of prayer Sanctified the Gold and all other Materials and Utensils in it Matth. 23. 17. So this holy duty of prayer doth Sanctify all things 1 Tim. 4. 5. All Ordinances all Providences all Enjoyments all Employments prayer doth not only Gild them over but also turns them into the finest Gold So that to pray continually is to carry this Temple as Austin called it about with you at all times in all places upon all occasions and in all conditions yea all your life even to your very death this Spiritual breath must conterminate with your Natural For the last work of a dying Christian is to breath out this prayer Lord Jesus receive my Spirit 19. The fourth true sense of praying always and continually is the keeping of your heart in a praying frame continually so that upon all occasions that occur you may be lifting up your heart your thoughts and affections unto God whom you have set always before you Psal 16. 8. and darting out frequent Ejaculations to the Throne of grace Thus your Harp or heart should be ever kept in Tune for prayer as the Souldier hath his Armes ready by him and right fixed upon any Assault of the Enemy and as the fire in your guest Chamber it is always prepared though it do not ever burn or blaze out upon your friends coming to be blown up into a Flame thus you may pray when you do not set your self a-part to pray even in the works of your callings and besides your set Meals for your Soul in your Morning and Evening prayer called the continual Sacrifice Numb 28. 3 4. as well as for your body you have many other refreshing morsels to wit occasional Apostrophes and Ejaculations to nourish the inner man and to make it increase with the increasings of God through the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Phil. 1. 19. Eph. 4. 16. Col. 2. 19. 20. Thus to pray continually quoties aliquid occurrit as Dr. Willet senses Rom. 12. 12. as oft as any thing falls out that calls for Divine assistance 't is not only your duty but your priviledge 't is like the herb All-heal an universal remedy against all diseases a choice yet a cheap Catholicon and Antidote both against the evil of sinning and off suffring This is the best and most blest Expedient to avoid dangers to overcome difficulties and to procure both safety and success in all your honest designs Thu Nehemiah before he opens his mouth to the King even in the Kings presence first opens his heart to God Neh. 2. 4. his sudden and secret Ejaculation he darted up to God for ordering his speech and speeding his Petition is called his praying to the God of Heaven and this was his frequent practice upon several other providences Neh. 5. 19. 6. 14. 13. 29. Thus Abrahams servant darted out desires to God that he might prosper in his Enterprize Gen. 24. 12. 26. Thus Moses cryed to God yet said nothing Exod. 14. 15. Thus Hannah was not heard yet prayed and thus wherever God sets you up an Alter you must be ready to offer Sacrifice crying either mentally or vocally Lord prosper me in this work Lord protect me in this Journey Lord direct me in this duty c. Thus Christ often did for you 21. The fourth Direction is your prayer must be earnest and intent or instant you must not only pray but cry Psal 130. 1. out of the depth have I cryed unto thee David crys there and in many other places unto God with his utmost strength out of the depth of his heart You must be servent in it as well as constant to it neither the frequency nor the fervency of prayer ought to be abated prayer is cal'd wrestling which requires your utmost strength as well as skill it requires the very strength of your affections you must be fervent in Spirit while you are serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. and be instant as well as constant in it Ver. 12. your heart must be seething-hot as the word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies your heart must be boiling a good matter as Davids Psal 45. 1. in the Hebr. Reading this will be the best cure of wandring thoughts Flies sieze not on Honey while it boiles nor Beelzebub the Prince of flies upon your heart while 't is boiling any good matter in prayer God loves not cold prayers as some men love not cold dishes yea even lukewarm hearts are Nauseous to him Revel 3. 16. every offering that is of a sweet Savour is made by fire unto the Lord Levit. 1. 9 13 17. 'T is three times over every Sacrifice must have fire in it aswel as Salt Mark 9. 49. the fire of Zealous Devotion as well as the Salt of truth and sincerity yea the Sacrificer as well as the Sacrifice must have both those Ingredients Salt and Fire in him You must have the grace of truth Psal 51. 6. which as Salt must dry up those evil humours in you that would breed the never dying Worm and you must have the grace of Zeal which as fire must burn up those corruptions in you that otherwise would carry you to that unquenchable Fire Mark 9. 43 44. 45 46 47 48. 22. This blessed Spirit of burning so cal'd Isa 4. 4. that makes a true and through combustion among your fleshly corruptions must prevent you of everlasting burnings Isa 33. 14. as the Sun of the Firmament with ' its hot Beams will eat out the Kitchin-Fire that is upon the Hearth So this Coelestial Fire of Zeal and fervency for God in prayer which is indeed a warm beam of the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4. 2. will eat out the stinking fire of Sin that is in your heart This fire of Heaven will devour that fire of Hell Jam. 3. 6. in you a live-Coal must touch your heart as well as your lips Esa 6. 6. and you must be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire Matth. 4. 11. Act. 2. 3 4. Elijahs Sacrifice had not only much water out of Kishon but also fire from Heaven to Render it an acceptable Sacrifice 1 King 18. 33 to 30. So you must not only have the water of godly sorrow and Gospel repentance but also the fire of Zeal and servent Devotion to make an acceptable prayer unto God The fire of Aetna and the water of Nilus are said to be the Hieroglyphicks of those choice Ingredients of a rightly compounded prayer God requires hot bread to be set before him daily 1 Sam. 21. 6. 23. The breath that a pair of bellows breaths out is cold breath and so is it not properly breath but wind accordingly cold prayers that are carelesly breathed out are not truly prayer but wind and vanity the breath of a living Man is not cold as bellows breath but warm the lack of servency is the loss of prayer God will be cold and careless in accepting and answering if you dare be cold and careless in
asking his face and favour Paul tells you of your great need both of the shield of Faith that is defensive Armour and of the darts of prayer which is offensive Armour Ephe. 6. 16 18. Now this dart will not wound your Spiritual Enemies unless it be well-pointed steeled and sharpened with Zeal when the Souldier strikes with his full strength then doth he give his Enemy the Mortal wound Solomon saith what you do you must do with all your might Eccles 9. 10. you must much more pray the best of duties with all your might David danced before the Lord with all his might 2 Sam. 6. 14. surely he much more prayed with all his might he prayed and cryed with his whole heart Psal 119. 58 145. Sampson also bowed himself with all his might at the pillars of Dagons Temple Judg. 16 30. and surely had he not prayed with all his might likewise Ver. 28. he should never have been enrolled in that little Book of Martyrs amongst those great Favourites of Heaven Hebr. 11. 32. 24. You must therefore go forth in praying Work as the Sun in its strength Judg. 5. 31. and come as a Prince to God Job 31. 37. you should ask as a Son Isa 45. 11. as a Kings Son Judg. 8. 18. Jacob as a Prince had power with God and prevailed Hos 12. 4. and so should all the seed of Jacob do putting forth all the strength both of Soul and Body as he did in wrastling work Christ prayed so earnestly that he prayed himself into an horrid Agony so as to sweat clods of blood Luke 22. 44. Daniel prayed himself sick Dan. 8 27. and Nehemiah prayed himself pale Neh. 2. 6. Hannah also was so transported in prayer that old Eli thought she had been drunken 1 Sam. 1. 13 14. lastly Elijah put himself into such a posture of prayer as could not but strain all the strings of the heart he puts his head between his knees to pray 1 King 18. 42 45. and by this renting of his heart Joel 2. 13. so prayer is called and earnest prayer Jam. 5. 17 18. he procures the Key of Heaven to open and shut it at pleasure he prayed in his prayer as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports there was the prayer of his heart in the prayer of his Tongue or he prayed and the Spirit prayed too in his prayers according to Rom. 8. 26. while we make Intercession in our prayers the Spirit makes Intercession in and for us lastly he did not say his prayers but he prayed his prayer Thus must you set all your faculties and graces at work which all should be exerted and exercised in prayer do not poure out your Speech only but your Spirit also into your Fathers bosom Rom. 1. 9. then only is it an heart-transforming duty Luke 9 29. and then also thundrings comes out of the Temple Revel 11. 19. then breaks he Mighty Arrows Psal 76. 3. 25. Thus must you be Instant in prayer as well as constant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifies extension First of the duty Secondly of the affections in the duty Act. 26. 7. serving God Instantly with a vehement extension of Soul and you must continue instant Rom. 12. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constant as well as instant a Metaphor from hunting Dogs that give not over the game till they have got it all along pursuing it with their utmost strength and skil The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same Root Eph. 6. 18 signifies invincible constancy or continuing in utmost strength So Col. 4. 2. you must not only be constant in respect of the time of your prayer but also be instant in respect of the strength of your affections you must keep up your heart upon the Wing of elevated affections desiring with David that your raised frame may be kept for ever upon your heart 1 Chron. 29. 18 when Divine wings are given you as Revel 12. 14. and you have a Divine wind the breathings of the Spirit in your Divine wings as Zech. 5. 9. then keep in the wind and upon the wing you may not flag and flatten in the duty If the world whisper in your Ear or if the tempter jog you on the elbow Answer them both as Nehemiah did the Adversary I am about a great work and I cannot attend you Neh. 6. 3. why should the work cease while I come down to you a Bell may be long in Raising but when once at the height it Rings most Tuneably but all the difficulty and skill is to keep it there that it cease not before the time 26. In a word as prayer is your Embassadour to Heaven so it must be accomplished as an Embassadour 1. It must be the Action of your Soul bodily exercise profits little 1 Tim. 4. 8. much Action and little affection availes not Soul-prayer when 't is alone is accepted but wo to Body-prayer when 't is alone Soul-prayer is necessary and Body-prayer is comely for you are to glorify God with both 1 Cor. 6. 20. you must lift up your heart Psal 25. 1. as well as your hands to your God 2. Not only your Soul must be in it but an intent Soul your heart-strings screwed up to the highest note Thus prayer is called a striving to an Agony as the Greek word imports Rom. 15. 30. and a wrestling so Rachel wrestled with God in prayer as well as her Husband Jacob Gen. 32. 24. Gen. 30. 8. with great wrestlings she obtain'd a Son and called him Napthali i. e. my wrestling every mercy you win by wrastling in prayer you may name it Napthali my wrastling 3. You must pray with your understanding as well as with your affections 1 Cor 14. 15. otherwise 't is but Barbarisme you bring to God and Psal 47. 8. you must understand your wants and your weaknesses and have the sense of them upon your heart This will make you cry and cry loud and your Soul will follow hard after God and his mercies Psal 63. 1 8. 4. Be clothed with Humility 1 Pet. 5. 5. walk humbly through the work of prayer Micah 6. 8. Come in forma pauperis Thus did Abraham Gen. 18. 27. the Centurion Matth 8 8. and the woman of Canaan Matth. 15. 27. Content with Crums if she may not have bread and content to be a Dog so she may be but Christs Dog 5. In faith Jam. 1. 7. you aske and miss because you aske amiss not beleiving that as Gods love mov'd him to make the promise so his truth binds him to perform it 6. By the help of the Spirit Rom. 8. 26. Mary would not serve alone she would have Martha's help Luke 10. 40. So you must have the help of the Spirit being all infirmity in your self you must go forth in his strength Psal 71. 16. get his hands on your hands and heart as 2 King 13. 16. to draw the bow of prayer and leane on him Cant. 8. 5. not on self Prov. 3. 5. 27.
had them to enjoy such means of grace yea but one day thereof and such days of Salvation as are bestowed upon you God hath not dealt so with many Nations nor with many persons as he hath dealt with you and the Land of your Nativity Psal 147. 19 20. 't was a Special favour and vouchsafement to Israel that God committed to them the lively and life-giving Oracles Rom. 3. 2. there is a chiefly set upon it being a matter of great trust to know your Masters Will is a choice Talent There is much in that of Luke 12. 48. as there was chiefely in the other the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifies to deposit or lay up as a matter of great worth The poor Pagan World lay under a long night of darkness having only the twinkling Star light of the fallen nature wherein they wander wofully yet not so wide as to miss of Hell Their Star-light indeed leaves them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inexcusable Rom. 1. 20. but cannot lead them to the Star of Jacob the bright and Morning Star nor to life and Salvation Act. 4. 12. 2. God hath Magnified above all things his name by his Word Psal 138. 2. To the words there may be Read or as our Reading is thou hast Magnified thy word above all thy Name If God Magnifie his word above all how should you Magnifie it accordingly while you have the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6. 2. The word must be admired and highly esteemed before it have a through work upon your heart Act. 13. 48. 2 Thes 3. 1 2. You must esteem it as Job did not only above your dainties and superfluities but even above your necessary food without which you cannot Subsist Job 23. 12. 'T is better to want your daily bread that perisheth with using then this bread of life Joh. 6. 27. I had rather want meat drink sleep sight light any thing every thing said Selneccer then want the word of God and Luthers Rapture was I had rather live in Hell with it then in Heaven without it O then what a blessing do you enjoy in hearing the Word 't is Epistola Creatoris ad Creaturam Gods letter from Heaven to Man the very Reading whereof hath a blessedness annexed to it Revel 1. 3. So it be but Read both with affection and application 3. More particularly there is a three fould duty to be observed in this Religious exercise as in the former 1 Something before 2 Something in and 3 Something after In all these the heart of Man is apt to miscarry as Christ intimates in two Cautions he gives you Mark 4. 24. take heed what you hear and Luke 8. 18. take heed how you hear In the former he Cautions you about the matter of your hearing and in the latter about the manner of it As to the first of those you must be like the careful Husbandman who is very choice in his seed very Curious and Critical he will not commit corrupt seed to his fruitful Soil so neither must you lend your ear to the Devil or to any of his Chaplains Sin came into the World first by the door of the ear your great grand-Mother Eve listned more to Satans lies then to Gods truth and though the Devil be not ever Mendax a lyar yet is he Semper-fallax always decitful speaking truth only with a purpose to deceive 2 Cor. 11. 3. a cozener 4. The Devil did only Equivocate to our first Parents yet is he called a down-right lyar Joh. 8. 44 c. He began his Kingdom by a lie and he upholds it by lies to this present day O how shameful then or rather shameless are those Popish Doctors that Preach up Equivocation as a comfortable Doctrin to afflicted Catholicks calling back as it were that pest from Hell and from that old Equivocator that subtle Serpent when he was but young out-witted your first Parents now that he is old and ye young Children Eph. 4. 14. take heed he doth not cozen you either by himself or by any of his Chaplains with their finely spun Threds of Popery Christ saith my sheep hear them not for they know not the voice of strangers Joh. 10. 5 8. for they have their Senses exercised to discern good and evil Hebr. 5. 14. yea they have a Spirit of discerning 1 Cor. 12. 10. to discerne the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2. 16. Bread from Stones and fish from Serpents and what the Chaff is to the Wheat Jer. 23-28 they hate euery false way Psal 119. 104. and 't is Impossible for them to be fully and finally deceiued Matth. 24. 24. you may know those Imposters by their lightness as well as by their lies Jer. 23. 32. they shall not profit this people at all saith the Lord and yet they may much hurt them Lam. 2. 14. loose and lewd courses as well as loud and lying discourses are the brand God puts upon Satans Spelman by their fruits you shall know them Matth. 7. 15 16. the evil communication of such as are Trumpe and Triumphant in this day do corrupt good manners 1 Cor. 15. 33. 5. As hitherto of the matter so now of the manner of hearing Herein Observe those Directions 1 Before hearing 2 In it and 3 after it First before you must prepare to meet your God in this duty also as well as in the two former to which I refer you Moreover your heart must be prepared for this duty more especially First Direct by laying aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness Jam. 1. 21. 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. when you come to the sincere Milk of the Word your fallow ground must be plowed up that you sow not among Thorns Jer. 4. 3 4. If your stomach be soul and clogged with bad humours you first purge it before you feed and fill it otherwise what-ever you Eat will but nourish those corrupt and morbifick Humours so will it be with your Soul when 't is clogged with Sin Christs Market is then fore-stalled and your heart so fraught with false Lovers and like the Inn at Bethlehem so full of other Guests that there will be no Room for Christ Luke 2. 7. There is much unsuitableness betwixt a filthy Spirit and the pure word of God and therefore must you put away all filthiness both of flesh and Spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. never to have any more to do with your idols Esa 30. 22. pull up every weed and cast it away to prepare for the seed the House must be swept clean for Entertaining the King of glory 6. The second Direct about preparation is you must lay aside not only all filthy Sins but also all worldly thoughts and cares of this life which will choak the seed of the Word Mat. 13. 22. Especially when those Thorns overtop the Corn which naturally they will do 't is good ground indeed 't is a good heart wherein grace over-tops corruption and not corruption grace Wherefore lay Gods charge upon Worldly
Divine Worship must have a Divine Warrant this is principium eternoe Veritatis a maxim of everlasting truth and will prevail against all contrary assertions And assuredly there is no duty next to Prayer that is more pressed both in the old and New Testament by the most holy God although it be so little practiced by Sinful Man But waving the old Testament precepts which are liable to more exceptions the New Testament precepts are most cogent and they are principally three Eph. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. and Jam. 5. 13. that in the mouth of three Witnesses this great truth might be established 3. The second Argument is taken from Divine presidents waving the Old-Testament in this also as before in Divine precepts and they are three likewise as Mat. 26. 30. Act. 16. 25. 1 Cor. 14. 15. The Example of Christ himself is the Regula Regulans rule ruling and the example of the Apostles is the regula Regulata rule ruled You cannot Write after a better Copy then after Christ and after his Apostles so far as they followed Christ His Pattern is for your Practice and he will not be a Saviour to you for happiness unless he be also a Samplar to you for Holiness you must either tread in his steps here in this world or you shall never lodge in his bosome in the World to come and you should follow them who through faith and patience do now Inherit the promises Heb. 6. 12. Follow the white-side though not the dark-side of this cloud of Witnesses Heb. 12. 1. 4. The third ground is Antiquity pure Antiquity This may give light when all other lights are out the laudable and comely customs of the primitive Church ought to be observed 1 Cor. 11. 16. as Water the neerer that it is to the Spring the purer doth it run in the stream so is Antiquity in customs the neerer to the Apostles times before the man of Sin arose to fowle them with his fowle foot Ezek. 34. 18. Rev. 13. 1. the purer they are and so are justly deserving a due esteem and diligent perusal in matters of fact which they must needs know better then others after them 'T is true the universal practice of Churches is no Rule for the word of God is the only rule and custom without truth is but a mouldy Errour and as a Cipher without a figure yet when the customes of the Church are backed with both Divine precepts and Divine presidents It should ever strike a Reverence upon the heart Gods word is truth Joh. 17. 17. and 't is that which must institute all Ordinances such customes as hold not a consonancy to the word are vain Jer. 10. 3. and ought to be abolished but in the duty of Singing custom and truth meets together 't was the practice of him that was truth it self and primum Cujusque Generis est mensura Reliquorum the first of the kind is a Rule to all the rest Christ was first in this Gospel-Ordinance and the Primitive Churches followed him herein as Justin Martyr Tertullian and others testify having their Cantus antelucanos Singing praises to God and Christ before day 5. The fourth Reason for reviving this Gospel Ordinance is the universal Obligation that lyeth upon all to performe it 'T is a natural duty as well as instituted and moral duty hence all lys under the Obligation of it Even all Creatures that receive mercy from God should return duty to God let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord Psal 150. last to wit in their kind and after their manner yea the whole Creation all the works of God whether Reptilia Aquatilia terrestria ceu Coelestia creeping things Fish Fowle Beasts below and Stars above shall praise God Psal 145. 10. all joins in consort with the Saints in praising work 'T is indeed chiefly Mans work as he is Gods Master-piece and endowed with both Speech and Reason above other Creatures Yet 't is not Mans duty only though it be his chiefly all Creatures do owe an Homage of praise to their Creator and all men may know either by the light of nature that this duty is natural or by the Law of God that it is moral besides what hath been said of ' its Institution in the Gospel 't is pitty that Man should rob God Or as the Hebr. is Mal. 3. 8. will Adam pillage Elohim to wit of his praise and 't is the greatest pitty that this should be done not only by Adam in general but also by any of the best of the Sons and Daughters of Adam 6. The fifth Argument is the Excellency of the duty above bare Reading Singing the word of God in meeter is fuller of Vigour and Spirit then Reading it in prose which of it self and in ' its own nature is a far more saint and seeble strain and hath not that sweet delectation in it to the Godly mind as frequent experience doth easily demonstrate how oft is a gracious Soul even elevated herein above it self thus David had his unspeakable ravishments in this Ordinance and therefore as being much vexed with his own natural dullness he stirs up himself as Deborah had done before him Judg. 5. 12. Awake Deborah Awake utter a Song So he awakes his tongue which he calls his glory his harp and his heart too for this duty wherein he found so much sweetness Psal 57. 7 8. 108. 1 2. 104. 33 34. 119. 103. 7 David did not only raise himself up from his indisposing drowsiness going out with Samson to shake it off from him Judg. 16. 20. but he reckons Gods statutes which he made his Songs in the House of his Pilgrimage to be better to him then thousands of Gold and Silver Psal 119. 52 54 and they were the rejoysing of his heart as his best inheritance Ver. 111. Thus should the word of Christ dwell in you Richly Col. 3. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indwell in you It must be in you and in you again well digested and turn'd into juice and blood and this cannot be so well effected by a bare and cursory Reading the Word as it may be by Singing it wherein there is a distinct and fixed Meditation upon it and upon every Syllable of it while 't is leisurely founded out by the voice the longer that you ponder it in your mind the more likely may it have a strong influence on your affections this pausing and pondering doth chafe supple and work the word into your Spirit and so makes it both a refreshing and a ravishing Ordinance to you having a more spriteful violence upon your heart then bare Reading for hereby Gods word takes a deeper Impression upon you and those things that you did know before come to be better known and more graciously understood the Spirit of God Sealing them upon your Soul then doth the word of Christ dwell in you Richly and you give rich and liberal entertainment to it and you will account all other but
Earthly Adam in your natural Estate If you belong to Christ and Salvation you must bear the Image of the Heavenly Adam Christianity being both the Imitation and the participation of the Divine nature is the reducing of the Image of the first and fallen Adam into the second 't is the bringing back of the Earthly Image of fallen Man into the Heavenly Image of the holy God wherein Man was first Created in Righteousness and true Holiness 1 Cor. 15. 48 49. Eph. 4. 24. This being done for you and in you you have the Right Picture of Christ your practice answering both your principles and profession 16. The true Christian is like a pair of compasses that keeps within compass the one foot to wit his principles standing fast in the Centre and the other foot to wit his practice walking round the circumference yet both feet do correspond sweetly together in paralel lines each with other Thus ought there to be a sweet Harmony betwixt your principles and your practice and your Conversation must not give the lie to your profession you must make straight your paths Heb. 12. 13. 1 Sam. 6. 12. The Kine held strait on their way to Bethshemesh So must you to the house of the Sun of Righteousness as the Word Bethshemesh signifies your Eyes must look Right on and your Eyelids look straight before you Prov. 4. 25. 'T is the crooked Serpent Esa 27. 1 that brought Man to crooked wayes Psal 125. 5. Corrupt Nature runneth in a Crooked channel but 't is Christs work to make things crooked straight Esa 40. 4. 17. Some creatures are commended for being comly in their goings Prov. 30 29 sure I am every true Christian should be so he should lead a convincing life and be of a comly and commendable conversation such an one as becomes the Gospel Phil. 1. 27 and as becometh Holiness Tit. 2. 3. both young and old Male and Female should be of a comly deportment you must walk worthy of God who hath called you to his Kingdom and glory 1 Thes 2. 12 his livery you must wear his Image you must bear and his Kingdom you are called unto and therefore you must carry as Children of a King Judg. 18. 18 and as Children of the Kingdom Remember saith Menedemus to Antigonus when he was to go to a Feast where a Famous Harlot was to be a guest that you are a Kings Son do nothing unworthy of such an Honourable Title Scipio African when solicited to filthiness by an Harlot Answered Vellem si non essem Imperator It is below an Emperor and Nehemiah said better shall such an one as I flee Neh. 6. 12. 18. A Godly conversation is very graceful to the Gospel and the Gospel gains much glory by you if you walk in the beauty of Holiness you are called not only to his Kingdom but also to his glory 1 Thes 2. 12. and therefore the Spirit of glory should rest upon you 1 Pet. 4. 14. This is the smooth bark that evidences the good Tree as well as the Root bole branches leaves and fruit to be a Tree of Righteousness the planting of the Lord Isa 61. 3 to be of Gods not of the Devils planting and watering a clear-skinn'd Tree not full of Bur-knots is the most hopeful for fruit So is the Man that hath a shining conversation as the shining of Moses face so the shining of your life doth evidence you have been with God in the Mount They took notice of the Apostles that they had been with Jesus Act. 4. 13. This makes even a Nebuchadnezzar confess these are the servants of the most high God Dan. 3. 26. Those Virgin-Souls that followed the lambe had their Fathers name Writ in their foreheads Revel 14. 1 4. though you shall be Judged according to Men in the flesh yet should you live according to God in the Spirit 1 Pet. 4. 6. and not do folly in Israel Gen. 34. 7. 19. The Levitical Law doth likewise tell you what beasts are clean and what unclean all which are a shadow of things to come Col. 2. 16 17. Whereby Israel was taught to study purity and to know that the very Creatures are all defilled with Mans Sin Those beasts were accounted clean that both chewed the Cud and divided the hoof Therefore the Camel was numbred amongst the unclean though he chewed the Cud becausehe divided not the hoof by all which you must understand in Levit. 11. 3. c. That it is not enough for you to ruminate upon the word of God in your most serious Meditations which is your Spiritual chewing of the Cud but you must part the hoof too in putting a difference betwixt good and bad Actions You must not only think on the Commandments of God but so think on them as to do them Psal 103. 18. Cleansing your self from all filthiness hoth of flesh and Spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. you must not only profess the word but you must practice it also you must add to your Faith Virtue Temperance c. 2 Pet. 1. 5. and then are you accounted a clean Sacrifice to the Lord. To practice Sermons you hear is the best kind of Repeating Sermons live Sermons as well as hear them 20. As the Law concerning clean beasts Levit. 11. 6 doth teach you that good Meditation should end in a good Conversation for a Copy is not only to be Read over by him that learns to Writ but it must be Written after also and Lessons of Musick must be practiced by those that would learn it So the Law concerning clean Fishes teachs you the same they must have Fins and Scales First Fins to steer their motion so must you have the Fins of knowledg Faith and Divine dispositions to direct you and to set you forward in the things of God And secondly Scales for smoothing their passage for their Ornaments and safety So your Scales of good works must be set so close and so neer one another that no Air of Temptation may come between them as Job 41. 15 16 17. Levit. 11. 9. You must have the Scales of Piety Patience and the Fins which are as Wings of Divine affections to carry you cheerfully end ways into Divine Actions that you may be holy as God is Ver. 44. which is the end of this Law and clean meat to Gods sight and palate Now of a Religious Godly and Christian Conversation in particular And first of Meditation CHAP. III. 1. HItherto of Conversation in General which is the Practick part of Religion Godliness and Christianity now of a Religious Godly and Christian Conversation in particular which is a large Field of discourse You have here a breviary thereof contracted into a narrow compass wherein you may View the whole Duty of Man to God and Man in Respect of the Conversation the Agenda or things to be done besides the Credenda or things to be believed I told you before there is the Conversation of your thoughts as to
Psal 45. 1. Hobr. in Divine Meditation Flies will not touch honey while it is Teething hot 2 For promoting good hereby you may obtain more familiar Acquaintance with your God and a more distinct understanding of your self both which are worth a Kingdom 2ly 'T is profitable to others for Meditation makes a Man a full Man it makes him accomplished to serve out his Generation and to be a blessing to every Relation round about him It fully furnisheth him for every good Work 1 Tim. 4. 15. 2 Tim. 3. 17. 9. As this duty is pleasant and profitable So 't is 3ly a necessary duty as necessary as chewing the Cud is to beasts of that kind and as a due retaining of food is to man as well as beast 't is a general Observation that such persons as do cast up their meat by vomit or cast it out by stoole as soon as they have eaten it be always ill-thriven persons for though the stomack may catch hold of some small parcel of the food and thereby maintain a life such as it is for a time yet is it no better then a life-less life 't is a life so filled with distempers that it becomes a burden to it self whereas when the food is retained and a due fermentation is wrought in the Stomach to a compleat concoction then is nourishment Ministred as Col. 2. 19. to all the parts which makes a strong healthy and well-liking constitution As it is thus in the life natural So 't is in the Spiritual Psal 119. 11. Luk 9. 44. Job 8. 37. Gods word hid and sunk in the heart that has a Room for it makes a thriving fat Christian 10. Meditation as it is a pleasant profitable yea a most necessary though much neglected duty is two-fold 1. Occasional 2. Appointed First occasional wherein all occurrences of Temporal objects occasionally met with affords you some Spiritual Considerations Note first this requires a Spiritual heart to make a Spiritual improvement of every Temporal object that Divine providence presents to your Eyes ears and outward Senses David made a profitable prospect of the Heavens crying Lord what is man Psal 8. and Christ at the Well of Shilo he who was Jacobs Shilo speaks there of the water of life Gen. 49. 10. Joh. 4. 10. c. A good heart makes every external object a Divine blessing the Husbandmans plowing sowing and reaping c. The Trades-mans buying and selling his weighing and measuring c. may afford you sundry Spiritual instructions And note secondly If you gain no more by them then a bare beholding of them with the Eye the very brutes gain as much as you If you content your self with a bare natural use of the Creature without a Spiritual Improvement thereof you get not the one half of that advantage by the Creature for which the Creator gave it you the Beasts of the field and the Birds of the Air have so much themselves you do not use the Creature as Lord of the Creatures so God made Adam Gen. 1. 26. unless you find your Lord in the Creatures 11. Every Creature preacheth to that Man in whom the Spirit of God first inwardly preacheth Note thirdly you never need to want matter if you want not an heart you may be cast into such a Condition as whereby you may be hindred from good Actions as by sickness Imprisonment c. But there is nothing in all the World save a naughty heart can hinder you from good Meditations go to the Ant O sluggard saith Solomon do you see how busy she is in the Summer to make provision for an hard Winter how much more ought you to concern your self in your Summer of health and strength before the Winter of death and Eternity come upon you do you behold the Spider in your window Spinning clammy threeds out of her own bowels and weaving cunning Webbs to catch and entangle the silly Flie laying snares for her life then consider with a sigh O how doth Satan all this and much more against my pretious Soul and all out of himself too though you had not a desperately wicked heart Jer. 17. 9. to assist him when he speaketh a lie he speaketh it of his own Joh. 8. 44. 'T is the Devils cursed disposition 't is as impossible for Satan to do good as it is for a Toad to spit Cordials 12. Note fourthly 'T is richly worth your Observation also that this Spiritual limbeck Divine Meditation doth not spoile the earthly Subjects that it extracts Heavenly Instructions out of as material limbecks do plants c. Put in them leaving them Sapless and useless save only for burning As the laborious Bee flies over a field of Flowers sucks Honey out of each of them yet leaves them all as fresh and as fragrant as before it found them So you in extracting Coelestial Meditations out of your Terrestrial Employments and Enjoyments which is the Sublimest Mellification in stead of hurting or hindring them you do verily both advance them and advantage yea enrich your self Note the fifth In a word you may not be like the foolish Child when you look on the Book of the Creature only to behold the gawdy Pictures and Babies therein or to gaze upon the gilded leaves and cover there of but you must mind your lesson that every Creature doth especially learn you the Stork Crane and Swallow know their Seasons Jer. 8. 7. the Ox knows his owner and the Ass his Masters Crib Esa 1. 3. and will not you learn from hence to know yours 13. As to your further improvement of the Book of nature with ' its 3. leaves of Heaven Earth and Sea I refer you to my Crown and glory of a Christian From Page 125. to 145. I now pass from occasional to Appointed Meditation which is the Souls setting of it's self apart silently and seriously to work out some profitable Meditations upon some chosen Subject out of its own heart throughly at a fit time and in a fit place thus Isaac went out into the field to Meditate as above Gen. 24. 63. That which concerns matter of knowledg for finding out truth doth chiefly belong to Students Schollars Ministers of the Gospel but matters of affection for inflaming our loves to God in Christ and for abasing our selves to a self-abhorrency this is of Universal concernment the work of every Christian 14. This blessed duty hath ' its beginning in the head but ' its ending in the heart 1. 'T is a pondering some Divine truth in your mind until you be well acquainted with it until you be seasoned with the Savour of it until it settle and take rooting in your Spirit until it beget in you good affections and fire your Soul in love to that truth 2. 'T is like the rubbing of a Man in a Swoon it as it were chases in the Oile of grace with a warm hand or rather with a warm heart 3. 'T is like the selvedge that keeps all the
you a worthless worm and wretch should hereby become not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like Angels Matth. 22. 30. but even advanced above Angels for glorifyed Saints are Sons of the Kingdom when glorious Angels stand by as servants In a word all these love-tokens are such transcendent priviledges that they can never be enough thought on and admired no though you should think upon nothing else and that so long as your life shall last yea though you should live as long as the World shall last and therefore God hath appointed an Eternity in a better World where you shall have no other Employment but to ponder them and to praise God for them Singing Hallelujahs to him that sits upon the Throne for evermore 22. As you must thus Meditate on Gods works so secondly upon his word whether precepts or presidents or promises or Ordinances thereof all which have sweet Honey in them to the Divine Bee Your second Subject is concerning your self as David did when he Eat in his Pallace 2 Sam. 7. 14. Saying with an humble heart Lord what am I Not what am I not As Nebuchadnozzar did with an haughty Spirit as he sat in his palace Dan. 4. 29 30. Humble David who had neither an haughty heart nor a lofty Eye Psal 131. 1 2. hath exceeding high thoughts of God and exceeding low thoughts of himself he cannot name any thing bad enough to compare himself unto in his Lord what am I he saith not Lord what a great Monarch am I Or what a great Man am I But he saith I am a worm and no Man Psal 22. 6. I am a dead-dog or a Flea 1 Sam. 24. 14. Lord what am I O Imitate this Holy David as you sit in your House I am the least of Saints and greatest of Sinners Eph. 3. 8. 1 Tim. 1. 15. But take heed of Nebuchadnezzers self admiration who Trumpets out his own glory when none asked him the Question as if he had done all whereas Babylon was built above a thousand years before he was born and God that builds all Cities Psal 127. 1. had done nothing God is not in all his thoughts Psal 10. 4. he exalts self and excludes God 23. Your second step herein is progress which is more easy then the first As a Bird hath the greatest lift when she rises up from off the Earth but when once got upon the Wing then she mounts up aloft not only without much straining difficulty but with much sporting complacency then doth she sing out her Melodious note throughly so long as she listeth and liketh as likewise a Ship hath always the most difficulty to hale out of Harbour where many times she sticketh fast in the Mud but if once got under Sail and a fresh gale of wind sitting right for her O how she sports in the waters as the Bird doth in the Air and goes on gallantly towards her desired Haven yea even in a stormy and tempestuous Sea let her have but Sea-room enough and then she feares not to be driven by the storm either upon Rocks or Quick-Sands as 't is thus with Birds Ships so with Bells 't is hard to get them up when once raised then rung with ease and delight just so it is with your Soul in this Divine work all your difficulty is to get up from the low Earth upon the wing with the Bird of the Air and to get out of the muddy harbour with the Ship of the Sea under Sail if once set a float and forward bound under a fresh gale of the Spirit of grace O how merrily do you mount upwards with the Bird and how gallantly do you go end-ways towards the Cape of good hope with the Ship so that an entrance is administred unto you abundantly into the Heavenly Kingdom 2 Pet. 1. 11. as it were with Colours flying Drums beating Trumpets Sounding yea with top and top Gallant entring into your Masters joy Matth. 25. 21 32. 24. For furthering your Progress take these short directions 1. Direct when you have turn'd what you should not think on out of doors as Sarah did Hagar and taken in what is necessary expedient and profitable for you to Meditate upon then in Gods strength Psal 71. 16. you must view your Subject round about and observe all it's circumstances as well as it's substance thus the Psalmist counsels you that you may think the better upon the loving-kindness of God in the midst of the Temple to walk round about Sion and tell the Towers of it and mark well her bulwarks yea consider her Palaces c. Psal 48. 9 12 13. Until you fully and distinctly know all 2. Direct Then you must dwell upon it with your doubled and redoubled thoughts and fix your Meditation pondering it in your mind until it have a kindly influence upon your affections until it become a Rooted and Engrafted consideration Mountains are barren because the Rain of Heaven run's off from them but valleys are fruitful because it resteth there the Wolf greedily swallows his meat hair and all so all goes from him into excrements he presently voids all so makes all void and never fatteneth 3. Direct Retain therefore your Subject and duty till you find something of God in it dropping down upon your heart till you find Elijahs God in Elijahs mantle working wonders for you 2 King 2. 14. Let neither go without advantage 4. Direct When you have found God in your Subject and duty retain him some while as Abraham did the Lord Christ Gen. 18. 3 4 5. saying pass not away I pray thee from thy Servant but rest with me for a while c. O then are you an happy Son or Daughter of Abraham when you can thus engage the Lords stay with you in this Divine duty 5. Direct Forget not to retain your own slippery heart 't wil linger as Lot in Sodom If the Lord of Angels help you not Gen. 19 16. be oft crying O quicken this loitering heart Psal 119. 37. and O unite this treacherous heart Psal 86. 11. 25. Your third step is Egress when you have through grace brought your Divine duty to some profitable Issue then 1. take down your Soul by degrees and not all on the sudden 't is a dead Bird that falls down like a stone without hovering upon the wing as the living ones do as nature cannot endure any sudden alteration so nor grace Deus Natura non faciunt saltum God and Nature make no leaps 2. Direct When down review your whole perambulation wherein you have been enlarged be thankful and wherein you have been straitned be humbled 3. Direct Take heed of the cold Air of Tentation when warm'd by this work The sweating labourer sometimes sits down over hastily catches cold and dies of a Consumption be walking gently in musing still that this befal not you Of Prayer CHAP. IV. 1. PRayer follows Meditation as twins follow each other in their birth they both lay in the same
must find out that both by your own experience and by the Experiences of others It certainly availeth much though happily it availe not always God hath indeed said that the Children of Moab shall go into his Sanctuary to pray but shall not prevail Isa 16. 12. But he hath avowed before all the world that the Children of Sion shall not do so Isa 45. 19. They shall not seek the Lord in vain their Prayer shall be like Jonathans bow it shall never return empty God ever hears their Prayers always ad Salutem as Anstin saith though not ever ad Voluntatem he always hears their Prayers according to their well when he doth not hear them according to their Will 7. First the manner of Prayer Now that your Prayer may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a throughly-wrought effectual and available Prayer to work wonders in Heaven and Earth Jam. 5. 16. yea after a sort Omnipotent as Luther said take these following Directions for managing this duty aright first before duty as to the manner of it before in and after it First of those that are Antecedent or before Prayer Direct 1. You must be New born a New Creature until the Child be come out of the womb it cannot Cry no more can you Cry Abba Father so long as you are in the womb of a natural state Rom. 8. 15. God first accepts the person and then the Action or offering Gen. 4. 4. Heb. 11. 4. your person must be accepted as Abel was and then your Prayer will be acceptable you must be Righteous in Christ 't is the Prayer of the Righteous that prevaileth Jam. 5. 16. as it is the Character of the unrighteous that they call not upon God Psal 14. 4. Paul was never said to pray till Converted from his Pharisaical State Act. 9. 11. So if at any time they do pray their Prayer is an Abomination Prov. 21. 27. and therefore 't is not accounted Prayer The long Prayers that Paul had while a Pharisee were not reckoned Prayer at all you must first be a Temple of the Holy-Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19. and then you will be an House of Prayer for so the Temple is called Naturalists tell us of a Jewel that when put into a dead mans Mouth loseth all its Vertue So prayer a pretious Jewel in it self in the mouth of one that is dead in Sin hath no force nor efficacy God will not hear Sinners Joh. 9. 31. he will not take them by the hand Job 8. 20. Margin Hebr. and Geneva Biblt 't is but a Multiplying lies daily Hos 11. 12. a compassing God with lies to call God Father when we are not his Children and while we are without Christ You must pass through the merits of the Son into the mercies of the Father 8. The second Direction before duty is prepare to meet your God in duty Amos 4. 12. The Jews had their preparation for the Passeover Joh. 19. 31. So should you have for prayer setting some time apart as well to prepare for Prayer as for prayer it self 't is coming to duty with a common Spirit and with an Ordinary frame of heart that makes us lose many a duty 2 Chron. 12. 14. Ezra did better then Rehoboam herein Ezr. 7. 10. the latter lost all the former sav'd all hereby Labour therefore your heart into a praying frame before prayer this is done by getting First the Majesty of the great God before whom you are going wrought truly and throughly upon your heart Consider seriously he is a great King Mal. 1. 6 14. and a God that will be Sanctified of all that draw nigh to him Levit. 10. 3. this may help you to a God sanctisying frame of Spirit David prepared with all his might why the reason is rendred The Temple was not to entertain man but God therefore must it be more Magnificent and he more exact in all preparations for it 1 Chro. 29. 1 2. Christ tells you he is gone to prepare a place even a Temple a Mansion of glory for you Joh. 14. 2 3. and will not you prepare a place for him in that poor heart of yours Consider also Secondly his purity that the God with whom you have to do in prayer is a God of purer eyes then to behold Iniquity Hab. 1. 13. he cannot look upon it but he must loath it he cannot behold it but he must punish it this calls for a reverential heart Psal 2. 11. Before him who is in Heaven and you on Earth Eccles 5. 2. cover your face if Angels do so that are holy and blessed Esa 6. 2. Much more you that live in an House of clay and drinks up iniquity like water Job 4. 19. 15. 16. Tremble to bring along with you any Sin unrepented of unpardoned lay aside all filthiness Jam. 1. 21. as the Serpent her poison when she goes to drink yet with this difference she after drinking reassumes it again you may not do so with the Poison of Sin when you have been drinking of the Rivers of Gods favour this is to return with the Dog to his Vomit 2 Pet. 2. 22. you must know it again no more Gen. 38. 26. nor have so much as a leering look towards it Psal 66. 18. much less allow of it or wallow in it 9. Would you have leave with God in prayer then leave Sin and that for ever you may not say concerning your Sins as Abraham did concerning his Servants and the Ass which he left at the foot of the Hill Gen. 22. 5. saying I will come again to you but you must take an everlasting farewel of your Sin when you come to your God and with David keep your self for ever from your Iniquity Psal 18. 23. and as he wash'd his hands in Innocency when he did compass Gods Altar Psal 26. 6. So must you wash your heart in that fountain that is opened Zech. 13. 1. Thus Ruth did wash and anoint her self before she went up to Boaz. Ruth 3. 3. and Esther purified and persumed her self for acceptance with Ahasuerus Esth 2. 9 12. and the Captive Damosel was to pair her nails c. Before she became a fit bride for an Israelitish Bed Deut. 21. 12 13 14. and the Rabbies say that a Man might not come into the Mountain of the House of God with his staff nor with his Shoos nor with his purse nor with dust upon his Feet hence Lavers were set at the door of the Tabarnacle for washing off defilements at their entrance thither Exod. 30. 18 19. and Bernard used to say at his entrance to his publick Devotion O wordly thoughts ad templi Januam manete vos stay ye here at the Church door alluding to Abrahams words Gen. 22. 5. and to Moses deed Exod. 3. 5. as above in Meditation Thus also Solomon saith keep your foot when you enter into the House of God Eccles 5. 1. that is look well to your affections those feet and out goings of the Soul
that you offer not the Sacrifice of Fooles Thus also under the Law the inwards and feet were to be washed Levit. 1. 9. all which do teach you what due and true preparation you must make for your approaches unto God that you may lift up holy hands and an holy heart unto him in Prayer 1 Tim. 2. 8. those in Isa 1. 15. That came to God with their hands full of blood did as it were dare him to his face and they do no less that come with their hands or hearts full of any Sin 10. Secondly of those that are Concomitant or in Duty after preparing for it comes proceeding in it When your heart is fixed or prepared for God like the Instruments of Musick when the Treble is in Tune 't is easy to bring all the other strings into Tune also you can make no progress in Prayer unless this heart string be wound up to a due Note and all your graces and affections dancing attendance to the duty so then the First Direct or rule is clean Prayer be sure you stretch forth you hands in Prayer with an heart prepared for Prayer as Job 11. 13. If thou preparest thine heart and stretch forth thine hands and Ver. 14. If Iniquity be in thy hands put it far away and let not Iniquity be in thy Tabernacle and Ver. 15. then shalt thou lift up thy face without Spot and shalt be stedfast c. which teaches you that 1. your heart must be prepared to meet your God Amos. 4. 12. Humbly submitting to his Justice and heartily imploring his mercy 2. that you must stretch forth your hands in prayer as the Begger doth for Alms in forma pauperis to receive mercy or as men Beg quarter for their lives with hands held up over their heads or lastly as one that is falne into a ditch or deep dungeon and cannot get out holdeth up his hands and cryeth out for help you are faln into the dark dungeon of Sin and Christ is your blessed Ebedmelech that lets down a Rope of mercy his promises to draw you out as Jerem. 38. 12. with all tenderness if you cry unto him Psal 130. 1. 11. And thirdly those hands you lift up in Prayer must be pure hands 1 Tim. 2. 8. the Fountain of Divine goodness will not be laden at with fowle hands Esa 1. 15 16. The Apostle James gives you good Counsel cleanse your hands Jam. 4. 8. and the Prophet Jeremy cleanse your heart Jerem. 4. 14. and so doth blessed Paul cleanse your self from all filthiness both of flesh and of Spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. then shall you lift up your face without Spot That is you may come to God with comfort and confidence not casting down your countenance as guilty Cain did Gen. 4. 6. but looking up boldly and cheerfully as Steven did Act. 6. 15. they saw his face as if it had been the face of an Angel and then shall you stand stedfast in duty as a Pillar in the Temple Revel 3. 12. your heart being established with grace and your mind with peace to serve God without fear Luke 1. 74. Psal 112. 7. when the heart is thus fixed as Davids was Psal 57. 7. 108. 1. twice over in both places this makes duty more easy the expert Souldier having his Arms rightly fixed goes more cheerfully into the Battel then Prayer will be your business and you will make work of your work yea God himself will not strictly stand upon the exact purification of the Sanctuary but will certainly pass by all your other weaknesses 2 Chron. 30. 18. when he sees you prepare your heart to seek God Ver. 19. and when he beholds you to your ability sweep out the dirt wash the floor spread your best Carpets uncover your best Stools and bring forth your best Plate and Ornaments setting ope the Everlasting door of your Soul to entertain the King of glory Psal 24. 7 9. 12. The second Rule or Direction in duty is Cordial Prayer be sure you engage your heart in it Jerem. 30. 21. and in every part of it that your Prayer may be Cordial or a hearty prayer your Tongue and heart must be all a long Relatives and keep both time and Tune together the principal Element of prayer is the heart take prayer out thence and 't is but a dead thing that prayer which comes out of the head only and not out of the heart also is not prayer in Gods account Ephraim was a silly Dove without heart Hos 7. 11. The Jews no doubt had prayed much and oft during their seventy years Captivity yet Daniel denies that they had prayed at all Dan. 9. 13. yet made we not our prayer unto the Lord our God c. Seeing no Affection nor heart was in their prayers all was but lip-labour they gave God not the Calves of their lips as Hos 14. 2. but only the lips of their Calves which God esteemed no better then Jeroboams Calves when the Tongue prays without the heart 't is but an empty Ring the tinkling of a Cymbal 1 Cor. 14. 15. Expressions of the Tongue without Impressions on the heart makes no Melody in Gods ear non vox sed votum non Musica Chordula sed Cor. When the inward Sacrifice is not joyned with the outward God faith in contempt of it they offer me flesh Hos 8. 13. Flesh stinks in our Nostrils while it is burning when both were joined together God calls it his Honey-Comb with his Honey Cant. 5. 1. Eleazar the priest carried the Incense in his bosome to shew that prayer should come from the heart as he carried the Oil for the Lamps in his right hand the anointing Oile in his left hand and the meat offering upon his Shoulder as Rabbi Elias and Chaskuny upon Numb 4. 16. telleth us David found in his heart to pray his prayer to God 2 Sam. 7. 27. he did not only say his prayer with his lips but he also pray'd his prayer with his heart Prayer without the heart is like the Body without the Soul O how loathsome to man is this latter and as loathsome to God is the former then draw you near with a true heart Heb. 10. 22. 13. As your Prayer must be hearty or Cordial for quod cor non facit non fit that which the heart doth not is not done at all if your heart be Right God will give you his hand and you may come into the Chariot of Prayer as 2 King 10. 15. which is as the Chariot of Amminadab Cant. 6. 12. but if your heart be not right in the sight of God as Act. 8. 21. You have neither part nor portion in this matter and you do but take the Name of the Lord in vain and God will not hold you guiltless Exod. 20. 7. So it must be constant which is the Third Direction constant prayer and this constancy is two fold First in duty and secondly to duty The first relates to this or that
cares that they stay at Church-door with Bernard and at the foot of the hill of God with Abraham as above but they must not go up or in with you if they presume to press in with you drive them away as Abraham did the Fowls that disturbed if not defiled his Sacrifice Gen. 15. 11. The Rabbies say that in the Temple though there was much flesh for Sacrifice used in it yet not so much as one Flie was seen stirring there So not a wandring thought should appear stirring in your worship especially considering you are the Temple of the Holy Ghost so should not think your own thoughts Isa 58. 13. in Gods Temple have more of Sabbath thoughts on week-day then week-day thoughts will less trouble you on Sabbath-day 7. The third Direction for preparing your heart to this Religious duty is beware of a prejudiced Spirit either against the person Teaching or against the Doctrin Taught 1. You may not have a prejudicate opinion against the Teacher if once you distast his person you can never relish his Doctrin the best of Ministers are exposed to prejudice even Christ himself that Palmoni Hamadabber Dan. 8. 13. or Prince of Preachers was personally cavilled at viz. Is not this the Carpenter And can any good thing come out of Nazareth c. If this did befal that green Tree what can the dry expect Mark 6. 3. Joh. 1. 46. Luk. 23. 31. Hence Paul admonished Timothy so to behave himself in the Church of God that none might despise his youth 1 Tim. 4. 12. this is a great Impediment to a prospering and profitting Gospel the Heathen could say Inter senum deliria Juvenum praejudicia cadit Respublica 'twixt the dotage of old men and the prejudice of young men the Common-wealth falleth O that we had not cause to say that betwixt those two cadit Religio the common Salvation falleth the plainest Preachers are exploded by such as if they stood not in need to be put in Remembrance of those things they know 2 Pet. 1. 12. The end of Preaching is not only to inform the Judgment but also to reform the affections not only to teach Men what they know not but also to stir them up to Practise what they know 'T is ordain'd for this as well as that 8. Neither 2ly must you have prejudice against the truth taught as those of Itching ears 2 Tim. 4. 3. not abiding sound Doctrin as fore eyes not enduring the Sun-shine the fault is not in the Sun but in the eyes so 't is not in the Doctrin but in them which savours no Doctrine save that which suites with their Itching tempers being not willing to frame the heart to the Word but rather desirous to have the Word framed to the heart Thus Carnal men despise Prophecying 1 Thes 4. 12 20. and plain Preaching is foolishness to them 1 Cor. 1. 21. though it be under the blessing of a Divine Institution in that phrase It pleased God which is not so Solemnly set upon bare Reading the Word you may indeed and must try the Spirits 1 Joh. 4. 1. and prove all things in Order to the holding fast of that which is good 1 Thes 5. 21. as those well bred Bereans did Act. 17. 11. and if you find the grain good never quarrel with the seeds-man Elias's food was acceptable to him though unclean Ravens were his Servitours and Currant Coin is not to be refused though from a Leprous hand yet 't is ever best from a Barnabas Act. 11. 24. of all others 9. The fourth Direct herein is beware of presumption as well as prejudice that you come not to the word with an heart resolved before hand what to do let God and his Ministers say what they please Jer. 2. 25. so as to take your own way and to follow your own course Jer. 44. 16 17. as if you scorn'd to bend to truth this is proud obstinacy or stubborn pride which you must abandon Say not you know enough already for you know nothing yet as you ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 2. you must become a fool for Christ 1 Cor. 2. 18. and sit down at the very foot of God Esa 41. 2. to receive his Law Deut. 3. 33. Thus Mary sate at Jesus feet and heard his Word Luk. 10. 39. great Naaman will learn good from a little Maid 2 King 5. 2 3 4. c. Bring along with you a bored ear Psal 40 6. and a bowing heart as Samuel speake Lord for thy Servant heareth 1 Sam. 3. 10. as Saul said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Act. 9. 6. In a Word pray to God that all this may be done that he would bless the Word both for the killing of Sin and the quickening of grace c. Do you beg a blessing on the food of your body and not of your Soul Prov. 2. 3 5. cry after it this is your life Matth. 4. 4. Esa 38. 16. Joh. 6. 63. 10. The second thing you are to mind is concomitant as the first things preparation the second is performance to wit wâ—â—â— is required of you in this Religious duty and 't is threefold 1 Attention 2 Intention and 3 Retention 1 Attention of the ear 2 Intention of the heart and 3 Retention of the Memory 1 of the first of these to wit Attention of the ear The ear is the sense of Faith as the eye is the sense of love Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10. 17. God makes the ear to be the Organ of our Salvation in working Faith by hearing the word as it was the Instrument of our destruction when our first parents lent their ear in listening unto Satans lies the Milk of the word is not to go in at the mouth but at the ear the ear is the Instrument to take in God by and not the eye Exod. 33. 19. Moses desires to see Gods glory Ver. 18. no saith God I will proclaim it and accordingly he doth so Exod. 34. 6 7. and thus likewise God doth testify to Elias in a still small voice not in visible things as fire and Earth-quake but in a voice which is Audible 1 Kin. 19. 11 12. both those Instances teaches you that teaching by a voice should be the principal means to bring your soul to the saving knowledge of God Moses thought that his seeing of God would much confirm him as Papists thinks of their seeing of Pictures and Crucifixes but God Rectifies Moses errour and proclaims himself the Lord Rectify the Popish mistake also 11. Hearing prevail not neither will Seeing no not your seeing a man from the dead Luke 16. 27 31. the Jews were so far from believing when they saw Lazarus raised from the dead that they would have kill'd him for no other fault but because he who had been dead was alive again Joh. 12. 10. their seeing of such an one was so far from working Faith in them that it Transported them into fury and into such sublime malice and
madness as to make them take up Arms against Heaven it self as seeking to kill a man only because God had made him alive They listened as little to him whom they saw as to Christ whom they heard but sought to kill him also as well as Christ Indeed who can believe the Testimony of a mere Creature that will not believe the Testimony of the Creator himself So that Hell is to be escaped by hearing Luke 16. 29. Esay 55. 3. Hear and live 12. The deafness of mans ear to hear the word of God causeth Christ to sigh Mark 7. 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he sighed as if himself felt and fainted under the burden of mans deafness Until Christ say Ephphatha be opened and boar the ear Psal 40. 6. God may speak once and twice and man not perceive it Job 33. 14 16. There be three vices in hearing which Christ must cure you of before you can be attentive to the Word of God 1. There is a Carnosity on the Tympanum Auris A fleshie excrescence upon the drum of the ear this must be removed to recover natural hearing so Carnal affections to the World will make you Spiritually deaf to the Word until you be Circumcised in ear as well as heart by Christ Act. 7. 51. Jer. 6. 10. Thus Herods carnality with Herodias made him deaf to Divine Doctrine Mark 6. 17 18. 2. There is abundance of bad humours in the brain that make a noise within so that a voice cannot be heard without Intus existens prohibet Alienum The head must be purged of those Vapours before hearing can be quick thus the heart must be purged of Pride passion or prejudice c. Those bad humours that deafs man to God the Jews ears were waxen fat herewith that they could not hear Christs voice Matth. 13. 15. 3. The Organ is sometimes hurt by a fall this is certainly done to the Inner-man by the fall of the first man our hearing is wounded till Christ cast out the deaf Spirit 13. Your heart thus purged by Christ for Vnguentum pretiosum Vasi faetido non committitur pretious Ointment may not be put into an unclean Vessel when Christ hath wakened Esa 50. 4. and opened your Ear Psal 40. 6. then attend the word with your ear not as the Word of Man but as the word of God 1 Thes 2. 13. with all due reverence and true affection looking beyond the instrument which yet God useth at the Authority and institution how the treasure is precious though in an earthen Vessel 2 Cor. 4. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Oyster-shells a bright Pearl may be found therein though contemptible in themselves by a Divine appointment that it should be so pleaseth God as before Therefore set your self Solemnly in Gods presence as Cornelius and his friends did Act. 10. 33. we are all here present before God to hear all things commanded thee of God and as the Corinthian Convert saw God in the Ordinance 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. when he found that it told him as once to the Samaritan Woman Joh. 4. 29. all that ever he did 't is a curious Critick Hebr. 4. 12. It finds and ferrets out secret Sins 14. Hereupon must you 1. Give your best attention to it your plus and your prius First and most as to a Divine Institution whereof God himself is the Author Christ himself the matter and Salvation it self of your precious and immortal Soul ' its end look well then to your foot Eccles 5. 1. as one that expects some blessed News from Heaven and concerning matters of greatest Importance Expecting that God will Magnisy his Word above all his name Psal 138. 2. and longing for a word in Season which will be to you as Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver Prov. 25. 11 20. yea looking upon the word as a part of Christs purchase and every Syllable thereof as it were written with his precious blood and therefore desiring not only to hear it but also to feel it and to taste of it that your heart as well as your hand may handle of the Word of life 1 Joh. 1. 1. 15. And 2. you must attend it often as often as you can redeem time from your other Employments to embrace such a blessed and golden opportunity the Reason is you will never find your heart in the same frame at the next opportunity that the Word left it in at your last audience of it This is the disadvantage of the Ministry above all other callings in the World a Minister of Christ never finds his work as he leaves it the Carpenter the Goldsmith the Potter and men of all callings find their work next morning as they leave it over-night but a Minister of the Gospel doth not find the hearts of his hearers the following Sabbath in the same frame as he left them in the foregoing he sent them away with warm hearts but they return to him again with cold hearts So that he hath a new fire to Kindle his Iron to heat again before it will be Malleable to the hammer of the word Jer. 23. 29. his wax that is now grown hard by lying in the cold to mollify again before it will take the Impression of the Divine Seal Rom. 6. 17. therefore doth he pray for this before he Preach you will assuredly and by wosul experience find your heart not as the materials in other callings abiding in the same frame and tenure as they are left but rather as the flesh of the Peacock which Naturalists say though Rosted over night will be Raw in the next morning pray then with David keep this frame for ever on me 1 Chron. 29. 18. when you are warm'd with the word and lay your Soul often under the droppings of the Sanctuary for reforming your affection as well as for Informing your Judgment Isa 28. 10. 16. Thirdly you must attend the word without drowsiness if you sleep at the word the envious one will be sure to sow his tares while you do so Matth. 13. 25. Remember Eutichus Act. 20 9. you may get a worse fall then he did you may fall from the high pinacle of profession to the low Pit of prophaneness from the third Heaven to the lowest Hell where you shall have no Paul to take you up and recover you did you ever see a Man sleep at his Markets and so goe home empty neglecting to buy the Provisions for himself and his Family that he came thither for Your errand to Gods Market for your Soul is or ought to be to buy the truth Prov. 23. 23. O go not home empty-handed empty-hearted did you ever see a man fall asleep in taking and telling of Money 's such an one cannot tell whether he take right Money or wrong and is easily Cheated Yet alas how many by so doing put an everlasting Cheat upon their own Souls falling not only into a natural but also into a Spiritual slumber while they are talking and
3 6 25. Your Joseph your Jesus I dare assure you will be kinder to you if you so come unto him then ever that Joseph was to his Brethren whose rough words were indeed somewhat discouraging but his smooth deeds were wonderfully encouraging he sent them laden home not only with Corn but with their Money too Gen. 42. 7 27. 44. 1. Food as much as they could carry 22. Thirdly bring Enlarged hearts The greater your Vessel is and the wider mouth it hath 't is not only the sooner filled but you carry so much the more water home from the Conduit also Joh. 4. 7 28. Christs Ministers that beseech you in Christs stead 2 Cor. 5. 20. are compared to Clouds Jude 12. Upon a three-fold account 1. As they are driven to and fro 2. As sustained like Clouds full of water by the mighty power of God 3. As dropping down refreshing rain upon the droughty Earth now as the dry ground gapes for Rain so should you for the word Hebr. 6. 7. Deut. 32. 2. Ezek. 21. 2 They waited for Job as for the Rain Job 29. 23. Which in those hot Countrys was heartily longed for and highly prized and they opened their mouth wide to him as for the latter Rain That is they listened as for life and gaped as if they would have eaten his words Such a Divine thirst Davids Soul abounded with in his dry and thirsty land Psal 63. 1. 42 1. 2. 119. 20 81 And the Spouse Cant. 2. 4. Crying stay me with flagons 't is not a drop or a spoonful or a little Cup full that will quench her thirst but she must have whole Flagons You should come to an Ordinance just as Behemoth came to Jordan in his thirst Job 40. 23. The Elephant is such a thirsty Creature that he swalloweth abundance of water at one of his Mighty draughts he fancies when he comes to drink he can drink up a River and draw up great Jordan at one draught into his mouth and so great is his thirst that he is said to take the whole River with his Eye Ver. 24. his belly is better fill'd it seems then his Eye O that you could come with such an intent Soul to the Ordinance as if you could swallow up the whole blessing of the Ordinance your Self and drink it all up at one draught Suppose you could thus Monopolize and appropriate the blessing yet this would be no damnifying of others there is no envy in Spiritual things which may be divided in Solidum in the whole each Soul may have a whole blessing without wronging one another 't is otherwise in Temporals the World admits not of Rivals as being conscious of ' its own scantness and not having enough for all 23. Fourthly Be Reverent as to God The over-grown Heathen though a King Eglon shames and condemns many hearers in our day no sooner doth he hear Ehud say I have a Message from God unto thee O King but presently he arose from off his seat to receive it with Reverence though it proved a sad Message Judg. 3. 20. Yet the worshippers of the true God do not now raise up themselves nor raise up their hearts to receive a Message from God to them though it be not a Message of death and destruction as that to Eglon was but a Message of Life and Salvation Fisthly be earnest you must hear the word of God earnestly as blessed Baruch is said to repair the Wall of Jerusalem earnestly Neh. 3. 20. That is with all his heart Soul and strength being vexed with himself that he had begun no sooner The Hebrew word Hicherah hence the Latin Ira for Anger signifies there he burst out into an heat as being angry at himself that he had done no more and at others also that they had done so little Hereupon in an holy sume and fervency he finishes two parts and that quickly while others were busy but about one piece a ready heart makes riddance of Gods work and will kindle ' its own heat from other Mens coldness and quicken it self from others slothfulness what you do you must saith Solomon do with all your might Eccles 9. 10. If every Civil work much more this Spiritual which is of greatest Importance the strength of your affections must be here as well as in Prayer 24. In a word Sixthly to hear with Intention is to have your heart affected with that you hear so as it may not only burn in your heart as theirs did Luke 24. 32. but also melt kindly under it as Josiahs tender heart did at the hearing of the Law 2 Chron. 34. 27. yea and rejoyce greatly when you are made to understand it as the people did Neh. 8. 12. your heart leaping within you at it as the Babe sprang in Elizabeths womb when not the Lord himself but The Mother of our Lord spake to her Luke 1. 41. not only hear but feel Gods voice 1 Joh. 1. 1. 1. You must desire earnestly to hear Gods voice as well as hear Mans God saith in this Ordinance to his Angels of the Churches as he said at the Creation as some sense it to the Angels that left not their first state and habitation Jude Ver. 6. let us make Man Gen. 1. 26. So here let us both join together to make Sinners Saints Ministers of God are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow-labourers with God 1 Cor. 3. 9. and who would not but labour heartily with so sweet a companion he joins his Spirit to their word and makes them Preach all sorts of Sinners into another even the Divine Nature you may not then be satisfied till you feel God speak as well as hear man speak till God speak to your heart with a strong hand as he did to the Prophet Isa 8. 11. till he Single you out from others and speak to you with efficacy Many hear a Noise of Christ that do not hear the voice of Christ Act. 9. 7. with 22. 9. Eightly mix Faith with the word be sure you mingle the Word with Faith those two meeting together makes a precious Confection a blessed mixture Heb. 4. 2. 25. The third particular is retention of memory the Word 1. It must be laid up in the head you hear must not be like breath upon steel that is soon on and as soon off again nor as day flies call'd Ephemerae that are bred at noon and dead at night Nor as the morning-dew that soon goeth away Hos 6. 4. The Sun arising soon licks it up from off the Earth In the hearing of the Word a blessed dew falls from the drops of it Deut. 32. 2. but it should not go away as the dew If you cannot stay it but it will go away then pray that however some Manna may still remain as Exod. 16. 14 15. the Manna did come down with the dew Ver. 13. Christ that bread of life Job 6. 32. comes down in the Ministry of the word Psal 110. 3. the dew covered
is but we are bidden to sing the word of Christ Col. 3. 16. not the words of David now Answer first David writ his Psalms in the Spirit of Christ 2 Sam. 23. 2. the Lord Christ had spoken by the Mouth of his servant David Act. 4. 23. 'T was the Rock Christ that spake to and by David and made him the sweet singer of Israel 2 Sam. 23. 1 3. All the holy Scriptures by which you must be guided here and Judged hereafter is wholly the words that Christ hath spoken Joh. 12. 48. So that while you sing the Psalms of David c. You do verily sing the words of Christ 2. Answer the Hebrew Titles of David Psalms be Misimorim Tehillim and Shurim which doth expresly correspond with the express phrase of the Apostle Eph. 5. 10. Col. 3. 19. Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs wherein he plainly points out the use of Davids Psalms as being also the word of Christ and richly suiting to all Conditions and such Psalms which cannot be Sung as your Experience yet may you Sing them for your Instruction Divine truth is the same in Meter that it is in Prose and may as well be Sung as Read 3. Answer Such Hymns as are composed by any now suppose they be free from the rash and raw Eructations of a private Spirit which cannot edify as it ought 1 Cor. 14. 26. yet as comming from an Ordinary gift only for God no where promised another gift it must needs infinitely fall short of those Scripture Psalms eomposed by the holy Pen-men of the Word to whom the Lord vouchsafed such an High Publick and Infallible Conduct in Composing what was Consigned to the use of the Church for ever these must excel private Hymns as much as the holy Scripture exceeds all other Books whatsoever The fift Religious duty Or walk of a Christian is Godly Conference CHAP. VII 1. NOw to manage your self in this fist walk of Christianity Consider you must first have a New heart and then you cannot want a New tongue for where Christ comes he makes all New Rev. 21. 5. 2 Cor. 5. 17. a New Constitution a New Communication and a New Conversation not only a New heart and a New life but also a New speech he turns to his Redeemed a pure Language Zeph. 3. 9. Or a lip of Excellency Prov. 17. 7. as choice Silver that hath a good sound Prov. 10. 20. So as to feed many by administring grace to all hearers Eph. 2. 29. So that this New tongue shall scatter Pearles Math. 7. 6. and cast abroad Rich Treasure Math. 12. 35. yea even Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver Prov. 25. 11. yet none of this can be till Christ cast in a cruse full of the Salt of grace into the Fountain as Elisha did 2 King 2. 20 21 22. and healed the waters for as is the Fountain so are the streams sweet or bitter the streams cannot rise higher nor run better then is the spring qualia principia talia principiaetam as is cause so are the effects good or evil as is the Tree so are the Fruits and as is the Treasure so are the Expences an evil Man out of the evil Treasure of his heart brings forth nothing but rotten and corrupt Communication Matth. 12. 35. the Bell is known by the Clapper whether it consist of good mettal or bad what kind of water is in the Well the same will be in the Bucket And what is in the Ware-house the same will be in the Shop So whatever is in the heart the same will be in the Mouth for out of the aboundance of the heart the Mouth speaketh the heart of the wicked is little worth Prov. 10. 20. till Christ renew it for and in you 2. Consider your speech also must be seasoned with Salt Col. 4. 6. even your common Communication and Conference must be seasoned with grace that you may leave the Savour of grace in all places and companies wherein you come as those meats that are most apt to putrify are most poudered So that unruly member the Tongue Jam. 3. 6. Is apt to have rotten and putrifyed Discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4. 29. unless it be well seasoned with the salt of mortification and of that Christian wisdom which is from above upon this uncomely part you must put on the greatest comliness 1 Cor. 12. 23. that your Mouth be not as the unclean vessel under the Law that wanted a covering Numb 19. 15. you must have the covering of the Spirit Esa 30. 1. that will let no corrupt Communication no rotten discourse no obscene borborology nor filthy speeches come from you while God by his Spirit keeps the door of your lips Psal 141. 3. stinking breath proceeds from ulcerated lungs and such as have their Excrements come out of their Mouths have that mortal and desperate disease cal'd Miserere mei upon them 't is very unlikely that ever the holy God entred into such an House and such an heart that hath so unclean a door that hath not God 1 In their heads Psal 10. 4. nor 2 In their hearts Psal 14. 1. nor 3 In their words Psal 12. 4. no nor 4 In their works or ways Tit. 1. 16. he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Atheist Eph. 2. 12. that is thus without God any way every way in the World They were not Sons but two Bastards that would dare to shoot their Arrows against the dead body of their Father according to the determination of the Judg Judging which of the three was the right heir of his Fathers goods but he that was angry with them both for so doing and surely those cannot be the right heirs of Heaven that dare frequently shoot their venemous Arrows of blasphemous Oaths at the heart of God 3. Consider that God hath a Book of Rememberance wherein to write down all that men say as well as do Mal. 3. 16. in order hereunto he hearkens what Sinners say Jer. 8. 6. as well as Saints That he may make memorable mention of them at least at the last day when all shall be either justified or condemned by their words Mat. 12. 36 37. Idle as well as evil words and waste as well as wicked words must then be accounted for in that great Ampitheatre Plato thought it meet that mens speeches at Meals and meetings should be written should this Platonick proposal be put into practice O what strange Records would they be and yet though men do not Register them God doth you have need therefore to take heed to your ways that you offend not with your tongue Psal 39. 1. which was a lesson that old Pambus was 30. Years in diligently Learning it yet prosessed he could not yet take out that one Lesson God in that infinite wisdom wherein he made all things hath set a double hedge afore this unruly member the tongue to wit of teeth and lips to keep it up and in and he hath also placed
Ananias goods to God it is dangerous to keep back any part of it for your own use Act. 5. 1 2 5 10. and not keep it wholly and in every part of it holy to the Lord. 17. The fifth Direction is make this day a day of your delights as before a day of desires delight in the day and in every duty of the day account the Sabbath not only your duty but also your priviledg not only your work but your wages too Isa 58. 13. Call the Sabbath your delight and if it be not so you may not call it so surely it was not so to those Worldly wretches that cryed when will the Sabbath be over c. Amos 8. 5. as if they had been in the stocks all the while they were keeping a Sabbath The Greek word for delight is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag Psal 37. 4. c. Which comes from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies Paradise or place of pleasure to intimate the Lord and his Sabbaths may not be as stocks to you but as a Paradise and a place of pleasure you should take as much delight therein as in walking the Round in the choicest Spring-garden O how should you bless God for the Sabbath as Neh. 9. 14. and rejoice in it as in the day the Lord hath made for Spiritual delight Psal 118. 24. counting it so and making it so not only a delight but also holy and honourable and because holy therefore honourable O may you but be in the Spirit on this Lords day as Rev. 1. 10. and tast how good the Lord is Psal 34. 8. in the dainties of holy duties and in his heart refreshing and Soul-ravishing Ordinances you will find most incomparable pleasure therein and far-far exceeding all the dirty delights of sensualists and Sabbath breakers Prov. 14. 10. Job 27. 10. 18. The sixth Direction be not weary of it before it be over The whole Sabbath should be spent without weariness in works of Piety mercy and necessity and in none else here 's variety to prevent nauseating in works of Piety you may pass from one Ordinance to another as the Bee flys from one flower to another and not be weary and from works of Piety you may go to works of Charity and from thence to works of necessity for your own natural nourishment O then here is no need of crying out what a weariness is it as Mal. 1. 13. or when will it be over as Amos 8. 5. as if in little ease all the while Carnal hearts know not indeed how to wear out the Sabbath 't is such a weariness to them and therefore they wish it over full loth would they begg Davids office out of his hand of being a door-keeper in the house of God who must be first in and last out Psal 84. 10. and what would they do to spend an everlasting Sabbath in Heaven that are so troubled and tyred with a short one on Earth not without a world of wilful distractions but the Spiritual heart that is rapt up and ravished in Spirit Rev. 1. 10. and is in the fear of the Lord and in the comforts of the holy Ghost all the day long Prov. 23. 17. can wish with Joshuah that the Sun stood still on that day for more killing of Sin and quickning of grace 19. The seventh Direction is be sure you make it a right day of restraint to you as it is called Deut. 16. 8. Jomegnatsereth diem Interdicti a day of prohibition from all Improper work the same word is used Numb 16. 48. and the Plague was stayed or restrained by either 1 Intreaty as 2 Sam. 24. 21. or 2 By Authority and Commands or 3 By strength and force all these ways you should Remember to keep the Sabbath if you keep not your heart with all keepings Prov. 4. 23. You can never keep the Sabbath holy The Plague of your heart mentioned 1 King 8. 38. will not be stayed or restrained unless you 1 Offer upon Christ your Altar Heb. 13. 10. Your Intreaties to God with David 2 Sam. 24. 21. and 2 Unless you lay Gods charge and command upon your extravagant heart to keep within compass Cant. 2. 7. Yea and 3 You must use holy force and Violence going but in Gods stregth Psal 71. 16. to restrain your loose slippery and treacherous heart both from wicked and from worldly work on that day for in the former work you keep the day to Satan and in the latter to your self but not to your Saviour in either besides every wicked work is cursed Sin any day but 't is doubly so on the Lords-day the season being a great aggravation of the Sin like that in Est 7. 8. 't is a ravishing the Queen of days before the very face of the King of Kings and every Worldly work done on Gods-day can never expect Gods blessing but will be a Canker and may say with Jacob I shall bring a curse and not a blessing Gen. 27. 12. he that did but gather a few sticks a small business some may say was paid home with stones because he did presumptuously on that day Numb 15. 30 32 35 36. If you must do no manner of work save only the three works of Piety Charity and Necessity no manner of Worldly work much less wicked work O do not eat forbidden fruit when you may eat of all the Trees in the garden on your six days do not your own works but cease from them Heb. 4. 10. nor speak your own words on this high and holy day Isa 58. 13. Exod. 31. 14. 20. The eighth Direction is never satisfie your Soul with spending one Sabbath without enjoying something therein of the Lord God of Sabbath never content your self with Elijahs Mantle without the Lord God of that Mantle 2 King 2. 14. O let it not be enough to you as it was not enough to Absolom to live in Jerusalem 2 Sam. 14. 32. without seeing the Kings face cry with David in every duty of the day O when will God come unto me Psal 101. 2. To miss of a good friend is sad to meet him is joyful Psal 73. 25. If you miss of this your best friend this will justly fadden you as it did even Saul himself 1 Sam. 28. 15. If you meet him and miss him not If your friend the King of Saints Rev. 15. 3. Sit at your Table then your Spiknard will send forth the smell thereof Cant. 1. 12. Such a sign of sweet friendship and fellowship must needs fill your heart with joy unspeakable and full of glory as it reminds and represents your Communion in Heaven and make the Sabbath a delight indeed to you then shall you delight your self in the Lord and he will not only cause you to ride upon the high places of the Earth but also upon the heights of the Heavens where you shall keep an everlasting Sabbath in which all Sabbaths meet and whereof there is no evening Is
58. 13 14. Psal 37. 4. 21. The ninth and last Direction is be careful to close up the Sabbath with a gracious frame of heart when with Zacheus you have got a view of your sweet Jesus from top to toe upon the Sycomore Tree of some Gospel-advantage though low of stature in your self this is your after duty be sure you take Christ home with you and joyfully receive him there as he did Luke 19. 3 4 5 9. he is you 'l find the most blessed guest that brings Salvation with him as well as a Supper Rev. 3. 20. Reflect then upon the whole carriage of your heart all the day and falling down upon your knees 1 Beg pardon for your drowsiness or distraction for your want of fervency of Spirit in serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. And a Sabbath frame of Soul 2 Return praise for the Angels moving the waters in order to any healing either the weakness of your grace or the strength of your Corruption lose not the warmth of the day in the cool of the evening for want of watchfulness and let Sabbath day thoughts abide with you all the week-days then week-day thoughts will less trouble you on the Sabbath day Of Family-Duties the first Pregnant Considerations second Practical and profitable Directions CHAP. XII 1. HItherto of the walk of a Christian in personal Holiness a short discourse of his Relative Holiness in the close of all Consider the first 't is true a man is what he is in private and in personal Actions habitually either good or evil and 't is as true that a man who is good privately and personally cannot but be good Relatively also he will labour to be good in all Relations be will desire and endeavour to be holy as a Father as a Husband and as a Master this holds true in all other Relations Superiour Inferiour or Equal as a Wife as a Child and as a Servant Yea as a Magistrate and as a Minister c. All persons are Really what they are Relatively unsound hearts like the Piller of smoak in the Wilderness will have a dark side as well as a bright because they be not what they seem to be they be not to God what they seem to be to men you may not be like the Candle in a dark Lantern that gives but light one way but rather as the Candle set upon the Candlestick that disperses its light every way into every corner of the House you must not be diligent in one Relation and negligent in another but be holy in all Relations wherein God has set you 2. The second Consideration is Religion in Truth disperses it self into every Relation and makes the New-Creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a publick-Creature for the good of others a blessing Gen. 12. 2. to Family Relations and so by consequence to both Church and State whereof a Family is the Epitome being as the Philosopher saith the first Society in Nature as before the flood both were bound up in private Families as in a little volume so now the way to have both good is to have Families good whereof Churches and Kingdoms do consist to make them as great Folios Religious Families are blessed nurseries out of which are transplanted a good Son into one place a good Daughter into another and these bring a blessing along with them to those several places as Jacob did to Laban Gen. 30. 27 30. and Joseph to Potiphar Gen. 39. 23. those two blessed branches of the Patriarks Families though transplanted into a Forraign Soil carries a blessing to Forraign Countreys 3. The third Consideration is seeing 't is the Lord that sets the Solitary in Families Psal 68. 6. and appoints the bounds of your habitation Act. 17. 26. the placing of persons in this or that place and habitation is from the appointment of the Lord thereof as your being so your dwelling is from the Lord and this is not for wordly conveniency only but for the worship of God Deut. 6. 6 7. 11. 18. 19. which is your homage and quit-Rent you must pay to the Lord of all Act. 10. 36. Prov. 3. 6. Deut. 26. 17. Gen. 18. 19. Hereupon every new house was to be dedicated to God Deu. 20. 5. with Prayers and Praises as David did his Psal 30. title and as all should be Sanctified 1 Tim. 4. 5. the walls of your house are ever before the Lord Isa 49. 16. and therefore Holiness to the Lord should ever be writ upon them Zech. 14. 20. that your house may be as the house of David Zech. 12. 8. Psal 101. 2. and as Melanctons Prince a Church Court and Academy 4. The fourth Consideration is in two branches 1. Keep out Sin that grand trouble house Job 5. 24. 11. 14. 22. 23. do you visit your habitation 't is a great mercy deny'd to many put Iniquity far from your Tabernacle by Repentance and Reformation and while God fills your house with good things do not you fill it with evil Sins O let not this be your kindness to your friend 2 Sam. 16. 17. O do not thus requite the Lord Deut. 32. 6. your house should be all built of Irish-Oak as it were which cannot endure any venemous Spider to come near it 2. You must keep in the Ark as well as keep out Sin thus did David Psal 101. 2 3. he would set no wicked thing before him yet he did the holy Ark before which he danced with all his might 2 Sam. 6 14 16 17. 5. That you may be rightly guided in this last walk of a Christian to walk in your house with a perfect heart as David did Psal 101. 2. and both keep out Sin and keep in the Ark to wit Religion as Obed-edom did and was blessed for so doing 2 Sam. 6. 11. take these following directions the second thing propounded which relates First to the Governours of a Family and Secondly to the governed in it First to Governours the 1 Direction is wheresoever God hath set out the bounds of your habitation Act. 17. 26. though God say to you as Gen. 49. 13. Zebulun shall dwell by the Sea-shore an unruly Neighbour and that yields no good Air and it may be not an house to your liking in all things yet say this is the place appointed me of God and having God for your Portion there cry with David your lines are fallen to you in a pleasant place and that you have a goodly heritage Psal 16. 9 6. Gods company to give all good things to you Math. 7. 11. and to take all evil things from you makes a Cottage yea a Cave to become a Stately Court and a Princely Palace for where the King is there is the Court though you have not all to your mind yet this will make you say you have all as Jacob Gen. 33. 11. as Paul Phil. 4. 18. in having him that hath all yea though you have nothing in comparison yet possessing all things in him