How to begin each Day.

IN the Morning when you awake, accu­stom your self to think on God; or something in order to his Service; let thy fist thoughts be for Him, who made the Night for Rest, and the Day for Travel; who has given thee rest, pre­served thee while thou slept, and renews his loving kindness to thee [Page 5] every morning; thank­fully acknowledge the Mercies thou hast re­ceived, and earnestly pray for those thou standest in need of. Prayer is the best Key to open the Morning, and the surest Bar to shut up all at Night. A Heart early perfumed with Gods presence, will sa­vour of him all the day after.

Arise as early, as the necessity of thy Body or Mind will permit; ac­cording to the Example of our Blessed Saviour, Joh. 8.2. Matth. 1.35. This Practice will be for [Page 6] the Health of thy Body, for the advantage of thy Spiritual and Temporal estate; hereby thou wilt have the day before thee, and gain the fit­est season, and large Por­tions of time, for the exercise of Religion, and works of thy Calling: besides, thou wilt be more able and active for any employment. Too much Sleep hurts the Brain, dulls the Wit, im­pairs the Memory, and makes a man more sloth­ful; like the Drunkard who becomes more dry, through excess.

The time betwixt your waking and arising may profitably be employed in occasio­nal Meditation.

While your Body is dressing, (not with effe­minate Curiosity, nor yet with rude Neglect) let your Mind address her self to her ensuing Task, bethink what is to be done, and in what order: and because eve­ry day thou shalt surely be assaulted by the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, fail not to put on thy Spiritual Armour, [Page 8] prescribed Ephes. 6. from the 12. to 18. that thou mayest be able to resist. Consider what temptati­ons thy Business or Com­pany are most like­ly to lay thee open to the day following, and Arm thy self with Re­solution against them: And again, what occa­sions of doing Service to God, or Good to thy Neighbour, are most likely to present them­selves; and resolve to embrace them.

And Lastly, thou may'st consider thy self with thy Equals either in Estate, Age, or other Circum­stances, [Page 9] what are thy particular failings, what thy Natural Infirmities, what those things are in thy Words, Actions, Be­haviour, and whole man­ner of Life, which di­minish thy Reputati­on, and make thee less than thy Equals; and what thy aims and ends are, with the Rules of Life thou hast set thy self.

This is likewise a fit time to call to mind what Rules we are to ob­serve in our Apparel; That they be for Health, Honesty, Comliness: that we go rather with the lowest, than high­est [Page 10] of our Place and Qua­lity. That the Fashion be neither Strange, Im­modest, Singular, Ridi­culous, nor we the first in it. That neither the making nor wearing sa­vour of Pride, Lightness, Curiosity, Lascivious­ness, Prodigality, Co­vetousness; but such as becomes Holiness, Wis­dom, and Honesty; fol­lowing the Example of those of our own Rank, that are most Sober and Discreet.

Directions for Clo­set Devotion:
And first for Reading.

HAving thus begun the Day, that thou mayst walk with God the remainder of it, it will be needful first to renew thy peace with God, and then keep it. To this end as soon as thou art ready, (if una­voidable necessity hinder not) retire to thy Closet, and there in a more so­lemn manner offer thy morning Sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiv­ing, according to the [Page 12] Command, Matth. 6.6. And that these may be the better performed, prepare thy self by Read­ing, and Meditation; for though these be di­stinct Exercises, yet are they most properly joyned together, since they mutually help and assist each other.

That day is lost, where­of some time is not im­proved, in searching Gods Holy Word, those Divine Monuments: o­ther Books thou mayst turn over out of choice; this thou must read out of Duty, Luke 16.29. They have Moses [Page 13] and the Prophets, let them hear them: And John 5.39. Search the Scri­ptures: And Deuteronomy 31.11. Thou shalt read this Law before all Isra­el, that they may hear it, that they may learn, and fear the Lord God, and keep and observe all the words of this Law: So also the 6. and the 61. And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thy Heart, and thou shalt rehearse them continually to thy Chil­dren, and shalt talk of them when thou tarriest in thy House, and as thou walkest by the way, and [Page 14] when thou lyest down, and risest up: Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be as Frontlets between thine Eyes; also thou shalt write them upon the Posts of thy House, and upon thy Gates.

First therefore, when you read this Word, lift up your Heart to God for his Leave and Bles­sing, for the Spirit of Understanding and Wis­dome, that your Mind may be more inlightned, and your Heart more strengthen'd with Grace, by it; for this Word is Spiritual, and contains [Page 15] the hidden things of God in a Mystery: in which respect, 'tis a Sealed Book to those that have not the help of the Ho­ly Spirit. Then you read the Word aright in­deed, when you have the same frame of Heart as the Holy Pen-men had in the Writing of it.

Read the Word with Hunger and Thirst after Knowledge, and growth in Grace: and as the means ordained of God for this end.

Read it with a Reve­rend and Humble, with a tractable and honest Heart, trembling at the [Page 16] Judgments against Sin­ners, rejoycing at the Promises made to the Pe­nitent, willing, and re­solving to obey the Com­mands. This is the best help, and Art of Memo­ry: for exceeding Joys, Griefs, Hatred, and De­sires, &c. do leave the deepest impressions upon us; we do not soon for­get the Sicknesses and Pains we have gone through, and the shortest Wit can remember where he laid his Gold.

Compare your ways with the Word, bring them to the Rule, see how they and that agree, [Page 17] be thankful for any Con­formity, humbled and grieved for any Failing, fly to Christ to make your Peace, and resolve to look better to your ways for the time to come.

Advise about, and re­solve upon the means, to bring all into practice; especially those Duties which are laid before thee in thy present read­ing; Observe the very expressions of Scripture, for they are very useful in Prayer, and do often carry a secret Emphasis in them, that will great­ly comfort, and affect the Heart that considers them.

In reading still keep Jesus in thine Eye, as the End, Scope, and Substance of all the Scripture, in whom they all are Yea, and Amen.

Meditate on, and strive to find out the meaning, and mind of God, in each particular Scripture: and to prevent mistake and wresting of Scripture to your hurt, get first a clear know­ledge of the Grounds and Principles of Christian Religion, and indeavour to frame your Life ac­cording to the more easie, and known Scriptures. Secondly, Be much in [Page 19] hearing the Word read in Publick, and Interpre­ted by a Learned, and Faithful Minister: Let not God's publick Ordi­nances be either con­demned or neglected, for the sake of Reading, Prayer, or any other private Duty. This will rather bring a Curse, than a Blessing. And, Lastly, as above, Che­rish an humble and ho­nest Heart, resolved to obey when you know God's Will, Joh. 7.17. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the Do­ctrine whether it be of God.

There is not in the World such another Book, as this Book of God; no Word of like Authority, Holiness, Wisdom, true Eloquence, Power, and Eternity; no Book that aims at Gods Glory, and the Salvation of Mans Soul, like this: It discovers our misery by sin, with the perfect Remedy; it propounds perfect Hap­piness to us, and affords the Means to attain it: 'Tis mighty, through God, to prepare for Grace; 'tis the immor­tal Seed to beget us unto Christ, the Milk and [Page 21] strong Meat to nourish us up in him, and the only Physick to recover the Soul from all Spiri­tual Diseases. By it Christ giveth light to the Blind, hearing to the Deaf, speech to the Dumb, strength to the Weak, health to the Sick; yea, by it he doth cast out Devils, and raise Men from the Death of Sin. This is that Book alone, that contains all the rich Legacies be­queath'd us by our dy­ing Saviour: 'Tis his last Will and Testament, Sealed with his own Blood, Heb. 9.15. This [Page 22] is the Magna Charta, or Great Statute Book of the Kingdom of Heaven; containing in it all the mighty Priviledges and Immunities of Gods Children. 'Tis the Ham­mer, the Fire, the Sword, the Plow, the Seed, the usual Instrument the Ho­ly Ghost makes use of, to build up, pull down, to plant, purge, and cleanse; by it we have an Inheritance among them that believe, and are Sanctify'd, and Pre­sented to God, without spot or wrinkle. In short, 'tis the Perfect Rule of Faith and Man­ners. [Page 23] Let any Man but seriously and impartial­ly consider the Precepts contained in the word of God, he shall assuredly find the best Direction in the World, for all kind of Moral and Di­vine Wisdom: There are not in all the other Books of Morality toge­ther, so sound, deep, certain and evident In­structions of Wisdome, (yet most strictly joyn­ed with Innocency and Godliness,) as in this one Book.

Of Prayer.

PRayer is a Religious representing of our Will, and pouring out our Hearts before God; 'tis the Souls Pulse, and shews the state of the Heart: If Spiritual Life be weak in us, our Pray­ers will be so too. We do not pray to God, that we may make known our desires to him, as if he were not acquainted with them, for he un­derstands our Thoughts afar off; neither that we may move him to ac­cept and grant our de­sires, [Page 25] for with him there is no Change, or Shadow of turning: but that we may by our Prayers ob­tain that of him, which we believe he is willing to bestow; Prayer be­ing a necessary means, both for God's Glory, and our good, 1 John 5.14. This is our Confi­dence which we have to­wards God, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

When therefore thou art about to pray, First look into your present State, and inquire how all things stand between God and you; mark [Page 26] whatsoever occurs be­tween your set times of Prayer, the Providences of God, or Sleights of Satan, what sins you have committed, what Graces you want, and what Fresh Favours God has bestowed.

Tune thy Thoughts and Affections, wind and Screw them up, when thou comest to Duty. This is that Zo­phar advises, Job 11.13. to prepare the Heart, and then to stretch forth the Hands.

When you are about to address your self to God in Prayer, Fix your [Page 27] thoughts upon some par­ticular Subject to inlarge upon. There is no questi­on, if you observe your condition well, but you have somtimes one er­rand to God, somtimes another: whether it be to confess some predomi­nant Sin, to beg Pardon of, and Power against. You may have in your Eye some Grace which you stand in more than ordinary need of, and observe your own weak­ness, and defect in. Run not out into Generals on­ly, for you cannot speak to God of all things at one time; but consider [Page 28] the Present Case of thy Soul, and what business you have to go to God about at that time: in a particular manner en­large your thoughts on that Subject, and follow it home, till you feel your heart warm'd and affected.

Implore and expect the Spirit's assistance, and let thy whole heart be engaged in this work.

See what thou dost be according to Gods will, and have a Warrant from his Word: A Command is our Warrant, a Pro­mise is our Incourage­ment, and an Example [Page 29] our Tract, the Foot­steps of the Flock where­in we must walk.

Improve your Advo­cate: This is the Princi­pal part of all our Reli­gion, and especially of Prayer, to depend whol­ly upon the Righteous­ness, and Intercession of Christ Jesus, for access to, and acceptance with God.

Be not slight, for­mal, and cursory, in calling your Sins and Duties, Cods Favours and Promises, into a bare and Fruitless re­membrance: if the Heart be not affected with Anger, Fear, Grief, [Page 30] and Shame, for Sin; with Joy, and acknow­ledgment of being be­holden to God for his Favours, with Hope and Confidence in him, in remembrance of his Pro­mises; if it be not gain'd to a new Resolution to Reform what is Faulty, and to endeavour after more exactness, all your preparation is nothing: Nay, Sin will gather Strength upon you thereby; like idle, Stur­dy Vagrants, who, when brought before the Ma­gistrate, if he either say little to them, or on­ly give them threat­ning [Page 31] words, but never makes them smart for their Offences; they grow thereby ten times more insolent & lawless.

Keep up Spiritual Frames out of Worship; the Fire was to be kept alive upon the Altar, when Sacrifices were not Offer'd, from Morning till Night, from Night till Morning, as well a in the very time of Sa­crifice. One well advi­ses, to be such out of Worship, as we would be in it: any thing that does unhinge, and dis­compose our Spirits, is inconsistent with Reli­gious [Page 32] Services, which are to be perform'd with the greatest sedateness and gravity. All irre­gular Passions disturb the Serenity of the Spirit: and tho they be allay'd, yet they leave the heart some while after, like the Sea, rolling and swelling after the Storm is ceased. Ill company leaves a Tincture upon us in Worship. Ephra­im hath mixed himself with the People, Hosea 7.8. He is a Cake not tur­ned. This will make our Hearts and Lives half Dough, as well as half Baked. These, and the [Page 33] like, make the Holy Spi­rit withdraw himself, and then the Soul lies like a Wind-bound Vessel, that can make no way: When the Sun departs from us, it carries its Beams along with it; then Darkness spreads it self over the Earth, and the Beasts of the Forest creep out.

Be much in Secret E­jaculations to God: These are the purest flights of the Soul, that have more of Fervor, and less of Carnality. As frequent sinful Acts strengthen habits of Sin; so frequent Religious [Page 34] acts strengthen habits of Grace.

Excite and exercise particularly a Love to God, and a Dependance on him. The Soul that loves God, when it has to do with him, can mind nothing else dur­ing such Impression.

Nourish right appre­hensions of God in thy mind. Consider thou art drawing nigh to God, the most amiable Object, the best of Beings, wor­thy of infinite Honour, and the highest Affecti­ons thou canst give: a God that made the World by a Word, that [Page 35] upholds the great frame of Heaven and Earth, a Majesty above the Conceptions of Angels. View him in his Great­ness, and Goodness, that your Heart may have a true value of the Wor­ship of so great a Maje­sty, and count it the most worthy employment to attend upon him. A Fear of God will make your Worship serious; a Joy in God, durable; your Affections will be rais'd, when you repre­sent him in the most re­verential, indearing, and obliging Circumstances. We Honour the Maje­sty [Page 36] of God, when we consider him with due Reverence, according to the greatness and per­fection of his Works: And in this Reverence of his Majesty, does Worship chiefly consist. Preserve a strong Sence of the Omniscience, and Omnipresence of God, who Judges thy inward Affections, and is as really present with thee, as if he were Visible.

Take heed of inordi­nate desires after the World: it dulls the Word, and stifles all Spiritual breathings af­ter God in Duty.

Be deeply sensible of thy present wants, and the supplies thou mayest have in Worship. It is pardon thou desirest? Apprehend then the blackness of Sin, with the aggravations there­of, as it respects God: be deeply sensible of the want of Pardon, and the worth of Mercy; indea­vour to get your Affe­ctions into such a frame, as condemned Men would be, and as you have seen some dying Men have. Consider thou art now at the Throne of Gods Grace, but must shortly be at [Page 38] the Bar of his Justice: indeavour to stir up the same affections now, the same fixedness and ear­nest Pleading for Mer­cy, which thou mayest suppose forlorn Souls will have at Gods Tribunal.

If thou couldest ap­prehend God as an an­gry, and offended Judge; or didst see the riches of his Mercy, and his glorious out-goings in the Sanctuary, the bles­sed Doles he gives out to those that Spiritually at­tend upon him: both the one and the other would make thee perform thy Duty humbly, sincerely, [Page 39] earnestly, and affectio­nately; waiting upon him with thy whole Soul, to have Misery a­verted, and Mercy be­stow'd. Christ does not present any Man's Case and Duties without a sense of his wants; and shall we our selves have none of our own?

Affect thy Heart with what supplies thou hast had in former Worship. The Israelites would not have been at leisure for Idolatry, had they pre­serv'd the Sense of the Majesty of God, disco­vered in his late Thun­ders at Sinai.

If any thing intrudes that may choke thy Worship, cast it speedi­ly out: We cannot hin­der the Gnats from buz­zing about us, when we are in our Business; but we may prevent them from setling upon us.

Lay hold on the most melting opportunities: when thou findest thy Heart in a more than or­dinary Spiritual Frame, look upon it as a call from God to attend him. Such Impressions and Motions are God's voice, inviting us into Commu­nion with him, in some particular act of Worship; [Page 41] and promising Success in it, Psal. 27.8. Be not always pouring out Words in Prayer: Pause, reflect upon, and indea­vour to affect thy Heart, with all thou sayest; in silence wait for the e­lapses of the Spiriti.

Examine thy self at the end of Worship, and chide thy self for any Carnality thou percei­vest; review thy Duty, and examine the reason why thou wert so low, and Carnal. If any un­worthy Frames have sur­prised thee in Worship, seek them out after­wards, call them to the [Page 42] Bar, make an exact Scrutiny into the Causes of them, and let thine An­ger and Indignation be raised against them, that thou mayest prevent their incursion another time: Apply the Blood of Christ by Faith for thy Cure; and draw strength from his Death, for the Conquest of them. Also be humble for them; for God will lift up the humble. Daily exami­nation is an Antidote a­gainst the Temptations of the following day; and constant examinati­on of our selves after Duty, is a Preservative [Page 43] against vain incroach­ments in following Du­ties.

Labour especially af­ter these two things: To see the wants and im­perfections that are in thy best Prayers, and abhor them; and in thy greatest defects, see if thou canst not find some­what of Gods Spirit, that so thou mayest be truly persuaded in both, That God will through the Merits of Christ pardon thy Wants, and accept the Work of his own Spirit. 'Tis a dangerous thing to think that God likes our Prayers well, [Page 44] when we do so, seeing they have unseen defile­ments which pollute them: or on the other hand, to be perswaded that God rejects them when we dislike them.

In short, Diligently watch and keep thy self from all Sin, especially Surfeiting and Drunken­ness; Luk. 21.34. and 53. Which make the Heart dull and heavy: Indeavour to grow in all God's Commands, and Faith in all his Pro­mises: Keep in thy heart a Catalogue of thy own Sins, Wants and Infir­mities, together with [Page 45] the sins and wants of the Land, with the To­kens of God's wrath due thereto: Look at God's Holiness, and what Holiness he re­quires in Thee; and then at thy own un­worthiness of those things thou beggest of him; thy Necessity, and Danger. For sins that thou art in danger of, because strongly in­clined to them; ask the overcoming of them, using all the means there­to, and avoiding the oc­casion: so for any Grace you want, Importune God after the same [Page 46] manner Never trust so much to thy Pray­ers, as to neglect any other means ordain'd by God for the obtaining of what thou desirest; But use them still more conscionably: neither ever trust so much to other means, as to neg­lect Prayer.

And thus having of­fer'd up thy Prayers to God, and committed thy self, and Cause to him, quietly rest in his good pleasure; accor­ding to the Example of Hannah, 1 Sam. 1.18. and David, 2 Sam, 12.20. Doubt not but God [Page 47] hath heard thy Prayer, and in due time will grant what shall be most for his Glory, and thy Good: This is the mea­ning of the word Amen. Look after thy comings in, and gettings by Pray­er; I will direct my Pray­er, saith David, and look up.

How we are to con­ceive of God in our Devotions.

HOw to conceive of the Deity in our Prayers and Meditations, is both the deepest Point of all Christianity, and [Page 48] the most necessary. So deep, that if we wade into it, we may easily drown; but can never find bottom: So necessa­ry, that without it, both our Persons, and servi­ces are Profane, and Ir­religious.

We are all born Idola­ters, naturally prone to fashion God to some Form of our awn: whether of a Humane Body, or of an admirable Light; or if our mind have any other more likely and pleasing Image. There are as many carved Ima­ges of God, as there are Minds of men: and as [Page 49] Monstrous shap [...]s as those corruptious into which they would Trans­form him. Hence all Idolatry sprang: Men set up vain Images of him in ther Fancy, be­fore they set up Idola­trous Representations of him in their Temples. The likening of him to Idols of Wood and Stone, and various Metals, was the fruit of an Idea e­rected in their own minds. Hence also all Superstition receiv'd both its Rise, and Growth: When we Mint a God according to our own complexion, [Page 50] like to us in mutable and various Passions, soon angry, soon appeas'd, 'tis no wonder we invent ways of pleasing him, after we have offended him, and think to expi­ate the Sin of out Soul, by some Melancholy Devotions, and self-Chastisements. Super­stition is nothing else, but an unscriptural, and unrevealed dread of God: When men imagin'd him a rigorous and severe Master, they cast about for ways to Mitigate him, whom they thought so hard to be pleas'd. All the Superstition this [Page 51] day living in the World, is built upon this Foun­dation: So natural it is for men to pull down God to their Imaginati­on, rather than raise their Imaginations up to God, Hence arises all the diffi­dence of his Mercy, tho' they Repent; measu­ring God by the con­tracted Models of their own Spirit: as tho' his Nature were as difficult to pardon their Offences against him, as they are to remit wrongs done to themselves. And hence also all Presumption, the too common Disease of the World, springs: [Page 52] All the Wickedness that is in the World, is no­thing else but a presu­ming upon God; arising from the ill interpreta­tion of his Goodness, breaking out upon them, in the Works of Crea­tion, and Providence. God's Patience is appre­hended to be an appro­bation of their Vices: and from the considera­tion of his Forbearance: they fashion a God that they believe will smile upon their Crimes. Psal. 50.20 A God they Fancy like themselves, that would do as they would do: not be angry for what [Page 53] they count a light Of­fence. How does the unclean person represent him to his own thoughts, but as a Goat; the Murderer, as a Ti­ger; the sensual Person, as a Swine: while they Fancy a God indulgent to their Crimes, with­out Repentance?

First then, away with all these wicked thoughts, these gross Devotions, and without any mental Reservation, conceive of God Purely, Humbly, Spiritually, as of an ab­solute Being, without Form, without Matter, without Composition; [Page 54] yea, as Infinite, without all limit of thought: let our Hearts Adore a Spiritual Majesty which we cannot com­prehend, but yet know to be; let us think of him, as one whose Wis­dom is his Justice, whose Justice is his Pow­er, whose Power is his Mercy; and whose Wis­dom, Justice, Power, Mercy, is himself: As Good, without Quality; Great, without Quanti­ty; Everlasting, with­out Time; Present e­very where, without Place; containing, all things, without Extent; [Page 55] and when our thoughts are come to the heighth, let us stay there, and be content to wonder in si­lence; and since we can­not reach to conceive of him as he is, let us be careful we conceive not of him as he is not.

But, besides this awful apprehension of the Dei­ty, we are to conceive of three Persons in one Essence; not divided, but distinguish'd. There is nothing wherein the want of Words can grieve us, but in this: here alone, as we can A­dore, and not conceive; so we can conceive, and [Page 56] not utter. Think here of one Substance, in three Subsistences; one Es­sence, in three Relati­ons; one Jehovah, Be­getting, Begotten, Pro­ceeding. Let our thoughts here walk wa­rily, the path is narrow; and the conceit either of three Substances, or but one Subsistence, is Dam­nable.

Yet all this will not avail us, if we take not our Mediator with us; if we apprehend not a true Manhood, gloriou­sly united to the God­head, without change of either Nature, without [Page 57] mixture of both; whose Prisence and Merits must give passage, ac­ceptance, and Vigour, to our Prayers.

Thus in Prayer God is to be known and con­sider'd of, the distin­ction of Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and Ordinarily our Pray­ers must be directed to the Father, by the Son, through the help of the Holy Ghost: John. 16.23. Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Ephes. 5.20. Rom. 8.15,27. We call God Abba Fa­ther by the Spirit which [Page 58] makes Intercession for us. For such is the Divine dispensation of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spi­rit, that tho' they are but one indivisible Essence, and whatsoever any one does out of himself, the very same do the others also; yet they sustain different Persons and Offices, (as we may say), and do the same things in different and distinct Order: yet so as the na­ming of one does not ex­clude, but necessarily in­clude, the other. In Pray­er, the Father sustains the Person and Place of him that is offended by [Page 59] sin, that must be ap­peas'd; and does hear, and grant Requests: 1 John. 2.1. If we sin, we have an Advocate with the Father. The Son supplies the Place of a Mediator, and Inter­cessor, by whom Re­quests ascend, and be­come acceptable to the Father: John. 16.23: Revel. 8.3. He is the Golden Altar, upon which the Prayers of all Saints are Offer'd, and ascend as Incense. John 14.6. No man can come to the Fa­ther, but by me. He is appointed of God, to us; and, being both God and [Page 60] Man, is a fit, and all­sufficient Mediator be­tween God and Man: without him no man's Person, or best Actions, by reason of their many Imperfections, can be ac­ceptable.

The Holy Ghost does supply the Office of a Teacher and Assistant, to help our Infirmities, and in us to make our Intercessions and Re­quests for us, that they may be Offer'd to the Father, by the Intercessi­on of the Son: Rom. 8.26. We know not what to pray for, as we ought. If the Spirit do not work [Page 61] together with our Pray­ers, there would be no goodness at all in them: no, not so much as Truth and Uprightness, with­out which Christ will not offer them to his Father for us; therefore Prayers must be made in the Spirit, and through his help.

And thus Christ, by the Office of his Medi­ation and Intercession, is an Advocate to his Church, and does in Hea­ven apply his Merits, and further the cause of our Salvation, with his Father. And the Spirit also is an Advocate, by [Page 62] Energy and Operation, by Instruction and Assi­stance, by his Counsel and Inspiration inabling us to manage our own business, and plead our own Cause: he does not indeed interceed, nor ap­pear before God in Person for us, as Christ does; but makes Intercession in, and by our selves, giving us access unto the Father, imboldening us in our Fears, helping us in our Infirmities, and bringing those things which were blotted out, and forgot, into our re­membrance: Ephs. 2.18. Hebr. 10.15.19. Admoni­shing and Directing us John 14.26. [Page 63] how to order and soli­cite our own business, what Evidences to pro­duce, what Witnesses to prepare, what Offices to attend, what preparati­ons to make, against the time of hearing. And lastly, he makes up Failings by his Wis­dome, and gathers Ar­guments to further our Suit, which we our selves observ'd not. So when we know not what to Pray, nor what to do, when in our own ap­prehensions the whole business of our Peace and comfort lyes a blee­ding; the Spirit does [Page 64] then help our Infirmi­ties, presenting Argu­ments by secret intima­tions, by deeep and un­expressible groans, unto him who is the Searcher of hearts, and who knows the mind of the Spirit, which we our selves cannot express. Thus as an Infant cries and complains, for want of sleep, and yet knows not that it is sleep which he wants; as a sick man goes to a Physician, and complains that some Physick he wants, but knows not the thing he asks for: So the soul of a Christian, by the [Page 65] assistance of the Spirit, is incourag'd to request things of God, which yet of themselves do pass the knowledge and understanding of those that ask them. Rom. 8.26. Ephes. 3.19. Phil. 4.7. 1 Cor. 14.13. Hence the Holy Ghost call'd another Comforter, be­cause he supplies the Cor­poral absence of Christ, Joh. 14.16. brings him down to a Christian, Forms him in his heart, evidences him, and the Virtue of his Passion and Resurrection, in the powerful dispen­sation of his Holy Ord­nances: therefore when our Saviour speaks of sending the Holy Spirit, [Page 66] he adds; I will not leave you Comfortless, I will come to you: when the World sees me not, you see me. John 14.18,20.

Now because of this Order of the Deity, the Father being first, and because of the different Places they sustain in the work of our salvation; the Counsel and Will of all three is, That the Father should be Pray'd unto, and Worshipp'd in the only Mediation of the Son, through the Ho­ly Spirit: and therefore the Father is fitly nam'd alone; because the Son, by Voluntary dispensa­tion, [Page 67] has the Part of a Mediator, and the Holy Spirit the Office of an In­structor, teaching us what to Pray.

In Wishing the ef­fecting of things, it is not necessary to name a­ny Persons; 1 Chron. 4.10. Oh that thou would'st bless me indeed, and in­large my Coast. Somtimes 'tis lawful to name in­definitely; Acts 4.24. Lord, thou art God, who hast made Heaven and Earth. It is lawful also, Act. 22.24 when we name Persons, to name only one, or two: provided we name not one, as excluding [Page 68] the other two; nor two, as excluding the third. 2 Cor. 13.14. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. The Apostles begin their Epistles thus: Grace and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 7.59. Stephen pray'd, Lord Jesus receive my Spirit. If we exclude the other, while we fix our heart upon one; our Prayer is Sin: if we re­tain all, and mention but one, we offend not. Last­ly we may name the [Page 69] Spirit before the Son, and the Son before the Father, Revel. 1.4.5. and Saint Paul more than once names the Son before the Fa­ther; Now our Lord Je­sus Christ, and God, even the Father, comfort your hearts. 2. Cor. 13.14. 2 Thes. 2.16.

Here we may add the Rules we are to observe in calling upon God. As first, that we call upon him, by those Titles by which he has been pleas'd to make himself known unto us in his holy Word. That we consider of him in Pray­er, as an All-sufficient [Page 70] God, and see in him the things we desire. Ephes. 1.17. The Saints still set God be­fore them, as having that in him for which they pray. Acts. 4.24. We must call upon God by such Names, Titles, and Descriptions, Psal. 86.15,16. as are most apt to in­flame Desire, stir up Re­verence, confirm Faith, or incourage the Heart; according as our necessi­ty and disposition do re­quire. If many and ge­neral requests be to be put up; then such Titles and Names must be used, as may perswade us we shall be heard in all. If particular requests be pre­sented, [Page 71] then choice is to be made of such Titles and Names, as may help the heart in that parti­cular. Gen. 24.12 Acts. 1.24. Ps. 94.1. 2 Ch. 20 6 Dan. 9.4. Isa. 64.8. It is necessary for one that would make a good entrance into Pray­er, to acquaint himself with the true understan­ding of the manifold Names and Descripti­ons of God, recorded in Scripture; and then to make choice of such to name him by, as are specially to be exercis'd in granting his request, and most fit to incite Reverence, and confirm Faith. Lastly the express Command of God for­bids [Page 72] to Worship him by any Image, or Simili­tude. Deut. 4.16,17. Exod. 10.4. And he himself, in many places of Scripture, shews how severely he will punish them that give his Glory to dumb Idols.

Of Family Govern­ment.

I If thou art Master of a Family, be watchful over thy Charge, with all diligence and faith­fulness.

Instruct thy Children, and Servants, in the knowledge of God.

Pray with them, and for them:

Bring them to Gods Ordinances.

Prevent, and remove, all occasions of their hearing, seeing, or doing Evil.

But above all, be sure to go before them in a good Example. If a Master be a Swearer, Drunkard, or the like, 'tis madness for himever to expect a Sober Family: his House shall be a Den of Swearers, Drunkards and Whore­masters, &c.

Augustus his Court is fill'd with Scholars; Tiberius's with Dis­semblers, [Page 74] and Julian's with Apostates.

Duties relating to our Calling.

YOur Closet-Devo­tions, and Fami­ly-duties, being per­form'd, we are in the next place to set about the work of our Calling: The Law impos'd upon Adam binds all his Po­sterity; In the sweat of thy Face thou shalt eat Bread, till thou return unto the Ground.

First then, adventure [Page 75] not on any course, with­out good assurance that it be in it self Lawful; Acts. 9.25. Ephes. 4.20.

Make not a Calling of that, which was never made to be one. There are many things Lawful to do, which are not Law­ful to Live by: Lawful as Delights, and Recrea­tions; which are not Lawful as Callings.

Resolve not upon that for thy Calling, which is rather hurtful, than profitable to the Com­mon-wealth.

Chuse that Calling which is fittest for thee: when thy Inclination, [Page 76] Education, and Gifts, concur in one and the same Calling; that is e­ver so.

If thou art altogether averse to that Calling, for which thou hast been bred up, and design'd; choose then the nearest of kin to it that thou canst like, that so thy e­ducation and time may not be lost: Thus one bred: up for the Ministry, may make choice of some other Profession that hath to do with Learning; as Law, Phy­sick, or the like.

Ever begin, and end all thy Works with Pray­er, [Page 77] begging God's bles­sing on thy Labours, and commending all thy indeavours to him that must either wither, or prosper them: Likewise upon any unexpected ac­cident, or when thou doubtest what to do, go to God for direction; make known, and com­mit thy Case to him: he hath not only wis­dom for thy Salvation, but for thy outward di­rection. too.

Carefully avoid all Covetousness; whereby men design no farther end, than the meer ga­thering of Wealth and [Page 78] Riches. This is the root of all evil. Would'st thou remedy it? Re­strain thy Affections from the World; keep thy desires within Com­pass; and, as the Scrip­ture terms it, without [...]ousness, being con­tented with what thou hast, Heb. 13.5. La­bour to see a particular Providence of God in all things that come to pass, and befall thee: Health or Sickness, Riches or Poverty, Liberty or Bondage. He raiseth up, and pulleth down; he only giveth Power to get Wealth, and taketh [Page 79] it away again at his plea­sure: He Ruleth the Kingdoms of the Earth, and giveth them to whom he pleaseth. As­sure thy Conscience that God is thy Father and Portion, and that all things befall thee by his holy Will, and Father­ly Providence and Ap­pointment: Seek no more than the things which are necessary and sufficient, even Food convenient. And lastly, raise your. Affections from the World, to bet­ter things.

As carefully shun all Injustice; whereby men [Page 80] abuse their Calling, to the hurt and hindrance of others. Luk. 19.8. For prevention, consider this Sin is against the express Word of God; 1 Thessal. 4.6. Let no man oppress, or defraud his Brother in any mat­ter; For the Lord is the avenger of all such things: Tit. 2.11. That it makes all our Worship and Service a­bomination; Esay. 1.13. to the 17. That the Curse of God it the practice of it; Deut. 25.16. Thou shalt not have in thy Bag two man­ner of Weights, a great and a small; nor in thy [Page 81] House divers Measures: But thou shalt have a right and a just Weight, a perfect and just Measure shalt thou have; For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination to the Lord.

Beware of Ambition; whereby men think better of themselves, than there is just cause, be­come malecontent with their Condition, and seek for themselves grea­ter and better Things and Places. Examples of this we have in Adam, and Absalom, &c. One of the best Remedies in [Page 82] World for this Disease of the Mind, is the seri­ous consideration of our selves, what we are, in respect of our Bodies, but Dust; in respect of our dispositions, altogether set on Sin; and in our Places and Callings, at best but weak and worth­less Instruments in the hand of God: the mea­nest of ten Thousand.

Be not evercome with Envy; let not thy heart pine away to see others placed in a better condition, than thy self: Consider, that all can­not have Rich, Easy, and Honourable Employs; [Page 83] the necessity of the whole requires that some should drudge in baser and mea­ner Offices: the highest Callings were not or­dain'd for the mainte­nance of Pride, or pri­vate benefit of Man; but for the common good. There should be no shame of that, where­of there can be no want: were there none to grind at the Mill, there would soon be none to sit on the Throne. Grudge not thy own Lot; for not the meanest calling, but is a Service unto Christ, Coloss. 3.24. and has a promise of a Bles­sing, [Page 84] 1 Corinth. 12.22. Neither envy thou ano­ther's; for not the greatest, but is attended with Worldly Vexati­ons. Remember, Envy is a denyal of Gods Providence: To be sad at the Temporal Goods or Gifts of another, as counting him unworthy of them, is a reflection on the Author of those Gifts, and an accusing Providence of an unjust, or unwise distribution. This temper is peculiar­ly the product of self-love, which affects the Principality of the World, and the Conduct of God [Page 85] in distributing his Goods; that he must not give, but to whom we please. It seems to be a compa­nion of our fist Parents pride; they envyed God a Felicity by him­self, they would be like him, they would be as Gods: This temper we are all too subject to, Psalm. 37.1.

Shun [...] Impatience; which is a disquietness of mind, arising from the continual troubles that are incident unto all conditions, making men Weary of their Place, and condition of Life. Consider, for [Page 86] Remedy, that the Impati­ence is a contempt of God's Government: La­bor is the condition of our being; we had not been, but that we might be still busy: There is no Art, but has its La­bor; which va [...] in measure, according to the will of the doer: difficulty is not so much in the Work, as in the Agent; that which you complain of, has been undertaken by others, not with facility only, but pleasure: and what you choose for ease, has been abhorred by others, as tedious. Never think [Page 87] to detract from your Business, but add to your Will; besides, Hours never go away so mer­rily, as in the Fellowship of Work: There is a tediousness in doing no­thing. But above all, take heed of fretting at God's management of thy own particular con­cerns: this may lead thee to a cursing God; and is indeed an initial secret swelling against him, and flying in his Face, Isa. 8.12,21. He shall curse his King and his Gods.

Guard thy self especi­ally against those sins [Page 88] which by reason of thy Vocation, course of Life, and conversation, thou hast the greatest, and strongest inticements un­to: thus the Courtier's sin is to make a God of his Prince, 2 Kings 15.18. The Souldier's sin, to abuse his weapon to private Revenge, Luke. 3.14. The Lawyer's sin, to betray, or delay his Clients Cause; The Judg­es sin, to pervert Judg­ment, or refuse to do Justice, through Fear, or Favour, or Reward: E­very Calling, as it hath its Mystery, so its special sins, and Snares, which [Page 89] the Devil and Custom, for gain, or Credit among wicked men, hath made to seem not only law­ful, but necessary; such as a man can hardly shun, without exposing himself to censure. Look therefore narrowly to the light of Scripture, to find out these sins; and then as carefully avoid them.

Be diligent in thy Calling: The Sluggard de­sireth, and hath nothing; but the diligent hand maketh rich. Perfecti­on comes by leisure; no excellent thing is done at once. Do not [Page 90] all thou canst at one time, but take new dayes: where the heart is unwilling, prorogati­on hinders; but where there is no want of de­sire, delay sharpens the stomach; and that which we do unwillingly leave, we long to under­take.

Be sober: Fly not out, and start beyond thy proper calling, 2 Sam. 6.6. While you keep your self in your Place, you are under God's special Protection, as the Bird in the Law, Deut. 22.6. But whensoever thou run'st out of God's [Page 91] Protection, thou may'st justly fear his desertion: and if Satan once find thee idle, he will labour to employ thee in some of his works.

Be Chearful; Seri­ously thinking on the Condition of thy Being: The Bird was made to Fly, and Man to Labour. Be Provident; let not thy opportunites slip, neither be thou circum­vented, and ensnared by Fraud, Falshood and Sure­tyship.

Use Truth, Plainness, and Equity: Love thy Neighbour as thy self, observing that Royal [Page 92] Law, the Standard of all Justice, To do unto others, as thou would'st others should do unto thee. Matth. 7.12.

Above all labour e­ver to retain in thy heart a habit of Religion that may keep you al­ways as in the presence of God.

Prefer those Actions of thy life that most con­cern thee, be sure to mind them most, to do them first; let other things of less moment give place to these. Let every business have its due time; and then think of it sufficiently and [Page 93] to purpose, remitting and checking all other thoughts and cares at that time as unseasonable and interruptions.

In all thy designes of temporal advantages, keep thy Expectations and Hope low, clog them with suspicions, abate­ments, and allays; o­therwise thy expectati­on will not only cheat thee, but render the good thou shalt attain insipid, because less than what thou didst expect.

The idle man, that for want of a course to live in, impoverisheth himself and Family, such [Page 94] a man is a burden to his Friends, and to the Commonwealth, an Eye­sore to his Kindred, the shame of his Name, and ruin of his House: he bequeatheth misery to his Off-spring, instead of plenty; and instead of giving his Children God's blessing, and his, he pulls upon himself God's Curse, and theirs. I Tim. 5.8. He is worse than an Infidel.

Of Civil Conversati­on.

Civil Conversation is an honest, com­mendable, [Page 95] and Virtuous kind of living in this World: a thing, not only profitable, but necessary, for the perfection of Human life; A most cer­tain Cure to those two great distempers, that grow upon the Mind, through Solitude: A base Abjection, and vain Presumption of spirit. By reason whereof, men become either distrustful of their own Actions, and fearful of other mens Judgment: or else trans­ported wih too good and great an Opinion of themselves, and too low and small an account and [Page 96] esteem of others. Instead of these, it gives a man a certain graceful confi­dence and assurance, without Impudence or Affectation, in all his Actions: It teaches him to be civil, without de­basing himself; and com­plaisant, without Flat­tering others.

some men indeed there are, to whom Conver­sation is a most burden­som, and uneasy thing: 'Tis an intollerable trouble, they say, and kind of Subjection to them, to frame fitting answers to all manner of Talk, and observe [Page 97] such circumstances, as the Quality of Persons, and their own Honor do require. For one man that's tolerable in com­pany, they tell us they meet with more than hundreds, that either through Pride or Igno­rance, through Folly or Ambition, through some unseemly behavior or other, are so troublesom and vexatious, that they find themselves rather Tired than Refreshed by company. But doubtless these men are under a mistake; for what tho' the number of Knaves and Fools, of Lew'd and [Page 98] Vain men, be greater than the accomplish'd and Virtuous, yet ought we therefore to banish our selves the Society of Mankind; and not rather to consort our selves with men of Worth and Virtue, with such as are Pious and good, where­by our minds may be confirm'd and fortifi'd? For it is a most certain truth, that the judgment, we make of our selves, is not our own, but we borrow it from others: and being by divers persons, either by Signs or otherwise reproved for the same fault, at [Page 99] length we are content to submit our selves to the common Opinion of all men, to acknow­ledge our Imperfections, and to frame our selves to do, to leave, to change, to correct, ac­cording to the Judg­ment of other Men.

Our conversation a­mong men is twofold; according to which our behavior must be regu­lated. The one is Gene­ral, Common, and Or­dinary, such as our Af­fairs do daily lead us into; we change from those we know, to those we do not, without our [Page 100] choice, or consent: The other is Special, Affected, and Desired company. In both, our chief care consists in these two things: In the right Go­verment of our Tongue, and of our Behaviour.

First then, let thy revenues be far greater than thy expence. Wise Nature has given us two Ears, and but one Tongue, that we may hear much, and speak little. And commonly the weakest in under­standing delight to hear themselves speak; which gave occasion to the Proverbs, that it is one [Page 101] piece of Wisdom for a man to hide his Folly; That He knoweth not how to speak, that knows not how to be silent: For as words well utter'd shew Elo­quence and Learning; so silence, well kept, shews Prudence and Gra­vity. A Fools voice is known by the Multitude of his words; but he that refraineth his lips is wise. Prov. 10.19. Eccl. 5.3. and 10.14. Words well consider'd, like Money well employ­ed, tend to the profit and advantage both of him that receiveth, and [Page 102] him that disburseth: And as it is not law­ful to Coyn, or Pay out false Money; so is it as unlawful to invent, or speak, what may turn to the Prejudice or Re­proach of others. There are three special seasons, wherein a man ought to speak: And in all o­ther cases, silence is to be prefer'd. First, when things come in question we understand perfectly well. Again, when such matters arise we are ob­lig'd to speak to. And in the last place, when men have a good opini­on of us, and in things [Page 103] they will willingly hear, and easily give credit to us.

Heedfully observe those things that beauti­fy and adorn our speech. The honourable part of Talk is to give occasion, and then to moderate, and pass to something else, to vary in our Dis­course, and intermingle speech of the present oc­casion with Arguments; Tales, with Reasons; as­king of Questions, with telling of Opinions: 'tis a dull thing to Tire and Jade any thing too far, to be too much in any thing: so as to give [Page 104] another occasion of wea­riness. This makes a man cheap, to speak perti­nently to the thing in hand, and agreeably to the Person, is better than Eloquence.

A man must avoid all those things, which make his Discourse less delight­ful to the hearers: He must not be so brief, as to be obscure; nor tire men with superfluous words, and tedious Pre­faces, impertinent Cir­cumstances and Digressi­ons. Discourse is the Image of the Thought, which it ought to set forth so clearly, that it [Page 105] may be seen, and as it were touch'd with the Finger. We shall find upon reflection, that the delight and pleasure, we feel and conceive in a Discourse, proceeds ei­ther from the Images form'd by Words in our Minds; or the resem­blance between the Words and the Things, whose Image they bear: So that 'tis either the truth that pleaseth us, or the conformity be­twixt Words and things. Yet in speech we may observe some persons have so strange a force and sweetness in the [Page 106] delivery of their Words; that, altho they be nei­ther proper nor well pla­ced, yet do so delight our Ears and Minds with their Harmony, that we neither search nor desire any thing farther: while other men, whose Words are more pure and correct, lose their force for want of a plea­sing Voice in delivering. A man ought therefore to be very exact in mea­suring the force of his Voice, that he offend not other mens Ears by raw and harsh sounds: And also careful to fill his Memory with proper [Page 107] Terms; So contriving it, that the Images of things, and their Names be of so strict a Cohe­rence, that the Images and Expressions may pre­sent themselves together. One resembles the Me­mory to a Printing press: A Printer who has no­thing but Gothick Cha­racters, let the Treatise be never so good, can Print it in no other. The same may be said of those, whose Memories are full of nothing but impro­per Terms. A man's Words ought to be Pro­per, Significant, and of efficacy: A Gentleman [Page 108] ought not to make pay­ment with Farthings and Liards, using such ex­pressions as are base and low, and defil'd by the use of the Vulgar People; who, by turning words from their Original mea­ning, to signifie vile and sordid things, have forc'd upon them many and different Images, hereby debasing and pol­luting them.

It is certain, that a Sentence receives its Force and Vigor from the Reputation and Autho­rity of the speaker; the Words and Expressions [Page 109] by which it is utter'd and the Action, and Air of the Countenance, these have their peculiar Charm, which strange­ly influence the minds of men. A graceful Majesty of gesture, and goverment of Face and Countenance, ei­ther in Speech or Si­lence, is of great force and effect, for it gains a kind of Reputation, E­steem, and Reverence, and where that is, al­most every thing becom­eth. There is as well Eloquence of Body, as of Mind; and a man may Cancel the force [Page 110] of his Words by his Countenance.

But to give a more exact and sure Rule sor the Tongue; If thou would'st rightly Govern it, begin with the Heart. The disorders of the Tongue usually proceed from the Distempers of the Heart; Idle words, from vanity of thoughts; rashness of speech, from hastiness of Spirit; boasting, from pride of heart: Out of the abundance of the Heart, the Mouth spea­keth.

Beg of God, that he would be with thy Mouth, as he was with Moses, touch thy Tongue, as he did Jeremy, teach thee at all times, what to say, and put words into thy Mouth; give thee the Tongue of the Learned, as he did Isai­ah; and a door of utte­rance, as he did Paul; that he would circum­cise, and pare off the fore skin of thy Lips, all Superfluous, Foolish, and vain Words, that so thy Language may be pure, and thy Voice sweet; that no sin­ful, idle, nor rash words [Page 112] break forth; that he would delight to use thy Tongue, as an Instru­ment of much service and praise to his Name, and good to others, making thy Words prosper and prevail to all good intents and Purposes. Exod. 4.12. Isa. 50,4. Jere. 1.6. 1 Chr. 1.5. Act. 13.9. As God is Lord over our Tongue, so is he Author of all its gifts.

Mark, and moan for the errors as well of thy Tongue, as Wayes. Joh. 40.6. Once have I spoken, but I will not answer; yea twice, but I will proceed no farther. Keep a good correspon­dence, [Page 113] as between Heart and Tongue, to speak what thou thinkest; So between Tongue and Hand, to do what thou sayest: Pay thy Vows to God, and perform thy promises to Men; and say no more to either, than what thou can'st and wilt do.

Conform thy Mind and Affections to thy Words; indeavour re­ally to be, what thou desirest to seem: A man cheats not the World so much as Himself, when he strives to seem grea­ter, wiser, or better than [Page 114] he really is, and covets to be esteemed a Wise, Just, and Pious man; but neither cares or endea­vours to make himself possessour of these Virtues. 'Tis impossible this man's designs should take effect.

Labour for Patience, and moderation: Be slow to Speak, and slow to Wrath, trust not thy self, without the grea­test watchfulness, to speak of those Persons, who have wrong'd, or injur'd thee; lest Envy, Malice, or any other bitter Ingredient insen­sibly mingle themselves with thy Words. Reso­lutely [Page 115] arm thy self a gainst all Passion of Joy, Anger, and the like; but be sure thou never speakest when thou art in any: Not only the Wicked, as Rabshakeh, Nabal, and Herod, but even the most Holy, when transported with disorder'd Passions, have broke forth into unad­vised speeches: Moses, and David, overcome with Anger, Job with grief, and Peter wth Joy, could not com­mand their unruly Tongues. Nothing more exposes a man, more be­trays and surprises the [Page 116] Powers of Reason, than Passion; which is bred and nourish'd, by Pride, Folly, and Self-love.

Be not too positive in affirming any thing, lest thou prove mistaken: and if thou hast erred, perse­vere not in it, think it no shame to submit to truth, but rather rejoyce that thou hast found it.

Be not too fond of your own Opinion, nor concern'd, if others differ from you, and do not so much regard what you say, as you imagin they ought: make not ap­plause your end; let neither it, nor distast, [Page 117] have too great an Influ­ence upon you in any thing, or Power either to exalt, deject, or raise any unruly Passion in thee.

Consider alwaies be­fore thou speakest, what thou art about to say, and to whom; Be not over hasty, and inconsi­derate, either in thy Speeches or Actions; Pause and Deliberation do many times discover many Ingredients of Wisdom and Prudence, requisite to the choice of Words and Actions, and the manner of doing them: Never run into any conclusion, how [Page 118] quick so ever thou may­est be in any matter of importance, suddenly. How many Witty men have fallen into great er­rors, because they would not give themselves time to think, nor their Ima­ginations time to cool, whereas calm and flow men, who pass for dull in the common estimation, as they search after truth with more deliberation, so they find it out with more certainty.

In all disputes, and pleading of Cases, or the like, Prov. 15.28. use but few words, and those as sig­nificant and expressive, [Page 119] as the matter will bear, and home to the point, and as much as possible, shorten the excursions of other men about circum­stances of no moment, keeping them still to the main Hinge of the busi­ness.

It doth greatly add to a man's Reputation to have good Forms. The Exercises in Universities and Schools, are of Me­mory and Invention, either to speak by heart, that which we have set down Verbatim; or else to speak Extempore: Whereas in Action there is little use of either of [Page 120] these; but most things we utter are neither Verbally premeditated, nor meerly Extemporal; therefore Exercise should be so fram'd, to take a little breathing to con­sider the Heads, and then to set and form the Speech Extempore. This may be done either with using Notes, (for in most Actions they are al­low'd) or else with­out them.

Speak not the evil thou knowest of any man; blame the Action, not the Person, unless lawfully called by Au­thority, or to those [Page 121] whom it concerneth thee to Reform and Reclaim, or when the conceal­ment may make thee guilty, or accessory, or to prevent certain dam­mage to thy Soul, Bo­dy, or Estate of thy Neighbour; or lastly, when some particular, remarkable Judgment is upon a notorious Sinner, that God may be ac­knowledg'd in his just Judgments, and Sinners wain'd from such practi­ces.

Impart to no man the evils thou hast heard spoken of him, neither bring any thing to light, [Page 122] upon which Scandals may ensue.

Seek to stop evil Di­scourse, by a timely and wise turning of it to the lawful affairs of this life; for where Religion will not be admitted, these things may take place.

Let not others see that thou know'st their defects, ill actions, or hard thoughts they have of thee, or such as thou lovest, or any offence committed against thee; neither the good affecti­ons they bear to thy Ene­mies.

Make good use to thy self of all things that [Page 123] fall out in Conversation: mark every passage and circumstance, and lay up, and appropriate whatsoever is commen­dable; and indeavour to imitate wise men, not only in their words and manner of delivery, but even in their common behaviour, so far as it will become your Place and Person. All the profit we reap by con­versation, flows from the diligent observation, and imitation of others.

Envy no man his due and just praise, as if it abated thy esteem: ra­ther rejoyce, to hear a­nother [Page 124] man well repor­ted of. Not only stop thine Ears, but set thy Speech and Countenance against whispering De­tractions from thy Neighbour's good name. And if thou canst not without danger by word reprove men, let thy Countenance, Si­lence, and contrary Ex­ample, testifie thy dislike. Let the Good thou seest be matter of content, thankfulness to God, and thy own imitation: And the Evil, of Grief, Humiliation, and War­ning.

When men report good of thee; if it be true, repress such dis­course as wisely and sud­denly as thou canst: And if not, indeavour to make it so. When men report evil of thee; be not so inquisitive who rais'd it, as to make good use of it to thy self: this evil does not arise without Gods Pro­vidence. 2 Sam. 16.11. And tho' the report be false, in respect of such or such a Fact; yet consider whether thou hast not run into the appearance and oc­casions of those evils; and let this humble [Page 126] thee, and make thee more circumspect. La­bour to see Gods wise and good Providence; not only in discovering the Folly and Malice of wicked men, who raise and take up an evil Report against thee with­out cause; but in giv­ing thee warning to look to thy self, lest thou deservest thus to be spoken of. Great is the advantage thou may­est receive, by the wise improvement of the Rai­lings and Revilings of an Enemy; for tho' he be a bad Judge, he is a good Remembrancer: [Page 127] and you may hear from him those things, which Friends and Flatterers will never admonish you of.

Wrong no man, ei­ther in his Life, Name, Chastity, or Estate: do all the good thou canst, according to thy ability and opportunities, even to thy very Enemies, and forgive all the wrongs men do unto thee.

Let your Actions be always suitable to your Person, Place, and Qua­lity; and then you need never be ashamed whoso­ever be your Judge.

So frame your self to the Time, and Com­pany, as neither to serve them, nor sullenly neg­lect them; yielding so far, as may neither be­tray Goodness, nor coun­tenance Evil; Measure in a just Ballance, and maintain both thine own Honour, and the Repu­tation of others. Learn rightly to distinguish be­tween men, and not pro­miscuously respect all alike: be not in bondage to their Faces, or Fan­cies; neither dismantle or expose thy self to their scorn or injury, by too much goodness or [Page 129] facility of Nature: this sets the fairest Gloss upon a man. It is a point of great wisdom to keep our affections undiscover'd in compa­ny: If thou concealest thy own Judgment, thou shalt the better discover another man's Opinion.

Apply your self so to your Superiors, as to convince them of the af­fection and esteem you bear them, and demon­strate that you do it not out of Facility, but Re­gard; for nothing inga­ges the affections of great men more, than a hand­som and graceful address.

Do nothing that may distaste another man's sense or imagination.

As in Apparel so in Acti­on, a man should know not only what is good, but what becomes him. Our behaviour (which is as it were the Garment of the mind) ought to have the conditions of a Garment: It ought to be such as is in Fashion; not too curious, and cost­ly, but suitable to our Quality; and so shap'd, as to set forth any good faculty of the Mind, and to supply and hide any deformity. Neither should it be so strait, [Page 131] as to strain the mind, or hinder and repress the motion thereof in Busi­ness.

In all thy Associati­ons let this be a general Direction, thorowly ex­amine the Designs and Ends upon which they were contracted; care­fully inquire into thy own condition, and abi­lities, and impartially judge how much thou do'st contribute to the upholding that Amity: and as thou findest thy self of Importance, and subservient to the ends they have in designing thy Friendship, so far [Page 132] value thy self, and ex­pect to be valued; and never imagin, that any man will quit his own particular advantage and profit, to serve thee; or procure thine, on a friendship established up­on mutual convenience.

When thou canst not shun evil Company, in respect of the common affairs of Life, be sure thou givest no advan­tage to them, either to speak ill of thee, or of Religion: 1 Tim. 5.14. let thy Con­versation be honest, un­blamable, and harmless; as soon as possible leave them; and while thou [Page 133] art with them be full of Fear, lest thou fall. Raise thy heart to a lo­thing of their Sin, yet compassionating the Sin­ner: and when ever thou seest or hearest any Wickedness, let it be a grief and vexation of Spirit to thee; Imme­diately lift up thy heart to God, and before him confess it; disdain all li­king of it, and pray to be kept from it. Like­wise beg of God to for­give thy Companion his sin, and that he would grant him the grace to repent.

There is a strange at­tractive [Page 134] and imperious power in all Company, to impoyson and pervert even the best dispo­sitions: By holding fa­miliar correspondence with lewd men, there steals upon a man a se­cret, and insensible dislike of his former sober cour­ses; he begins to censure and renounce his for­mer ways of Inno­cence, as too strict and restraining, and full of unnecessary abridgment. The love he bears mens Persons, lessens daily the dislike of their sins: At first they appear less hainous, then they [Page 135] seem small and Venial; afterwards he thinks them tolerable and ex­cusable, till at last he comes to justifie and de­fend, to approve and practise them.

We have not only Gods repeated Com­mands prohibiting our familiarity with Wick­ed men, Prov. 1.15. 4.14.23.20. Ephes. 5.11 2 Thes. 3.6. but the Pra­ctice and Protestati­on of the Saints against it, 2 Kings. 3.14. Jer. 15.17. 2 Chron. 19 2.20.37. Prov. 29.27 and Gods heavy Pu­nishments inflicted for it. But besides these, it is impossible for Wicked Men directly and hear­tily to love a Christian, [Page 136] when there is no true love even among them­selves. And altho' these Swine and Bears do ma­ny times agree, it is not Peace, but Conspiracy: and any the least mat­ter of Profit, Lust, or Pride, will presently make them rage at, and devour one another. Man is to man, says Ingeni­ous Cowley, all kinds of Beasts; a fawning Dog, a roaring Lion, a Thie­ving Fox, a dissembling Crocodile, a treacherous Decoy, a rapacious Vul­ture: If then we would not perish in the De­struction of Wicked men, [Page 137] we must leave their Tents; Numb. 16.26. Rev. 18.4. and avoid being partakers of their Sins, as we desire to be freed from their Plagues.

Our Special and af­fected Conversation must be with the wise and Virtuous: Especially such as fear God, not only for the Opinion of o­thers, who will ever judge us to be such as our Company is; but for the benefit and advan­tage we shall receive thereby.

Think not thy self too good to learn, even of the meanest Christian.

When thou speakest [Page 138] of the things of God, be Humble, Reverend, and serious, keeping within the Line of thy Calling, and the Measure of Know­ledge and Grace given thee.

Do not wrest, and mistake the Actions, Speeches, or Ends of good men: who, tho' they dif­fer from thee in some Points, yet hold all such as are necessary and fun­damental; rather indea­vour by all means to keep in the unity of the Spirit, by the bond of Peace. Nothing cer­tainly brings more Joy, Comfort or Delight, next [Page 139] to the Communion with God in Christ, than the Actual Communion of Saints, and the love of the Brethren.

Neither trust any se­cret, that may indanger thy Estate or Person, with any Friend, or Servant, whatsoever. While thou art within thy self, thou art safe; but thy Secret once ut­ter'd, makes thee a Bond­slave to him thou trust­est, and leaves thee al­ways to his Mercy. 'Tis certain, never any man reveal'd a Secret of im­portance, of which he did not afterwards re­pent: [Page 140] For altho' he should receive no damage there­by, yet he can never free himself from disquiet. How can a man assure himself his Friend will not disclose that, which he himself (tho' it so nearly concern'd him) could not keep secret? The safest Rule is, so to carry thy self to thy Friends, as persons who may one day prove thy Enemies, and so to thy Enemies, as that thou mayest yet become their Friend.

You shall never find a Friend in your young years, whose Conditions and Qualities will please [Page 141] thee after thou comest to more Discretion and Judgment: And then all thou hast given is lost, and all wherein thou hast trusted such a man, will be discover'd.

Associate thy self with thy betters, at least Peers. If thy Friend be of better Qua­lity than thy self, thou mayest be sure he will be careful to keep thy Counsel; because he has more to lose than thou hast; and again he will esteem thee for thy self, and not for what thou dost possess. Yet remember always, that [Page 142] thou never venture thy Estate with any of those great ones as shall at­tempt unlawful things: for such men labour for themselves, and not for thee; thou shalt be sure to partake with them in the danger, but not of the Advantage and Honour: and to venture a sure Estate in present, in hope of a better in future, is meer madness. Besides, Great men, when they have obtain'd their ends, forget such as have done them Ser­vice; and will rather hate thee, for saying thou hast been a means [Page 143] of their advancement, than acknowledge it.

Such as are thy Infe­riors, will follow thee but to eat thee up. If thou givest twenty gifts, and refuse to do it but once, all thou hast done will be lost; and when thou leavest to feed them they will hate thee, and become thy mortal Ene­mies: Such kind of men the Rich may always have.

Let thy Love there­fore be to the best, so long as they do well; but take heed that thou love God, thy Country, thy Prince, and thy own [Page 144] Estate, before all others; For the Fancies of men change; and he that loves thee to day, may hate thee to morrow.

Observe the wise. Ac­company the honest. Love the Religious.

As soon as Company is broke up, call thy self to a strict account; examine how far thou hast hindred others, or preserved thy self from Evil; what good thou hast either done, or re­ceiv'd; what advan­ces thou hast made, ei­ther in Knowledge, or Virtue; and according­ly let thy Heart either [Page 145] check, or comfort thee.

The Art of making a man's Fortune.
Mostly out of my Lord Bacon.

THis Art chiefly consists of two Points: A right know­ledge of other men, and of a man's self. A wise man ought to pur­chase, and procure to himself a good informa­tion, touching the par­ticular Persons with whom he has to deal; their Natures, Desires, Ends, and Customs; their Helps, and Advantages [Page 146] whereby they are chief­ly supported; their Weaknesses, Disadvanta­ges, and where they lye open, and are obnoxi­ous; their Friends, Facti­ons, Patrons, and De­pendencies; their Oppo­sites, Enviers, and Com­petitors; their Modes, Times, and Critical sea­sons of Access, and the Principal Rules they have set down to themselves; to all which must be joyn'd a nice observa­tion of the particular Actions, which are on foot, from time to time, and as it were hot on the Anvil: For men [Page 147] change with the Action, and while they are inga­ged and inviron'd with business, they are one; when they return to their natures, quite a­nother.

These several ways the knowledge of men may be disclosed: By the Face and Countenance; certainly there can hard­ly be found so excellent a Dissembler, or a Coun­tenance so commanded and forced, that can sever from an artificial Speech these Notes: It will ei­ther be more Slight and careless, or more Set and formal; more [Page 148] Tedious and wandring, or more Dry and reluc­tant than usual.

By their Words: which, tho' they be full of Flattery and Uncer­tainty, yet these two ways may be excellently discover'd: When they are either utter'd upon the sudden, or else in passion. There are few men so true to them­selves, and so setled in their Resolves, but at som time or other, ei­ther out of Heat or Bra­very, Intimate good will to a Friend, Weakness, Trouble of Mind, or som other Passion, that [Page 149] can indure and hold out under these Weights and Tortures, without com­municating and revea­ling their most inward thoughts: But above all, it sounds the mind to the bottom, when simulation is put to it by a counter-dissimulation, according to the Proverb. Tell a Lie, and finde a Truth. But this Rule belongs more to the States-man, than the Christian, and should indeed have its place among the Evil Rules.

By mens Actions: Which, tho' the surest pledges of mens Minds, [Page 150] are not altogether to be trusted, without a Dili­gent and Judicious consideration of their Mag­nitude and Nature. The Italian thinks himself upon the Rack, when he is better used than he is wont to be without manifest cause: Small Favours do but lull men asleep, both as to Cau­tion, and as to Industry.

But the surest Key to unlock mens minds, is, to search and disclose either their Nature and Dispositions, or their Ends and Intentions. The Weakest sort of men, are best Interpreted by [Page 151] their Natures; but the Wise, and more Reserv'd are best expounded by their Ends: Yet cer­tainly 'tis a frequent, and very familiar error with wise men, to over-shoot the Mark, measuring other men by the Mo­del of their own abili­ties, and supposing them to Project, and Design deeper Ends, and Prac­tice more subtil Arts, than ever came into their Heads. There is com­monly less Money, less Wisdom, and less good Faith, than men do ac­count. Princes, being at the top of Human de­sires, [Page 152] and having for the most part no parti­cular ends propounded to themselves, whereto they aspire, especially with vehemence and perseverance, are best Interpreted by their Na­tures.

By Reports likewise we come to the know­ledge of men: And here, Weaknesses and Faults are best learnt from Ene­mies; Virtues and Abi­lities, from Friends; Cust­oms and Times, from Servants; Thoughts and Opinions, from in­timate Confidents. Po­pular Fame is light; and [Page 153] the Judgment of Su­periors is uncertain: For before Such, men are Masked.

But the most com­pendious way is, to have general acquaintance and inwardness with such men, as have most look'd into the World, and are well Versed both in Men and Matters; but especi­ally to endeavour to have conversation and privacy with som par­ticular Friend: who, ac­cording to the diversity of Business, and Persons, is able to give us solid Information, and good In­telligence of all Passages.

That a man know himself, is a Rule of Uni­versal Prudence; and to do so, there is need of very frequent Inspecti­on, we so often forget what manner of Persons we are. Neither must this Examination be par­tial, such a view as men, too much in love with themselves, take but most strict, and exact; ta­king account not only of our Abilities, Virtues, and Supports; but also of our own Defects, In­abilities, and Impedi­ments; ever esteeming These with the most, Those rather with the [Page 155] least. This Politick Glass, wherein a man should view himself, is nothing else, but the State of the World, and Times, in which we live.

The first Considera­tion here should be, How a man's Constitution and moral Temper sorts with the general State of the Times: If they be found Agreeable, he may give himself more scope, and liberty; but if there be any Dissonancy and An­tipathy, then in the whole course of his Life he is to carry himself more close and reserv'd. The next consideration [Page 156] is, How a man may be valued, and how he may deport himself, as he is compared with his E­quals and Rivals, whom it is likely he may have his Competitors; and that he take that course of life, where there is the greatest solitude of able men, and himself like to be most emi­nent.

And in the last place: A man ought to take heed how he guides him­self by Examples, and that he do not fondly affect the Imitation of others, without due con­sideration of all the dif­ferences [Page 157] there may be between the Persons he has chose for his Pat­terns and Examples in their Natures, Persons, &c. For that may be Graceful and Fit for them to do, which in him may seem Ridiculous; and what they may easily accomplish by reason of the sutableness of their natures and tempers, he (tho' having the same opportunities) shall ne­ver bring about.

Nor is the right un­derstanding of a Man's self sufficient; there are other things likewise to be regarded: As first, [Page 158] a man must consult with himself upon a way, how wisely to open and re­veal himself. It is a great advantage, if a man can, by a kind of Art and Grace, set himself forth to others, aptly revealing without dist­ast or arrogance his Virtues, Merits, or For­tune; for tho' Wise and Solemn men may smile at this, and despise it, yet sure it will take with the more Ignorant and Vulgar: and the estima­tion of many will coun­tervail the disdain of a few. Certainly not a few, more solid than [Page 159] windy natures, have suffer'd great prejudice and disadvantage, in point of Reputation and Merit, for want of this Art of bearing up sail in the heights of the Wind.

But the Covering of Weaknesses, Misfortunes, and Disgraces, is of no less importance, than the dextrous and wise O­stentation of Virtues. Defects are conceal'd by a threefold industry, and as it were under three Coverts; Caution, Colour, and Confidence. Caution, is, when we do wisey avoid being [Page 160] put upon those things, for which we are not proper; the great er­ror of bold, and unstay'd Spirits, who thereby publish all their Imper­fections. Colour is, when we do warily and wise­ly make way to have a favourable construction made of our Faults and Wants, as proceeding from a better cause, or intended for some o­ther purpose, than is generally conceived: In­deavouring still to co­ver our defects, by bor­rowing and putting on the Colour of the next bordering Virtues, where­by [Page 161] they may be shadow'd. But the most sure and effectual Remedy is, that a man profess to despise what he cannot attain. There is another kind of Confidence yet more impudent, which is to out-face a man's own defects; to boast and obtrude them upon O­pinion: and to help this again, and that the de­ception put upon others may come off more roundly, he may feign that he had the least O­pinion of himself in those things wherein he is best; but there is nothing, a­vails a man more or, [Page 162] puts a fairer gloss upon him, than that he do not expose his Person to scorn or injury, but right himself in all points, in all things shewing som sparkles, and edge of a Free and Generous Spirit, that carries with it as well a Sting as Hony, keeping always a fortify'd carriage, a prompt and prepar'd re­solution to vindicate him­self from scorn.

A wise man ought to indeavour by all possible means to bend and mould his mind, that it may become pliant and obedient to Occasions [Page 163] and Opportunities; no­thing hinders the ef­fecting of Business, and making a man's Fortune, more, than when men are where they were, and follow their old bent, when Occasions are tur­ned:

We should inure our minds to Judge of the proportion and value of things, as they conduce more or less to our for­tunes, and the ends we intend.

A man ought to look about him on all sides, and observe where things are open, where shut, where easy, and where [Page 164] difficult to be compass'd; and never to overstrain, or misemploy his strength, where the way is not passable.

We must not always expect Occasion, but somtimes provoke it: A wise man makes more Occasions, than be sinds. We may observe in the managing of Affairs, and handling Business, two kinds of sufficiencies: For som can make use of Occasions aptly and dex­trously, but can Plot and excogitate nothing; others, are all for Plots, which they can well urge and pursue, but [Page 165] cannot accommodate. Each of these is imperfect, without the other: We ought therefore to have an eye to our Natures, and Tempers in the ma­na gery of Businese; to know what we are most fit for, and not willing­ly ingage in other mat­ters, which tho' we have never so many Oppor­tunities for, we shall ne­ver bring about.

A man, that would make his Fortune, ought never to embrace any matters which take up too great a quantity of time. The cause why those who addict them­selves [Page 166] to Professions of Burden, as Lawyers, Di­vines, Writers of Books, and the like, are not commonly so Politick in contriving and promo­ting their own Fortunes, is no other than this, They want time, which is otherwise employ'd, to inform themselves of particulars, to wait u­pon Occasions, to de­vise and project Designs, which may conduce to the making of them.

But after all this, we ought not to be so Weak and Foolish, as to imagin, that Fortunes are not to be obtain'd without all [Page 167] this ado; for we know well that they come tum­bling into some mens laps, and a number ob­tain very good ones in a plain way, without any great or painful Art, only by Diligence, Assiduity, and a little Caution intermingled.

In this hot race af­ter Fortune, to cool our selves a little, let us call to mind that elegant conceipt, That Fortune has something of the Na­ture of a Woman; if she be too much woo­ed, she is the farther off. But the best direction is, that we harken to [Page 168] what Divinity and Phi­losophy both teach us should be first sought after: Our Saviour com­mands us, That we seek first the Kingdom of Hea­ven, and the Righteousness thereof; and all other things shall be super-ad­ded: And Philosophy in­joyns somwhat like this. Seek first the goods of the mind, and the rest shall be supplyed, or thou no way prejudiced by their absence. These are som of those, which they call good Arts: As for the evil ones, tho' we ought not to make use of them our selves, yet [Page 169] 'tis not amiss to infert a few of them; that we may know by what Rules som men act, and by what Rules they judge other men move.

As first, Disparage­ment or Detraction, Distrust or Suspicion, Compliance or Neutra­lity, Reservedness or Closeness, Surprisal or Advantage, Irreligion or Atheism.

The Politician need not much care for Vir­tue it self, but only for the Appearance and sha­dow of it in the Eyes of the World: Because the Fame and Credit of [Page 170] it is a help, but the sub­stance hurts; and the use of it is a Cumber. He must by all means make the most insinuating applica­tions to the People, that he can; and lock up his owne Designs under pre­tence for Religion, Liber­ty, Restitution of Laws, Reformation of Cabals and evil Counsellors, Mi­nisters of State &c. If the Supremacy be invaded, the lapses of the Former Magistrate must be incul­cated with the greatest advantage: What is wanting in reality, must be supply'd with Calum­ny. He must hire mer­cenary [Page 171] Jesuits, or other Divines, to cry up his ayms, in the Churches; that so the Poison may insinuate more general­ly into all the parts. If success awaits his enter­prises, he must urge it to Authenticate his Cause. He ought to change with the times. If he find rea­son to impose Oaths, let them be of such ambi­guity, as may furnish with a Sense obliging to the Design; and yet so soft, as the People may not feel the smart. Necessity of State is a very competent Apolo­gy for the worst of Acti­ons, [Page 172] He must wave all Relations, both Sacred and Civil; and Swim to his Design tho' in a Sea of Blood. A gene­ral Innovation contri­butes much to the growth and security of Usurpation. He suppo­ses that men are not rightly and safely to be wrought upon, and bow'd to the Bent of his will, otherwise than by Fear; and therefore he indeavours by all means possible to have every man obnoxious, low, and in streights. His Maximes are, Cadant amici, dummodo inimici [Page 173] intercidant, as the Tri­umviri sold the lives of their Friends, for the death of their Enemies. If once a Fire seize upon his Fortune, he will ex­tinguish it not with Water, but with Ruin. Men are to be deceiv'd with Oaths.

With such corrupt, and pernicious Arts and Posi­tions as these, and others of the same Impression, (whereof as in all other things the evil are more in number, than the good and sound) a man may be more speedy and compendious in the pro­moting his Fortune: But it is in Life, as in Ways, [Page 174] the shortest way is com­monly the foulest; and surely the fairest way is not much about. Men ought therefore in the pursuit of Fortune, to set before their Eyes, not only that general Map of the whole World. That All things are Vani­ty and Vexation of Spirit; But also that more par­ticular Card and Descrip­tion, That Being with­out Well being is a Curse, and that all Virtue is most rewarded, and all Wickedness is most Pu­nish'd, in its self.

Of Recreation, and Pleasure.

IT is one chief point of Wisdom, to know how to temper our Plea­sures, and Sorrows: E­vents will Vary; if We continue the same, it matters not. Let us learn then, by a just survey, to know the due and lawful bounds of Plea­sure; and then neither, to go beyond, nor re­move them. Be acquain­ted with the Quality of Pleasure, and the Mea­sure: many have lost themselves in a Lawful [Page 176] delight, through excess. Could we settle in our selves a right estimati­on of that wherein we delight, and resolve e­very thing into it's first matter, there would be more danger of con­tempt, than overjoy. What is the Human Bo­dy, whose beauty we so admire, but the same Earth we tread upon? What those precious Met­tals we Worship, but Veins of the Earth bet­ter colour'd? and if we look to their end, we shall see Laughter end in Tears, and Death; and Conscience scour­ging [Page 177] with a long smart for a short pleasure.

In Recreations we are to observe all due Cir­cumstances: they must be Decent, becoming our Person, Place, and Cal­ling. They must be sea­sonable, at such times as are allotted, and al­low'd by God unto them: Pleasures must ever give place to Du­ties, and none of our Business must be lost for Sport. They ought to be taken as Physick, or at least as Wine; our Love and Affections must not fix and fasten upon them: for then [Page 178] they will not only con­sume too much of our time, but our Hearts will be unsetled, and our Affections wean'd from Religious. Exercises. When our sports come to that excess, that we tempt others, and hunt, and long for Opportu­nities; when we sit up till midnight, and spend half days, then we have spoil'd the sport; 'Tis no longer a Recreation, but a Sin.

All our Recreations must be without Scan­dal: neither using such before others, at which they have any Scruple; [Page 179] or any unseemly light­ness, Vanity, or Passi­on in them.

Our Recreations ought not to be too costly: not only considering, how many empty Bow­els, and naked Backs, how many distressed Members of the same Body cry to us, even with tears of Blood, for Relief and compassion from our abundance: but the great and exact Account we must e're long give of every Far­thing, how we got it, how we spent it, with what Warrant we kept it.

A good man ought not, for Recreation sake, to consort himself with evil Company: Ephe [...]. 5. Nothing cau­ses more Friendly ac­quaintance and Familia­rity, nothing sooner breeds likeness of Man­ners and conditions, than agreement and commu­nion in the same De­lights: From liking the Pleasure, we come to like our Companion in, it, and from affecting the Man, we come at last to affect his Manners.

Recreation is to be u­sed as a Liberal Exer­cise, and not as a sordid Trade: Gameing is an [Page 181] inordinate Course, which God never appointed, nor blest, to get Wealth; and so is no better, nay rather worse than com­mon Theft; in that be­ing committed by mu­tual agreement, the lo­ser becomes accessory to the Theft of the Win­ner, and is, as well as he, not only a Rob­ber of himself, but of his Family; making both sad and poor, because the Dice turn up an un­lucky Chance.

In all our Recreati­ons we must take care that we forget not God, and be not lovers of [Page 182] Pleasure, more than lovers of Him, Isa. 5.12. 2 Tim. 3.4. And then when our Pleasures exclude not the presence of God, nor the fruition of him; when we have his Blessing on them, and use them without dotage, as in God, from God, and to God, we are safe.

Evening Exercises.

HAving thus walk'd with God, from Morning untill Night, it remains that we con­clude the Day with him. Evening therefore be­ing [Page 183] now come, no Tradesman should be more careful to clear his Shop-board, and shut up his Windows, than we should be to shut up our Thoughts, and clear our Minds. That man shall live miserably, who, like a Camel, lies down under his burden. Be­fore therefore thou go­est to thy rest, retire thy self a little; and, having finish'd thy course of Reading, sit down, and take a strict view of thy whole car­riage the day past: look back, and call Orderly to thy mind the seve­ral [Page 184] places and compa­nies thou hast been in the day past; and how thou hast carry'd thy self in each; examin­ing thy self by thy Thoughts and Affe­ctions, by thy Words and Actions. For in­stance, calling thy self to account, say, Thus much time was spent this day in such a place: Did any Lie drop from me there? Any corrupt, unsavo­ry, rash, and unsuita­ble Discourse? Did no unruly Passion break out? Were my Affecti­ons holy and humble, [Page 185] and my heart chast and pure? My Behaviour Wise, and Courteous, becoming my Place and Person, while I was there? Thus thou may'st run through the whole Day.

In the next place, consider your Religious Duties, and carriage in them; Your Calling, and how you have per­form'd the Duties be­longing to that; your Re­lations, and carriage to them, As a Husband, Wife, Parent, Child, Ma­ster, Servant; Your particular Corruptions, and the Sins you are [Page 186] most inclin'd to; toge­ther with your Temp­tations, and how you have behaved your self in reference to them; Your Talents, whether you have wasted and mispent, or improv'd and employ'd them for the end they were giv­en; Your Providences, what they have been, and how you have, and ought to have carry'd your self under them. In short, whether you have lived by Faith, that is, have fram'd your Life according to the revealed Will of God, the Object of Faith: [Page 187] and whether you have been constant to your own Rules?

Having thus exa­min'd your self, Reform that which you find a­miss: Rejoice, or be griev'd, as you find you have done well or ill; and renew and confirm your peace with God; committing thy Spirit, Soul, and Body, thy Relations, Name, and Substance, to his Tuiti­on by Prayer and Thanksgiving, who a­lone can keep thee in safety.

By this daily exami­nation of our Selves, [Page 188] we gain these two great Advantages: First, Our Repentance will hereby be more parti­cular, not only of cla­morous and more cry­ing Sins, but multitudes of other particulars; eve­ry branch and circum­stance of every Action, every Word, Thought, and Affection, many Sins which otherwise would have been for­got, will by this means be brought to remem­brance, and repented of by us. And again, when ever Death seizes us, we shall have but one day of our whole Life to Ac­count for.

The Christian Ex­ercise, taken out of a Learned Di­vine.

TO keep the Heart in ure with God, is the highest Task of a Christian. Good mo­tions are not frequent; but the constancy of good Disposition is rare, and hard: This work must be continual, or else speedeth not. If this Field be not Till'd every day, it will run out into Thistles. The evening is the fittest for this work, when retir'd [Page 190] into our Selves, we chearfully, and constant­ly, both look up to God, and into our Hearts, as we have to do with both.

To God, in Thanks­giving, then in Request. It shall be therefore ex­pedient for the Soul du­ly to recount to it self all the specialities of God's favour. A con­fused thanks savours of carelesness, and neither doth affect us, nor win acceptance above. Be­think your self then of all these External, Infe­rior, Earthly Graces and Favours; That your Be­ing, [Page 191] Breathing, Life, Mo­tion, Reason, is from him: and that he hath given you a more no­ble Nature, than the rest of the Creatures, excellent Faculties of the Mind, perfection of Senses, soundness of Bo­dy, competency of E­state, seemliness of Con­dition, fitness of Calling, preservation from Dang­ers, rescue out of Mise­ries, kindness of Friends, carefulness of Education, honesty of Reputation, liberty of Recreations, quietness of Life, oppor­tunity of Well-doing, protection of Angels: [Page 192] Then rise higher, to your Spiritual Favours, tho here on Earth, and strive to raise your Affections with your Thoughts. Bless God that you were born in the light of the Gospel, for your Profession of the Truth, for the Ho­nour of your Vocation, for your incorporating into the Church, for the priviledge of the Sacraments, the free use of the Scriptures, the Communion of Saints, the benefit of their Prayers; the aid of their Counsel, the example of their Lives, the plea­sure [Page 193] of their Conversion; for the beginnings of Regeneration, any foot­steps of Faith, Hope, Love, Zeal, Patience, Humility, Peace, Joy for any desire of more. Then let your Soul mount highest of all in­to her Heaven, and ac­knowledge those Ce­lestial Graces of her E­lection to Glory; Re­demption from shame and Death; of the Inter­cession of our Saviour; of the preparation of her place; and there let her stay a while, upon the Meditation of her future Joyes.

This done, the way is made for your Requests. Sue now to your God, as for Grace to answer these Mercies, so to see wherein you have not answer'd them. From him therefore cast your Eyes down upon your self; and as some careful Justice doth a suspected Felon, so do you strict­ly examin your heart of what you have done that Day, of what you should have done: In­quire, whether your thoughts have been se­questerd to God, Stran­gers to the World, fix'd on Heaven? whe­ther [Page 195] Just, Charitable, Lowly, Pure, Christian? whether your Senses have been holily guided, neither to let in temp­tations, nor to let out Sins? whether your Speeches have not been Offensive, Vain, Rash, In­discreet, Unsavory, Une­difying? whether your Actions have been war­rantable, expedient, comely, profitable? whe­ther you have perform'd the particular Dutyes of the day, in your A­waking, Refreshing, Cal­ling, Company, Plea­sures? then see if you have been negligent in [Page 196] watching your Heart, expence of your time, exercises of Devotion, performance of good Works, resistance of tem­tation, good use of Ex­amples, and compare your present State with your former, look Jea­lously, whether your Soul hath gain'd or lost, lost ought of the heat of her Love, tenderness of Conscience, fear to Offend, strength of Vir­tue; gain'd more in­crease of Grace, more assurance of Glory: And when you find (Alas! who cannot but find?) either Holiness decay'd, [Page 197] or Evil done, or Good omitted; cast down your Eyes, strike your Breasts, humble your Soul, and sigh to him whom you have Offended, sue for Pardon, as for Life, hear­tily, yearningly, injoyn your self careful amend­ment, redouble your holy Resolutions, strike hands with God in a new Covenant, my soul for your safety.

Rules for the Night.

THERE's not a moment of our time our own: The Night brings it's Du­ties, [Page 198] as well as the Day. This is a proper Sea­son for Meditation and Prayer; as appears by the many Instances we have in Scripture; Both of David, Psal. 42.8. The Lord will command his loving kindness in the Day-time; and in the Night, his Songs shall be with me, and my Pray­er unto the God of my life: Isa. 6.9. Cant. 3.1. And of the Church. But 'tis then especially our Duty, when we are under any heavy and sore Affliction, in deep Humiliation, or in Suits of great Importance, which we would soli­cite [Page 199] with the greatest earnestness and impor­tunity: Colos. 4.2. 1 Pet. 4.7. 2 Sam. 12.16. Est. 4.3. 1 Kings 2.27. Joel 1.13. In such Cases, it has been an ancient Custom for the Servants of God to abstain from their ordinary Sleep, that so they might watch unto Prayer.

As to Dreams, tho they are not much to be regarded, in respect of any guess can be made by them, yet we are not utterly to neglect them; because we may gain thereby some know­ledge of the tempera­ture of our Body, our natural dispositions, and the Sins to which we [Page 200] are most inclin'd; ac­cording to that saying, The Night shall teach me what I am; the Day, what I should be.

Of Sleep.

IT is as impossible to give a constant and certain Rule for Sleep, as to prescribe the mea­sure of Meats and Drinks: Tho we may as well Surfeit and Sin in the one, as in the other. Nor is the excess of Sleep without its parti­cular evils; being hurt­ful to Soul, Body, and Estate: It robs us of [Page 201] the chief and principal part of our time, the prime of the morning, and makes the remain­der less Serviceable, by weakening our Body, which by moderate rest is refresh'd and stren­then'd; and making us heavy, lazy, and dull, both less able, and less active in any em­ployment. It improve­rishes the Estate, as wise Solomon tells us, Prov. 6.11. 13.4. 20.4. 23.21. and brings the Soul also to Beggery, and want of all saving Grace; ma­king us either utterly to neglect, or else to shorten and hurry over [Page 202] our spiritual Exercise; excusing our Selves with the importunity of our Affairs, and the scanti­ness of our Time, tho' our voluntary Sloth has brought us into these Streights.

Of Temptations.

DIvines usually di­stinguish Temp­tations into Three sorts: Ascendent, or such as rise, or fume up from some stirred humour, or lower faculty within us, that borders next upon Sense, or Affection. Objected, or such as [Page 203] reflect from some out­ward object, baited, and suted to the Organs. Injected, or such as the Tempter immediately affects the faculty it­self with. The danger lies especially in the two first: As to the third, the Devil can do little more, than Trouble in­stead of Tempt. Our Saviour tells us, that the Wicked one came and found nothing in him, and so could fa­sten nothing on him: And his Apostle tells us, if we could keep our selves, the wicked One could not hurt us▪ Joh. 14.30. His [Page 204] power, however great, is limited. It seems lit­tle less than an invasi­on of God's prerogative, and giving the Devil more than his due, to allow him a power of immediate, and impres­sive injection into our minds, without the help of Object, Organ, low­er Faculty, or innate Corruption of our own.

There is not one hour of our Life, in which we do not converse with some Temptation or o­ther; nor any condition, without its peculiar Temptations. In lawful Actions, we are subject [Page 205] to the Temptation of immoderateness, and ex­cess: In Religious, to Formality, and Vain­glory: In Prosperity to pride and forgetfulness of God, luxury, intem­perance and contempt of others: in Adversity, to unlawful means, mur­muring, discontent, and accusing Providence: under Injuries, to vindi­ctiveness and immode­rate Anger: Under Comforts, to security, abatement of Love to God, and setting up our rest and hope in this present World: In Knowledge, to vain and [Page 206] impertinent curiosity, pride, and self-conceit: In Sickness, to impati­ence: In Health, to pre­sumption and forgetful­ness of our latter end: In our Callings, either to negligence, unfaithful­ness, and idleness; or else to overmuch solicitous­ness, and vexation. In Company, we are in dan­ger of being misguided by evil perswasion, and the example of others: If Alone, we are apt to be corrupted by evil suggestions, either of our own hearts, or of Satan. We ought there­fore earnestly to beg of [Page 207] God, to preserve us from being overcome by the Temptations, that do un­avoidably occur in all Actions and Conditions; and that he would shew us the danger we are in, through the multitude, power, and subtlety of our Enemies; and the vileness of our own na­ture, which runs after Satans allurements, and conspires with him to its own perdition: and we should also frequent­ly every day reflect with our selves, what sort of Temptations at the pre­sent we are most obnoxi­ous to: what are most [Page 208] likely to assault us, and how we are to with­stand them.

A man may resist a­ny Temptation of the Devil, if he do but sim­ply and purely will it, without any mixture of unwillingness: But to make such a resistance, is impossible of a mans self, or from any natural Power in him; but from the gift of God, and the help and assistance of his Grace; for be­sides the Gifts of Graces and Virtues, the Provi­dence and Protection of God is necessary for Believers, that they may [Page 209] resist Temptations: and likewise those manifold helps wherewith God succours his Elect. The first of these helps, is the driving away the Enemy; whereby he is not suffer'd sometimes to tempt the Elect. Job. 1. The second is, the bridling him in; not suffering him to tempt so much as he would. Job. 2. The third, from the Tempter him­self, when ever the shape under which he tempts, affords some help of In­struction: So the form of the Serpent might have caus'd Eve to have suspected. The fourth [Page 210] from the Temptation it self: When it either stirs up Fear in us, which is the best Keeper; or stirs us up to fight, and incourages us against the Enemy. The fifth, new Grace, or increase of the former. Math. 25 Luke. 19. The Sixth, a Cessation, Peace, or rather Truce from the Temptation. The se­venth, Refreshment in the heat of Temptation, as when the Tribulation is turn'd into a Solace. The eighth, a Strength­ning, Comforting, and Lifting up the Heart by a promise of strength and Victory; with a [Page 211] Demonstration of the weakness of the Enemy. The ninth, a Consolati­on, or chearing the Heart, in Troubles, sorrows, and Grief, The tenth, a be­stowing Faith and Hope, and confirmation of the same, against the sha­king Fear, which arises from our own defect and Infirmities.

Again; first an up­holding them that are set upon, that they re­ceive no hurt, tho' they are sore assaulted oft, times, that they are even ready to fall; that they may acknowledge their own Infirmities, and [Page 212] ascribe it to God's Mer­cy, not their own Pow­er, that they are kept. Secondly, God's relie­ving of them that fly to him; in which res­pect he is call'd, the Hi­ding place of the Elect. Thirdly, God's fighting against, and overthrow­ing the Enemy. Fourth­ly, Outward Tribulati­on, of which there are many profits this way. Fifthly, the Remem­brance of the Last things: Death, Judgment, Dam­nation, and Happiness.

It is very difficult to overcome Temptations, because no man fights [Page 213] with all his Strength a­gainst any one. A Be­liever in Temptation, is like a Kingdom divi­ded within it self; like an Arm'd Horseman, that Sits upon a win­cing, unruly, and unbro­ken Colt; like a stout War­rior, upon a Slippery Pavement.

Amongst the Most hidden Treacheries, and most subtile Temptati­ons of the Devil, where­by the most wise and valiant Christians, are oftentimes overcome; the first is long, and tedious, whereby he wearies them, and in­deavours [Page 214] deavours to bring them not only into the Temp­tation, but into Despe­ration also, and a Per­swasion that they belong not to God, that God cares not for them. This great Mischief arises from the Ignorance of that good, which may be obtain'd by a long, and a frequent Combating with Temptation: It serves for the breaking of Pride, for the discove­ring other Infirmities, which else would never have been seen, and for the preservation of Hu­mility. Secondly the strangeness of the Temp­tation, [Page 215] and the unusu­alness of it; so that a man becomes fearful, whether he belongs to God, because he cannot hear of any, that have been Tempted in the same sort. The third subtilty is, when the Devil indeavours to make a man change that State wherein he is, and wherein he is well: As Birds and Fishes are of­ten, by noise and stir­ring, driven from the Places in which they were safe, into the Snares of the Fowler. The fourth, when he invites a man to those things [Page 216] which are above his strength. The fifth, when under pretence of some Good, he draws a man into Danger; and, under pretence of Vir­tue, perswades a man to some Vice. The sixth is a Peace and Cessation from Temptation; the most dangerous subtlety of all: for from hence springs Sloth, Pride, Contempt of our Brethren, Hard­ness of Heart, &c.

A man may resist Temptation three ways. First, he resists, that con­sents not: The Tempter is overcome, if he over­come not. Secondly, he [Page 217] resists Temptations, that flies from, and shuns Them. Thirdly, he re­sists, which beats them back, and makes oppo­sition.

With the shunning Temptation, we must joyn Indignation, not vouchsafing to look af­ter, or harken to the De­vil, what ever he offers; contemning and scor­ning, when he offers that which is infinitely less worth, and even nothing, in comparison of God's Love. Here is the great Point of Wisdom, and Spiritual skill, so fer­vently to love God, so [Page 218] closely to cleave to him, so diligently to employ one's self to do his plea­sure, to preserve and de­fend Virtue, and to be so immovably fix'd in these Exercises, that the Darts of Temptation may not touch us.

A temptation is best beaten back by its own Weapon: Now every Virtue does so, as often as in the Temptation, its Beauty and pretious­ness is seriously thought upon; for by such Medi­tations, both the Sins, that do Tempt us, and and the thoughts, that [Page 219] proceed from them, are always weakned, and sometimes vanish into no­thing, as Darkness flies a­way, when Light approa­ches; for the only reason that Vice, and the Profits and Pleasures thereof, seem in the hour of Tem­ptation to have some Excellency, and be of some Value and Worth, is, because at the time the Law and Light of Virtue is hid from our Eyes, either through Ig­norance or Negligence; as rotten Wood, and the Scales of Fishes, do shine in the Night, be­cause the light of the [Page 220] Sun, and other lights, are wanting.

Of Self-Examina­tion.

THE necessity of this self-reflexion appears from this double consideration: the dan­ger of the neglect, and the great benefit of the Practice of this Duty.

The neglect of it, makes a man a stranger to himself: (A very dan­gerous fault, yet very ea­sily run into, through the Love of Sin and ones self) it throws a man every [Page 221] moment upon a thou­sand unexpected dan­gers; and who can tell how wicked he shall be, that does not know how bad he is? And when once God shall awaken a mans Conscience, and tear off the covering, wherewith Sloth and Se­curity have muffled it, when by some notable Judgment or Sickness, he shall quicken in a Man the remembrance of his former Iniquities, and summon him to Death, and Judgment; when he shall see his Sins set in order before him, and large Rolls [Page 222] of Indictments written against him, full of his Sins and Woes, within and without; Oh! in what a maze, in what a miserable condition, is such a Person!

As to the benefit, that comes by this Practice. Hereby a man shall come to the knowledge of himself, and his pre­sent Estate; shall see what Graces he has, and what those are, he most wants: It will discover the whole temper of his Soul, and shew him what evil Affections are strongest in him, and in what things he is most [Page 223] apt to Sin; what Graces are weakest in him, what most useful for him, that he may the more ear­nestly implore them. And besides, this parti­cular knowledge will bring forth these three blessed effects.

Watchfulness, and Ten­derness of Conscience. He that is acquainted with the State of his Body, and knows what is hurtful, what is healthful, and what the danger of a Sur­feit, or any other Distem­per, is, will be very wary of his Diet, and course of Life: Nature teaches this; and, surely Grace [Page 224] is a better Instructer He that has taken tho­rough notice of the great Distempers of his Heart, how suddenly he is trans­ported with Passion, how quickly intic'd by every Temptation to practice any evil; that had seen, how ugly and fearful the face of Sin is, when presented in its true shape, and stript of all its lying Pleasures and Profits, and accompa­ny'd only with God's hatred and Curse; that has found, what it is to venture upon Sin, what the loss of Gods Favour, the joy of the Holy [Page 225] Ghost, the peace and quiet of a good Consci­ence is: blame not that man if he be afraid to Sin.

Humility. He that of­ten beholds himself in the unspotted Glass of Gods Law, will not be very forward to fall in love with his own beau­ty: When a man sits down to try himself by the Law of God, he finds therein all perfections of Holiness commanded, but not the thousand part of it in himself: he reads long Catalogues of Sins forbidden, upon pain of Gods eternal displeasure; [Page 226] and in his own Consci­ence, he finds the Guilt of all, or most of those Transgressions. When he scans his best Works, he finds they fall short of that Faith, Zeal, Since­rity, and perfect Chari­ty, wherein they ought to have been perform'd; he finds that he has little whereof to be proud: much whereof to be asha­med: So that, what ever others may think of him, he knows, so much evil, and so little good by himself, that he cannot have high thoughts of himself: Let him be des­pised, reviled, or reproa­ched, [Page 227] as base and vile; it is no Corrosive to him: he abhors himself more, than any other can despise him; and is more Vile in his own Esteem, than he can be in theirs.

True Peace and Comfort. He that of­ten calls himself to a strict Account, that Judges himself for his Transgressions, weeping over them with godly Sorrow, never ceasing till pardon be obtain'd: this man alone possesses his Heart in peace and comfort, and can with great quietness and re­solution, expect the ap­proach [Page 228] of all Adversity nothing can put such a man to much fear or trouble, neither Adversi­ty, nor Sickness, nor Death, nor Judgment it self.

This is the benefit of this Exercise; and yet how great a shame it is to consider our neg­lect and carelesness, who seek to know All things, but our Selves? Our minds are like our Eyes, we can turn neither of them inward. Oh! therefore for the furture let us take all oppor­tunities that shall be of­fer'd; we are not at all [Page 229] times alike dispos'd for this Exercise; there are special occasions that fit us for it: many times one sad accident or other turns home our thoughts to our Selves, and makes us see what we are in other men: The loss of a dear Friend, the sound of a Passing-bell, the sight of a Dying man, have a strange Vir­tue many times to com­pose a disorder'd Heart. Sometimes a Sermon has set us to rights, and sent us home quicken'd with much holy Affe­ction; sometimes a Fit of natural Melancholy [Page 230] and Pensiveness makes us apt for inward spe­culation; sometimes a wakeful Bed calls upon us to examine our hearts: many such oc­casions God offers, if we were either Wise to see, or Willing to make use of them.

But if opportunities do not offer themselves, we should make them: A Wise man makes more, than he finds. Spare an hour in a Week, one day in a Month, for this business; Say not, thou hast a Calling to mind; many businesses, that require thy presence, [Page 231] and diligence, and there­fore can'st not mind all; Intend thou the chiefest, and that is Religion: These are good indeed in their time and place; This only of absolute ne­cessity.

The Subject of our Tryal should be our whole Man: Whether we find the change, that is, the New brith, begun in us?

Our mind, whether we labour to be daily more enlighten'd, to know that which is good and to be embrac'd; and that which is evil for to be avoided, by increa­sing [Page 232] in the knowledg of the Word, and especially of Jesus Christ and him Crucified, reveal'd in the same?

Our Memory, whe­ther it do more firmly keep those good things, that it has learned?

Our Will, whether it more freely chuse the good, and refuse the e­vil, and so be daily more pliant and obedient to the will of the Lord?

Our Affections, whe­ther they be every day more conform'd to the holiness of Christ: that is, in loving that, which God loves; hating that, [Page 233] which he hates; rejoic­ing in that, whereby he is honour'd and well pleased, grieving for the contrary; fearing only the offending of him, securing our selves in his love and favour a­lone?

Our Conscience, whe­ther it be still tender; Checking us for every fault done, or intended; Quieting us in this as­surance, That our Sins are wash'd away in the Blood of Christ. Bear­ing Witness unto us of our upright lives and conversations, at least begun: with a resolute [Page 234] purpose so to proceed all our dayes?

Our Body, whether it indeavour after more ability daily, to perform every Duty accordingly, and in every part, and all this at all times, and in all places convenient?

Finally, we are to ex­amine our whole Life or conversation, whe­ther ewe feel a change therein unto newness of Life? All these be­ing the Lord's, he does require this holiness in them all; and that by striving to perfection, each day to grown a little, until we come to [Page 235] a perfect man, the mea­sure of the age of the fulness of Christ: Until we fell such a change in some measure, we can never have any true comfort.

Again, we are to ex­amine our Faith, whe­ther it be true, or no? Revel. 22.17. John 7.37. Saving Faith is never without its Grounds, which are God's free proffer. John 6.40. 2 Cor. 5.20. 1 Joh. 3.23. and 5.10. His Will, and Desire; his Command and Promise. Joh. 6.36. It has ever some Word, or Writing from God, to shew for that which it believes. It will make one willing to try it ones [Page 236] self, and willing any body else should try it, yea God himself. 1 Cor. 3.5. Psal. 139.23. Where saving Faith is, there will be a Spiritual Strug­ling, and Conflict; not between the Conscience convinc'd, and the Will, as was in Pilate; John. 19.12. &. 16. But between the Regenerate and Unregenerate Part, Rom. 7.22.23. as was in Paul. 2. Thes. 1.3 Again, as a living Child, it always grown, tho' not in sight, at least in desire and indea­vours, making a man more Conscionable, and giving him better war­ning of Sin; as a Clock is known to go true, when it strikes right, [Page 237] tho' you cannot see it move forward. It gains by Opportunities, and waxes stronger by Re­sistance.

Again, Saving Faith is known by its Ante­cedents, and Consequents, but more easily by its Fruits and Effects, than by its Causes; as Life, by Motion; and Fire, by Heat. Gal. 5.6. Rom. 6.13. And thus it is a living Faith. It loves and desires the Word, Gods Ordinances, and all holy Means; because it is both begotten, and, nourish'd thereby. Psal. 84.2. It makes a new Creature, pruifying the Heart, and [Page 238] regulating the Life; Acts 15.9. Rom 6.4. It makes them Virtuous, Temperate, Patient, Godly, which before were the contrary; 2 Pet. 1.5. It works Repentance, and a true abandoning of Sin, making us grudge it any room in us. It makes one not content­ed with Thinking he has it; but very desirous, and industrious to be sure, and Certain. It works Self-denial, both in regard of God, for doing or suffering h is Will: and of our Neigh­bour, in forgiving, for­bearing, and not doing them the least Wrong, [Page 239] to do our Selves the greatest Benefit; seek­ing and desiring his good, as it were our own; and requiting any hurt done us, by doing all the good we can. It drawn Virtue and Holi­ness from Christ, for the cure of our spiritual Dis­eases. It makes us com­plain of much want in our Faith, and weakness in our believing, out of a Sense of Unbelief, Mar. 9.24. as a burden to us; It convets more and more earnest­ly the Favour of God, and better assurance of it: therefore will make us neither to favour our [Page 240] selves in any Sin, nor to be content with any prosperity without it. 2. Cor. 5.28. Cant. 8 14. Revel. 22.20. It will make us long more after Christ, and his ravishing sweetness; as Lovers for the Marri­age day.

It expels Worldliness from rulinginus; because it finds an All-sufficiency in Christ: So that we cannot love the World more than Grace, and Holiness. 1 John. 5.4. and 2.16. Heb. 11.26. Rom 3.27. It excludes Boa­sting of our Gifts, Parts, or good deeds; It works in us Inward, Spiritu­al life: Now Christ li­veth in us, and we in him. Gal, 2.20. Which life may [Page 241] be known as natural life is, by the Working of the Heart, panting after God. Psal. 42.1. And by the beating of the Pulses in our regular motions of constant indeavours, and holy obedience; Heb. 5.4. By the operation of the Senses, discerning Good and E­vil. By breathing a Spi­ritual and sweet breath of Grace.Ecl. 10. [...] Col. 4 6. By the motion of Hand and Foot, which moves to God, and for God.

It drives out Hypocri­sy, which serves not God for Love, but for By-ends. It will not suffer us to make hast to [Page 242] depart from God, by evil means to help our selves. Isai. 28 16. Psal. 40.1. Lastly, true Faith obtaines, what it believes, things for present, in present, and things to come, in their due time. Matth. 8.13. and 21 22. So also this Faith obtains all the Benefits by Christ: As deliverance from the Reigning power of Sin, Sanctification, and Grace, Rom. 6.14. as well as Salvation, de­pendence on God, Pa­tience, Contentedness, and sufficiency in him. If we obtain these things, our Faith is True, or else it is False and Counter­feit: For how can we know that our believing [Page 243] Salvation shall bring us Salvation, when as our believing Sanctification does not made us Holy? Or how shall our Faith prove True for another World, that proves False for this? But if our be­lieving Sanctification brings us This; then cer­tainly our believing our Salvation, will bring us at.

Of Set Meditation.

IN Set Mediation there are four things to be consider'ds. The Circumstances, the Pre­paration, the Act it self, [Page 244] and the Conclusion.

Preservatives a­gainst Sin.

COnsider first the Fruits and Wages of Sin: The best, it yields, is Sorrow, and Repen­tance, if not dreadful Pu­nishments.

If thou dost commit it, t'will poison and inve­nom all Conditions: it will sowre thy Prospe­rity, with Preapprehen­sions of Wrath, haun­ting thee, like an im­portunate Creditor a wild Gallant, spoiling thy Jollity and Content. In thy Adversity, it will [Page 259] add affliction to afflicti­on: Superadding to thy outward troubles, a mis­giving Soul.

Besides, Sin unquali­fies thee for any good Duty, either to God, or Man: If thou pray­est, yet the sense of Sin, thou bringest with thee, makes thee ungrateful to thy self; and how can'st thou expect to be accep­ted by the Holy God? In a good work, the Sin, thou art guilty of, makes the comfort of it Insi­pid: thy Heart tells thee, There is sin in the Conscience; and this makes thee asham'd to [Page 260] own the good that is in the Action.

Again, will it not be a grief to the good An­gels, to be present, and Spectators of thy Enor­mities? will it not work a loathing, and nauseous­ness in them, and cause those chast and pure Spi­rits, who are employ'd for thy preservation, to retire themselves? And will it not be a most grateful Spectacle to the envious and malignant Spirits, and lay thee o­pen to their power and malice, who have gotten thee within their Ter­ritories, unless God in [Page 261] mercy restrain them?

Consider the hey­nousness of the least Sin. It is against God's Infinite Majesty, and the riches of his Bounty, in giving his Son for us: Also against his Honor, and the Love, and Loy­alty we profess to owe unto him, for all his Goodness and Mercy; and likewise against our Covenant with him: the vileness of which is seen in the fearful Punish­ments of the Sin of An­gels, Adam, the old World, Lot's Wife, Saul; and so of Moses, Ʋzzah, David, Josiah, and chief­ly [Page 262] that inflicted on the Son of God, for our Sins. Numb. 20.24. Deut. 3.26. A Child of God cannot look to carry a­way the least Sin against Knowledge and Consci­ence unpunish'd, with­out speedy submission and amendment.

Live alwaies as in God's presence, whose Eye is ever upon thee, and who may take thee away on a sudden. Gen. 17.1. Job. 32.22. 2 Cor. 5.15. Re­member thy appearance before him, and account every day, thy last; be­ing always prepar'd to give upthy Account.

Keep continually a fresh remembrance of [Page 263] God's great Goodness; especially his chief Mer­cies Bodily and Spiritual, Ordinary and Extraor­dinary: Let thy great Deliverances never de­part out of thy Heart; say always with Joseph, How can I do this, and Sin against my good God? Gen. 39.9. Neh. 6.11,13. Psal. 103.25. &. 116.12.16.

Walk ever painfully in thy special Calling, and in the Conscionable use of all the meanes of Grace.

Keep a perpetual me­mory of the former mi­sery of Sin, and [Page 264] Blessings of Righteous­ness.

Be resolv'd to chuse, rather to endure any misery, than to Sin a­gainst God: as Joseph, Daniel, and the three Children did. Dan. 1.8.

Warily resist the first motions to any Sin: James, 1.5. Lust, when it has conceiv'd, brings forth Sin. Achan tells Joshua, by what degrees he came to finish his Sin; Josh. 7.21. I saw a Babylonish Gar­ment, then I coveted it, and took it, and it is hid in my Tent. Avoid eve­ry occasion of Sin, as [Page 265] you would do of Infe­ctious Diseases. 1 Thes. 5.22. Gen. 39.10. 1 Thes. 5.17. Eph. 6.18.

But above all, use Fer­vent Prayer, to be kept by these Preservatives.

Of the Sabbath.

REmember the Sab­bath before it come, that thou may'st dis­patch all thy own works in six days, to at­tend the better upon the right Sanctification of the Sabbath. Meddle not with any Recreati­on, Pastime, or Ordinary Work, from Saturday night at eight of the Clock, till Monday morn­ing. [Page 266] Isa. 56.2,4,6. 58.13.14. Now in thy E­vening Devotions allow thy self so large a porti­on of time, as may serve for some preparatory Meditations and Pray­ers; and be not slight, and uncertain, but con­stant to thy set times, and earnest in this work: Now look into thy by­past Life, and chiefly to thy walking with God the last Week; be sure to set all strait between God and you; examine thy self both by the Law and Gospel, and see whether there be not some sin or miscarriage that lies unrepented of, [Page 267] which may blast thy next day's performan­ces; if there be, consi­der of it more particu­larly in its aggravations and nature, reconcile thy self with God by Faith, and Repentance, and re­newing thy Vows of walking more Conscio­nably, after thou hast cleansed thy heart and hands. Let thy Pray­ers be sutable to thy Condition; beg fervent­ly forgiveness of thy particular sins confessed and bewail'd, together with Grace for the fu­ture against them, and an increase of all other [Page 268] Graces, which thou standest most in need of; especially for a quiet, setled, composed mind, that thou may'st attend with all thy Soul upon thy holy concerns and business; likewise for inliven'd Affections, that thou may'st not be dull and heartless, but of a tender, and melting Spirit; for a pliable, and yielding mind, that thou may'st hear the Word with, and render the obedience of, Faith; that the Lord would fix thy mind, and make it serious, inlighten it, and open thy heart, that [Page 269] thou may'st have a clear and right understanding, that the Spirit would set in with the Preach­ing of the Word, and make it effectual for the beating down of thy Corruptions, and that it may be the power of God to the salvation of thy soul: And lastly, for the Minister, that the Lord would teach him what he should teach the People, and direct and inable him to de­clare the mind of God, and make it manifest; that utterance may be given unto him, to speak boldly, as he ought to [Page 270] speak; and that God would Pardon his sins and frailties.

Earnestly endeavour to tast the sweetness of holy Exercises, and to long for the enjoyment of God's Sabbaths; that so thou may'st come to make them thy De­light.

Rise at least three hours before morning Sermon, if it will stand with your Health, and not hin­der your fitness for Spi­ritual Exercises through drousiness afterwards.

When thou art up, retire into thy Closet; and having read two [Page 271] Chapters in the Bible, betake thy self to Me­ditation and Prayer. Con­sider with thy self what an impure Sinner thou art, and into what an holy place thou goest, to appear before the most Holy God, who seeth thy Heart, and know­eth all the Sins of thy Life, tho' thou may'st have forgotten them, and hateth all Impurity and Hypocrisie: Now again examine thy self, and Confess thy sins un­to God, earnestly pray­ing for the pardon and forgiveness of them, and so reconcile thy self [Page 272] with God in Christ, and renew thy Vows to walk more Consciona­bly; and especially pray that thou may'st have Grace to hear God's Word with profit, and be inabled to Sanctify his holy Day, not for­getting the Minister And after your private Pray­er, read another Chap­ter. Be present with the first at all Publick As­semblies of the Church, with cheerful Reverence, and the greatest atten­tion, as before the Lord of the whole Earth: Both to declare thy Love and Honour, and for the [Page 273] good Example of others. Be afraid of the least un­seemly gesture, or of being overtaken by sleep, drowsiness, or wan­dring thoughts. 1 Cor. 12.12. Acts. 2.46. 4.32. Joyn in with the Congregati­on in every publick Acti­on, according to due and holy Order, cheer­fully, with thy Heart.

In hearing, apply each speech, as spoken by God to thee in particu­lar: Like a Practiser of the Art of Memory, refer all things to their proper place. If it be mat­ter of comfort; this is for my sick Bed, for my outward losses, for my [Page 274] drooping under afflicti­on, for the Sence of any Spiritual Defection. If matter of Doctrine; that is for my settlement in such a Trust, for the conviction of such an Er­ror, for my direction in such a practise. If matter of Reproof, and threatnings against Sin, whether thy own or others, as a member of the same Body, or in danger thereof; be hum­bled, do not point at thy Neighbour, but deeply charge thy self: This meets with my dead heartedness and security, with my Worldly mind­edness, [Page 275] Self-love, and Flattery of my own E­state; This with my un­charitable Censorious­ness, with my foolish, proud Heart; That with my Hypocrisie, and the neglect of Gods Service and my Duty; That with my Irregular Life, and Conversation. Re­solve to walk in every good way, and to de­part from all evil.

This is the best Art of Memory; for exceeding Joyes, Griefs, Hatred, or desires, do leave the dee­pest Impressions in us, and so stick longest by us; In hearing therefore, [Page 276] labor to exercise Humi­lity under Reproofs, Re­joycing in all the Pro­mises, Thankfulness for Mercies, Desire after Graces, and holy Reso­lution of amendment, and more close walking, with God.

As thou returnest home, or when thou art entred into thy House, Meditate a little while upon those things thou hast heard, and then kneeling down turn all into a Prayer; be­seeching God to par­don thy Sins of Worship, to accept of thee, and thy Imperfect perfor­mances, [Page 277] in, and through Christ thy Lord; to give such a blessing to those things, which thou hast heard, that they may be a direction to thy Life, and a con­solation to thy Soul.

Eat Moderately at Dinner; rather sparing­ly, than plentifully, on this day: That thou may'st be fit for the af­ternoon Exercises.

Som little and short Discourse about Tempo­ral things, upon occa­sion may be so directed, and temper'd with Pious Meditation, as that it may rather be a furthe­rance [Page 278] than hindrance of the Duties of Religion: and indeed such Busi­ness, or Discourse, in such a manner, doth not withdraw the Mind from God's Worship; But be sure that in all thy Speeches and Acti­ons this day there be no lightness, nor Vani­ty, nor any thing un­becoming the Solemnity, Sacredness, and Serious­ness of it.

Walk half an hour af­ter Dinner, to digest thy meat; and then go to thy Chamber, and recollect what you re­member of the forenoon Sermon.

If you are well, be sure you attend on God's Ordinances Fore-noon and Afternoon: Ps. 92.1. Acts. 20.7. For so often exercises of pub­lick Worship ought to be held.

After evening Sermon, retire to thy Closet, read the Chapters in which the Texts were; then recollect and exa­mine what you have heard, meditating on the whole Sermon in order

The Coherence, and Explication of the Text,

The occasion and mea­ning.

The chief Sum and Scope of the Holy Ghost in it.

The Division or parts.

The Doctrines several­ly, by marking the Text, and how they were ga­ther'd out of it.

The Proofs and Rea­sons of the several Do­ctrines.

The Uses.

And lastly, which is the chief of all, apply it to thy self, and try what work every part hath in thee; If the Preacher's Method be too curious, or confu­sed; then labor to re­member,

How many things he taught, which thou knowest not before, and be thankful.

What Sin he reprov'd, whereof thy Conscience tells thee, thou art Guil­ty, and therefore must be confess'd, repented of, resolv'd against, and a­mended.

What Virtues he ex­horted to, which are not so perfect in thee; and therefore thou must in­deavour to practice them with more Zeal and Di­ligence.

After the finishing of thy Closet exercise, or as a preparation to it, thou mayest walk in the Fields, and Meditate on the Works of God; for in every Creature thou [Page 282] may'st see the Wisdom, Power, Goodness, Pro­vidence, and Justice of God: Pray to God, that he would open thy Eyes, so as thou mayest give him the Glory of his Works. Especially con­sider these things more fully in their several Ends and Uses, as the Scriptures apply them. Be sure to return so ear­ly, as neither thy Closet, nor Family Devotions (if not perform'd) be o­mitted.

Works of necessity may this day be per­form'd, and works of Mercy thou art not to [Page 283] forget: Such as Visiting the Sick, Instructing, Ex­horting, Admonishing, Reproving, Comforting, Relieving, Collecting, &c.

To conclude, Thou may'st certainly expect that God will proportion his Blessings to thee, as thou measurest to him in thy Preparation to come before him: Lev. 10.3. 22.3. Ex. 19.22. Mal. 7.2. Mar. 4.14. Psal. 44.5. Isa. 56.58. Ez. 7.10. Gen. 35.2.5. Ec. 4.17. 1 Cor. 11.23.24. Mat. 5.23.24. There­fore as thou desirest the Blessing of a Sabbath, so resolve by a constant Vow, to perform thy work of Preparation, and try whether the Lord will not perform his Pro­mise abundantly.

Examin thy Life, thou shalt find, that a strict and diligent ob­servation of the Duties of this day, has ever joyn'd to it a Blessing upon the rest of thy time; and the Week that is so begun has been blessed and prosperous: Whereas when thou hast been negligent of the Duties of this day, the rest of thy Week has been unsuccessful. I could easily, saith Judge Hales, make an Estimate of my success in my own Secu­lar Employments, by the manner of my pas­sing and spending the Lord's day.

On Wednesday, or Thursday evening, set some time apart for Re­collecting and Review­ing what thou did'st hear, and lay up in thy mind, the Lord's day past: this will rivet the Word the faster in thy Memory, and put thee in mind to practice it.