me alone Exod. 32.16 Gen. 18.33 and God went not from Abraham a foot before he had left praying yea further and let it be spoken to the honour of our great God countenancing of his own ordinance prayer doth in a manner command God Esa 45.11 Aske of me saith he and concerning the works of my hands command thou me as if he should say if I am able to doe it I will doe it if thou pray Yea in truth prayers are so powerfull that when God purposeth not to grant he shuts them out When I cry and shout Lam. 3.8.44 he shuts out my prayer he covereth himselfe with a cloud that prayer should not passe thorough It is no marvell then that it should be so effectuall to encrease faith Vse Therefore my child if thou wouldst have faith and have it in aboundance be sure that thou duely adde this to all other means Oh it is a comfortable thing to have the word of God and Sacraments but these will never worke kindly upon thy soule without Gods blessed assistance and that must be obtained by prayer Gods nature doth assure thee that he will heare thee He is prone to doe us good above all that we can speak or think The Egyptians made Gods of wood and not of gold and silver and other more untractable mettals to signifie the easinesse of their nature to work upon Joh. 5.6 And Christ at the poole of Bethesda to shew his readinesse went to the man of infirmities and said without being asked Numb 20. Wilt thou be made whole God bade Moses take his rod and speak to the rock Moses he strook and strook twice and God was angry because it might bring a slander upon him that he was hardly to be entreated to confirm his peoples faith Again this assures thee that he will hear thee because prayers are most acceptable to God He is ready to hear at all times Moses saith Exod. 8.9 when shall I do it When shall I pray for thee As if he should say he is a God of all houres He is angry when we sue to others not to him When Ahaziah received an hurt 2 King 1.2 3 4. he went to Baalzebub the God of Ekron for his cure and not to him God was angry and Ahaziah must dye for it God puts his own sonne to his prayers for what he hath purchased He hath a double right to all the world a right of inheritance and a right of purchase yet God saith unto him Psal 2. Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost part of the earth for thy possession Yea God hath so ordered the matter that his servants have nothing to give that is better then prayer What shall I give unto the Lord Psal 116. saith David for all his benefits I will call upon the name of the Lord As if he should say because he hath given me many blessings I will honour him by asking more All this shewes that prayers are most acceptable to God and therefore thou hast no cause to doubt but if thou prayest to God to encrease thy faith that God will grant it Let me therefore ask thee further 36. Q. What is prayer A. It is a religious moving of our soules to God to draw our selves into Communion with him against sinne and for grace and all blessings Mark this seriously The nature of Prayer When thou lookest upon thy self thou seest thousands of wants Thou doest not know how to help thy self Thou seest an all-sufficiency in God thy faithfull creatour redeemer and sanctifier The souls moving to God If thou hast not communion with him thou shalt have none of thy necessities relieved Therefore thy soul must move out of it self into communion with him that thou maist gain his help against sin and for grace Phil. 3. and all other blessings This is prayer and by this thou shalt be able to do all things through Christ that helpeth thee Psa 10.17 Rom. 8.26 Lam. 3.41 Psal 25.1 Prayers are a motion towards God and therefore they are called our desires and sighes that cannot be expressed and lifting up of our hearts with our hands to God in heaven of our hands to help us of our hearts to do the work and our drawing neer to God Wherein thou must not exclude the motion of the understanding 1 Cor. 14.13 for as thou must pray with the spirit thou must pray with the understanding also Thou must minde God thou prayest unto Thou must minde the things thou prayest for Thou must minde the disposition of thy own heart from which thou prayest and without which thou canst not watch in prayer wherein though thou hast not a constant and distinct attendance yet thou must have a constant desire endeavour and disposition Yet principally thou must desire the motion of thy will to honour thy God in thy prayer First by presenting no desires but good and honest Next by stirring up such affections as are fit for the presence of God as such as immediately follow faith hope and charity and lastly by resting upon Christ for the obtaining of whatsoever thou desirest Secondly A religious moving to God prayer is a religious moving of the soul to God A man may civilly move his heart to any of his superiours that have a civill excellency in them as when they pray to them to help them according to their civill or naturall power to help them to any good or to remove any evill in their power but for the religious motion of the soul Rō 10.14 Exo. 14.31 it must be onely to God For how shalt thou call on him in whom thou hast not beleeved And I am sure that thou must beleeve onely in God and in these that are immediately sent from God for Gods message sake Thus must thou move to God in prayer to draw thy self into communion with him For communion with him For as a man that is faln into a pit and catcheth hold of a bough doth not desire to pull the bough to him for that will drown him the sooner but doth desire to pull himself to the bough that he may escape danger so he that prayeth doth not desire to pull God down to him for this would overwhelm him but doth desire to pull himself to God that he may have the love of the Father 2 Cor. 13. the grace of the Sonne and the communion of the Holy Ghost to bring him to life Lastly thou must desire this Rō 15.30 and strive with God in prayer to have his assistance against sinne for grace and all other blessings Against sin and for grace Job 20.12 To the ungodly wickednesse is sweet in his mouth he hides it under his tongue as one loath to confesse it He cares not for any of Gods graces because they are enemies to his lusts and corruptions which he loveth He saith to God
Job 21.14 Rom. 6. depart from me I desire not the knowledge of thy laws I will sinne that grace may abound 1 Cor. 15. let us â— at and drink for to morrow we shall die But let it not be so with thee Let thy soul move to God against sinne by confession and suits for pardon For grace by petitions and thankesgiving yea and for all other blessings that thou maist acknowledge him the fountain of them serve God with joyfulnes and gladnes of heart for the aboundance of all things Deu. 28.47 Use Thus maist thou my childe conceive what prayer is and therefore be sure that thine be such The wicked are ready to say Job 21.15 what is the Almighty that we should serve him Eph. 6.18 And what profit should we have if we should pray unto him But let thy soul alwayes move to God with all religion against sinne and for grace 1 Thes 5.17 If thy prayers be like the golden sockets of the holy lights boyling with speculations and not like the Bowles of the Altar full of the liquor of heavenly religion they will prove but like the Aegyptian flesh-pots reeking out the hot vapours of the onyons and garleek of thy own vain heart If they be fair words of uncharitable hearts they are like Ezekiahs bloudy pots Ezek. 24.6 that boyl with the scum of rust and lust But if they be the interpreters of a broken and bleeding soul moving to God they shall be Zacharies pots Zach. 14.20 and the bowles of the Altar sending up sweet incense which shall fill the whole heart with the savour as the house was filled with the odour of Maries oynment Joh. 12.3 The moving of thy feet to the assemblies of Gods people the moving of thy body by kneeling and beating thy breast and lifting up of hands and eyes to heaven the moving of thy tongue and lips will be nothing without this moving of thy heart and soul for fellowship with God in Christ Oh let thy heart move against sinne O Lord it hath oppressed me undertake for me My sinne in Adam my sinne of nature my sins of life in thought word and deed are before thee O pardon them for Christ his sake Let thy heart move for grace O Lord I want thy preventing grace thy assisting grace thy pardoning grace thy sanctifying grace thy sealing grace thy persevering grace Oh give them for Christ from Christ or else I die and perish Let thy heart move for all blessings O Lord I have nothing but under thee from thee Thou hast given me a naturall right to meat drink and apparel health peace and libertie Oh give me the right of a childe of an heir and accept my bodie and soul as holy living and acceptable sacrifices in Jesus Christ thy Sonne in whom thou art well pleased The God of heaven enlarge thy heart and give thee by his helping spirit Rom. 8.26 27. to vent thy soul with groanes and sighes that cannot be expressed These God that searcheth the heart and knowes the minde of the spirit will understand to thy eternall peace 37. Q. Where canst thou more fully learn the matter of prayer A. In that which is commonly called the Lords prayer The Lords prayer is the matter of prayer Thy blessed Saviour made many prayers which may bee called the Lords prayers but there is one which he hath set down as a doctrinall matter of prayer Matth. 6.9 when he saith after this manner pray ye and as a formall prayer when he saith Luk. 11.2 when ye pray say Our Father which is more peculiarly called the Lords prayer This is a brief comprehension of all confessions suits for or against of all intercessions and praises This hath the best authoritie in the world the wisedome of God the Son of God the onely beloved of God who is in the bosome of the Father and so of Gods nearest Court and nearest counsell This must give the graines of weight to all thy Petitions without which they will be found too light Vse Therefore my dear childe learn to pray from this thy blessed master Joh. 3.31 Christ that is from heaven is above all earthly masters will learn thee earthly prayers but he that is from heaven will learn thee heavenly Joh. 1. He is full of grace and truth for the perfections of thy understanding and of thy will He is the way wherein all thy prayers must walk to God Joh. 16.23 To aske in his name is to ask salvation and this is to ask himself which he cannot deny To ask in his name is to use his mediation and this is the right way to the throne of grace God the Father bears singular love to him Matth. 3.17 and and the efficacie of his merits are such as if they be presented in prayer they are powerfull and prevailing Revel 8.2 as the golden Altar before the throne on which are offred the prayers of all the Saints Wouldst thou have any grace learn of Christ to pray Wouldst thou forsake any sinne learn of Christ to pray Prayer is a most important dutie Dan. 6. Daniel chose it rather then to avoid Lions and David gave himself unto prayer Other duties are for certain seasons but this must must be continually in habit or act Luk. 18.1 Thou shalt finde thy self hardly drawn to prayer Easie businesses we are easily drawn unto because they are of quick dispatch but weightie businesses stick as the flaying of an Oxe at the head Thou must have many motives to draw thee to pray Christs command Christs promise Christs example and Christs doctrine This shews the weight of this dutie and how necessary it is to learn the matter of it from thy best Master Ob. Thou must think that every good Christian hath abilitie to pray and that therefore thou needest not learn Zach. 12.10 especially considering the promise I will powr out upon them the spirit of grace and supplication Sol. But understand that there is a double power and abilitie an inward power by which the heart moves and goes out of it self after God for all good This all good Christians have from the Spirit which they vent Rom. 8.26 by groanes and sighes which cannot bee expressed an outward power by which they are able distinctly to expresse the motions of their hearts about fit matter This they have not all neither hast thou Therefore must thou be willing to learn it from this blessed summe of Christ even all things to be hoped for I tell thee that it is much abused by three sorts of persons Ignorant persons who understand it not Impenitent persons who practise it not and carelesse and superstitious persons who minde it not in sence and power but rest in the emptie repetition of the words Be thou none of these know the words and sense of it use it as a penitent beleever and possesse the matter and contents of
Psal 139.12 13. and hidden lusts A man that made a work can easily espie the least fault that another makes in it so God can see all the disorders that Satan and thy wicked heart hath wrought in thee and this must make thee walke in feare of offending such a God and with a resolution to doe all things to the honour of him that made thee Every man that makes a thing doth desire to have the comfort and credit of it much more doth God who made man for himselfe Prov. 16.4 as well as all things else Vse Therefore Whether thou eate or drink 1 Cor. 10.31 or what ever thou doe doe all to the glory of thy God Doe to his glory in thought word and deed do to his glory in disposing thy selfe in all the occurrences of this life Thou mayst make other comfortable reflexions upon thy soule from this point if thou weigh the Texts in the margine Psal 149.2 Psal 119.73 Psal 100.1 2 3. Job 30.13.15 but I leave them to thy own meditations as God shall quicken thy heart with a love to the good word of God Tell me next 2. Q. Who Redeemed thee A. Jesus Christ Mark my good child Christ Redeemed us 1 Tim. 2.6 It is Christ that gave himselfe a ransome for us even the ransome of his blood by which he hath redeemed us out of all the world Apoc. 5.9 To redeeme is to buy thee again when thou wert lost in thy enemies hands Thou wert lost by the sinne of Adam As thou seest when a Carp is taken by a Fishers hooke or net and dieth thousands of spawnes in his belly are caught and die with him so was it with thee and all mankind We were all in that one man in his first transgression Therefore Blessed Paul saith Rom. 5.12 14. By one man sinne entered into the world and death by sinne and passed upon all men even over those that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression for that all have sinned When thou wast in this cursed condition with all mankind Christ came and bought thee again Joh. 10.11 by laying down his life for thee Vse Remember this and make such use of it as Paul would have the Corinthians Ye are not your own 1 Cor. 6.19 20. for ye are bought with a prize therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirits which are Gods If you buy any thing you expect the comfort of it whether it be for the health of your body or of your soule Thinke but the same of Christ and you will be willing to live to him that died for you 2 Cor. 5.15 and rose again Tell me next 3. Q. Who sanctified thee A. The holy Ghost Mark here The holy Ghost doth sanctifie us If I should aske thee What it is to be sanctified it is to be made holy But when I aske thee who sanctified thee it is to make thee holy and this is the worke of the holy Ghost Therefore Paul telles the Corinthians when they were changed in their state That they were sanctified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 Now the holy Ghost doth sanctifie thee by taking away of sinne and giving of grace As if thou wert to give entertainment to a great and good friend thou wouldst first sweep out the dust and brush down the cobwebs and then lay out thy carpets cushions and other ornaments so the holy Ghost takes the besome of destruction the hammer Jer. 23.29 and fire of the word and sweeps out thy raigning sinnes by Repentance and the spirit of Judgement Esa 4.4 Gal. 5.22 23. Eph. 3.17 1 Cor. 3.16 and then brings in the graces of the Spirit to make thee an holy Temple for Christ to dwell in by faith All this the holy Ghost works by the Word Sacraments and Prayer By the Word for Christ prayeth Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth By the Sacraments for Paul saith Eph. 5.26 That he sanctifies and cleanseth his Church with the washing of water by the word and that We being many are one bread and one body 1 Cor. 10.17 for we are all made partakers of one bread Implying that in the Lords Supper we are sealed up into the body of Christ and we cannot be properly without holinesse By Prayer for Christ saith that if we aske the Father he will give us his spirit Vse Therefore my deare child ply the holy Ghost in this way wherein thou art sanctified and shalt encrease it more and more 2 Cor. 7.1 till thou grow to or perfect thy holinesse in the feare of the Lord. If there were but one Mart or Market where all necessary commodities were to be had thou wouldst ply that upon all urgent occasions so must thou deale with the Word Sacraments and Prayer if thou wouldst have the holy Ghost shine upon thee in the beautie of holinesse Tell me next because thou namest the Father the Sonne and Holy Ghost even these three 4. Q. How many Gods are there A. There are three persons and to us Christians but one God Goe to Jordan and thou shalt see the heavens opened There are three persons Matth. 3.16 17. whence the Father sent a voice from heaven the Sonne baptized and the Holy Ghost descending like a Dove to make up three persons Reflect upon thy own Baptisme and thou shalt behold thy admittance into the Church in the name of the Father Matth. 28.19 and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost to make up three persons again Consider our witnesses and thou shalt finde that we have three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word 1 Joh. 5.7 and the Holy Ghost and that these three are one For though there are three names or persons in the Godhead Yet is there but one God 1 Cor. 8.5 6. and though there be many that are called Gods and Lords yet to us Christians there is but one God This heavenly mystery may be shadowed unto thee a little in a fiered coale There is the substance of the coale the light of the coale and the heat of the coale and yet but one fiered coale So soone as ever the coale is fiered there are these three the substance of the coale the light and heat of it So in the same Divine Essence though in a more transcendent way is there the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost Yea it may be shadowed in thy selfe So soone as ever thou art borne into this world thou art a creature to God a childe to thy Parents and a subject to thy King and yet art thou but one So so soone as ever as God is that is from all eternitie he is Father Sonne and holy Ghost and yet but one God Vse This will help thee mightily in cleaving to the Scriptures and in all thy devout prayers to God Art thou tempted to question the truth of
must seek the things that are above above sin grace above the world the church above earth heaven Rom. 8.1 but I am by faith grafted into the similitude of his resurrection He that is in Christ hath no condemnation which shall touch him but I am in Christ by faith because I live not after the flesh but after the spirit This faith can do wonders pacifie God with the bloud of Christ shed above a thousand six hundred years ago purifie thy heart open the windowes of heaven and triumph over death and hel Rest not therfore before thou finde it in thy soul and if thou canst not finde rest unto thy soul with the resting of a strong man yet comfort thy heart that thou doest it with the resting of a childe and labour in the use of Gods means and by experience of his love to encrease it more and more Now look back a little and let me see what thou hast profited Q. How many natures had Christ A. Two he was God and man Q. Why was he a man A. Because man had sinned and man must give satisfaction Q. Why was he a God A. Because by his sufferings he might bring in the righteousnesse which is of God Q. What use did he make of his humane nature A. To dye for my sinnes Q. What use did he make of his divine nature A. To rise again for my justification Q. Can the rising of Christ justifie thee A. Yes by certifying me that my surety hath payed all my debts Q. But who shall have the benefit of Christs death A. Those only who have a lively faith Q. Why so A. Because faith onely is the eye foot hand and mouth of the soul for enjoying of Christ Q. What then is this faith A. A resting of my soul upon Christ for salvation Q. Why must thou rest upon Christ for salvation A. Because he is Gods ordinance to keep me out of hell Thus have I led thee along my child from thy creation to thy misery and frō thy misery to thy deliverance When thou wast made thou sinnedst against thy creation when thou hadst sinned thou layest under the curse when thou layst thus miserable Christ came to save thee he came to save in the fine only beleevers and thou hast now heard what this faith is But now thou maist say Joh. 4. the well is deep and there is no body to draw I cannot tell how to reach this faith therefore tell me 27. Q. How must this faith be wrought in thee A. The Holy Ghost must work it in my heart by the preaching of the Gospel In this thou saist right also Faith is one of the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5.22 and it was the Lord Act. 16.14 who opened the heart of Lydia and made her attend to the preaching of Paul Joh. 6.44 and drawes us unto Christ and that he doth it by the preaching of the Gospell may appear to thee in what Paul saith to the Romans and to the Galathians Rom. 10.14 15. To the first he saith they cannot beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and they cannot hear without a preacher and they cannot preach now unlesse they be sent to preach the glad tydings of good things Gal. 3.2 Act. 11.14 To the second he saith that they received the spirit of the hearing of faith Hence Peter tels that God gave him a Commission to tell Cornelius words that is to preach the Gospel whereby he and his wife should be saved It is not man that can work in thy heart were he as an Angel from heaven He may tell thee the whole history of the Gospel and all the promises of salvation by Christ and thou wilt be never the nearer to powerfull believing But if the holy Ghost bring home the word of Christ to the soul he will write it there Heb. 8. and so seal it home that he will make an impression of faith upon thy soul And in truth it must be the holy Ghost that must do it For Faith is an infinite comfort against an infinite horrour of sinne Nothing should deeper wound thee then sinne and thy sins in respect of thy self are infinite in guilt and number Who can comfort against this but an infinite God who can rebuke thy unbeleeving heart Besides will it not seem contrary to thy reason that thou shouldest be made wise by another mans wisdome righteous 1 Cor. 1.30 by another mans righteousnesse holy by another mans sanctification and persevering by another mans full redemption But let the holy Ghost bring the Word to thy heart and convince thee that Christ was thy surety and so one person with thee doing and suffering in thy room and for thee then wilt thou beleeve that Christ is not another person but one with thee and so his riches are thine Agaiu thou saist that the Holy Ghost works faith in thy heart Rō 10.10 for with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse This must put a difference betwixt the faith in the head and faith in the heart Wicked men and devils have the faith in the head where they know and assent to the truth of the Gospel and they are said to tremble Jam. 2. because they have no share and part in it But good people onely have faith in the heart whereby they savingly rest upon Christ as a wife upon an husband for protection provision and pleading their cause even to their perfection in the body of Christ Vse Therefore my childe depend not upon thy own strength nor upon the wisdome of flesh and bloud for the attaining of this faith neither think it an easie worke as they do that lay the weight of their salvation upon an easie possibility of believing at their latter end but submit thy self to the holy Ghost Eph. 3. who onely can strengthen thee in the inner man and work Jesus Christ to dwell in thy heart by faith This will argue a goodnesse in thy soul if when thou comest to hear the Gospel preached and so often as thou doest it then pray to God for Christs sake that the spirit of God may accompany the word according to his covenant Esa 59.21 to work faith in thy heart that Christ may be one with thee and thou with Christ And because thou maist have a faith in the head by connexion and not a faith of the heart by true conversion unto Jesus Christ pray also that by the word thou maist not onely submit to the truth of the Gospel but receive it into thy soul so as thou maist be changed into the image of Christ thy husband and be called a true Christian I remember I have read of one in the primitive Church who being examined what he was he answered a Christian What is thy name he answered Christian What is thy profession he answered Christian What life leadest thou he answered Christian What are thy thoughts words and deeds he still answered
it so fully that thou maist with reverence attention feeling and desire go out to God for necessarie materials to furnish thee in all briefer or larger supplications Which that thou maist do go along with me and tell me 38. Q. What is the enterance into this prayer A. Our Father which art in heaven Here thou doest bespeak God with an humble salutation As when thou hast any suit to a great man thou doest humbly salute him with his fit titles so here when thou hast many suits to thy God Christ learns thee to salute him with a title fit for prayer For God is here described by his goodnesse and by his greatnesse He that is good and great too will be as well willing as able to help thee The title of his goodnesse is Our Father Thou canst not spare either of these words Father is a title of immutability and of excellent love A father offended is a father still a prodigall son is a son still A man may be a friend to day and an enemy to morrow but a Father to day is a father so long as he is What will not a father do for his childe by indulgence compassion and bounty This then is a word of faith to hold up thy hands in prayer Our is a word of love to keep thee in Christian charity It includes thy selfe charity begins at home It includes also all that are or may be in communion and fellowship for life charity looks abroad to the salvation of all Christs body The title of his Greatnesse is which art in Heaven He is here and there and every where yet must thou look upon him in prayer as being in heaven This will keep thee from sawcinesse He is Our Father because thou shouldest not faint He is in heaven because thou shouldest not presume This will raise up thy affections in prayer above all the world Earthly fathers are mutable in affection may fail and want power to their hearts but no father like this father which is in heaven This will keep thy heart in tune to pitch upon chief things in prayer Eph. 1.3 spirituall blessings in heavenly things other moveables are for the sonnes of Keturah but these for Gods Isaacs This also will prepare thee to pray with all devotion Which art in Heaven are words of devotion for it tels thee that prayer is the work of Eagles that look against the Sun and not the work of Moles that dig in the earth and therefore thou must clarifie thy sight to converse with thy father in heaven when thou prayest and then as it was with Christ when he prayed Luk. 9.29 the fashion of his countenance was altered and his rayment was white and glistering so he will transforme thee from Glory to Glory till thou come unto his full image as thou art capable Vse Now my dear childe make the right use of this preface Let it raise up thy faith because thou prayest to thy Father kindle thy charity because thou goest out after the good of others and blow up thy devotion because thou forgettest the earth and conversest with thy father which is in heaven Use it as a means to prepare thee to prayer by answering of it by the spirit of adoption to cry Abba father by the spirit of charity to make thee lift up pure hands to God without wrath to men and by the spirit of devotion to seek heavenly things and earthly in an heavenly way Lastly be sure to use it aright by excluding no person in Trinitie when thou prayest by excluding all creatures when thou prayest by conceiving God aright in prayer as a Father in Christ who being in heaven can showre down upon his inheritance all fruitfull blessings and by learning never to pray to God without due preparation 39. Q. What is the first petition A. Hallowed be thy Name Here thou prayest for the chiefe end of thy creation What is prayed for in the first Petition and all blessings upon thy selfe and others By the Name of God thou must understand God himselfe any wayes made known unto thee Name is taken for person as Esay hath it Esa 26.8 The desire of our souls is unto thy name and when God is made known by his nature word worship or works of creation or providence this is his name By hallowing of Gods name thou must understand the manifesting of God to be as he is in himselfe high and excellent Thou canst not doe it by separation and application of Gods name to holy uses as thou doest the Lords day and the Sacraments but thou mayst doe it by declaration of what God is in his worke in thee and in thy worship and service of him to life Now Gods name cannot suffer from God himself Angels and Saints in heaven though they will and must glorifie him but from thee and us poor sinfull men women and children And we hallow his name when we challenge it from Ignorance by knowledge and acknowledgement from oblivion by the remembrance of thee from contempt by confession praise and swearing by his name in truth holinesse and righteousnesse And from prophanation by blasphemy in tongue or life or any other prophanation of his Justice mercy goodnesse truth or the like Use Therefore my good child take diligent care of this petition Thou knowest that Gods name is holy and Reverend that none can hallow it but the holy for praise is not comely in the mouth of a foole Thou knowest that God is thy Father and it is a debt of charitie to honour thy father Thou knowest that all the servants of God when they see Gods name advanced will know him and trust in him Seeing therefore thou hast so many tyes strive with God in prayer that thou mayst do this work Pro. 18.10 Gods name is a strong towre and our help stands in the name of the Lord our God Thou seest how little Gods name is sanctified God passeth by and we know him not Thou seest how the wicked prophane it and knowest that God will honour them that honour him Therefore be thou sure to ayme at the hallowing of Gods name If the Devill should stand up in Judgement against thee and plead Great God thou hast done wonderfull works for this thy creature and yet he doth dishonour thee in thought word and deed I have done nothing but sought his ruine and burning in the pit of hell and yet he serveth me deedily what wouldst thou answer for thy self wouldst not thou be speechlesse Take heed If any work be wrought if it be wrought basely and bunglingly he that wrought it hath no credit by it If it be wrought curiously every man that passeth by takes notice of it and praiseth the workman This is thy case Thou art the workmanship of God If thou shew thy selfe forth like Gods workmanship and live to his honour thou doest hallow Gods name but if thou live wickedly as if the devill made thee thou doest not
to keep the Lords day when it comes thou breakest that Commandement Thou seest many worldly men they bury themselves under the earth all the weeke and they have neither life nor leasure to come to the Congregation of Gods people on the Lords day or if they doe they sit like blocks upon benches and have more mind of the world then of the word of their pence then of their prayers So thou seest many a wanton boy and girle who would nothing but play all the weeke and when the Lords day comes they mind nothing else and so are disgraces to the Assemblies where they are These sinne against the Lords day before it comes and so mayst thou and heed it not Thou mayst also break it when it is gone by not answering the end of it The Prophet Esay Esa 2. speaking of these dayes saith That we shall encourage one another to goe up to the house of the Lord that he may teach us his wayes and we walke in his pathes This should be thy end now of keeping the Lords dayes But when God doth not teach thee his wayes and then thou dost not walke in his pathes notwithstanding all the teaching which shines about thee then thou breakest the Lords day when it is gone And thus thou now seest how thou breakest all the Commandements every day And never wonder at it seeing the Law exacts perfect obedience to justification but is weake to give it Rom. 8.3 because of the flesh Indeed the Gospel gives more strength so as by grace thou mayst keep it in desires purposes endevours with all sincerity and willingnesse for thy sanctification though not perfectly for thy justification but I enquire yet of thy naturall state and of that thy answer is given and opened by me Vse Therefore my child seriously think upon it that it may wound thy heart with the spirit of bondage so farre as to bring thee over to Jesus Christ Rom. 8. Most men are like Saul who when he saw Samuel after the destruction of Amalek said 1 Sam. 15. Blessed be thou of the Lord I have kept the commandements of God so they have kept them also they are neither whore nor thiefe they keep their Church and are good neighbours and some men say as Shadrach Dan. 3. Meshech and Abednego to Nebuchadnezzar in another case We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter or to keep thy commandement so they care not to enquire into it or know whether they keep or breake them But as thou lovest thy soul let it not be so with thee As I have asked thee carefully so feele conscionably thy answer that thou breakest them that thou mayst lye down in shame and confusion in thy selfe that thou mayst be prepared for Jesus Christ Think that thou wert in Adam when he brake the whole Law of nature Thinke how prone thy nature is to all sinnes even the worst that ever were committed Thinke how thou sinnest daily against the whole body of Justice in many petty sinnes which makes thee groane and cry daily forgive us our trespasses Thinke that though there be but one Market day in seven for provision for thy soule yet thou sinnest against it before it comes and when it is gone as well as when it is and so barrest the blessing of it from thy soule And when thou seriously thinkest of these things between God and thy own soule thinke again what will become of thee if thou die in thy sinnes and come to answer before a just God who cannot endure to behold iniquitie It may be that if God blesse thy conscience may be rowzed to hearken further concerning thy estate and never give over hearkening and enquiring till thou have found a way into Jesus Christ If thou wilt know more tell me 20. Q. What punishment is appointed for them that breake Gods commandements A. Gods curse which is the everlasting destruction both of body and soule Remember how farre thou hast gone Of Gods curse upon sinners Thou wert made to serve God thou shouldst serve him according to his laws thou breakest all these laws and for this by nature thou doest lye under this curse of God of which thou here speakest Deut. 27.26 Deut. 28. Levit. 26. Moses speaks of this Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to doe them and He shews the particulars of this curse upon body soule and state Gal. 3.10 Paul expounds it more clearly Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them And Christ speaks of the height of it Matth. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his angels It is most miserable to be in such a case yet thou art in it by nature Eph. 2. as thou art born a child of wrath an heire of hell God curseth when he doth inflict punishment Men curse when they wish ill one to another as poxe plague gallows vengeance and confusion or hurt any way to body or soule These are kinds and formes of speech savouring of the belched-up froth of carnall and devillish hearts But God curseth when he inflicteth punishments Thou wouldst thinke it a great curse to have a father mother master or mistresse who should doe nothing but beat bruise and wound thee day and night In stead of feeding thee beat thee in stead of cloathing thee beat thee in stead of refreshing thee beat thee in stead of giving thee rest and sleep beat thee so is it a farre more miserable estate to lye day and night under Gods flayles of punishments The punishment which God inflicts is eternall destruction of body and soule To be destroyed in body is a fearefull punishment to be destroyed in soule is more fearefull to be destroyed in body and soule is more fearefull yet but to be destroyed in body and soule everlastingly is most fearfull it cannot be expressed it is endlesse easelesse and remedilesse What the destruction of body and soule is This destruction is double the destruction of sin and the destruction of misery By this thou mayst know that thou hast the destruction of sinne when thou art not used to that end which God made thee for God made thee to serve him thou shouldst serve him by keeping the law thou breakest the law and hast this part of the curse the destruction of sinne If I had a piece of timber squared fawed and framed if I use it not to this end but let it lye and rot in the durt it is destroyed If thou hadst good apparell and shouldst not weare it but let it lye in the high way for horse and carriages to go over for swine to rent it is destroyed so it is with thee when the world flesh and devill abuseth thee and thou art not used to Gods end By this thou mayst know that thou hast the destruction of misery when
thou art subject to the miseries of this life and of the life to come The miseries of this life are all crosses to thy person comfort credit and state as sicknesses sorrows disgraces discomforts both within and without The miseries of the world to come are thy separation from the Lord and his Law the two principles of life for ever As when thy soul is separated from thy body a naturall death is made up so when thy person is separated from God and his word of comfort a spirituall death is made up which begins in this life and is continued for ever and ever Vse Oh my child feare and tremble under this burthen Thou art apt as all others to build up thy way to heaven with untempered morter saying to thy own soule that all is well when all is amisse This makes thee with an hard and impenitent heart to goe on in thy accursed courses But this doctrine of curses will teach thee that thou wert in danger before thou wast borne and ever since Thou mightst justly have been cast into hell before thou didst breath in this open world Thou hast all thy life been under the destruction of sinne and this hath enwrapped thee in the destruction of misery Thou feelest many paines and sicknesses which are but the light flashes of hell fire Thou art like a man condemned to a tormenting and dying death As if a man had a Caldron of boyling lead hang over his head and he starke naked under it First one drop falls upon his head another upon his shoulder another upon his arme another upon his hand another upon his backe another upon his belly another upon his legge upon his foot another which makes him start and shreeke but at the last the whole showre comes which makes him roare and tumble like a wild bull in a net So thou by this volley of curses art first nipt in one part then in another which makes thy joy to be interrupted and thy mirth many times turned into mourning But at last in death and Judgement comes an whole Sea of them which makes weeping howling and gnashing of teeth Weigh it seriously before it be too late It may be that God will leave a blessing behind to make thee search after a deliverance which is the next thing that comes to be skanned But first let me try thy profiting Thou toldest me that thou breakest all Gods commandements according to which thou shouldst serve him Tell me therefore Q. How many wayes doest thou breake them A. Three wayes Q. Which be they A. First in Adam secondly in the pronenesse of my nature thirdly in breaking one I breake them all Q. But the seventh part of time comes but once a weeke how canst thou break the commandement which concernes that every day A. I breake it before it comes and when it is gone Q. How before it comes A. By doing that upon the week day which makes me unfit to keep it when it comes Q. How when it is gone A. By not learning Gods wayes and not walking in his pathes Q. Art thou in danger of Gods curse A. Yes both in my body and in my soule Q. How doth God curse A. By inflicting of punishment Q. What punishment doth he inflict A. A destruction of my body and my soule Q. How doest thou know thy selfe to be destroyed A. When I am not used to that end that God made me for Q. What follows upon this A. A subjection to the miseries of this world and of the world to come Doe not forget how farre thou art gone God made thee thou art made to doe him service thou shouldst serve him as he commands thou breakest all his commands and therefore thou art under the curse and so a more miserable creature then a toade or any serpent if thou be not delivered Tell me then 21. Q. How shalt thou escape this curse A. Onely by Jesus Christ our Lord. Thou answerest rightly Christ is our deliverer from the curse Act. 4.12 for there is no name under heaven whereby thou canst be saved but onely the name of Jesus that is no authoritie power vertue or merit Gal. 3.13 It is he that hath redeemed thee from the curse of the law being made a curse for thee Col. 2.14 15. It is he that blotted out the hand-writing that was against thee and tooke it out of the way nayling it to his crosse and having spoyled principalities and powers made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in himselfe on the crosse and therefore when Paul groveled under the burthen of his sinne he could find no rest for his soule but in the Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 7.24 25. and thus must it be with thee therefore it behoves thee to know him If thou didst owe millions of pounds yea and satisfaction to the law by death and hadst but one friend in all the world that would and could undertake to discharge thee from all thou wouldst know him or else thou wert unworthy to have benefit by him So thou must know Christ in his names natures offices and uses by which thou hast saving good by him or else thou art unworthy of him And because this is signified in his names thou must throughly know the sense and vertue of them for thee He is called Jesus Matth. 1.21 because he saves his people from their sins He saves thee three wayes By Ransome by Rescue and by Mortification He saves thee by Ransome by laying down his life for thee Joh. 10.15 Thou shouldst have died the first and second death for ever and ever Christ died the first death and overcame the second for thee He saved thee by Rescue by delivering thee by strong hand When God was satisfied thy enemies the world the flesh and the devill would not let thee goe Luk. 1.71 74 75. Therefore Christ saved thee from thy enemies and from the hands of them that hate thee that thou being delivered from them mightst serve him without feare of them all the dayes of thy life in holinesse and righteousnesse before him He saveth thee by Mortification by killing of sinne of thee least thou be killed in sinne When thou art ransomed and delivered yet sinne sticks closer to thee then thy skinne Therefore to perfect thy salvation Christ strengthens thee with might by his spirit in the inner man Ephs 3.16 17. Rom. 8.13 and dwels in thy heart by faith that thou mayst mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit He is called Christ because he is anointed Psal 2.2 Col. 2.9 This anointing is his having the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily He was not onely made partaker of the divine nature as we are but he was full God and full man personally united Joh. 3.34 and so he received not the spirit by measure but was anointed with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes Psal 45.7 The reasons why he was anointed were that
truth of the Law and Gospel also yet Devils and wicked men may doe thus much and yet not have saving faith Yea what thou doest not actually know and assent unto now thou must have a prepared and ready mind to know and agree to it when God shall reveale it unto thee from the Scriptures Others will tell thee that this faith is a full perswasion of thy heart that what God hath promised in Christ he will make it good to thee It is not a full perswasion But take heed for this will be a rise for fearefull temptations Put case the Devill should tempt thee and say If thou be a Christian indeed thou hast true saving faith If thou have this faith thou art fully perswaded that thou art one of Christ's saved ones Tell me then art thou fully perswaded thus If the ground should now open and swallow thee up quite if thou wert now to give an account of all things that are done in thy flesh whether they are good or evill art thou fully perswaded that without more faith repentance obedience thou shalt go to the heaven of heavens What saist thou now faith Satan art thou fully perswaded If not thou hast no faith if thou hast no faith thou art no good Christian therefore go with me to thy own place Where art thou now Act. 1. How is thy soul perplexed It is true that thou must labour to be fully perswaded for God saith 2 Pet. 1.10 make thy calling and election sure and it is proper to faith to work this full perswasion in Gods people at many turnes but there is a vast difference betwixt the working of faith in it self and the work of it in thee Thy handkerchief band cuffs or any part of thy linnen may be very white yet put it into an Ink-pot and it will soon be made black So true faith works full perswasion of it self but put it into thy heart where there is too much flesh and unbelief and doubting and self-policy and the work of faith is too much too long too often hindred which makes thee cry out Lord I beleeve help my unbeleef Besides nothing can work this full perswasion but faith for faith is an argument to conclude it Therefore Paul saith Ephe. 1.13 that after ye beleeved ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise as if he should say after the spirit had wrought faith in your hearts for faith is a fruit of the spirit the same spirit took faith Gal. 5. and thence concluded to your souls as with a seal that the promise of salvation did belong unto you Thou seest then that faith is one thing and a full perswasion is another a full perswasion is nothing but a conclusion or consequence that issueth from true faith Therefore pitch not upon that description of faith Build then upon that which thou hast given It is a resting upon Christ for salvation that it is the resting of thy soul upon Christ for salvation Thou would'st fain be saved and lookest through all heaven and earth to satisfie thy weary soul with sinne thou findest Christ and seest his fitnesse and fulnesse and then resolvest upon him onely and restest upon him for thy salvation This is called confidence affiance trusting but this is the plain English sense Esa 10.20 a resting upon Christ This is described by staying upon the Lord 2 Cor. 3.4 Psal 37.5 Joh. 3.15 16. by trusting through Christ to God-ward by rowling our way upon the Lord by beleeving upon Christ and in Christ but the plain sense of all is 1 Joh 3.23 Eph. 3.12 thy resting upon Christ Because Christ is Gods onely ordinance to keep thee out of hell Who shall save thee Christ How shall he save thee By his holy death rightly applied Whom shall he save Those that trust in him or rest upon him Joh. 5. and so honour the Father in the Sonne If thou do thus thou shalt be guarded by the mighty power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5.9 Put case that the mouth of hell were opened and thou wert ready to be tumbled into it Thou seest Christ set by God like the tree of life in the way to stay thee from that bottomlesse pit and thou rowlest thy self upon him and resolvest there to live and die what ever comes this is faith Mat. 16.18 Christ is called A Rock oftentimes in the Scripture Put case that a man were cast into the sea he spies a rock and swims to it as fast as he can one wave after another beates him back yet his face is to the rock and he will not give over He strives and strives and at last he gets hold of it There he prayes and cries and looks to heaven and resolves there to live and there to die So thou art cast into a sea of grief for thy sea of sinne Thou espiest Christ thy rock fastened by God for him hath God the Father sealed to keep thee from perishing Joh. 6. Thou hungerest after him thou makest to him with the strength of thy heart Thou art beaten off again and again by many temptations and art ever and anon ready to give over yet at last by the mercy of thy God thou dost imbrace him and grasp him Then thou criest out as Jacob Gen. 28. I will not let thee go without a blessing Thou resolvest to live and die with him in whose bosome thou now doest lye this is thy faith And though sometimes thou hast not a full perswasion yet in this resting there is more or lesse for thy soul An old man can rest upon a staffe and so can a young man and so can a palsie man one weakly another strongly another shakingly yet all rest upon it according to the measure of strength So a weak faith a stronger faith and the strongest faith of all can rest upon Christ according to the measure of their faith There is a latitude in resting to hold up a fainting soul One rests weakly upon Christ yet he rests another strongly yet he doth but rest Vse Therefore my dear childe finde this faith this true and living faith to be in thee without it no salvation with it are all things belonging to faith and godlinesse This faith makes thee one with Christ and Christ with thee and so bringeth thee to suck honey out of the rock This faith brings Christ in the mouth of it to God the Father who therefore can deny thee nothing This faith makes arguments out of the word of God to conclude convincingly for a powerfull holinesse He that is in Christ must be a new creature but I am in Christ by faith Rom. 6. He that is in Christ must be led with boldnes to the throne of grace Col. 3. but I am in Christ by faith He that is dead with Christ must not live to sin but I by faith am dead with Christ He that is risen with Christ
thou hast of the nature and use of it Speak therefore on this manner to thy soul O my soul thou art now going to the Lords table doest thou know that God Nah. 1. Mal. 4. with whom thou haste to do who is a Lord of Anger and a consuming oven to approaching stubble and a God of mercy to humble souls Doest thou know thy sinne so farre as to hate it for drawing thee from thy God and making thee a stranger to the covenant of promise Doest thou know thy Christ who is the Covenant of his people Doest thou know the nature and use of the Sacraments which bindes God to thee on his part and thee to God on thine If thou do not thou wilt never desire to come unto the Sacrament as thou oughtest to renew thy covenant with God If thou knowest all this which is the ground of thy desires doest thou finde thy desires caried aright What doest thou principally desire when thou comest to the Lords Table doest thou not desire Christ Saist thou not Ps 42.1 2. my soul panteth after thee O God even for the living God Doest thou not desire all Christ a Jesus to save thee a Christ to anoint thee a Lord to rule over thee Doest thou not throw away what ever may hinder the comfort of the Sacrament He that desires to fill his hands with gold and silver will lay aside what ever baser matter he hath in them Doest thou desire to cast away thy old transgressions that thou maist become a new creature in Christ Doest thou finde that thou hast no contentment without Christ no rest till thou enjoy Christ and that when thou hast him he is all in all unto thee Then comfort thy self from thy fit desires Secondly thou must examine the fitnesse of thy Repentance Repentance The King never offers a sealed pardon before Delinquents are sory for their faults and promise amendment neither will God seal thy pardon in the Sacrament before thou do thus 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Exod. 12. Thou must purge out the old leven and then keep the feast The Paschal Lamb must bee eaten with the sowr hearbs of Repentance As the Jewes did not eat the Passeover before they had separated themselves from the abominations of the heathens Ezr. 6.21 22. so nor thou must come to the Lords table before repentance hath disingaged thee from thy sinnes Tit. 1.15 Hag. 2.13 14. Conscience defiled with any known sins corrupteth the holy thing of God to thee Now this Repentance stands in grief for thy sins past hatred also and loathing of sinnes past and present and an holy purpose and endeavour to forsake them This is that repentance which thou must examine Speak therefore on this manner to thy soul Vse O my soul Lam. 3.39 thou art now going to the feast of fat things and fined wines Doest thou search and try thy wayes that thou maist turn unto the Lord Dost thou know what sinnes of thine have made a separation betwixt God and thee and kept good things from thee Doest thou see how these things gape upon thee thy ignorance infidelity security deadnesse of heart prophannesse of spirit and the like Are these and other sinnes as pride hypocrisie gluttony drunkennesse whoredome envie hatred malice and all thy injustice so noticed unto thee as thou grievest to think that thou hast offended so good a God Jude and hatest the garment spotted of the flesh and resolvest never to do the like again Art thou full of care to forsake thy sinnes and to keep thy self from offending thy God Art thou full of clearing to pacifie thy conscience from wrath present to come The bloud of Christ rested on by faith 2 Cor. 7.11 Art thou full of indignation against thy sins and thy self for sin as David who chides himself so foolish was I and ignarant Psal 73. and as a beast before thee Art thou full of fear of offending God lest thou should fall into the same sin a 2d. time Art thou full of desire to walk with thy God and to do his will with all well pleasing Art thou full of zeal to run the way of Gods commandements and to purifie thy self from sin Art thou full of indignation to beat down thy body by holy acts of mortification to bring it into subjection to the will of God If thou art then thou hast this Repentance fit for the Sacrament Thirdly Faith thou must examine the fitnesse of thy faith The Sacrament is not appointed to begin faith but to encrease and confirm it Rom. 4.11 and therefore is it called a seal And as a man will not be such a fool as to set his hand and seal to a blank for then any man that hath it may put in any covenants and conditions so nor is God so unwise as to give a seal to thy soul where faith hath not written thy obligation and Gods promises Heb. 4.1 As the word of God profits not except it be mixed with faith so nor the Sacrament It is faith which is the eye foot hand and mouth of thy soul as I have said Besides when thou comest to the Sacrament thou drawest near to God and art at peace with him and thou must draw near to God by faith Heb. 10.22 and being justified by faith thou art at peace with him though not with his enemies Speak then my childe on this manner to thy soul O my soul now the fatted Calf is provided for thee in the Sacrament hast thou a fit faith to feed upon him Doest thou cast thy eye upon sinne and hate it because it is against thy word of faith Doest thou cast thy eye upon Christ and rest with confidence upon him for thy salvation Hast thou a license of Christ to rest upon him Thou knowest that every slovenly Clown with his dirty hands must not rest upon a King nor must every wicked sinner rest upon Christ There is not the wretchedst beast in the world but will say if he know Christ that all the world shall not beat him off from resting upon him But hath Christ given him a license If he have not he will say Touch me not Depart from me I know thee not Mat. 11.28 He doth give a license to some saying Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Doest thou labour under the burthen of sinne crying out with David my sinne is an heavy burthen too heavy for me to bear Art thou heavie laden to think that thou canst not be so good as thou would'st and therefore criest out with the Apostle Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Doest thou finde that thy faith works purgation and charity True faith doth purifie the heart Act. 15. fundamentally in Christ derivatively from Christ Rom. 6.1 2 and argumentatively by drawing such reasons from the
hallow Gods name Therefore pray that thou maist know and acknowledge him that thou maist remember him in his wayes that thou maist honour confesse and praise him that thou maist not prophane his Name either in tongue by vain swearing cursing and blasphemy or in life by wicked life and thou shalt hallow Gods name Now tell me 40. Q. What is the second Petition A. Thy Kingdome come Here thou askest the first principall meanes for the hallowing of Gods name Thou canst never do it savingly What is asked in the second Petition except thou be a subject of Christs Kingdome because without faith it is impossible to please God to life therefore next after hallowed be thy name thou prayest Thy Kingdome come By Kingdome thou must principally mean the Kingdome of Grace and the Kingdome of Glory The Kingdome of grace is that soveraignty which Christ exerciseth over us by grace Of this it is said Rom. 5.21 that grace reigneth through righteousnesse unto eternall life Luk. 17.21 Rō 14.18 and that the Kingdome of God is within us and stands in righteousnesse peace and joy of the Holy Ghost The Kingdome of Glory is that Soveraigntie which Christ exerciseth over us by Glory that is when Christ and his members are in full glory Mat. 25.34 of which Christ speaketh Come ye blessed of my father receive the Kingdome prepared for you By the comming of Christs Kingdome thou must understand the Erecting of it where it is not Psal 24.9.10 Act. 2.41.47 Gal. 6.1 the Enlarging of it where it is by adding new souls to the Church the repairing of it where it is decayed when broken Members are joynted again and the perfecting of it fully 1 Cor. 15. when God is all in all Next mark that thou saist not the Kingdome but thy Kingdome Because Christ would oppose this against all other Kingdomes Thou knowest what Esay saith Esa 26.13 Revel 12.4 O Lord our God other Gods besides thee have had dominion over us The Kingdome of Grace is opposed by Satan Act. 28.23 by the world and self-carnall hearts The Kingdome Glory is opposed by loving the world and the things that are in this world 1 Joh. 2. by rotting in sinne and by persecution of Gods servants which would make Gods servants come short of glory But thou desirest here that the Kingdome of the world flesh and devill may be cast out and that the Kingdome of grace may be established which may fit us for the Kingdome of glory And that all this may come to passe mark what thou prayest for That thou maist have all means for Christs Kingdome of grace and glory For the Kingdome of grace that thou maist have inward and outward means Inward thy subjection to the word of God the spirit to create new hearts the fruits of righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost Outward means are either in the Church Cōmon-wealth or both of them In the Church thou prayest for Schooles of good learning faithfull Ministers and their peace Act 19.9 Matth. 9.28 2 Thes 3.1 In the Common-wealth thou prayest for godly Magistrates good Lawes and and execution of them In both thou prayest that thou maist have the Scriptures the Lawes of the Kingdome and the blessing of God upon all for good government As for the Kingdom of Glory thou prayest that thou maist have the Kingdome promised by a glorious resurrection and a speedy comming to judgement and that God and Christ may have full glory manifested against all our enemies Vse Therefore my dear childe prize this petition Thou canst not hallow Gods name before thou be in his Kingdome They that are without it are against it and do quite contrary to it This Kingdome is not yet fully come Though he be fully King yet in respect of us he is not in quiet and peaceable possession because we suffer yet from the Kingdome of the flesh the devill and the world Therefore pray heartily that Christs Kingdome may come Pray that the Kingdome of grace may come Phil. 3.9.10 Ephe. 3.14.16 17. Thus did Paul for himself that he might be found in Christ and for others I bowe my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that Christ may dwell in your hearts that you may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man in the holy use of all these inner and outward means which God hath ordained Pray heartily that the Kingdome of glory may come The whole Creation groanes under the burthen of vanity and we our selves do groan Rom. 8.19.23 Rev. 22.17 and the spirit and the bride say come Till then God hath not the full glory of his mercy and justice If thou do but see the largenesse of the Kingdome of sinne and Satan 1 Joh. 5.19 that the whole world lyes in wickednesse If thou consider the many enemies of Christs Kingdom who say depart from us Job 21. we desire not the knowledge of Gods lawes who is the Almighty that we should serve him we will not that he rule over us therefore let us break his bands and cast away his cords from us If thou weighest how ready thou art to rebell against the Kingdome of Christ and to admit of the Kingdome of darknesse thou must zealously pray Thy Kingdome come 41. Q. What is the third Petition A. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven Here thou cravest the second principall means for the hallowing of Gods name that is the acts of grace W ha is prayed for in the third Petition It is not enough that Gods Kingdom be within thee by grace but thou must also act it by the doing of Gods will Put case that thou be in his Kingdom it is not every one that saith Lord Lord that shall be of his Kingdom Matth. 7. but he that doth the will of our Father When this Kingdom is come we are enabled to hallow his name but how By doing of his will therefore next thy Kingdome come is set thy will be done God hath but one will yet he doth not reveal all to us Some part he keeps to himself till the event make it known This is called his Counsell Psal 33.11 Rom. 9. Rom. 11. or thought of his heart Of this Paul saith who hath resisted his will and who hath known his will Some part he makes known to us and would have us to do for the exercising of grace Ephes 5.17 Of this Paul saith understand what the will of the Lord is This is the Scriptures which are called Gods will from the common course of speech as our words are called our will which are but a signe of our wils Of both these thou prayest here both that God do as he please Act. 21.14 as Paul said The will of the Lord be done and that we do as God requires in the volume of his book Psal 40. By doing his will Revel 2.6 thou must
come into the Garison unespied If the Shepheard sleep the whole flock may be overgrown with flye-blowes so may thy soul with errours if conscience be drowsie and have the spirit of slumber Then cry as to Dumah Watch-man what was in the night It cannot be told because conscience slept Thus it comes to passe that we know not our errours It may be demonstrated and we may be assured that we know not our errours three ways First by our security How we may be assured that we know not our errours Jud. 18.10 If a man live carelesly as the children of Laish it is a signe he knows not of his enemies If a man come without care bemired into company it is a signe that he knowes not his foulnesse so nor we know our errours when we live as if we cared not to get to heaven or avoid hell or to purge away any impurity which is presented with us into the sight of God and man Secondly By our pride If a man do highly prize his own reall or seeming excellencies it is a certain signe that he knowes not his own wants If a man be proud of his knowledge he knowes not that what he knowes is not the thousand part of what he is ignorant of If a man be proud of his graces and begin to point at and contemne others who do not so shine certainly he knowes not that his sinnes out-weigh his graces if they were brought to the ballance of the Sanctuary Thirdly by our hard hearts The heart of Josiah melted when the Law shewed his errours and the heart of Paul was wounded and he died when the Law came and made his errours live before him Triplex circa praecordia ferrum But we have armour of proof about our hearts They do not melt dye nor are wounded with the sight of our errours therefore we know them not Use 1 Therefore I beseech you make good use of this point for information humiliation and exhortation First let it teach us not to dream of a fulfilling of the Law in this life of our selves If a man cannot know his errours surely he shall never finde his full obedience What is unknown of his errours will have such an influence upon his conscience that he will still suspect his obedience to be but a polluted clout Papists speak of a double fulfilling of the Law the first is the travellers fulfilling it 1 Viatorum 2 Comprehensorum which is while men are militant in this life this they say is to love God above all and our neighbours as our selves The second is the possessors fulfilling of it which is when men are in Glory this they say is to love God with all our heart minde will and strength But indeed we have but one rule of righteousnesse which should bee fulfilled with all our powers and when God saith Gal. 3. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them it is not spoken of glorified persons We speak of a three-fold fulfilling of the Law Inchoata Imputatae Personalis Inchoate and begun by equall and sincere obedience according to grace given Imputed by the satisfaction of our surety made ours for the Law is then fulfilled when the breach of it is satisfied And personall and perfect which Paul teacheth to be impossible because of the flesh And Rom 8.3 in truth it must needs be so for personall fulfilling cannot stand with corruption in nature and sinne in life Besides our love cannot be greater then our knowledge 2 Cor. 13. which is imperfect yea and ignorance of errours cannot stand with fulfulfilling Therefore be not you in your eyes better then you deserve think not of fulfilling the Law when you know not how many breaches you make against it Use 2 Secondly be humbled under the consideration of this point A man that knows enough to condemn him before a Judge yet he knowes not all walks weakly before a Judge he hath not the confidence of an innocent So when you know enough to cast you to the nether-most hell yet not all it ought to make you as Hezekiah to walk in the bitternesse of your soul all your life yet with due remembrance of the Lord Jesus to lift up your heads with confidence Use 3 Thirdly be exhorted to stirre up your willing mindes to look into your selves to finde those errours out Ob. I know you will say that if there be no understanding there is no hope We cannot hope after that which is impossible Sol. It is true De impossibilibus non est spes if it were impossible for you to know more errours in your selves then you know yet Hee that knowes not now may know by search and the rest will be wrapped up in a generall repentance and will finde a pardon of course There are three ways by which more may be known then now How we may know our errours the knowledge of God the knowledge of our selves and humility As to the knowledge of God you see when Job had got some sight of God more then before and had not onely heard by the hearing of the ear Job 42.5 6 but his eye had seen him he saw so many errours in himself that he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes Esa 6.1 And the Prophet Esay when he saw God upon the throne saw such errours in himself that he cried out wo is me I am undone Esa 6.5 because I am a man of unclean lips and dwell among such a people for my eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts Such a sight will shew us such purity as we shall see nothing but errours in our selves Set this light before your souls and then you will cry out with Paul I was a blasphemer 1 Tim. 1.13 15. a persecuter injurious yea the chief of sinners You will see all your errours cleerly enough Gehenna sum domine You will say with that blessed Martyr I am hell Lord I am hell Oh take away my hell Hei mihi quid sum vas sterquilinii concha putredinis plenus foetore Facti sumus fugitivi a cordibus nostris Hei mihi quam contrarius sum egomet mihi ego in spiritu ego in carne and give me thy heaven and with Augustine Alas wretched man what am I A very close Stoole a shovell full of dung full of stink As to the knowledge of our selves the more we see our selves in our right lineaments and proportions the more we shall say when we are asked what we see more abominations yet The truth is that we are runagates from our own hearts Whatsoever we pretend we know not our selves as we ought to do But stand at this Bar and we shall be driven to word it as he of old Alas that I am how contrary am I to my self I in the flesh and I in the spirit Now errours
rule over him bring him forth and slay him before me FINIS THE SOVL SECVRED OR A Sermon preached in Covent Garden upon PSAL. 31.5 Into thy hand I commit my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth BOth upon humbling dayes and upon joyfull dayes it is ever good to Secure our souls In humbling times if we do it not we will be swallowed up of sorrow If we do it not in joyfull times we will be swallowed up of sinne Therefore we living in both these times times of sorrow under the burthen of publike calamities and times of joy when God flings in varietie of particular mercies to be as the first fruits of a larger harvest it is our duty to engage our souls to seek their own security without which we perish And that we may do it it is a comfortable thing to know where our strength lies Sampson knew the hair of his Nazariteship Hares know the thickets and Conies the stony rocks so wee must know some place of safety or else we are in ill case Look therefore upon David He was in fearfull troubles and he knew that his life was kept by committing it to God Hence he beats upon it again and again in prayer in this Psalm as if he were never weary of asking the same protection from his good God This David doth not out of Poverty of spirit Matth. 6.7 which brings forth these idle repetitions condemned by Christ Matth. 26.42 but out of aboundance of spirit as Christ did in time of the hour of darknesse to shew the excellent use of repetitions in this case and to clear fervency of spirit when a man would settle and assure any good to the soul Amongst other things commended to God Davids soul hath a chief place in this verse read In which be pleased to consider 1 Davids confession of God 2 Davids profession for himself His confession is his foundation and his profession is his building upon it We cannot build upon God except we know him David through the mercy of God knew him and thence makes use of it in confessing him 1 For soveraignty to be his Lord Redemptoris jus 2. 1 Propinquitatis 2 Proprietatis 2 For the signe of it thou hast redeemed me for he had the right of propriety to him Masters might redeem their servants and Lords their vassals 3 For his veracity O Lord God of truth thou hast promised to deliver me and thou hast been as good as thy word Hence I might discourse unto you of Gods Lordship over his people and therefore that they must walk before him with fear and trembling as those that must give an account unto him of all their doings I might discover more fully the use that God makes of his Lordship not to tyrannize but to deliver poor captives which is an excellent president for those in high places I might presse the condition that Gods people are subject unto to be in bondage to miseries and the footing we have in God for our rescue that he is a God of truth and will be as good as his word without exception But I passe these things and onely pitch upon Davids profession for himself into thy hands I commit my spirit From whence I present three particulars 1 The Nature of the soul 2 The Castle of the soul 3 The Care of the soul For nature you learn that the soul is a spirit The nature of the soul It is a spirit If you refer the word Spirit unto a man it signifies sixe things in the Scripture 1. The hid man of the heart as when it is said Joh. 3.6 that which is born of the spirit is spirit that is is the new creature the spirituall part of man 2. It signifieth Conviction as when it is said of reprobates that sinne unto death that they are made partakers of the Spirit Heb. 6.4 that is they are convinced of the truth of the Gospel 3. It signifies Sanctification as when David prayes Psa 51.11 renew a right spirit within me that is give me a sanctified soul that I may go right in thy way 4. It signifies Extrordinary graces as when it is said of Stephen that he was filled with the Spirit that is Act. 6.5 he had extraordinary gifts and graces 5. It signifies the Gospel 2 Cor. 3.6 as when we are said to be Preachers of the Spirit that is of the Gospel which brings life to the soule 6. It signifies authoritie as when Paul saith when ye are gathered together and my spirit 1 Cor. 5.3 that is by vertue of my authoritie But among the rest it signifies the soule as when Christ saith Father Luk. 23.46 into thy hands I commend my spirit and Peter saith that Christ by Noah 1 Pet. 3.19 that Preacher of righteousnesse preached unto the spirits that are now in the prison of hell Heb. 12.9 and the Apostle to the Hebrews calls God the Father of spirits In all which places the word spirit signifies the soule Ob. You will say then it may be that the soule is God because God is a spirit Joh. 4. Sol. But it follows not because the soule is a created spirit but God is uncreated God is a simple spirit without all mixture but the soule is compounded of a present being and a possibilitie not to be if God please Yet for all that the soule is the more excellent for being a spirit as God is because in it it resembles God in his Immortalitie for time to come A parte post Gen. 2.3 whereof there are three arguments in the creation of it That it was as it were breathed by God into man and therefore more heavenly and that it was breathed for the breath of lives Lives is spoken dually to signifie the life of it hereafter as well as here Therefore Christs convincing argument makes for it Mat. 22.32 that God is not the God of the dead but of the living therefore though Abraham Isaac Jacob be dead in body yet they live in spirit Domus viventium in which respect the grave is called the house of the living Use 1 Hence give me leave to make a threefold exhortation unto you If the soule be a spirit provide spiritually for it Joyne it to him that is spirit and thinke of a better place for it then here First provide spiritually for it If a child aske a father bread Matth. 7.9 10. will he give him a stone If he aske him a fish will he give him a serpent will he not provide for him according to his nature Deale you no worse with your soules and it will be the better for you I read of an usurer who loved his bags so well that when he died he chewed and swallowed and being asked the reason he said that he was eating up his mony and when he saw that he must dye he offered all to his poor soul to stay with
him This was a poor provision Be you wiser and seeing your souls are spirits let them have spirituall provisions out of Gods Word Use 2 Secondly seeing the soul is a spirit joyn the soul to him that is a spirit Simile nutritur simili Every thing is nourished with that which is proportionable unto it The Lamb so soon as it is yeaned runs to the sides and dugs of the Ewe and the Chicken newly hatched covets the warm body and feathers of the Hen without which it thrives not so well so let your souls run to God that is a spirit He is the father of spirits who will provide for all of his image and superscription The Apostle hath an excellent expression He that is joyned or glewed as Joyners do boards to the Lord is one spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 It would be a glorious priviledge to be one spirit with God that we may be made partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 in the efficacie of it for our salvation This is the way joyn your souls to the Lord. They are joyned to the world and so they rot in a thousand vanities They are joyned to the flesh and so they perish in sin Oh let them be joyned to the Lord by faith in Christ working by love and then with the whole Church 1 Cor. 12.12 they shall be called Christ and according to their measure they shall fare no worse then Christ did Rom. 8.17 Luk. 24.26 first to suffer and then to enter into Glory Use 3 Thirdly seeing the soul is a spirit think of a better place for it then here You are apt to say with Peter Matth. 17. Master it is good for us to be here let us build Tabernacles Eccles 12. But Solomon tels you that the spirit returnes to him that gave it Let it learn the way now by having an heavenly conversation for it was not made for low places Fire is the driest and lightest element and it desires to be above and therefore it will burn up all combustible matter which lieth in the way So your souls are the divinest parts where should they desire to be Phil. 1. but to be dissolved and to be with Christ therefore secure that place for them Be acquainted with Gods infinite love and mercy in Christ Rest with confidence upon those merits and that intercession which are presented to God the Father in your room Love the Lord and the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ Walk before God 2 Thes 3. Gen. 17. and be upright That when you dye you may be received into an everlasting habitation a place sutable for an high-born spirit Consider the order of creation and disturb it not God hath set the heaven above and the earth beneath and hath so framed us that our heads and our hearts are above to think upon heaven and to love and move to it and our feet and heels on the earth to teach us to set earthly commodities at our heels as the new-born Christians laid their money at the Apostles feet Act. 5. It is fearfull to see how ungodly men do disorder this course They set heaven at their heels and all earthly glory at their head and heart by thought loves and a thousand imbracings as if heaven were below and earth above But take you heed This is not the way to secure your souls they are spirits and should have better places then you lodge them in If you will be so earthy and neglect your own salvation there is a worse place even that where Judas is Act. 1. since he went unto his own place where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Thus you have the nature of the soul now consider the Castle of the soul The Castle of the soul is Gods hands Gods hands into thy hands Mark then that the safety of a soul lies in Gods hands Properly the hand is an outward bodily instrument for actions and executions But when it is referred to God he hath three sorts of hands Correcting Revenging and Protecting hands His correcting hand is spoken of in these words Psal 38.2 Thy hand presseth me sore that is thy correction His revenging hand is spoken of in these words Jud. 2.15 The hand of the Lord was against them for evill that is his corrections and judgements were out against them for their sins But his protecting hand is of two sorts Eternall and Actuall The eternall protecting hand of God is the counsell of his will Of this it is said that the Jews did to Christ whatsoever Gods hand and his counsell determined before to be done and no more This is a safe hand without and above exception for as many as were 〈◊〉 this hand and so ordained to eternall 〈◊〉 believed It will preserve them to his everlasting Kingdome The actuall protecting hand of God is either Extraordinary or ordinary The extraordinary protecting hand is that which he holds over some and but at some times as when it is said Ezek. 1.3 the hand of the Lord was upon Ezekiel that is the spirit of prophesie to guide and protect him in his propheticall way The ordinary protecting hand of God is threefold either General provision Psal 104.28 whereof the Psalmist speaketh thou fillest with thy hand every living thing that is thou providest for them or speciall favour whereof Luke speaketh Luk. 1.66 and the hand of the Lord was with him that is Gods speciall favour was with John Baptist from his infancy or the spirit of strength as when it is said of Elias 1 King 18.46 the hand of the Lord was on him that is he strengthened him with boldnesse and protected him against Ahab and Jezabel The issue is this when God doth provide for favour and protect the soul therein lies the safety of it And it is no wonder when you do consider what manner of hands Gods are What manner of hands God hath They are Holy hands They touch nothing in love but they are the better for them As when God sent an Angel with a coal from the Altar to touch the lips of the Prophet Esay Esa 6. he was the better for it and was very willing to go on his propheticall errand so much more when God toucheth our souls shall they be filled with all grace and goodnesse of which they are capable They are loving hands Cant. 2. therefore the Church cries out to Christ put thy hand under As when Ananias put his hands upon the blinde eyes of Paul Act. 9. they cured him and scales fell from his eyes and he saw plainly so when God toucheth our souls acts of grace love and bounty follow For love strives for such acts and all safety They are powerfull hands The little finger of the Lord is above all Rom. 8. therefore if God be on our side who can be against us His hands will guard us by a mighty power in all