Seven Treatises, Treatise 3 · Chapter 12
CHAP. 12. Of the extraordinarie helpes.
NOw follow the extraordinarie helpes, which are not commonly nor daily in vſe, but ſometime,The extraordinarie helpes to a true Chriſtian life. and that according to the extraordinarie occaſions which the Lord offereth. And theſe are eſpecially two: firſt, ſolemne thankſgiuing: and ſecondly, faſting, with prayer more then vſuall adioyned.The firſt extraordinarie help; is ſolemne thankeſgiuing. VVhat it is. The firſt is when in ſome rare and vnlooked for deliuerance out of deſperate danger, wee doe by the commaundement of God, and examples of the godly before vsus, in a moſt feruent manner, yeeld praiſe to God for the ſame, and reioyce heartily in the remembrance and conſideration of it, tying our ſelues (as it were) in a renuing of our holy couenant, more firmely to the Lord, and teſtifie both theſe by ſignes of vnfained good will to our brethren.
All which are to be ſeene moſt cleerely and liuely in that famous example of Heſter and Mardocheus, that I mention no other, for breuitie ſake:An example of it. who being with the reſt of Gods people in thoſe countries, marked out, and as ſheepe appointed, by Hamans ſubtiltie and cruell malice, to be ſlaine; did yet by prayer and faſting obtaine deliuerance, when to mans iudgement,Eſter 4.16. & 9.1. all hope was paſt: and not that onelyonly, but alſo their hearts deſire againſt their aduerſaries, with great fauour of the King (whom God had made of an heauie enemie a mightie friend) and much wealth and proſperitie: whereupon they cauſed a day and time to be appointed,Eſter 9.18, 21. in the which the Lord might be praiſed; and they might expreſſe their reioycing, and ſend portions one to another, to teſtifie their louelove vntounto them.
And this is that ſolemne thankſgiuing, which I call one of the extraordinarie helpes to ſet vsus forward in godlines:It is to be vſed according to the occaſion. which of all Gods people by the like occaſion is to be offered vp to God, differing (as ye ſee) apparantly from this dutie daily performed, as in feruencie of the ſpirit; ſo in other ſolemnities: beſide a longer time of continuing the ſame.Publikely. This dutie (when the occaſion of it, belonging to a whole Church, is publikely performed) ought to be accompanied with the preaching of the word, to quicken the aſſemblie to the more liuely profeſſing of their thankfulnes, accordingly as their ſolemne feaſts vnderunder the law, were with an holie conuocation. And if the cauſe of this extraordinarie helpe be priuate concerning ſome one perſon alone,Or priuatly. or a familie, or ſome few, then it is to bee offered in priuate of them (whom this great benefit concerneth) with Pſalmes, and praiſings of his name, ſpeaking of his workes, and reading Scriptures tending to that end: as Pſal. 105.Scriptures fit for it. 106.107.
And becauſe I finde one place very fit for this purpoſe, which teacheth a moſt right manner of the practiſe of this dutie, whether we ſhall be occaſioned publikely or priuately to doe the ſame, I thought it very expedient here to put in the ſame: which manner of praiſing God was appointed by the man of God, Dauid, at the ſetting vp of the Arke of God in the tabernacle. Some of the words are theſe: Praiſe the Lord, and call vponupon his name; declare his workes among the people: 1. Chron. 16.8. to 16. & 29.10. to 15.ſing vntounto him, ſing praiſe vntounto him, talke of all his wonderfull workes: Reioyce in his holy name: let the hearts of them that ſeeke the Lord, reioyce. And this of ſolemne thankſgiuing.
The ſecond extraordinarie helpe is faſting. What it is.The other extraordinarie helpe is faſting, ioyned with moſt feruent prayer. And this is a moſt earneſt profeſſion of deepe humbling our ſelues, in abſtinence with confeſſion of ſinnes and ſupplications (for the greateſt part of the day at the leaſt) to God, to turne away ſome ſore calamitie from vsus, or for obtaining of ſome eſpeciall bleſſing. This deſcription in few words I will lay open for their cauſe, who perhaps hauehave not read nor heard much of this exerciſe of faſting, neither hauehave bookes at hand to helpe them to the right vſe of it: I ſay we muſt be deepely humbled, and make earneſt profeſſion of it, more then in the ordinarie abaſing of our ſelues. For though as oft as we doe pray, and confeſſe our ſinnes, we ought to doe them hartily, and deepely: yet neither in the like continuance of time, nor in the ſame meaſure of feruencie can they alwayes be, as at and in this exerciſe, they ought to be.
Secondly I adde, that with this; abſtinencie muſt be adioyned: I meane thereby, that we muſt depriue our ſelues herein of the lawfull pleaſures and liberties of this life, as meates, drinkes (more then for neceſſitie) coſtly apparrell, earthly dealings (which yet at other times are free for vsus, to inioy) thereby declaring, that we hauehave by our ſins made our ſelues vnworthie of them. And thirdly, in that I ſay it muſt be done the moſt part of the day, that is, to the end that by this long time of our humiliation and abaſement, our hearts may be more caſt downe, and throughly touched with our diſtreſſed eſtate, then in a ſhorter time they are like to be. Fourthly, ſupplications, which containe our ſuites and confeſſion of ſinnes, are added, to teach vsus, that the chiefe part of this exerciſe conſiſteth therein. Fiftly, in that this is done for the remoouing of ſome great calamitie,2. Chron. 20.6. that is to be vnderſtoode, either of ſome ſore affliction outwardly hanging ouer vsus, or the whole Church, or alreadie vponupon vsus; or for ſome greeuous ſinne committed, or long lien in of vsus. The which when weaker meanes remooue not from vsus, theſe are inioyned vsus of the Lord,Dan. 3.18. 2. Cor. 12.9. to deliuer vsus from them, wholy or in part, or elſe to ſtay vsus, that we may reſt our ſelues on God, that his grace ſhall be ſufficient for vsus.
And here we muſt know, that to be required, which I ſaid to be in thankes, whether priuate or publike, that to enable vsus to this dutie the rather, we muſt in the one, vſe the benefit of ſermons, and fit ſcriptures to ſtirre vsus vp hereunto, and in the other to meditate of the like ſcriptures priuately, for the well carrying of our ſelues through that ſo weightie a buſines: but in both, let this be regarded, that we take them not in hand, except we come in true and vnfained repentance, which as ſurely, as we bring thither: ſo ſure we may be, that God will be with vsus there, and heare vsus, which will make the whole action more ſauorie,2. Chron. 20.12.13.27.28. and the end of it to be with comfort, which is the right manner of taking it in hand. Now therefore the nature and qualitie of this exerciſe being in ſome ſort laid out vntounto vsus, as the former was, if we duly weigh the force and vſe of them both in their proper kind, namely, how the one raiſeth vsus to a ioyfull recording of Gods wonderfull kindnes: the other bringeth vsus louelove, for our owne vilenes, more eſpecially remembred: both of them doe exceedingly draw our hearts in more louelove and obedience to God, who can deny, that they both, in the time, wherein they are to be vſed euen as a long time after, are moſt effectuall meanes to ſet vsus forward in the godly life?
To ſay more of the meanes and helps, I hauehave not thought it expedient. Therefore to end this whole treatiſe of the helps, theſe few cautions I would wiſh to be had of thee, the diligent reader,Cautions how to vſe the helps mentioned in this treatiſe. (to the end thou maieſt hauehave the right vſe of them) namely to vnderſtand them well, and conſider throughly of them, and of the commoditie, which they may bring: and ſo with a quiet and meeke heart ſet vponupon them, in that manner that thou haſt them ſet downe vntounto thee: And incourage thy ſelfe hereunto by this reaſon, that ſeeing ſome one of them hath ſo great force, to the wel framing of the heart and life (each in his kinde) then all of them together, being ſo vſed, muſt needes bring a more large and liberall bleſſing that way.HaueHave them in high account. But as they are pretious and hauehave an excellent end, ſo hold ſtill that account and eſtimation of them, and vſe them with all high reuerence, as frailtie will permit,Vſe them not for faſhion. and not for faſhion (as the counſell of fleſh will be) to make the beſt things vile and common in a ſhort time. Neither giuegive place to wearines and ſlacknes in vſing of them,Vſe them conſtantly. either in the firſt entrance, or after longer continuance: yet if by vnawares, or any other way, theſe faults eſcape, be diligent and readie to eſpie them,If they waxe vnſauoury, giuegive no place to ſuch deceit, but mone to God for the former grace. and hide them not, but checking thy corrupt heart, confeſſe it to the Lord in ſecret, and he will heare thee and forgiue thee; and then ſet vponupon the vſe of the forementioned helps, freſhly and ſauourly againe as thou diddeſt before.
There remaineth onelyonly this, at what time, ſo farre as we may know it, we ſhould vſe them, and which of them ſhould be vſed eueryevery day: and which, otherwiſe; which is a poynt moſt needefull to bee knowne. But this requiring another place, cannot conueniently bee done here, but ſhall follow in the next treatiſe of the daily direction.
The end of the third treatiſe.