Works, Chapter 6

Works · Chapter 6

p. 488CHAP. VI. How a Christian may exercise himself to Godliness, on a Week-day from Morning to Night.

FOurthly, Thy duty is to exercise thy self to Godliness, every Week-day. I have spoken in the first part,Chap: 21, & 22 how a Christian may make Religion his business on a Lords-day; I shall therefore in this place discover how he may do it on a Week-day.

Every day with a godly man is an holy Sabbath to the Lord; Godliness is not his holy days, or high days, but every days work; and his exercise every part of every day; I have enclined my heart to keep thy statutes (not by fits and starts, but) always unto the end, Psa. 119. 112. The Flower called Heliotropium or Turn-sol, turneth its face towards the Sun from morning to night, so doth the true Christian towards the Sun of righteousness. The Command of God is, Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long, Prov. 23. 17. And the carriage of holy men is answerable hereunto; The twelve Tribes served God instantly day and night, Act. 26. 7. As the Angels, though they are imployed up and down in the world for the service of the Saints, yet they always behold the face of their Father; so the Children of God, though they are occupied about civil and natural actions, are called hither and thither as their occasions p. 489are, yet they pass the whole time of their so…journing here in fear. 1 Pet. 1. 17.1 Pet 1:17That Watch is naught that goeth onelyonly at first winding up, and standeth still all the day after; that mans religion is little worth that, like Ep…raims goodness, is as a morning cloud or dew, which vanisheth away ere noon. The Rivers run ever towards the Sea, notwithstanding that hills, and rocks, and mountains interpose and force them to their winding Maeanders; nay their compass about is not without profit, for they water those grounds in their passage through which they seemed to wander. The person that hath the living water of grace in him is always tending towards the Ocean of his happiness, notwithstanding his seeming diversions, by his worldly actions, and particular vocation; nay he is doing good, and serving his God and his soul, as well as his family and body in those interjections. The wheel of a chariot, though it be in motion all the day, and turning about on the ground, yet its but a small part of it that toucheth the earth at one time, the greatest part of it is always above it; so the true Christian, though he be all the day busie about earthly affairs, yet its but his body, his lesser part that is employed about them; his soul, his affections, which are his greatest part are always about them.

SECT. I.

I Shall first offer thee two quickening Motives, and then acquaint thee wherein thy daily exercise to Godliness consisteth.

p. 49011Motive. Every day may be our last day.First, Consider, Any day may be thy last day, and therefore every day should be an holy day with thee; I mean, not an holy day for play or recreat…on, but for the work of Religion. He that knoweth not how soon his Master will come and reckon with him, had need to be always employed about his Masters business: Because there is no time of life in which thou art secure from death, therefore every day of thy life thou oughtest to be about thy duty; Prov. 27.1. Boast not thy self of to morrow, thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Every day is big-bellied, and hath more in the womb of it then any man knoweth; he that salutes the morning with a smiling aspect, may bid the world good night for ever before the evening. The candle of thy life may be blown out on a sudden before its half burnt out. The Poets fable that Death and Cupid lodging together at an Inn exchanged arrows, whereby it hath since come to pass, that old men …ote, and young men die. Death cometh up to the young and strong; old and weak men go down to Death. Thou mayst be called forth to that war in which there is no discharge, and not have an hours warning to prepare thy self for a march. Sturdy trees are overturned by an unexpected wind, lusty men by violent feavers, or outward accidents; our enemies are strong, our earthly houses weak, the coming of our Landlord is unknown, the lease of our lives is uncertain, we are every moment liable to be ejected, and shall we not be so employed that our Lord when he comes may find us well-doing? I remember I have in some Author read, that the invention of clocks was not primarily to p. 491mind us of the Suns posting in the heavens, but of our Lives passing on earth. It was Calvins reason for his unweariedness in his studies, when his friends urged against it the injury it did his body, Would ye have my Lord when he cometh find me idle? It will be woful for that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find doing evil, or doing nothing. But and if that servant say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men-servants and maidens, and to eat, and drink, and be drunken; The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him asunder, and will appoint him his portion with unbelievers, Luk. 12. 45, 46.

In which words we may observe, 1. The sin of the unfaithful servant. 2. The severity of his Lord.

In the sin, we may take notice;

1. Of the nature of; He b…ats his fellow-servants, and eats and drinks, and is drunken; He gives himself up to all manner of wickedness; He is unrighteous to his fellow-servants, he beats them; and unfaithful to his Master, he abuseth his goods, he eats and drinks and is drunken. Sin doth not lie skulking in the …ecret trenches of his heart, but appeareth boldly in the open field of his life. Tis a sign an enemy hath great power when he sheweth himself openly.

2. The occasion of it; His Plea for it; His Lord delayeth his coming; Because he hath not a speedy reward, he layeth aside all good works; because of Gods gracious forbearance, he argueth a general p. 492acquittance for all his evil works. He makes bold to riot, because he is not called to a speedy reckoning. We tremble not at the noise of those Cannons which we fancy to be a great way off. That which is lookt upon at a distance seems small, and so is despised, though the same beheld near appears great, and terrifieth us.

In the severity of the Lord, we may read,

1. How sore his judgement is; He shall cut him asunder, and give him his portion among unbeleivers; These two expressions speak the dreadfulness of his doom, though no words can speak fully how woful it is; He shall cut him asunder; An allusion to some tortures then in use amongst the Heathen, to shew the exquisite pain which his body shall suffer; And give him his portion among unbeleivers. Because the hottest Hell is reserved for such, (The wrath of God abideth on them, Joh. 3. ult.) to note the extream punishment which his soul shall undergo.

2. How sudden it is; unexpected evils are most dreadful; The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him. Sudden frights overwhelm the spirits; Those miseries which seen at some distance, have been entertained with patience, surprising men on a sudden, have …triken them into despair; Death comes sometimes like a Thief up into our windows; coming in at the door is ordinary, but coming in at the window is unlookt for, Ier. 19. 21. As the snare secretly and unexpectedly seiseth the silly Bird, so doth a day of death the simple Children of men, Luk. 21. 35. Our Saviour speaks of his coming in the second or p. 493third watch of the night (which the Jews called, Intempestum & Gallietnium) not in the first and fourth) because saith Theophilact, they are the dead time of the night, when men are in their soundest sleep, to shew us how suddenly and unexpectedly he shall surprise most men, Luk. 12. 38.

Reader, This present days work may be the last act of thy life, it behoveth thee therefore to do it well. When thou art in thy Closet, thou mayst think with thy self, I may possibly never pray more, never read the word of God more; how reverently, uprightly, graciously, should I therefore pray and read? When thou art eating or drinking, or refreshing nature, thou mayst consider, for ought I know, this may be the last time that I may use these creatures of God, how fearful should I be of abusing them? how should I eat my bread as before the Lord. When thou art in thy Shop, or about thy calling, thou mayst ponder this; Possibly my last sand is running, and I must this day bid adieu for ever to Wares and Shops, and Flocks and Fields, and all civil commerce; O how heavenly should I be about these earthly affairs! How spiritual about these temporal things! Who would not do his last work well! Ah how holy should he be at all times, who hath cause every moment to expect the coming of an holy and jealous God, to call him to an account!

Secondly,22Motive. God observeth us all the day long. Consider, Gods eye is all the day long upon thee, and therefore thou hadst need to be all the day long in his a…e. It was a frequent speech of Seneca, Vbicun que eo, quodcun que ago, p. 494Demetrium circumfero; Wheresoever I go, whatsoever I do, I carry Demetrius along with me; Thou mayst upon better grounds say; Whatsoever I think, or speak, or act, wheresoever I go, whither to my Closet, or Shop, or Field, or Neighbours Houses, I have an holy jealous God along with me. Thou mayst write over every room which thou enterest into, Thou God seest me, and call it by the like name which Hagar did the Well, Beer…la-haroi; The Well of him that liveth and seeth me: Thou hast in all the passages of the day, that God with thee, who takes notice of, and will reckon with thee for every passage; Thou mayst call every place thou comest into, Bethel, or Penuel, I have seen God in this house, or, God is in this place. He is not like Iupiter of Creet, whom some pictured without ears, and publish never to be at leasure to take notice of small matters. He is all eye, all ear; He observeth the greatest, the smallest things and actions; As the Optick vertue in the eye, he seeth all, and is seen of none; Cicero tells us, the King of Lydaea had a ring, which when he turned the head of it to the palm of his hand, he was invisible to others, and yet others were visible to him. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good, though none hath seen God at any time, nor can see him. As a well-drawn picture, which way soever you turn your self, it seems to have its eye still upon you, and to follow you; God doth that really, which the Picture doth seemingly; he beholds every person, and every action, with so direct a face, as if he beheld none or nothing else.

p. 495Reader, It concerns thee to be every day pious, who art all the day long in so holy a Gods presence; I have kept thy precepts, saith David, for all my ways are before thee, Psa. 119. 68. The Scholar will ply his Book when his Master is present, though he play and prate in his absence. The Thief will not steal when the Iudge looketh on; He that was accused to force the Queen before the Kings face, had a Gallows for his end. If the eye of good or great men will prevail with us to be handsom and comely in our behaviour and carriage; how holy should they always be, that are ever in the presence of the infinite God, who is cloathed with Majesty, as with a garment, and who is so holy, that the Heavens are unclean in his sight! If a King sitting upon his throne, s…attereth evil with his eye, how much more should the eye of a God! Prov. 15. The Sun locally in Heaven, is virtually on Earth; its light, heat, influence over-spreadeth the face of Sea and Land; He that shuts his eyes, and will not see the light of it, doth feel its heat and influence; Its presence scattereth Clouds, and Mists, and Fogs; Though Gods glorious and most joyful presence be in Heaven, his real, essential and gratious presence is on earth; they who put out the eyes of their reason and conscience, and will not see him, do yet feel him in their beings and bles…ings, for in him they live and move and have their beings; Shall not his presence disperse those clouds of sin, which would obscure his glory, and hinder the light of his countenance from shining on us?

p. 496SECT. II.

AS to the exercising thy self to Godliness on a week-day; though what I have write in former Chapters, in this and the two former Parts, hath much prevented me, yet I shall commend to the Reader, six particulars.

First, Begin the day with God; Never expect a good day, unless you begin with a good duty; He hath the best good-morrow, who meets Ged first in the morning. Though some sunshiny mornings are overcast before night, yet the Heavens are usually all day clear to him that sets out early in the way of Gods commandements. The mind retains a tincture all day, of its first serious exercise in the morning. When the right Watch or Clock is wound up well in the morning, it will be regularly going and moving all day after. He that loseth his heart in the morning in a throng of worldly affairs, seldom finds it to purpose in any part of the day; It was the hono…r of Rusticu…, that though Letters were brought him from Caesar, he refused to open them till the Philosopher had done his lecture; Surely the worship of the blessed God is of more worth in it self, and of more concernment to us, then any moral Philosophical Doctrines to him, or any affairs whatsoever, and therefore ought to be first minded and performed.

As soon as thou awakest, lift up thine heart to Heaven; Great and Noble persons are usually first served. Though others that are our inferiours p. 497wait out leisure, our Superiours have the precedency of our time; Let the first Messenger thou sendest forth, be sent to the Lord of thy life, to present thy humble service and thanks to him for his providence over thee and the rest, and refreshment he hath afforded thee the last night. Thou mayst say with the Psalmi…t, I laid me down and slept, I awaked, for the Lord sustained me; For except the Lord keepeth the City, the watchman waketh but in vain. He giveth his beloved sleep, Psa. 3. 5. and 127. 1, 2. Be mindful also in some short ejaculation, to beg his guidance, protection, and blessing all the ensuing day. For 'tis he that can make an hedge about thee, thine house and all that thou hast; If he bless the work of thine hands, thy substance will increase in the Land, Iob 1. 10. This small taste of ejaculatory prayer, will quicken thine appetite after a full meal of …et and solemn devotion; If thou canst after this keep thy mind intent, whilst thou art dressing thy self on some divine subject, thou wilt be much the more fit for thy secret duties, and in a fair way to walk with thy God all the day.

The next thing I would advise thee to, or rather C…rist enjoyneth; Enter into thy Closet, and when thou hast shut thy Door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly: Here is,

1. A Precept to secret prayer, Pray to thy Father in secret; The Priest was every morning to renew the Fire on the Altar, and to offer Sacrifice; And they offered burnt-offerings unto the Lord, even burnt-offerings morning and Evening; And they offered the daily burnt-offerings p. 498offerings by number, according to the custome, as the duty of every day required, Ezra. 3. 3, 4. So also in Davids time, Asaph and his Brethren ministred before the Ark continually, as every days work required, 1 Chron. 16. 33. Solomon took after his Father, 2 Chron. 8. 14. And what is the substance of those shadows, but that Christians who are a spiritual Priest-hood, should every day have their solemn Morning and Evening addresses to God, and offer up holy sacrifices, acceptable to God in Iesus Christ. Davids purpose was to be early at prayer. O God, my voice shalt thou hear in the morning, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. And his practice was answerable; I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried, Psa. 5. 3. and 119. 147. He was up before the day, and risen and at work before the Sun; Nay, he tells God, In the morning shall my prayer prevent thee; As if he would be at his prayer before God were stirring and going abroad; But surely we cannot rise so early but God is awake before us, for he that keepeth Israel, never slumbereth nor sleepeth; His eyes are ever waking, who holdeth sometimes, our eyes waking; But David meaneth rather, that his prayers should prevent Gods servants, his severest or most solacing providences, not God himself; He would send a Messenger with Petitions or Thanksgivings to God, before God should send any Messenger with good or bad tidings to him; he would be too early either for crosses or comforts.

2. The Promise to secret Prayer; And thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly; God heard Paul in the Dungeon, as well as Peter on the House top; The Sun of Righteousness looks as p. 499well into the narrow Closet Casement, as into the large Church Windows; Secret prayers are audible to him that made the ear; As he bottleth up our secret tears, so he registreth our secret prayers; Though the Ark was close on every side, that every man might not look into it, yet it had a Window open to Heaven.

As the Flowers open themselves in the morning, to take in the sweet influences of the Sun, so should the Christian open his heart in the morning, to receive a blessing from the Father of lights. Mary went early in the morning, to the Sepulchre of Jesus, and had the honour and favour to have the first sight of him, after his resurrection; Many a Saint hath had a blessed vision of the glorified Saviour in a morning prayer.An nescis, O homo, quod primitias cordis & vocis deo debeas? occurre ergo ad sulis ortum; sol oriens inveniat te jam paratum. Amb. in Psal. 119: Serm: 19:Ps 119 Knowest thou not, O man, saith Ambrose, that thou owest the first fruits of thine heart and voice to God? therefore meet the Lord at the Sun rise, that the Sun rising may find thee ready. Its reported of Cardinal Wolsey, that though he was Lord Chancellour, and had great and weighty employments, yet he would not go abroad any morning, before he had heard two Masses; I wish the Popish Mattin… did not shame… the Protestants for their sluggishness, and their frequent omissions. Tis much that some should be so diligent at their blind devotion, which comes to nothing, and others that have experience, how profitable their spiritual trade is, so backward to it, and careless about it.

Gods mercies prevent us early, and therefore our prayers should prevent him. His going forth is prepared as the morning, he satisfieth us early with his mercies, that we may rejoyce and be glad all our p. 500days, Hosea 6. 3. Psa. 90. 14. If his mercies are renewed on us every morning, our acknowledgements may well be renewed unto him. Every favour makes us debtors, and all the pay he expects is thanks; If any man should every morning send us (who have little of our own to live upon.) very considerable presents, we should esteem our selves very uncivil and unworthy, if we should not as often return him our service and thanks, and sense of his kindness. How great and how many are the mercies with which our God loadeth us every morning, and are we not sordidly ungrateful if we neglect the acknowledgement of them! Our ordinary mercies are of extraordinary merit, and deserve hearty thanks. The damned (could we speak with them) would tell us, that life, a naked abode on this side Hell, were an infinite mercy. The si…k, and such as are troubled with continual Aches, or tortured with the Stone, or Gout, or Collick, would tell us that health is a great mercy. The Blind, and Lame, and Deaf, would tell us that Limbs and Senses are a great mercy; The Hungry, and Naked, and Houseless, and Friendless, would tell us that Food and Raiment, and Habitations, and Friends, are great mercies; Poor Prisoners, and such as are vexed with cruel Wars, and forced to flie before their enemies, will tell us that liberty and peace are great mercies. The Saints in Heaven, could we speak with them, would tell us, the Patience of God, the Gospel of our Salvation, the tenders of Grace, are inestimable mercies, and do not all these, which every morning are (notwithstanding our notorious p. 501abuse, and frequent forfeitures) renewed upon us, deserve our solemn and sincere thanks every morning? The Jews, some tell us, are bound to say over an hundred Benedictions every day, and among the rest these two, when they go out in the morning; Blessed be he that created the greater light, and when they come in at evening, Blessed be he that caused darkness; David was frequent at this duty, I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall be continually in my mouth. Seven times a day do I praise thee, because of thy righteous judgements, Psa. 34. 1. and 119. 164. It is a Motto, say some, often repeated in Mercers Chappel, Think, and Thank.

Our many wants and necessities, command us to be every morning at Heavens Gate for supply; We are needy indigent creatures, and must get our living wholly by begging; all the day long, we want forbearing, preserving, supporting mercy. It must be Divine power, that must enable us to follow our callings, to stir or move about our business, that must defend and protect us in our out-goings and incomings, and prosper and succeed our undertakings; God alone can shield us from spiritual and corporal enemies, that can supply us with inward and outward good things, and surely such blessings are worth asking. They who will have mercies that are not of the growth of their own Country, Earth, must send thither (to Heaven) where they are to be had. Prayer, like the Patriarchs, and Solomons good House-wife, fetcheth our food from far; As the Merchants Ships, it supplieth us with commodities of all sorts, from p. 502forraign Countries. No mercies hang on so low a bough, as to be pulled to us, and gathered by our own armes, therefore it behoveth us to beg, Give us this day our daily bread; Besides our dangers and difficulties every day are many, and call us to be early and earnest at this duty. Our callings, every company, all earthly affairs are snares, and temptations to us, unless they are sanctified by prayer. Its not safe to drink of those streams wherein so many poisonous creatures dip their venemous heads, unless this Vnicorn hath healed them.

They who walk abroad without prayer, may fear they walk abroad without Gods Protection; Oratio matutina clavis diei; Morning prayer is the key of the day, which openeth the treasury of divine bounty, and locketh the soul up in safety. A Prayerless person goeth all day unarmed, and may expect many wounds from that hellish crew, that lye always in ambush to destroy him; The neglect of this pass, gives Satan a great advantage to take the City; When Saul had left off calling at Heavens gate, the next time you hear of him is, knocking at (a Witches, at) the Divels door. Prayer is one of the great ordinances that batters down the strong holds of the Devil; hence he sets his wits at work, to divert men from it. It is the Souls armour, and Satans terrour; he that knoweth how to use this holy spell aright, need not fear but he shall fright away the Devil himself. The Lord Jesus, when he marcht out against the powers of darkness, and was to fight with them hand to hand, armed himself beforehand p. 503with prayer, (Luk. 3. 21, 22.) not onelyonly for his own protection, but also for a pattern to us. Every day we walk in the midst of enemies, which are both mighty and crafty, and will watch all advantages to undo us; and should we go amongst them without prayer, we are sure to become their prey. Its too late to wish for weapons, when we are engaged in a Battel; Caesar cashierd that Souldier, who had his armour to furbish and make ready, when he was called to fight. The moral of the Fable is good; The Boar was seen, whetting his Teeth, when no enemy was near to offend him, and being asked the reason, why he stood sharpening his weapons when none was by to hurt him; he answered, It will be too late to whet them when I should use them; therefore I whet them before danger, that I may have them ready in danger.

Another duty that concernes thee in secret, is to read some portion of the Word of God. The Work-man must not go abroad without his Tools. The Scripture is the Carpenters Rule, by which he must square his building; the Tradesmans Scales, in which he must weigh his commodities; The Travellers Staff, which helpeth him in his journey: There is no acting safely, unless we act scripturally; Bind it continually upon thy heart, and tie it about thy neck; When thou goest it shall lead thee, when thou sleepest it shall keep thee, when thou wakest it shall talk with thee; For the commandement is a lamp, and the law is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life, Prov. 6. 21, 22, 23. The Lawyer hath his Littleton or Cook, which duplicate page duplicate page p. 504he consulteth; The Physitian hath his Galen or Hippocrates, with which he adviseth; The Scholar ha…h his Aristotle; The Souldier his Caesar; And the Christian his Bible, that Book of Books, to which all those Books are but as a course list, to a fine cloth, and scarce worthy to be wast paper for the Binder to put before this to shelter it; This will teach the Lawyer to plead more effectually then Cicero, when undertaking the cause of Quint… Ligarius, one of Caesars enemies, he did by the power of his Oratory, make Caesar his Soveraign to tremble, and often to change colour; and when he described the Battel of Pharsalia, caused him to let his books fall out of his hand, as if he had been without spirits and life, and forced him against his will, to set Ligarius at liberty; this will teach him so to plead, as to prevail with, and overcome God himself. This will teach the Physitian to work greater cures then ever AEsculapius wrought, to produce more strange and rare effects then the most powerful natural causes. The Weapon-salve, and most extraordinary cures that ever have been wrought, are nothing to the healing a vitiated nature by the spirit, and a wounded conscience by the blood of Christ, which have been frequently done by the Word of God. It hath opened the eyes of the blind, abated the dropsie of pride, softned the stone in the heart, stopped a bloody issue of corruption, healed the falling-sickness or back-sliding, and raised the dead to life, He sendeth his Word and healeth them, Psa. 107. 20. The waters issuing out of the Sanctuary, are healing waters; Ezek. 47. 9. p. 505This will teach the Scholar, to know more then the greatest Naturalists, or then the Delphick Oracle could enable him to, though it told him his duty, even to know himself; It is a Glass, clean and clear, wherein he may plainly see the spots, and dirt, and deformity of his heart and life; It will teach him to know the only true God, and Iesus Christ whom he hath se…t, whom to know is life eternal; This will teach the Souldier how to war a good warfare, how to fight the Lords Battails against the Prince of Darkness, and all his adherents, and over all, to be more then a Conquerour; There is no Guide, no Counsellor, no Shield, no Treasure (among all the Books that ever were written) comparable to the Scripture! It is reported, that a certain Iew should have poisoned Luther, but was happily prevented by his Picture, Mel…h. Adam. in …it. Luth.which was sent to Luther with this warning, from a faithful friend, That he should take heed of such a man when he saw him; by which Picture he knew the Murtherer, and escaped his hands; the Word of God discovereth the face of those lusts in their proper colours, which lie ready in our callings… in all companies, in our goings out, and comings in, to defile us, and which Satan would employ to destroy us; By them is thy servant forewarned, saith David, Psa. 19. 11. By reading and applying it, we may know their visage, and prevent their venome; by the words of thy mouth, I have kept my self from the paths of the destroyer. Cyprian would let no day pass without reading of Tertullian, nor Alexander without reading somewhat in Homer; Shall the Christian let a p. 506morning pass without an inspection into the Word of Christ! As God commanded Moses to come up into the Mount early in the morning, with the two Tables in his hand; So Reader, he commandeth thee to give him a meeting every morning, with the two Testaments in thy hand.

After the refreshment of nature (about which I have given thee directions else-where, and therefore shall omit it here) it will be requisite that thou shouldst call thy family together,Christian m… Calling. 1. Pa… Chap. 23. and worship the blessed God with them; Our Relations, namely, Children and Servants have mercies bestowed on them, wants to be supplied, dangers to be prevented, natures to be sanctified, souls to be saved, as well as our selves, and therefore must not be neglected. Some tend and feed the souls in their families on the Lords day, and starve them all the week after, but herein they are guilty of dishonesty and unfaithfulness; They rob God of the service which is due to him from all in their house joyntly; They wrong the souls in their families, by not allowing them the liberty, at least by not calling and causing them to hear the voice, and seek the face of God with others; And they injure themselves most by being false to their trust. Should they feed the bodies of their Children and Servants on the Lords-days, and make no provision for them on the week-days, their consciences would flie in their faces and tell them, they were inhumane and unnatural; and yet they can omit all regard of their immortal souls, which are far more worthy of care and tendance, without remorse and sorrow. I must tell such persons, that p. 507if Atheism had not the predominancy in their hearts, it would not bear such sway in their houses; Such men are like Swine with their Pigs (as if all their noses were nailed to the trough in which they feed) they look not up to the God of their food, and of all their comforts. Such Children and Servants will in the other world find cause to curse the time that ever they knew such Fathers and Masters.

Others there are (some of whom I hope to be godly, though not in this particular) that pray in their families every night, but omit morning duties. As if God were the God of the night, and not of the day, as the Syrians blasphemously affirmed that he was God of the Hills, but not of the Vallies. These as Austin speaks of those that wo…ship the Moon, are Atheists by day, as they that worship the Sun, are Atheists by night; The day is thine, the night also is thine, thou preparest the light and the Sun, Psa. 74. 16. Surely, though evening Sacrifice ought to be minded, yet there is as much, if not more reason for morning duties. A man at night in his Chamber, is like a Souldier in his Garrison, subject onelyonly to the unavoidable and more immediate hand of God, whereas in the day when he stragleth abroad from his quarters, to fetch in his supplies, he is then exposed to many unexpected casualties, and unthought of accidents. Family perils and dangers, every day call for family prayers and duties every morning; Family favours and kindnesses, every night call for family thanks and acknowledgements every day. When many are joyned in a Bond, they go often together p. 508to see the money paid; All in a Family joyn in borrowing domestical mercies, therefore they must all joyn in paying hearty praises.

Reader, if thou art Governour of a Family; Consider, that thou canst not faithfully serve God as a Commander, unless thou takest care that all the persons under thy power, do their duties in their places. The Lord of Hosts will never thank that Officer who is careful to sight for him in his own person, but suffereth his Company, through his carelesness, to fall away to the enemy. Do not pretend Servants are abroad, or scattered here and there about their imployments, and are not at leasure; but answer;

1. Art thou and thy servants contented to go all day without Gods protection and provision? Without question thou art most unworthy of them, that dost not think them worth asking. Surely, God may as well say he hath no leasure, he hath other employment then to defend, and feed, and preserve thee, as thou, that thou hast no leasure to serve him.

2. Dost not thou, and do not thine, squander away more time idly and vainly, then need to be taken up in morning duties?

3. Do not Children and Servants come together every morning to feed their bodies, and why not to feed their souls?

4. If any man should make use of thy Goods, or Servants, of thy Time, without leave, thou wouldst take it very ill at their hands? Thou art Gods, and all that thou hast; may not God therefore take it unkindly that thou shouldst dispose of p. 509thy self and thine affairs without his leave?

5. Is it not plain Atheism, and horrid disrespect to the blessed God, to put thy self or them under thy roof upon worldly imployments, without asking his providence and blessing? Is it not too plain a speaking, that there is no such need of him, that thou canst do well enough without him?

6. Thou wilt not say that thou and thine have no leasure in the morning to plough or sow, or buy and sell, o… follow earthly affairs; and why not leasure as well to serve and worship the Lord? His worship is of greater worth, of greater weight; It is of more necessity, it concerns thine endless bliss in the other world; It will bring in the greatest profit; In the doing of his commands there is great reward. Dost thou not believe that he is a better pay-master then the world?

7. Art thou able to do any thing in any part of the day without his assistance? Dost thou not depend every moment upon him for all thy motions and actions, and is he not worth acknowledging?

8. Wilt thou say… Thou hast no time, no leasure to be saved, to escape Hell, and to attain Heaven? I must tell thee, if thou hast no time to serve God, he will have no time to save thee.

9. Wilt thou stand to this Plea at the day of Christ? When God shall ask thee; Why thou and thy Family went abroad prayerless, and drowned your selves in worldly affairs, and were taken and torn by snares and temptations, and disowned him and his laws, as if they were not worth regarding; Dost thou think it will be sufficient, then p. 510to answer; Lord, I was a Knight, or a Squire, and though I had many servants, yet they had their several offices and employments, and could not spare time to pay that homage they owed to thy Majesty, to implore thy mercy, and to intreat an interest in the merits of thy son; We had other things to look after, then thy beautiful Image, and the blessed vision of thy face for ever. Or, suppose thou art of an inferiour rank, canst thou imagine it will be a comfortable Plea to say, Lord, early in the morning my Children and Servants were called to tend my S…op, or Flocks, or Cattel, or set upon some needful business or other, that they could have no leasure to mind their inestimable souls, or to approach thy glorious Majesty in holy ordinances! O blush, Reader, if thou art guilty of morning omissions, and either cast away thy frivolous pretences, and set upon the duty, or else stand to thy foolish pleas, and try whether they will bear weight at the great and terrible day of the Lord Jesus; but remember in the mean time, that thou hast had one warning more.

I have written somewhat largely about family duties, in the first Part, and therefore had intended onelyonly to have saluted them in this place, and so to have left them; but observing how some families, even where governous are judged to fear God, are without morning (though not without evening) sacrifices, I dwelt the longer upon it, to quicken them to this duty, that they might be able to say with Abijah; The Lord is our God, and we burn incense, and offer sacrifice every morning and evening unto him, 2 Chron. 13. 10, 11.

p. 511SECT. III.

SEcondly, Spend the greatest part of the day in thy particular calling; He that mindeth not his Closet before his Shop, is an Atheist; and he that mindeth not his Shop after his Closet, is an Hypocrite; The world is Gods great Family, and he will allow none in it to be idle. Though he distinguisheth some from the common Mass, and maketh them vessels of honour, as Superiours and Officers in his house, yet to every one he committeth some Talent or other,Valer l. 6. c. 1. and commandeth them to trade till he come. The ancient Massilians would admit no man into their City, who had not a good trade, knowing what pests and plagues such are to the people among whom they dwell. He that is void of, or negligent in his calling, is at best as a snail (foreign according to the Septuag. Domiporta according to the Latines) keeping house, and unprofitable; But usually such a one is mischeivous, and may not unfitly be compared to Kites that flie lazing up and down, scarce moving their wings, making a querulous complaining noise, filching their food out of the shambles or warrens, or out of Childrens hands by force. Idleness is usher to murmuring and the…ving. He quickly learns to do ill, by doing that which is next to ill, nothing. The Air when still, corrupts and putrifieth. Wheat if not stirred, groweth musty and unwholsom for mans body. The earth if not tilled, breeds thorns; Milstones if there be no grist, wast and wear out themselves. The soul needeth exercise p. 512as well as the body, to preserve it in health. Action keeps the soul sweet and clean. Tis no wonder that persons are almost choacked with the flegm of corruption, that deny themselves the benefit and advantage of Motion, that they do not thrive who refuse to trade. Its a worthy speech of holy Master Boultons, D…rections for walking with God, p. 49.He is a cursed drone, a child of idleness, the very Tennis ball of temptation, most unworthy the blessings and benefits of humane society, who doth not one way or other cooperate and contribute to the common good, with his best endeavours, in some honest particular calling. Iob saith, Man is born to labour; but how many Gentlemen sing the rich fools requiem to their souls; Soul, take thine ease, thou hast goods laid up for many years, till at last they come to his end, and that place where there is no ease day nor night for ever and ever; but as a bone out of joynt, so is a good man out of his calling.

The Sons of the Husbandman in the Fable, being told by their Father on his Death-bed, that he had left much gold buried in his Vineyard, fell presently a digging and delving with diligence, whereby they obtained, though not the gold they sought for, yet a rich Harvest, by stirring the mold about the roots of the Trees. In all labour there is profit, Eccles. 5. Though the Christian doth not ever by diligence in his calling, reap that gold of outward profit (which is promised conditionally so far as God seeth fit for him) in this world, yet he reaps peace and comfort in the discharge of his duty, and prevents temptations, by being imployed about other things.

p. 513Its in vain for any to pretend that they are so busie in praying, and reading, and hearing, and holy duties, that they cannot attend their particular callings; for the same God that calls them to spiritual traffique, commands them their temporal trades, and hath allotted them sufficient time for both. He doth the Devil too great a courtesie, who makes the Commands of God to quarrel and clash one against another; If Satan can prevail with men to neglect their callings whole days together, and leave their families declining, and almost starving through their idleness, for private fasting and praying, he never fears the good such a man shall get by all that devotion, which is (as Paul speaks of himself) born out of due time; He knoweth God doth not usually send in blessings at such backdoors, and that he is provoked as truly by leaving our Shops, when our callings require our company, as by passing by our Closets, when he calls us in to speak with us there. The best food may prove unwholsom and burthensom to the stomach, if a fit season for taking it, be not observed; Our best duties, like some Children, are utterly lost by being brought forth before their time. The Roman General said, Non amo nimium diligentem, I love not them that are too diligent; meaning them that leave their own callings, and are busie-bodies in others. God loves not such over-diligent, nor any negligent ones. As he commandeth our dependance on him for a blessing, so he commandeth our diligence in our several places.

But having also treated largely of the Christians p. 514carriage in his particular calling, in the first part, how he should undertake it in obedience to the divine command, follow it with an heavenly heart, depend upon God for a blessing, I shall say no more here.

Thirdly, Be watchful all the day long; If thou wouldst walk safely, walk as one that hath his eyes in his head; Ponder the paths of thy feet; Every man walketh every day in the midst of traps and gins, and rubs and blocks; now the secure person is as a blind man, stumbling at every stone. When a man goeth upon cords, straitned and fastned on high, it concerns him to look well to his footing, lest he totter and fall, and break his neck; There is no Christian but walks as dangerously as he that danceth on the ropes, it behoves him therefore to walk Watchfully. The Children of God are called to be Souldiers, to fight a good sight of faith under Christ, the Captain of their salvation; but Souldiers must be upon their guard, especially such as are encompassed on all sides, at all times, with enemies of all sorts. Should they who are the mark at which the world and Hell are continually shooting their fiery darts to destroy them, give themselves to sleep? Watch ye, stand fast in the faith; Quit your selves like men, 1 Cor. 16. 3. The Divel watcheth to devour us, and he is politique to insnare us, and shall we slumber? Machiavel saith, A Prince ought to know the tempers of men, that he may fit them with baits, and wind them to his own ends; Satan hath not waited on men, and observed them so long, but he knoweth the length of their feet, and can fit them to p. 515their will and wo; as Agrippina the wife of Claudius, gave her Husband poison in that dish which he loved best; so he can give them that meat which they love, with poison for its sance; He is a Serpent for his subtlety, and can bait his hooks answerable to the love and liking of poor silly …ish; We read of his wiles, of his devices; As the Camelion that lieth on the ground to catch Flies and Grashoppers, changeth himself into the colour of the grass, whereby they are deceived and caught; So Satan can transform himself into any shape, even into an Angel of light, for a shift, that he may deceive and destroy. Though he appeared in the form of a Serpent to Eve, he appeared in the form of a Saint to the second Adam; If he should be quiet, yet our own flesh is free and forward to pollute and pervert us. Were he at any time absent (though I fear he never is, but watcheth us night and day more narrowly then ever Keeper did his Prisoner, for whose escape he was to die) our own wicked hearts are his Deputy to supply his place, and dispatch his business effectually for him. Occasion, and our own corrupt natures seldom meet, but like two inordinate lovers, they sin and defile themselves together. The flesh is instead of a thousand traytours within the Garrison, conspiring to deliver it up into the enemies hands, who is resolved to give no quarter; and is it not time for the Souldiers to be upon the guard, and to keep strict watch? Though both Satan and the flesh should grant a truce or cessation for a few hours (which they never did nor ever will) yet the world like an Harlot is always p. 516watching, with her fair breasts of pleasure and profit, to allure us to folly. Like the Whore the wise man mentions, She is subtle of heart, and lieth in wait at every corner; She catcheth the careless sinner and kisseth him, and with an impudent face, saith unto him, I have deckt my bed with coverings of Tapestry, with carved work, with fine linen of Egypt;Prov. 5. 10, to the end.Prov 5:10 I have perfumed my bed with Myrrhe, Aloes, and Cynamon; Come let us take our fill of love until the morning, let us solace our selves with loves; With much fair speech she causeth him to yeild, with the flattering of her lips she enticeth him. He goeth after her straight way, as an Ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a Fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver, as a Bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. O what reason hast thou, Reader, to watch, who hast so many and such crafty and mighty adversaries, every moment to encounter with! Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. Believe it, if thou sleepest, the enemy will sow tares.

Watch thy self in thy Closet, good duties must not be done between sleeping and waking. Praying and Reading are not works that can be done nodding; Therefore Christ saith, Watch and Pray; and the Apostle, Continue in prayer, and watch in the same, Col. 4. 2. The Nightingale, that delights her self in h…r night songs, knowing if she should fall asleep, she should be a prey to night-birds, she keeps a thorn at her breast to keep her waking. Watch in thy family among thy Relations; Thy Wife and Children may be Satans instruments to wound thee; Abraham caused Sarah to dissemble; p. 517Eve brought Adam to undo himself and all his posterity; The nearer the person is to us, that dischargeth a piece at us, the likelier to hit, and the more dangerous the Bullet. Watch in thy shop, Satan lieth in ambush in every corner, sin in every counter, to defile and destroy thee. When thou art in company, when thou art alone, at bed, at boord, when thou goest out, when thou comest in, keep thy heart with all diligence, for under every pile of grass there is a Snail, under every fig-leaf (as Cleopatra found to her cost) there is a poisonous Asp, in every place there is a snare.

Watch against the Occasions of Sin; They who have a brand or a candle flaming in their hands, had need to beware of thatch and straw. If the flesh and opportunity, like Sechem and Dinah, meet together, they will not part (unless there be the greater watchfulness) before they are polluted. Its ill to parle with the wicked one. The French have a good Proverb, When the Spaniards talk of peace, then double bolt the door. The greatest wounds that were ever made in conscience, had at first but weak beginnings; Davids horrid Murther and Adultery had their rise onelyonly from a glance of his eye; keep thee far from an evil matter, Exod. 23. 7. The Crocodile, say Naturalists, is no bigger at first then a Goose egge, and yet groweth to thirty Cubits; An occasion of sin, embraced but a little, like a Thief in the Candle, insensibly makes sad work and waste.

Watch especially against thy own sin; This is, as the Phil…stines said of Sampson, The great destroyer of the Country; The great destroyer of thy p. 518Conscience. Wise Governours of a Garrison besieged, will take care of every part of the wall, and repair the least decays thereof; but if one gate be more likely to be entred then another, or if one part of the wall be weaker then another, they will be sure to set the strongest watch in that weakest place. Our Soul is our Garrison, committed to our trust by the Lord of Hosts, to be kept for his use and service; Satan is our enemy that besiegeth it, to surprise it; Sin is the Wall or Gate, by which alone he hopes to enter and destroy us. Our beloved sins, the sins of our Callings, or Conditions, or Constitutions, (which we hug and cocker most, which none must touch or reprove, these) are the weakest part of the Wall or Gate, and so require a stronger Watch and Guard; Take heed and keep thy soul diligently, Deut. 4. 9.

SECT. IV.

FOurthly, Be careful to redeem time; Look upon time as one of the most precious talents which thy God hath intrusted thee with, and which he will reckon with thee for, and therefore not to be vainly spent, or needlesly squandred away. They are worthy to be punished, that spend their gold and silver lavishly, and waste their estates prodigally; but of how much sorer punishment are they worthy of, that are prodigal and lavish of time, that is far more precious then gold and silver! Time is of inestimable value, in regard of its present use, and because when once lost it is irrecoverable. Friends lost may be reconciled, p. 519an estate lost may be regained, but time lost can never be recalled. He is the best workman, that can cut his stuff to the least waste; and he is the best Christian who can contrive his affairs, and cut out his time to the least loss. Remember that time is given thee, not to squander away in needless visits, or idle talking, or long meals, or unnecessary sleeping, but to get thy person justified, thy nature sanctified, to secure thine interest in Christ, and the Covenant of grace and heaven; and surely things of such infinite weight, deserve all thy time, if thy life were lengthened to the age of Methuselah. Sleep robs us of much time; Friends, saith one, are the greatest thieves of time; Vain discourse, foolish sports and pastimes, idle company, sitting long at table, must all like luxuriant branches, be pared off, because they suck the sap and juice away from the good boughs; Walk not as fools, but as wise men, Redeeming the time, saith the Apostle, Col. 4. 5. Eph. 5. 16. Its an allusion to wise Merchants, or Tradesmen, who dealing for most precious commodities, make the most of their Markets, and buy their wares while a fit time of buying them serves;foreign of foreign & foreign rursus emo. Metaphora sumpta a mercatoribus. Beza. and having possibly had great losses formerly, or spent their time idly, do by their diligence seek to redeem, and (as it were) to buy back again the time that is past. The Lacedemonians were penurious of their time, and spent it all about necessary business, not suffering any Citizen either to play or be idle; When their Ephori heard that some used to walk in the afternoons for their recreation, they forbad it, as savouring too much p. 520of pleasure, and commanded them to recreate their bodies by some manly exercise, which might breed them to be serviceable to the Commonwealth.

Labitur occulte fallit que volubilis aetas, Ovid. Metam. l. 10.Reader, the time of thy life goeth post, thou art hastening to thy last stage; whether thou art eating or drinking, walking or sitting, buying or selling, waking or sleeping, death is always making speed towards thee; the time of thy departure hence is concluded and resolved, beyond which it is impossible for thee, whether thy work be done or undone, to stay one day, no not one hour, nay, not one moment, and shouldst thou waste thy time upon toys and trifles, as if thou hadst nothing to do, no God to make peace with, no Redeemer to lay hold on, no soul to take care of! He that hath a great way to go, or much work to do, and that upon pain of death, and but a little time for it, hath little reason to laze or loyter. When we have but a little paper, and much to write, we write small and thick. O how much work hath every Christian to do in this world, which if he neglect he is lost for ever, how many head-strong lusts to subdue, how many duties towards God and men to perform, how many graces to exercise, providences and ordinances to improve, and can all this be done in a little time! The Candle of our lives burns low; if like foolish Children we play it out, we may thank our selves if we go to bed in the dark, without the light of comfort to our graves.

It is one of the most irrational, yet ordinary action of the children of men, especially persons p. 521of estates and quality, to waste time in Dicing, or Carding, or hawking, or Hunting, or Chambering, or Revelling, and yet to murmur that they want time, and tell us; Its pitty mans life is so short… that it is not spun out to a longer thread. I must tell such, that they complain of God, when they should of themselves; He is not penurious, but they are prodigal in mispending it. I must ask them, Why would they have more time? Is it to be more riotous, and prophane, and vicious? The shortest moment is too much for the service of sin; He that sinneth but once, sinneth too much by once; If it be that they might honour God, and get grace; and lay hold on eternal life; why do they not set about it, and make it their business? Every one would accuse him of folly, that were condemned one Assize to be hanged, but was reprieved till the next, and had that time allotted to sue out his pardon, if he should in the interim give himself wholly to gaming and drinking, and take no care about his pardon, yet complain to all that came to him, that his time was short, and he had not enough to get his pardon in, or prevent his Execution.

Our days are sufficient for our duties, had we grace to number them, and to apply our hearts to wisdom; but there is no overplus of time to be abused to fleshly or worldly lusts, or to be lavished away in idle and unnecessary things. A good man that liveth all the day long in the fear of his God, and husbands his time to the best advantage of his soul, finds it so sufficient for his work, that he is always ready to be called to an p. 522account, and when ever he dieth, he dieth full of days, and hath had his fill of living; but men waste their time in vanity and folly, sacrifice their youth to frowardness, and unprofitableness, their manhood to pleasure and passion, their old age (if they live so long) to earthly-mindedness and Atheism, nay, they will set down and contrive sports, or send for, or go into idle company, to pass away the time, and then complain that time is little, and life is short, and they have not enough to provide for death and eternity in. The Moralist observeth truly;Sen. de brevit. vit. cap. 1. Non exiguum temporis habemus, sed multum perdimus; It is not a little time that we have, but it is much which we waste. God i… bountiful in allotting us time, but we are lavi…h of it, and then grumble that it is no more. The largest possessions in a Country, though worth thousands per annum, are nothing in the hands of a Prodigal Heir, who useth to throw away thousands at a cast, and must pay the Bills which Pride, and luxury, and gluttony, send him in daily; but a twentieth part of those revenues were a large estate in the hands of a frugal person. The vast incomes of Egypt, and all the Eastern Provinces, were but a small sum, when they were gathered to maintain the pomp and ambition of Antony; and the riot and fleshly lusts of Cleopatra; when some prudent provident Emperours have lived freely and nobly a whole year, with less then they consumed in a day. Foolish men that are riotous and prodigal of their time, as if it were given them onelyonly to sport, and play, and roar, and revel in, pine and whine at last that they are lost, p. 523because their time is so short; but wise and gracious persons that deny themselves, and crucifie the flesh, that can redeem time from toys and idle talk, and foolish sports, and unnecessary diversions, to pray, and hear, and read, and examine their souls, and bemoan their sins, and provide for heaven, these grow rich in good works, and find the days of their pilgrimage sufficient for them.

SECT. V.

FIfthly, Call thy self to an accauut at evening. Take a review of thy carriage the whole day, how thou didst behave thy self. Begin with the morning, consider whether thou didst awake with God, what was the frame of thy Spirit in; closet and family duties in company, and solitude; Reflect upon thy actions, thy passions, thy speech, thy silence, thy behaviour at table, in thy shop, whether thy affections were heavenly above the world, when thy actions were earthly about the world, whether thou wast righteous in thy particular calling, and didst set upon it out of conscience to Gods precept, and with an eye to his glory; whether thou didst not lose an opportunity of advantaging thy brothers soul, and doing thy God service; whether thou hast not failed in thy thoughts, or words, or deeds, in thy demeanour towards thy relations, or neighbours, or strangers; whether thou didst in all walk according to that rule which thy God hath prescribed thee. This is the way to make the day more pious, and the night more pleasant. Conscience will be the more faithful all day, when p. 524it knoweth before-hand that it shall be called to an account at night; and the more conscientious we are in the day, the more chearful we shall be at night. Seneca reports of Sextius the Roman Philosopher,Sen: de Irae. l. 3. c. 36. that every night before he took his rest, he would examine his soul;Desinet ira & crit moderatior quae s…iet…s …i quotidie ad Iudicem esse veniendum,—. Qualis ille somnus post recog…tionem sui sequitur? quam trinquillus? &c. Idem ibid. Quod hodie malum sanasti? Cui vitio obstitisti? In qua parte melior es? What evil hast thou this day healed? what vice hast thou resisted? in what part art thou bettered? and then he addeth, how sweet is the sleep which ensueth upon such a review!

As the Shop-keeper hath his day-book, wherein he writes down what he buyeth, what he selleth, which he looks over in the evening; so must the Christian that would thrive in his general calling, at night reflect upon his well-doing, his ill-doings, his gains, his losses, left his books cast him up (as some find by experience) because he will not take the pains to cast them up.

The Merchant findeth it a ready way to make his Factours and Cash-keepers faithful, to reckon with them frequently. When great persons neglect to account with their Stewards, they tempt them to be dishonest. Our consciences are corrupted, as well as other faculties,Idem ibid. and will be false, if not timely examined. Seneca acquaints us with his own practice, which may shame many Christians; Vtor hac potestate, & quotidie apud me causam dico. Cum sublatum e conspectu lumen est, & conticuit …xor moris jam …ei conscia, totum diem mecum sc…utor, facta ac dicta mea remetior. Nihil mihi ipse abscondo, nihil transeo; quare enim quicquam ex erroribus meis timeam, cum possim dicere: p. 525Vide ne istud amplius facias; nunc tibi ignosco. In illa disputatione pugnacius locutus es; —Illum liberius admonuisti quam debebas; ita que non emendasti sed offendisti. I use, saith he, this authority, and daily plead my cause with my self; When the candle is taken away, and my Wife (acquainted with my custom) is silent; I search into the whole day, and review all that I have said or done; I hide nothing from my own scrutiny, I pass by nothing; For why should I fear any thing, by reason of my errors; when I can say; See that thou do it no more, and for this time I will pardon thee, &c.

Pythagoras taught his Scholars to talk thus with themselves, foreign; What evil have I committed, what good have I omitted? Reader, let not them who knew not God, rise up in judgement against thee. Put every night some brief Q…eries to thy conscience, upon these few heads; How did I behave my self in Religious Duties, in Natural Actions, in my Particular Calling, in Recreations (if any were used) in Company, and in Solitude; Compare the carriage of thy heart and life, herein to the word and law of God, bring all to the touchstone. Hereby,

1. Sin will be prevented; The Child will be the more dutiful and diligent all day, who expecteth to be examined (by them that have power to punish or reward) for every part of it at night. The Christian will keep his heart as clean as the neat maid her house, who is ever in fear of a severe mistress.

2. Hereby, if sin be committed, it will speedily be repented of; The wound will be healed before it be festered; A disease is much more easily cured at the beginning, then when it is habituated in the body; Had David called his conscience to a serious account, at the close of that day wherein he defiled Bathsheba, he had prevented both much sin, and much sorrow.

3. Our hearts will hereby be the better prepared for evening duties. The reflection upon the sins committed in the day past, will make the streams of our sorrow to run the more freely; Wounds when fresh, bleed most. Our Petitions also will be the more fervent for divine strength, when we are newly affected with the sad consequence of our own weakness; The more we feel our pain, the more urgent are our cries for a Physitian; A review of the mercies newly received, will likewise enlarge our hearts the more in thank…fulness. Divine favours, like flowers, affect us most when fresh and green. Old courtesies, as old cloaths, are too often cast by, and thought little worth.

4. Hereby our souls will be always ready for our great accounts, whenever God shall summon us to give it up. The keeping a diary of Receipts and disbursements, facilitates the Stewards annual reckoning with his Lord. They who make all even between God and their souls every day, need not fear calling to account any day. None will give up their accounts with such comfort at the great day, as they that cast up their accounts with conscience every day; Often reckoning will make long friends. He p. 527that will not hear the warnings of conscience, must look to feel the worm of conscience.

Sixthly, Close the day with God, in Praying, and Reading his word, both in thy Closet and Family. Our bed is resembled to our graves, sleep to death; its of worse consequence to go to bed before we have made our prayers, then to our Graves before we have made our Wills; God is the first and the last, and ought to be the beginning and ending of every day; Thou causest the out-goings of the morning and evening to rejoyce. Some understand the inhabitants of East and West, others the vicissitudes of day and night, for which men rejoyce in God. David was mindful of the Word at night, I have remembred thy law O Lord in the night; and also of prayer, Evening and morning will I pray and cry aloud, Psal. 119. 55. Psal. 55. 17.

The sins of the day call for our mournful confession. The mercies of the day call for our sincere thanksgiving. The perills of the night call for fervent petitions, so that none can want matter for a nights prayer. Our wandrings and aberrations in the day may wellengage us to confession and contrition every night. They who do not paddle in every gutter, or thrust their hands into every ditch, though they washed clean in the morning, find them durty at night. We cannot meddle with money, but we foul our fingers; nor about earthly affairs, but we defile our soul. Infirmity bewrayeth it self in all the actions of fallen man. We are steady in nothing but wantonness and wickedness. The feet of men limp at best, and are too slow to follow the Word of p. 528God close at the heels. If we intend well in any action (like arrows that are shot in mighty winds…) we wander from the bow that sent it, and miss the mark. Now whilst the Ship leaketh, the Pump must go. Whilst we sin daily, we must sorrow daily. He is unworthy of the least favour from his Creditor, who thinks much to acknowledge his debt. Austin had Davids penitential Psalms written by his Bedside, which at night he used to weep and read, to read and weep.

Our daily infirmities and imperfections must not be passed over. Some have died of very slight wounds in their fingers or toes. Small sands may sink a great ship. Small drops of rain make the earth mi…y and durty. Vain thoughts, spending time idly, omission of doing good when a price hath been in our hands, are counted by us small sin…, but such small drops will pollute our consciences to purpose, if not bewailed timely.

The mercies and good providences of the day, deserve our acknowledgement at night. If God command his loving kindness in the day time; his loving kindness may well command our thanksgiving in the night season. As David had his soliloquies in the day, so he had his songs in the night, Psa. 77. 6. All our success in our callings, and undertakings is the fruit of Gods providence; We may work, but God onelyonly can prosper. Humane gains are from divine grace. The Tables that are spread for us like Peters sheet, wherein were all sorts of four footed Beasts, and Fowls, come down from Heaven. How many perils are we protected in? how many dangers are we delivered from? p. 529How many evils are prevented, good things bestowed every day, and shall not our Sun and Shield be adorned! We may well every night speak in the words of the Psalmist, Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with his benefits, even the God of our salvation; Selah, Psa. 78. 19.

The perils of the night, call for our prayers at night; If there were no fear of visible Thieves and Robbers, yet there is of invisible Devils; We cannot bolt our doors so fast, but they will find the way in. We never lye down to sleep, but those roaring Lyons are waking and waiting by our bed side to devour us. If God were not our guard, we could not sleep a moment in quiet. He that goeth to bed, before he hath gone to God, by humble and hearty supplication, lieth down before his bed is made, and may well expect to find it uneasie all night; nay, like a foolish Governour of a Fort beleagured with cruel and crafty enemies, he takes his rest, before he hath set his watch, and is liable to be called up at midnight, or to be kild in his bed every moment.

Cyril speaks of a certain people, that chose to worship the Sun, because he was a day God, for believing that he was quenched every night in the Sea, or that he had no influence on them that lighted up candles, they were confident they might be Atheists all night. I fear, many who worship not the Sun, are too much of the minds of that people, in their night Atheism. Though they know not, but when they close their eyes, they may sleep their last, and never open them more, yet they will rather die intestate, then take the pains, by p. 530fervent prayers to bequeath their souls into the hands of their dearest Redeemer. Reader, take heed of going prayerless to bed, lest Satan take thee napping. How unworthy art thou of Gods protection, if thou dost not esteem it worthy a petition? I have read of a Prince, that would walk abroad every evening in a disguise, and stand harkening and listening under his Subjects windows, to understand what they said; Its true enough, that the great God looketh down from heaven every evening; he is under thy window, and in thy chamber, to observe whether thou hast the manners or grace to bid him good night before thou goest to rest; Believe it, if thou forgettest him, thou wilt find sooner or later, that he will remember thee to thy cost.

A Good Wish about the Christians carriage on a Weekday from Morning to Night; Wherein the former heads are applied.

The Introduction.THe Rock of Ages, and everlasting Father, to whom a thousand years are but as one day, having out of his rich mercy afforded me a short time in this world, not to play or toy with temporal things, but to prepare my soul for my blessed eternity; I Wish that I may never waste that pecious season (which is given me for the working out my own salvation) about needless affairs, but mind the one thing necessary, and pass the whole time of my sojourning here in the fear of my God; Every day that I live, and do not improve for my eternal good, is lost; If I live to eat, and drink, and sleep, the beast liveth in p. 531me, not the man; I do but act a brutish part in an humane shape. If I live to buy and sell, and increase my heaps, the Heathen liveth in me, not the Christian; What do I more then an Infidel? Time is a silver stream, gliding into the Ocean; Eternity depends upon this poor pittance of time; As I use time well or ill, so eternity will use me; The everlasting harvest will be sutable to the seed that is sown in time, whether Wheat or Tares. Its irrational to expect a crop of Barley, if I sow Thistles; or a crop of bliss for ever, if I now sow to the flesh; My life is given me, to dress my soul in for the coming of my Bride-groom at death. Whatsoever I do, if it hath not relation and subserviency to my last end, and chiefest good, it is lost time, and waste strength; and though I may be so busie as to sweat about it, yet Christ may say…to me, as to him that stood in the Market-place; Why standest thou all the day idle? Lord, my time is not mine own, but thine; The day is thine, the night also is thine. It is thine by creation, and why not thine by a religious observation? It was thy favour that I was not turned out of the womb, into the unquenchable fire; I could Wish, that as soon as ever the Sun of my life arose, I had gone forth to my spiritual labour till the evening of my death, that my childhood and youth had been employed in remembring my Creator; but since its impossible to recal those days and years which I have spent in folly and vanity; O teach me so to number my (remaining) days, that I may apply my heart unto wisdom, and live (every day of my life) in the fear of the Lord all the day long.

p. 532Motives. Every day may be thy last day.I Wish that the uncertainty of my life, and certainty of my death, may quicken me to be religious every hour of every day. Every day may be my last, therefore every day should be my best. There is no part of my time, in which I am priviledged from an arrest, by the King of terrors. Am I young? yet I am old enough to die. Death observeth no order; Some drop out of the armes of their earthly Mothers, into the embraces of their Mother Earth, and do no sooner speak, but they are sent to the place of silence. My Sun may set in the morning of my age, and death may tread upon the heels of life; Some have experienced those words of the wise man; There is a time to be born (so little to live that it is not mentioned) and a time to die. Am I strong? This Sampson of death can fetch meat out of the eater, and out of the strong, sweetness. Deaths harbinger, sickness, which prepareth its way before it, will make me melt like Wax before the Sun, though my strength were the strength of stones, and my flesh as brass. Fresh Flowers are cropt in their pride and greatest beauty; The Autumn of death comes ordinarily before the winter of old age. Besides, I am liable every day to many sudden accidents, and unexpected surprisals. How many die in their Shops or Fields, or in the Church or Streets, as well as others in their beds! All men do not go out of the world at the fore door of sickness, many at the back-door of a violent death. When my blood frisketh merrily in my veins, and light sparkleth gloriously in mine eyes, when my countenance is most fresh and lovely, and my senses are most quick and lively, even then, a… my best estate I am altogether vanity. I may p. 533draw a long line of life, because nature may afford radical moysture enough for it, when death lieth in ambush like a theif in the candle, and wasteth all on a sudden; Should I as the rich fool, reckon falsly to a million, when I cannot count truly to one, and promise my self many days, when my soul may be required of me this night, how gross is my delusion! Ah, how sad, how fatal is that error that can never be mended!

The time past is gone, and never, never, to be called back. All my prayers and tears, all the revenues of the world, cannot regain the last moment; The time to come is Gods, not mine own. It is not in my hands, therefore I have no reason to reckon upon it; I am both foolish and dishonest, if I dispose of anothers goods. Reversions are uncertain, and he may well be poor that hath no estate but what he hath in hope, or rather presumption. Lord, thou reckonest my life, not by ages, no, not by years, but by days; thou hast told me that my days are few, my time is little, though my work be great; I acknowledge my proneness to put far from me my dying day, whereby I gratifie my grand enemy, in drawing nigh to the seat of iniquity. O help thy servant to live every day, as if it were his last day; Grant that I may live well and much, though my life be little and short, because there is no day of my life in which I can promise my self security from the arrest of Death; let me expect it every day, and every hour of every day, that when ever my Lord shall come, I may be found well-doing.

I Wish that since the eye of my God is ever on me, 22Motive. Gods eye is on thee all the day lo…g.my eye may be ever on him, and I may be so pious as p. 534to carry my self all the day long as in his presence. What ever I do my God observeth, whatever I speak my God heareth, whatever I think he knoweth; I may call every place I come into Mizpeh, The Lord watcheth and observeth; Ah how holy should he be, who hath always to do with so pure and jealous a Majesty! The Iews were to dig and cover the natural excrements of their bodies, because the Lord their God walked in the midst of their camp. Sin is the spiritual excrement of my soul, and infinitely more odious and loathsom to my God; O how watchful should I be against it, who walk ever in his company! The Sun is said by some to be all eye, because it hath a thousand beams in every place, it filleth the largest windows, and peepeth in at the smallest key-hole, it shineth on the Princes Pallace, and the Poor mans Cottage; the Heavens above, the Earth beneath, and Air between, it looks on every person with so direct a countenance, as if it beheld none beside. The natural Sun is darkness to the Sun of righteousness; the whole world to him is a sea of glass, he seeth it thorough and thorough; The Watch-maker knoweth all the wheels and pins and motions in the Watch; He that made me, cannot be ignorant of me, nor of any thing in me, or done by me. Whether I be in my Shop, or Closet, Abroad, or at Home, in Company, or Alone, the Hand of my God is with me, and the Eye of my God upon me; O that I could set him ever before me, and set my self ever before him; that I could always see him, who always seeth me, and like a Sun-dyal so receive this Sun in the morning, as to go along with him all the day; Lord, thou searchest and knowest me, thou knowest my down-sitting, and p. 535uprising, thou understandest my thoughs afar off; Thou compassest my paths and lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways; For there is not a word in my tongue, but O Lord thou knowest it altogether; Whither shall I go from thy Spirit, and whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up to Heaven, tho… art there; If I make my bed in Hell, behold thou art there; If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the utmost parts of the Sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me; If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me; Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day; The darkness and the light, are both alike to thee; O teach me to walk before thee, and to be upright.

I Wish that the end of all my days,Wherein the exercising our selves to godliness on a week-day consisteth. may be the beginning of every day, that my first thoughts in the morning may be of him, by whom alone I think. The Firstling under the Law, was to be the Lords, and why not the first fruits of every day under the Gospel?11In beginning t…e day with God. Surely, the worthiness of the person, deserves precedency of dispatch. It is no mean incivility to let an honourable man wait our leasure; what impiety is it then to let the great God stay till the dreggy flesh or world be served? Ah, how unworthy (as well as wicked) is it, to put that God off, who deserves all I am, and have, with the leavings of his slaves! Besides the soul usually walks up and down all day in the same habit, in which it is dressed in the morning. The day is usually spent well or ill, according to the morning employment. If Satan get possession in the p. 536morning, twill be many to one but he keeps his hold all day. What youth is to age, that is the morning to the day; if youth be not tainted with vice, age is imployed in vertue; He that loves chastity, will not marry her that spent her youth in whordom. A man may give a shrewd guess in the morning, when second causes are in working, what weather will be most part of the day. If I set out early in my heavenly journey, I am the more likely to persevere in it all the day. As some sweet Oyls poured into a Vessel first, will cause whatsoever is put into it afterwards to taste and savour of it; So if godliness and the immediate worship of God do first in the morning possess my soul, my natural and civil affairs will probably rellish of it. Again, Mens hearts are generally upon that in the morning, which they esteem their happiness and portion. The covetous Muck-worm no sooner openeth his eyes, but his …eart is tumbling in his heaps; The voluptuous beast, no sooner wakes, but he is sporting in sensual waters; The ambitious Peacock, no sooner is able to think, but his gay Feathers, and gaudy dress for that day come into his mind; and why should not my heart send its first thoughts into Heaven? Whom have I in Heaven but thee, and there is none upon Earth that I desire in comparison of thee? The Birds early in the morning, salute the rising Sun with their sweet notes, and shall not I the Sun of righteousness? Further, My wants, my mercies, call for morning duties; I walk in the midst of deaths, of dangers every day, and shall I dare to travail without my defence? Men cloath their bodies against the sharpness of the weather, and why not their souls against the assaults of the flesh, the world, and the wicked one? There is no safety without this breast-work; If Satan take p. 537me out of my trenches and strong holds, as Joshua did the men of Ai, it will be no wonder if he ro…t and ruine me. If I do not bless God in the morning, how can I expect that he should bless me in the day! Is any earthly Prince so prodigal of his favours, as to throw them away upon those that esteem them unworthy to be desired? If I do not serve the Precepts of God, I am presumptuous to look that his providence should serve me… Should I undertake my affairs on earth, before I have dispatched my business with heaven, I am a notorious Cheat and Theif. I am a Theif to God, by robbing him of his glory, and that natural allegiance which I owe to my Maker. I am a Theif to my self, in robbing my self of that blessing which I might have on my callings and undertakings. O that prayer might be the girdle to compass in the whole body of my natural and civil dealings, and concernments. And that I could every day of my life forestal the worlds market, by setting early about closet and family duties. Suitors find it fittest to wait upon, and dispatch their business with great persons betimes in the morning. Lord, freedom of access to thy throne of grace, is an unspeakable favour; Access is hard to earthly Princes; No worldly Court is so open as to admit all comers. Those that with much difficulty present their Petitions, are often, against all reason denyed. Thy gates are open night and day, all that will may come and be welcome. Thou invitest souls to come into thy presence, and delightest to hear and grant their prayers. Thine eares are more open and ready to hear, then their mouths to ask. Thou pressest upon many undesired blessings, but denyest none who ask not stones instead of bread. Importunity never angers thee, the more fervent and frequent p. 538my soul is with thee, the more prevalent. Thou fillest the hungry with good things, and dost not send any that desire thy grace empty away from thy gate. What care I how little notice or knowledge the Nobles of the earth will take of me, when I can speak so freely to their better, their Soveraign, and not fear a repulse. O teach me the right art of begging, and then I need not be afraid of poverty. If I be but skilful to follow that trade, my returns will be both …re and large. Thy mercies are renewed upon me every morning, so are my necessities. O let my prayses and prayers be as frequent and early. I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise …hall be continually in my mouth; O God my God, early will I seek thee, my soul thirsteth for thee in a dry and barren Wilderness, where no water is; My voice shalt thou hear in the morning; O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up.

22Spend the greatest part of the day in thy particular calling.I Wi…h that having done with the more immedia…e service of my God in Praying, and Reading, both in my Closet and Family, I may proceed to serve him in my Shop and Particular Calling. When God saith, Man is born to labour, I must not sing with the fool, Soul take thine ease. An idle person is like. Caterpillars and Mice, that devour Gods creatures, and do no good to others. Its pity he ever lived, the book of whose life is filled up with nothing but Cyphers; Nature never intended men to be drones, to feed on others labours; nor bats, to spend their lives in the company of sleep, the brother of death. My God, my soul, my family, my country, do all call upon me to be diligent in that calling whereto he hath called me. My God is a pure act himself, and hath capacitated all his creatures for action; p. 539He created all men, but never made a sluggard; The idle person wholly degenerates from the end of his being, and receiveth his faculties in vain. The command for civil labour hath the same divine stamp, as that for sacred rest. I have also his pattern for my encouragement, as well as his precept for my warrant; Hitherto my father worketh, and I work. My soul also stands in as much need of exercise as my body; Idleness is the door at which diseases enter into both. Rust eats up vessels that are laid by and unused. The mind is never more bright then when it is in imployment; from doing nothing, we proceed to do evil. Idleness is not onelyonly a vice it self, but also hath this unhappiness, to usher in all other. This is the least advantage of industry, that it gives the soul no leasure to play with sin, or to entertain the wicked one. Standing waters do not sooner putrifie then lazy souls; Tis action that preserves the …oul in health; As G…ats dance up and down in the Sun, and then sit down and sting the next hand they seize upon; So they who have no time to work, have much to imploy in slandering and backbiting others; One sin never goeth alone. Again, my Family may well rouze me out of the bed of laziness; If I expect supply of their wants, it must come in with Gods blessing at the door of diligence. I am stealing from my wife and children, all the while I am loytering; The Heavens may cause seed sown, to ripen into a joyful Harvest, but untilled land will afford no crop, save of weeds or stones. Once more, My Country commands me to my calling; I am but an ill member in the body Politique, if as a diseased part I take of its nourishment, but rather hinder its growth, then contribute to its health. A p. 540jarring string is not more prejudicial to the rarest Viol in the hands of a skilful artist, then an idle person to the musick and composure of the universe. The most venemous creatures that nature produceth, are some way serviceable to their fellow creatures; O that I might never by filling up my life with laziness, be a Wen in the face of nature, serving no way to profit, onelyonly to disfigure it. Yet I desire that my diligence in my particular, may be regulated by my duty towards my General calling. Oyl moderately poured in, feeds the Lamp, excessively drowns it; Alexanders Souldier run so lightly upon the sand, that he made no impression with his feet; My duty is to give earthly things my hands, but my heart onelyonly to the things of heaven; Lord, Its as well thy pleasure that I should work here, as thy promise, that I shall rest hereafter; Let t…y grace be so operative in me, that I may never give Satan advantage against me, by being negligent, or over-diligent in my particular calling. Suffer not the interposition of the earth, ever to cause an eclipse of holiness in my soul; But let thy word so limit me, and thy spirit guide me, that as one diligent in his business, I may come at last to stand before the King of Kings, to my eternal comfort.

33Be watchful all the day.I Wish that I may no part of the day, be so overcharged with the cares of this life, by my particular calling, as to expose my self to wickedness, by neglecting my spiritual watch. If my heart be full of earthly vapours, they will fume up into my head, and make me drowsie; A drunken man is no sooner p. 541set in his chair, but he is fast asleep; Sober and Vigilant are sisters in Scripture, 1 Thes. 5. Let us watch and be sober, 1 Pet. 5. 8. Be sober and vigilant. The immoderate love of the world will incline me as effectually to spiritual slumbers, as immoderate drinking of Wine to bodily; If Satan can get me to take this Opium, he doubts not but to lock me fast to my bed, and to have me at what advantage be pleaseth.

O how easie is it to destroy a sleeping body, to defile a sleepy soul! Noah, Lot, David, Solomon, walked in their sleep and dreams, in strange and sensual paths. When the eye of the souls watchfulness is …hut, the soul is open to all dangers and assaults. Whilst the Husbandmen sleep, the enemy soweth Tares. Sisera's head was nailed to the earth, whilst he l…y snoring on the ground. Epaminondas was not more severe then exemplary, when he ran the Souldier through with his sword, whom he found sleeping upon the Guard, as if he intended to bring the two Brothers, Sleep and Death, to a meeting. The Hare therefore (say some…) being liable to many enemies, sleepeth with her eyes open, to see danger before it surprise her. I walk continually in the midst of powerful and politick adversaries. The Canaanite is yet in the Land (though not Master of the Field, yet) skulking in Holes and Ambushments, watching an opportunity to set upon and destroy me; There is not onelyonly an Army of Temptations besieging me without, but also many Traytours conspiring within to open the gate of my heart to them, that they may enter and undo me. p. 542My own heart is like Jacob, a Supplanter, and conspireth to rob me both of the birth-right and the blessing. Let me go where I will, I tread upon Lime-twigs, which the Arch-fowler layeth to intangle and insnare me. Saul sent messengers to Davids house, to watch him, and to slay him. 1 Sam. 19. 11.1 Sam 19:11Satan sendeth messengers after me in all places where I …ome, to watch me, and to s…ay me; The whole world is as the val… of Siddim … full of slime-pits, and without watchfulness; the anointed of the Lord are taken in those pits, Gen. 14. 10. Lam. 4. 10. Sin is a slie theif, that steals upon the soul to rob it when tis asleep. O what need have I of the greatest watchfulness and circumspection imaginable! As the eye-lids guard the tender eyes from harm, so doth watchfulness preserve the soul from wickedness; O my soul, canst thou not watch with thy Redeemer one hour, when he ever liveth to make intercession for thee? Tis but the short night of this life, that thou art commanded to stand …entinel; ere long thou shalt be called off the guard, and freed from that trouble. Lord, thou art ever watchful over me for good, thou never slumberest nor sleepest, but thy seven eyes are ever upon me. Thou mayst say to me, as to thy Vineyard; I the Lord do keep it, I water it every moment, lest any hurt it I; keep it night and day. O since thou watchest to preserve me, let me watch to serve thee; Set a watch O Lord before my lips. Be thou the Governour of my heart; Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. Let mine enemies never find me nodding, lest they leave me dying. Thou hast told me, Behold I come as a Theif; Bles…ed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they p. 543see his shame; Give me so to wake and watch now, that death may bring me a Writ of ease, and call me to my endless rest.

I Wish that I may all the day long be even covetous of my time, 44Redeem time.as knowing it is allowed me not for the service of the flesh, but for the service of my God, and to dress my soul for Heaven. If I be lavish of my time, I am the greatest Prodigal in the World. If he be a spendthrift, that throweth away an hundred pound every day, he is a far greater that wasteth half an hour in one day; Time is more worth then the revenues of the whole world. He that can command millions of treasure, cannot command one moment of time; The Father of eternity hath the sole disposition of time; The value of this commodity, is not known to this beggarly world in a day of life. Now men study sports and pleasures, and company, and plays, to waste time; It lieth as a drug upon their hands, and they think themselves beholden to any that will help them to put it off; But when the King of terrors with his gastly countenance approacheth them, and summons them to a speedy appearance b…fore the King of nations, to receive their eternal dooms, O then their judgements will be quite altered, and time will be precious indeed. Then they who play away their time, and give all to the world or flesh, will tell me that time was good for something else then to eat, and drink, and sleep, and trade; that it was good to feed an immortal soul in, and provide for an eternal estate. Then the Rich and Covetous, as well as they loved their wealth, though it be now dearer to them then their God and Christ, and Souls, and Heaven, will part with all they have for a little p. 544time. Then the Swaggerers and Gallants of the world, who spend twenty hour… in Taverns, to one hour in the Temple, and if it were not for Play-houses, and Ale-houses, and Whore-houses, and Hawks, and Hounds, and Cards, and Dice, could not tell what to do with their time; who mark all the days in the Kalender of their lives, for Festivals, and make them all Play-days, as if there were never a working day among them, that are as busie and tedious in dressing their worm-eaten bodies, as Children in dressing Babies, and are more troubled at the smallest disorder in their hairs, then the greatest disorder in Church and State, would give up all, and much more if they had it, for a little time; Then the Nobles, and Kings, and Emperours of the world, will disesteem their honours and height, and trample upon their Robes, and Scepters, and …rowns, for a little time. Then they who dally with their days of grace, and delay the preparation of their souls for death and judgement, as if time were at their command, and they could force it to attend their leasure, that live as if Death were their servant, and must wait on them till they thought fit to come to their graves, will find that time was time indeed; O my soul, of what worth will time be at that day, and wilt thou wa…te it at this day! Alas, how little is that time which thou hast to improve for thine unchangeable estate! My life is but a shadow, that is gone when the Sun hides his head; A Bubble that vanisheth when a small breath of wind appeareth; A day that is soon overtaken by a night, a span, nothing. Thou hast made my days as an hand-breadth, mine age is nothing unto thee. Wert thou able to secure a long life, though thou h…s… p. 545work enough of infinite weight to imploy it all, yet thou mightest have more colour of reason for being lavish; but when thy time is little, and thy business of such consequence, what unspeakable madness is it to be wasteful of it! He that hath thousands of acres of Land, will spare some for a Park, some for a bowling-green, some for a court-yard, some for pleasure and pastimes; but he that hath but a little land, upon which himself and his family must live, and by which they must be maintained, can spare none at all for vain pleasures, but must improve all to real profit. Man that is born of a woman, is but of few days; He comes up as a Flower, fleeth as a shadow, and continueth not; and wilt thou, O my soul, revel and riot away this poor pittance in which thou shouldst work out thy salvation! O that I could value this jewel in some measure answerable to its worth, and do the work of the day, in the day allotted me for work! Time rightly husbanded is acceptable time; a day well imployed is a day of salvation. Lord, though my journey be great, my time is little; Nay, how much of that little time have I lost? A considerable part of it hath been taken up with my Infancy and Child-hood, wherein I did little above a Beast. My youth hath been squandred away in trifles and vanity, and too much of it in lust and iniquity. Much of what remains, if thou shouldst add a few more days to my life, must be spent in eating, and drinking, and sleeping, and necessary natural actions; and shall I not redeem it to my power, for the service of my Saviour? O affect my soul throughly, how Eternity rides, upon the back of time, that p. 546I may prize time highly, redeem it carefully, and improve it so faithfully, that eternity may be my friend, and when time shall have an end, I may enjoy that joy which hath no end.

55Call thy self to account.I Wish that I may every day so cast up my accounts, that I maybe always ready for the great Audit-day. Wise Stewards do not write down great sums in gross, which they have disbursed for their Lords at several times, but set down the particulars, whereby they are prepared for a general reckonning, and enabled to justifie their accounts: My trust is more weighty then of any Princes Steward on earth, my Master will be more exact then the severest humane Lord; and am I not then concerned so to number my days, as to reckon every day what I recei…e from my Lord, what I disburse for my Lord, and at the foot of every day to write the total sum! How foolish is he that rejects his books, till his book… reject him? … is it not better for me to look over the book of my conscience, and observe what blots and errors are there, whilst I have licence and liberty to correct them, then to neglect them, till those eyes which are purer then to behold iniquity, come to look it over and leave be denyed of ever amending what he finds amiss! O my soul, this evening now I am writing this page, I must send to thee Amaziah's challenge of Joash; Come let us see one another in the face? Why should we that are so near together, be such strangers to each other? I must ask thee, as Elisha did Gehezi, Whence comest thou? Where hast thou been? What hast thou done this day for God and thy self? Hast thou lived, or onelyonly been: in the world this day? Doth thy soul work, p. 547thine eternity work go forward or backward? Hast thou lived as if thou w…rt going to die, and walked in the fear of the Lord all the day long? Hath the awe and dread of the divine Majesty all along possessed thee? Dost thou consider that thou hast one day less to live, and one day more to account for? Suppose God should come to thee this night, as he did to Belshazer, with a Mene, Mene, It is numbred, It is numbred; Thy days are told, God hath counted them up, and finished them, thou shalt not live to see a morrow. Thy days are extinct, the grave is ready for thee; Art thou ready for thy grave? If God should say to thee, as that Lord to his Servant, Give an account of thy Stewardship, for thou shalt be no longer Steward? Are thy accounts and Gods even? Dost thou reckon as he doth? What do all the actions of this day stand for in thine account, Figures or Ciphers, somthing or nothing? What were thy first thoughts in the morning? Was he who came first to thee with his morning mercies, first served by thee? How didst thou pray in thy Closet, and Family? What sorrow accompanied thy confessions? Was thy heart broken that thou hast broken his holy laws? What faith and fervency did accompany thy requests? Was the heat of thy affections answerable to the weight of thy petitions? Didst thou present thy petition to the Master of Requests, the Lord Iesus Christ, by him to be delivered to the Father? What spiritual joy and delight didst thou find in Thankesgiving? Didst thou wonder at that infinite cost which the glorious. God is at, with such an unworthy wretch? How didst thou r…ad the word this day? Did it come with power and authority to thy p. 548conscience? was it mingled with faith? Didst thou hide it in thy heart? Hadst thou any resolution to make it thy rule and Counseller, and Comforter, and to order thy conversation according to it? How didst thou eat and drink this day? Didst thou feed with fear? Didst thou receive thy meat as in Gods presence, and hadst thou an eye therein at his praise? How didst thou behave thy self in thy Particular calling? Did it no way incroach upon thy general? Was thy conversation in heaven, whilst thy dealings were about earth? Wast thou diligent in the exercise of it, righteous in thy dealings in it, depending on God for a blessing on it? What was thy carriage in company? was thy life holy, spotless, exemplary, profitable to others? Mightest thou not in such a place have done thy God more service, and thy Brothers soul more good? May I not say to thee as God to Jonah? Didst thou well to be angry at such a time upon no cause? what were thy thoughts in solitude? how wast thou imployed? Had God any true share in thy thoughts? hast thou watched thy self this day, and kept thy heart with all diligence? Hath none of thy precious time been lavisht away on unnecessary things? Answer me faithfully to all these particulars, that I may be able to return an answer to him that sent me. O that I could but imploy one half hour every day, with seriousness and uprightness, in such soliloquies. Lord, thou didst create the world in six days, and thou wast pleased to lo…k back on every days work, and behold it was very good, and then ensued thy Sabbath. Cause thy …ervant to be a follower of thee, as a dear child, in minding every day the work thou hast given me to do, that I may every night review it with comfort, finding it good in thy Christ, p. 549at the end of all my days, looking back upon all my works, I may see them very good, through the acceptation of thy grace, and with joy enter into my eternal Sabbath.

I Wish that I may end every day, 66Mind evening duties.with him who is the beginning and first born from the dead; That I may every night go to bed, as if I were going to my grave, knowing that sleep is the shadow of death; and when the shadow is so near, the substance cannot be far off; Though lovers cannot meet all day, yet they will make hard shift but they will find an opportunity to meet at night; Should my devotion set with the natural Sun, I may fear a dreadful night of darkness to follow. That bed may well be as uneasie as one stuft with thorns, that is not made by prayer. If the soul lye down under an heavy load of sin, the body can have no true rest. Jacob could sleep sweetly upon an hard stone, having made his peace with God; when Ahashuerus could not, though on a bed of down; I cannot sleep unless God wake for me, and I cannot rationally expect his watchfulness over me, unless I request it. My corruptions in the day, call for contrition in the night; How many omissions, commissions, personal, relative sins, heart, life wickedness am I daily guilty of! and …hould I lye down under their weight, for ought I know they may sink me before morning into endless wo. Whilst blood is in my veins, sin will be in my soul. The weed of sin may be cut, broken, pulled up, yet it will spring again. I shall as soon cease to live, as cease to sin. Though I should be free all the day long from presumptuous enormities, and onelyonly defiled with ordinary humane infirmities, yet these, if not bewailed, are damning. p. 550The smallest letters are most hurtful to the eyes, and far worse then a large Character. Those sins which are comparatively little, if not lamented, are far more dangerous then Davids Murther and Adultery, which were repented of. When the soul like Thamar, hath notwithstanding its utmost endeavours to preserve its chastity been ravished, and by force defiled, it must with her lift up the voice and weep. If the Sun may not go down upon my wrath against man, much-less may I presume to lye down under the wrath of God. Besides, how can sin be mortified, if it be not confessed and bewailed? Arraignment and Conviction, must go before Execution.

The favours of the day past, are not to be forgotten, but to be acknowledged with thankefulness. I receive every day more considerable mercies then there are moments in the day; and when I borrow such large sums, the principal of which I am unable ever to satisfie, shall I be so unworthy as to deny the payment of this small interest, which is all my Creditour requireth? Whatsoever gain I have got in my calling, whatsoever strength I have received by my food, whatsoever comfort I have had in my Relations or Friends, whatsoever peace, liberty, protection, I have enjoyed all the day long, I must say of all, … Jacob of his Venison; The Lord hath brought it to me. Surely the hearer of my morning prayers, may well be the object of my evening prayses; A… how unreasonable is it that I like a whirl-pool, should suck in every good thing that comes near me, and not so much as acknowledge it! Should any one be the thousandth part so much indebted to me, as I am to God, how ill should I take it, if he should not confess p. 551it? If a Beggar at my door receive a small almes from God, by my hands, I look for his thanks; How often have I complained of the baseness and unworthiness of some that are engaged to me? O what tongue can express, what heart can conceive how much I am indebted to my God every moment, though I am less then the least of all his mercies; and doth not all his goodness merit sincere thankefulness! Lord, I confess there is not a day of my life, wherein I do not break thy Laws in thought, word and deed; Sin is too much the element in which I live, and the trade that I drive; I find continually a law in my members, warring against the Law of my mind, and captivating me to the Law of sin and death; Ah wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death! Since I am no day innocent, make me every night penitent. As my sins abound, let my sorrow abound, and thy grace much more abound. Though I can never requite thy favours, help me to admire and bless the fountain of them. Suffer me never to go to bed, till I have first asked thee my heavenly Father blessing. Let the eyes of my soul be always open to thee in prayer and prayse, before the eyes of my body be shut. And, O be thou always pleased so to accept my confessions, petitions, thanksgivings, my person and performances in thy dear son, that I may lay me down in peace and sleep, because thou Lord makest me to dwell in safety.

Finally, I Wish that every day of my life may be spent as if it were the day of my death,The Conclusion. and all my time employed in adorning my soul, in trimming my lamp, and in a serious preparation for eternity. Whilst I am living I am dying, every moment my sand is running, p. 552and my Sun is declining; I am as Stubble before the Wind, and as Chaff that the Storm carrieth away; I flie away as a dream, and shall not be found; my life is chased away as a vision of the night; The eyes which have seen me, shall see me no more, neither shall my place any more behold me. I must live now or never; If I die, I shall not live again; O that all the days of my appointed time, I could wait till my change cometh! Were I to take my leave of the world this night, and were my life to end with the day; how then would I spend every hour, every moment of it? Should I lavish away my time about this or that vanity? Would I play it away in vain company? Would I neglect my spiritual watch? or waste my talents upon trifles? should I dally about secret or private duties, or be careless of my carriage in my calling? would I starve my immortal soul, or cast off all care of eternity? No, but I should all the day long act by the square and rule of the word. How serious should I be in praying, in reading, in working for my soul, for my salvation? how diligent to do all the good I could, to receive all the good I might? how watchful to catch at, and embrace all opportunities of honouring and serving my Maker and Redeemer? because my time is short, and I must pray, and read, and work for eternity, now or no more, no more for ever. And why should I not be as holy, though I do not know that I shall die this night, when I know not but I may die this night? How foolish is he who neglects doing his work, till his work is past doing! Besides, Other creatures are constant, and unwearied in serving their maker, they are every day all the day long in their stations obedient to his commands. If I look to Heaven, to Earth, to inanimate, p. 553to irrational creatures, I behold them all as so many Souldiers, in their several ranks, exactly and continually subject to the orders which they receive from the Lord of hosts; and shall I be shamed by them? I am at present more indebted, more intrusted by God; I have a reward hereafter of joy to encourage me, of pain to provoke me to unweariedness in well doing, which they neither hope nor fear. Lord, I live every moment upon thee, why should I not live every moment to thee? My life is by thy providence, O that it were according to thy precepts! I would not be thine hireling to serve thee meerly for wages (thou thy self art my exceeding great reward) but I would be thy days-man, to work for thee by the day, every day, all the day long; O help me to live well in time, that I may live well eternally; Let every day be so devoted to thy praise, and every part of it so imployed in thy service, that I may be the more fitted to please and wo…ip thee in that place where there is no night, yet all rest, no Sun, yet all day, all light, all joy, where I shall have no meat, or drink, or sleep, or shop, or flocks, or family, and which is best of all, no unbeleiving, selfish, carnal heart, to call me from, or hinder me in thy work; but I shall worship and enjoy thee without diversion, without distraction, without interruption, without intermission, both perfectly and perpetually,

Amen.