would have your water of affliction turned into the wine of consolation at your time but Christ saith to you as he said to his Mother What have I to do with thee woman mine hour is not yet come Joh. 2.4 the day you set down in your Kalendar is not the same that God sets down in his we are all exceeding prone to post-date the divine threatnings and to antidate the divine promises we all put the evil day far from us Amos 6. 3. Ezek. 12. 27. When God comes in his threatnings we think he hath leaden feet and is slow in pace 2 Pet. 3.4 9 but when we expect him to come in his promises then we look upon him as a Roe and as a young hind in the mountains of Bether 5ly Of watching your heart in natural civil and religious actions First in General 1. Concerning your Natural Actions as labouring resting feeding and clothing c. you had need keep your heart with all diligence in respect of these Prov. 4. 23 lest you sin in them for the adversary hath some advantages over gracious spirits in them all as first that being satisfied about the lawfulness of these actions Satan will make you overlook the expediency of them 2ly He may at some time or other cheat you with divine permission for divine approbation And 3ly he may likewise deceive you in putting no just difference 'twixt the use and abuse of your Christian liberty 2. Touching the first of these let Satan tempt you to any gross sin your heart will rise with indignation against such a foul temptation and 't will be a torment to you to be tempted to it yea as much torment to your soul as sawing asunder and being slain with the sword is torment to the body Hebr. 11. 37 to be tempted is there placed betwixt those two kinds of death as if it were equally dolorous with either or both of them so that foul sins do not so much endanger your soul as it is in those lawful actions wherein Satan may more slily and insensibly beguile you out of a lawfulness into an inexpediency 3. Touching the second of them you must learn this distinction from Gods Word that though God permitted polygamy and divorces under the Jewish Poedagogy yet it was only for the hardness of their hearts Mat. 19. 8 But it was not so from the beginning saith Christ that divine dispensation for better an inconvenience than a mischief makes but little for the lawfulness of it neither can it amount to a divine approbation 4. Touching the third of them those actions that be of themselves and in their own nature lawful yet through your corruption they are capable of excess and inordinateness the sly and subtil insinuations of Satan under a pretence of your own Christian liberty in going as far as you may will carry you sometimes a little further than you should Excessive immoderate and inordinate delight is sinful although it be in objects that are not sinful in themselves This in the general concerning all those actions 2ly In particular 1. Of Labour 1. Touching Natural Actions in particular as first of labour whether it be done in the sweat of the brow or of the brain indeed a Ministers labour consists of both you must at least own one of those God made the Leviathan to sport in the Sea but nevery any man to sport on the earth every man must go forth to some work or other till the evening Psal 104. 23 26 there must be either manual or mental labour 2. Take those few directions to manage your heart in your honest employment and labour Direct 1. First beg of God for ability of body in your labour 't was part of the Serpents curse Gen. 3. 14 Vpon thy belly shalt thou go some think that God cut him shorter by the feet because he is ranked among the beasts of the field v. 1 and not among creeping things Have you the use of your limbs for your labour Oh bless God for it especially if you be strong to labour if it be a priviledg in oxen Psal 144. 24 much more in men Dir. 2. Pray that your mind may be suitable to your labour as well as your body when there is unsuitableness 'twixt the mind of man and his employment then the work never comes kindly off nor goes it comfortably end-ways either your chariot-wheels are taken off then you drive heavily or they want Unction and then they make a creaking repining noise much unlike the Chariots of Aminadab or of a willing people as the word signifies 'T is the Lord that qualified Bezaleel that was but a poor Brick-maker in Egypt for working all curious work Exod. 31. 3. And the Husband-mans God doth teach him and instruct him in all his points of Husbandry Isa 28. 26. Direct 3. See that you pursue your worldly employment with an heavenly frame of heart setting God always before you Psal 16. 8 and being in the fear of God all the day long Prov. 23. 17 evermore sending forth spiritual Ejaculations as Nehemiah and David did this is to pray always Eph. 6. 18