great dutie Consider why you love any creature why more one than another why you should love the world riches pleasures as God a drop as the fountain It is even here too true Love descends Get your hearts baptized with fire and the holy Ghost buried with Christ into his death and raised in his resurrection that your affections may be set and settled on things not on earth but on things above even on him who is infinitly above all things who is blessed for ever and your eternal blessedness 2. Secondly the outward worship consists either in his speaking to us or our speaking to him He speaks to us either to our ears in his word or to our eyes in his Sacraments we to him either in prayers or vows Hearing is a chief part of Gods service Eccl. 5.1 The special gate whereby the Wisdom of God all knowledg and life enters Prov. 2.2 3. 1.5 Isa. 55.3 An hearing ear is Gods special gift to us Prov. 20.12 and our acceptable gift and sacrifice to him Psal. 40.6 1 Sam. 15.22 An obedient ear is a graceful and precious ornament Prov. 1.8 9. The ear the most happy factour of the soul whereby it seeks and gets Prov. 18.15 that rich merchandise which is better than silver and fine gold Prov. 3.14 But he who hath a disobedient ear or careless refusing to hear is good for nothing Jer. 13.10 and an itching ear hath certainly a rotten heart Isa. 30.9 10 11. The word of God preached is the seed in the hand of the Sower Mar. 4.14 taken out of the Granarie of the scriptures and cast into the furrows of the heart by Gods Spirit an incorruptible seed of a life incorruptible 1 Pet. 1.23 by which we are begotten unto God Jam. 1.18 And as it is the seed whereby we are born so is it the food also whereby we are nourished in that life of God as well mâ—â—k for babes as strong meat for the strong 1 Pet. 2.2 Heb. 5.12 c. It is an heavenly treasure in earthen vessels 2 Cor. 4.7 a rich Mart of all spiritual commodities where our Lord sells and we buy without mony all heavenly riches Be swift therefore to hear Jam. 1.19 value it above thousands of gold and silver Psal. 119.72 Sell all you have to purchase it Matth. 13.44 Buy the truth at any price sell it at none Pro. 23.23 Neither hear only but read it we cannot use too many ways in trading with this rich commoditie Had we as many distractions as Princes they can yield us no exemption from this dutie Deut. 17.18 Iosh. 1.8 Our frequent conversing with it and meditating in it will not take so much from our time as it will add to our opportunities Morning and evening day and night exercise your selves in it so shall ye be like â— fruitful tree planted by the rivers of water so shall ye make your may prosperous so shall ye have good success Psal. 1.1 2 3. Josh. 1.8 Nulla dies sine linea Think the day lost wherein you have mist this market 2. The Sacraments are visibile verbum Christs sermons to our eyes passion-sermons â—ou know that verse More dully stirs the mind what through th' ear passes Than what is view'd to life in the eyes true glasses They are not only teaching signs printing in our eyes and hearts the death of the Lord Iesus but assuring seals presenting and conveying unto us the grace which they represent There are many large and learned volumes printed concerning them and in every Catechise you may meet with pious instructions in this subject I will only therefore advise you concerning the Lords Supper 1. That you neglect no opportunitie so far as may be of comming to the Lords Table For is it not our communion with Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 Look as wholesome meats are the means whereby spirits are renewed strength increased union between body and soul maintained so the Supper of the Lord is his Ordinance whereby our everlasting life is confirmed our dull spirits revived and our union with the Lord Iesus Christ much strengthned Certainly the frequent use of it was the special means whereby the Primitive Churches so far excelled us in Christian fortitude resolution and every spiritual gift Above all other take heed of that carnal or rather divelish plea of hellish persons namely that they are not in charitie whereby they plainly discover how much they prefer their revenge beâ—ore their salvation and that hellish Murtherer before the heavenly Saviour Surely he that will rather nourish his malice by abstinence from the Lords Table than his fainting soul by that Bread of Heaven deserves and surely dos in his hellish fast to eat and drink his own damnation 2. Come prepared in some good measure and for that end set apart some day in that week for humiliation to afflict your souls by fasting to seek a right way Ezra 8.21 And because one especial end of this ordinance is the remembrance of our Saviour and shewing forth his death Luk. 22.19 1 Cor. 11. vers 25 26. spend much of that time in meditating upon it and principally the causes of it 1. The abhorred filthiness and dreadful naâ—ure of sin which could not be expiated or purged but by the blood of God 2. The fierce wrath of God and terrible severitie of his justice which exacted even of his most beloved Son undertaking for us the uttermost farthing even to make him Sin who knew no sin and a curse who was God blessed for ever 3. The infinite mercy of our gracious Father who gave his beloved Son to reconcile such hateful enemies and 4. The incomprehensible love of the Lord Iesus who vouchsafed to purchase our redemption at such a rate And leave not your soul till you find it abhorring it self in dust and ashes bleeding with Christ on his Cross sick of your sin and of his love and swelling with the fruit of the lips the sacrifice of praise 3. Prayer is the mouth of faith whereby it utters holy desires to God Many think they pray when they do but houl Hos. 7.14 or babble Matth. 6.7 we neither know what nor how to pray till we be instructed neither can any doctour inform us but that Spirit of adoption who teacheth us to cry Abbae Father Rom. 8.14 Gal. 4.6 He will instruct you to go unto God 1. As to a Father and therefore with all reverence and â—ubmission and 2. With all assurance and confidence 2. He is the Spirit of the Son and therefore will carry you to the Father by the Son to God by Christ. He will not suffer you to make your addresses by your selves or any creature but by that only Mediatour and Advocate Sacrifice must be brought to the Temple to the dore of the Tabernacle offered only upon Gods chosen Altar and by none but the Priest Christ is that Temple Ioh. 2.21 He the dore Ioh. 10.9 he the Altar Heb. 13.10 which sanctifies all our gifts and the â—igh Priest
whom only God accepteth Heb. 7.26 28. That blessed Spirit who baptizeth with fire will not only inflame your hearts but kindle also your lips with all fervencie of prayer Prayer is a special sacrifice and sacrifices must burn upon the Altar Prayer is our Incense Psal. 141.2 which till it burneth in the fiery censer yields no odour or sweetness That holy Spirit will quicken you to frequent and continual prayer and doth not only whisper in your ear but draw out your heart to pray always with all manner of prayer Eph. 6.18 to pray without ceasing 1 Thes. 5.17 to continue in prayer and watch in the same Col. 4.2 not to slip any occasion but to improve all opportunities which God offers us in petition thanksgiving intercession deprecation supplication No marvel if the Ancients called it the key of Heaven for it opens all to us It opens the womb Gen. 20.17 18. It opens the prison Act. 12. It opens Heaven when it is bar'd with brass Iam. 5.18 It opens Gods ears when he hath even shut them against us 2 Chro. 7.13 14 15. The Doctours call it the scourge of the Divel It drives away his tentations Matth. 26.41 Nothing in the world so prevalent For it sets even God himself on work in whose hands are all creatures and with whom nothing is impossible Gird up therefore the loyns of your minds and whet your voyces to peirce through the Heavens And oh that I could be the means to put that perpetual motion of praying and crying into your hearts Look about you and you shall see abundant matter of crying of loud crying would we advisedly behold what we see there is hardly one object of our eyes which would not skrue up our voyces a note higher and set us a roaring Look upon the dark places of the earth and they are full of the habitations of crueltie Psal. 74.20 And should not this raise up a crie Remember Lord the enemie hath reproched and foolish people have blasphemed thy name oh deliver not the soul of thy Turtle dove unto the multitude of the wicked oh let not the oppressed return ashamed Psal. 74.18 19 21. when you look into the place of judgment and wickedness is there and to the place of righteousness and inquitie is there Eccl. 3.16 will not so crying a sin force a loud crie from your hearts when you consider all the oppressions under the Sun and behold the tears of the oppressed and they had no comâ—orter and on the side of the Oppressours was power but on their side no comâ—orter Eccl. 4.1 how can you forbear to weep with those that weep when you hear the grones of widowes the sighs of the fatherless the lamentations of the hungry naked distressed can you chuse but bear a part in this doleful musick when you look on the pride wherein the land is disguised in monstrous attires the prodigious excess in riotings the general lightness and impudence of all behaviour when you hear the vollies of blasphemous tongues thundering against Heaven the stench of drunkenness infecting the ayer with plagues poxes c. the ignorance superstition idolatrie profaneness Atheism in the world the hellish contempt of God and all his Ordinances In a word a deluge of corruption overwhelming all degrees sexes ages and the wrath of God flaming in revenge against such execrable provocations where can you find hearts large enough to hold or throats wide enough to utter cries and ejulations to Heaven But had you no eyes to look abroad yet look within and you shall find more matter of crying than possibilitie of expressing See there what ignorance unbelief deadness vanitie securitie pride hypocrisie obstinacie backsliding self-love self-seeking inordinate passion what a world what an hell of wickedness couches it self in a desperately wicked heart it will stretch out your throats and force you to a loud crie and bitter Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Certainly if you have any spirit in you it will fill your hearts with a fountain and your eyes with rivers of tears Were you heathens it would drive you to send out the proclamation of Nineve into every part of body and soul Let man and beast reason and sense flesh and spirit cry mightily unto God Jon. 3.8 Let us whet these things upon our hard hearts to sharpen our dull prayers that they may pierce the Heavens and prevent the birth of that decree which if it once bring forth will prevent all prevention Pour out day and night some such petition when you have prepared your hearts by some such like meditation Oh my drowsie soul canst thou ly down with Ionah and sleep in such a Tempest Seest thou not these waves of wickedness which mount up against Heaven and sink down again into bottomless depths and is not thy spirit melted because of trouble The floods have lifted up the floods of the ungodly have lifted up their voice and canst thou be silent See how that little Bark fraught with Christ and his Spouse is filled with water nay with blood see what a storm is come down into the lake and how the waves dash into the ship whilst thy Lord and Saviour â—s asleep in the stern upon a pillow and wilt thou not with loud cries awake him See what a troubled sea is in thine own heart foming out mire and dirt and canst thou rest Are not the waters come into thy soul Sinkst thou not in the deeps where is no standing Is not the belly of hell ready to swallow thee and canst thou cease crying Heark how sin cries and wilt thou be silent heark how the Saints cry and canst thou hold thy peace If thou hast no words in thy tongue hast thou no grones no sighs in thy heart Oh my soul is thy Lord so ready to hear and art thou so slow to speak Shall his ear stand so wide open to thee and thy mouth and heart so fast shut to him Do not his commands draw thee thy necessities drive thee do not his mercies invite his promises assure thee thy povertie enforce thee Art thou a child and canst not speak He hath provided thee two Almighty Intercessours one his Son to plead for thee the other his Spirit to plead in thee How should the weakest arm faint which hath such supporters such an Hur and such an Aaron to under-prop them Oh thou my gracious Saviour who in the days of thy flesh offeredst up prayers and supplications with strong cries accent my flat heart and voice with thy sharp cryings Thou who helpest the infirmities of our utterance teach my heart to grone beyond all power of utterance And Thou who knowest the mind of the spirit and art ever well pleased in thy beloved hearken graciously to the stammerings of my Infant spirit and accept them in him in whom thou art ever well pleased 4. Lastly for vowes I can give you no better direction than his Spirit to whom
right and prosperous 1. That the place Where 2. That the time when 3. That the manner how be all right He that seeks Grapes of Thorns or Figgs of Thistles neither finds what he seeks noâ— indeed seeks to find for he seeks in a wrong place He that seeks Grapes of the Vine and Figgs of the Figg-tree but out of season in Winter seeks not in due time and finds nothing but his own folly He that observes time and place but neglects the right manner of seeking is still out of the way of finding The soul of the sluggard desireth and haâ—h nothing Prov. 13.4 He will not Plow by reason of cold therefore shall he begg in Harvest and have nothing Prov. 20 4â— If a man go with his Cart into the Field a place of Corn and in Harvest the time of Corn but never Ploughed sowed c. he may load all his Harvest in an empty Wayn and return with an empty belly Where then must we seek Not in our selves not in our Righteousness or works we are meer Thorns and Bryars Ezek. 2.6 The blessed fruit of the true Vine grows not in our cursed nature Nothing there but sowre and wilde grapes Isa. 5.4 Erring Israel following after the Law of Righteousness attained not unto the Law of Righteousness Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law Rom. 9.31 32. Only we find and enjoy God in Christ only in Christ he is appeasedâ— 2 Cor. 5.19 only well-pleased in Christ Mat. 3.17 In him we are accepted Ephes. 1.6 By him we have access to God with confidence Ephes. 3.12 One cannot possibly come to God as a Father but by him Joh. 14.6 In him adopted Ephes. 1.5 In him begotten to an incorruptible inheritance 1 Pet. 1.3 4. In him blessed with all spiritual blessings Ephes. 1.3 But where shall we seek Christ who shall ascend into heaven to bring down the fruit of Christs resurrection and ascention for life unto us who shall go down to the deep to fetch thence the death of the Lord Iesus and apply the vertue of it to our souls The Apostle answers The word is nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart This is the Word of faith which we Preach For if thou confess with thy mouth and believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Rom. 10.6 7 8 9. Christ therefore is offered thee in the Word given by faith the Word brings him to thee thy faith receives him holds him leads him into the chamber of thy heart and there he dwells with thee Ephes. 3.17 As therefore only Christ brings thee into favour with God so the Word brings Christ to thee and faith grafts thee into Christ. But although the Lord Iesus Christ with his own mouth and his blessed Spirit have so frequently and cleerly testified that the Word Preached is the incorruptible seed whereby we are born again to this incorruptible inheritance Luk. 8.11 1 Pet. 1.23 Jam. 1.18 and the food strong meat and milk whereby we are nourished and grow up into our Head in this life of God yet what in the World is more despised and rejected If you look to the judgement of some professed and in name Christians they account it as those Greeks foolishness 1 Cor. 1.18 23. and therefore utterly despise it Act. 13.41 They dare deride it even in the mouth of Christ himself Luk. 16.14 how much more in the mouths of his poor messengers If you look unto their wills they are resolved against it Ier. 44.16 will not hear but reject it Ier. 8.9 If to their affections they hate it hate the knowledge of it Prov. 1.22 29. hate him that brings it Amos 5.10 yea even him that sends it Ioh. 15.22 23 24. Indeed if they would enquire of Christ and hearken unto him teaching us where to find him he would direct us Go thy way forth by the fooâ—steps of the flock and feed thy Goats by the Tents of the Shepherds Cant. 1.8 But proud fond men know not as that Eunuch Act. 8.31 the need of a Guide Their â—taff can better grope out their blind wayes Hos. 4.12 They walk after their own devices Jer. 18.12 and will have no other Counseller but their own mouth Ier. 44.17 Some again seek him at ease on their beds and so find him but in a dream Cant. 3.1 some look for him in the broad wayes of a common profession as those Iews Matth. 3.9 Joh. 8.33 They are children of Abraham Circumcised c. so many Christians They are born in the Church Baptised call Lord Lord c. but how should they find the True way in the false the narrow in the broad There they shall hear him thundering as a Iudge I never knew you Depart from me ye workers of iniquity Matth. 7.14 23. Know assuredly when the Spouse her self thus sought she found him not She sought him on her bed but found him not sought him in the streets and broad wayes but found not but when she enquired of the Watchmen she soon found him Cant. 3.1 2 3. Hear him â—herefore in his word Watch daily at his â—ates and wait on the posts of his doors and he will make thee blessed Prov. 8.34 Secondly what is the season or right time â—f seeking Gods time not ours There is â—n acceptable time 2 Cor. 6.2 a time when â—od will be found Isa. 55.6 The longest exâ—â—nt reacheth no furâ—her than the limits of this short life After death instantly follows Judgement Heb. 9.27 where the tree falls it lies 2. There is a time when the decree brings forth Zeph. 2.2 which if we prevent not we perish As far as I can discern by the word God limits a time and after the Date is out we are shut out Heb. 4.7 and specially Luk. 13.25 A time when the door stands open to give us entrance a time when the door is shut and we knock begâ— and plead hard but all in vain For though God never excluded a repentant humbled and softned heart yet when men have despised his patience forbearance and offers of grace God may justly and doth frequently give men up to hardness and leave them to their impenitency to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Ezek. 24.13 Rom. 2.4 5. 3. There is a set time the Lords Day or as our Homilies call it the Christian Sabbath And for mine own judgement I am perswaded that as a Sabbath is the bond which holds the Church in the true Worship of God so the neglect and contempt of that Ordinance is the bane of true Religion the root of all profaneness and Atheism and the great breach wherein Superstition Errour and Schism have overflown and surrounded the Christian Churches In this matter therefore consider and ponder these few observations 1. A Sabbath is nothing else but a day of rest separated from the labours of our earthly and consecrated to the labours of our
and greedily catches all opportunities of conferring with his beloved and winning her heart And doth not he rise up early to draw and bring home our souls Ier. 25.4 32 33. A Lover breaks his sleeps to wait at the door of his Love and Is not his head filled with the dew and his locks wet with the drops of the night Cant. 5.2 A Lover will not break off for every denyal nor will be discouraged with many reâ—usals and doth not our Lord wait to be gracious unto us Isa. 30.18 even after we have wearied him with our unkindness Isa. 43.24 Some Lovers have ventured He given his life for his beloved Ioh. 15.13 Seeing therefore such a Lover so lovely thus wooes such wretches so loathsome let us thus answer his suit I. Me Lord can'st thou mispend One word misplace one look on me Call'st me thy Love thy Friend Can this poor soul the object be Of these love-glances those life-kindling eyes What I the Centre of thy arms embraces Of all thy labour I the prize Love never mocks Truth never lies Oh how I quake Hope fear â—ear hope displaces I would but cannot hope such wondrous love amazesâ— II. See I am black as night See I am darkness dark as hell Lord thou more fair than light Heav'ns Sun thy Shadow can Sunns dwell With Shades 'twixt light and darkness what commerce True thou art darkness I thy Light my ray Thy mists and hellish foggs shâ—ll pierce Witâ— me black soul with me converse I make the â—oul December flowry May Turn thou thy night to me I 'le turn thy night to day III. See Lord see I am dead Tomb'd in my self my selâ— my grave A drudge so born so bred My self even to my selâ— a slave Thou Freedome Life can Life and Liberty Love bondage death Thy Freedom I I tyed To loose thy bonds be bound to me My Yoke shall â—asâ— my bonds shall â—ree Dead soul thy Spring of life my dying side There dye with me to live to live in thee I dyed If then the hopes of such a match are so fair CAP. XIV What are the means to bring Christ and our Souls together AS it is in the earthly so also in this heavenly Contract The Man is the Suiter the Woman is Wooed In him is required to ask and seek in her only to accept and consent Christ loves first then we 1 Ioh. 4.19 He in love proffers himself to us and we when he hath wonn us embrace his offer with love and willingly receive him His hand whereby he giveâ— himself is his Word the Gospel written his Love-letters Preached his wooing our hand whereby we receive him is only our faith by which the Vnderstanding assents and the Will consents so the only condition â—nd demand of God for consummation of the â—ontract is Faith First therefore That Father of lights by the light of his word discovers to us thâ— person of the Lord Iesus in his nature God and Man 2. In his Offices King Priest and Prophet 3. In his Relation to usâ— Husband Head Saviour 4. In his love and actions of love Incarnation Humiliation Exaltation This light he so effectually brings home to us by the work of his Spirit that whereas heretofore we saw no beauty in him that we should desire him Isa. 53.2 now we see no beauty but in him we behold his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God Joh. 1.14 And so strong an impression doth it work that the Understanding convinced by Gods Spirit receives the testimonies subscribeth and seals to this truth of God Joh. 3.33 and then plainly sees confesses and with joy so judges that all things are dung and loss in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ Iesus his Lord Phil. 3.8 And this is the first act of faith wrought in the Understanding whereby the Apprehensive faculty conceiveth this truth and the Iudicial signs it The second is in the Concupiscible faculty â—or the same word by the same work of Gods Spirit which perswaded the Judgement â—o assent draws on the Will to consent and â—s it giveth power to the one to conceive 〈◊〉 to the other to receive Christ aright To â—his end the Word cleerly demonstrateth as â—ell the misery of man without him as the â—appiness with him and both infinite as â—oh 3.36 1 Ioh. 5.12 It sets out him in relation to us as the Vine us in relation to him as the Branches Ioh. 15.1 c. grafted in him we are cleansed fruitful ver 3 4. but without him we can do we can have nothing neither sap nor fruit but are withered and burned Joh. 15.5 6. In him and his house we flourish grow fat and the more we grow in age the more we grow in fruitâ—ulness Psal. 92.13 14. but out of him as the branches of a Vine altogether useless cast into the fire for fuel the fire devours both the ends of it and the midst of it is burnt Ezek. 15.4 Vine-branches of all other are in the Vine most useful and noble out of the Vine most base and useless It propounds him to us as an Husbandâ— us to him as a Spouse Woman was madâ— for man and without him is unfruitful anâ— useless him to us as an Head us to him aâ— his limbs and body In him we live move anâ— have our being Act. 17.28 without him wâ— are senseless dead nothing And whereas the heart is easily drawâ— with that triple cord of profit pleasureâ— preferment it evidently discovers to uâ— 1. Our gain and great advantage by him iâ— life and death Phil. 1.21 all other thingâ— loss Phil. 3.8 2. The infinite delight anâ— sweetness in his shadow Cant. 2.3 the fuâ—â— carouses out of the Rivers of his pleasures Psal. 36.8 the woe Hos. 9.12 and torments of his absence Rev. 14.10 so that our spirits refuse all comfort and are utterly overwhelmed Psal. 77.3 3. The height of honour and advancement in him Ioh. 12.26 Honos est in Honorante Honour is in the giver not receiver The more excellent the person is who gives honour the more excellent is the honour received from his hands What comparison then between the honour which comes â—rom man and the honour which comes from God only we are never truly honourable but when we are precious in his sight Isa. 43.4 In him we are Kings Rev. 1.6 and this kingdom heavenly 2 Tim. 4.18 and everlasting 2 Pet. 1.11 that cannot be moved Heb. 12.28 out of him we are Children of the Devil Joh. 8.44 and so devils Joh. 6.70 who being thrown out of Heaven and unworthy to be seated in any the very lowest place formerly designed for the Creature have a new and peculiar place prepared for them beneath all other the Deep Luk. 8.31 and bottomless pit Rev. 20.1 where they are bound up in everlasting chains of darkness Jude 6. And yet further the Word shews us the easie conditions which in this Contract God demands of us subjection