The Marrow of the Oracles of God, Chapter 13 – Chapter 17
CHAP. XIII.
Rules about Prayer.
THus of the Sacraments.
The Rules concerning prayer follow; where besides Rules about prayer.the generall Rules that belong to all worship, these things in speciall must be heeded concerning prayer.
1. Thy words must be few, Eccl. Thy words must be few.5. 1, 2. and the reason is, because God is in heauen, and thou art on earth. He is full of maiesty and wisedome, and thou art an infirme and sinfull creature. Length of it selfe doth not commend prayer; we must speake as becomes the Maiestie of God, without vaine repetitions and bablings; pattering ouer of the same things is not pleasing to God: as affectation is ill in any thing, so much more ill in prayer. This rule may be vnsauory to the taste of some that are transported with rash zeale: but let them take heede of wil-worship; the words are so plaine in the text, as they must informe themselues about them: The Lord knew what was fittest for vsus, when he gaue vsus this charge.
2. Thy heart must be lifted vp 2. The heart must bee listed vp.in the performance of this dutie: this is often imported in diuers Scriptures; and this lifting vp of the heart hath diuers things in it.
1. Vnderstanding: thou must bee aduised what thou prayest for, and know thy warrant, that what thou askest is according to Gods will, 1 Cor. 14. 15. Ioh. 5. 30.
2. Freedome from distractions: thy heart must be cleansed from passions and lusts: thy prayer must bee without wrath, 1 Tim. …. 8. And as the distractions arising from passion must be auoided, so must al other distractions.
3. Feruencie, or the stretching out of the affections according to the matter of prayer; thou must expresse the affections of prayer: for God lookes at the prayer of thy heart, not at the prayer of thy lips onelyonly.
3. Thou must pray with all 3. Vse all manner of prayer.manner of prayer, according to the occasions of prayer. Thou must pray at thy set times daily, and thou must pray also with eiaculations (as the Diuines call them) that is, those sudden and short speeches to God, when thy heart is moued vponupon speciall occasion. Thou must vse Supplications, Deprecations, Intercessions, Confessions, giuing of thankes, or the like, according to thy necessities, or the other occasions of thy life. Thou must striue to get a fitnesse and language to speake vntounto God for thy selfe in thine owne words, as may best expresse the desires of thine heart, Eph. 6. 18.
4. Thou must continue and perseuere 4 Thou must perseuere in prayer.in prayer without ceasing: prayer must be the worke of thy whole life, not an exercise for a fit, for a day or two, or a weeke or two, or a monethmonth or two: thou must make conscience of prayer alwaies, Eph. 6. 18. 1 Thes. 5. 17.
5. When thy prayer is grounded 5. Thou must be instant without fain ting or discourage. …tat.vponupon Gods will, thou must be instant and not faint, or be discouraged. Thou must pray without doubting and wauering, as resolued neuer to cease praying, till God heare and shew mercy. It is basenesse of minde, not humilitie, to be quickly discouraged: if God entertaine vsus not according to our expectation or liking, we must not be weary of seeking to God, but set vponupon prayer, with a resolution to take no nay, Luk. 18. 1. Iam. 1. 6.
6. Thou must remember supplication 6. With supplication for all Saints.for all Saints, especially to pray heartily for Magistrates and Ministers, especiall those vnderunder whose charge thou art, Eph. 6. 18, 19. 1 Tim. 2. 1.
7. Thou must looke to it, that 7 In all things giuegive thankes.in all things thou giuegive thankes. Let the Lord see the truth of thy heart herein, that what thou obtainest from God, especially by prayer, thou wilt with all gladnesse remember and acknowledge: this Rule must by no meanes be forgotten, 1 Thess. 5. 18. Col. 4. 2.
CHAP. XIIII.
Rules about reading the Scriptures.
THus of the Rules that concerne prayer. There remaines the reading of Scripture, and singing of Psalmes, as the other part of the ordinary worship of God.
Concerning the reading of Rules about reading the Scripture.the Scriptures, I will instant in one place of Scripture onelyonly, which containes the charge giuen to Ioshua, Cha. 1. 8, 9. which comprehends the substance of the necessary directions about priuate reading. I say necessary; for godly men may, and hauehave aduised diuers courses for reading of Scripture, which are not absolutely necessary, but arbitrary, as may stand with the leasure and capacity of the persons that will reade; such are those directions that shew how many Chapters may be read in a day, and what things may be obserued in reading, &c. which, as they may be profitable to many Christians, and expedient too, yet they must not bee vnderstood so, as that those persons sinne, which reade not so often, or so many Chapters, or the like. The things therefore that must necessarily be obserued by such as can reade the Bible, I take to be these.
First, they must exercise themselues 1 Reade daily.therein daily, they must constantly be employed therein; and if their occasions interrupt them at some time, they must redeeme it at other times. This is the praise of the blessed man, That he exerciseth himselfe in Gods Law day and night, that is constantly, Psal. 1. 2.
Secondly, in reading they 2 Meditate of what thou readest.must meditate therein, that is, they must obserue profitable things as they reade, attending to reading, and marking what the Lord saith vntounto them by that part of the Word which they reade. This is that meditation which is chiefly required of Christians, to get into their hearts good thoughts from the matter they reade of, so as they may the better be enabled to employ their thoughts all the day after.
Thirdly, the Word of God must 3. Confer vponupon it.not depart out of their mouth; they must make the best vse of it they can, in conference to speake of it to others, for the edification of themselues and others.
Fourthly, they must obserue 4. Resolue to obey.in their reading what the Lord saith vntounto them, that concernes their practice. They must obserue to doe according to those holy directions they reade of. They must bring a mind desirous and resolued to let the Word of God both informe them and reforme them, making conscience of it, to let God direct them by his holy Word read, and not onelyonly by the word preached to them: their liues must bee bettered by their reading; and to that end they must obserue the chiefest things they can out of their reading, to remember them in their practice.
CHAP. XV.
Rules about singing of Psalmes.
THe rules that concerne the singing of Psalmes, are summarily comprehended in that place, Coloss. 3. 16. and they are these.
First, they must teach one another Rules about singing of Psalmes.by their Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs. They must learne to profit, and make good vse of the holy matter contained in the Psalmes they sing.
Secondly, they must sing with their hearts; they must attend to the matter they sing of, and lift vp their hearts, as well as their voices.
Thirdly, they must sing with grace in their hearts: they must employ the graces of Gods Spirit in singing of Psalmes, as well as in praier, or any other ordinance of God.
Fourthly, they must make melodie to the Lord: They must direct their songs to God, and to his glory, and not vse them as meere ciuill employments, but as parts of Gods seruice.
CHAP. XVI.
Rules about Vowing and Swearing.
HItherto of the Rules that concerne the most vsuall part of Gods seruice: there are other parts of Gods seruice, which are to be vsed but at certaine times, and vponupon speciall occasions, and these are Vowes, and Oathes and Fasting.
The rules about Vowing are The rules about vowing.briefly comprehended in that place, Eccl. 5. 4, 5. and they are chiefly two
First, before thou vowest, consider: consider, I say, thine owne strength, whether thou be able to doe it: and consider also the end, that it be to Gods glory: and consider the matter, that thou vow not things vnlawfull: and consider what may be the euents of thy vow, for all vowes being made before the Angell that takes notice of all couenants, it will be in vaine afterwards to pleade; It was an errour, thou wast mistaken: God may bee angry at thy voice, and destroy the worke of thy hands: Be not rash therefore, to cause thy flesh to sinne therein.
Secondly, when thou hast vowed thy vow to God, deferre not to pay it; be sure thou performe it: it is a grieuous offence to breake a lawfull vow: Better it is thou shouldest not vow, then that thou shouldest vow, and not pay.
Thus of vowing.
Concerning the Oath, when th…u art called to sweare, thou Rules about swea ring.must obserue these rules.
First, that thou sweare not by any thing which is not God, Ier▪ 5. 7.
Secondly, that thou sweare in truth, that is, that thy conscience know, what thou swearest is true.
Thirdly, that thou sweare in iudgement, that is, with due consideration of the nature of God, and with sound deliberation, not rashly, diligently weighing all things that belong to the matter thou swearest about.
Fourthly, that thou sweare in righteousnesse, that is, about lawful things, and iust matters: Thou must not sweare to doe vniust things, as Dauid sware to kill Nabal: nor must thou sweare about impossible things, or about things that are doubtfull and vncertaine, nor in the forme of thy oath must thou vse such words, as bee contumelious to God, or expresse not sufficient reuerence to the Diuine Maiesty, as they that wickedly sweare by any part of Christ, or such like.
CHAP. XVII.
Rules about Fasting.
THus of Vowes, and Swearing; Fasting followes. Now if wee would keepe a religious Fast vntounto God, we must obserue these two Rules.
First, wee must looke to the The rules about a religious faststrictnesse of the abstinence of the day of our Fast; for so we must abstaine from all sort of meate as well as one, and from our costliest apparell, and from recreations and vsuall delights: We must keepe the day, as we keepe the Sabbath, in forbearing our owne workes, Ion. 3. 6, 7. 1 Cor. 7. 5. Ioel 1. & 2. Leuit. 16. 29.
Secondly, the time must bee sp…t in religious duties, as a Sabbath, especially in the exercises that concerne the humiliation of the soule, in renewing of our repentance, for the obtaining of pardon of sinne, or some speciall blessing of God, or the preuenting, or remoouing of some great iudgement of God.
The former rule concernes onelyonly the ceremony, or outward exercise of the body: but this rule containes the substance of the dutie, without which a religious Fast is not kept vntounto God; who regardeth not the hanging downe of the head like a bull-rush, if the soule be not humbled before God for sinne: Leuiticus 16. 29. Ioel 1. 14. and 2. 16, 17.