Diary of a Thankful Christian, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
An uſe of Exhortation, wherein Christians are perſwaded to keep ſuch a Journall or Diary.
AND thus far ſhall ſuffice to have been ſpoken of the manner how ſuch a Journall ſhould be uſed.
For the application of all, I ſhall onelyonly … ſuch as have not been acquainted with this duty, to ſet upon this work. Indeed there is a latitude in Chriſtianity, and the wayes of God, that all do not reach. I have have an end of all perfection (ſaith thePſa. 119. 96. Pſalmiſt) but thy commandement is exceeding large. When things are come to their perfection, to their flower, they quickly fade; … a Lute ſtring▪ if wound up to the higheſt, it breaks; but the courſe of holineſſe, and way of righteouſneſſe, have large limits and boundaries, that many come not at. There are ſins that ſome ſeldome confeſſe, as Sacramentall ſins, Sacramentall ignorance, Sacramentall unbelief, impenitency, uncharitableneſſe, &c. There are ſome things they ſeldome pray for; Where Prov. 30. 8.is the man who with Agur prayes, Lord give me no riches? We often in prayer preſſe the promiſe, but how few at any time preſſe the ſeal? wherein God is come under the power of law, under the power of his own law; wherein all his wiſdome, power, faithfulneſſe, goodneſſe, and mercy is under the power of his owne law; yea, ſo far engaged that he cannot go back: And yet how few urge the ſeal, and enter a ſuit with the Lord? There are ſome duties we ſeldome or never perform. Where is the man that makes conſcience of private faſting and …rayer, that ſhuts himſelf up in his cloſet, and wr…ſtles with God in ſecret, that his Fat…r that ſeeth in ſecret may reward him openly? To conclude, how few are there that keep a Diary by them of all Gods gracious dealings with them?
Now that I may perſwade ſuch Chriſtians, at leaſt, as have any abilities and opportunities to enter upon this duty, I ſhall doe theſe two things:
1. Give ſome directions that may be as advantages to further this ſervice.
2. Give ſome arguments that may encourage and provoke thereunto, and ſo conclude.
1. Therefore often remember your ſinfull eſtate, when you were in a naturall eſtate, and therefore in the … of bitterneſſe, and in the bond of iniquity. God commanded his people ſo to do. Remember▪ and forget not …ow th…n provokedſt the Lord thy God in the wilderneſſe, Deut. 9. 7.&c.
…pheſ. 2. 11, 12.This charge the Apoſtle lays upon the Epheſtans, Remember that you being in times paſt Gentil…s in the fleſh, that at that time ye were without Chriſt, …liens from the Common-wealth of Iſrael, and ſt…angers from the covenants of promiſe, having no hope, and without God in the world. God promiſed that his people ſhould do ſo. You ſhal remember your wayes and your doings wherewithEze. 20. 43. you have been defiled, and you ſhall loath your ſelves. Paul did ſo: he oftentimes makes mention of his ſinfull condition before his converſion, he is not aſhamed to declare it before King Agrippa; I thought verily with myAct. 26. 9, 10, 11. ſelf that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jeſus of Nazareth; which thing I alſo did in Jeruſalem, for many of the Saints I ſhut up in …iſon, and when they were put to death, I gave my voyce againſt them, and I puniſhed them oft in every Synagogue, &c. So much he telleth the Corinthians, I am not worthy to be called an Apoſtle,1 Cor. 15. 10. becauſe I perſecuted the Church of God. The like he declares to Timothy; I was a blaſphe…, a perſecuter▪ and injurious. Yea, he was 1 Tim. 1. 13,more then an ordinary ſinner in his owne eyes. Jeſus Chriſt (ſaith he) came into thev. 15. world to ſave ſinner's▪ foreign, whereof I am thief… or primus, the firſt, as it is in the originall. He was primus, the firſt, non ordine, ſed excellentia; not in order of …ime, but in the exceſſe of wickedneſſe, for … every ſin hath his … So did Joſeph's Brethren, when he dealt roughly with them, and God lookt ſo mercifully on them as to afflict them for …n. 42. 21.their …in, They ſaid one to another, we are very guilty con…ing our Brother, in that we ſaw the anguiſh of his ſoul, when he beſought us, and we would not hear. And how have thoſe old bruiſes, and fins of youth, being ſadly and ſeriouſly remembred, cauſed much brokenneſſe and tenderneſſe, much care and watchfulneſſe in ſome all their days?
Them…ſ…eles told his friends, when being baniſhed out of his Countrey, and moſt honorably entertained by the King of Perſia, Per…eram niſ… periiſſem, I had been undone, if I had not been thus diſtreſſed. So may many a gracious ſoul ſay, I had faln into hell if I had not faln into …in. Oneſimus therefore departed, Philem. 15.(ſaith St. Paul to Philemon) that thou mighteſt receive him an foreign, an eternall. So it is in the Originall. And thus if our ſins were heavy, Gods mercies would be weighty, and worth the recounting. Were our fins often in our eyes, Gods praiſes would not be long out of our mouths: We that ſee we have deſerved nothing, would be thankfull for every thing; and rather then his mercies ſhould be forgotten, would keep ſome remembrances by us of Gods goodneſſe to us, who is every day mindfull of us.
2. Remember oftne your low and poor condition. It is little peradventure that y… ha… ▪ but was it not leſſe? God commands his people this duty, Remember that Deut. 5. 15.thou waſt a ſer…ant in the land of Aegypt. This they were enjoyned to do, when they came yearly to offer up their basket of firſt-fruits to the Lord. Thus they muſt ſay, A Syrian & 26. 5, 6.ready to periſh was my Father, and he went down into Aegypt, and …ojourned there with a few, &c.
… King of Sicily, who was by birth but a Potters Son, would alwayes be ſerved at his Table with earthen veſſels, that he might ever be mindful of his low & mean condition at firſt. Jacob did ſo▪ With my ſtaff Gen. 32. 10.I came over this Jordan: His condition was low when the earth was his bed, a ſtone his pillow, and the heaven his canopie over his head; he is thankfull for this, becauſe he forg…t not his low eſtate. He that well remembers what he once wanted▪ will not forget to be thankful for what at preſent he enjoys. Humility is a good ſpur to thankfulneſs. I have read of two garments in Scripture of excellent uſe: Firſt, the garment of humility, Be … with humility, (ſaith Peter) 1 Pet. 5. 5.and the garment of praiſe. Chriſt is ſaid to appoint to them that mourn in Zion, theIſa. 61. 3▪ garment of praiſe for the ſpirit of heavyneſſe. The under garment is commonly plain, and of leſſe worth, but the upper is very coſtly. Let humility be like the firſt. It is no matter how vile we be in our own eyes; but let praiſe be the upper garment.Col. 2. 7. Be ye rooted and built up in Chriſt, (faith the Apoſtle) and establiſhed in the faith, abounding therein with thanksgiving. He that is rich in faith, and low in humility, will make his upper garment coſtly; will be abundant in praiſes.
3. Labour to underſtand a mercy aright. Endevour to diſcern the height and breadth of a providence, weigh every benefit beſtowed skilfully. The reaſon why the Iſraelites remembred not the multitude ofPſal. 106. 7. Gods mercies, was (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) becauſe they underſtood not his wonders in Aegypt. Moſes told them that they had ſeen all that the Lord had done before their eyes in the Land of Aegypt, unto Pharaoh, and unto allDeut. 29. 2, 3, 4. his ſervants, and unto all the land. The great temptations which thine eyes have ſeen, the ſignes and th…ſe great miracles: And yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to ſee, and ears to bear, unto this day. It is true, they had eyes and ears, but they wanted an underſtanding heart to perceive and diſcern God in all. Hence it comes to paſſe, that as a proud man will not be mindfull, ſo an ignorant man cannot remember God, and be thankfull. It is good therefore not onelyonly to remember our low and ſinfull eſtate, that we may be humble, but to underſtand the loving kindneſſe of the Lord, that we may record his favours. The reaſon why the Diſciples forg…t what Chriſt had done, done, and therefore miſtook him, when he had them take …eed of the leaven of the Phariſees Matt. 16. 9, 10.and Sadduces, was, they did not underſtand the miracles of the five loaves amongſt the five thouſand; nor the ſeven loaves amongſt the foure thouſand, nor how many baskets they took up. They did not well underſtand, nor ſeriouſly conſider the mighty power of his divine nature, by which he did all that. You ſhall do well therefore to underſtand a mercy fully, in all the cauſes, circumſtances, manner and means of working. Sometimes he works without means, and then his works are miraculous; ſometimes by weak means, and then his works are wonderfull; ſometimes by contrary means, ſo that loſſes enrich us, diviſions unites us, and our routing in battle makes us conquerors; and then his works are glorious. Hence the Lord commanded his people to underſtand why he gave them that good Land, toDeut. 9. 3, 6. poſſeſſe it; not for their righteouſneſſe, for they were a ſtiffe-necked people, but for his Name ſake, and for the wickedneſſe of thoſe Nations which were driven out before them. It is not an eaſie matter for men to hit right o… the true reaſon of Gods diſpenſations of mercy or judgement. Hence Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 24.adviſed▪ the people of Iſrael to conſider, that is, to weigh & ponder wel in their hearts what great things God had done for them. Now we all know, things that are not known, and therefore lightly valued, are ſoon forgotten; when matters that are looked at as things of price and worth, are laid up very carefully. It is good therefore when our thoughts dwell upon mercies. Omnis feſtinatio caca, ſwift paſſengers cannot be ſerious obſervers, a tranſient thought is too mean for a ſtanding mercy; one mercy enjoyed deſerves more ſerious thoughts then a million of miſeries do one hearty tear; our mercies are from God, our calamities from our ſelves. Underſtand this well, and conſider this ſeriouſly, & you cannot be unmindful of the loving kindneſſe of the Lord.
4. Would you write down the great things of God in a book, that you might never forget them? Take ſpeciall notice of the actings of God in the wayes of his gracious providence, whileſt they are new and freſh in memory, together with the workings of your hearts, whileſt they are ſo conſidered. Oh! what vows, covenants, purpoſes, reſolutions are made and entertained then? Omne novum valde mutat, ſaith Scaliger: New things, freſh mercies make a wonderful change upon mens ſpirits for the preſent. Omnia ſubita videntur majora, ſaith Cicero: All ſudden and unexpected paſſages ſeem very great at firſt fight, and work very much upon the heart. Obſerve then what joy, what thankfulneſſe, what meltings, what reſolutions: And what you doe, doe quickly, ſtrike while the iron is hot. Qui tard… fecit, diu noluit, ſaith Seneca: He that is ſlack in his performances, was but unwilling in his reſolutions. Oh! remember your firſt love, when you were newly converted, and brought home to God; how zealous, lively, active, forward, and ſavoury were you in the wayes of God. So much the Lord tells his people by the ProphetHoſ. 2. 15. Hoſea, that at their reſtitution, and Gods reconciliation with them, they ſhould ſing at in the dayes of their youth, as they did when they came out of Aegypt. Then ſang Moſes and Aaron. A converted condition isExod▪ 15. 1. a ſinging condition. God takes ſpecial notice of this. I remember thee, (ſaith theJer. 2. 2. Lord of Iſrael) the kindneſſe of thy youth, the lose of thine eſpouſals, when thou wenteſt after me in the wilderneſſe, in a land that was not ſown. Our firſt works and our laſt works, are commonly our beſt works; when we begin firſt to live the life of grace, and when we are ready to die, and are entring upon the life of glory, how excellent is our marriage, how ſavoury our words, how heavenly our converſation? Even ſo it is when we are delivered from any great danger; when enlarged with any ſingular comforts, how lively, how zealous, and how active are we? Call to minde the fifth of November, 1605. when we were delivered from that barbarous Gunpowder-treaſon; how forward were we in making laws againſt Papiſts? how ſevere in ſuppreſſing Jeſuites? how zealous in ſetling true Religion?
I… I… reported of the City of Berne, when firſt delivered from Antichriſt, when that State caſt off that Romane bondage, and reformed Religion, that they wrote the day of their Redemption upon pillars, in letters of gold. And it is obſervable, that in all the ages of the Church, God hath ſet out himſelf to his people by ſuch names and titles as were moſt ſuitable to his preſent diſpenſations, or ſuch as were of the laſt edition. And why ſo? But that his late mercies might be the better conſidered and remembred. Hence in the beginning he was called the moſt high God, the poſſeſſour of heaven and earth, who had made all by the word of his power. Under thoſe times Melchiſedech bleſſed Abraham, Bleſſed be Abraham (ſaith he) of the moſt high God, poſſeſſor of heaven and earth. And Abraham covenanted to take nothing from the King of Sodome, Gen. 14. 19, 22.and that under theſe terms. I have lift up my hand unto the Lord, the moſt high God, poſſeſſor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread to a ſhoe-latchet; and that I will not take any thing that is thine. Afterwards, when God entred into a covenant with Abraham and his ſeed, he was called the God of Abraham, and Iſaac, and Jacob. And under thoſe titles God gave his charge to Moſes, when he ſent him to bring his people out of the Land ofExod. 3. 6. Aegypt; I am the God of thy Father, the God of Abraham, the God of Iſaac, and the God of Jacob. After that he was called, the God that brought them out of the Land of Aegypt, out of the houſe of bondage. Such was theExod. 20. 2. preface to his law, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt, out of the houſe of bondage. And ſo it continued for many generations, even until he brought them out of Babylon. And thenJer. 16. 14, 15. (ſaith the Lord) It ſhall be no more ſaid, The Lord liveth, that brought them out of the land of Aegypt: but, The Lord liveth, that brought the & 23. 7, 8.children of Iſrael out of the land of the North. And now under the Goſpel, he is known by this moſt excellent name, The God and Father 2 Cor. …1. 3. Eph. 1. 3.of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. And why ſo? But becauſe our redemption by Chriſt is the laſt, and the great work he hath done for his Church, and moſt freſh in our memories. Whileſt therefore mercies are freſh, and work moſt upon the heart, doe ſomething in remembrance of Gods goodneſs; and why not then write them downe in a Journall? A ſmall matter (I ſhould think) whileſt the heart is warm, and well affected with the preſent ſenſe of ſome ſingular pledge of Gods loving kindneſſe, may eaſily perſwade to this duty.
5. And finally, love the Lord for his goodneſſe. If any thing under heaven will conſtrain us and help forward this duty, love will. Oh! love the Lord all ye his Saints, ſaith the Pſalmiſt. And indeed, none but Saints can love him. He knocks at every dore, and (as it were) pulls every man by the ſleeve, and ſaith, Oh! love you the Lord; Let the drunkard love his cups, and the adulterer his harlots, and the covetous perſon his bags; but do you that are Saints love the Lord.Pſal 31. 23. For, the Lord preſerveth the faithfull, and pletifully rewardeth the proud doer. When one bucket goes downe, the other will come up. When Pharaoh is drowned, Iſrael is ſaved. When Haman is hanged, Mordecai is advanced. When proud doers are plagued, the faithful are delivered. Oh! love the Lord therefore. And indeed, love is all that God looks at in us, and expects from us; and where there is love, there is no lack. After ſo large a repetition of the great things God hath doneDeut. 10. 12. for Iſrael, What (ſaith Moſes to them) doth God now require for all this, but that you would love him? And indeed love is complementumlegis, the fulfilling of the Law. Neither circumciſion, nor uncircumciſion availeth any thing, Gal. 5. 6.(ſaith the Apoſtle) but faith that worketh by love. Faith and Love are like a pair of Compaſſes; Faith like one point, faſtens upon Chriſt as the center▪ and Love like the other, goes the round in all the works of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe. Now certainly Love hath a good memory, or would have a good memory: What we ſlight, we ſoon forget; but what we love, we endevour to lay up ſure in our memories. Ʋbi am…r, ibi animus: Where our love is, our minde is. Where our treaſure is, there will our heart be. It was the eye that made the match. That which which the eyeſees not, the heart deſires not: And as love came in by the eye, ſo it delights by the ſame dore to look after that beloved object. Such a ſoul that hath ſeen God in all things, and therefore loves God above all things, delights ſtill to look after God in all his wayes, that he may love him more and more. Such a ſoul loves God as Jonathan loved David:
1. Amore unionis, with a love of union; the ſoul of Jonathan was knit to David; for1 Sam. 18. 1. he loved him as his own ſoul.
2. He loved him amore complacentiae, with a love of delight; for it is ſaid that Jonathan & 19. 2.delighted much in David.
3. He loved him amore benevolentiae, with a love of good will; for Jonathan ſaid to David,& 20. 4. Whatſoever thy ſouldeſireth, I will even do it for thee.
Even ſo doth a gracious heart love God; not onelyonly with a love of union, and a love of delight, but with a love of good will too; who ſaith to God, as Paul at his converſion, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Such an oneAct. 9. 6▪ is ready to ſuffer what ever may be inflicted on him; and to do what ever may be required of him; eſpecially, whatſoever may teſtifie how well he remembers God, and his loving kindneſſe to him.