blessing vnto all the rest of the weeke Seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof Mat. 6.33 and all other thinges shall bee casten vnto you vvhere by the contrarie there are Curses denounced aga nst the profanators of the Sabbath Ier. 17.27 that God shall curse the workes of their handes and the Land shall enjoye manie Sabbathes of yeeres euen as it did in the Captiuitie of Babylon Now Three kinds of Sabbaths 1. Of Creation 2. Of Redemption Reuel 1.10 there are three kindes of Sabbathes the first of the Creation as a memoriall that GOD ceased from his worke vpon the seuenth day this lasted till Christes death and resurrection The second Sabbath beganne vpon the day of his resurrectiō which is called THE LORDES DAY in rememberance of a newe Creation of the worlde 3. Of Perfection Isa 66.23 and this will ende with the worlde And the thirde Sabbath shall be eternall when as the sixe dayes of this miserable life shall bee finished vvee shall rest from all our earthlie businesses and trauels that our continuall exercise may bee to glorifie him in minde heart and with all our strength in his Kingdome Then let vs occupie this Sabbath whollie in his prayse vvhich shall bee a sure pledge of that in the Heauens A Prayer vpon the seuenth Day MOst mightie Lord and mercifull Father distill I beseech thee and powre downe into mine earthlie heart thy diuine Dewes vvhich may moysten it together with such heauēly meditations as may stirre vp mine heart vnto thy prayse and glory that as vpon these sixe dayes I haue beene musing and meditating vpon all thy most glorious workes so I may repose my selfe vpon the day of Rest and finde quietnesse to my soule in thee for all the rest of the creatures albeit they be glorious yet they be subject vnto a curse not because of themselues but for man who hath defiled them I haue trusted to the pleasures which I saw in the creatures and I see that it is true that Salomon saide All is but vanitie and vexation of the spirit Eccles 1.2 as Ritches increase so Care groweth But O Lord let me come to thine Arke as the Doue did which found no rest till shee came backe to Noah Genes 8.9 Pull in thine owne doue O my Lord vnto thee for the floods of sinne haue ouerflowed the face of the Earth that I finde no rest heere I am wearie and loadned Lord giue me rest to my soule in thee This day is joyfull to me because that my Lord rose this day from death I beseech thee my God Nota. raise vp my soule from the graue of sinne that I may be partaker of the first Resurrection and make my thoughts spirituall this thy Sabbath day banish from my minde all earthlie cares this day forgiue me in that I haue so many times abused these thine holie dayes Oftentimes when I was praying to thee or thou preaching vnto me Sathan did cast into my mind carnall cogitations which interrupted that communication betwixt my soule thy majestie O Lord forgiue me and fill my soule with thy reuerence and feare in all the dayes of my life to come that all such ydle purposes may be dispatched by thine holie Spirit shut the doore of my soule when thou art speaking vnto me or when I pray to thee that none get entrie to vnquiet me and stay my joy for alace mine heart was casten open vnto many of thine enemies I will close the doore of mine eare to the voyce of all others that thou mayest speake to me Alace my God I finde a great decay of that spirituall joy in me that I haue not that sparke of delight and that inward spirituall joy which I should haue or had sometimes I loath the exercise which I loued mine hands are wearie and fallen downe I haue lost my first loue it was sweeter to me thā the honey Reuel 2.4 now it is loathsome vnto me as the Manna was vnto the Isralites therefore I beseech thee Numb 11.6 kindle vp an holie fire of thy loue in my soule as was in the Disciples going to Emmaus and that the zeale of thine House may eate me vp Luk 24.32 Psal 69.9 and 52.8 and 27.4 Let me flourish as a greene Oliue in the house of my God O would to God I could abide in thine house all the dayes of my life that I might praye with good Anna 1. Sam. 1.13.16 out of the bitternesse of my soule making my supplications to thee O Lord I craue thee pardon for the earthly and ydle speaches which I spake vpon the Sabbath I will holde mine hand vpon my mouth speake no more Iob 39.37 Luk 24.15 The Disciples which went to Emmaus were speaking of Christ he came vnto them alace when I spake of the world he went from me and my heart was colde Lord forgiue me for it was a great sin which I did yea I made no matter to deale in mine earthly businesse on thy Sabbath All mine excuses are nowe accusations against me they burne me when I am trying mine heart But Lord I found neuer any blessing in those mine actions which I enterprysed vpon thy Day I haue sinned I will doe it no more let the world be crucified to me and me to it vpon thy Sabbath I haue resolued in mine heart that I shall spende my dayes while I liue to thine honour Helpe my resolution by thine holie Spirit that neither the corruption of my nature my weaknesse and forgetfulnes Nota. neither the euil example of these wicked and profane people among whom I liue suffer me to break my promise which I doe make vnto thee but that thou mayst be my speach my thought and my delight vpon the Sabbath dayes Let me be feruent in prayer and supplications to thee vpon the day of thy rest Let me heare what thou speakest to me by the mouth of thy seruant Let me gather thy Manna when it is rained downe from the clowdes of Heauen Ex. 16.15 as the people gathered Manna in the Desart that I may heare it as thy word I may gather it and lay it in the store-house of mine heart against the yeere of famine Gen. 41.48 and giue me thy grace that vpon thy holy day I may proclaime thy prayses with the rest of the Saincts This day let me breake my bread to the hungrie seeing thou satisfiest me with thy spirituall graces let me cloathe them that are naked visit those that are sicke and that I may so rest from earthly vanities this day that I may moste diligently worke the workes of God that I may gather out the flowrs of thy most holy Scriptures that I may studie to practise which I heare in a godlie life and conuersation so I may redeem the time which I haue spent in vain Eph. 5.16 that I now getting mercie for the abusing of thy
in that Citie but those who are written in the Lambes Booke of Life O that Water of Life Rev. 22.1.2 cleare as Crystall proceeding out of the Throne of God! There is the Tree of Life which beareth twelue manner of Fruites and rendereth Fruite euerie Moneth O! that is the true Land of CANAAN Exod. 3.17 which floweth with Milke and Honey which is promised to the Elect Children O how blessed are those who stand before thee O Lord 1. king 8.8 and heare thee and see the beautie of thine House O howe amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord God of Hostes It is better to bee a Doore-keeper in thine House than to bee a Monarch of the whole Worlde Psal 84.1 As the Hart brayeth after the Riuers of Waters Psal 42.1 so doeth my soule pant after thee my liuing Lord. O my GOD when shall I appeare before thee in Sion Nowe my soule returne vnto thy rest for the Lord will pittie thee and will deliuer thee from this Prison and from these wylde Beastes which vexe thee on euerie side and from sinne which daylie troubleth thee and will bring thee to the sight and fruition of the Eternall Ioye which is in the Heauens O glorious GOD I haue not yet seen the HeaueÌ„s where thâ— Saints are but in the myrrour of the Gospell But I see daylie these viâ—â—ble creatures and the Firmament NOTA. If there be such beauty in the outward part of the heauens what is within which are euen the workes of thine owne hand Then if there bee such beautie in the outwarde partes of thy Palace O LORD what will wee looke for in thy Gabinet O my GOD as often as I beholde these outward Heauens then let mine heart inward affections be mounted vp by an holie desire and meditation that the eye of my soule may pierce thorow these thy visible workes euen to the companie of my Brethren the First-borne and to that innumerable number of Angels and Sainctes Oh bee thou my Guide O my LORD and bring mee through the perils of this Wildernesse vnto thine heauenlie Palace euen for the merites and blood of IESVS CHRIST thy well-beloued Sonne our Sauiour AMEN A MEDITATION Vpon the LORDES thirde Dayes Werke IN the Creation of the third Day there bee two principall thinges to bee obserued First The manner of the Creation by separation of the Waters whereby were created two Elementes the Water and the Earth Next The Blessing of GOD. Since there is no difficultie in the wordes I will obserue foure thinges First That so long as those two Elementes were in the confused Chaos so long they were both vnprofitable and each one hindered other but assoone as they were separated Confusion is vnprofitable they were both fruitfull Euen so is it yet where Anarchie hath place either in Church or Policie there shall bee no Blessing in neither of them But happie is that Church and Common-wealth where all thinges are ruled by order and no place is left to confusion Gods blessing inricheth Next the Earth was created barren God spake the worde and it fructified If this was the estate thereof before Sinne howe much lesse nowe beeing subject to a curse will it bring foorth anie good thing without GODS Blessing God prouided for his creatures before they were Thirdlie yee see that God blessed it with Cornes Trees and Fruites for the sustenance of Man and Grasse for Beastes before he made anie of them He prouideth the Milke in the Breast of the Woman as a liuelie fountaine before the Childe be borne Then if he was so prouident before Man was made will he neglect vs Much more when they are when wee are made to his owne Image Let vs seeke him truelie and doubt not Fourthlie there is a treasure which God hath hidden in the Earth for Man Golde and Siluer to inrich him Coales Wood and other firing for his heate Stones for his Building c. and on the face of the Earth Gods hidden treasures should prouoke vs to thankefulnesse Cornes Hearbes Trees Wines Oyles and varietie of crearures both for his pleasure and profit When wee behold daylie these good benefits let vs be drawne by each one of them to thankfulnesse of our Creator Let vs seeke the right vse of them that wee spende them not vpon sinne Finallie by these earthlie blessings call to minde the spirituall Riches Seeke spiritual riches and Foode of our soules that wee may not labour for the foode that perisheth but for that Foode which doth endure for euer Iohn 6.27 A PRAYER Vpon the LORDES thirde Dayes Worke. ETernall God and most louing Father as thou increasedst this thy hudge workmanship of the Worlde and hast created the Earth vpon this third Day so I beseech thee to increase thy Spirit within me and create in my barren colde and earthly heart fruitfull considerations to thy Majesties Glorie O Lord as thou preparedst in the seconde Daye the Heauens to bee the Citie of our remaining so hast thou ordained and established the Earth to bee the place of our Pilgrimage and wandering as the people of Israel were in the Wildernesse fourtie yeares before they came to the land of Promise Similitude Yet O Lord the Earth is thine and the fulnesse thereof There is no constant abiding to me in this Earth I lodge heere in tents I wander now heere now there helpe me poore Pilgrime in this desart place that I may finde thee a Pillar of Cloude in the day to couer me Exod. 13.21.22 and a Pillar of fire in the night and darknesse of this world to illuminate me to see the way to Canaaâ— Thou openedst a fountaine to Hagar the Bond-woman and her childe Gen. 21.19 when they were steruing for thirst I am not the childe of the Bond-woman but of the free-woman Open the fountaine of the House of Dauid and giue me of the water of life and satisfie my soule with the fatnesse of thine house Ezech. 13.1 Iohn 7.38 Psa 39.12 I am a Stranger heere on Earth as my Fathers were before me Let me not walke then as a stranger among the Philistims and Babilonians If I were a citizen and a man of their owne Ioh. 15.19 they would loue me But because I am not of them neither follow them nor their manners therefore they hate me My Mothers sonnes and familiar friends count me a stranger they stand farre from me Psal 69.8 in the day of trouble Draw thou nigh vnto me when they goe farre from me Iob 19.14 Wilt thou leaue a poore Suckling to die him alone in this wildernesse Though my Father and Mother forsake me yet thou wilt gather mee vp I am a Widow for my Lord and Husband is with thee Psa 27.10 I am his Turtle Doue lamenting mine alone till I see him Bring me thorow the straits of this Pilgrimage Psal 42.7 I steppe out of one deepe to
signifie Some Planets but each one of them hath a seuerall office and compleateth his course in his appointed time as the Sunne and Moone doe and haue their particular operations vpon the inferiour creatures As for the Comets they take their name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Comets which is called the haire because they seeme to carrie as it were haire about them of whom Plinius maketh mention in his second Booke of his naturall historie and twentie fiue Chapter The ends of their creation Simil. As for the ends of their creation First the Sunne was created to rule the Day the Moone the Night So this darke and blinde world is ruled by the light of Christ and of his Church which is illuminated and directed by him But I maruell how the Church of Rome can call her selfe the Sunne and the Princes of the world the Moone for if she be the Spouse of Christ then must she be the Moone of whom is spoken in the Scripture and Christ must be her Sunne So in comparison of her the secular persons are the Earth I maruell likewise of these against whom Ieremie and the rest of the Prophets so oft speaketh who thinke that their life and the events thereof still depend vpon the Starres or Plannets which is a manifest idolatrie putting them in Gods place NOTA. But let vs learne that the superiour creatures haue so power ouer the inferriour bodies that wee leaue all the euent of them to God Against the curiositie in searching our euents 1. Sam. 28.18 the maker and guider of all let vs seeke his fauour depende on his prouidence without any curious searching of our euent lest wee receiue the answere of Saul A PRAYER Vpon the LORDES fourth Dayes Worke. GRACIOVS GOD and mercifull Father who hast filled the Heauens with such infinite Lightes vpon this fourth Day inlighten mine vnderstanding I beseech thee that I may see thy power and thy glorie in these thy good creatures and through them as through spectacles let me look in to the Father of Lights Thou hast created the Sunne who by his beautie and bountie hath adorned the whole Earth As the Sun shineth on the bodie pray that Christ may shine on the soule hee ariseth each morning on my bodie so I pray thee that the Sunne of Righteousnesse the Sunne Iesus Christ may shine vpon my darkened minde euerie daye and houre and chase away the cloudes of ignorance and of sinne from my soule that thou mayest shine brightly in me Woe is mee my Lord howe manie times hath the Sunne shined vpon mee and as Absolom before the Sunne committed wickednesse 2. Sam. 16 22. so I before the Sunne in the pride of my wicked heart haue often times sinned against thee O my Father and therefore I confesse that I am not woorthie that the Sunne should shine vpon mee O Lord Iesu spreade thy Mantle ouer mee that thy Father beholde not my wickednesse Thou puttest light in the Sunne that hee may shine therefore Lord put knowledge and vnderstanding in mee Thou hast put hotnesse in the Sunne Oh warme mine hart with thy loue that through the loue I beare to thee I may also breake foorth in the loue of my Neighboures And as the Sunne runneth constantlie in his course at thy commaundement so Lord let mee run all my dayes in the path of thy Law for hitherto I haue run as a wylde Asse in the broade way of destruction yea I brayed after the desires of sinne psal 42.1 as the Hart doeth after the Riuers of Waters and nothing could haue satisfied mee vnlesse I had obtained my sinfull desire Now Lord haue mercie vpon me draw my feet out of the vnhappie way of sinne let me runne with as speedie a course in the way of thy seruice Let vs bee more diligēt to serue God than wee were before to sin against him that as Sainct Paul thy seruaunt was more diligent in thy employment than he was in the destruction of thy Church so I may be more busied in thy honourable seruice than I was in seruing mine owne affections and in the seruice of Sathan Alace O Lord howe slow am I to doe thy seruice But if thou wilt drawe mee I will run after thee Oh drawe mee by the Cordes of thy loue Cantic 1.3 yea rather than I should lie behinde force mee with the Cordes and Whippes of thy visitation that I may learne to runne a quicker swifter pace than I haue done heeretofore But alace NOTA. that the Sunne which is a senselesse creature should neuer bee wearie and that I should so soone bee tyred in seruing of thee The Sunne constant in its course O louing Father stirre vp a constant zeale of thine honour in mine heart I beseech thee that as I goe forwarde in yeeres so I may make greater progresse in godlinesse O LORD when I see the Sunne and the Moone and the Starres c. which are the workes of thine owne hands O then I thinke with my selfe What is Man that thou shouldest visit him or the sonne of man that thou shouldest magnifie him For albeit the Sunne were in the highest top of its beautie glorie yet it is but my seruant and likewise the Moone The Sunne serueth vs let vs serue GOD. and the Starres Then fye vpon mee if I shall not in whatsoeuer estate I am serue thee O my gracious God who hast made so glorious creatures for my vse LORD I pray thee let my light so shine before men that all who beholde my conuersation may take occasion to glorifie thine holie Name O Father of Lightes lighten thou my Candle that it may shine clearelie and furnish it with the Oyle of thine holie Spirite and Worde that it may shine euen as a bright Morning Starre in thy Kingdome Thy seruant Paul O Lord 1. Cor. 15.41 sayeth that there is one glorie of the Sunne and another of the Moone and another of the Starres It is true there is great diuersitie amongst the Sainctes heere on Earth and likewise great difference of glorie in the Life to come But O my God let mee shine but as the least of thy Starres that I may bee fixed in thy Firmament and giue out my light of knowledge and good life vnto this darke Age. The Moone knoweth the time of her change and as shee changeth so doe all the inferior creatures with her for all men are grasse and there is no steadfast abiding for them heere But O Lord heerein is my comfort The Moone changeth but God can not change Ps 90. ◠6 Psal 90.2 Luke 1.5 that there is no shadowe of changing with thee Thou art from euerlasting to euerlasting yea my God thy kindnesse and trueth abideth from generation to generation euen vnto such as feare thee and attende vpon thy mercies and goodnesse O vnchangeable God I finde none alteration with thee for although men runne
Beastes and get the names of such Beastes whose fashions and conditions they are moste addicted to followe They are called Lyons Rauens Beares Bulles of Da-shan Swyne Dogges Vipers c. The couetous Pastours are called dumbe greedie Dogges who cannot barke and neuer are satisfied Issachar is compared vnto a wylde Asse which concheth betwixt two Burdens and Dan vnto a Serpent and there are manie of the Trybe of Dan which byteth the Horse heeles and the ryder also And albeit there bee manie Adulterers and Murderers of the Trybe of Dan which shall enter into Heauen yet the Serpent-kynde of the Trybe of Dan shall not come there Plinius sayeth that there are three kyndes of Serpentes One which killeth all Strangers and spareth Countrey folks Plin. lib. 8. cap. 59. another which killeth Countrey folkes and spareth Strangers and the third which spareth none of them and there are people of all these sortes But I marke one thing in the Serpent wherein it differeth in crueltie from all other Beasts A remarkable marke of the Serpit against Man for the Lyon and Wolfe seeke after Mens Blood for the loue of the Bloode wherevpon they feede but the Serpent which feedeth vpon the Dust out of an hatefull desire of naturall reuenge thirsteth after Mans Bloode albeeit it getteth none other gaine thereby but onelie the satisfaction of her cruell minde representing manie deuilish and serpent-like people Nota. who albeit they get none other commoditie by the destruction of godlie persons yet they holde their selues satisfied that they haue gotten the malicious intent of their wicked heartes brought to passe Man of greaâ—est price is made last Now when the Lord had furnished his House with store of al good things as a louing and carefull Father hee builded an House to his Sonne and he â—illed it with all plenishing Simil. and then hee putteth his Sonne into it as God placed Man Hee maketh Man with aduisement Let vs make Man sayde the Father to the Sonne and to the Spirit Gen. 1.26 For this aduisement telleth vs that the Creation of Man is more than the Creation of the whole Worlde for Man is called a little Worlde because in him is comprehended a worlde of wonders in his Bodie and Soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When hee sayeth To our Image then hee clearlie designeth the Trinitie of the persons Trinitie by the worde plurall And when hee sayeth Image in the singular Vnitie then he noteth the Vnitie of the substance The Image of GOD standeth not in the bodilie representation Wherein Gods Image standeth Isa 40.18.20 c. but in the giftes of the mynde therefore it is a grosse Idolatrie for Christians who knowe God to bee an infinite Spirite to close him within the compasse of a finite Image or to picture him with coloures who is capable of no qualitie Levit. 26.1 and which hee himselfe dischargeth by his Lawes For his Image standeth in Righteousnesse and Holinesse Mercie and Loue. GOD made Man and Beast of one substance The substaÌ„ce wherof wee are made should teach vs humilitie euen to teach vs humilitie and if wee had not soules wee differ verie little from Beastes But the power of God appeared so much the more who could produce out of so base a Subject such a glorious Workemanship As the cunning of the Artificer is much more admired Simil. who out of a base matter can worke fynelie than of a strong Mettall Then Mans bodie being so artificiallie made he breathed in him an heauenlie substance which is a spirit as God is who can neyther bee seene nor felt As the Heauens are more excellent than the Earth The wonderfull vnioÌ„ betwixt the Soule the Bodie and could worke without it which the Earth could not doe without the Heauens so can the Soule without the Bodie prayse God as it doeth in Heauen which the Bodie could not doe without the Soule In this life they haue mutuall operations the Soule directeth and the Bodie is directed the Bodie is blinde without the Soule and the Soule would bee creeple without the Bodie Let the Soule therefore commaund the Bodie in those thinges which are lawfull and let the Bodie obey the good direction of the Soule which both being made vp to the Image of GOD they may represent Him in all their actions A PRAYER Vpon the LORDES sixth Dayes Worke. O Lord God Father of Mercies and God of all consolation looke downe vpon mee I beseech thee with the Eyes of thy mercie and sithence thou hast created Man vpon the sixth Day create mine heart anewe and anoint it with a fresh remenberance of thy power and goodnesse that I may become a newe creature Vpon the fifth day thou plenishedst the Aire with Birdes and the Sea with Fishes innumerable Genes 1.21 and now the Earth yeeldeth all sortes of Beastes likewise euen to mans vse and they are brought vnder subjectioÌ„ that I might bee free they lay downe their liues for mee that I may liue by them and albeit both I and they bee made of one substance yet thou hast preferred mee aboue them all and hast put them vnder my feete Psal 8.6 so deare am I vnto thee I thanke thee O Lord that thou of thine vndeserued mercie and loue hast made thy choyse of mee Nota. God made choyse of â—s let vs â—herefore make choyse of God Genes 2.20 Oh Lord cause mee to make mine onelie choyse of thee Amongst thy creatures there is none like vnto thee Adam could not finde one equall to himselfe amongst all thy creatures till out of himselfe thou madest one like vnto himselfe O Lord there is nothing in Heauen nor in the Earth can satisfie my soule thou art the perfection of beautie thou hast giuen me the rest giue me thy selfe without whom neither the creatures visible nor inuisible will content mee Yet seeing it pleaseth thee that they should be appointed to feede cloathe and ease me make me the more able by them to goe forwarde in thy seruice let not that malediction and curse fall vpon mee Let vs beware that wee fight not against the Lord with his owne benefites that I should fight against the God of my life with his owne benefits to whom I am so infinitly oblished for his gracious gifts bestowed on me O Lord I haue receiued some new comfort in the day of my tryall when for my humiliation it pleaseth thee to punish me with pouertie then Sathan biddeth me turne the stones into bread as he did vnto Christ and seeke vnlawfull meanes for my reliefe But Matth. 4.3 Lord augment thou my fayth and let me depende vpon thy promises that I may build vpon them as vpon a sure Holde and speake boldlie with thy seruant Dauid The Lord is my sheepheard I shall not want Psal 23.1 No Prince of the Earth can say this word Nota. but a poore christian depending vpon thee may
last at afternoone meditate vpon the word which thou hast heard harow the ground by conference and visit the sicke breake thy Bread to the hungrie thou shalt find such infinit occasions of spirituall exercises vpon the Sabbath that thou hast no neede to spende it ydlie for lacke of better exercise Great differance betwixt Rest and Ydlenes But it is to be vnderstoode that there is a great difference betwixt Rest and Ydlenesse for ydlenesse is euer taken in an euill part and is the foster-mother of all sinne and there is no day in the weeke wherein God hath permitted it Sixe dayes shalt thou labour sayeth the Lod. Exod. 20.9 2. Thess 3.10 And the Apostle Paul dischargeth to giue foode to those who worke not But Rest is euer taken in a good sense when we are commanded to cease from one sort of exercise that we may be occupied in a better for the thornie cares of this world wil impede deuotion therefore God willl that we lay them aside for a while to the ende we may the better waite and attende vpon Gods diuine Seruice Wherevpon vpon it followeth necessarilie that the Sabbath is not only abused by such as worke their earthly businesse thereon but also by such as cease in bodie and their mindes and mouthes are filled with worldly affaires Then this Rest consisteth in two things ceasing and working must be the most diligent day in the whole weeke Spirituall rest both in regard of the soule that hath her principall operation that day and the ende of her labour which is God his kingdome which only wee should seeke that day This Rest must be totall and not partlie The Sabbath dayes rest must bee totall and not parted for the soâ—le all the faculties thereof and the bodie with her members must bee put to worke for Gods glorie Wee must not employ our cogitations to think vpon these earthly thinges Haue not our mindes beene worne as Milstones grinding gaine to the world these dayes bygone The Beast careth but for things present Simil. but thy care hath bene for things to come thou wilt serue God this day with thy mouth and thy god Mammon with thy mind God esteemeth and judgeth thy seruice from the inwarde disposition of thine heart as he doeth all things for he looketh not as man doth God judgeth of maÌ„ by his heart 1. Sam. 16.7 If with thy heart thou drawest neare vnto him then thou hast obserued his Sabbath for the heart will carrie thy body which the bodie cannot for thy soule will goe where she pleaseth albeit the bodie be in the Temple of God Next vpon the Sabbath it is required that our hearts and affections be spirituallie disposed with a delight and pleasure in the Lord. Heerefore the Lord craueth by his Prophet that his Sabbath should be a day of delight Isa 58.13 for there is none action which a man inteÌ„deth with hope of gaine or pleasure albeit it bee painfull that hee hath not delight into but specially in the works of sinne which Sathan baiteth with wonderfull delights If we haue taken such pleasure in the seruice of sinne whose ende is death shall we not rejoyce when we goe to the house of our God seeing only that seruice which is done with joy of the heart on the Sabbath is acceptable to God and profitable to thy soule What shall we thinke of such Recusants who will not heare the voyce of their Bridegroome Recusants damned such as for feare come to the Church Simil. neither will come to the Sanctuarie of God or of such who for feare of lawes for shame or custome doe come I will compare them to a shrewde wife married to an Husband who refuseth to him cohabitation and if sometime she be enforced to come to his societie she signifieth by her countenance and outward behauiour that her heart is not with him and therefore is not worthie that he should delight in her As also those Christians of whatsoeuer estate they bee which vse their games and pastymes on the Sabbath Gamesters rebuked whether in the house or in open albeit the one is more offeÌ„siue thaÌ„ the other yet in themselues they are both sinful for in so doing they declare howe little delight they haue in things which are better 1. King 3.24 Simil. Then yee would cut the child in twaine as the whoore would haue done but the Lord to whome the Sabbath belongeth sayeth Either giue me the whole day or take it all to thy selfe The Lord is the Lord of the Sabbath it is his owne day the rest he hath giuen to thee take of thy sixe dayes and robbe not him of his one As the Rod of Aaron swallowed vp the Rod of the inchanters of Egypt Simil. Exod. 7.12 so let the delight of God deuoure all other pleasures And as wee must make conscience of our thoughts and all actions so wee must beware of ydle speaches on his Sabbath Ydle speaches on the Sabbath for if the tongue bee a most noble member when should it bee occupyed in his seruice if not on the day of his rest will not thy tongue finde in that infinite God Nota. infinite matter of speach of the proofes which thou hast had of his power fauour wisedome justice patience c that thou needest not for lacke of spirituall purpose to talke ydlie Besides that his word is an Ocean of matter furnishing thy tongue so well to sing his prayses And so on the Lordes day let vs speak the language of Canaan Further Isa 19.18 we must not goe our owne wayes or doe our will the way which hee hath prescribed vs to goe is to his House and to visit the sicke indigent and not to goe make our merchandise vpon this day The people of Israel went out to seeke Manna vpoÌ„ the sabbath Exod. 16.27 but they found nothing neither shal our Sabbath erraâ—ds find any benediction So on the Lords Sabbath let our mindes our members On the Sabbath let all our members bee occupied in Gods seruice cease from the world and much more from sinne that wee may meditate vpon the Lawe of God Our eyes may beholde his works glorifie him in them our eares may heare his word our tongue may proclaime his praise our knees may bow downe and worship him we may lift vp our hands to heauen our feete may goe to his house so all may concurre in his majesties Sabbath to his honour The promise which God giueth if we obserue it is That we shall mount vp to the high places of the earth Isa 58.14 this is temporall and he will feede vs with the heritage of Iacob our father this is spirituall Godlinesse then hath the promise of this life and the life to come Godlinesse hath a twofolde promise for there is no doubt but the diligent seruice of God vpon this day shall procure a