13.14 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all The Apostles begin their Epistles thus Grace and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 7.59 Stephen pray'd Lord Jesus receive my Spirit If we exclude the other while we fix our heart upon one our Prayer is Sin if we retain all and mention but one we offend not Lastly we may name the Spirit before the Son and the Son before the Father Revel 1.4.5 and Saint Paul more than once names the Son before the Father Now our Lord Jesus Christ and God even the Father comfort your hearts 2. Cor. 13.14 2 Thes 2.16 Here we may add the Rules we are to observe in calling upon God As first that we call upon him by those Titles by which he has been pleas'd to make himself known unto us in his holy Word That we consider of him in Prayer as an All-sufficient God and see in him the things we desire Ephes 1.17 The Saints still set God before them as having that in him for which they pray Acts. 4.24 We must call upon God by such Names Titles and Descriptions Psal 86.15,16 as are most apt to inflame Desire stir up Reverence confirm Faith or incourage the Heart according as our necessity and disposition do require If many and general requests be to be put up then such Titles and Names must be used as may perswade us we shall be heard in all If particular requests be presented then choice is to be made of such Titles and Names as may help the heart in that particular Gen. 24.12 Acts. 1.24 Ps 94.1 2 Ch. 20 6 Dan. 9.4 Isa 64.8 It is necessary for one that would make a good entrance into Prayer to acquaint himself with the true understanding of the manifold Names and Descriptions of God recorded in Scripture and then to make choice of such to name him by as are specially to be exercis'd in granting his request and most fit to incite Reverence and confirm Faith Lastly the express Command of God forbids to Worship him by any Image or Similitude Deut. 4.16,17 Exod. 10.4 And he himself in many places of Scripture shews how severely he will punish them that give his Glory to dumb Idols Of Family Government I If thou art Master of a Family be watchful over thy Charge with all diligence and faithfulness Instruct thy Children and Servants in the knowledge of God Pray with them and for them Bring them to Gods Ordinances Prevent and remove all occasions of their hearing seeing or doing Evil. But above all be sure to go before them in a good Example If a Master be a Swearer Drunkard or the like 't is madness for himever to expect a Sober Family his House shall be a Den of Swearers Drunkards and Whoremasters c. Augustus his Court is fill'd with Scholars Tiberius's with Dissemblers and Julian's with Apostates Duties relating to our Calling YOur Closet-Devotions and Family-duties being perform'd we are in the next place to set about the work of our Calling The Law impos'd upon Adam binds all his Posterity In the sweat of thy Face thou shalt eat Bread till thou return unto the Ground First then adventure not on any course without good assurance that it be in it self Lawful Acts. 9.25 Ephes 4.20 Make not a Calling of that which was never made to be one There are many things Lawful to do which are not Lawful to Live by Lawful as Delights and Recreations which are not Lawful as Callings Resolve not upon that for thy Calling which is rather hurtful than profitable to the Common-wealth Chuse that Calling which is fittest for thee when thy Inclination Education and Gifts concur in one and the same Calling that is ever so If thou art altogether averse to that Calling for which thou hast been bred up and design'd choose then the nearest of kin to it that thou canst like that so thy education and time may not be lost Thus one bred up for the Ministry may make choice of some other Profession that hath to do with Learning as Law Physick or the like Ever begin and end all thy Works with Prayer begging God's blessing on thy Labours and commending all thy indeavours to him that must either wither or prosper them Likewise upon any unexpected accident or when thou doubtest what to do go to God for direction make known and commit thy Case to him he hath not only wisdom for thy Salvation but for thy outward direction too Carefully avoid all Covetousness whereby men design no farther end than the meer gathering of Wealth and Riches This is the root of all evil Would'st thou remedy it Restrain thy Affections from the World keep thy desires within Compass and as the Scripture terms it without â—…ousness being contented with what thou hast Heb. 13.5 Labour to see a particular Providence of God in all things that come to pass and befall thee Health or Sickness Riches or Poverty Liberty or Bondage He raiseth up and pulleth down he only giveth Power to get Wealth and taketh it away again at his pleasure He Ruleth the Kingdoms of the Earth and giveth them to whom he pleaseth Assure thy Conscience that God is thy Father and Portion and that all things befall thee by his holy Will and Fatherly Providence and Appointment Seek no more than the things which are necessary and sufficient even Food convenient And lastly raise your Affections from the World to better things As carefully shun all Injustice whereby men abuse their Calling to the hurt and hindrance of others Luk. 19.8 For prevention consider this Sin is against the express Word of God 1 Thessal 4.6 Let no man oppress or defraud his Brother in any matter For the Lord is the avenger of all such things * Tit. 2.11 That it makes all our Worship and Service abomination Esay 1.13 to the 17. That the Curse of God it the practice of it Deut. 25.16 Thou shalt not have in thy Bag two manner of Weights a great and a small nor in thy House divers Measures But thou shalt have a right and a just Weight a perfect and just Measure shalt thou have For all that do such things and all that do unrighteously are an abomination to the Lord. Beware of Ambition whereby men think better of themselves than there is just cause become malecontent with their Condition and seek for themselves greater and better Things and Places Examples of this we have in Adam and Absalom c. One of the best Remedies in World for this Disease of the Mind is the serious consideration of our selves what we are in respect of our Bodies but Dust in respect of our dispositions altogether set on Sin and in our Places and Callings at best but weak and worthless Instruments in the hand of God the meanest of ten Thousand Be not evercome with Envy let not thy
Infinite without all limit of thought let our Hearts Adore a Spiritual Majesty which we cannot comprehend but yet know to be let us think of him as one whose Wisdom is his Justice whose Justice is his Power whose Power is his Mercy and whose Wisdom Justice Power Mercy is himself As Good without Quality Great without Quantity Everlasting without Time Present every where without Place containing all things without Extent and when our thoughts are come to the heighth let us stay there and be content to wonder in silence and since we cannot reach to conceive of him as he is let us be careful we conceive not of him as he is not But besides this awful apprehension of the Deity we are to conceive of three Persons in one Essence not divided but distinguish'd There is nothing wherein the want of Words can grieve us but in this here alone as we can Adore and not conceive so we can conceive and not utter Think here of one Substance in three Subsistences one Essence in three Relations one Jehovah Begetting Begotten Proceeding Let our thoughts here walk warily the path is narrow and the conceit either of three Substances or but one Subsistence is Damnable Yet all this will not avail us if we take not our Mediator with us if we apprehend not a true Manhood gloriously united to the Godhead without change of either Nature without mixture of both whose Prisence and Merits must give passage acceptance and Vigour to our Prayers Thus in Prayer God is to be known and consider'd of the distinction of Persons Father Son and Holy Spirit and Ordinarily our Prayers must be directed to the Father by the Son through the help of the Holy Ghost John 16.23 Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name he will give it you Ephes 5.20 Rom. 8.15,27 We call God Abba Father by the Spirit which makes Intercession for us For such is the Divine dispensation of God the Father Son and Holy Spirit that tho' they are but one indivisible Essence and whatsoever any one does out of himself the very same do the others also yet they sustain different Persons and Offices as we may say and do the same things in different and distinct Order yet so as the naming of one does not exclude but necessarily include the other In Prayer the Father sustains the Person and Place of him that is offended by sin that must be appeas'd and does hear and grant Requests 1 John 2.1 If we sin we have an Advocate with the Father The Son supplies the Place of a Mediator and Intercessor by whom Requests ascend and become acceptable to the Father John 16.23 Revel 8.3 He is the Golden Altar upon which the Prayers of all Saints are Offer'd and ascend as Incense John 14.6 No man can come to the Father but by me He is appointed of God to us and being both God and Man is a fit and all-sufficient Mediator between God and Man without him no man's Person or best Actions by reason of their many Imperfections can be acceptable The Holy Ghost does supply the Office of a Teacher and Assistant to help our Infirmities and in us to make our Intercessions and Requests for us that they may be Offer'd to the Father by the Intercession of the Son Rom. 8.26 We know not what to pray for as we ought If the Spirit do not work together with our Prayers there would be no goodness at all in them no not so much as Truth and Uprightness without which Christ will not offer them to his Father for us therefore Prayers must be made in the Spirit and through his help And thus Christ by the Office of his Mediation and Intercession is an Advocate to his Church and does in Heaven apply his Merits and further the cause of our Salvation with his Father And the Spirit also is an Advocate by Energy and Operation by Instruction and Assistance by his Counsel and Inspiration inabling us to manage our own business and plead our own Cause he does not indeed interceed nor appear before God in Person for us as Christ does but makes Intercession in and by our selves giving us access unto the Father imboldening us in our Fears helping us in our Infirmities and bringing those things which were blotted out and forgot into our remembrance Ephs 2.18 Hebr. 10.15.19 Admonishing and Directing us John 14.26 how to order and solicite our own business what Evidences to produce what Witnesses to prepare what Offices to attend what preparations to make against the time of hearing And lastly he makes up Failings by his Wisdome and gathers Arguments to further our Suit which we our selves observ'd not So when we know not what to Pray nor what to do when in our own apprehensions the whole business of our Peace and comfort lyes a bleeding the Spirit does then help our Infirmities presenting Arguments by secret intimations by deeep and unexpressible groans unto him who is the Searcher of hearts and who knows the mind of the Spirit which we our selves cannot express Thus as an Infant cries and complains for want of sleep and yet knows not that it is sleep which he wants as a sick man goes to a Physician and complains that some Physick he wants but knows not the thing he asks for So the soul of a Christian by the assistance of the Spirit is incourag'd to request things of God which yet of themselves do pass the knowledge and understanding of those that ask them Rom. 8.26 Ephes 3.19 Phil. 4.7 1 Cor. 14.13 Hence the Holy Ghost call'd another Comforter because he supplies the Corporal absence of Christ Joh. 14.16 brings him down to a Christian Forms him in his heart evidences him and the Virtue of his Passion and Resurrection in the powerful dispensation of his Holy Ordnances therefore when our Saviour speaks of sending the Holy Spirit he adds I will not leave you Comfortless I will come to you when the World sees me not you see me John 14.18,20 Now because of this Order of the Deity the Father being first and because of the different Places they sustain in the work of our salvation the Counsel and Will of all three is That the Father should be Pray'd unto and Worshipp'd in the only Mediation of the Son through the Holy Spirit and therefore the Father is fitly nam'd alone because the Son by Voluntary dispensation has the Part of a Mediator and the Holy Spirit the Office of an Instructor teaching us what to Pray In Wishing the effecting of things it is not necessary to name any Persons 1 Chron. 4.10 Oh that thou would'st bless me indeed and inlarge my Coast Somtimes 't is lawful to name indefinitely Acts 4.24 Lord thou art God who hast made Heaven and Earth It is lawful also Act. 22.24 when we name Persons to name only one or two provided we name not one as excluding the other two nor two as excluding the third 2 Cor.