Advice to an Only Child, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. Of the Order and Method of Duties every Week-day.
1. AS ſoon as you are awake in the morning, lift up your heart in ſome good thought to God. Let your heart be raiſed up in thankfulneſs to God for the mercies of the former night, and by fiducial reliance on him for his Providence over you that day following. Set forth in the morning in the Name of God, reſolving to do all things that day in that Name; Col. 3.17. and for his Glory, and that you will ſo ſpend it for God. And likewiſe fortifie and arm your ſelf againſt all the temptations that you foreſee you are likely to meet with occaſionally that day. And if any thought about any worldly concern ſhall preſent it ſelf to you, ſtriving to get firſt in, check it with the words of our Saviour in another caſe; Touch me not, for I am not yet aſcended to my Father. I have not yet raiſed up my heart to God. Thoughts will ſtand about your heart in a morning, as a company of Clients about the door, and that which firſt enters hath uſually, moſt to do all that day. Satan will firſt croud in, if poſſible, by ſome worldly or vain thought, to get the firſt entrance in the morn; he is like a greedy and reſtleſs ſtomach-worm, that keeps a coyl to have his break-faſt before his Maſter be ſerved. Therefore let it be your diligent care as ſoon as you awake, to fill your heart with ſome thoughts of God, which will be the beſt break-faſt to keep out the wind of a temptation. And if you thus perfume the Soul in the morning with ſuch ſweet odours, you will the better keep out ill ſcents all the day. Let your heart be as the Sun-Dial, that early receives the Sun-beams, and goes along with it till the evening. Let it receive the Beams of the Sun of Righteouſneſs freely in the morning, and he will ſhine on it all the day. If you do not at firſt ſet out to a right point of the Compaſs, you will make a bad Voyage.
Ejaculations which may be uſed when you awake in or toward the Morning.
MY voice ſhalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up, Pſal. 5.3.
How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God? how great is the ſum of them? If I would count them, they are more in number than the Sand. When I awake I am ſtill with thee, Pſal. 139.17, 18.
My Soul waiteth for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning; I ſay, more than they that watch for the morning. Pſal. 130.6. O when ſhall the day dawn, and the day-ſtar ariſe in my heart?
It is of the Lords mercies that I am not conſumed, becauſe his compaſſions fail not; they are new every morning, Lam. 3.22, 23. Therefore my thanks ſhall never fail, but be new and freſh every morning alſo.
2. Let not your morning hours (which are the very flower and cream of time, the moſt precious of all the day for any work or duty) be ſpent in Bed, or vainly out of Bed. And while you are dreſſing, let ſome one (if you can conveniently) read to you, or elſe you may employ your time in thinking of the laſt Sermon you heard, or ſome other good thoughts, as of the Soul's Wedding Garment, Matth. 22.11. or of the durable Cloathing, (Ezek. 23.18.) in compariſon of which all the beſt Apparel is but a Cobweb Tiffany, a fine worthleſe Nothing; or you may uſe ſuch Ejaculations and Meditations as theſe following.
Ejaculations and Meditations which may be uſed while you are dreſſing.
PƲT on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and make no proviſion for the fleſh, to fulfil the luſts thereof, Rom. 13. ult.
Put on the New Man, which after God is created in righteouſneſs and true holineſs, Eph. 4.24.
Be you cloathed with humility, fo… God reſiſteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble; 1 Pet. 5.5.
This Garment is very neat, but how much more comely and glorious is the Wedding Garment of Souls, the Robe of Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, which is put on by Faith!
Oh what a bleſſed time will that be when I ſhall be arrayed with the perfect beauty of Holineſs, with the white Garments of perfect Light and Glory! then ſhall be the Marriage of the Lamb.
Am I not now garniſhing a Body which may in a few days turn to rottenneſs? O what ſhall this vile Body be deckt, as a dead Body, ſtuck with flowers, and the precious Soul, be neglected!
3. When you have got your cloaths on, then ſolemnly retire into your Cloſet for Devotion, if no other neceſſary buſineſs call you unto ſomething elſe before, which may often happen when you have a Family; which when you have, then, if occaſion be, firſt ſettle affairs therein, for the fore-noon work, and then having ſounded a retreat in your heart to temporal affairs, you may after retire into your Cloſet with more freedom from domeſtick cares, and without fear of interruption; whereas if you went to your private Devotion before, you would be forced to cut it ſhorter, to curt and clip that duty.
4. Manage your domeſtick affairs with prudence and diligence, but not with ſollicitous eagerneſs and vexing care. Solomon's virtuous Woman, looketh well to the affairs of her houſhold▪ and eateth not the bread of idleneſs; Prov. 31.27. A wiſe woman buildeth her houſe, Prov. 14.2. ſhe ſtudies in every buſineſs how to ſet every thing in order, as the Carpenter ſtudies how to ſet every part of the frame in joynt. But yet herein be not like Martha, while ſhe played the good huſwife, cumbred about many things. And if many things fall out together, diſpatch them in a prudent order, and not with too much haſte and eagerneſs. Thoſe things are ſeldom well done, that are done over-haſtily. The Drones flie about more haſtily than the Bees, but they make no Honey but Combs only.
5. At your meals reflect upon God, turn your eyes to ſee his mercies towards you. Thus will you enjoy God in all. A carnal heart regards no more than the bare enjoyment of theſe outward mercies, but looks not to the ſpring from whence they come, as a gracious heart doth, who finds the greateſt ſweetneſs of them, to be their coming from the Love of God. Beſides, you may then reflect on God by raiſing up your thoughts to the delights in him; think ſeriouſly in your heart, if this meat be ſo ſweet to my taſt, how much more ſweet is Chriſt and hidden Mannah? Here you may take occaſion, like him that ſate at meat with Chriſt, Luk. 14.15. to raiſe up your thoughts to the bleſſedneſs of him that ſhall eat bread in the Kingdom of God. Thus you will feaſt your Soul, while you are feeding your Body. Thus you may ſo ſweeten your Meat, and ſpice your Cup, with the relliſhes of the Love of God, as may make your Table better, and more pleaſant to you, than the Tables of the greateſt Ladies in the World.
6. In the midſt of all your domeſtick over-ſight of affairs (when you ſhall have any) eye Gods Providence, caſting all your care upon him, and ſo he will bleſs your endeavours. And often retire to God by Ejaculations, ſhort Addreſſes, and holy Breathings of Soul after him. By theſe you may ſanctifie both your walking, riding and journeying (which are uſually vainly ſpent in multitudes of idle thoughts that ſignifie nothing) and all your affairs alſo whatſoever. This was Nehemiah's practice when he was before the King, he then prayed to the God of Heaven, Chap. 2.4. I do not believe that he then went into ſome place by himſelf to pray; no, he ſent up only ſome ſhort Ejaculations to God, while he was in the King's preſence. It's reported of holy Mr. Dod, that he never got up upon his Horſe, but he prayed before he alighted off. In every corner there is a Throne of Grace, therefore often, every day, improve this priviledge; be often looking up to God, and caſting your eyes to Heaven; and ſo you may bring down Heaven to you. As often as you want direction in any ſudden caſe and affair, or relief in any need, by one lift or ſudden glance of the Eye of Faith to Jeſus Chriſt, you may have it. And in ſuch caſes you may uſe as an Ejaculatory Prayer that of honourable Jabez; O that thou wouldſt bleſs me indeed! and that thy hand may be with me! and that thou wouldſt keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! 1 Chron. 4.10. which was ſo pleaſing to God, that it's added there, and God granted him that which he requeſted.
7. Beſides thoſe ſhort Ejaculations now mentioned, you muſt make ſolemn Addreſſes to God twice a day at leaſt. The Soul muſt have her ſet meals, or a ſet ſervice to God twice every day at leaſt. Twice every day the Clock muſt neceſſarily be wound up. Aaron lighted the Lamps, and burned Incenſe evening and morning; Exod. 30.7, 8. Reading of Scripture is to us as his burning the Lamps, and praying is as his burning Incenſe; theſe two muſt go both together, like eating and drinking. If you do ſolemnly addreſs your ſelf to God in the morning, you ſhall be in a better frame and temper of heart all the day after: and if you do it at night, you will find a better appetite to it again next morning. But I do not limit you to twice a day; it will be beſt to do it as often as with any conveniency you can. Holy David did it thrice a day, evening and morning, and at noon; Pſal. 55.17. ſo did Daniel, ch. 6. v. 10.
8. Fill up all the intervals and vacancies of your time every day, thoſe Parentheſes or breathing times betwixt one employment and another, with reading ſome good and profitable Books, neceſſary Recreations for your health, charitable Viſits of the Poor, friendly Courteſies, neighbourly Civilities, or ſome profitable Diſcourſe, or Recourſes to God in Prayer, beſide your evening and morning Addreſſes.
9 Every night before you go to Bed, retire your ſelf, and call your ſelf ſeriouſly to an account in an impartial ſurvey of all the remarkable actions, and alſo of the mercies of the paſt day. And for your better direction therein, you may ask your ſelf theſe following queſtions.
1. What time have I loſt or trifled away this day?
2. What particular duties have I omitted?
3. What ſins have I committed this day?
4. Out of what principle have I performed my duties? whether out of an inward byaſs of Love to God, or from ſome outward Poiſes and Motives? Have not the wheels been oiled by ſome ſiniſter oreſpects in duty? Hath not my perf…rmance of duties been more out of cuſtom, or to ſtop the mouth of natural Conſcience, than out of any delight in them?
5. In this account ask your ſelf what have my Receivings been from God this day? what Talents and Mercies have I had from him? and how have I laid them out for him? what Mercies have I received, and what returns have I made for them?
10. Cloſe your eyes at night with ſome thoughts of God and Chriſt. When you are compoſing your ſelf to ſleep, commit your ſelf then both Body and Soul into his hands to keep them for you, while you ſleep, as the Child when it goes to Bed gives its Mother what it would have kept ſafely. Or going to Bed, you may ſuitably meditate on Death, whoſe Image and Picture Sleep is. Look upon your Bed as upon your Grave; think to die as often as you fall aſleep. Sleep is a ſhort Death, and Death is nothing elſe but a long ſleep: the Bed is a grave for one night, and the grave is a Bed for many Ages. We expect to awaken from our Beds, and we hope to riſe again from our graves. If you ſeriouſly follow this courſe every night, you will have Jeſus Chriſt lie all night, as a bundle of Myrrh betwixt your breaſts, and will find your heart in a good frame when you awake. If you thus rake up the fire over night, you will find it in in the morning. Solomon's virtuous Woman lets not her Candle go out by night; Prov. 31.18. Let your Lamp be well trimm'd, your Grace well lighted and put in exerciſe when you compoſe your ſelf to reſt; and like a good Watch-candle, you will find it burning when you awake. O how many are there that lie down as the Beaſts in their Straw, without ſo much as bidding their Souls good night?
Ejaculations which may be uſed at night before ſleep.
I Will both lay me down and ſleep, for thou Lord make ſtme dwell in ſafety; Pſal. 4.8.
When thou lieſt down thou ſhalt not be afraid, yea thou ſhalt lie down, and thy ſleep ſhall be ſweet; Prov. 3.24.
Lord, I commit my ſelf both Body and Soul into thy hands, who art the keeper of Iſrael, and neither ſlumbers nor ſleeps. The Lord is my keeper, the Lord is my defence, who neither ſlumbers nor ſleeps; Pſal. 21.4, 5.
11. If there be any interceptions, any interruptions or breaches of ſleep in the night, fill up thoſe vacancies with meditations on ſome Sermon lately heard, or on what you read the day before in the Bible, or ſome other good Book, or elſe with ſome Parenthetical Ejaculations, as devout Souls, thoſe ſpiritual Crickets of the night have uſed to do.
Ejaculations that may be uſed in the Night in breaches of ſleep.
BY night upon my bed, I ſought him whom my Soul loveth; Cant. 3.1. O let me not have occaſion to ſay, I ſought him, but I found him not; or to go about as the Spouſe there did, in a dark night of deſertion, crying out like a deſolate Widdow, Saw ye him whom my Soul loveth?
With my Soul have I deſired thee in the night; yea with my ſpirit within me will I ſeek thee early; Iſa. 26.9. My Soul ſhall be ſatisfied as with marrow and fatneſs, and my mouth ſhall praiſe thee with joyful lips, while I remember thee on my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches; Pſal. 63.5, 6.
O when ſhall I come and appear in the preſence of God, in the City of the New Jeruſalem, which hath no need of the Sun, neither of the Moon to ſhine in it, for the glory of God doth lighten it, and tke Lamb is the light thereof: And there ſhall be no Night there, and they need no Candle, neither Light of the Sun, for the Lord God giveth them Light, and they ſhall reign for ever and ever; Rev. 21.23.
O when ſhall my Soul be received into the number of that heavenly Chore that ſing for ever Hallelujahs, that reſt not day and night, ſaying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come; Rev. 4.8.
I will bleſs the Lord who hath given me counſel, my reins alſo (my inward thoughts) inſtruct me in the night ſeaſon; Pſal. 16.7.