The Light of Faith, Part 2 · Section 31
§. XXXI. Peculiar rules applyed for the paſsing eueryevery day.
BY Gods aſſiſtance, the rulesRules applyed for the p…ſſing of the day. of hol… li…e hauehave hitherto beene taught, rules not now and the… to be looked vntounto, but conſtantly, nor generally, but particularly in all our actions, eueryevery day, and throughout the day, that we might ſerue the Lord in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe all the dayes of our life: bleſſe him eueryevery day of our life, and thinke of him all the day long. But this it may be, (ſuch is our weakeneſſe and the backwardneſſe of our hearts to good) hath ſcarce found a place in our thoughts as yet: and where it hath, yet know they not how to order them handſomely to a daily direction. To helpe this alſo I now apply my ſelf; making a draught of certaine rules out of Gods word, by which you may be inabled eueryevery day to paſſe the day according to Gods will with ſound peace, for this vndoubtedly is required of vsus, a faithfull and conſtant endeauor to pleaſe God in all things eueryevery day of our liues to the peace of our conſciences and the glory of God.
And becauſe ſome thinke itThe warrant of it. ſtrange it ſhould be required of them, to be kept in compaſſe eueryevery day, ſome thinke the …abbath is enough to attend to a religious holy conuer…atio… ▪ ſome ſay, I hope we be no children to be appointed what wee ſhould doe▪ ſome thinke it is not to be thought the Lord ſhould direct a man to eueryevery various action which meeteth him in the day, ſome can be content to receiue the thing of the day in his day from Gods hand, but neuer thought of doing the duety of the day in his day to God againe: and ſo neuer paſſed a day in all their liues, of which they could in all actions or euer did depend on God in thoſe particulars & abide with him by faith, therefore I hauehave ſelected that place in Pro. 6. 20. 21. 22. to take off all theſe conceits and to proue the neceſſity, the excellency of this courſe, if eueryevery day through the whole day we paſſe it according to the warrant of Gods word. The words of the text are theſe.
Pro. 6. 20. My Sonne keepe thy Fathers Commandement: and forſake not the law of thy mother.
21 Binde them continually vponupon thine heart, and ty them abou… thy necke.
22 When thou goeſt, it ſhall lead thee: when thou ſleepeſt it ſhall keepe thee; and when thou awakeſt it ſhall talke with thee.
1 Here firſt it is fully charged eueryevery day to hauehave the commandements bound vponupon our hearts, for continuall remembrance, tyed about our neckes, as Iewels for eſteeme and ornament: and for vſe to lead vsus in our goings, to keepe vsus in our ſleeping, to talke with vsus in our awaking, accommodated and fitted in all to our owne particular in eueryevery moment of times changes. ver…. 21. 22.
2 Therefore, the Sabbath though it hauehave its more ſpeciall attendance on Gods Seruice in his ordinances and that onelyonly: yet, is not all the time God requireth, for an holy conuerſation: nay all times h…lily, though not all time, in the duties of reading, hearing, prayer and the like verſ. 21.
3 And I hope you will be and are Wiſedomes children, who in theſe words ſpeaketh to you as to children, My Son verſ. 20. and offers her ſelfe as a mother, and God a… your father, yea I hope you will be children to learne of wiſedomes maydens, euen your Miniſters inſtructing you from Gods mouth. You muſt be appointed, elſe are you baſtards and not ſonnes.
4 And for ſpecialty of direction: the word, if thou remember and price it, will guide the day and night, awake, aſleepe, at thy going out, and at thy comming in, verſ. 22.
5 And thus walking thou art ſure of ſweet cōmunion w…th God the father, and with Ieſus Chriſt the wiſedome of his father: no father and mother more tendering their child, the… the Lord will tender thee while thou ſerueſt him, verſ 20 and thou art ſure of preſeruation in the life of grace and way of holineſſe, the C…uenant it ſelfe hath the power to leade thee, to keepe, to comfort thee, as a friend. Counſeller and guide from thy vp…iſing to thy downe-l…ing. Nor i… the Gouerning of our liues left in our owne hands one day: nor were it good for vsus, who are giuen to change, if it were ſo: for we were then no way aſſured of the protection of our heauenly father and bleſſed Sauiour, nor of a ſafe footing in any of our waies.
This for the Text; accordingThe coppy of it. to the warrant whereof I beſeech you receiue the Coppy of your …aily direction thus:
1 Awake with God, let thy heart ſing his power and mercy in the Morning. Pſal. 59. 16. in the Morning direct thy ſelfe vnt… God and looke vp. Pſal. 5. 3. preuent him in the morning. Pſal. 88. 13. it matters much vponupon whom thou beſtoweſt thy firſt thoughts.
2 Let thy apparell be ſuch as becometh thoſe that profeſſe godlineſſe, expreſſing modeſty, ſhamefaſtneſſe, and ſobriety 1 Tim. 2. 9. 10. Neither coſtly beyond ability or to hinder good workes; nor gariſh for the faſhion beyond modeſty, nor ſtrange for new-fangledneſſe, there is the apparell of good works: the ornament of a meeke and quiet ſpirit: likewiſe ſuffer not more time then needs to be ſpent about this trimming of thy carcaſe.
3 Turne thy ſelfe in ſolemne manner to prayer with confeſſion, Thankeſgiuing and petition: acknowledge thy dependance on God, ſeeke of him thy daily bread and daily forgiueneſſe and renewed ſtrength againſt temptations: &c. and if thou hauehave a family, neglect not to call them together at the conuenienteſt time, Ier. 10. verſ. 25. vſe it not as a cuſtome, nor as if that one little ſpace o… deuo…ion did buy out a pardon for the reſt of the day to liue as thou liſteſt, no, it is to enable thee the better to walke in the day with God.
4 Follow thy calling with cheerefulneſſe, diligence and quietneſſe 1 Th…ſ. 4. 11. doe thy labour as a duty, not with the deſire to be rich, which is both a ſinne and a ſnare, be content with Gods bleſſing in the ſucceſſe he giueth, auoiding cares, and abhorring the ſinnes of deceit and fraud.
5 Walk with God, Gen. 5. 22. remembring his all-eying preſence, approuing thy heart to him that ſeeth in ſecret, obſeruing his way in his workes, his bleſſing on thy workes, and prouidence for thy preſeruation; that thou maieſt walke with an enlarged heart in thankefulneſſe, ready preſt to obedience, and …kept in his feare all the day. Pro. 23. 17.
6 When occaſion of ſpeech is, let thy words be gracious alwaies, Col. 4. 6. witneſſing the grace of thy heart, miniſtring good to the hearer, Bridle thy tongue, that thou be not guilty of the vſuall vices thereof, lying, ſwearing, filthy ſpe…ch, fooliſh talke, ieſting, raiſing, whiſpering, ſtandering▪ with all light vnſauory ſpeeches, call to thy minde thoſe two Texts, By thy words thou ſhalt be iuſtified, and by thy words thou ſhalt be condemned: and againe, of eueryevery Idle word that a man ſhall ſpeake hee ſhall giuegive account at the day of iudgement.
7 For thy company, keepe company with the godly, chooſe them and in other company when thy calling leadeth thee… hauehave with thee the ſalt of Mortification and Diſcretion: and be ready to doe or receiue ſome good, abide in ſuch company no longer then thy calling requireth.
8 For thy meales, looke vp to heauen and giuegive thankes. Mat. 14. 19. be not oppreſſed with drunkenneſſe and ſur…etting, Luk. 21. 34. Forget not the worke of the Lord, the end why he giueth vsus food, that we might liue to him. Eſa. 5. 12. Gather vp that which is left that nothing be loſt, Ioh 6. 12. remember the poore that dwelleth by thee.
9 And becauſe recreations may be vſed ſometimes and are an honour wee owe to our bodies, See.
1 That thy ſports bee not onelyonly lawfull but of good report.
2 That they be not Coſtly, nor cruell, nor ingroſſers of time, nor incroachers vponupon heauenly comfort, nor diminiſhers of our delight in God, or in our callings, nor deuourers of ſpi…ituall ioy.
10 And becauſe many hauehave much time that may be ſpared, all ſome time, Redeeme the time, to holy duties, Epheſ. 5. 16,
11 In thy ſolitarineſſe ſpend …me well, watching thy thoughts.
12 In proſperity let thy heart grow more cheerefull in all duty, and forget not that God that giueth it.
13 In aduerſitie, Conſider, prepare for it, ponder thy waies, ſearch thy heart, turne to the Lord from the ſinnes whereby thou doſt offend, receiue it m…ekely and patiently, accepting in good worth the chaſtiſement of thy ſinne.
14 Examine thy ſelfe at night and be ſtill, view thy actions & Gods bleſſings in the day, let them adminiſter to thee matter of deprecation, ſupplication and thankeſgiuing which doe thou offer vp to God as thy euening ſacrifice, then thy feeling will make the feruent.
15 Be not giuen to ſleepe, thinke of God in the night watches, deſire of him that thy reines may inſtruct in the night ſeaſon, and muſe not miſcheife vponupon thy bed, as the wicked doe that feare not God Pſal. 16▪ 7. & 36. 4.
Then …et thy heart ſay: I will bleſſe the Lord, who hath giuen me Counſell. Pſal. 16. 7.
So farre the rules that forme vsus as Chriſtians.