Diary of a Thankful Christian, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
What perſonall and private paſſages of Providence thoſe are which ought to be recorded in our Journall or Diary.
THus far of our National and more publick concernments, that are to be remembred: I come now to ſhew what Perſonall and private occurences are to be recorded; And they are theſe five that are moſt obſervable.
1. Let every man keep a ſtrict account of his effectuall calling, and of his age in Chriſt; and (if it may be) ſet down the time when, the place where, and the perſon by whom he was converted.
I know every one cannot relate it, as Paul Act. 22. 6, 7.could, in all the circumſtances: It came to paſſe as I made my journey, and was nigh unto Damaſcus, about noon, ſuddenly there did ſhine from heaven a great light round about me, and I fell to the ground, and heard a voyce▪ &c. But yet ſome can with1 Tim. 1. 13, 14. the ſame Apoſtle ſay, I was a perſecuter, a blaſphemer, and injurious, but I obtained mercy: Joh. 9. 25.Or, with the blinde man whom Jeſus cured; One thing▪ I know, that whereas I was blind, now ſee. I was an ignorant, proud, profane …erſon, and without God in the world, bue by his grace I am that I am. There are ſome …ueſtionleſſe that can moſt punctually ſet down the ſeverall circumſtances of their …onverſion. It was a propheſie of the times under the Goſpel. It ſhall be ſaid of ſome …n Babylon that they knew God, and this and that man was born there; and of Zion, this man was born in her: Yea, The Lord Pſa 87. 5, 6▪himſelf ſhall count when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Oneſimus Phil, 10.could tell that Paul was his Father, he could tell the time when, and the place where he was converted, for he begat him in his bonds.
Cyprian had wont to call Caecellius, novae vitae parentem, his ſpirituall Father. St. Paul Rom. 16. …could ſay that Andronicus and Junia were in Chriſt before him. There is a ſeniority amongſt the Saints. God hath his elder and his younger children. It is good to know our age in Chriſt.
Polycarpus could ſay, Thus many yeers have I ſerved my Maſter Chriſt, and hitherto hath he dealt well with me. Remember this Exod. 13. 3.day, ſaith Moſes to the Iſraelites. What day was that? The day that they came out of Aegypt, from the Houſe of bondage. So I ſay, Remember the day wherein God took you, not from toyling in brick and clay, but from the ſlavery of ſin and Satan; not from following the ſheep, as he did David, whom he made a King; but from following the world and your own unruly luſts. You keep an account of the day wherein you were born, and why not of the day wherein you were born again? You remember your Marriage-dayes, and why not much more the day on which you were married to Chriſt? You have your Regiſter-books for the one, and why not Diurnalls for the other? Would you be perſwaded to do thus, it might provoke you to ſay as ſometimes Sarah ſaid when Iſaac was born, Who would Gen. 21. 7.have ſaid (that knew my age) that Sarah ſhould have given children ſack? Who that knew me in the dayes of my vanity and vileneſſe, that knew me in the School, or at the Univerſity, or when I was an Apprentice, when my life was as full of diſorder, as a toad was of poyſon; who would have ſaid that Chriſt ſhould ever have been formed in me? But by his grace I am that I am, and God hath made me laugh.
Some acts of God, are acts of common providence, and ſo he feeds us, and cloaths us, he doth as much for the creatures; for he feeds the Ravens, and cloaths the Graſſe. Some acts of God, are acts of ſpeciall priviledge; and thus he gave▪ Abraham a childe in his old age, and made David of a Shepherd a King. Some acts of God, are acts of pattern; and thus he ſhewed mercy to Manaſſeh, and Mary Magdalen, & Paul▪ For this cauſe (ſaith that Apoſtle). I obtained mercy, that in me firſt Jeſus Chriſt might ſhew forth all long-ſuffering, 1 Tim. 1. 1… ▪…or a pattern to them that ſhould hereafter believe …n him to life everlaſting.
Some acts of God are acts of wonder: It …s a wonder that any ſoul is ſaved; I am ſure it is a wonder that ever God ſhould …hink of me, look after me, ſtrive with me, wait upon me, that he might be gracious to …e; nay, it is not onelyonly matter of wonder …ow, but will be cauſe of admiration unto …ll eternity; Who am I, and what am I, that God hath brought me hitherto! It is the …ords doing, and it is wonderfull in mine …yes.
Amongſt many things that Beza in his laſt Will and Teſtament, gave God thanks for, …his was the firſt and chief, that he at the age of ſixteen yeers, had called him to the know…edge of the Truth. Let every one that can know his age in Chriſt, ſet down this in his …ournall.
2. Take ſpeciall notice of all divine aſſiſtance, and that either in the performance of the duties that are required of us, or in …earing thoſe evills that are inflicted upon us.
For the firſt, we know that all our ſufficiency is from God, all our freſh ſprings …re in him, and therefore all our full ſtreams of prayſe ſhould run to him. It is our ſin, and ſhould be our ſhame, that though the …xe knows his owner, and the Aſſe his Maſters Iſa. …. 3.…th (as the Prophet ſaith) that is, by a common inſtinct of Nature, they acknowledge that as all their proviſion is from him, … all their ſtrength to draw or bear is due t… him: Yet we do not conſider; that is, we do not ſo know God, as to acknowledge, th… as we have all from God, ſo all is due t… Iſa. 40. 29.God. He it is that giveth power to the …ai… and to them that have no might, he encreaſ… ſtrength. But the youths ſhall faint and be we… and the young men ſhall utterly fall. If Dav… will go out in the Name of the Lord, in th… ſtrength and by the aſſiſtance of God, … … Sam. 17.ſhall return a victor over the mighty G… ant: But if Goliah will go out againſt D… vid with a ſword and a ſpear, truſting onel… Exod. 3. 11, 13. & 4. 10, 13. & 5. 22. & 6. 12, 30.to his own ſtrength, he ſhall fall. Moſes h… a great charge to go to Pharaoh, and to brin… the people of Iſrael out of the Land of Aeg… and how oft doth he through unbelief cav… at that call, as unfit for that ſervice? ſev… or eight times he replyes upon God as unwilling, becauſe unfit to go: But throug… Gods moſt gracious aſſiſtance, he finiſhed th… work to the glory of God, the comfort … his people, and the ſhame of that pro… … Tim. 4 7.enemy; aad this is recorded. I have foug… the fight▪ (ſaith St. Paul) I have finiſhed … courſe, I have kept the faith; and this is wri… ten down in a book.
Secondly, aſſiſtance in withſtanding vi… lent temptations, in undergoing heavy bu… thens, and conflicting with ſundry evil… ſhould not be forgotten. There is a tim… when Kings go not forth to War, but no …ime wherein Chriſtians have not ſome com…ate with temptations, but God either pre…ants them, or aſſiſts us in them, and makes …s victors over them, and gainers by them. It is written of St. Auguſtine, that after his converſion to the Faith, he was much vexed with inward conflicts; and after long ſtrug…ing with them in the uſe of means, and not prevailing as he deſired, he heard a voyce ſaying to him, In te ſtas & non ſtas; whereby apprehending, that the way to fall was to ſtand in his owne ſtrength; by faith in prayer he did fly unto God in Chriſt, and his tree grace, and ſo obtained victory.
1 Tim. 4. 16, 17.At my firſt anſwer (ſaith St. Paul) no man ſtood by me, all forſook me; I pray God it be not laid to their charge. But God ſtood by me, and ſtrengthned me, and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And indeed at ſuch a time a gracious heart can better bear Gods ſtroke, then endure his abſence. St. Paul makes ſpeciall mention of this: Faith is the gift of God; and amongſt many ſingular benefits that we have by that grace, this is not the leaſt, It hath a ſingular dexterity in helping the heart at a ſudden pinch; in muſtering up ſpirituall, and thoſe preſent forces againſt an unexpected temptation. A lively faith is the beſt leaver at a dead lift. See it in the caſe of Joſeph, fiercely and unexpectedly aſſaulted by his beaſtly Miſtris. Many arguments are brought in of a ſudden, by which he is fenced ſo impregnably againſt her ſollicitations, that he comes off more then a conqueror.
1. It is a ſin (ſaith he) againſt the great …ruſt my Maſter hath in me, He hath committed all into my hand, &c.
2. It is a ſin againſt my place and dignity, There is none greater in the houſe then I.
3. It is a ſin againſt my Maſters intereſt, You are his wife.
Gen. 39. 8, 9.4. It is a wickedneſſe, a great wickedneſſe againſt God.
The like you ſhall read of David, who when he was reviled by Shimei, with thoſe words, Come out thou bloody man, thou man of Belial, &c. which ſo far provoked Abiſha, and edged his ſpirit againſt him, that he could hardly hold his hands; yet bare all patiently, being armed againſt ſuch an aſſault.
Three arguments are ſuddenly muſtred up by Faith, by which he comes off with victory.
1. My Son rebels, and he is more violent againſt me. My Servant takes away my good name; my Son would not only take the crown from my head, but my head from my ſhoulders.
2. The Lord hath bidden him curſe me, and therefore let him alone.
3. The Lord will look on me, and not2 Sam. 16. 7, …, 11, 12. onelyonly do me good by this, but for this affliction.
It is good to ſet down every affliction we have met with in our time, and to obſerve Gods carriage towards us in them, with the benefit we receive from them.
3. Remember, and for that end put into your Journal all deliverances from dangers, vouchſafed to you or yours. And indeed, what is our whole life, but a continued deliverance? We are daily delivered, either from the violence of the creature, or the rage of men, or the treachery of our own hearts; either our houſes are freed from firing, or goods from plundering, or our bodies from danger, or our names from reproaches, or our ſouls from ſnares. This being the difference betwixt a gracious and a graceleſſe heart; a godly man is delivered, a wicked man is but reſerved. God knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reſerve the unjuſt unto the day of judgement,2 Pet. 2. 9. to be puniſhed.
Jacob is delivered from the treachery of his Uncle Laban at one time, and from the fury of his Brother at another; both are remembred.
David is delivered from the paw of the Bear, and the mouth of a Lion; both of them are mentioned before Saul.1 Sam. 17.
Jeremiah cannot forget the dungeon out of which he was ſaved; nor Daniel the Lions den, out of which he eſcaped; nor Jonah the Whales belly, out of which he was delivered. Read their Propheſies, and you ſhal finde the ſtories. Mr. Beza in his laſt Will bequeaths thanks unto God, that being infected with the plague at Luſanna, and aſperſed by his enemies with grievous calumnies, God delivered him from both.
2. That being toſſed up and down in the firſt Civill wars of France, for many moneths, God had preſerved him from ſix hundred dangers.
Our deliverances are more then we can number, greater then we can value. Who ſo is wiſe, and will obſerve them, even they ſhall underſtand the loving kindneſſe of the Lord. Every night God ſetteth his watch about us, and every day he commands his Angels to pitch their tents for our ſafeguard. And alas, what is all our care and prudence, without his watchful eye of providence overPſal. 127. 1. us! Except the Lord keep the City, the watchman waketh but in vain.
Gen. 7. 16.When Noah and all his train went into the Ark, it is ſaid the Lord ſhut him in. It is good to open the dore in the morning, and to ſhut the dore in the evening by prayer: pray when we open them, that God would dwel with us; and when we lock up our dores, that God would ſhut us in, otherwiſe we cannot be ſafe.
Take but a little notice of the preſervation of our children; nay, but of one childe, and you will ſay that all our care is nothing without his watchfull eye. I will give you a memorable inſtance of a Childes deliverance who, whileſt divers in the family, with many other friends were met together to faſt and pray, went out to a pond very much frozen, (for it was in an hard cold Winter) either to ſlide, or to whip his top, I remember not which; where two holes were made in the ice for the ſafety of the fiſh, and the taking up of water, into one of theſe he fell up to the arm-holes; the childe was ſoon miſt, and ſearch being made, he was found there: Had the hole been wider, or he not ſpread out his arms, or he not ſeaſonably found out (for it was about the time the company brake up) he had periſhed. I was then at the houſe, an eye-witneſſe of that deliverance.
Another example I ſhall give you of a Man.
A certain Engliſh Captain in the Wars of France, under Henry the fourth, whom Queen Elizabeth aſſiſted againſt his own ſubjects; being quartered in a Town lately taken from the enemy, carryed himſelf with that civility toward his Landlord, as became an ingenuous Gentleman; and yet with that fidelity too, as ſuited with the honor of his command in chief; that he won very much reſpect from the Maſter of the family: Inſomuch, that ſome time after, the enemy having taken the Towne again, beaten the Kings party, ſlain many, and wounded more even unto death; at the end of the day, when the Armyes were retired, the Townſmen came out to cut throats, and to take the pillage: By providence this Landlord before mentioned, came to this Gentleman, ſorely wounded, and ready to dye; whom he beſtrides, and drawing his ſword proteſts he would there dye, rather then his friend ſhould ſuffer any further harm: And ſo by the help of others, he brought him home to his own houſe, where by chirurgery and good diet, with all carefull attendance, he recovered. This ſtory I heard the Gentleman relate to me and others.
Thus God creates deliverances; and indeed, preſervation from danger, is nothing elſe but a continued creation. There is ſcarce any thing in the wayes of God more remarkable then Deliverances. And indeed, it is neceſſary that God ſhould take the charge of us at all times; for our dangers are ſo many and great, that none are wiſe enough, or ſtrong enough to deliver us, but the Lord.
4. All the inſtruments, all the men and means that God hath in providence at any time uſed for our good, muſt not be forgotten: As,
1. What Parents we have had, how godly they were, and how religiouſly tender they were of our eternall welfare; what care they took of us, what coſt they beſtowed upon us, what prayers they made for us, what pains they took with us, in correcting, in inſtructing us for our temporall and eternall good. … is a very rich priviledge to come of godly and religious parents, to be heirs of ſo many promiſes which they daily laid up for us, and ſo many prayers that they continually made in our behalf, is a very rich portion. The Jews would often boaſt that Abraham was their Father, andJoh. 8. 59. Moſes choſe rather to owne him, yea though he ſuffered with his poſterity, then to be called the Son in law to Pharaob's daughter, and enjoy the pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon, Solomon keeps an account of this mercy: I was my Fathers Son; that is, I was his darling, his beloved Son; and, I was tender and Prov. 4 3, 4.dear in the ſight of my Mother: And thus he taught me, and ſaid unto me, Let thine heart retain my words, &c. The like honorable mention he makes of his Mother: The words of King Lemuel, the propheſie that his Mother gave & 31. 1, 2, 3.him. Lemuel is a name given to Solomon, as Mercer obſerves upon the place. He is called alſo Jedidiah, becauſe the Lord loved him; and here Lemuel by his Mother, becauſe ſhe had dedicated him to the Lord.
2. Remember what Schoolmaſters we have had.
Dr. Andrews Biſhop of Wincheſter was ſo thankfully affected with the care that Mr. Mulcaſter had of him whileſt he was his Scholar, that when he came to great preferment in the Church, he placed his picture over his ſtudy dore.
Mr. Calvin did ſo far acknowledge the love and care of Miturinus Corder…s his Schoolmaſter, that he dedicated his Commentary upon the firſt Epiſtle to the Theſſalonians to him. And Perſius had ſo honorable an eſteem of his Maſter Cornutus, that he writes his fifth Satyr to him, and expreſſeth his thankfulneſſe to him in very high language.
Hinc ego centenas auſim depoſcere voces,
Ʋt quantum mihi te ſinuoſo in pectore fixi
Vo…e traham pura, &c.
3. What noble Mecaen…s, what bountiful Benefactor we have had, by whoſe coſt and kindneſſe our good education hath been furthered, and our comfortable maintenance enlarged.
St. Auguſtine thankfully acknowledged, that by the liberall contribution of Romenian a noble Gentleman, his ſtudies in the Liberall Arts were much cheriſhed and advanced.
4. To conclude: It will be of ſingular uſe to put into our Diary, what Times we have lived in, what Miniſters we have lived under, what Callings we were of, what Wealth was beſtowed on us, what places of Authority and Command were committed to us.
Plato when he was ready to dye, gave God thanks for three things:
1. That he was made a Man.
2. That he was born in Greece.
3. That he lived in the time of Socrates. Bleſſe we God, that ſuch a Kinſman brought us up in our younger yeers, that ſuch a Scholar was our Tutor in the Univerſity, ſuch an one relieved us, ſuch a friend preferr'd us.
2 Tim. 1. 16, 17.The Lord give mercy to Oneſiphorus, ſaith Paul to Timothy, for he oft refreſhed me, and was not aſhamed of my chain. When he was at Rome, he ſought me out diligently. The Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy from the Lord in that day; and in how many things he miniſtred unto me at Epheſus, thou knoweſt very well. Yea, let not the meaneſtor loweſt inſtrument of our good under God be forgotten. Who hath deſpiſed the Zach. 4. 10. 1 King. 17. 6, 9.day of ſmall things? Even a Raven may ſometimes bring bread and meat to a poor Prophet, and a poor Widow ſuſtain a Meſſenger of God. A wicked Phyſitian, or a drunken Chirurgeon, may inſtrumentally under God ſave our lives. Even a cypher, as very a nothing as it is, if joyned to 10, make it 100; if added to 100, makes it 1000. Poor deſpiſed David, that ſtood but as a cypher in Kings Saul's account, & his Brothers judgement, in the name of the Lord ſlays Goliah, and wrought a great ſalvation for Iſrael. The Lord Cromwell, K Henry the Eights favourite, did not onelyonly remember Friſcobald the rich Florentine, that was ſo bountiful to him in his travel; but he conſidered a very poor man, and gave him maintenance to his dyiug day, whoſe Father had given him many a meals meat.
5. And finally, mark what return…, what anſwers God gives to your prayers, and ſet them down with a Selah, as moſtDeut. 9. 18. 19. remarkable pledges of his love. Moſes did ſo; who having faſted and prayed for the people, who had made them a Moltencalfe, and he received a gracious anſwer; writes that down▪ the Lord heard me at that … 10. 10.time alſo. It ſeems Moſes took ſpeciall notice of ſuch anſwers to prayer, for he records a like paſſage, when God ſeparated the Tribe of Levi for his ſervice, he prayed, and the Lord (ſaith he) heard me at that time alſo.
Hannah did ſo; ſhe told Eli that ſhe had received a man-childe from the Lord by prayer; for this childe I prayed (ſaith ſhe) and 1 Sam. 1. 27.the Lord hath given me the petition I asked of him.
All a Chriſtians happineſſe is laid up in promiſes, and all thoſe promiſes hang upon the pin of prayer. The prayer of faith is the great engine of the people of God, by which promiſes are made out into evidences; and ſuch returns of prayer ſhould be recorded.
What grace Jeſus Chriſt had either to do or ſuffer the will of God, he had by promiſe, as you may ſee, Iſa. 11. 2, 3, 4. & 42. 1, 2, 3, 4. & 61. 1, 2, 3, 4. and the good of all thoſe promiſes he fetcht out by prayer. He had a word of command as well… 2. 8. as we, Ask of me; and he had a word of promiſe, and I will give thee, &c. And he prayed very much, he ſpent whole nights in prayer, and was heard in what he prayed; and he takes ſpeciall notice of it, I knew that thou heareſt me alwayes (ſaith he to hisJoh. 11. 4…. Father, when he raiſed Lazarus.) In the dayes of his fleſh (ſaith the Apoſtle) when he had Heb. 5. 7.offered up prayers and ſupplications, with ſtrong crying and tears to him, that was able to ſave him front death, and he was heard in the thing he feared; and this is recorded. Now this God is our God, he will hear us and deliver us as he hath ſaid. Undoubtedly if he give us an heart to pray, he will encline an ear to hear; who delights as much to grant his peoples petitions, as they can to receive his grants. As King James ſaid once to a great Courtier, to whom he gave a great ſumme of money, I am better pleaſed that I can give, then you are ſatisfied that you may receive.
Tiberius was ſo in love with Sejanus his favourite, that he never denyed him any thing that he asked; he often prevented his asking by his bounty: But our God is ſo willing to grant our deſires, that he doth not onelyonly give us what we ask, but more then we ask, nay more then we ſhould ask, more then we can ask or think, and that exceeding abundantly.
Eph. 3. 20.Give us this day our daily bread, is the rule by which we are directed to ask for neceſſary and convenient comforts; and certainly, Prov. 23. 4.what we may not labour for, we may not pray for; but we muſt not labour to be rich.
Now though Nature is content with little, Grace with leſſe, yet God is ſo bountifullAct. 14. 17. as to afford us exceedings; be will fill our hearts with food and gladneſſe: He will give us not onelyonly a houſe to dwell in, but a ſtately one; not onelyonly a coat to cover us, but a coſtly one; not onelyonly a table to fit at, but a tableſal. 23. 5. well ſpread, and a cup running over, and that in the ſight of our enemies; which is more then we ſhould ask for.
So high was Roger Biſhop of Salisbury in favour with King Stephen, that he would ſay of him, Let that man beg of me what he will, I will grant him, though it be half of the Kingdome; and ſooner ſhal he be weary of asking, then I ſhall be of giving.
God will give in mercy, as long as we ask in ſaith.
When Sir Walter Raleigh asked a favour of Q Elizabeth, ſhe ſaid to him, Raleigh, when will you leave your begging? he anſwered, When your Majeſty leaves giving. God is much more bountifull; who did not give over granting Abraham his requeſts for Sodome, till he left asking; and who can tell, but that if he had gone on, and prayed that if five perſons that were righteous had been found in Sodome, the City might haveGen. 18. 33. been ſpared for their ſakes, according to his requeſt? G…n we think that God will hear …e young Ravens when they cry, and negct the Doves that mourn in the valleys? hat he will hear the young Lions when …ey roar, and forget the Lambs that bleat …ter the Sheep? That he will hear Hagar Gen. 21. 16, 17.…d her Iſmael, varlets and vile ones, that …y unto him in their extremities; and will …e turn his back upon the tears, or ſtop his …r to the prayers of his owne children that …y unto him daily, in the name of Jeſus …hriſt? Undoubtedly he cannot. St. Am…oſe was wont to ſay, the better to comfort …onica St. Auſtin's Mother who prayed often …r him, even with tears, Impoſſibile eſt ut filius …arum, lachrymarum periret, It is impoſſible …at a Son of ſo many tears ſhould periſh. As …ng therefore as God gives us an heart to …ay for any mercy, let us not be out of …eart. And why ſo? Becauſe then we beg …o more but what God hath commanded us …o ask, and we ask no more then what he ath promiſed to give, and he hath promi…d no more but what he is able to perform, …d he ſhall perform no more but what he …all have glory for, and we know his glory dear to him.
Let me therefore adviſe every believing …ul to be much in prayer, and with the ſalmist to hearken what the Lord willPſal. 85. 8. …eak, for he will ſpeak peace unto his people. …nd what returns of thoſe prayers they …eet with. If they can ſay, for this Wife I rayed, for this Childe, this deliverance, duplicate page duplicate page this ſucceſſe I prayed, and the Lord … granted me the requeſt I put up unto hi… Let ſuch experiments be put upon this … count, with a Selah.