no contentment in their greatest abundance but like sweete drinkes encrease thirst and as fuell put into the fire inflame the heate of carnall concupiscence Or if they giue some seeming content in the time of health yet how little pleasure doe we take in them vpon our sicke beds though they haue some taste vnto our carnall appetite in the time of life and strength yet what an after tang leaue they at parting and how little comfort and contentment bring they against the terrours of death and the dreadfull apprehensions of approaching Iudgement §. Sect. 4 The third reason which is taken from the necessity of piety The third reason is taken from the necessity of piety seeing without it wee can haue no assurance of any spirituall benefit neither in this life nor in the life to come For it is the end which God hath proposed vnto Ephe. 1. 4. them all vnto which he most certainely attaineth if we euer attaine vnto them seeing he who is infinite in wisedome and power can neuer faile of his end which he propoundeth to his actions Now the Lord hath chosen vs that we should be holy hee hath redeemed vs out of the hands of all our Luke 1. 74. Col. 1. 22. spirituall enemies that we should worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our liues We are reconciled by Christ in the body of his flesh through death that hee may present vs holy and vnblameable in Gods sight He hath adopted vs for his children that wee may be holy as he is holy He hath iustified and pardoned all our sinnes that being freed from Leuit. 19. 2. Mat. 5. 45. Rom. 6. 18. sinne wee may become the seruants of righteousnesse And therefore without this holinesse we can haue no assurance that we are elected redeemed reconciled adopted or iustified and consequently that we shall be saued for though it be not the cause of our happinesse yet it is the way that leadeth vnto it in which if we walk not we shal neuer come into that place of blessednes for without holinesse none shall see the Lord as the Apostle teacheth vs. Heb. 12. 14. §. Sect. 5 The fourth reason perswading vs to piety which is the consideration of Gods manifold mercies and of Christs comming to Iudgement Vnto these reasons we may adde the consideration of Gods manifold mercies in Iesus Christ which ought to bee notable inducements to moue vs to the imbracing and practising of piety For what greater incouragement can we haue to make vs zealous and cheerefull in the duties of Gods seruice then to consider how gracious and good God hath beene vnto vs in our creation redemption and continuall preseruation in giuing vnto vs his Sonne and pardoning our sinnes in freeing vs out of the cruell bondage of all our spirituall enemies and in multiplying his blessings vpon vs both in spirituall and corporall things And this argument the Apostle vseth to this purpose I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that yee present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable Rom. 21. 1. to God which is your reasonable seruice And as the fruition of Gods present fauours ought to make vs forward in his seruice so also the consideration of his gracious promises concerning better and more excellent things in time to come euen the full fruition of his glorious presence and eternall blessednesse in his euerlasting Kingdome And this reason also the Apostle vseth to this end Hauing therefore these promises dearely beloued let vs 2. Cor. 7. 1. clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting our holinesse in the feare of God Finally the consideration of Christs comming to Iudgement should perswade vs vnto holinesse when as the heauens being on fire shall be dissolued and passe away with a noyse the elements melt with feruent heate and the earth with all the workes thereof shall be burnt vp For then onely they shall bee happy who haue beene holy and raigne with God in glory who haue faithfully serued him in holinesse and righteousnesse in the Kingdome of grace And thus the Apostle Peter reasoneth Seeing then saith he that all these things shall be dissolued what manner of persons ought yee to be in all holy conuersation and godlinesse But I shall 2. Pet. 3. 11. haue hereafter occasion to speake more fully of this point when I come to shew the manifold reasons and motiues which may induce and perswade vs vnto a godly life and therefore for the present I will content my selfe thus briefly to haue touched them referring the Reader for his more full satisfaction to the following discourse CAP. III. Of our adhering and cleauing vnto God with the full purpose and resolution of our hearts §. Sect. 1 Of the summe of the first Commandement WE haue spoken of piety which is the summe of the first Table And now it followeth that we speake briefely of the particular precepts the first whereof is contayned in these words Thou shalt haue no other gods before me or before my face The maine scope and summe whereof is this that wee know acknowledge and worship Iehouah the Father Sonne and holy Ghost in Trinity of persons and vnity of Essence and no other gods besides him For to haue God is in our mindes and vnderstandings to know and acknowledge him to bee our God all-sufficient incomprehensible omnipotent immutable eternall iust mercifull and infinite in all perfection in our hearts and affections to adhere and cleane vnto him with faith affiance hope loue zeale whom we know to be the chiefe Goodnesse and supreme cause of all our happinesse in our wills with all earnest desire and constant resolution to serue and obey him in all his Commandements with all the power and faculties of our bodies and soules whom we know and acknowledge to be the chiefe end of all things and so infinitely good gracious vnto vs and with our bodies actions and indeuours to worship and serue him alone with all our might and strength So that the true sauing knowledge of God is the ground of all other vertues and obedience as we haue shewed and therefore if wee would imbrace any vertues or perform any Christian duties of a godly life we must in the first place labour to haue our mindes inlightened with the knowledge of God and his truth without which our deuotion will bee no better then superstition and all our indeuours in the performance of religious duties meere will-worship and idolatry as wee see in the example of the Idolaters who in stead of worshipping the only true God worship stocks stones and Images Saints and Angels and in stead of doing Gods will in their deuotions do their owne wills and therefore tire themselues and spend all their strength in vaine §. Sect. 2 Of adhering to God what it is and the necessity of it But of this knowledge of God which is the maine ground of a godly life wee
for matter and manner because it is the tricke of a trewant and argueth not onely inability and want of skill but also sloth and extreme negligence §. Sect. 2 Of formes of prayers inuented by our selues Formes of prayer inuented by our selues are such as vpon due meditation and sound deliberation we haue composed out of the sight and sense of our sinnes and wants and Gods mercies multiplied vpon vs not onely generall but also speciall and particular framing confessions petitions and thankesgiuings so as they may be most fitting for our owne peculiar vse The which are necessary for such as are not thorowly grounded in knowledge nor perfected in this duty by much experience and practice and for such also as being well qualified in these respects are notwithstanding defectiue in memory and vtterance hauing no liberty of speech to expresse their mindes without much meditation and for such also as are defectiue in courage and boldnesse when they are to pray in the presence of others And very profitable for all if wee tye not our selues too strictly to words but haue variety of formes for ordinary vse and by helpe of meditation doe vpon extraordinary occasions conceiue new words for new matter as the necessity and profit of our selues our brethren or the Church shall require making particular confessions of sinnes which are lately committed and doe most burthen the conscience and speciall petitions for those speciall graces wherein wee finde our selues most defectiue and whereof wee haue presently most vse and speciall thanksgiuings for Gods speciall mercies and fauours renewed vpon vs. The which variety of formes will take away that satiety and wearinesse which alwayes accompanieth the daily and continuall vse of any thing though neuer so excellent and helpe much to keepe our mindes and hearts close to this holy exercise which are apt to bee carried away with wandring thoughts if without any variety wee tye our selues to one onely forme like a man that goeth on in a way which he is accustomed to trauaile and neuer thinketh on the passages and turnings that are in his iourney or that singeth a tune familiar vnto him by much vse and neuer thinketh of that he singeth §. Sect. 3 Of conceiued prayers and how far foorth they are commendable Prayers conceiued are such as vpon meditation we fit to all present occasions not vsing any ordinary forme of words but expressing our selues Gen. 32. 9. 2. Sam. 22 2. 1. King 8. 23. Dan. 9. 4. Act. 4. 24. Ioh. 17. 1 2 c. with such as come to our mindes of which we haue many examples in the Scriptures both in the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and our Sauiour Christ himselfe The which I acknowledge aboue all other kinds to bee most excellent if God haue thorowly furnished vs with gifts fit for it both because it is most free from distractions and wandring thoughts and from satiety and wearinesse this variety bringing with it much delight and also because it is most opportune and seasonable being fitted to the time persons and occasions But heere the Prouerbe is verified that things excellent are most hardly attained there being few that haue this gift and ability and those few not alwayes in like measure although there are many that are willing to make shew of it For there are diuers things which ought to concurre in him that is to conceiue a prayer which if any bee wanting it cannot be done without much weakenesse and imperfection First he must be diligent in meditation before he thus speake vnto God calling to memory the sinnes which he is to confesse the wants which he desireth should be supplied and the blessings for which hee intendeth to giue thankes that so he may with Dauid call his prayer a meditation humble his soule in the sight of his vnworthinesse inflame his heart with feruent desires and not speake any thing rashly with his mouth vnto his Eccl. 5. 1. God as the Wise man aduizeth In which respect I cannot commend extemporall prayers which are performed without any meditation going before and am so farre from extolling them as most excellent that I thinke them scarce tolerable or lawfull vnlesse some vnexpected occasion and present necessity doe thrust vs into extraordinary straights so as wee may not deferre our prayer nor haue for the present opportunity to meditate nor yet haue any former meditations fit for the present occasion and the circumstances that attend vpon it Secondly he that thus prayeth must be grounded in knowledge that he may frame his prayers according to Gods will And therefore they who being children in knowledge doe take vpon them this taske they must needs faile much in this holy duty asking according to their vngrounded conceits and not Gods will of which they are ignorant And as children who will venture to runne alone before they can goe in anothers hand must needs catch many falles and they also who will speake much before they haue knowledge and wisedome to rule their tongues must needs speake many things vaine and impertinent so must it of necessity befall them in this case who are children in knowledge and not well acquainted with Gods will and waies Thirdly he must be well experienced and practised in this duty neither can we without much vse attaine to this perfection Fourthly besides a great measure of sanctifying grace he must haue diuers common gifts of the Spirit which are necessary to the well-performing of this duty as a good memory vtterance and liberty of speech and boldnesse also when others ioyne with him which will inable him to expresse readily what his mind conceiueth and rather intend inflame then quench or coole the feruency of his desires But if we want these though our knowledge and faith and zeale and all other sanctifying graces bee neuer so great yet shall we faile much in prayer in this kind because the powers of the soule will be so wholly occupied about memory and inuention of fit matter and words to expresse it that there will little place be left to zeale devotion and feruency of affection Lastly it is necessary that hee who prayeth on this manner do carefully auoyd spirituall pride and ostentation of his gifts to which the greatest excellencies through the malice of Satan and our owne corruption are most subiect and also curious affectation of variety of words to expresse the same matter as though it were a note of barrennesse to vse twice the same phrases to expresse the same things But the maine thing which we are to aime at is to bee feruent and deuout in our prayers and to this end to vse such words and phrases as may most conueniently lay open vnto God the sincere desires of an vpright heart whether it be in new variety or in such words as wee haue often vsed to expresse the same things § Sect. 4 What method is best to be obserued in disposing the parts of our prayers Vnto the forme of prayer we may adde
the seruice of a King Yes my soule behold a seruice much more excellent much more profitable the seruice of the King of kings For he maketh truely as it is said hyperbolically of Tyre Merchants all his seruants Kings not of an Esa 23. 8. earthly but of an heauenly not of a transitory but of an euerlasting Kingdome Serue then with cheerefulnesse O my soule such a bountifull Master who rewardeth such simple and short seruice with such large and lasting wages Yea bee sorry that thou hast returned no sooner into his seruice for which alone thou wast created and redeemed and repent that thou hast no sooner repented Glorifie God in acknowledging thy errours and wandrings Glorifie his Iustice which hath punished thy sinnes in Christ corrected them in thee Glorifie him in his infinite mercies who to spare thee hath punished his best Beloued Finally as thou hast dishonoured him by thy sinnes so glorifie him by thy new obedience and bring foorth fruits worthy amendment of life And doe it with comfort and cheerefulnesse O my soule seeing so gracious is thy good God that hee hath coupled his glory and thy saluation inseparably together so as thou canst not seeke the one but thou must finde the other thou canst vse no meanes to glorifie him but by the same thou shalt attaine vnto glory and make thine owne calling and election sure Bring foorth fruits of repentance 2. Pet. 5. 5 10. in the duties of piety towards God of righteousnesse and mercy towards thy neighbours of temperance and sobriety towards thy selfe §. Sect. 5 Motiues to bring forth the fruits of repentance in all the parts thereof Clense thy selfe inwardly from all reliques of sinfull corruption furnish thy selfe thorowly with those chiefe riches of sanctifying graces and bring 2. Cor. 7. 11 12. foorth plentifull fruits of them in thy good workes that thou mayest please thy God in all things and cause him to bee glorified when as thy light of a godly life shall shine before men But especially my soule bring forth in the practice of thy repentance those fruits which the holy Apostle commendeth vnto thee First take care to haue this assurance that thy 1. Care sinnes are pardoned and thou freed from the guilt punishment and corruption of them and that being thus once clensed in thy iustification thou mayest continue it in thy sanctification not suffering sin againe to raigne Rom. 6. 12. in thy mortall body that thou shouldest obey it in the lusts thereof nor to pollute and defile thee againe with the filth of it after thou art thus pardoned and purged but contrariwise that thou serue God in performing of all contrary duties which he requireth in that manner as hee hath prescribed And this thy care my soule must extend not only to the things themselues but to the meanes and occasions of them for the auoyding of the one and imbracing of the other Cleare often thy selfe my soule seeing 2. Clearing thou often failest of thy duty by pleading thy pardon purchased by Christ and set euen all accounts betweene thy God and thee by shewing that the hand-writing of Ordinances is cancelled and nailed to his Crosse and that thou hast a generall acquittance from thy Lord and Master sealed with Christs Blood Yet slight it not ouer as a light matter O my soule that thou hast so much offended though thy pardon hath freed thee from all perill but haue an holy indignation against thy selfe and thy sins 3. Indignation that thou shouldst by them like an vngratefull wretch displease and dishonour so gracious a God who of his meere mercy hath freely forgiuen thee yea and let this for the time to come set thee so farre at oddes with them that thou wilt by no meanes nor vpon any termes entertaine with them any familiarity and acquaintance And yet because thou art fraile 4. Feare and full of infirmity and thy enemies many and mighty thou apt and easie to be ouertaken and ouercome and they as ready to surprize thee therefore my soule whilest thou standest take heed of falling be neuer secure 1. Cor. 10. 12. which will cause negligence but nourish euer in thee a godly feare of being surprized and foyled which will make thee watchfull and to stand alwayes vpon thy gard And seeing thou canst not stand in thine owne strength thou must also entertaine an holy desire after Gods grace and assistance 5. Desire of his holy Spirit wherby thou maist be inabled to withstand tentations and to performe all duties of Gods seruice daily in more and more perfection The which thy desires must not be cold and remisse but must be backed and strengthened with feruent zeale which must shew it selfe in 6. Zeale opposing couragiously all the meanes that hinder thee in thy Christian course for so many blocks lie in this way so many enemies that encounter thee and labour might and maine to hinder thy proceedings that thou canst not ouercome them without much courage and resolution nor amend thy life vnlesse thou be zealous Finally my soule seeing notwithstanding Apoc. 3. 19. all thy zeale and resolution thou art often foyled with that secret Traytor and dangerous Rebell which thou nourishest in thine owne bosome doe not carelesly and cowardly put vp all these wrongs and indignities but after thou hast armed thy selfe strongly against this trayterous enemy set vpon him foyle him as he hath foyled thee and take sharpe reuenge vpon him and wound him to the death with all his sinfull lusts 7. Reuenge Yea if thou findest him strong in resistance abridge thy selfe in the vse of things in their owne nature indifferent which thine enemie hath made by their abuse snares vnto thee and occasions of sinne rather then giue him any aduantage by vsing thy liberty and chuse rather to vse moderate abstinence then that such an enemy should get any strength by feeding with thee CAP. XXII Of diuers speciall meanes whereby the poynt meditated is wrought vpon the heart and affections §. Sect. 1 Of Examination ANd now my soule that thou seest what is required in this duty of repentance examine thy selfe how thou hast performed it Hast thou had a true and thorow sight and sense of thy naturall impotency and auersenesse to this duty of thy security impenitency and hardnesse of heart and hast thou had feruent desires to bee freed from them Hast thou sought and sued to thy God the Author and fountaine of this grace desiring the assistance of his holy Spirit for the suppling and softening of thy hard and stony heart that it might relent and resolue into the teares of vnfained repentance And hast thou by faith applyed vnto thee the blood of Christ for the working of thine heart to sound humiliation and contrition Hast thou been carefull as thou oughtest in vsing all those good meanes which thy God hath giuen thee for the effectuall working of this grace in thy heart Hast thou
carriage and conuersation whereby we please God in all things by doing his will reuealed in the Scriptures more specially a godly life consisteth in our walking before him in the duties of piety righteousnesse and sobriety with faith a pure heart and good conscience all the dayes of our liues In which words three things are contained First the duties which in this godly life are to be performed Secondly the foundation vpon which they are grounded and the fountaines from which they ought to flow Thirdly their time of continuance and how long by vs they are to be performed The duties of a godly life are all referred vnto three heads First piety towards God which compriseth in it all Religion the whole worship and seruice of God both publike and priuate with the matter manner time meanes and all circumstances and in a word all the duties required in the first table Secondly righteousnesse towards our neighbours whereby we deale with them as we would haue them to deale with vs and giue vnto euery one their owne behauing our selues iustly with all and mercifully with all those who need our helpe Thirdly sobriety and temperance towards our selues whereby we possesse our vessels in purity and honour as it becommeth the Temples of the holy 1. Tim. 2. 5. Ghost Secondly there is heere expressed certaine fundamentall vertues vpon which our vertuous and godly actions ought to bee grounded and from which they must spring and flow if we would haue them acceptable vnto God namely a liuely faith without which wee cannot please him a pure heart from which as a fountaine floweth all true obedience and a good conscience purged from dead workes by the precious blood of Christ which warranteth all our actions done in faith as approoued of God and so inciteth and incourageth vs to bring foorth the fruits of new obedience when as wee know that our persons and all our actions are accepted of God in Iesus Christ And lastly heere is expressed the time how long wee are to continue in the doing of the duties of a godly life namely not for a while no nor yet for a long time together but indefinitely wee are to continue in bringing foorth these fruits of obedience throughout the whole course of our liues and as the Apostle teacheth vs neuer bee weary of well-doing But of these points I shall haue occasion to speake more largely afterwards and therefore 2. Thes 3. 13. will content my selfe for the present thus briefly to haue touched them for the explaining of the former description of a godly life CAP. IIII. Of the forme and manner how all Christian duties ought to bee performed namely with feruency of desire a settled resolution and earnest indeuour to please God in all things §. Sect. 1 That these desires resolutions and indeuours are required of all those who will serue and please God ANd so I come from the matter of it and the duties therein required to speake of the forme and manner how they may be so performed as that they may bee acceptable in Gods sight And heereunto there concurre three things First feruencie of desire Secondly a settled resolution And thirdly an hearty and earnest indeuour to please God in all things by doing his will in the duties of pietie righteousnesse and sobriety First our hearts must be inflamed with feruent desires to please God in all things and to doe his will in as great perfection heere on earth as the Angels and Saints doe it in heauen although we cannot possibly in this state of sinne and corruption attaine vnto it So the Church professeth of her selfe In the way of Esa 26. 8 9. thy iudgements O Lord haue we waited for thee the desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee with my soule haue I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seeke thee early The which desires breake out into longing wishes after that perfection which we cannot as yet compasse as we see in Dauid O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy Psal 119. 5. statutes And are accompanied with bitter griefe and lamentable complaints when as we finde them crossed with our corruption and defeated by the tentations of the deuill and the world as we see in the Apostles example To will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I find Ro. 7. 18 19 c. not For the good that I would I doe not but the euill which I would not that I doe c. for I delight in the Law of God after the inner man but I see another law in my members warring against the Law of my minde and bringing me into captiuity to the law of sinne which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death And this feruent desire of the heart to please God by doing his will is alwayes accompanied with an vndanted resolution and settled purpose of the will to shake off all delayes and breake thorow all difficulties which hinder vs in our course and with all care and good conscience to vse all helpes whereby we may be inabled and furthered in Gods seruice And thus Dauid resolueth that he will keepe Psal 119. 8 30 32 33 34. Gods statutes I haue chosen the way of truth thy iudgements haue I laid before me I will runne the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt inlarge my heart Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keepe it vnto the end Giue me vnderstanding and I shall keepe thy Word yea I shall obserue it with my whole heart And from this desire of the heart and resolution of the will there followeth an earnest indeuour in the whole man of conforming all our powers and parts words and workes intentions and actions to the will of God that we may in all things please him and glorifie his name by hauing the light of our liues shining before men according Matth. 5. 16. to the exhortation of the Apostle Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer 1. Cor. 10. 31. ye doe doe all to the glory of God §. Sect. 2 That all Euangelicall obedience consisteth chiefly in these desires resolutions and indeuours And in these desires resolutions and indeuours doth consist the very forme and essence of a godly life it being the top of that perfection which Act. 11. 23. we can attaine vnto in this state of imperfection This is that Euangelicall obedience which in the Gospel is required of vs as we see in the Acts of the Apostles where Barnabas exhorteth the Church of Antioch not to performe that perfect obedience which the Law exacteth which was a yoke too heauy for any to beare but that with purpose of heart they would cleaue vnto the Lord. Vnto which also the Gospel inableth vs being made powerfull and effectuall by Gods grace and the inward operation of his
holy Spirit This is that sonne-like obedience which God now requireth of vs which if we performe we and our seruice shall be accepted of God in Christ our imperfect righteousnesse being couered with his perfect obedience and our corruptions washed away in his blood For he spareth vs as a louing father spareth his sonne that serueth him who in the duties Mal. 3. 17. which he requireth respects his affection more then the action and the intention and desire of his heart to please him more then of his abilities in performance according to that of the Apostle If there be first a willing 2. Cor. 8. 12. minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that hee hath not An example whereof we haue in Dauid who hauing in his heart 2. Sam. 7. 16. a desire and resolution to build the Temple though he did it not was accepted and rewarded of God as if he had built it And in Abraham Gen. 22. 16. whose resolution to sacrifice his sonne was as pleasing in Gods sight as if he had beene sacrificed Now the reason why our desires and resolutions are so acceptable vnto God is first because they are the chiefe seruice of the heart which the Lord respecteth aboue all other parts and outward performances And secondly because all our indeuours and actions are according to our desires either forward and feruent or slacke and remisse For as Philosophie teacheth the loue and desire of attaining to the end is the first cause in the intention of the agent which setteth him on worke and according to the greatnesse of this loue and desire to the end at which wee ayme such is our care and diligence in the vse of all good meanes whereby wee may attaine vnto it Moreouer as it will make our persons and actions accepted of God so our prayers which God hath promised to heare and grant According to that of the Psalmist Lord thou Psal 10. 17. hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare And againe He will fulfill the desire of them that feare Psal 145. 9. him he will heare their cry and will saue them And the Wiseman telleth vs that the desire of the righteous shall be granted that is not they who are Pro. 10. 24. righteous according to the rigour of the Law but they who are Euangelically righteous and desire and labour to attaine vnto it as it is expounded in the prayer of Nehemiah O Lord I beseech thee let now thine eare be attentiue Nehem. 1. 11. to the prayer of thy seruant and to the prayer of thy seruants who desire to feare thy name And consequently this being one of their most principall desires that they may be so freed from their corruptions and imperfections as that they may performe vnto God that perfect obedience which the Law requireth and their soule longeth after the Lord will satisfie it and though for a time they bee turmoiled and humbled in the sight and sense of their corruptions yet by degrees he will bring them vnto this perfect age in Christ and to that height of perfection which they so much desire when as hauing put off with their mortalitie all relikes of corruption they shall be clothed with those long white robes of perfect Apoc. 6. 11. holinesse in his heauenly Kingdome Vnto which happy estate in the meane time their longing and thirsting desires doe giue them full title and interest for they are blessed not who are replenished with perfect righteousnesse but who hunger and thirst after it as our Sauiour hath Matth. 5. 6. taught vs. §. Sect. 3 That our desires resolutions and indeuours must not be faint and weake but seruent and earnest But yet that we may not in our carnall sloth and security deceiue our selues with shaddowes in stead of substances we are to know that not all kind of desires resolutions and indeuours are acceptable vnto God nor make vs to be accepted of him but those only which are sound and solid sincere and vpright vnto which diuers properties are required First that they be not faint and weake fickle and slight but strong and vehement earnest and feruent like the desires of women with child which are euen heart-sicke vnlesse they be satisfied in the things which they long after as Dauid implyeth where he saith Behold I haue longed after thy precepts Psal 119. 40. quicken me in thy righteousnesse And againe My soule fainteth for thy saluation Vers 81. but I hope in thy Word that is thy promise whereby thou hast assured me that thou wilt satisfie my desire They must not be inferiour to the desires of worldlings seeing the things desired are so much superiour exceeding them in excellencie profit and permanencie as farre as heauen exceedeth earth Now we know that the desires of worldlings after their riches pleasures and preferments are so feruent and earnest that they wholly take vp their thoughts in thinking of them and their care in compassing them Neither is there any paines so great or danger so desperate which they will not venter vpon but night and day by sea and land labour after that which their soule loueth They must be like the desires of the Spouse in the Canticles which made her sicke through their feruent Cant. 2. 5. heate and ready to swoune had she not beene stayed and refreshed with the wine and apples of spirituall comforts They must so inlarge our hearts that they will be ready to breake if they be not replenished and mollified with the oyle of Gods grace and holy Spirit according to that of Dauid My soule breaketh for the longing that it hath to thy iudgements at all Psal 119. 20. times They must as they are compared resemble hunger and thirst Matth. 5. 6. which make men sicke till they bee satisfied and so resolute that nothing can withstand them no difficultie or danger so great and desperate which they will not hazard themselues vnto that they may procure meate and drinke to preserue them from famishing and with such care and diligence vse all meanes tending heereunto as if they were religiously bound to doe it by a solemne oath as we see in that desire and resolution of Dauid I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements Psal 119. 106. And thus Iob to strengthen his desires and resolutions in shunning sinne and seruing God bindeth himselfe and all his members heereunto by solemne couenant I haue saith he made a couenant with mine eyes why then Iob 31. 1. should I thinke vpon a maiden §. Sect. 4 They must be intire and totall both in respect of the subiect and obiect Secondly these desires resolutions and indeuours must be intire and totall both in respect of the subiect and obiect For they must proceed from the whole heart and will so farre foorth as
a Iewell of such price we may not thinke to haue it for the bare wishing but that we must compasse it with some difficultie and haue our cost and labour in some proportion answerable to this precious pearle which is much to bee preferred before many worlds And considering what cost and paines worldly men willingly vndergoe in pursuing their earthly desires out of a bare and often false hope to obtaine them with what industry and labour hazard and danger the ambitious man aspireth vnto honours the couetous man hunteth after riches and the voluptuous man after pleasures let vs be sorry and ashamed to thinke any paines or perill too much in walking in the way of a godly life which shall assuredly be crowned with glory and immortalitie rewarded 1. Cor. 2. 9. with heauenly treasures which will neuer fade and with such euerlasting ioyes as our eyes haue not seene nor our hearts conceiued The soule Pro. 13. 4. of the sluggard saith Salomon desireth and hath nothing but the soule of the diligent shall be made fat The which as it is true in respect of earthly riches so also of spirituall grace and the treasures of holinesse the which we may long idly wish and yet neuer inioy them whereas if as our desires be earnest so our indeuours diligent and laborious wee may haue much more assurance to be inriched with them then to compasse with all our paines our worldly desires seeing we haue Gods promises more absolute for them Neither doe they flee their followers as earthly riches doe which make themselues wings and flie away as the Eagle towards heauen Pro. 23. 5. deluding their hopes which with most speede pursue them Yea slothfull desires rather hurt then helpe vs in the wayes of godlinesse causing the sluggard to rest in them as sufficient without vsing any meanes to haue them satisfied In which respect the saying of Salomon is truely verified of them The desire of the slothfull killeth him for his hands refuse to labour For Pro. 21. 25. as his body must needs famish who onely wisheth meate but vseth no indeuour to satisfie his hunger so his soule will soone bee depriued of the spirituall life of grace and godlinesse who idlely desireth to bee replenished with this spirituall foode and taketh no paines to attaine vnto it The Kingdome of God saith our Sauiour suffereth violence and the violent Matth. 11. 12. take it by force Neither shall they enter into it who sit downe idlely and cry out Lord Lord open vnto vs that is content themselues with a bare Mat. 7. 12 13 21 profession of Christianity and labour not to doe the will of our heauenly Father but they who striue to enter in at the straight gate and take much paines in trauailing that narrow path of righteousnesse which leadeth to Gods Kingdome §. Sect. 7 That our desires resolutions and indeuours must not be by fits and flashes but constant and durable Lastly our desires resolutions and indeuours must not be by fits and flashes one while hot and earnest and another while cold and remisse Perseuerandum est assiduo studio robur addendum donec bona mens sit quod bona voluntas est Sen. Epist 16. but constant and durable like those in couetous men which neuer cease till they be satisfied or rather because they can neuer be satisfied whilest we liue on earth therefore they must neuer cease but the more wee haue of these spirituall riches the more earnestly we must desire and indeuour to haue them still increased For this life is not the time of our perfection and full age in Christ but of spirituall growth in grace from strength to strength and from a lesser to a greater measure of godlinesse and righteousnesse We must not like those who are sicke of an ague be one while cold and another while hot nor haue a good day for Gods seruice and an ill day for the seruice of the deuill and the world for this were a sicknesse and no spirituall health which would prepare vs for death and destruction and not for life and happinesse Neither will God euer accept of it who can no more indure to haue thus our time then to haue our hearts diuided betweene him and his enemies But our soules with Dauids must Psal 119. 20 33 112. breake for the longing that they haue vnto Gods iudgements at all times we must with him resolue to keepe Gods statutes vnto the end and haue our hearts inclined to keepe his statutes alway Wee must not like the hypocrites of whom Hosea speaketh offer vnto God a righteousnesse like vnto the morning dew which vanisheth when the Sunne ariseth but such as will indure the heate Hos 6. 4. of the day like the streames that flow from a springing fountaine For the waters of life which Christ doth giue are neuer dry but shal be in him that hath them a well of water springing vp to euerlasting life And the trees Ioh. 4. 14. of righteousnesse which are of Gods planting are like those planted by the Psal 1. 3. riuers side which are neuer barren but bring foorth their fruit in due season and they that be planted in the House of the Lord shall like the Palme Ps 92. 12 14. tree perpetually flourish and bring foorth fruit in their old age as the Psalmist speaketh CAP. V. Of sauing knowledge which is the first mayne ground of a godly life How necessary it is and the causes of it §. Sect. 1 Of the maine grounds of a godly life HAuing explained the description of a godly life and in part shewed what is required in him that is to leade it and wherin it principally doth consist wee will now proceed and more fully handle some mayne poynts before briefly touched which are necessary to be knowne of him who desireth to make any progresse in the wayes of godlinesse And heere two things come chiefly to be considered First the grounds And secondly the parts of a godly life which containe the duties that are to bee performed by those who leade it The grounds of this godly life are certaine fundamentall vertues whereupon it is built and from which as liuing fountaines all other vertues and holy duties doe spring and flow And these are principally two First sauing knowledge of God his will and workes And secondly a liuely faith in Iesus Christ From which two other maine graces arise which as principall causes produce all speciall duties of a godly life namely First a sanctified heart purified by faith Act. 15. 9. And secondly a good conscience which followeth our iustification §. Sect. 2 That sauing knowledge is the prime vertue and mother grace from which all others haue their beginning The first maine ground of a godly life is sauing knowledge which is the prime vertue and mother grace from which all others take their beginning It is the roote of this tree of grace from which being
imperfect in vs may be made perfect through Christ and that our new obedience which cannot be accepted according to the Couenant of workes as comming from seruants may be acceptable according to the Couenant of grace as comming from sonnes whose desires and indeuours are pleasing to our heauenly Father who accepteth the will for the deed The Law prescribeth the way wherein all are to walke that will leade a godly life The Gospel as a faithfull companion incourageth vs to goe in this way and leading vs by the hand preserueth vs from falling and when through frailty wee are falne it lifteth vs vp againe §. Sect. 4 That in a godly life we must ioyne together the duties of piety righteousnesse and sobriety Now the duties of a godly life which the Law requireth respect either God or men both which are to be considered first generally as they are to be performed of euery Christian in the whole course of their liues and secondly as they are to be exercised in them euery day The duties which respect God are contained in the first Table and are all comprehended vnder the name of piety The duties which concerne men are comprehended in the second Table and are either the duties of righteousnesse and mercie which respect our neighbours or the duties of temperance and sobriety belonging to our owne persons All which must goe together and may in no wise be seuered the one from the other For piety is the roote of righteousnesse and sobriety and these the fruits and signes of piety and neither of both are accepted of God but when they goe together seeing piety without righteousnesse is like a foundation without a building and righteousnesse without piety is like a building without a foundation that as a fire without light this like the fooles fire a light without heate that alone at the best makes but hypocrites this without that no better then proud Iusticiaries and ciuill worldlings And hereof it is that the holy Ghost in the Scriptures ioyneth them altogether requiring no lesse the one then the other So he saith that those who are the redeemed of the Lord shall worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse before Luk. 1. 74 75. him all the dayes of their liues that we must pray for Kings and all that 1. Tim. 2. 2. 6. 11. Eph. 4. 24. are in authority that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life vnder their gouernment in all godlinesse and honestie That our spirituall renewing according to Gods image ought to be both in righteousnesse and true holinesse That a Bishop ought to be a louer of hospitality and a louer of good men sober iust Tit. 1. 8. 2. 12. holy and temperate that the grace of God which bringeth saluation appearing hath taught vs to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world And that they who will make their calling and election sure must not imbrace loose and single vertues nor performe 2. Pet. 1. ad 10. scattered duties but linke and chaine them one with another For they are such twinnes as liue and die together and the soule life and breath of Christianity which may bee distinguished in doctrine and discourse but not derided in our practice and conuersation §. Sect. 5 Of piety comprising in it all duties of Gods seruice The first and maine duties required vnto a godly life are all comprehended vnder the name of piety required in the first Table Which is Pietas quid aliud est quam Deum pura mente colere quae alio nomine latria nuncupatur Ad fratres in Eremo Serm 24. Primò amare Deum gratis haec est pietas c. Aug. de Temp. Serm. 234. Mat. 4. 10. Deu. 6. 13. 10. 20. nothing else but that true Religion whereby we worship the onely true God according to his will reuealed vnto vs. So Augustine What is piety but to serue God with a pure minde which is otherwise called worship And againe this is piety to loue God freely and absolutely and out of him to expect no reward but what is expected from him For he is the chiefe Goodnesse and what thing of worth can he aske of God to whom God seemeth of little worth So that piety consisteth in Gods true seruice and in the performance of those holy duties of his worship which he requireth in the first Table of which piety is the summe according to that of our Sauiour repeated out of the Law Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him only shalt thou serue The which is sometime signified by the feare of God a part of diuine worship being put for the whole Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue him and shalt sweare by his Name And sometime by the loue of God which is put for all worship because all holy seruice and true obedience doth flow from it So Moses in his repetition of the Law makes this the sum of all Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart with Deut. 6. 5. all thy soule and with all thy might And our Sauiour Christ telleth the Lawyer that this is the great Commandement which comprehendeth in it the whole first Table Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart Mat. 22. 37. and with all thy soule and with all thy minde Where hee sheweth both the obiect of true worship which is the Lord our God onely and the speciall and principall act of it which is loue from which as a fountaine all other parts like streames doe spring and flow and also the subiect of this duty which is the whole man For by the heart is vnderstood all the affections desires and inclinations by the soule the will purpose and resolution by the minde the reason vnderstanding discourse and memory and by the might or strength which Saint Luke also addeth all the faculties of the soule and parts of the body with all their functions actions and Luk. 10. 27. operations both internall and externall So that the whole man must be consecrated vnto the seruice and worship of God by all those who imbrace piety and desire so to performe the duties of a godly life as they may be acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God The which as it is required by him so there is none but he who can inable vs in any measure to performe it seeing it is not in our owne power but his free gift and the worke of his holy Spirit which is bestowed vpon whom and when hee will for it is God onely who by his diuine power giueth vs all things which pertaine to life and godlinesse as the Apostle Peter speaketh and therefore 2. Pet. 1. 3. when he requireth it of vs we must returne vnto him againe and intreate him by earnest and feruent prayer that he will inable vs to performe that which hee requireth according to that of Augustine Giue what
haue others do vnto vs and consequently seeing we desire that our neighbours should with all the powers of their minde and body aduance as much as in them lieth our good in all things respecting our soules bodies and states Iustice and righteousnes requireth the same at our hands towards them namely that to the vttermost of our power we be euer ready to doe all things which tend to their good and to the preseruation of their honour person life purity chastity wealth and good name not so much as intertaining a thought or first motion in our minds or hearts which in any of these or other respects may tend to their hurt and preiudice Of which Iustice or righteousnesse there are two parts the one distributiue whereby we doe giue vnto euery one their due and that which of right appertaineth vnto them in which is to be obserued a geometricall proportion which hath respect in this distribution vnto euery man according to their place person and such other relations and circumstances and is in all things carried with due regard of equity and moderation The other is commutatiue which is vsually exercized in commerce and mutuall dealings and trading one with another as in changing borrowing lending buying selling letting setting and such like affaires of this life The generall rule whereof is that we keepe from no man his right but pay euery man his debt and due In which is to be obserued an Arithmeticall proportion performing all these duties of Iustice in a strict equality without any respect of place or person §. Sect. 2 Of the dutie of sobriety towards our selues The other maine duty is sobriety which comprehendeth vnder it all duties which respect our owne persons the which in a generall sense as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marke 5. 15. Luke 8. 35. Acts 26. 25. Tit. 1. 8. 2. 12 it is to be here vnderstood signifieth soundnesse of minde which ordereth all things to the good and safety of our persons and state And thus the word which is translated sobriety is taken in the Scriptures for a sound minde so it is said that the demoniacke was by our Sauiour Christ restored to his right minde And the Apostle saith that he was not mad but spake forth the words of truth and sobernesse that is of a right and sound minde which tended to the safety and saluation of himselfe and others and exhorteth all men to be wise vnto sobriety or to thinke soberly not straining Rom. 12. 3. their wits aboue the measure of their gifts which is the next way to cracke and lose them And thus elsewhere hee opposeth these two the one against 2. Cor. 5. 13. the other to be sober and to be besides our selues Sobriety therefore is a vertue or habit proceeding from a sound minde spirituall wisedome and iudgement whereby wee are enabled to rule and order our selues with all our powers and faculties of minde and body and all things else about which they are exercised to our good safety and saluation First it ruleth and ordereth the minde to the vsing of all good meanes whereby it may be more and more inlightened with sauing knowledge the memory as a faithfull register to retaine good things the conscience to performe its office rightly in excusing and accusing the will to chuse the good and refuse the euill and in all things to be conformable to the holy will of God the affections to couet after spirituall and heauenly things with vnlimited desires and temporall good things with moderation temperance and purity and the body in all holinesse and honour that it may be a fit temple for the holy Ghost and a ready instrument vnto the soule for all good actions And thus it ruleth the whole man and euery faculty and part of him as they are exercised about their seuerall and particular obiects causing the minde to approue or condemne the memory to retaine or cast out the conscience to accuse or excuse the will to chuse or reiect the affections to loue and desire or to hate and contemne the body to doe or leaue vndone all things good or euill when they are propounded vnto them And in respect of these seuerall sorts of obiects this vertue of sobriety hath place and is commanded in euery precept of the second Table For as it ruleth and ordereth vs about the preseruation of our honour and authority it is required in the first Commandement as about the good preseruation and saluation of our liues our soules and bodies in the sixth as about our chastity purity temperance and sobriety in the vse of meates drinkes and apparrell in the seuenth as about our goods and possessions either in getting or vsing them righteously and iustly in the eighth as about the preseruing of our good name in the ninth as about withstanding the first motions and suggestions vnto sinne and the recouering of originall righteousnesse and holy concupiscence in our mindes and hearts in the tenth and last §. Sect. 3 Of the duties of charity But seeing our Sauiour hath comprized both these duties of righteousnesse and sobriety vnder charity and hath made loue the whole summe of Matth. 22. 39. 19. 19. Gal. 5. 14. the Law our loue towards God of the first Table and our loue towards our selues and our neighbours of the second Table I will consider of them both vnder this one first generally and afterward more specially in euery seuerall Commandement For charity and true loue towards our selues mooueth vs out of a sound and right minde to performe in thought word and deed all good duties which tend to our safetie and saluation and charity towards our neighbours as it mooueth vs to loue them as our selues so to performe all duties of righteousnesse and mercy which we doe vnto our selues or would haue others doe vnto vs. Now this charity is a gift or grace of God infused into our hearts by his holy Spirit which out of the sense of Gods loue towards vs in Christ working true and feruent loue towards them againe doth mooue vs to loue our selues and all men as our selues and as Christ hath loued vs for Gods sake and in obedience to his Commandement It is a gift of God and no naturall habit for naturally as wee are haters of God and men so euen of our selues neither is any hatred of an enemy so hurtfull and pernicious vnto our soules and bodies as carnall selfe-loue which is a chiefe cause and meanes of depriuing vs heere of all grace and of glory and happinesse in the life to come And therefore the Apostle exhorting vs to loue one another telleth vs where we must haue this gift Let vs saith he loue one another 1. Ioh. 4. 7. for loue is of God Neither is it a common gift of God but a sanctifying and sauing grace of his holy Spirit for as the loue of God towards vs as the cause so our loue towards God as the effect of it is shed
conceite but sinners to repentance We shall make our selues fit hearers of the glad tidings of the Gospell and intitle our selues to all the gracious comforts of Gods holy Spirit according to that of the Prophet cited applied by our Sauiour The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me because he Esa 61. 1 2 3 Luke 4. 18. hath anointed me to preach the Gospell to the poore and meeke he hath sent me to binde vp and heale the broken-hearted to preach liberty and deliuerance to captiues and recouering of sight to the blinde to set at liberty them that are bruized to comfort them that mourne giuing vnto them beautie for ashes and the oyle of ioy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heauinesse Moreouer by this humiliation wee may come to the assurance of the remission of our sinnes for if we humble our selues and pray seeke Gods 2. Chro. 7. 14. face and turne from our wicked waies then will the Lord heare from heauen and will forgiue vs our sinnes and heale our plagues as wee see in the example of Manasses one of the greatest sinners that euer liued who humbling himselfe greatly before the God of his Father and seeking 2. Chro. 33. 12. and suing vnto him for pardon the Lord was intreated of him and heard his supplication Finally if wee thus dayly humble our selues the Lord hath promised to lift vs vp and exalt vs to furnish vs with all Jam. 4. 6. 1. Pet. 5. 5 6. Luke 1. 53. Matth. 5. 3 4. sauing graces to fill and replenish our emptie soules with all good things to cheare vs in our mourning with the comforts of his Spirit and to make vs blessed in the eternall fruition of his heauenly Kingdome §. Sect. 5 Of the daily confession of our sinnes and iudging our selues for them Thirdly vnto this daily renewing of our repentance is required an humble confession of our sinnes which must be of vnknowne sinnes generally Psal 19. 13. Psal 51. 4 5. of knowne sinnes particularly with the aggrauation of them by their seuerall circumstances Especially wee must acknowledge and lay opne the roote and fountaine of them our originall corruption from which they haue sprung and flowed and then the cursed fruits and filthy streames that haue issued from them but aboue all we must not forget in this our confession those speciall sinnes vnto which we are most enclined and wherewith we haue most offended and dishonoured God nor those sinnes which we haue committed lately and since the last time of renewing our repentance And withall we must iudge and condemne our selues Gen. 32. 10. Ezra 9. 6 7. Dan. 9. 4 5. as vnworthy by reason of our sinnes the least of Gods mercies and most worthy of the greatest of his iudgements and punishments comming into Gods presence as Benhadads followers before Ahab and acknowledging that if wee had our desert death and condemnation were due vnto vs. 1. King 20. 31. Psal 51. 4. 1. Cor. 11. 32. And this we must doe to iustifie the Lord when he iudgeth and to glorifie his name in giuing vnto him the praise of mercy and forgiuenesse and that thus iudging our selues we may not be condemned of the Lord. Neither are we to stay here vnder the sentence of the Law but to flee vnto the throne of grace begging mercy and forgiuenesse at the hands of God for his owne names sake for his truth sake in his couenant and gracious promises and for his Christs sake his merits satisfaction and obedience performed for vs. The fruit and benefit of which humble confession is the full assurance of the remission of all our sinnes grounded vpon the truth of Gods promises For If we confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and iust 1. Iohn 1. 9 to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse And againe Hee that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but hee that confesseth Pro. 28. 13. and forsaketh them shall haue mercy Both which wee see verified in the example of Dauid who whilst he concealed his sinne found the hand of God Psal 32. 3 4 5. 2 Sam. 12. 13. heauie vpon him which vexed his very bones and made him roare in sence of paine But when hee confessed and acknowledged his sinne the Lord forgaue him all his iniquities §. Sect. 4 Of our detestation and hatred of sinne Fourthly there is required heereunto an hearty hatred and detestation of all sinne To which end we must consider that it is an offence against Gods infinite Maiesty and supreme Iustice and that nothing in the world is so contrary vnto his most pure and holy nature nothing so odious and lothsome vnto him as appeareth by his most iust seuerity in punishing of it with most sharpe and grieuous punishments For though our first parents in the state of innocency were his most excellent and best beloued creatures yet for one transgression he reiected them and punished not onely them but also all their posterity with temporall punishments of all kinds and euerlasting death and condemnation both of body and soule Though the world and the creatures therein were his excellent workemanship yet when it was defiled with the sinne of man it was with all its inhabitants sauing those which were reserued in the Arke destroyed with an vniuersall deluge For sinne hee consumed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone from heauen and reiected the whole nation of his beloued Israel from being his people Yea when our Sauiour Iesus Christ the Sonne of his loue bore our sinnes as our surety he spared him not but caused him in his body to suffer most grieuous punishments and in his soule to beare the full viols of his wrath till his Iustice by his all-sufficient sufferings was fully satisfied The which considerations must make vs daily to renew our hatred against all our sinnes which God so mortally hateth and especially those which cleaue fastest to our corrupt nature and vnto which we are most inclined because by them wee doe most often displease and dishonour our gracious God and louing Father And to proclaime continuall warre against them that we may vanquish and subdue mortifie and crucifie them and seriously to resolue with our selues that we will vpon no conditions liue any longer in them but renounce and forsake them with our vttermost indeuour how pleasant and profitable soeuer they haue formerly seemed to our carnall appetite §. Sect. 5 Of our feare and care that we be not circumuented with sinne Fifthly in consideration of our owne frailty and infirmity and the malice and subtilty of our spirituall enemies we must daily and continually feare that we be not ouertaken with the deceitfulnesse of sinne nor Pro. 28. 13. 1. Cor. 10. 12. Rom. 11. 20. caught in these snares of the deuill which ought iustly to bee so odious and lothsome vnto vs and haue our hearts taken vp with feruent and zealous desires to preserue our soules
in the by-wayes of sinne become an easie prey to the rauening Wolfe In which regard we must keepe a carefull watch ouer our mindes and cogitations that they doe not take their liberty when we are alone to roue and range after worldly vanities the pleasures of sinne and things that being vtterly vnprofitable doe vs no good though we spend many houres in thinking on them For what sinne and pitty is it that such excellent faculties of the soule the minde imagination and discourse of reason should be so vainely imployed either about things euill and hurtful or fruitlesse and impertinent that if after much time thus spent we should call our selues to account and say Soule what good hast thou reaped by so many houres study and Meditation either for the subduing of thy corruption or thine inriching with grace and inabling vnto any holy duty either for thy better securing from sinne and death or further assurance of life and happinesse it would be stricken dumbe and not able to answere any word Contrariwise our care must be that in our solitarinesse our mindes and imaginations be exercised in good Meditations as in the consideration of Gods nature and sauing attributes his Wisedome and power his Iustice and mercy his infinite Goodnes in himselfe and graciousnesse towards vs the excellency and perfection of his Law and his admirable workes of creation and prouidence the great mystery of our Redemption by Iesus Christ and of the meanes whereby we may be assured of the fruit and benefit of it of the inestimable priuiledges which belong to all true Christians and of the innumerable miseries which are incident vnto them who liue still in the state of infidelity and corruption of the excellency of spirituall graces and of those heauenly ioyes wherewith they shall be eternally crowned in the life to come or of the meanes wherby we may attaine vnto them and bee more and more assured of them of the foulenesse and odiousnesse of vice and sinne and of the fearefull condemnation and horrible torments of the wicked who liue die in them without repentance So also wee are to meditate of mans misery through the fall and of the meanes wherby we may be freed from it more particularly of those speciall sins vnto which by nature we are most inclined and wherewith we are most often ouertaken and of the meanes whereby we may be strengthned against them and inabled to mortifie and subdue them and contrariwise in what vertues and graces wee are most defectiue and of the meanes whereby they may bee increased in vs with what tentations wee are most often and dangerously assaulted what part of Christian Armour is most wanting and what place in body or soule being weakest is likely to giue aduantage vnto our spirituall enemies in their assaults of tentation and to indanger vs to be surprized and ouercome Or if our minds bee not thus taken vp in things appertaining to the good of our soules yet at least they must be exercised about matters that concerne our temporall estate and the workes of our callings and how wee may so well contriue our worldly businesses as that they may by our care and prouidence succeed the better when we vndertake them But heere our care must bee that our mindes be so exercised about these worldly things as that they bee not wholly swallowed vp of them and that like Eagles they stoope downe to them as vnto their prey for the relieuing of our present necessities but that they doe not wholly dwell vpon them but according to their diuine and excellent nature they doe againe raise themselues vpon the wings of faith and soare aloft in diuine contemplations spending some part of our solitary houres in our holy soli-loquies and conferences with God diuine Meditations Prayer at least by short eiaculations and thankesgiuing vnto God for all his benefits reading of the Scriptures and other holy and religious bookes for the increasing of our knowledge and strengthening of our faith and the directing and reforming of our liues with such other religious exercises §. Sect. 3 That in our solitarinesse we must auoyde carnall concupiscence and the pleasures of sinne With like care we must in our solitarinesse watch ouer our hearts that they be not poysoned with carnall concupiscence nor inueagled and inamoured with the pleasures of sinne and that they doe not affect and fasten themselues vpon worldly vanities nor dote vpon vncertaine riches voluptuous delights and vaine honours vnto which naturally they are so much inclined and so commit with them a kinde of contemplatiue idolatry when as they are debarred of actuall fruition and cannot in this solitary absence performe vnto them any reall worship But seeing God requireth to haue them as his owne peculiar and chiefe possession we must keepe Pro. 23. 26. them fast linked vnto him and so fasten them vpon spirituall and heauenly excellencies that no worldly thing may cause a separation And because we haue no bond strong enough to tye them together in this inseparable vnion we must often pray with Dauid that the Lord will knit our hearts Psal 86. 11. Ier. 31. 33. 32. 40. vnto him with his holy Spirit and so ingraue his Law and put his feare in them that they may neuer depart from him And that they may not bee fixed and fast glewed vnto earthly things we must with an holy violence pull them often asunder and lift them vp with holy desires affecting yea Psal 42. 1 2. 84. 1 2. Ps 119. 97 103. 17. 15. Psal 131. 2. hungring and thirsting after such things as are spirituall and heauenly as after the food of our soules and Gods presence in the Sanctuary after Christ and his righteousnesse and the meanes of our saluation after the perfect and full fruition of God when as beholding his face in righteousnesse 1. Pet. 2. 1. we shall be satisfied with his Image The which our desires and affections must be feruent and earnest like those of little children after their mothers brest when as they are newly weaned or of women with child which are Mat. 5. 6. so sicke with longing that they are ready to miscarry if their desires bee not satisfied or of men neere famished with hunger and thirst after their meates and drinkes §. Sect. 4 That we must in our solitarinesse beware of sinfull actions and secret sinnes Finally though our mindes and hearts doe sometimes breake thorow the watch at vnawares yet at least let vs not so negligently keepe it as to be ouertaken in our actions with any grosse sinne as either by spending our time in idlenesse without any imployment because there is none to take notice of our sloth or by committing any sinne which wee would bee loth to doe if wee were in company and had the eyes of men to looke vpon vs. And to this end let vs consider that in the greatest solitude wee haue God present to beare vs company who
helpes whereas those that vse them not neuer neede them so if wee accustome our selues to immoderate sleepe wee shall turne superfluity into a kinde of necessity and with Salomons Pro. 6. 9 10. sluggard bee still crauing for more when as already wee haue taken too much whereas if as soone as wee feele our spirits refreshed and our strength repaired with moderate rest wee would shake off sloth and rising betimes set our selues about some good imployment nature would bee easily satisfied and would neuer pull vs backe when wee are willing to rise CAP. XXXVIII Of those Christian and religious duties which we ought to performe on the Lords Day for the sanctifying of it §. Sect. 1 That if wee would sanctifie the Lords Day we must prepare for it before it commeth BEsides the duties of a godly life which are euery day to bee performed of which wee haue already spoken there are others which more specially belong to the Lords Day of which wee are now to intreate For howsoeuer we ought to deuote our selues in the whole course of our liues to Gods seruice yet this Day is to be set apart and consecrated wholly after a peculiar manner to Gods immediate worship so as wee may not in any part thereof doe the duties of our callings or any of our owne workes which tend to the aduancing of our worldly ends Whereof I will speake the more briefly because I haue in part touched already the mayne points and summe of the fourth Commandement and because also diuers of my learned and godly Brethren haue excellently laboured in this Argument leauing nothing for me after their plentifull haruest but some few gleanings vnlesse I would picke out of their sheaues and say the same things againe which they haue better said already And yet because my desire is that this Treatise should be perfect in all its parts I will briefly speake of these duties and giue some directions for the spending of this Day in such a manner as may be acceptable vnto God and profitable for the inriching of our soules with all spirituall graces and the assuring and furthering of our saluation And first if we would rightly sanctifie the Lords Day when it commeth there is required before-hand a due preparation neither can any action of waight and worth be well performed which is suddenly and rashly vndertaken and scarce euer thought on before it bee attempted especially if there be much and mighty opposition which will be neuer wanting in these religious duties that so neerely concerne our saluation till we come to keepe a perpetuall Sabbath in Gods Kingdome seeing our spirituall and malicious enemies the deuill world and our owne flesh leaue no meanes vnassayed which may make all Gods holy ordinances vnprofitable vnto vs. §. Sect. 2 Of our general preparation in the whole weeke Now this preparation is either generall or more speciall The generall is in the whole weeke before by performing those Christian and religious duties of which I haue formerly intreated For if the heart be kept continually in good plight and order seasoned with the loue of piety and settled in a good course then the duties of the Lords day will be easie and familiar sweete and delightfull And as he that keepeth himselfe in breath by running euery day holdeth out well when he is put to his best speed and runneth that race for the getting of the Garland whereas he who taketh his ease is pursie and shortwinded and running with much paine and difficultie tyreth before he come to the goale so if we would euery day inure our selues to run our spirituall race in the performance of all holy duties wee should finde our selues long-winded actiue and able to hold out when as on the Lords Day wee are put as it were to our best speede for the obtaining of the Garland of grace and Crowne of glory whereas if wee spend the weeke in slothfull ease and pamper our selues to the full with sensuall delights If we giue our hearts liberty to range after worldly vanities and fix them wholy vpon earthly pleasures and profits if we let our tongues loose to discourse onely of sensuall and terrene affaires and neuer acquaint them with the language of Canaan and if all our actions being suteable to them both are wholly imployed about temporary obiects then shall wee finde it impossible on the Lords day to withdraw them from their common haunt seeing for want of vse religious exercises will be tedious and vnpleasant vnto vs and though we with some force bring them to holy duties yet finding no taste nor delight in them they will euer and anon steale away or violently breake from vs and roue and range after worldly vanities §. Sect. 3 Of speciall preparation to be vsed in the Euening before the Lords Day The more speciall preparation is to be vsed on the euening before the Lords day wherein two things are to bee performed First wee must remoue all impediments which might hinder vs in our rest and the sanctifying of it and secondly we must vse the helpes which may further vs in these holy duties The maine hindrances which must be remoued are two worldlinesse and wickednesse By the former I vnderstand our earthly and ordinary businesse worldly cares and cogitations which if they keepe possession in our hearts they will choke the seed of Gods Word distract vs in our prayers and meditations and make all holy exercises cold formall and vnprofitable vnto vs. For the preuenting whereof it is much to be desired that we would as much as in vs lyeth and so farre forth as will stand with the necessary duties of our callings so order and dispose of all our worldly businesses as that they might bee wholly dispatched and settled betimes on the Saturday whereby we should not onely be preserued from incroching vpon the Lords Day as it is the practice of many for the effecting of our worldly affaires which through our negligence and forgetfulnesse being left vndone doe then presse vpon vs as workes of necessity but also we should haue hereby conuenient leisure and fit time for our better preparation vnto all those holy and religious duties which the next day are to be performed And this is to keepe our foot from the Sabbath Esa 58. 13. Eccl. 5. 1. Exod. 3. 5. namely from treading vpon Gods holy ground and entring rashly vpon his right when as wee appoynt and set apart an interim of time betweene our worldly affaires and those holy duties of the Lords Day as it were certaine bounds betweene vs and the Mount to keepe vs from violating Gods Commandement wherein wee are to weane and sequester our hearts from all worldly things that they may bee wholly intent vnto holy exercises In which regard the ancient practice of the Church was very commendable and consequently the neglect thereof to be lamented which ordained that all labouring men both in husbandry and trades should giue ouer their worke betimes vpon
Saturday in the afternoone and resort to the Church that their bodies being refreshed by rest and their minds prepared by prayer and meditation they might be the better inabled to performe the publike and solemne duties of Gods seruice the Day following The which being now neglected and both Masters and seruants taken vp with their laborious businesse later for the most part that night then any other in the weeke with watching and wearinesse they are made altogether vnfit to performe Gods worship their hearts being full fraught with their worldly affaires not hauing had so much leisure as to take a farewell of them and their heads so drowzy and heauie that they cannot hold them vp from nodding and sleeping euen in that time which is allotted to diuine exercises §. Sect. 4 That in our preparation we must purge our selues from all sinfull corruption And as we must thus in our preparation purge our hearts from worldlinesse so must we with no lesse care cleanse them from all sinfull wickednesse 1. Pet. 2. 1 2. To which purpose we must search and examine them if no sinnes lye lurking in them vnrepented of especially such as most hinder our profiting by the publike Ministery as wrath and maliciousnesse and chiefly against our teachers filthinesse dissimulation hypocrisie preiudice and forestalled opinions voluptuousnesse couetousnesse worldlinesse and such like And yet more particularly wee must call to our remembrance what sinnes wee haue committed the weeke past and seriously repent of them lest continuing in our wicked courses and cherishing our sinnes as it were in our bosomes when we present our selues before God they moue him to abhorre vs and our sacrifices of prayer and thankesgiuing Esa 6. 9. and to giue vs ouer to be further hardened by the deceitfulnesse of sinne whereof it will follow that our hearts becomming fat our eares heauie and our eyes shut we shall heare and not vnderstand and see but not perceiue that we might be healed and conuerted And this the Lord required of the Israelites that they should first wash them and make them cleane Esa 1. 16. namely in turning from their sinnes by vnfained repentance and then approch and come vnto him The which was typically signified by that commandement of washing their clothes before the giuing of the Law Exod. 19. 10. answerable vnto which is the sanctifying and purging of our hearts by faith and repentance from all pollution of sinne before wee approch into Gods presence to receiue his Word For he will not turne vnto vs nor by his gracious promises assure vs of his fauour till we turne from our sinnes nor suffer the precious liquor of his Word to be corrupted and spoyled by powring it into our hearts whilest they continue in their pollution and vncleannes Neither are we fit to receiue the ambassage of our reconciliation till we haue made our peace with him For if hauing offended Math. 5. 23 24. our brother we may not approch vnto the Altar to offer our gift till wee haue first sought to be reconciled vnto him then much lesse may we presume to offer vnto God any religious seruice vntill first by our vnfained repentance we haue made our peace with him And if our fallow grounds must be prepared and plowed vp before they be sowed then must wee in like manner plow vp the fallow grounds of our hearts as the Prophet exhorteth Jer. 4. 4. before they can be fit to receiue the seed of Gods Word §. Sect. 5 That in our preparation we must vse al helps which may further vs in the sanctifying of the Lords Day Secondly we must in this preparation vse all helpes which may further vs in the sanctification of the Lords Day as namely those common Psal 119. 20. Psal 42. 1 2. meanes of prayer reading the Word and other holy writings meditation c and more especially we must worke as much as may be longing desires in our hearts after the Lords Day that therein wee may come into Gods holy assemblies and be made partakers of his holy ordinances and that we may truly say with Dauid My soule breaketh for the longing that it hath vnto thy iudgements at all times And againe As the Hart panteth after the water-brookes so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God for the liuing God O when shall I come and appeare before God For if wee expect it not with desire we shall not greatly reioyce in the fruition if it be not our longing before it approch it will not when wee inioy it be our delight Now to stirre vp these longing desires after it wee must meditate on the excellency of this Day aboue all others seeing God hath consecrated it vnto his worship and seruice as his owne peculiar drawing neerer vnto vs in all visible signes of his presence and admitting vs to come neerer vnto him then at other times Let vs thinke on the spirituall beauty and brauery of Gods House and of his holy Assemblies graced and adorned with his speciall fauours and with the light of his countenance which infinitely excelleth the Sunne in brightnesse and comfort whereby the Church becommeth faire as the Moone cleere as the Cant. 6. 10. Sunne and terrible as an army with banners with which spirituall beauty being rapt vp and rauished let vs cry out with Dauid O how amiable are Psal 110. 3. thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts My soule longeth yea euen fainteth for the Psal 84. 1 2 10. Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the liuing God c. A day in thy Courts is better then a thousand I had rather bee a dore-keeper in the House of my God then to dwell in the tents of wickednesse Let vs meditate on the singular priuiledges which the Lord on this Day imparteth vnto vs with a liberall hand admitting vs into his Chamber of presence and communicating himselfe vnto vs by giuing vs free liberty to speake vnto him about all our wants and grieuances and to offer vnto him our suits and petitions with a gracious promise that hee will heare and grant them yea into his Councell chamber where he imparteth vnto vs all his secrets and the chiefe counsels of his Kingdome and not only causeth the great Charter of our peace and manifold priuiledges to be read and expounded vnto vs but also sealeth it by his Sacraments for our owne peculiar vse Finally let vs consider of the manifold benefits which the Lord on that Day communicateth vnto vs. For it is Gods Festiuall wherein hee nourisheth our soules vnto life eternall if wee bring a good appetite to this spirituall banquet It is his great Seale Day wherein hee signeth and sealeth vnto vs a generall pardon for all our sins and all our spirituall euidences of our heauenly inheritance both by the priuie Signet of his Spirit and the great Seale of his Sacraments It is the Day of Gods largesse wherein he
to all but to apply a fit portion vnto all sorts of hearers and a great measure of wisedome and vnderstanding through the outward helpes of study and learning and the inward illumination of Gods Spirit that he may bee able to instruct those which are ignorant according to that in the Prophet Malachy The Priests lips should keepe Mal. 2. 7. knowledge namely as Iosephs corne in the store-houses for the common vse and not a close Prisoner with whom none may bee admitted to conferre sauing his Iaylour and the people should seeke the Law at his mouth Vnto which knowledge and skill there must bee added industrious diligence whereby he is ready to preach the Word in season and out of season reprouing 2. Tim. 4. 1 2. and rebuking with all long suffering and doctrine although hee seeth small fruit of his labours For though the Minister be neuer so rich in the spirituall treasures of learning and knowledge yet if miser-like he doe not communicate them but locketh them vp in his owne braine the poore people are neuer the better but may perish in their ignorance euen as he Ezek. 33. 8. shall doe in his sloth and vnfaithfulnesse Thirdly he must haue his heart affected with sincere loue of the people whereby hee is mooued in all 1. Pet. 5. 1 2. things to seeke their good and to preferre their saluation before his owne priuate profit The which loue in the teacher will make way in the hearts of his hearers not onely for his instructions and comforts but also his admonitions and reproofes seeing they come not out of any spleene but out of meere loue and feruent desire of sauing their soules In the act and execution of his Ministeriall function he is to speake nothing but Gods Truth as from him and as before him in his pure sight which discerneth all errour and in his glorious presence who hateth and abhorreth all vanity and hypocrisie And that not after his owne manner chiefly ayming to magnifie himselfe in the ostentation of his owne learning and gifts but in the demonstration of the Spirit aboue all desiring and indeuouring to glorifie God in the saluation of his hearers §. Sect. 5 That the word must be preached powerfully and plainely Whereunto these two things are required namely that he preach the Word powerfully plainly powerfully to the consciences of all plainly to the capacity as much as in him lieth of those which are most simple Of both we haue the Apostle Paul for our patterne who though he were most learned aboue all other the Apostles both in arts and tongues and all other learning of the Iewes yet came not in excellency of speech nor the 1. Cor. 2. 1 2 4. inticing words of mans wisedome but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power desiring to know nothing that is to make shew of no other knowledge sauing Iesus Christ and him crucified and preferring fiue words spoken to the vnderstanding 1. Cor. 14. 19. of his hearers aboue ten thousand in an vnknowne tongue Yea we haue heerein our Sauiour Christ himselfe as our Precedent who preached the Word not like the Scribes and Pharises after a ieiune and Scholasticall manner but with all power and authority And though hee were the wisedome of his Father in whom all treasures of knowledge and learning were Col. 2. 3. hid and the word of his Father exceeding in sound eloquence both men and Angels yet preached the Word in a plaine phrase and humble manner of speech not respecting what hee was able to speake but what his Disciples were able to heare conceiue and carry away like a louing and Mar. 4. 33. Ioh. 16. 12. carefull nurse chawing the harder and stronger meate in his mouth that they might the better receiue it whilst he explained more difficult points by easie and familiar similitudes Neither had hee onely care of more thorowly informing those who were men growne in knowledge by teaching them the high and hidden mysteries of his Kingdome but also of Ioh. 3. 3 4 5. instructing his little children and yong nouices in the first principles of true Religion as it was prophesied of him by Esayas All thy children shall Esa 54. 13. be taught of the Lord and great shall be their peace And like a faithfull and Ioh. 6. 45. carefull Shepheard hee did not onely apply himselfe to feed his whole flock but extended his care and loue chiefly to his yonglings gathering his Esa 40. 11. Lambes with his arme and carrying them in his bosome and gently leading those which were great with yong The which care and charge when hee was to ascend on high hee deputed to the Apostle Peter and in him to all the whole Ministery that they should feed his tender Lambes as well as his older and stronger Sheepe And therefore though the ouer-wise Grecians account the simple preaching of Christ crucified foolishnesse and the learned 1. Cor. 1. 23. Doctors of the world make themselues sport with this easie plainenesse Let all that truely feare God chuse rather to imitate Christ and his Apostles in their course of preaching labouring to speake vnto the capacity of the meanest and simplest seeing the charge of their soules is commended vnto them by our great Shepheard as well as theirs who are of greatest vnderstanding and the soules of all being alike deare vnto God they shall giue account of one as well as of another of the little Lambes as well as of the Rammes of the flocke And seeing we must not only take care for our selues that wee may goe to heauen alone but are appointed Captaines and Leaders of Gods Armies wee must not skorne plaine wayes wherein all our company may goe with vs the weake and sicke as well as the strong and healthy and mount aloft in learned discourses and Scholasticall speculations as it were vpon the Alpes which are no lesse high aboue their capacity then cold and heartlesse giuing no warmth to their zeale and deuotion or trauell in the craggy and rough wayes of knottie controuersies needlesse genealogies and abstruse difficulties where wee shall leaue all our hearers afarre off behind vs but chuse rather such faire wayes and beaten paths as will bring vs and our company with vs with most speed and safety to the end of our iourney For though heereby we cannot commend our strength and swiftnesse though we outrun others that haue set out before vs because they go in mountainous wayes farre about yet we shall commend our wisedome and prudence in that we haue chosen the fairest and neerest way And surely if an vnpartiall view were taken of seuerall congregations and iust tryal made whether those haue best thriuen in the Christian growth who haue bin diligently fed with ordinary food and daily bread or those who are sometimes feasted with a banket of delicate dishes I doubt not but it would be found that as sometime Daniel Dan. 1.
which we did prepare them whereof if wee faile all our former labour will be vaine and fruitlesse For as it doth not auaile a man for the preseruation and comfort of his life that his granaries and store-houses are full of all good prouision no not to haue his table throughly furnished with all variety of meats if he doe not feed vpon them nor to haue his chests and wardrobe full of apparell if he doe not put them on nor miser-like to hoord vp treasures in abundance and neuer conuert them to vse nor imploy them for the reliefe of his necessity and comfort of his life so it will not profit vs at all for the nourishing strengthening and refreshing of our soules to make prouision in all kinds and to lay it vp in the store-house of our minds and memories if it be not applyed to our hearts and affections which are the most essentiall and vitall parts of a true Christian that they may nourish and comfort them and make them actiue and able to performe with cheerfulnesse all holy duties of a Christian life To which purpose there is further required after we haue by the discourse of our vnderstandings cleered and inlarged the matter whereon wee meditate with much variety that we now labour to bring all which wee haue thought vpon by speciall application to our owne particular vse and to worke and inforce it vpon our hearts and consciences that they may haue a liuely taste and thorow sense and feeling of it stirring vp our affections according to the nature and quality of the matter either to holy loue or hatred to admiration or contempt ioy or sorrow hope or feare desire or abhorring confidence or shame and so in the rest Thus if the subiect matter of our meditation be good both in it owne nature and vnto vs we are by considering the Authour and end of it the beauty and excellency the profit and benefit the necessity of hauing it and the misery of wanting it to worke it into our hearts by inflaming them with the loue and desire of it by stirring them vp with admiration in their pursuit and ioy in their fruition by affecting them with hope of obtaining them either in respect of matter or degree and with care and feare of losing or lessening them But if it be euill and wicked wee are by considering the causes and fountaine from which it springeth the pernicious ends whereto it tendeth the mischieuous effects which it produceth the deformity and basenesse the losse and misery vnprofitablenesse and maliciousnesse of it to worke our hearts to a further detestation and lothing to a contempt auersation and abhorring of it if by the tentations of our spirituall enemies it be pressed vpon vs or to shame and sorrow if they bee tainted with it and haue giuen it admission Neither must we content our selues with weake motions in this kind but wee must labour to worke in our hearts feruent affections and such as discouer much zeale and deuotion not thinking it enough to taste of these spirituall meats which the discourse of our vnderstandings hath set before vs and so to leaue them as it were standing vpon the table without receiuing by them any further benefit but we must hunger and thirst after them with longing and earnest desires we must labour to haue a thorow sense and feeling of their comfortable sweetnesse yea wee must swallow them downe and digest them not so much in our stomackes as in the ventricles of our hearts to increase the vitall spirits of our soules which may inable vs to liue the life of grace and make vs fit and vigorous for spirituall motion And the more we finde our selues affected with these spirituall delicacies and the more sweetnesse and benefit we rellish in them the more earnestly must we still stirre vp our affections to goe on in this spirituall pursuit setting vp as it were all our sailes when wee haue got a prosperous gale and when we are come to a good veyne in this golden mine we must not bee satisfied when wee haue made an entrance but dig into it further with more diligence incouraging and comforting our selues in this delightfull labour with these first good beginnings §. Sect. 4 That we must not be discouraged though we cannot at the first feele the fruit of our meditations But what if we cannot after some good indeuour feele the sweetnesse of this exercise yet we must not be discouraged and giue it ouer but vse all good meanes to recouer our taste and spirituall appetite seeing the cause of the defect is in their indisposition and not because this spirituall food wanteth sweetnesse And seeing it is not a matter intellectuall and subiect to the discourse of the mind but rather of sense and practice caused by a secret fitting and application of it to the obiect which is principally done by the Spirit of God working in our hearts and instrumentally by a liuely faith therefore we are not to labour so much to stirre vp our affections that we may rellish this sweetnesse by discourse of reason which worketh little vpon the sense and appetite and much lesse by vehement agitation of the body and outward parts to draw on passion like Actours vpon a Stage as some haue foolishly prescribed but applying the poynts whereon we haue discoursed by faith let vs labour to gaine the rellish and taste of sweetnesse in them rather by prayer then by arguments Neither let this discourage vs and interrupt our exercise but let vs submitting our selues to the good will and pleasure of God wait his leisure with meeknesse and patience expecting when he will be pleased to descend into our hearts by his holy Spirit to mooue and excite our affections as somtime the Angell into the Poole that hee might trouble the waters According to that in the Lamentations It is good that a man Lam. 3. 26. should both hope and quietly waite for the saluation of the Lord. Which if wee doe we shall assuredly finde the fruit of our labour For as the Prophet speaketh of vision so may I of this spirituall visitation It stayeth but for Habak 2. 3. the appoynted time but at the end it shall speake comfort to our hearts and not lye Though it seeme to tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry Yea if we be not discouraged with this delay but continue our exercise in obedience to God labouring to performe it as we are able when we cannot doe it in such perfection as we would the Lord when hee commeth to visit our hearts will bring in his hand double wages rewarding both our obedience and duty and also our faith and patience by filling our hearts with spirituall comforts quickening their appetite and replenishing them with holy affections So that though like greene wood they are not presently inflamed but need much blowing before they can be thorowly kindled yet if wee continue they will through Gods
to cure all the sores of sinne though the head be sicke and the whole heart faint and though from the sole of the foot Esa 1. 5 6 16 17. to the crowne of the head there is no soundnesse in thee but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores yet if thou wilt apply vnto them this soueraigne salue they shall be all healed so that euen thy crimson and scarlet sinnes shall become white as snow and wooll §. Sect. 5 Of the kinds of repentance ordinary and extraordinary And thus thou seest O my soule the nature of true repentance which admitteth of no distribution into kinds but yet thou maist distinguish it into some degrees For either thou maist consider it in the first acts of thy conuersion when as thou diddest breake from thy sinnes by bewayling and forsaking them and turning vnto thy God in new obedience or else it is the continuing of it throughout the whole course of this life For as thou art neuer in this world perfectly cured of the sores of sin but that they will breake out againe the inward corruption not thorowly drawne out still seeking vent in some outward issue so this plaister of repentance must continually be applyed and renewed and be neuer quite neglected and throwne away vntill by death the cure be perfected Now this repentance which thou must continue O my soule euen till by thy separation from thy beloued body thou be freed from that hated body of sinfull corruption is either ordinary or extraordinary Thy ordinary repentance is that which thou must daily performe for as thou daily sinnest against thy good God so thou must daily sorrow for thy sinnes bee humbled in the sight and sense of them hate and abhorre them as conquered rebels who hauing gotten new strength haue giuen thee these foyles subdue and mortifie them and indeuour to please thy God in the contrary duties of his seruice Thy extraordinary repentance is either when by reason of thy sloth and security thou hast discontinued this exercise and afterwards doest vndertake it afresh being excited and moued hereunto by outward helpes the preaching of the Word afflictions danger of being ouertaken with some approching euill extraordinary blessings and such like or by the inward motions of Gods holy Spirit or else when thou art ouertaken for want of keeping the spirituall watch of some grieuous and vnusuall sinne whereby thou hast made deepe wounds and fearefull gashes into thy conscience In both which respects thou must double thy zeale and diligence that thou maist rise from whence thou art falne redeeme the lost time wherein thou hast negligently intermitted this holy exercise bewaile thine extraordinary sinnes with extraordinary sorrow and bitter griefe both in greater measure sutable to these greater sinnes and in a more vehement and powerfull manner hating these sinnes with more then mortall hatred driuing out these cursed enemies which haue giuen thee such shamefull foyles with all despite and redoubling thy watch that they may for euer be kept out of thy coast and neuer be able to surprize and ouercome thee Finally thy repentance my soule must be extraordinary when thy God moueth thee vnto it by any extraordinary occasion as when thou art to performe some duty of his seruice of great moment and importance as the receiuing of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which requireth extraordinary preparation and examination when thou humblest thy selfe in some solemne fast publike or priuate for the auerting of some imminent iudgement or deliuerance from some present euill or when thou art to vndertake some businesse for thy selfe the Church or Common-wealth no lesse waighty and necessary then full of difficulty and danger then my soule is it high time for thee to renew and redouble thy repentance that thy sinnes which separate betweene thy God and thee may be remooued and not stop and hinder thee from receiuing the assistance of his grace and holy Spirit in these waighty imployments So also when thou addressest thy selfe to thy God to make suit for some blessings which thou much desirest from which thy sinnes might hinder thee and stop the streame of his grace that though it ouerflow to all others yet thou shalt remaine dry and barren or for the remouall of some great afflictions which if thou continuest in thy sinnes thou maist iustly feare will bee continued vpon thee till thy God by redoubling thy stripes and smart haue made thee to renew thy repentance and redouble thy sorrow Finally it is fit time thus to repent when thy God summoneth thee by sicknesse to appeare before him and threateneth thee to bring thee before his Tribunall vnder the arrest of death then is there no more need O my soule to set thy house and state in order then thy selfe and then is it fit time that thou shouldest renew thy repentance with Ezechias in an extraordinary manner that thou maist make thine accounts ready before thou art to render them vnto thy Iudge and seeing thou art much indebted and hast nothing to pay thou must whilest thou art here by renewing thy faith and repentance sue out thy pardon and get a generall acquittance for all thy debt sealed with thy Sauiours blood that so thou maist goe with ioy and comfort when thy Iudge calleth thee to make thine appearance CAP. XXI Shewing how we must worke the former points vpon our hearts and affections §. Sect. 1 How our harts are to be affected with feruent desires to practice this duty of repentance ANd now my soule that thou hast in thy vnderstanding discoursed of the chiefe poynts obseruable in this excellent grace of repentance labour to worke what thou knowest into thine heart and affections and to bring it all to some holy vse that thou maist prepare these spirituall meates not onely to looke vpon for so thou maist in this great plenty depart an hungred and be neuer the better in thy health strength and good liking but indeuour to apply them to taste their sweetnesse to feed vpon and digest them for thy nourishment Thou hast discouered my soule excellent waters which though they be bitter in their owne nature yet the wood of thy Sauiours Crosse being cast into them by the hand of faith will make them to become sweet Drinke deepely of them O my soule that thou maist neuer againe thirst after the pleasures of sinne which may well glut thee but will neuer satisfie thee but the more thou drinkest the more thou thirstest whereas these waters my soule will cure this dropsie and make thee thirst onely after spirituall things in which there is great delight seeing thou maist heere drinke thy fill without impeachment yea with much improuement of thy health or rather because thou canst neuer be filled in this life thou maist euer thirst and euer drinke thirst without distemper without griefe and drinke with all spirituall delight seeing these waters satisfie without satiety And as they are good for thine inward thirst so also for thy both
bodily smart and worldly griefe for the losse of things little to be esteemed how many arguments of comforts as it were bridles needest thou to curbe in and moderate thy sensuall sorrowes and yet how often doe they get head and as it wer◠catching the bridle betweene the teeth carry thee away in a full carreer But how many strong motiues and forcible reasons as it were sharpe spurres in thy sides doest thou need to make thee sorrow for thy sinnes and how soone like a dull hackney art thou tyred in this vnusuall way so that no spurres nor stripes will make thee mend thy pace How cold and quiet is thy hatred against thy sinnes and vpon what easie tearmes and small submission art thou content to let them liue when the Lord hath giuen them into thy power and put the sword of the Spirit into thy hands wherewith thou mightest slay them How little hast thou profited in the amendment of thy life how small and insensible are thy proceedings in the wayes of godlines and after long time spent and many means vsed how small is thy progresse and how neere art thou still to the place from whence thou diddest sit out How faint are thy desires O slothfull soule after good things How farre from earnest longings which breake the heart and from hungring and thirsting which are impatient of delay and neuer at quiet till they be satisfied How often doest thou faile in thy good resolutions and how seldome dost thou bring them to any good effect How easily art thou discouraged in thy best indeuours desisting or at least often intermitting them before thou bringest them to any perfection And yet this is all thou canst doe towards that perfect obedience which the Law requireth and all that thy God in the Gospell doth require of thee Vngratefull soule if thou dost not answere his demands when hauing done so much for thee hee desireth in lieu of all to haue so little returned vnto him §. Sect. 4 A hearty wish to haue all wants supplyed Jer. 9. 1. O that thou couldest performe this duty in that manner and measure which thy God requireth O that thy head were a fountaine of teares that thou mightest with Dauid cause thy bed to swim and water thy Psalm 6. 6. couch with them and with Ieremy weepe day and night for thine owne sinnes and the sinnes of thy people O that God would smite thy hard heart as he caused Moses sometime to smite the Rocke that there might gush out of it teares of vnfained repentance O that I could thorowly waken my selfe out of my slumber of security that continually expecting my Iudge I might prepare my selfe for his comming and lament my sins as though it were the last day of my life O that I could be more displeased with my selfe because my sinnes no more displease me and lament the hardnesse of my heart because I can no more heartily bewaile them How should I inwardly reioyce in this sorrow How should I haue more iust cause of delight in bathing my selfe in these flouds then Naaman had when washing in lordan he perceiued himselfe cleansed from his Leprosie How should these teares be my meate and drinke and more refresh me then my corporall food O that turning from my sins with implacable hatred I could returne to my God with all feruency of affection and that I could expresse and approue my loue vnto him who hath so loued me by bringing forth plentifull fruits of new obedience O that my Psal 119. 5. wayes were so directed that I might keepe his Statutes O that thou couldest my soule set thy selfe perfectly to seeke and serue him and that thou mightest neuer erre from the wayes of his Commandements O that it were thy meate and drinke to doe the will of thy heauenly Father and that thou couldest loue it better then thy daintiest food O that thou couldest doe Gods will in earth as the blessed Angels doe it in heauen with all ioy and cheerfulnesse speed and diligence But alas so impotent thou art in thine owne strength that thou art altogether vnable in thy selfe to performe this duty in any such manner or measure as thou desirest §. Sect. 5 Acknowledgement of impotency Thou seest thy sores and feelest their smart but hast no skill to cure or ease them Thou are sensible of thy defects but art so poore and beggerly that thou canst not supply them Yea thou art within the sight of the waters which haue vertue in them to cure thy lamenesse and lyest desolate bemoning thy misery but art so impotent that thou canst not step into them Thou seest and acknowledgest that thy sorrow for sinne is too too small and it grieueth thee that thou canst bee no more grieued but hast no more ability to draw from thy head plenty of teares or from thy heart vnfained sighes and grones for thy sinnes then to command the clouds to raine or the windes to blow Thou seest the miseries and dangers which attend vpon thy carnall security but canst not rowze thy selfe vp out of this dead slumber Thou feelest the mischiefes of an hard heart but art not able by any meanes of thine owne to supple and soften it Many defects and imperfections there are in thy new obedience but thou hast no ability to supply the one or amend the other Rest not therefore my soule vpon thine owne strength which will faile thee in this as well as in all things else of any waight or worth but flee vnto him that is both able and willing to pardon thy imperfections and wants and also to supply them Cry vnto him O my soule who is ready and All-sufficient to heare and helpe thee Lift vp thy heart vnto him and say §. Sect. 6 Petition O thou who art alone able to perfect that good worke of repentance which thy selfe hast begun amend in it what is amisse and supply all that wherein it is defectiue I haue desired to turne vnto thee by vnfained repentance but my corrupt flesh opposeth me in this work so as I can bring it to little effect put to thy helping hand and supply by thy Spirit what is wanting in me The reliques of my corruption doe still remaine in mee and pull me backe as I am returning vnto thee but thou who hast deposed them from their regency and weakened them in their full strength canst deliuer me fully from their power and tyranny and preserue mee from the danger of those secret ambushments out of which these scattered forces vpon all aduantages doe assault me My carnall security opposeth my repentance and maketh me apt to slumber in my sinnes but thou canst awake me out of this sleepe who was able to rowze me out of the sleepe of death My heart is hard and I bewaile great sinnes with small sorrow but if thou finite this stony rocke there will issue from it as from a fountaine streames of repentant teares I am now slow and dull in returning vnto
To what purpose saith he Ier. 6. 20. 7. 22 23. commeth there to me incense from Sheba and the sweet cane from a farre Countrey your offerings are not acceptable nor your sacrifices sweet vnto me Thus the Lord reiecteth their solemne feasts because they were not ioyned with Esa 8. 4 5. the workes of Iustice and mercy So Salomon telleth vs that the sacrifice of Pro. 15. 8. the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the vpright is his delight And Dauid saith that if he did regard wickednesse in his heart the Lord Psal 66. 18. would not heare him Whereas in other places hee telleth vs that the righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and deliuereth them out of all their Psal 34. 17 18. troubles §. Sect. 4 The fourth reason taken from the consideration of our lost time before our conuersion The fourth argument may be taken from the consideration of our lost time which we haue mis-spent before our conuersion whilest we liued in ignorance and in the state of Infidelity when as we wholly neglected all duties of Gods seruice and the meanes which might haue inriched vs with all sauing graces and furthered the assurance of our saluation and haue spent all our strength in pursuing of worldly vanities and in the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse to the great dishonour of our good God the wounding of our consciences and the burthening and defiling of our soules with the guilt and corruption of sinne The which should bee a powerfull reason after that we are effectually called to make vs more zealous of Gods seruice that we may in the remainder of our liues as much glorifie him by our holy conuersation as wee haue before dishonoured him by our sinfull liues and that we may by our extraordinary indeuour and diligence attaine vnto the treasures of his spirituall graces whereby we may be inabled to trauaile in the wayes of godlinesse with so much the greater speed by how much we haue beene more late in setting foorth in our spirituall Iourney and more sluggish and slothfull in trauailing in this way which leadeth vs to our heauenly Countrey And as those who haue mis-spent their youth in riotous liuing neglected all meanes of thriuing and wasted their states by prodigall courses when they come to riper age and see their folly being beaten by their owne experience doe not onely desist from their former vaine and prodigal courses but are sorry and ashamed of them and set themselues with so much the more care and diligence to recouer and repaire their decayed estates and with the greater earnestnesse vse all good meanes of thriuing And as those who being to trauaile about important businesse neerely concerning them in their life and state if they haue ouer slept themselues in the morning or trifled out their time about things of no worth when they see their errour and folly doe make more haste in their way all the day following that they may not be benighted and so comming short of their iourney be frustrated of their hopes so must we doe in this case labouring with so much more earnestnesse after the spirituall riches of Gods grace and the assurance of our heauenly hopes by how much the longer wee haue neglected this spirituall thrift and trauelling so much more speedily in the wayes of godlinesse by how much the longer we haue deferred our iourney and haue loytered by the way fearing as the Apostle speaketh lest a promise Heb. 4. 1. being left vs of entring into Gods Rest we should come short of it for want of care and diligence And this argument the Apostle vseth that seeing wee haue formerly liued in darknesse and haue spent our time in sleepe and sluggishnesse we should now when we are awaked walke circumspectly not Ephes 5. 8 14 15 16. as fooles but as wise redeeming the time because the dayes are euill And seeing we haue been scandalous in our sinfull courses hindring others from the profession and practice of godlinesse by our ill example therefore as hee exhorteth we must now walke in wisedome towards them that are without Col. 4. 5. redeeming the time by a more earnest indeuour in seeking their conuersion by our holy communication and gracefull speeches and by shining before them in the light of Godlinesse that we may mooue them to glorifie our heauenly Father So perswading the Romans to sanctification and holinesse of life he putteth them in mind of their former condition and the little fruit which they receiued by it that it might bee as a spurre in their sides to hasten their speed in the Christian race For as ye haue Rom. 6. 19 21 22. saith he yeelded your members seruants to vncleannesse and to iniquity vnto iniquity hauing no other fruit of sinning but sinne euen so now yeeld your members seruants to righteousnesse vnto holinesse c. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death But now being made free from sinne and become seruants to God ye haue your fruit vnto holinesse and the end euerlasting life And thus the Apostle Peter 1. Pet. 4. 2 3. exhorteth vs that we should no longer liue the rest of our time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God because the time past of our life may suffice to haue wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciuiousnesse and in all wicked and sinfull lusts CAP. XLI Other reasons taken from our owne profit and the manifold benefits of a godly life §. Sect. 1 That godlines is the chiefest gaine BVt among all other arguments which respect our selues none are more effectuall to preuaile with vs then those Psal 4. 6. 1. Tim. 6. 6. which are drawne from our owne profit seeing as the Psalmist speaketh euery man is ready to inquire who will shew them any good And therefore if I shall plainly shew that godlinesse is the greatest gaine and nothing in the world so profitable and beneficiall to all vses and purposes as the practice of holy and righteous duties belonging to a Christian life I hope it will be effectuall to perswade all who wel waigh and consider the inestimable gaine and profit which they shall assuredly reape vnto themselues that constantly goe on in the wayes of godlinesse to spend their time and chiefe strength and indeuours in that whereby they may receiue so great aduantage and to neglect the pleasures of sinne and the eager pursuit of worldly vanities which profit not as bringing in comparison no true good sound comfort or solid contentment for the present and when they bee taken from vs or we from them one of which must needs happen and we know not how soone leaue nothing behind them but woe and misery Doe not therefore I beseech thee Christian Reader as thou tendrest the euerlasting saluation of thy precious soule O doe not
is agreeable to Gods will and Christ our Aduocate and Master of Requests to preferre them vnto God in our behalfe not pleading our deserts but his owne merits and his Fathers promises but also this high Court of Requests night and day open vnto vâ— that in all our necessities wee may make our suites and supplications knowne vnto God with confidence and assurance that they shall bee heard and granted §. Sect. 2 The seuenth maine priuiledge is that God granteth vnto them the meanes to build them vp in grace vnto saluation The seuenth priuiledge peculiar to the godly is that God granteth vnto them the meanes to build them vp in grace and to bring them to saluation with hearts to vse them and the inward assistance of his holy Spirit whereby they become profitable and effectuall to their ends The which is to bee vnderstood first of the publike meanes as hearing the Word Sacraments and Prayer which the most in the world haue not at all but those onely that liue in the Church of which the fewest and least number inioy them to their vse and benefit either because they neglect and contemne them or vse them after a cold carelesse and formall manner without any desire and indeuour to profit by them wanting in themselues faith and a good conscience and also the inward co-operation of Esa 6. 9. Gods holy Spirit to blesse and sanctifie them to their vse By reason whereof it commeth to passe that after they haue long been partakers of Gods holy â—dinances they are neuer the better but remaine as ignorant and full of â—fidelity as impenitent and vnprofitable as they were at the first yea in â—uth much the worse seeing for want of faith and preparation the prâ—ching of the Word which is in it owne nature Gods strong Math. 11. 21. Rom. 1. 16. power to theiâ— saluation and the sauour of life vnto life becommeth vnto them the saâ—ur of death to their deeper condemnation and the Sacrament 2. Cor. 2. 16. 1. Cor. 11. 29. which is the â—ale of saluation through their vnworthy receiuing of it sealeth vnto â—em iudgement and condemnation yea euen their prayers themselues aâ— turned into sinne whilest they know not how to pray as they ought â—th faith and feruency in spirit and truth but draw neere vnto Esa 29. 13. God with thâ—r lips onely when as their hearts are farre from him whereas vnto the godâ— they are great and inestimable priuiledges because the Lord by his Sâ—irit stirreth vp their appetite to hunger and thirst after Psal 42. 1 2. them and giuâ—th grace to vse them aright after that manner as hath before been sheâ—ed mixing faith with them whereby they become profitable Heb. 4. 2. and that â—ot onely a iustifying faith without which it is impossible to Heb. 11. 6. please God but â— speciall faith or branch of the other whereby they vse Gods holy orâ—ances without doubting assuring themselues that hee will according â—o his gracious promise accompany their diligent carefull Iam. 1. 6. and conscioâ—able vse of the outward meanes with the inward operation of his holy â—pirit and make them effectuall for the inriching of their soules with all â—pirituall and sanctifying graces and the furthering of their euerlasting saluation And secondly the godly haue this priuiledge more peculiar vâ—to themselues in respect of the priuate meanes before spoken of as watâ—hfulnesse meditation examination of themselues priuate prayer and tâ—e rest seeing scarce any but they vse them or if they doe slightly coldly and to no purpose whereas God giueth them grace to vse them aright and with an earnest desire to profit by them the which he also satisfieth whilest by the inward assistance of his holy Spirit he maketh them powerfull and effectuall for their spirituall nourishment and the inriching of their soules with all sanctifying and sauing graces And this also may be an effectuall reason to moue vs to godlinesse that we may inioy these great priuiledges and not only haue and vse them with others but also haue them blessed and sanctified by Gods Spirit that they may become profitable and effectuall to our saluation without which our nourishment it selfe will turne to poyson and Gods holy ordinances which are the meanes of life and happinesse being abused by vs for want of grace and godlinesse will but harden vs in our sinnes and so increase our condemnation and punishment §. Sect. 3 The eighth maine priuiledge iâ— that they shall perseuere in the state of grace vnto saluation The eighth priuiledge peculiar to the godly is that they shall perseuere in the state of grace and saluation vnto the end and howsoeuer through the violence of the tentations of their spirituall enemies and their owne frailty and corruption they haue many slips and falls yet they shall neuer fall away and though they erre sometimes out of the way of righteousnesse into the by-wayes of sinne yet they returne into it againe by vnfained repentance and redeeme this lost time with more then ordinary diligence in Gods seruice So that though there may bee and are some ill premises in their liues which truly feare God yet they alwayes make a good conclusion though they haue many rubs in the â—beay yet at length they come safely to their iourneys end And though â—hey haue many faults and failings in their liues yet they are alwayes bleâ—d in their death according to that of the Psalmist Marke the perfect â—n and behold Psal 37. 37. the vpright for the end of that man is peace and that of thâ— Preacher Though a sinner doe ill an hundred times and his dayes be prolongâ—d yet surely I know it shall be well with them that feare God which feare befoâ—â— him The which their perseuerance in the state of grace vnto the end â— not grounded vpon themselues or the strength of the graces which â—ey haue receiued for then it were but a poore priuiledge which woulâ— euery day be subiect to losing but vpon the power and promises of Gâ—d his Nature and Attributes the Intercession of Christ and the vertuâ— of his holy Spirit assisting and strengthening them For It is God whicâ—â—stablisheth vs 2. Cor. 1. 21. in Christ It is his strength whereby we are inabled to stand â—st against all Eph. 6. 10 12. the tentations of our spirituall enemies it is his power â—hereby we are 1. Pet. 1. 4. kept through faith vnto saluation And though wee are able tâ— doe nothing of our selues yet we can with the Apostle doe all things though the power Col. 3. 3. of Christ which strengtheneth vs neither is our spirituall lifâ— in our owne custody but it is hid with Christ in God as the Apostle speâ—keth It standeth not vpon the strength of our owne free will but of Gods will and as our Sauiour telleth vs This is the Fathers will that of â—ll which hee had Ioh. 6. 39. giuen him he should not lose one but
left to doubting Finally that our Sauiour Christ continually maketh intercession for vs pleading the all-sufficiency of his merits and satisfaction for our iustification and saluation So that though we sinne yet this is our comfort that we haue an Aduocate 1. Ioh. 2. 1 2. with the Father to pleade our cause euen Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes §. Sect. 6 That pride is a singular impediment to a godly life Besides these there are diuers other carnall corruptions which are notable impediments vnto a godly life The first wherof is naturall pride whereby we haue an high conceit of our selues and of euery shadow and shew of grace in vs and imagine that we haue so much already that wee need not to labour after more nor to vse any meanes for inriching of our selues with those graces whereof we stand in need An example whereof we haue in the Pharises who thought they saw when as they were blind Ioh. 9. 31. and therefore neglected the light of truth when as the Sunne of righteousnesse did shine vnto them In the Laodiceans who thought that they were rich and had need of nothing when as they were poore and miserable Apoc. 3. 17. blind and naked In the young Iusticiary who thought hee had done all Math. 19. 20. that God required of him and attained vnto perfection when as yet hee had done nothing but still remained the slaue of sinne loaded with corruptions and imperfections And in the Corinthians who proudly conceited that they were rich and raigned as Kings not needing any helpe from the blessed Apostle when as still their lusts raigned in them The which aboue all other corrupt affections hindreth vs from proceeding in the wayes of godlinesse First because God denyeth to giue his graces to such as being proudly conceited of themselues doe not acknowledge that they stand in need of them and consequently would neuer be thankfull for them For he exalteth the humble and pulleth downe the proud he filleth the hungry with good things and sendeth the full empty away Secondly Luk. 1. 52 53. because they thinking that they haue enough already neuer labour after more but neglect all good meanes which God hath ordained for the begetting and increasing of all his graces in vs and hauing scarce set one foot forward in the course of Christianity yet conceiting that they haue almost attained vnto the Goale of perfection that they haue far outstripped all others they stand still as though there were no need of further proceeding Now if we would remooue this impediment wee must mortifie our carnall pride and labour after true humility that hauing a sight of our sinne and misery we may not content our selues but labour to come out of this wretched estate Wee must striue to see and feele our wants and weaknesses that so we may vse all good meanes wherby they may be supplied and we strengthened and the imperfections of our best actions that so we may labour after more perfection Wee must acknowledge our selues wounded and sicke with sinne that Christ may heale and cure vs weake in grace that he may strengthen vs naked that Apoc. 3. 18. he may clothe vs poore that he may inrich vs blind that hee may giue vs sight and lost in our selues that he may saue vs. The second is vniust anger frowardnesse and peeuishnesse which for the time take away the vse of reason and much more the power of Religion making vs vnfit to pray reade or heare the Word of God or to performe any other Christian duty either vnto God our neighbour or our own person and for the time so stifleth and hindereth the operations of Gods Spirit and the holy motions of his Diuine graces dwelling in vs that scarce any semblance or shew of them will appeare either to others or our selues as wee see in the example of holy Dauid who in his cooler thoughts and well tempred affections made some scruple of cutting Sauls garment but being inraged 1. Sam. 25. with fury resolueth on the death not onely of Nabal who had offended him but of his whole family who were innocent and rather on his side then against him For the remoouing of which impediment it is necessary that we doe not giue way vnto this vnruly passion according to the Apostles admonition but that we subdue and keepe it vnder not suffering the Sunne to goe downe on our wrath vsing all good meanes to mortifie Eph. 4. 26. these carnall passions and to attaine vnto the contrary grace of meekenesse and gentlenesse of which I haue written at large in my Treatise of Anger §. Sect. 7 That sloth and lazinesse is a great impediment to a godly life The third corrupt affection is sloth and lazinesse which maketh men loth to take paines in performing the duties of Gods seruice as watchfulnesse Prayer hearing the Word Meditation and the rest For many hauing proceeded thus farre as to approoue these things in their iudgements and haue some desires and faint resolutions to put them in practice yet when they finde that they cannot be done without some paines being of an idle and sluggish disposition they are presently discouraged and hauing found the treasure which is sufficient to make them rich chuse rather to remaine in their spirituall beggery then they will spend any sweat in digging for it Needs then must this be a great impediment to the duties of a godly life when as men are so luskish and lazie that they flie that labour which is required vnto them Needs must such sluggards liue in pouerty seeing it is onely the hand of the diligent that maketh rich And Pro. 22. 13. farre off are they from atchieuing any excellent worke who sit idly still pretending excuses of danger and difficulty and that there is a Lyon without ready to slay them if they goe out into the street which impediment if wee would remooue let vs consider that howsoeuer such men please themselues with idle desires yet they wil nothing profit them vnlesse they shake off their sluggishnesse and vse all diligence in their spirituall businesse So Salomon saith that the soule of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing Pro. 13. 4. but the soule of the diligent shall be made fat Yea such desires if wee rest in them doe hurt rather then helpe vs according to that of Salomon The desire of the slothful killeth him for his hands refuse to labour Secondly let Pro. 21. 25. vs consider that by this sloth we doe not only not get any spiritual riches but also that wee consume that we already seeme to haue For as our Sauiour speaketh in another case He that gathereth not scattereth abroad Mat. 12. 30. in which respect Salomon maketh that man which is slothfull in his worke 〈…〉 er to him that is a great waster Thirdly let vs consider that the Lord Pro. 18. 9. hath appoin 〈…〉 this world to be a
be directed by them and tread in their footsteps so long as they goe before them in the wayes of truth and godlinesse and finally that they should march after their spirituall Captaines and Leaders and ioyne with them in fighting against the enemies of their saluation For it were as good for them to want these burning and shining Lights if they sit idly still and doe nothing to haue no such examples if they neuer imitate them to bee without guides if they will not follow them and these Captaines and Leaders if they let them sustaine alone the brunt of the battell and not like faithfull Souldiers ioyne common forces against common enemies Thirdly I answere that if the speciall imployments of our particular callings might make vs dispence with the generall duties of Christianity and Gods seruice the Ministers calling if we faithfully walke in it and diligently performe our duties hath as much businesse and imployment and not many fewer or lesse distractions from priuate religious duties then those which are of other professions As besides his priuate studies Reading and Meditation vnto 1. Tim. 4. 15 16. which hee must seriously attend that hee may prepare and fit himselfe for the publike seruice of the Church and the gouernment of his owne family hee must also watch ouer his flocke visit the sicke strengthen the weake comfort the afflicted priuately admonish those that erre and goe out of the way exhort those that are sluggish and rebuke those who wilfully offend and continue in their sinnes All which if they be performed with that conscionable care which they ought will leaue them as little time as other men for their priuate deuotions although vnder this pretence they must not bee neglected Finally though more bee required of Gods Ministers in respect of degree seeing where the Lord bestoweth a greater measure of his gifts and graces there hee requireth that they should in a greater measure bring foorth the fruits of holy obedience yet the same duties are to bee performed of all Christians according to the proportion of their grace receiued and both alike are tyed to yeeld vnto God their common Master religious seruice although those who exceed in knowledge and other gifts are bound to doe them in more perfection And howsoeuer a greater measure of knowledge is required of the Minister then the people because his lips must preserue Mal. 2. 7. it as in a common Treasury that they may haue recourse vnto him for the supplying of their wants yet as all men must liue by their owne Habac. 2. 5. faith so also they must walke by their owne sight and haue such a measure of knowledge and illumination of the Spirit as may be sufficient to direct them in all Christian and religious duties For their soules being alike precious vnto them as theirs are who are called to the Ministery and the way and meanes the same which bring both to eternall life and happinesse it behoueth them both alike to labour after this common saluation in the performance of the same Religious duties which are also required of both as common vnto them §. Sect. 5 Their obiection answered who pretend the want of meanes But here againe they are ready to obiect that if they had such means of knowledge and other sauing graces as others enioy and such helpes and furtherances in the duties of a godly life as many abound with then with some reason they were to be blamed if they did neglect them But alas they are vnder some ignorant or idle minister which cannot or wil not instruct them or such vnconscionable guides as shine not in the light of a good example but rather lay stumbling stones of offence before them by their enormious and scandalous liues and neglecting all good duties themselues doe dis-hearten and discountenance them who are carefull to performe them rather then any wayes encourage them either by their words or actions In which regard they thinke that they may be excused if they be not so zealous and forward in performing the Religious duties of Gods seruice and of a godly life To which I haue in part before answered namely that if this be our case first we must vse all good meanes to moue them to their dutie especially that we powre forth our hearty prayers vnto God for our Pastours and Ministers intreating him that he will inlighten their mindes and sanctifie their hearts and affections and so make them as able as willing to performe those high and holy duties vnto which they are called And secondly if the courses which they still hold affoord vs no better hopes then accounting the glorifying of God in the eternall saluation of our soules that one thing necessary which is farre to be preferred before all earthly commodities wee must labour to place our selues vnder such Pastors and Teachers as will carefully and conscionably breake vnto vs the bread of life and shine before vs not onely in the light of doctrine but also of an holy life conuersation In the meane time these outward wants must not make vs neglect the Religious duties of a godly life or if they doe they cannot be sufficient to excuse our negligence which doth not so much proceed from the want of externall meanes or those discouragements which are without vs as from the secret corruptions that lie lurking within vs. Which if they were thorowly mortified and our hearts inflamed with feruent zeale and true deuotion we would not be moued by these publique defects and discouragements to neglect the priuate duties of Gods seruice yea rather wee would vse them with more diligence as being through want of the other pressed vpon vs with a greater necessity For he that hath no friends or parents to looke vnto him or such as greatly care not whether he feed vpon wholesome food or famish for want of bread findeth that he is the more bound hereby to prouide for himselfe Whereas contrariwise these corruptions which make vs neglect the duties of Gods seruice still remayning in vs and quenching in our hearts all zeale and deuotion would make vs alike cold and negligent in our priuate exercises of Religion although the publike meanes which we enioyed were neuer so excellent Of the former we haue an example in Dauid who when he liued in the barren wildernesse had his soule so watred with the dew of Gods grace that it neuer brought forth more better fruits of holines and so inflamed with the fire of Gods Spirit that he was neuer more deuout in religious exercises nor more zealous in the priuate duties of Gods seruice though being banished and exiled from the Tabernacle and the publike place of Gods worship he was withall depriued of the ordinary means of his saluation And the like we see in the example of the persecuted Martyrs who neuer were more feruent in their priuate deuotions then when they durst not shew themselues in open assemblies but hid their heads frō
things and reioyce in nothing so much as in the assurance of thy loue and when the light of thy countenance shineth vpon mee Remooue out of my way all lets and impediments which might hinder me in my Christian course or so assist mee with thy grace that I may ouercome them Stablish me with thy free Spirit that I may not onely begin well but also continue in all grace and goodnesse vnto the very end of my life and let me be stedfast vnmoueable and alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord. And with these my prayers and supplications I doe also ioyne my praises and thankesgiuing lauding and magnifying thy great and glorious Name for thine inestimable loue and the fruits and testimonies thereof shewed vnto me euen from before all beginnings vnto this present day For that thou hast of thy free grace chosen mee to life and saluation created mee after thine owne similitude and likenesse in wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse redeemed me at so deare a price out of the miserable bondage of my spirituall enemies effectually called mee by the sound of the Gospell to the knowledge of thy truth vnited me vnto Christ by thy Spirit and a liuely faith and made me partaker of all his benefits for my iustification by his righteousnesse and obedience and for some degrees of sanctification begun in mee whereby thou hast subdued the power of sinne that though it dwelleth yet it doth not raigne in me and hast wrought in me some desire resolution and indeuour to serue and please thee For that thou hast watched ouer me with thy prouidence in the whole course of my life and namely this night past and hast thereby preserued mee from all perils from the terrours of the night and the malice of mine enemies and hast refreshed me with quiet rest and now raised me vp in the strength thereof to doe thee seruice O Lord inlarge my heart that I may duly consider of thy manifold and rich mercies and bee thorowly inflamed with the apprehension of thy loue What am I my God that thou shouldest be thus gracious vnto mee who am altogether lesse then the least of thy mercies yea worthy of thy greatest punishments O that I could loue and praise thee according to thy bounty and goodnesse And being so poore that I haue nothing to repay and thou so rich that thou neither needest nor requirest any thing else O that I could euer remaine a gratefull debter hauing mine heart filled with thankfulnesse and my mouth with thankesgiuing And now Lord I further beseech thee to continue still my God and guide to direct leade and vphold mee in all the wayes of holinesse and righteousnesse Take mee into thy gracious protection this day and euer and watch so ouer mee with thy all-ruling prouidence that I may be preserued safe from all enemies worldly and spirituall and from those manifold dangers which incompasse mee on euery side Giue mee grace so to spend this day that some glory may redound vnto thee by my seruice some profit and benefit vnto those with whom I liue and some further assurance vnto my selfe from the increase of sauing graces discerned in mee and spirituall strength in all good duties of my saluation and eternall happinesse Order and gouerne all my thoughts that they may be religious and honest my speeches that they may bee wise and seasoned with grace and all my workes and actions for the well performing both of the generall duties of Christianity and the speciall duties of my calling blessing so all my labours that I may be cheered and comforted in them by my prosperous successe in all my good indeuours Supply vnto mee all temporall blessings and the necessary comforts of this life and let mee liue at thy finding and receiue whatsoeuer I inioy as the gifts of thine owne hand and pledges of thy loue that I may returne the praise which is due vnto thee for them and vse them as helpes to further mee in all duties of thy seruice Finally I beseech thee good Lord to vouchsafe these and all other benefits not onely vnto mee but also to thy whole Church and euery particular member thereof especially to this in which I liue Multiply thy fauours vpon our Soueraigne Lord the King our noble Prince the Prince Electour Palatine and the Lady Elizabeth his wife with their issue vpon the honourable Lords of the Priuie Councell the Magistrates and Ministers of thy Word and Sacraments the afflicted members of Iesus Christ my friends and benefactours kindred and acquaintance and especially vpon this whole family giuing vnto vs all grace that wee may keepe the vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and so ioyne together with our hearts and minds in all duties of thy seruice as that we may ioyntly inherit that eternall happinesse of thy Kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee and thine holy Spirit bee rendred all glory and praise might Maiesty and Dominion both now and euermore Amen Another priuate Prayer for the Morning O Almighty and eternall God our most gracious and louing Father in Iesus Christ I thy poore sinfull seruant being in my selfe vtterly vnworthy to appeare in thy glorious presence doe yet in the Name and mediation of Iesus Christ offer vnto thee my prayers and supplications in obedience to thy Commandements and in some assurance of thy gracious promises rendring vnto thee from the bottome of mine heart all humble and hearty thankes for thy manifold mercies and abundant blessings multiplied vpon mee both in respect of spirituall and heauenly priuiledges which concerne my euerlasting saluation and of temporall and earthly benefits appertaining to the good of this life and my present estate in this place of my Pilgrimage For that thou hast freely loued mee from all eternity and of thy meere grace hast chosen mee vnto life and glory without any respect of my workes or worthinesse For creating mee according to thine owne Image and redeeming me out of the estate of sinne and death For calling mee effectually by thy Word and Spirit and making mee a seruant of thine owne family and a member of Iesus Christ whereby thou hast giuen mee iust title vnto him and all his benefits For making with mee the Couenant of grace adopting mee in him to bee thy child vnto a liuely hope of my heauenly inheritance For iustifying mee in his righteousnesse imputed vnto mee and applyed by a liuely faith and sanctifying mee with thy Spirit giuing mee some power ouer my corruptions and some desire and indeuour to serue and please thee in the duties of a godly life For watching ouer mee with thy prouidence euer since I had my being and birth shielding mee from dangers deliuering mee out of manifold euils and prouiding for mee all things necessary both for my soule and body For preseruing mee this night past from all perils giuing vnto mee quiet rest and bringing mee in safety to see the light adding yet another day to
vnderstandings the wisdome of the flesh and errors of our iudgements our foolish phantasies and conceits our earthly mindednesse and all vaine and wicked thoughts that we may checke sinne in the first motions and kill this viperous brood before they come to growth strength Mortifie the frowardnesse and peruersenesse of our wils the corruption of our hearts and affections especially our self-loue and loue of the world vniust anger and desire of reuenge carnall concupiscence and vncleannesse intemperance ambition pride couetousnesse and voluptuousnesse Let vs hold our eyes and eares our tongues and taste and all other our senses vnder couenant and make all vaine and wicked sights all rotten and vnsauory speeches all intemperance and insobriety odious and loathsome vnto vs. Quicken vs in the inner-man and frame vs in all holy obedience vnto thy heauenly will make vs such as thou wouldest haue vs to be and renew thine owne Image in vs in wisdome holinesse and righteousnesse and let vs no more defile and deface it with our corruptions Let vs submit our selues in all things to be guided by thy good Spirit and yeeld cheerefull obedience vnto all the motions therof not grieuing it by checking and quenching them or putting them off by delayes to another time Let vs serue thee in holinesse righteousnesse and sobriety not deuiding those things which thou hast conioyned and not by fits and flashes but constantly and continually thorowout the whole course of our liues Inrich vs plentifully with all the gifts and graces of thy sanctifying Spirit as Faith Hope Humility Patience and the rest yea let vs dayly thriue in Spirituall strength and not stand at a stay but grow vp towards perfection from child-hood to a ripe age in Iesus Christ And with these our prayers and suites we doe with like humble heartinesse ioyne thy prayses and our thankesgiuing for thy manifold blessings and benefits respecting our soules bodies or estates For thine vndeserued loue whereby thou hast of thy free and meere grace elected created redeemed called iustified sanctified and preserued vs vnto an heauenly inheritance and hope of a better life For our present peace and prosperity health food apparell sufficiency of all temporall benefits and contentednesse in them and especially for causing vs so long to enioy the Light of thy Gospell with such liberty and safety For preseruing vs from all dangers this night past and this day hitherto and enabling vs by our rest and other comforts of this life to doe thee seruice O Lord we prayse and magnifie thee for these and all other thy mercies and are sorry and ashamed that we can be no more thankefull hauing nothing else to returne vnto thee for all thy benefits And now Lord seeing in thee we liue mooue and haue our beeing wee beseech thee to continue thy grace and fauour still vnto vs in the whole course of our liues and namely this day receiue vs into thy keeping watch ouer vs with thy prouidence and preserue vs with thy grace and power from all dangers both spirituall and temporall and from all euils both of sinne and punishment Let vs set our selues wholy to seeke and serue thee and propound thy glory vnto our selues as the maine end of all our thoughts words and actions and so direct and order them by thy holy Spirit that they may vpon all occasions further and aduance it And for as much as if thou dost not build the house wee shall but labour in vaine to build it O Lord blesse vs all in the duties of our seuerall places and callings that they may tend to the ioynt good of the whole Family and euery one of vs in particular that finding thy blessing vpon the workes of our hands wee may with more courage and comfort be faithfull and painfull in them Set thy feare alwayes before vs and let vs carry our selues in all our courses carefully and conscionably as in thy sight and presence that whatsoeuer wee doe or take in hand may be acceptable vnto thee Blesse together with vs thy whole Church this especially in which wee liue our gracious King and Noble Prince the Prince and Princesse Palatine with all their issue the Councell Magistrates Ministers and the whole people of this Land the afflicted members of Iesus Christ and this whole Family with all other our friends kindred and acquaintance beseeching thee to vouchsafe vnto vs all and to euery one of vs in our seuerall places and callings all things necessarie for our present comfort and future happinesse euen for Iesus Christ his sake in whose Name and words we conclude our prayers saying as he hath taught vs Our Father which art in heauen c. Another Prayer for the Family in the Morning O Lord our God who art in thine owne nature glorious and full of maiesty infinite in goodnesse wisedome power bounty truth and all perfection most iust in all thy waies and holy in all thy workes and our most gracious Father in Iesus Christ wee thine vnworthy seruants finding and feeling our selues loaded with the vnsupportable waight of our manifold and grieuous sinnes doe come vnto thee for ease and being sicke in sinne euen vnto the death doe flee vnto thee the alone Physicion of our soules that wee may be eased and cured and doe here lay open before thee our miserable estate and condition that thou mayest magnifie thy mercies in our recouery Wee confesse our hereditary diseases and that originall leprosie of our bodies and soules whereby they were infected and corrupted euen in our first conception and so disabled vnto thy seruice that we cannot of our selues thinke a good thought nor so much as entertaine into our hearts a desire to come out of the miserable thraldome of sinne and Satan Our wisedome is enmity against thee and we are not capable of that knowledge which thy Spirit reuealeth All the imaginations of the thoughts of our hearts are onely euill and that continually our consciences are loaded with dead workes our wills crooked and rebellious still resisting all good motions of thy Spirit our hearts hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne our affections desires and passions so disordred and poisoned with naturall corruption that they are become filthy and lothsome sinckes of sinne and all the members of our bodies the ready instruments of our defiled soules for the acting of all abominable wickednesse So that being through his naturall corruption a sinfull generation and viprous brood wee haue iustly deserued that thou shouldest reiect and pursue vs with thy wrath though wee were free from all other sinnes sauing those alone whereof wee were guilty as soone as wee were borne And yet alas we haue not stayed here but haue added vnto this our originall sinne innumerable numbers of actuall transgressions by breaking thy whole Law and euery Commandement thereof in thought word and deede both in the omission of all duties therein required and in the commission of the vices and sinnes therein forbidden whereby wee haue made
for all thy blessings and benefits both spirituall and temporall which thou hast multiplyed vpon vs and continue them vnto vs this day and euer preseruing vs from all perils and furnishing vs with all necessaries that we may be the fitter with all cheerfulnesse to doe thee seruice And vouchsafe all these blessings which wee haue craued for our selues with all other things which in thy wisdome thou seest needful vnto euery true member of thy Church c. euen for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee thine holy Spirit we ascribe all praise and glory power and dominion both now and for euermore Amen A Prayer for the Euening of the Lords Day O Eternall God who art glorious in Maiesty and power and of infinite goodnesse and mercy vnto all those who are reconciled vnto thee in thy Sonne wee thine vnworthy seruants hauing nothing else to returne vnto thee for the innumerable testimonies of thy loue which with a bountifull hand thou hast multiplyed vpon vs doe here offer vnto thee the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing for all thy blessings and benefits which either respect our soules or bodies this life or the life to come More especially wee laud and magnifie thy great and glorious Name for that thou hast loued vs from all eternity and of thy meere grace without any respect of our worthinesse hast made vs vessels of grace by thy free election created vs according to thine owne Image redeemed vs out of the hands of all our spirituall enemies by giuing thy dearely beloued Sonne to dye for vs when as we were strangers and enemies for calling vs by thy Word and Spirit to the sauing knowledge and effectuall participation of him and all his benefits for our iustification by his obedience our sanctification by thy Spirit and for that assurance which thou hast giuen vs of a better life in the world to come For all temporall benefits as health wealth peace plenty preseruation from dangers and protection from all our enemies both worldly and spirituall And especially wee praise and glorifie thee for vouchsafing vnto vs in such a gracious manner the meanes of our saluation for our blessed opportunities and liberties with peace and safety in sanctifying thy Sabbaths publikely and priuately by hearing thy Word and calling vpon thy Name and performing other duties of thy seruice that thereby we may glorifie thee and make our owne calling and election sure and for giuing vnto vs hearts wherein by thy Spirit thou hast wrought some poore desires and indeuours to make vse of these thy benefits for the inriching of our soules with all spirituall graces as at other times heretofore so namely this day past O that our soules could be rauished with the sweet apprehension of such inestimable blessings O that we could exceed all others in loue and thankfulnesse as farre as wee exceed them in these high and holy priuiledges and were able to expresse them in our carefull and conscionable indeuours to glorifie and please thee in all things who hast been so gracious and good vnto vs But alas how vnworthy haue we made our selues of the least of these thy benefits by our manifold and grieuous sinnes both our originall corruption which hauing ouer-spred all the powers and parts of our soules and bodies hath vtterly disabled them vnto all duties of thy seruice and our manifold actuall transgressions which in number and waight exceed all things but thy mercies which are aboue all thy workes and the merits and satisfaction of thy Sonne which are of infinite worth and value More especially we humbly acknowledge our fearfull abuse of those great priuiledges and meanes of our saluation which for a long time thou hast graciously granted vnto vs. For not onely haue we in the dayes of our ignorance vtterly neglected all duties of thy seruice spending our whole strength in the miserable slauery of sinne and Satan and prophaned and mis-spent thy Sabbaths in pleasing our carnall lusts and performing the workes of darknesse in greater measure and worse manner then any other dayes besides but euen since wee haue been called to the knowledge of thy truth and haue consecrated our selues to thy seruice wee haue either vpon slight occasions neglected those holy duties of thy publike and priuate worship or performed them with many wants and weaknesses discouering vnto thee who searchest the heart many imperfections and great corruptions For we haue not remembred thy Sabbaths nor with feruent desires longed after thine holy Day We haue not delighted in them nor consecrated them vnto thee as an holy Rest but though the spirit hath been willing yet the flesh hath been weake and soone tyred with spirituall exercises We haue been much defectiue in our zeale and deuotion and haue been too too cold and formall in religious duties and haue not performed them with that care and conscience nor haue serued thee with our hearts and soules in spirit and truth in that degree which thou requirest but externally and with the outward man hauing in the meane while our minds and hearts carried away with many distractions and worldly imaginations Our cogitations haue not bin takē wholly vp with spirituall and heauenly things but we haue suffered them to roue wander after earthly trifles Our tongues haue not in that measure as they ought been exercised in setting forth thy praise nor in such holy and religious conferences as tend to the edification one of another but we haue spoken our own words on thine holy Day and many of our speeches haue been idle and vaine worldly and vnsauoury We haue not as we ought priuately prepared and fitted our selues for thy publike seruice by prayer and meditation by renewing our faith and repentance but haue come into thy glorious presence without due feare and reuerence hauing our hearts clogged and choked with many corruptions which haue disabled them to the duties of thy seruice and haue made them like vnfallowed and vnweeded grounds vnfit to receiue the seed of thy Word We haue not called vpon thy Name with faith and feruency of spirit nor giuen thankes vnto thee for all thy benefits with such cheerfulnes as became vs. We haue not with due reuerence and attention heard thy holy Word nor laid it vp in our memories nor applyed it to our hearts and consciences nor made an holy vse of it by putting it in practice in our liues and conuersations We haue not meditated as we ought on thy Word which we haue heard nor on thy maruellous works of Creation Preseruation Redemption nor diligently read and studied in thy holy Book nor exercised our selues in the works of mercy and Christian charity towards our brethren in that manner and measure which thou requirest especially in those spirituall duties which tend to the mutuall edification of one another In which and many other kinds as we haue often offended heretofore so we cannot excuse our selues of many imperfections and corruptions which wee haue shewed