The Christians Daily Sacrifice, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
AND this is the third duety daily we must performe,The preparing and furnishing the heart to the seruice of God. namely; to renue our vowes, and stir…e vp our hearts to the seruice of God.
1 Because the hart is that which God principally delights in. Prou. 23. 26.
2 The heart is the fountaine of eueryevery action, if it bee clensed, the actions will be sutable. Luke 8.
3 The infirmity of the action shall not be imputed, if the heart be ordered aright. 2. Corinthians 8. 12.
4 As the bodie sleepes, so the heart sleepes too, and therefore the one must be awaked as the other. Esay 29. 10.
Now the heart may be cast into a sleepe. 1. Thess. 5. 6.Sect. 1. The heart asleepe, & by what meanes.
1 By ignorance of it selfe. Ephes. 5. 14.
2 By selfeloue, and ouerweening of it owne perfections.
3 By neglecting the meanes.
4 By corrupt meanes in steade of the pure fountaines.
5 By the ceasing of Gods Spirit to worke.
6 By some grosse sinne committed. 2. Sam. 11.
7 By security in prosperitie and sinne.
8 By presumption of Gods mercies or it owne merits. Matthew 26. 33.
9 By stupiditie and senselesnesse.
10 By spirituall blindenesse and hardnes of heart.
The preparing of the heart hath these degrees:
First, It must be awakened and roused vp,Sect. 2. The heart to be awakened, and how. and that
1 By meditating.
1 What it was by nature. Ierem. 17. 9. Matth. 15. 19.
2 What it is now by grace. Ro. 6. 2. Ephes 4. 23.
3 How vnsearchable and endles agulfe it is. 1▪ Cor. 4 4.
2 By yeelding it vp to God, and exposing it naked before him, and that
1 Both confessing its corruption, and deceitfulnes.
2 And also submitting it wholly to his gouernment.
3 Reforming the occasions whereby it was laid asleepe, as
1 Ignorance, by the glasse of the word. Iam. 1. 25.
2 Selfe-louelove, by viewing our selues in the glasse of the conscience examined by the Law. Rom. 7. 8, 9.
3 vsing the meanes conscionably.
4 Especially not closing with corrupt meanes.
5 Renue the Spirit by vnfained repentance. Psal. 51. 10.
6 Forsake not onelyonly grosse sins, but euen all, yea all apparance of sinne. 1. Thes. 5. 22.
7 Be we alwaies watchfull ouer our selues. Luk. 22.
8 Auoyde we presumption by meditation of Gods iustice. Iude 5. 6, 7.
9 Remedie wee stupidity by quicknes in apprehension, and forwardnes to iudge our selues. 1. Cor. 11. 31.
10 Breake we our hard hearts with the hammer of Gods word. Iere. 23. 29. 1. Cor. 9. 27.
The heart being awakened, must be throughly sifted and examined,Sect. 3. The heart awakned, must be examined: And how. and that
First, 1. By a true rule.By a true rule.
1 Not by it selfe, but by the law of God. Heb. 4. 12.
2 Neither by the world, but by the conscience informed by the word. Ierem 6. 14.
3 Not by opinion, but by the euidence of the Spirit. Roman. 8. 16. Rom. 14. 5. Pro. 14. 12.
4 Neither by the lawes of men, but by the rule of faith. Matth. 15. 9. Acts 4. 19.
5 Neither by the letter of Gods Law, but by the spirituall meaning thereof. Mat. 5.
6 Not by the outward condition, but by the inward experience. Eccles 9. 1. Pro. 14. 13.
7 Neither by outward actions, but by inward purposes. Ierem. 17. 10. Io… 2. 13.
8 Not by the examples of the most, but of the best. Luk. 18. 1. Cor. 11▪ 1.
Secondly, 2 By an holy manner.Wee must examine the heart after a true and holy manner.
Not once or seldome, but daily. Psal 119.
Not slightly but seriously, euen from the bottome. Psal. 119. 12.
Not on the one side, but on both, as well what euill we hauehave done as what good.
Neither in generall, but in particular, concerning the chiefe good or euill. Psal. 51.
And that not partially but conscionably and indifferently, both concerning it weakenes and also it strength. Psal. 42.
Thirdly, we must herein ayme at a right end:3 To a right end▪
1 Not vaine glory, but the praise of God.
2 Neither for selfe-louelove, but to denie our selues.
3 Not for louelove of the world, but to the renouncing thereof.
4 Neither for feare of death, but to be prepared to it.
5 Not to remit of our sincerity, but to increase in holines. Psal. 119.
6 Not to preferre our selues before others, that are behind vsus, but to be humbled in regard of those that hauehave out-stript vsus.
7 Not to bee approued of the world, but to the conuincing or conuerting thereof.
8 Not to make vsus distrust God, but to increase our cōfidēce in him.
9 And so to hunger more constantly after him.
The heart beeing thus tried and examined,Sect. 4. The heart examined, must be established in the worship of God. must bee established and confirmed in the seruice of God. Psal. 51. 12. Pro. 4.
And that by these meanes:
First,And how. by resigning it vp to the guidance of the almighty. Psal. 119.
Secondly, by renuing our vows and binding vsus to the performance of them. and that
1 By publicke protestation.
2 By solemne and conscionable oaths. 2. Chron. 15.
3 By the curse of the law. Nehem. 10. 31.
4 Calling others to witnes, as the Church of God.
Thirdly, wee must continually feare our selues, and hauehave a holy iealousie of our best actions. Prouerb. 28. 14.
And that in regard,
1 Of the vnsearchablenes of our hearts. Ier. 17. 9.
2 Of the priuie corruptions that doe assault vsus. Psal. 19.
3 In respect of the infirmities that doe accompany our best actions. Iob 4. 18.
4 As also especially in regard of the presence of our gracious God beholding and approuing all our actions. Psalme 33. 13.
And this feare is discerned,
1 By an earnest striuing against our coruptions.
2 By a desire to approue our selues to the Church of God.
3 By tendernes of conscience in all our actions.
4 By lowlines in our carriage, euen towards our inferiors.
Fourthly, There must be a constant watching ouer the outward man, auoyding both the occasions of euill, and the least appearance therof. Psal. 39. 1. Iob 31. 1.
Fiftly, We must moderate our selues in our Christian liberty, Gal. 5. 13▪ and that by these rules:
1 Of our callings, that wee exceede not them. 1. Corin 7. 20.
2 Of the times, that wee bring forth fruite in due season. Psalme 1. 3.
3 Of the place, that in outward things we conforme therto. 1. Cor. 9. 20.
4 Of the persons, that we giuegive no iust offence. 1. Cor. 10. 33.
Here our guides must be:
LoueLove, which seekes not our own. 1. Cor. 13.
Wisedome, to become all vntounto all. 1. Cor. 9.
And our ends,
1 Expediencie, that we may be fitting. 1. Cor. 10.
2 VnderUnder that which may bee seemely. Col. 2.
3 Edification, that which may benefit our selues and others. 1. Cor. 10.
4 And principally the glorie of Almightie God. 1. Cor. 10. 31.
Sixtly, We must entertaine and cherish the motions of the Spirit of God. 1. Thess. 5. 19. 2. Tim. 1. 6.
This is performed:
1 By a wise discerning of them. 1. Tim. 4. 14.
2 By an high esteeme of them.
3 By reioycing in them, as if we had found the greatest treasures. Mat. 13. 44.
4 By putting them speedilie in execution. Psal. 45. 1.
5 By offring vp an extraordinary sacrifice of praise for them, abasing our selues in regard of such excellent graces, and acknowledging the free mercy of God in so gracious a fellowship. Psalme 116. 7, 12.
Seuenthly, If the Spirit of God shall lie asleepe in vsus Psal 119.
This we shall discerne:
1 By great terrours in the conscience.
2 A kind of loathing of holy duties.
3 Great coldnes and deadnes in the vse of them.
4 Little sensible comfort when we hauehave performed them. Psal. 77. 2, 3.
5 Much discontentment in the mind, and blindnes in the same. Psa. 6. 3.
6 Aptnes to rush into the sinnes we hauehave heretofore conquered.
7 Vnwillingnes to die, &c.
Here then we must at no hand blesse our soules in this estate, but
First, rouse vp the Spirit, and labour to be quickned, and that by vsing the holy meanes: as
1 The Ministerie of the word.Powerfull. Psal. 6. 6.
2 Priuate and strong crying vntounto God. Psal. 51.
3 Crauing the effectuall prayers of the saints. Iames 5. 15.
4 Vsing more conscionably their fellowships, and opening our state vntounto them.
5 Racking our harts by a serious and impartiall examination, and committing our most speciall tentations to record.
6 Promising more faithfulnes for the time to come. Psal. 80. 18.
7 And binding our selues more constantly to the conuersion of others. Psal. 116. 18. Psal. 32. 8. 9. Ps. 34. 3. 8. 11.
8 Exercising a daily course of repentance.
9 Not neglecting also to humble our selues in this behalfe in some priuate fast vntounto God. Psal. 35. in our closets or families.
Eightly, make we some experiment vponupon some chiefe lust of the heart to get the mastery ouer it for by an experimentall conquest ouer one, we shall learne in time to conquere all the rest.
And this must be done:
1 By obseruing the deepenes of Satan in his variety of baits, to draw vsus into the snare.
2 Considering the deceitfulnes of the heart, how gladly it would close with Satan.
3 Remembring our former tripping by the like tentation.
4 Thereupon confesse wee in humble prayer vntounto God that wee hauehave deserued to be ouertaken with it.
5 Detest we our selues that sinne hath got such ground of vsus. Iob 42.
6 Hereupon vow wee reuenge against our treacherous flesh. 2. Cor. 7. 11.
7 And practise wee the same by the former rules of humiliation, and such as hereafter shall bee laid downe.
8 And so being wise to feare our selues in regard of the said tentation we shall happilie get the conquest of it. Prou 14.
9 Wee must daily recount how wee hauehave profited in godlinesse. Psal. 119.
10 we must prepare our selues continually to afflictiōs. Luk. 9. s 23.
11 Wee must bee plentifull in good workes. 2. Pet. 1. 9.
12 In all our actiōs, specially extraordinary we must not trust to that soundnes of heart which hath beene, but trie them by that which is, that so from the sense of the purenes of the fountaine the streames may flow more certainely and purely. Luke 6. 43. Mat. 13.
13 Though the heart may appeare to be sound, yet the goodnesse of the action must not so much depend vponupon the soundnes of the heart appearing, as vponupon the free mercies of God accepting the same.
14 We must prouide a complet armour for the heart, being prepared to preserue it. Ephes. 6. 13.