Content In thy Adversity it will add affliction to affliction Superadding to thy outward troubles a misgiving Soul Besides Sin unqualifies thee for any good Duty either to God or Man If thou prayest yet the sense of Sin thou bringest with thee makes thee ungrateful to thy self and how can'st thou expect to be accepted by the Holy God In a good work the Sin thou art guilty of makes the comfort of it Insipid thy Heart tells thee There is sin in the Conscience and this makes thee asham'd to own the good that is in the Action Again will it not be a grief to the good Angels to be present and Spectators of thy Enormities will it not work a loathing and nauseousness in them and cause those chast and pure Spirits who are employ'd for thy preservation to retire themselves And will it not be a most grateful Spectacle to the envious and malignant Spirits and lay thee open to their power and malice who have gotten thee within their Territories unless God in mercy restrain them Consider the heynousness of the least Sin It is against God's Infinite Majesty and the riches of his Bounty in giving his Son for us Also against his Honor and the Love and Loyalty we profess to owe unto him for all his Goodness and Mercy and likewise against our Covenant with him the vileness of which is seen in the fearful Punishments of the Sin of Angels Adam the old World Lot's Wife Saul and so of Moses Vzzah David Josiah and chiefly that inflicted on the Son of God for our Sins Numb 20.24 Deut. 3.26 A Child of God cannot look to carry away the least Sin against Knowledge and Conscience unpunish'd without speedy submission and amendment Live alwaies as in God's presence whose Eye is ever upon thee and who may take thee away on a sudden Gen. 17.1 Job 32.22 2 Cor. 5.15 Remember thy appearance before him and account every day thy last being always prepar'd to give upthy Account Keep continually a fresh remembrance of God's great Goodness especially his chief Mercies Bodily and Spiritual Ordinary and Extraordinary Let thy great Deliverances never depart out of thy Heart say always with Joseph How can I do this and Sin against my good God Gen. 39.9 Neh. 6.11,13 Psal 103.25 116.12.16 Walk ever painfully in thy special Calling and in the Conscionable use of all the meanes of Grace Keep a perpetual memory of the former misery of Sin and Blessings of Righteousness Be resolv'd to chuse rather to endure any misery than to Sin against God as Joseph Daniel and the three Children did Dan. 1.8 Warily resist the first motions to any Sin James 1.5 Lust when it has conceiv'd brings forth Sin Achan tells Joshua by what degrees he came to finish his Sin Josh 7.21 I saw a Babylonish Garment then I coveted it and took it and it is hid in my Tent. Avoid every occasion of Sin as you would do of Infectious Diseases 1 Thes 5.22 Gen. 39.10 1 Thes 5.17 Eph. 6.18 But above all use Fervent Prayer to be kept by these Preservatives Of the Sabbath REmember the Sabbath before it come that thou may'st dispatch all thy own works in six days to attend the better upon the right Sanctification of the Sabbath Meddle not with any Recreation Pastime or Ordinary Work from Saturday night at eight of the Clock till Monday morning Isa 56.2,4,6 58.13.14 Now in thy Evening Devotions allow thy self so large a portion of time as may serve for some preparatory Meditations and Prayers and be not slight and uncertain but constant to thy set times and earnest in this work Now look into thy by-past Life and chiefly to thy walking with God the last Week be sure to set all strait between God and you examine thy self both by the Law and Gospel and see whether there be not some sin or miscarriage that lies unrepented of which may blast thy next day's performances if there be consider of it more particularly in its aggravations and nature reconcile thy self with God by Faith and Repentance and renewing thy Vows of walking more Conscionably after thou hast cleansed thy heart and hands Let thy Prayers be sutable to thy Condition beg fervently forgiveness of thy particular sins confessed and bewail'd together with Grace for the future against them and an increase of all other Graces which thou standest most in need of especially for a quiet setled composed mind that thou may'st attend with all thy Soul upon thy holy concerns and business likewise for inliven'd Affections that thou may'st not be dull and heartless but of a tender and melting Spirit for a pliable and yielding mind that thou may'st hear the Word with and render the obedience of Faith that the Lord would fix thy mind and make it serious inlighten it and open thy heart that thou may'st have a clear and right understanding that the Spirit would set in with the Preaching of the Word and make it effectual for the beating down of thy Corruptions and that it may be the power of God to the salvation of thy soul And lastly for the Minister that the Lord would teach him what he should teach the People and direct and inable him to declare the mind of God and make it manifest that utterance may be given unto him to speak boldly as he ought to speak and that God would Pardon his sins and frailties Earnestly endeavour to tast the sweetness of holy Exercises and to long for the enjoyment of God's Sabbaths that so thou may'st come to make them thy Delight Rise at least three hours before morning Sermon if it will stand with your Health and not hinder your fitness for Spiritual Exercises through drousiness afterwards When thou art up retire into thy Closet and having read two Chapters in the Bible betake thy self to Meditation and Prayer Consider with thy self what an impure Sinner thou art and into what an holy place thou goest to appear before the most Holy God who seeth thy Heart and knoweth all the Sins of thy Life tho' thou may'st have forgotten them and hateth all Impurity and Hypocrisie Now again examine thy self and Confess thy sins unto God earnestly praying for the pardon and forgiveness of them and so reconcile thy self with God in Christ and renew thy Vows to walk more Conscionably and especially pray that thou may'st have Grace to hear God's Word with profit and be inabled to Sanctify his holy Day not forgetting the Minister And after your private Prayer read another Chapter Be present with the first at all Publick Assemblies of the Church with cheerful Reverence and the greatest attention as before the Lord of the whole Earth Both to declare thy Love and Honour and for the good Example of others Be afraid of the least unseemly gesture or of being overtaken by sleep drowsiness or wandring thoughts 1 Cor. 12.12 Acts. 2.46 4.32 Joyn in with the Congregation in every publick Action according to
we may make known our desires to him as if he were not acquainted with them for he understands our Thoughts afar off neither that we may move him to accept and grant our desires for with him there is no Change or Shadow of turning but that we may by our Prayers obtain that of him which we believe he is willing to bestow Prayer being a necessary means both for God's Glory and our good 1 John 5.14 This is our Confidence which we have towards God that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us When therefore thou art about to pray First look into your present State and inquire how all things stand between God and you mark whatsoever occurs between your set times of Prayer the Providences of God or Sleights of Satan what sins you have committed what Graces you want and what Fresh Favours God has bestowed Tune thy Thoughts and Affections wind and Screw them up when thou comest to Duty This is that Zophar advises Job 11.13 to prepare the Heart and then to stretch forth the Hands When you are about to address your self to God in Prayer Fix your thoughts upon some particular Subject to inlarge upon There is no question if you observe your condition well but you have somtimes one errand to God somtimes another whether it be to confess some predominant Sin to beg Pardon of and Power against You may have in your Eye some Grace which you stand in more than ordinary need of and observe your own weakness and defect in Run not out into Generals only for you cannot speak to God of all things at one time but consider the Present Case of thy Soul and what business you have to go to God about at that time in a particular manner enlarge your thoughts on that Subject and follow it home till you feel your heart warm'd and affected Implore and expect the Spirit 's assistance and let thy whole heart be engaged in this work See what thou dost be according to Gods will and have a Warrant from his Word A Command is our Warrant a Promise is our Incouragement and an Example our Tract the Footsteps of the Flock wherein we must walk Improve your Advocate This is the Principal part of all our Religion and especially of Prayer to depend wholly upon the Righteousness and Intercession of Christ Jesus for access to and acceptance with God Be not slight formal and cursory in calling your Sins and Duties Cods Favours and Promises into a bare and Fruitless remembrance if the Heart be not affected with Anger Fear Grief and Shame for Sin with Joy and acknowledgment of being beholden to God for his Favours with Hope and Confidence in him in remembrance of his Promises if it be not gain'd to a new Resolution to Reform what is Faulty and to endeavour after more exactness all your preparation is nothing Nay Sin will gather Strength upon you thereby like idle Sturdy Vagrants who when brought before the Magistrate if he either say little to them or only give them threatning words but never makes them smart for their Offences they grow thereby ten times more insolent lawless Keep up Spiritual Frames out of Worship the Fire was to be kept alive upon the Altar when Sacrifices were not Offer'd from Morning till Night from Night till Morning as well a in the very time of Sacrifice One well advises to be such out of Worship as we would be in it any thing that does unhinge and discompose our Spirits is inconsistent with Religious Services which are to be perform'd with the greatest sedateness and gravity All irregular Passions disturb the Serenity of the Spirit and tho they be allay'd yet they leave the heart some while after like the Sea rolling and swelling after the Storm is ceased Ill company leaves a Tincture upon us in Worship Ephraim hath mixed himself with the People Hosea 7.8 He is a Cake not turned This will make our Hearts and Lives half Dough as well as half Baked These and the like make the Holy Spirit withdraw himself and then the Soul lies like a Wind-bound Vessel that can make no way When the Sun departs from us it carries its Beams along with it then Darkness spreads it self over the Earth and the Beasts of the Forest creep out Be much in Secret Ejaculations to God These are the purest flights of the Soul that have more of Fervor and less of Carnality As frequent sinful Acts strengthen habits of Sin so frequent Religious acts strengthen habits of Grace Excite and exercise particularly a Love to God and a Dependance on him The Soul that loves God when it has to do with him can mind nothing else during such Impression Nourish right apprehensions of God in thy mind Consider thou art drawing nigh to God the most amiable Object the best of Beings worthy of infinite Honour and the highest Affections thou canst give a God that made the World by a Word that upholds the great frame of Heaven and Earth a Majesty above the Conceptions of Angels View him in his Greatness and Goodness that your Heart may have a true value of the Worship of so great a Majesty and count it the most worthy employment to attend upon him A Fear of God will make your Worship serious a Joy in God durable your Affections will be rais'd when you represent him in the most reverential indearing and obliging Circumstances We Honour the Majesty of God when we consider him with due Reverence according to the greatness and perfection of his Works And in this Reverence of his Majesty does Worship chiefly consist Preserve a strong Sence of the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God who Judges thy inward Affections and is as really present with thee as if he were Visible Take heed of inordinate desires after the World it dulls the Word and stifles all Spiritual breathings after God in Duty Be deeply sensible of thy present wants and the supplies thou mayest have in Worship It is pardon thou desirest Apprehend then the blackness of Sin with the aggravations thereof as it respects God be deeply sensible of the want of Pardon and the worth of Mercy indeavour to get your Affections into such a frame as condemned Men would be and as you have seen some dying Men have Consider thou art now at the Throne of Gods Grace but must shortly be at the Bar of his Justice indeavour to stir up the same affections now the same fixedness and earnest Pleading for Mercy which thou mayest suppose forlorn Souls will have at Gods Tribunal If thou couldest apprehend God as an angry and offended Judge or didst see the riches of his Mercy and his glorious out-goings in the Sanctuary the blessed Doles he gives out to those that Spiritually attend upon him both the one and the other would make thee perform thy Duty humbly sincerely earnestly and affectionately waiting upon him with thy whole Soul to have Misery averted and Mercy
from my Mother's Womb and thy long-suffering Patience and Compassion that never fail that I have not been long ago consumed swallowed up or swept away with some extraordinary Judgment for those many gross and heinous Sins of my Life my whole Nature is deformed with Original corruption my whole Life my whole Life abounding with the fruits thereof all manner of actual Transgressions My Vnderstanding is full of Blindness Vanity and Infidelity my Conscience Dead and Remorsless my Heart Hard and Impenitent my Affections Disorderly and Violent Vnruly and Masterless my Appetite Sensual and Brutish I have no ability to any good Duty no restraint or moderation in Sinning against thee Yea if I do any Good I am apt to blemish it with Self-love and Hypocrisie if I abstain from any Evil it is many times rather from the Act than from the Love of it I ought to have lived as under covenant with thee but wretch that I am I have broken my Vow falsified my Faith and violated the everlasting Covenant What Commandment of thine is there O Lord I have not transgressed What Grace I have not abused What Curse I have not deserved When I view the wretched course of my Life and consider my weighty and crying Sins what Lord can I say And what confusion should cover me Here confess to God thy secret Sins with the Circumstances of Time Place Person and Manner c. In how many things have I Sinned against Knowledge against Conscience against Light and against many Vows and Promises of better Obedience I have no colour of excuse nothing to plead with thee in defence of my many and heinous Sins if I dispute I must lay my hand upon my mouth and learn to abhor my self in Dust and Ashes for Lord for these my Sins I stand here guilty of thy Curse with all the Miseries of this Life and that to come But O blessed Lord thou art he that Justifies the ungodly and hast sent thy Son to die for Sinners and hast made a general Offer and invited all to come unto Christ that they may be sav'd whosoever will every very one that thirsteth yea and hast most graciously promised John 6.37 That him that cometh shall not in any wise be repulsed or cast out John 3.16,17 Luke 2.10 and that whosoever believeth shall not perish that thou wilt not despise a broken heart Rev. 22.17 John 7.37 John 6.40 2 Cor. 5.20 John 3.23 Nay Lord it is thy Will Desire and Command that I should believe on the Name of thy Son that so I may be saved 1 John 5.10 And thy Word of Truth saith That whosoever believeth not maketh thee a Lyar. O Father of Mercies I am bold in the name of Christ to come unto thee and by the hand of Faith to lay hold upon thy Promises yet feeling my own weakness I beseech thee strengthen my unbelief and what assurance I cannot have by my Faith weakly embracing thee let me have from thy self embracing me who art mighty to save Thou did'st inable thy Servant Jacob to lay hold on thee and not let thee go till thou had'st blessed him Lord give me the same Strength the same Courage and the same Success I beseech thee O Lord who despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart nor desirest the death of a penitent Sinner but delightest by thy Goodness to Reign where Sins have most abounded to pardon and forgive me all my Sins and to wash away the unâ—…leanness of them by that precious Blood of Sprinkling which Christ Jesus my Saviour hath shed I hope for me And seeing he has born the burden of the Curse due for my Transgressions deliver me O Lord both from my Sins and those Judgments which hang over my head as due unto me for the same bury them in the Burial of Christ that they may never have power to rise up against me to shame me in this life or condemn me in that to come And I beseech thee O Lord not only to pardon the Guilt of my Sins but to purge my heart by thy holy Spirit from the Dross of my natural Corruptions that I may feel thy Spirit more and more killing my sins in the power and practise thereof especially my special Sins and Corruptions Let my Flesh be Crucified with its Affections and Lusts And let me find the power of Christ's death mortifying my corruptions and the power of his Resurrection raising me up to newness of life Arm me O Lord with the Furniture of thy Grace and write thy Laws in my inward parts that I may not only be thy Soldier but thy Servant and Subject Set up the Scepter of thy Kingdom in my Conscience subdue my heart to the obedience of thy Commands win my Affections to the Love of thy Statutes conform my Life to the Rule of thy Righteousness and transform me daily more and more into thy Image Bless all the Means of Grace unto me and me with a heart sanctified and set upon the Means for the increase of Grace let thy holy Word be my chief Treasure thy Statutes my Counsellors thy Promises my Comforters thy Sacraments my Delicates thy Sabbaths my best Daies and thy Servants my dearest Companions Renew daily with me the Covenant of thy Peace and now this morning let thy Spirit from Heaven Seal me a new Patent of Mercy that being to meet with thee in the ways and works of this day I may be sure to find thee as a reconciled Father not as an offended Judge As thou do'st add Days unto my Life so good Lord add Repentance and amendment unto my Days and bestow a supply upon me of all those Graces which thou knowest to be wanting in me and necessary for me with an increase of all those Gifts wherewith thou hast already indowed me Give unto me such Spiritual Eye-sight that I may see thee in thy Word and Works Let me live in thy sight and not without thee as the Gentiles do O let me not be cast out of thy presence as Cain nor run against thee as Balaam but walk with thee as Enoch Noah and Abraham in all my ways taking knowledge of thy Presence Promises and Providences Bless me O Lord this day in the Duties of my Calling preserve me from all fraudulent oppressing greedy Courses Draw my Affections from the Love of this World fix my heart upon things above if things succeed according to my mind make me thankful to thee which hast given the Blessing if any Cross comes make me patient and careful to profit by the Chastisement good Lord do thou bless me with such a portion of Health Peace Prosperity and every good thing as may inable and make me Chearful in Duty And because the daily occasions of danger to my Soul are infinite teach me to keep my Heart with all diligence to make a Covenant with my Eyes to keep my mouth as with a Bridle for the avoiding all filthy communication to use
Rules we are to observe in our Apparel That they be for Health Honesty Comliness that we go rather with the lowest than highest of our Place and Quality That the Fashion be neither Strange Immodest Singular Ridiculous nor we the first in it That neither the making nor wearing savour of Pride Lightness Curiosity Lasciviousness Prodigality Covetousness but such as becomes Holiness Wisdom and Honesty following the Example of those of our own Rank that are most Sober and Discreet Directions for Closet Devotion And first for Reading HAving thus begun the Day that thou mayst walk with God the remainder of it it will be needful first to renew thy peace with God and then keep it To this end as soon as thou art ready if unavoidable necessity hinder not retire to thy Closet and there in a more solemn manner offer thy morning Sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiving according to the Command Matth. 6.6 And that these may be the better performed prepare thy self by Reading and Meditation for though these be distinct Exercises yet are they most properly joyned together since they mutually help and assist each other That day is lost whereof some time is not improved in searching Gods Holy Word those Divine Monuments other Books thou mayst turn over out of choice this thou must read out of Duty Luke 16.29 They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them And John 5.39 Search the Scriptures And Deuteronomy 31.11 Thou shalt read this Law before all Israel that they may hear it that they may learn and fear the Lord God and keep and observe all the words of this Law So also the 6. and the 61. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy Heart and thou shalt rehearse them continually to thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou tarriest in thy House and as thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and risest up Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand and they shall be as Frontlets between thine Eyes also thou shalt write them upon the Posts of thy House and upon thy Gates First therefore when you read this Word lift up your Heart to God for his Leave and Blessing for the Spirit of Understanding and Wisdome that your Mind may be more inlightned and your Heart more strengthen'd with Grace by it for this Word is Spiritual and contains the hidden things of God in a Mystery in which respect 't is a Sealed Book to those that have not the help of the Holy Spirit Then you read the Word aright indeed when you have the same frame of Heart as the Holy Pen-men had in the Writing of it Read the Word with Hunger and Thirst after Knowledge and growth in Grace and as the means ordained of God for this end Read it with a Reverend and Humble with a tractable and honest Heart trembling at the Judgments against Sinners rejoycing at the Promises made to the Penitent willing and resolving to obey the Commands This is the best help and Art of Memory for exceeding Joys Griefs Hatred and Desires c. do leave the deepest impressions upon us we do not soon forget the Sicknesses and Pains we have gone through and the shortest Wit can remember where he laid his Gold Compare your ways with the Word bring them to the Rule see how they and that agree be thankful for any Conformity humbled and grieved for any Failing fly to Christ to make your Peace and resolve to look better to your ways for the time to come Advise about and resolve upon the means to bring all into practice especially those Duties which are laid before thee in thy present reading Observe the very expressions of Scripture for they are very useful in Prayer and do often carry a secret Emphasis in them that will greatly comfort and affect the Heart that considers them In reading still keep Jesus in thine Eye as the End Scope and Substance of all the Scripture in whom they all are Yea and Amen Meditate on and strive to find out the meaning and mind of God in each particular Scripture and to prevent mistake and wresting of Scripture to your hurt get first a clear knowledge of the Grounds and Principles of Christian Religion and indeavour to frame your Life according to the more easie and known Scriptures Secondly Be much in hearing the Word read in Publick and Interpreted by a Learned and Faithful Minister Let not God's publick Ordinances be either condemned or neglected for the sake of Reading Prayer or any other private Duty This will rather bring a Curse than a Blessing And Lastly as above Cherish an humble and honest Heart resolved to obey when you know God's Will Joh. 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God There is not in the World such another Book as this Book of God no Word of like Authority Holiness Wisdom true Eloquence Power and Eternity no Book that aims at Gods Glory and the Salvation of Mans Soul like this It discovers our misery by sin with the perfect Remedy it propounds perfect Happiness to us and affords the Means to attain it 'T is mighty through God to prepare for Grace 't is the immortal Seed to beget us unto Christ the Milk and strong Meat to nourish us up in him and the only Physick to recover the Soul from all Spiritual Diseases By it Christ giveth light to the Blind hearing to the Deaf speech to the Dumb strength to the Weak health to the Sick yea by it he doth cast out Devils and raise Men from the Death of Sin This is that Book alone that contains all the rich Legacies bequeath'd us by our dying Saviour 'T is his last Will and Testament Sealed with his own Blood Heb. 9.15 This is the Magna Charta or Great Statute Book of the Kingdom of Heaven containing in it all the mighty Priviledges and Immunities of Gods Children 'T is the Hammer the Fire the Sword the Plow the Seed the usual Instrument the Holy Ghost makes use of to build up pull down to plant purge and cleanse by it we have an Inheritance among them that believe and are Sanctify'd and Presented to God without spot or wrinkle In short 't is the Perfect Rule of Faith and Manners Let any Man but seriously and impartially consider the Precepts contained in the word of God he shall assuredly find the best Direction in the World for all kind of Moral and Divine Wisdom There are not in all the other Books of Morality together so sound deep certain and evident Instructions of Wisdome yet most strictly joyned with Innocency and Godliness as in this one Book Of Prayer PRayer is a Religious representing of our Will and pouring out our Hearts before God 't is the Souls Pulse and shews the state of the Heart If Spiritual Life be weak in us our Prayers will be so too We do not pray to God that
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.
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
some unseemly behavior or other are so troublesom and vexatious that they find themselves rather Tired than Refreshed by company But doubtless these men are under a mistake for what tho' the number of Knaves and Fools of Lew'd and Vain men be greater than the accomplish'd and Virtuous yet ought we therefore to banish our selves the Society of Mankind and not rather to consort our selves with men of Worth and Virtue with such as are Pious and good whereby our minds may be confirm'd and fortifi'd For it is a most certain truth that the judgment we make of our selves is not our own but we borrow it from others and being by divers persons either by Signs or otherwise reproved for the same fault at length we are content to submit our selves to the common Opinion of all men to acknowledge our Imperfections and to frame our selves to do to leave to change to correct according to the Judgment of other Men. Our conversation among men is twofold according to which our behavior must be regulated The one is General Common and Ordinary such as our Affairs do daily lead us into we change from those we know to those we do not without our choice or consent The other is Special Affected and Desired company In both our chief care consists in these two things In the right Goverment of our Tongue and of our Behaviour First then let thy revenues be far greater than thy expence Wise Nature has given us two Ears and but one Tongue that we may hear much and speak little And commonly the weakest in understanding delight to hear themselves speak which gave occasion to the Proverbs that it is one piece of Wisdom for a man to hide his Folly That He knoweth not how to speak that knows not how to be silent For as words well utter'd shew Eloquence and Learning so silence well kept shews Prudence and Gravity A Fools voice is known by the Multitude of his words but he that refraineth his lips is wise Prov. 10.19 Eccl. 5.3 and 10.14 Words well consider'd like Money well employed tend to the profit and advantage both of him that receiveth and him that disburseth And as it is not lawful to Coyn or Pay out false Money so is it as unlawful to invent or speak what may turn to the Prejudice or Reproach of others There are three special seasons wherein a man ought to speak And in all other cases silence is to be prefer'd First when things come in question we understand perfectly well Again when such matters arise we are oblig'd to speak to And in the last place when men have a good opinion of us and in things they will willingly hear and easily give credit to us Heedfully observe those things that beautify and adorn our speech The honourable part of Talk is to give occasion and then to moderate and pass to something else to vary in our Discourse and intermingle speech of the present occasion with Arguments Tales with Reasons asking of Questions with telling of Opinions 't is a dull thing to Tire and Jade any thing too far to be too much in any thing so as to give another occasion of weariness This makes a man cheap to speak pertinently to the thing in hand and agreeably to the Person is better than Eloquence A man must avoid all those things which make his Discourse less delightful to the hearers He must not be so brief as to be obscure nor tire men with superfluous words and tedious Prefaces impertinent Circumstances and Digressions Discourse is the Image of the Thought which it ought to set forth so clearly that it may be seen and as it were touch'd with the Finger We shall find upon reflection that the delight and pleasure we feel and conceive in a Discourse proceeds either from the Images form'd by Words in our Minds or the resemblance between the Words and the Things whose Image they bear So that 't is either the truth that pleaseth us or the conformity betwixt Words and things Yet in speech we may observe some persons have so strange a force and sweetness in the delivery of their Words that altho they be neither proper nor well placed yet do so delight our Ears and Minds with their Harmony that we neither search nor desire any thing farther while other men whose Words are more pure and correct lose their force for want of a pleasing Voice in delivering A man ought therefore to be very exact in measuring the force of his Voice that he offend not other mens Ears by raw and harsh sounds And also careful to fill his Memory with proper Terms So contriving it that the Images of things and their Names be of so strict a Coherence that the Images and Expressions may present themselves together One resembles the Memory to a Printing press A Printer who has nothing but Gothick Characters let the Treatise be never so good can Print it in no other The same may be said of those whose Memories are full of nothing but improper Terms A man's Words ought to be Proper Significant and of efficacy A Gentleman ought not to make payment with Farthings and Liards using such expressions as are base and low and defil'd by the use of the Vulgar People who by turning words from their Original meaning to signifie vile and sordid things have forc'd upon them many and different Images hereby debasing and polluting them It is certain that a Sentence receives its Force and Vigor from the Reputation and Authority of the speaker the Words and Expressions by which it is utter'd and the Action and Air of the Countenance these have their peculiar Charm which strangely influence the minds of men A graceful Majesty of gesture and goverment of Face and Countenance either in Speech or Silence is of great force and effect for it gains a kind of Reputation Esteem and Reverence and where that is almost every thing becometh There is as well Eloquence of Body as of Mind and a man may Cancel the force of his Words by his Countenance But to give a more exact and sure Rule sor the Tongue If thou would'st rightly Govern it begin with the Heart The disorders of the Tongue usually proceed from the Distempers of the Heart Idle words from vanity of thoughts rashness of speech from hastiness of Spirit boasting from pride of heart Out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh Beg of God that he would be with thy Mouth as he was with Moses touch thy Tongue as he did Jeremy teach thee at all times what to say and put words into thy Mouth give thee the Tongue of the Learned as he did Isaiah and a door of utterance as he did Paul that he would circumcise and pare off the fore skin of thy Lips all Superfluous Foolish and vain Words that so thy Language may be pure and thy Voice sweet that no sinful idle nor rash words break forth that he would delight to use thy
thou mayest receive by the wise improvement of the Railings and Revilings of an Enemy for tho' he be a bad Judge he is a good Remembrancer and you may hear from him those things which Friends and Flatterers will never admonish you of Wrong no man either in his Life Name Chastity or Estate do all the good thou canst according to thy ability and opportunities even to thy very Enemies and forgive all the wrongs men do unto thee Let your Actions be always suitable to your Person Place and Quality and then you need never be ashamed whosoever be your Judge So frame your self to the Time and Company as neither to serve them nor sullenly neglect them yielding so far as may neither betray Goodness nor countenance Evil Measure in a just Ballance and maintain both thine own Honour and the Reputation of others Learn rightly to distinguish between men and not promiscuously respect all alike be not in bondage to their Faces or Fancies neither dismantle or expose thy self to their scorn or injury by too much goodness or facility of Nature this sets the fairest Gloss upon a man It is a point of great wisdom to keep our affections undiscover'd in company If thou concealest thy own Judgment thou shalt the better discover another man's Opinion Apply your self so to your Superiors as to convince them of the affection and esteem you bear them and demonstrate that you do it not out of Facility but Regard for nothing ingages the affections of great men more than a handsom and graceful address Do nothing that may distaste another man's sense or imagination As in Apparel so in Action a man should know not only what is good but what becomes him Our behaviour which is as it were the Garment of the mind ought to have the conditions of a Garment It ought to be such as is in Fashion not too curious and costly but suitable to our Quality and so shap'd as to set forth any good faculty of the Mind and to supply and hide any deformity Neither should it be so strait as to strain the mind or hinder and repress the motion thereof in Business In all thy Associations let this be a general Direction thorowly examine the Designs and Ends upon which they were contracted carefully inquire into thy own condition and abilities and impartially judge how much thou do'st contribute to the upholding that Amity and as thou findest thy self of Importance and subservient to the ends they have in designing thy Friendship so far value thy self and expect to be valued and never imagin that any man will quit his own particular advantage and profit to serve thee or procure thine on a friendship established upon mutual convenience When thou canst not shun evil Company in respect of the common affairs of Life be sure thou givest no advantage to them either to speak ill of thee or of Religion 1 Tim. 5.14 let thy Conversation be honest unblamable and harmless as soon as possible leave them and while thou art with them be full of Fear lest thou fall Raise thy heart to a lothing of their Sin yet compassionating the Sinner and when ever thou seest or hearest any Wickedness let it be a grief and vexation of Spirit to thee Immediately lift up thy heart to God and before him confess it disdain all liking of it and pray to be kept from it Likewise beg of God to forgive thy Companion his sin and that he would grant him the grace to repent There is a strange attractive and imperious power in all Company to impoyson and pervert even the best dispositions By holding familiar correspondence with lewd men there steals upon a man a secret and insensible dislike of his former sober courses he begins to censure and renounce his former ways of Innocence as too strict and restraining and full of unnecessary abridgment The love he bears mens Persons lessens daily the dislike of their sins At first they appear less hainous then they seem small and Venial afterwards he thinks them tolerable and excusable till at last he comes to justifie and defend to approve and practise them We have not only Gods repeated Commands prohibiting our familiarity with Wicked men Prov. 1.15 4.14.23.20 Ephes 5.11 2 Thes 3.6 but the Practice and Protestation of the Saints against it 2 Kings 3.14 Jer. 15.17 2 Chron. 19 2.20.37 Prov. 29.27 and Gods heavy Punishments inflicted for it But besides these it is impossible for Wicked Men directly and heartily to love a Christian when there is no true love even among themselves And altho' these Swine and Bears do many times agree it is not Peace but Conspiracy and any the least matter of Profit Lust or Pride will presently make them rage at and devour one another Man is to man says Ingenious Cowley all kinds of Beasts a fawning Dog a roaring Lion a Thieving Fox a dissembling Crocodile a treacherous Decoy a rapacious Vulture If then we would not perish in the Destruction of Wicked men we must leave their Tents Numb 16.26 Rev. 18.4 and avoid being partakers of their Sins as we desire to be freed from their Plagues Our Special and affected Conversation must be with the wise and Virtuous Especially such as fear God not only for the Opinion of others who will ever judge us to be such as our Company is but for the benefit and advantage we shall receive thereby Think not thy self too good to learn even of the meanest Christian When thou speakest of the things of God be Humble Reverend and serious keeping within the Line of thy Calling and the Measure of Knowledge and Grace given thee Do not wrest and mistake the Actions Speeches or Ends of good men who tho' they differ from thee in some Points yet hold all such as are necessary and fundamental rather indeavour by all means to keep in the unity of the Spirit by the bond of Peace Nothing certainly brings more Joy Comfort or Delight next to the Communion with God in Christ than the Actual Communion of Saints and the love of the Brethren Neither trust any secret that may indanger thy Estate or Person with any Friend or Servant whatsoever While thou art within thy self thou art safe but thy Secret once utter'd makes thee a Bondslave to him thou trustest and leaves thee always to his Mercy 'T is certain never any man reveal'd a Secret of importance of which he did not afterwards repent For altho' he should receive no damage thereby yet he can never free himself from disquiet How can a man assure himself his Friend will not disclose that which he himself tho' it so nearly concern'd him could not keep secret The safest Rule is so to carry thy self to thy Friends as persons who may one day prove thy Enemies and so to thy Enemies as that thou mayest yet become their Friend You shall never find a Friend in your young years whose Conditions and Qualities will please thee
may'st run through the whole Day In the next place consider your Religious Duties and carriage in them Your Calling and how you have perform'd the Duties belonging to that your Relations and carriage to them As a Husband Wife Parent Child Master Servant Your particular Corruptions and the Sins you are most inclin'd to together with your Temptations and how you have behaved your self in reference to them Your Talents whether you have wasted and mispent or improv'd and employ'd them for the end they were given Your Providences what they have been and how you have and ought to have carry'd your self under them In short whether you have lived by Faith that is have fram'd your Life according to the revealed Will of God the Object of Faith and whether you have been constant to your own Rules Having thus examin'd your self Reform that which you find amiss Rejoice or be griev'd as you find you have done well or ill and renew and confirm your peace with God committing thy Spirit Soul and Body thy Relations Name and Substance to his Tuition by Prayer and Thanksgiving who alone can keep thee in safety By this daily examination of our Selves we gain these two great Advantages First Our Repentance will hereby be more particular not only of clamorous and more crying Sins but multitudes of other particulars every branch and circumstance of every Action every Word Thought and Affection many Sins which otherwise would have been forgot will by this means be brought to remembrance and repented of by us And again when ever Death seizes us we shall have but one day of our whole Life to Account for The Christian Exercise taken out of a Learned Divine TO keep the Heart in ure with God is the highest Task of a Christian Good motions are not frequent but the constancy of good Disposition is rare and hard This work must be continual or else speedeth not If this Field be not Till'd every day it will run out into Thistles The evening is the fittest for this work when retir'd into our Selves we chearfully and constantly both look up to God and into our Hearts as we have to do with both To God in Thanksgiving then in Request It shall be therefore expedient for the Soul duly to recount to it self all the specialities of God's favour A confused thanks savours of carelesness and neither doth affect us nor win acceptance above Bethink your self then of all these External Inferior Earthly Graces and Favours That your Being Breathing Life Motion Reason is from him and that he hath given you a more noble Nature than the rest of the Creatures excellent Faculties of the Mind perfection of Senses soundness of Body competency of Estate seemliness of Condition fitness of Calling preservation from Dangers rescue out of Miseries kindness of Friends carefulness of Education honesty of Reputation liberty of Recreations quietness of Life opportunity of Well-doing protection of Angels Then rise higher to your Spiritual Favours tho here on Earth and strive to raise your Affections with your Thoughts Bless God that you were born in the light of the Gospel for your Profession of the Truth for the Honour of your Vocation for your incorporating into the Church for the priviledge of the Sacraments the free use of the Scriptures the Communion of Saints the benefit of their Prayers the aid of their Counsel the example of their Lives the pleasure of their Conversion for the beginnings of Regeneration any footsteps of Faith Hope Love Zeal Patience Humility Peace Joy for any desire of more Then let your Soul mount highest of all into her Heaven and acknowledge those Celestial Graces of her Election to Glory Redemption from shame and Death of the Intercession of our Saviour of the preparation of her place and there let her stay a while upon the Meditation of her future Joyes This done the way is made for your Requests Sue now to your God as for Grace to answer these Mercies so to see wherein you have not answer'd them From him therefore cast your Eyes down upon your self and as some careful Justice doth a suspected Felon so do you strictly examin your heart of what you have done that Day of what you should have done Inquire whether your thoughts have been sequesterd to God Strangers to the World fix'd on Heaven whether Just Charitable Lowly Pure Christian whether your Senses have been holily guided neither to let in temptations nor to let out Sins whether your Speeches have not been Offensive Vain Rash Indiscreet Unsavory Unedifying whether your Actions have been warrantable expedient comely profitable whether you have perform'd the particular Dutyes of the day in your Awaking Refreshing Calling Company Pleasures then see if you have been negligent in watching your Heart expence of your time exercises of Devotion performance of good Works resistance of temtation good use of Examples and compare your present State with your former look Jealously whether your Soul hath gain'd or lost lost ought of the heat of her Love tenderness of Conscience fear to Offend strength of Virtue gain'd more increase of Grace more assurance of Glory And when you find Alas who cannot but find either Holiness decay'd or Evil done or Good omitted cast down your Eyes strike your Breasts humble your Soul and sigh to him whom you have Offended sue for Pardon as for Life heartily yearningly injoyn your self careful amendment redouble your holy Resolutions strike hands with God in a new Covenant my soul for your safety Rules for the Night THERE 's not a moment of our time our own The Night brings it's Duties as well as the Day This is a proper Season for Meditation and Prayer as appears by the many Instances we have in Scripture Both of David Psal 42.8 The Lord will command his loving kindness in the Day-time and in the Night his Songs shall be with me and my Prayer unto the God of my life Isa 6.9 Cant. 3.1 And of the Church But 't is then especially our Duty when we are under any heavy and sore Affliction in deep Humiliation or in Suits of great Importance which we would solicite with the greatest earnestness and importunity Colos 4.2 1 Pet. 4.7 2 Sam. 12.16 Est 4.3 1 Kings 2.27 Joel 1.13 In such Cases it has been an ancient Custom for the Servants of God to abstain from their ordinary Sleep that so they might watch unto Prayer As to Dreams tho they are not much to be regarded in respect of any guess can be made by them yet we are not utterly to neglect them because we may gain thereby some knowledge of the temperature of our Body our natural dispositions and the Sins to which we are most inclin'd according to that saying The Night shall teach me what I am the Day what I should be Of Sleep IT is as impossible to give a constant and certain Rule for Sleep as to prescribe the measure of Meats and Drinks Tho we may as well
due and holy Order cheerfully with thy Heart In hearing apply each speech as spoken by God to thee in particular Like a Practiser of the Art of Memory refer all things to their proper place If it be matter of comfort this is for my sick Bed for my outward losses for my drooping under affliction for the Sence of any Spiritual Defection If matter of Doctrine that is for my settlement in such a Trust for the conviction of such an Error for my direction in such a practise If matter of Reproof and threatnings against Sin whether thy own or others as a member of the same Body or in danger thereof be humbled do not point at thy Neighbour but deeply charge thy self This meets with my dead heartedness and security with my Worldly mindedness Self-love and Flattery of my own Estate This with my uncharitable Censoriousness with my foolish proud Heart That with my Hypocrisie and the neglect of Gods Service and my Duty That with my Irregular Life and Conversation Resolve to walk in every good way and to depart from all evil This is the best Art of Memory for exceeding Joyes Griefs Hatred or desires do leave the deepest Impressions in us and so stick longest by us In hearing therefore labor to exercise Humility under Reproofs Rejoycing in all the Promises Thankfulness for Mercies Desire after Graces and holy Resolution of amendment and more close walking with God As thou returnest home or when thou art entred into thy House Meditate a little while upon those things thou hast heard and then kneeling down turn all into a Prayer beseeching God to pardon thy Sins of Worship to accept of thee and thy Imperfect performances in and through Christ thy Lord to give such a blessing to those things which thou hast heard that they may be a direction to thy Life and a consolation to thy Soul Eat Moderately at Dinner rather sparingly than plentifully on this day That thou may'st be fit for the afternoon Exercises Som little and short Discourse about Temporal things upon occasion may be so directed and temper'd with Pious Meditation as that it may rather be a furtherance than hindrance of the Duties of Religion and indeed such Business or Discourse in such a manner doth not withdraw the Mind from God's Worship But be sure that in all thy Speeches and Actions this day there be no lightness nor Vanity nor any thing unbecoming the Solemnity Sacredness and Seriousness of it Walk half an hour after Dinner to digest thy meat and then go to thy Chamber and recollect what you remember of the forenoon Sermon If you are well be sure you attend on God's Ordinances Fore-noon and Afternoon Ps 92.1 Acts. 20.7 For so often exercises of publick Worship ought to be held After evening Sermon retire to thy Closet read the Chapters in which the Texts were then recollect and examine what you have heard meditating on the whole Sermon in order The Coherence and Explication of the Text The occasion and meaning The chief Sum and Scope of the Holy Ghost in it The Division or parts The Doctrines severally by marking the Text and how they were gather'd out of it The Proofs and Reasons of the several Doctrines The Uses And lastly which is the chief of all apply it to thy self and try what work every part hath in thee If the Preacher's Method be too curious or confused then labor to remember How many things he taught which thou knowest not before and be thankful What Sin he reprov'd whereof thy Conscience tells thee thou art Guilty and therefore must be confess'd repented of resolv'd against and amended What Virtues he exhorted to which are not so perfect in thee and therefore thou must indeavour to practice them with more Zeal and Diligence After the finishing of thy Closet exercise or as a preparation to it thou mayest walk in the Fields and Meditate on the Works of God for in every Creature thou may'st see the Wisdom Power Goodness Providence and Justice of God Pray to God that he would open thy Eyes so as thou mayest give him the Glory of his Works Especially consider these things more fully in their several Ends and Uses as the Scriptures apply them Be sure to return so early as neither thy Closet nor Family Devotions if not perform'd be omitted Works of necessity may this day be perform'd and works of Mercy thou art not to forget Such as Visiting the Sick Instructing Exhorting Admonishing Reproving Comforting Relieving Collecting c. To conclude Thou may'st certainly expect that God will proportion his Blessings to thee as thou measurest to him in thy Preparation to come before him Lev. 10.3 22.3 Ex. 19.22 Mal. 7.2 Mar. 4.14 Psal 44.5 Isa 56.58 Ez. 7.10 Gen. 35.2.5 Ec. 4.17 1 Cor. 11.23.24 Mat. 5.23.24 Therefore as thou desirest the Blessing of a Sabbath so resolve by a constant Vow to perform thy work of Preparation and try whether the Lord will not perform his Promise abundantly Examin thy Life thou shalt find that a strict and diligent observation of the Duties of this day has ever joyn'd to it a Blessing upon the rest of thy time and the Week that is so begun has been blessed and prosperous Whereas when thou hast been negligent of the Duties of this day the rest of thy Week has been unsuccessful I could easily saith Judge Hales make an Estimate of my success in my own Secular Employments by the manner of my passing and spending the Lord's day On Wednesday or Thursday evening set some time apart for Recollecting and Reviewing what thou did'st hear and lay up in thy mind the Lord's day past this will rivet the Word the faster in thy Memory and put thee in mind to practice it A Prayer for the Morning QVicken me O Lord that I may call upon thy Name prepare my unprepared Heart by the Blessed Influences of the Spirit of Grace and Supplication O most holy and most glorious Lord God the Almighty Maker and careful Preserver of all thy Creatures but especially the Saviour and Sanctifier of them that Believe by the Merit and Efficacy of the Blood of Jesus Christ I sinful Dust and Ashes dare not of my self lift up my Eyes to Heaven yet through thy dear Son my Saviour come unto thee according to thy Command and Promise freely acknowledging that I am less than the least of all thy Mercies and therefore utterly unworthy of the inestimable favour of being thy Child and a fellow Heir with Christ that after suffering a little here I should Reign with him for evermore For thou know'st O Lord that in Sin I was conceiv'd and born and that I have lived ever since in Iniquity I am by Nature the Child of Wrath a Vassal of Satan an Enemy to Thee my God It was thy great Mercy that I escaped thy Wrath due unto me at the very instant of my Birth in respect of that Mass of Corruption which I brought with me