Think of the evil qualities of sin As 1 That it is most foul and filthy yea far more filthy than a conâ—luence of all the most filthy nasty loathsome things in the world And therefore in the Scriptures it is not onely called filthy but filthiness it self 3 Think how it is most infectious having a pestilential quality that pollutes every thing turning all our spiritual services even our Prayers Hearing Meditation c. into abomination 4 Think how sin is most deceitful which though it appear at first with a Syrens face most delightful yet it will prove at last to have a Serpents sting and to wound mortally And though for the present the way of sin may bee very pleasant and delightful yet the end and issue thereof will be very bitter if not fearful â—nd doleful IV. Think of the fearful effects and cursed â—â—â—â—uents of sin As 1 How it makes a separation between God and our souls so that there can bee no sweet communion between God and us whereby sin appeareth to be a greater evil than poverty imprisonment flame of fire or the like for a man may lye under all these evils and yet lye in Gods bosome 2 Think how in exposeth thee to all the miseries and calamities that can befall man both here and hereafter For it brings upon him hardness of heart horrour of conscience vexation and anguish of soul and all kinde of spiritual evils the least of which is far worse than all the plagues of Egypt 4 It likewise subjecteth his body to weaknesses sicknesses and diseases Yea sin while it remaineth unpardoned subjects a man to all the dreadful fruits and effects of Gods wrath which are all judgements and plagues here and eternal torture and torments in that everlasting lake where is nothing but weeping and willing and gnashing of teeth Having thus done with the work of Cogitation Then fall upon the work of Application to apply these fore-mentioned truths unto thy self for the warming of thine heart and quickening of thine affections 1 Make this application to thy self to look after Jesus Christ and to value him above all things Let the consideration of thy manifold sins drive thee unto Jesus Christ who alone can free thee from the guilt of them and punishments due unto them Happy is hee whom the sense of his sins makes to long in his soul for Christ and to count all things but dross and dung in comparison of him and that rejoyceth in that fountain of grace which the Lord hath opened for sin and for uncleanness and triumphs in his spirit because of the hope to be discharged by another of that for which himself cannot satisfie 2 Admire the wonderful patience of God in bearing with thee so long notwithstanding thy manifold provocations It may bee thou hast been a swearer a Sabbath-breaker an unclean person for many years and yet God hath spared thee Oh thence take occasion to admire the long-suffering and forbearance of God towards thee 3 Let the consideration of the hainous nature of sin and fearful punishments due unto thee for the same ravish thy soul with an admiratâ—â—â— of the love of Christ yea and inflame thy heart with a 〈…〉 who hath born thy sins for thee and by his death satisfied Gods justice for the same Having thus done with the work of Cogitation and Application then proceed to Resolution against sin for the time to come Resolve therefore to give sin a Bill of divorse to be more watchful against sin that it may not rule nor reign in thee as formerly it hath done say with thy self Though I cannot utterly destroy sin but that it will remain and abide in mee yet I am resolved with the assistance of Gods grace so to keep it under that it shall not reign in mee that though it do keep possession in mee yet that it shall not have dominion over mee To this end I will carefully shun and avoid all the occasions and means which may allure and draw mee unto sin And then for a conclusion begge of God that as hee hath been pleased to put any good purpose and resolution into thine heart so hee would inable thee by his holy Spirit to bring it to act and execution that hee would strengthen thee to perform what thou hast promised With an acknowledgement of thine own weakness and inability beg power and strength from God for it is his power that must strengthen thee against the power of thy lusts and corruptions CHAP. XIII Of our Behaviour in Company AS thou must be watchful over thy self when thou art alone so likewise when thou art in company looking unto thy behaviour therein and the rather because wee are generally more apt to transgress in company than when wee are alone experience teacheth us that many who in secret are watchful over their thoughts labouring to improve their privacy by some heavenly meditation and sweet communion with God are in company very apt to forget God and themselves too by giving too much way to the satisfying of their carnal lusts and pleasures whereby they fall into many sins And therefore it will not be amiss to set down some directions to guide thee when thou art in company But before I lay down these Directions I shall premise an Argument or two to perswade thee to make choice of the good and godly and by no means of wicked and ungodly â—â—sons for thine ordinary converse As also a preparatory advice or 〈◊〉 for the better fitting and preparing of thee to improve thy converse with men to the best spiritual advantage 1 Therefore highly prize and earnestly seek the company of such as are godly because thou wilt finde a greater increase in thy Piety Knowledge Faith Zeal and all other graces thereby if you look into the Primitive times you shall finde that when the Christians did most frequently associate themselves together delighting in the communion of each other then did they most of all thrive and increase as in Piety so in Knowledge Faith Love Zeal and all other graces And it may be observed that where the people of God do not associate themselves in holy communion there is little thriving in grace and godliness though they live under never so powerful a Ministery 2 Avoid as much as may bee the society of wicked and prophane persons especially such as are scoffers at Godliness and Religion Because wee are very apt to be perverted by evil company and corrupted with the contagion of their sins such pitch will defile our garments 3 Avoid the society of wicked men because wee are thereby in danger to bee involved in their temporal plagues All prophane men being liable every moment to those fearful plagues and judgements which their sins justly deserve and earnestly call for If God should showre them down upon them while the godly are in their company how can they expect immunity from the same 4 Avoid their company because wee shall thereby incourage and imbolden
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
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
again unto him who did and suffered so much for us How should the meditation of the manifold sufferings of Christ especially of his bitter Death and Passion work in us an holy passion of love 3 The remembrance of Christs death should work in us a care to please him in all things to be willing to doe and suffer any thing for him who hath done and suffered so much for us which Christ declareth to be a good proof of our love to him saying If yee love me keep my Commandements And though we cannot exactly keep the Commandements of Christ yet we may and ought sincerely to endeavour the keeping of them without which our profession of love is but vain and fruitless in shew and not in truth 4 The remembrance of Christs death should work in us a godly sorrow for our sins as the true cause of his sufferings For the truth is it was not so much Iudas that betrayed Christ nor the Scribes and Pharisees that accused him nor Pilate that condemned him nor the Souldiers that Crucified him nor the Devil that set them all on work as our sins that were the true cause of Christs sufferings The Souldiers that Scourged him and Crucified him were but our Executioners to inflict on him those punishments which our Sins deserved and Gods Justice imposed for the same They were our Sins which envenomed those Whips that scourged his innocent Body those Thorns which pricked his Temples and those Nayls which pierced his Hands and Feet and made them so bitter unto him Oh therefore that we could so look upon him whom we have pierced by our Sins that we might mourn as one that mourneth for his only Son and be in bitterness as one that is in bitterness for his first-born 5 The remembrance of Christs death should work in us the death of Sin wee should so remember the death of Christ as to dye unto Sin For the Apostle Paul urges our death to sin from the death of Christ that as Christ dyed and rose again so wee should dye to sin and live to God To this end let us hate and loath Sin as the greatest evil resolving with the assistance of Gods grace to leave and forsake all manner of sins for the time to come for why should any sin seem light to us which lay so heavie upon our Saviour as to cast him into a bloody sweat Why should any sin be sweet to us which was so bitter to our Saviour Farre bee it from us by our renewed sins to tear open his Wounds afresh and Crucifie him again 6 The remembrance of Christs death should work uâ— our hearts to some due thankfulness unto God and his Son Iesus Christ for their unspeakable love and mercy towards us therein Thankfulness is a grace not only to be exercised after our receiving of the Sacrament but likewise while we are present at the Ordinance when our hearts are affected with the apprehension of the incomprehensible love of God the Father in giving his beloved Son out of his own bosome to dye for us and of the unspeakable love of Christ in offering his own Body a Sacrifice upon the Cross for our Sins then should they break forth in praises and thanksgivings unto God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. III. Another Duty to be performed at the Ordinance is the exercise of thy graces more especially thy faith and repentance It is not enough that thou bring faith repentance and other graces to the Sacrament but thou must likewise there stirre up thy graces and exercise the same or else thou wilt be an unworthy receiver For not only a wicked man that wants grace but likewise a child of God that hath true grace may receive the Sacrament unworthily and go away without any comfort or benefit at all namely if hee do not there stir up and exercise his graces For Sacraments do not work as Physick by a virtue inherent in them but according to the disposition of the party that partaketh of them And therefore as thou wouldest be a worthy guest and partake of the comfort of the Ordinance stir up and exercise thy graces As I. Thy Faith This is the chief grace to be exercised at the Sacrament for Faith is the eye of the Soul whereby it seeth and discerneth the body and blood of Christ under the elements of bread and wine it is likewise the hand of the Soul whereby it receiveth Jesus Christ and the mouth of the Soul whereby it feedeth upon Jesus Christ. And therefore without the exercising of thy Faith at the Sacrament thou canst receive no benefit at all There is a threefold act of Faith to be exercised at the Lords Supper 1 To look out for Jesus Christ. 2 To receive Christ. 3 To apply and appropriate him unto thine own self 1 The first act of Faith is to look out for Christ and therefore when thou art present at the Lords Supper rest not in the outward elements in the beholding and taking of them but with the eye of Faith discern the body and blood of Christ under the elements of bread and wine which indeed do spiritually sacramentally set forth the body and blood of Christ as is clear from Christs own expression for holding the bread in his hand he said of it This is my body i. e. Mystically and Sacramentally by way of representation as if hee had said This bread representeth my body And holding the cup that had wine in it and speaking of the wine therein hee saith This is my blood i. e. Mystically and Sacramentally by way of representation q. d. This wine representeth my blood And as thou art not to rest in the outward elements so neither in the outward rites and actions but in the beholding of them thou art with the eye of Faith to see and discern the spiritual things signified thereby When therefore thou beholdest the Minister breaking the bread then meditate of the manifold sufferings of Christ and with the eye of Faith look upon Jesus Christ hanging upon the Cross there conflicting with his Fathers wrath and groaning under the weight and burden of our sins Behold his blessed body broken and torn with stripes and wounds with whips and nails The Apostle St. Paul thus bringeth in Christ himself applying that rite of breaking the bread for saith hee Christ took bread and brake it and said This is my body which is broken for you which yet is not to be so understood as if his blessed body or any part or member thereof were broken in two peeces For that charge of not breaking a bone of the Paschal Lamb is applied to Christ in that his leggs were not broken But of the breakings of his flesh by thorns whips nails c. and other sufferings which hee endured in his body till his blood was shed This rite also of breaking the bread implieth thaâ— the sufferings of Christ were so many and so great
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
truly rooted and grounded in the heart but that it will bud forth and shew it self in the fruits of a godly life That man therefore deceiveth himself who thinks his heart is purged and reformed when his life is polluted For as the fruits declare the tree so the actions of men manifest their affections II. The Necessity of this grace of Repentance in every worthy Communicant upon his approaching to the Lords Table appeareth because we come to receive a sacrifice for sin but to offer to receive a sacrifice for sin without turning from sin is to count the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing We are not ignorant that one main end of our approaching to the Lords Table is to receive Christ as he hath offered himself a sacrifice and price of Redemption for our sins for so he is set forth in that Sacrament the breaking of the bread and pouring out of the Wine import as much Yea Christ expresly saith of the Sacramental Cup This is my blood which is shed for remission of sins Now he that looketh for pardon of sin must have a full purpose and according to his purpose a faithful and resolute indeavour to forsake sin which is and will be the mind of every true penitent and so also it ought to be The Lord therefore requireth of them who bring their sacrifices to him for pardon That they take away the evil of their works and cease to do evil and learn to do well and thereupon inferreth this gracious invitation Come now and let us reason together With what face then dares an impenitent sinner that is not touched with any remorse for his sins past nor hath any purpose to turn from his sins for the time to come offer to take that body which was broken and that blood which was shed for sin Such an eating and drinking of Christs body and blood is a plain trampling of the Son of God under foot and a counting of the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing a thing that may be mixed with impuâ—e and unholy things If this be not to be guilty of the body and blood of Christ what can be III. For the Trial of thy Repentance whether it be found and sincere thou mayest know it by these signs and notes 1 By a godly sorrow for sins past By a godly sorrow I mean such a sorrow as maketh God its object that is when we grieve and mourn for sin more out of respect to God than for fear of punishment that we have offended so good a God so gracious a Father so bountiful a Lord and Master I deny not but it is good and commendable to grieve and mourn for sin in respect of punishment for fear of Hell For it is a good preparatory to a godly sorrow But we must not rest therein By this therefore try and examine the truth of thy Repentance for wheresoever there is true Repentance there must be this godly sorrow 2. A turning from those evil waies wherein we have formerly walked as you may see in the example of those penitents that are recorded in Scripture as of Paul Peter Zacheus and others who upon their repentance turned from those evil courses wherein they had formerly walked Hereby therefore try the truth of thy repentance Hath it wrought a change and alteration in thy course of life are old things done away is there a forsaking of former sins hast thou leâ—t thy swearing thy drunkenness thy whoredomes thy cousenings by false weights and measures canst thou say of thy self as Paul did of the Corinthians I was once a swearer a drunkard an adulterer a reviler an extortioner a covetous person and the like But now I am washed now I am sanctified yea and justified in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ and by the spirit of my God Canst thou thus say of thy self and that in truth and sincerity of heart then thou hast some comfortable evidence of the truth and soundness of thy repentance But how vainly do they deceive themselves who because they have made confession of their sins unto God and happily with some few â—ears flatter themselves with a conceit of true repentance when yet they still live and continue in their former sinfull courses wall owing like swine in the filth of sin and mire of sinfull filthiness 3. A turning unto God for where there is true repentance there is not onely a turning from sin but likewise a turning unto God Whereby I mean a sincere endeavour to serve and please God in newness of life and better obedience Hath then the sense and smart of thy former wandrings made thee earnestly to wish that thou mightest please God better for the time to come make much of such affections in thy soul for it is an evident sign of some change there IV. A fourth grace necessarily required of every Communicant before he presume to come to the Lords Table is LOVE yeâ— a two fold Love is required of every Communicant viz. 1 A love of God and of Christ. 2. A love of his Neighbour Both which are unseparably knit together yet for a more distinct handling of them I will sever them in my discourse and treat of them apart shewing you 1. The necessity of them to a worthy partaking of the Lords Supper 2 Some sings and notes for the trial of them I. First For the Love of God that is necessarily required of every Communicant because the greatest evidence that ever was given of Gods Love is there set before us For Jesus Christ the only Son of God and Saviour of man is the greatest evidence of Gods Love that ever was or can be Should God set himself to make another world and to confer on that world a greater gift than he hath conferred on this world namely his onely begotten and dearly beloved Son we may boldly say hee could not Neither can the creatures receive nor the Creator give a greater gift and that both in regard of the excellency of the gift it self and also in regard of the need wherein we stood thereof and of the good we reap thereby Therefore Gods love in this evidence thereof is so set out as goes beyond all expression God so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Son c. So unutterably so unconceivably so infinitely as who shall indeavour to express this SO to the full shall do it but So So. Seeing then such an evidence of such love of God to man is set out at the Lordsâ— Table should not every one who approacheth thereunto to partake of that evidence of Gods love come with an heart filled with a love to God and with a resolution to shew forth all fruits of a true love of God on all occasions And as we must come with a love to God so with a love to Iesus Christ who so loved us as to dye a cruel cursed death for us And thereby manifested greater love to us than
hath a low mean esteem of Christ who thinks him not able to recompence the loss of a base lust 2 An over-much love of the world and worldly things The truth is that soul that is not in some measure divorsed from the world cannot by faith embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as her Husband O therefore let it be your daily Prayer and earnest endeavour to wean your hearts more and more from the love of these earthly things that yee may not love them so much as thereby to be kept from loving and embracing of Jesus Christ. 3 Spiritual Pride grounded upon a mans over-valuing conceit of himself and of his own estate How many are apt to think with the Church of Laodicea that they are rich and full and have need of nothing when in truth they are poor and blind and naked wretched and miserable being empty of all grace and goodness yea they are the more wretched and miserable because they know not their misery and so see no need no necessity they have of Jesus Christ which is the saddest condition in the world for such are furthest off from going unto Christ and beleeving in him Hee therefore that would imbrace Jesus Christ as his Saviour must come with an empty hand and heart receiving him with an empty hand of Faith into an empty heart emptied of all self as self righteousness self-worthiness self-goodness c. II. The Lets and Impediments that keep off many a sincere broken-hearted sinner from clozing with Jesus Christ and beleeving in him are these and such like 1 A deep apprehension of the number and heinousness of their sins For the removal of this let such consider 1 That the more and greater their sins are the greater need they have to go unto Iesus Christ and to cast themselves and the burthen of their sins upon him For as the more sick any are in body the more need they have of a Physician So the more sinful any souls are the more sick of sin the more need they have to go unto Jesus Christ who is the onely Physician of the soul who both can and will heal all their sins which are the spiritual diseases of their souls as readily as he healed bodily diseases when he was upon the earth if they will go unto him 2 Let such know and consider that the apprehension of the number and heinousness of their sins should be so far from keeping them from going to Christ and receiving him that it should be a forcible Argument to drive them unto Christ seeing Christ professeth hee came into the world to save sinners where by sinners are meant such as are truly sensible of their sins And thereupon all such sinners are invited to come unâ—o him Come unto mee all yee that labour and are heavy laden viz. with the weight and burden of your sins And therefore the Apostle Paul averreth this truth with a gloriovs preface This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation viz. That Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and that without exception of sins or persons yea that hee came to save the chief of sinners Why then should the apprehension of thy sins keep thee off from going unto Christ and resting upon him for salvation when as hee came to save such sinners as thou art nay worser even the chief of sinners 2 A second Let and Impediment is A doubting of Christs willingness to receive them if they should go unto him For the better convincing such of Christs willingness to receive and imbrace all poor sinners that will but go unto him and imbrace him with the arms of their Faith I shall lay down three grounds thereof 1 The first is the several gracious invitations of Christ to poor sinners to come unto him as Isa. 55. 1. Mat. 11. 28. Ioh. 7. 37. 2 Christs willingness appears in that hee hath instituted and appointed his Ministers hee hath dispatched Embassadors in his name to wooe instruct and beseech men to come in unto him and to accept of that Reconciliation which hee hath purchased by his blood 3 Christs willingness doth appear in that hee â—oth accept of the least and lowest degree of Faith and will not discourage the weakest soul that cometh unto him A bruised reed shall hee not break and smoaking flax shall hee not quench As by a bruised need is there meant a weak Christian so by smoaking flax such an one as hath corruption mixed with grace For the flax there mentioned is the weick of a Candle which if it smoak giveth but little light and yeelds a stinking savour Though true beleevers by reason of the flesh in them may bee such yet will not Christ quench that little light of Faith that is in them 3 A third Let and Impediment is a fear and jealousie that they are not sufficiently humbled under the sense of their sins and the rather because they do not finde their hearts so broken as the hearts of others have been For the removal of this I desire such to take notice of these things 1 That a man may be sufficiently humbled and broken for his sins though not so deeply as others for true humiliation admits of degrees and all Christians have it not in a like measure And therefore far be it from any to conclude that they are not sufficiently humbled because they have not attained to such a measure and degree thereof as some others have 2 Though thou art not so deeply humbled as some others have been yet if thou art so sensible of thy sins and of thy misery thereby that thou art truly sensible of the need and necessity thou hast of Jesus Christ it is sufficient and thou mayest with boldness go unto Jesus Christ roul thy self into his bosome and cast thy self into his arms Though thou never knewest what belongs to the bitter throws and stinging pangs which others feel in their new birth yet that work being done for which deep humiliation is required namely to be sensible of the need of Christ and thereupon to long after him thou mayest bee incouraged to go unto Jesus Christ and to rest upon him as for the pardon of thy sins here so for eternal life and salvation hereafter 3 Know that if thou beest not at present so deeply humbled and broken for thy sins as thou wouldest be yet thou mayest bee more humbled after thy beleeving in Christ. For a Christians sorrow and humiliation for sin and misery is not all at first but oftenâ—imes it is more and greater after a clozing with Jesus Christ and a sensible feeling of Gods love than it was before Yea the leâ—s humiliation before Faith in Jesus Christ the more many times follows after And that is true humiliation and Evangelical Repeâ—tance which followeth after Faith 4 Another Let and Impediment that keeps off many a sincere Christian from going unto Christ and clozing with him is a fear and sealousie that their day of