A Guide to Godliness, Book 3 · Chapter 42
CAP. XLII.
Of ſuch duties as are to be performed on the Lords Day, after our comming from the Church.
§. Sect. 1 That we muſt meditate vponupon that which we hauehave heard.
ANd theſe are the publike duties of Gods ſeruice, which wee are to performe on his Holy-day. The priuate duties are diuers. The firſt is, that at our comming home we meditate vponupon thoſe things which we hauehave heard, and not onelyonly carefully recall them to our remembrance, that they may be imprinted in our memories, but alſo apply them vntounto our owne vſe, for the ſanctifying of our hearts and affections, and the reforming of our liues and conuerſations, purpoſing with a full reſolution, that wee will put in practice whatſoeuer we hauehave learned, both in the forſaking of thoſe vices and ſinnes which we hauehave heard condemned, and the imbracing and performing of thoſe vertues and Chriſtian duties which hauehave beene commended vntounto vsus. For if we doe not thus make it our owne, and (as it were) couer this holy ſeede of Gods Word in the furrowes of our hearts, the deuill will ſteale it away, as the birds doe the ſeede that falleth by the high way, and make it altogether vnfruitfull, ſo that after much hearing we ſhall ſtill remaine children in knowledge, and in the ſpirituall growth of grace and godlineſſe, and like riuen and leaking veſſels, retaine little or nothing of this precious liquor, becauſe it runneth out as faſt as it commeth in. Secondly, with this Meditation we are to loyne feruent and effectuall prayer, deſiring Gods bleſſing vponupon that which we hauehave heard, whereby it may be made effectuall for his glory and our owne ſaluation; and the gracious aſſiſtance of his holy Spirit, to bring home not onelyonly to our memories, but alſo to our hearts & conſciences, thoſe things which we hauehave heard and learned, that we may, as occaſion ſerueth, fruitfully practiſe them in the whole courſe of our liues; concluding theſe our prayers with praiſe and thankſgiuing vntounto God for this gracious liberty, in inioying his Sabbaths, and in them the exerciſes of Religion & meanes of our ſaluation.
§. Sect. 2 Of family exerciſes after we are come from the Church.
At our meales we are to ſpend the time in ſuch holy and religious conferences, as may be no leſſe profitable for the cheering and refreſhing of our ſoules, then our corporall food for the nouriſhment of our bodies; and in the performance of ſuch other Chriſtian duties tending to piety and Gods ſeruice, as before wee preſcribed for other dayes, which vponupon the Lords Day, aboue all the reſt, ought to be done with greateſt zeale and deuotion; which being finiſhed, it is good to ſing a Pſalme to Gods praiſe, and to reade one or more Chapters of the holy Scriptures. After which Chriſtian exerciſes, wee may, if time will permit, conferre together of thoſe things which we hauehave heard and learned at the forenoones Sermon, and by cauſing eueryevery one (as it were) to offer his ſhot, to make vp the whole reckoning, one remembring what another hath forgotten, and he againe ſupplying that wherein the other is defectiue, whereby it will come to paſſe, that whatſoeuer any one hath gathered of theſe ſpiritual treaſures, ſhall not onelyonly be more firmely locked vp and deepely imprinted in his owne memory, but ſhall alſo ſerue as a common ſtocke for the inriching of the whole company. And this being done, we are then againe by Prayer and Meditation, to prepare our ſelues for the well performing of Gods publike ſeruice in the euening exerciſe, as we did in the forenoone; which being finiſhed in that holy and religious manner before preſcribed, and afterwards by ſome meditation recalled to our remembrance for our own priuate vſe, it will be profitable for gouernours of families to call together their children and ſeruants, and either by ſtrength of their memories, or helpe of their Notes taken of the Sermon, to repeate as neere as they can what hath beene deliuered, that ſo the things not marked may be better obſerued, and that which was forgotten may be recalled, and by this repetition may more ſurely bee ingrauen in the memory. Sometimes alſo it will be fit and neceſſary to preuent negligence in the yonger ſort, that the gouernours of the family doe examine them, and require of them an account of that which they hauehave heard, that they may ſee how they hauehave profited by the publike Miniſtery. For if they thinke it neceſſary that they ſhould giuegive them an account of their worldly buſineſſe, or how they hauehave layd out their moneys when they hauehave ſent them to the Market; then much more ſhould they examine them what ſpirituall Markets they hauehave made for the good of their ſoules, and how much they hauehave gained by the vſe of Gods holy Ordinances, for the inriching of them with the treaſures of knowledge. In all which, the Maſter of the family muſt ſhew much louelove and patience, commending thoſe who anſwere well, and bearing with the infirmities of ſuch as are of meaner capacities and weaker memories, when they ſee that they doe their beſt, and doe not faile through groſſe negligence, that they may not, by being ſhamed and diſgraced, be altogether diſcouraged in theſe religious exerciſes. To which purpoſe, they muſt make the beſt they can of their imperfect anſweres, by inlarging and perfecting them, and ſupplying that in which they are defectiue. And on the other ſide, the inferiours muſt ſhew themſelues tractable and teachable, and with willingneſſe and cheerefulneſſe ſubmit themſelues vntounto Gods holy Ordinances, that they may profit by theſe exerciſes, and increaſe more and more in the knowledge of God and his will.
§. Sect. 3 Of other priuate duties to be done on the Lords Day.
After the finiſhing of which family exerciſes, wee are to ſpend the reſt of the time before Supper in other Chriſtian duties, as in viſiting and Mat. 25. 35.comforting thoſe that bee ſicke or in any other great affliction, and miniſtring vntounto their neceſſities if they ſtand in need of our helpe. In making peace and friendſhip betweene thoſe who are at variance, by compounding the differences which are betweene them. In meditating vponupon the great Booke of the creatures, and obſeruing in them the infinite and admirable wiſedome and goodneſſe, power and prouidence of our gracious God, that wee may take occaſion to render vntounto him the glory and praiſe of his owne workes, when wee ſee their wonderfull variety and comely order, their qualities and formes, their beauty and excellencie, their vſe and profit for the ſeruice of man. Obſeruing likewiſe in them, ſuch good properties as are worthy our imitation, and bee aſhamed that they ſhould exceed vsus in them, who hauehave the vſe of reaſon, and ſo many religious helpes and meanes; and their ill properties, that wee may auoyd them; taking occaſion thereby to be humbled in the remembrance of our fall from our created purity and integrity, as being the principall cauſe of all their defects and imperfections. So alſo vvee may in this reſpect make good vſe of the Creatures, when by them wee take occaſion of ſome ſpirituall Meditation: As when wee ſee their beautie, to thinke how infinitely beautifull hee is that created them; when we conſider how delightfull and profitable they are vntounto man, to conceiue thereby what ſurpaſſing excellencies God hath prepared for his owne Children in his Kingdome of Glory; when wee obſerue how ſeruiceable they are to man, to thinke how much more diligent wee ſhould be in ſeruing our great Lord and Maſter, who hath giuen both to them and vsus our birth and being. More particularly, when we behold the earth whereof we were made, let vsus take occaſion to thinke of our owne baſeneſſe, and that we ſhall be reſolued into earth againe; when we ſee the flowers of the field, let vsus thinke of the momentany mutability of worldly proſperity, and of Eccl. 12. 7. Eſa. 40. 6.our owne mortality, who are like vntounto them; when we looke vponupon the Suns glorious brightneſſe, let vsus take occaſion thereby to thinke of Gods glorious Maieſty, and of the glory and brightneſſe of the Saints in heauen, who ſhall farre exceed it. Of which, we hauehave our Sauiour Chriſt an example for Iob. 4. and the 6.our imitation, who tooke occaſion from corporall bread and water, to diſcourſe of the ſpirituall Manna and Waters of life; from a worldly feaſt, to Luk. 14. 15, 16 17. Iob. 7. 38, 39.ſpeake of a ſpirituall banket, and of the liuing waters of his grace and holy Spirit, giuen to all that beleeue in him. And this is a fit and profitable exerciſe on the Lords Day commended vntounto vsus by the Scriptures, and practice of the Church, as heereby it appeareth, in that the Pſalme, which was Pſal. 92.ſpecially appointed for the Sabbath, containeth in it for the moſt part a Meditation vponupon the workes of God.
§. Sect. 4 That the euening muſt be ſpent …n religious exerciſes.
In the euening of the Lords Day we are not to ſurceaſe our Chriſtian and religious exerciſes, but after wee hauehave at ſupper refreſhed our bodies with the vſe of Gods creatures, and our ſoules with holy conferences, wee are to ſpend ſome time in ſinging of Pſalmes, and in reading the Scriptures, or other religious and profitable writings. After which duties performed, all in the family ought to ioyne together in hearty and effectuall prayer (not thinking themſelues excuſed from priuate duties, becauſe they hauehave beene at the publike exerciſes of Religion) wherein as wee are to acknowledge other ſinnes and imperfections, ſo thoſe eſpecially wee hauehave ſhewed the day paſt in our cold, formall, weake, and negligent performance of the duties of Gods ſeruice. And as we are to craue other bleſſings, ſo eſpecially that the Lord by his grace and holy Spirit will bleſſe vntounto vsus the meanes of our ſaluation, and Miniſtery of his Word, whereof we hauehave been partakers on that Day, writing the things we hauehave learned in our memories and hearts, and inabling vsus to put them in practice, and to make vſe of them in the whole courſe of our liues. And finally, as we are to praiſe God for all his other mercies, ſo particularly for giuing vsus time to ſanctifie his Sabbaths, and ſuffering vsus to inioy the bleſſed light of his Word and Goſpell, for granting vsus liberty with ſuch peace and ſafety, to tread in his Courts, and to make our ſuits and ſupplications knowne vntounto him, with aſſurance to hauehave them heard and granted. And thus hauing finiſhed this holy exerciſe, and the time of ſleepe approching, we muſt prepare our ſelues thereunto with ſuch religious Meditations, as on other dayes were preſcribed, the which at this time are to be done with extraordinary zeale and deuotion; and ſo commending our ſoules and bodies into the hands of God, we are to deſire him that he will watch ouer and ſanctifie vsus ſo with his grace and holy Spirit, that we may ſpend the night alſo in an holy Reſt, being freed from worldly, carnall, and ſinfull dreames, and hauing our phantaſies and thoughts, our hearts and affections, both ſleeping and waking, taken vp and exerciſed in good and godly Meditations: And that he wil ſo ſeaſon our hearts with the ſauour of the Dayes religious exerciſes, that euen in ſleepe our dreames may relliſh of their ſweetneſſe, and when we awake, our thoughts and Meditations may bee wholly taken vp and exerciſed about ſuch holy things, as tend chiefly to the glory of God, and the euerlaſting ſaluation of our ſoules.
§. Sect. 5 That we muſt performe all our ſeruice to God in integrity and ſincerity of heart.
And theſe are the duties which ought to bee done on the Lords Day; which if we would performe after a right manner, ſo as they may bee acceptable vntounto God; then our care muſt be, that howſoeuer we hauehave many wants and imperfections in our beſt and moſt religious ſeruice, yet that we doe performe it with integrity and ſincerity of heart, labouring and ſtriuing to the vttermoſt of our power, to doe all that which God hath commanded, and as neere as we can in that manner, and according to all other circumſtances as he requireth, being heartily grieued in our ſoules when we faile, that we can doe them no better. For example, though we find in vsus naturall auerſeneſſe to the ſtrict keeping of Gods Day holy, and much dulneſſe and ſpirituall deadneſſe in the duties of Gods ſeruice; yet if our hearts be vpright with God, we will labour to make his Day our delight, and to conſecrate it wholly as an holy Reſt vntounto his worſhip, with all alacrity and cheerefulneſſe as he requireth; and we will ſtriue to finde ſuch Eſa. 58. 13.ſpirituall ſweetneſſe in holy and religious duties, as may make vsus to delight much more in them, then in our ordinary food, when wee come vntounto it with hungry appetites. And finding our corruptions ſo hanging vponupon vsus, that we faile much in ſatisfying our holy deſires, we will heartily bewaile our auerſeneſſe and vntowardneſſe, our drowzineſſe and wearineſſe in holy duties, and ſeeing our frailties and infirmities, will reſolue to labour after more perfection. Againe, howſoeuer through forgetfulneſſe, negligence, or other diſtractions, we may omit ſome of thoſe duties before preſcribed, for the ſpending of the Lords Day, yet if our hearts bee vpright before God, we will not bleſſe and pleaſe our ſelues in this negligence; but indeuour in ſome ſort to performe them all as we are able, without omitting any of them; As both the priuate and publike meanes of Gods worſhip, Prayer, Meditation, hearing, reading, ſinging Pſalmes, holy conferences and the reſt, ſo farre foorth as God granteth vntounto vsus time and opportunity. And if we hauehave through forgetfulneſſe or negligence omitted any, we will be vnfainedly ſorry for it, and purpoſe amendment for the time to come. Furthermore if we ſanctifie this Day with integrity of heart, then will we conſecrate the whole Day to this holy Reſt as God hath appointed, and not abridge him of any part of his due, or voluntarily ſpend any houre of the Day in prophane and worldly exerciſes. And howſoeuer wee may through our frailty and corruption be often ouertaken, thinking our owne thoughts, ſpeaking our owne words, and doing ſometime our owne workes on the Lords Day, yet if our hearts be vpright before God, we will not pleaſe our ſelues in this prophanation, but our hearts ſmiting vsus for it, we will repent, make humble confeſſion of it among our other ſinnes, and earneſtly deſire to be freed, not onelyonly from guilt and puniſhment of it by Gods gracious pardon, but alſo from the corruption it ſelfe for the time to come by his grace & holy Spirit. Finally, hauing laboured to performe theſe duties of the Lords Day in the greateſt perfection wee are able, and hauing in ſome poore meaſure ſatisfied our ſelues in them; yet if our hearts be vpright with God, we will not be proud of any thing which wee hauehave done, nor exalt our ſelues aboue others which we thinke come ſhort of vsus, but we will humbly praiſe God for that which we hauehave receiued, and aſcribe all that is good in vsus to his free grace and holy Spirit; yea, wee will eaſily diſcerne and acknowledge our beſt actions ſtained with ſo many corruptions, and mingled with ſo many imperfections, that when vve hauehave done all we can, we are but vnprofitable ſeruants, who are ſufficiently rewarded if we be not puniſhed.