The Practical Sabbatarian, Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXIII. How we muſt improve the interval between the Morning and the Evening worſhip in the publick Aſſembly.
THE publick worſhip being over, and the aſſembly of Rom. 16. 5.Gods people being ſcattered, as fruitful clouds which Col. 4. 15.are melted into their ſeveral drops, let us repair to the leſſer Church, our family, and follow Chriſt home, and entertain Privata familia quae ob religioſam ſanctitatem illuſtris eſt, eccleſiae nomen promeruit. Daven.him there with holy communion. Chriſt hath his leſſer as well as his greater banquetting houſe, Cant. 2. 4. And will meet us in our houſes as well as in his own, Mal. 21. 13. the place of more ſolemn aſſemblies. He who will come to the houſe of a Phariſee, Luke 14. 1. will come to the houſe of a believer. Therefore after the publick ordinances are done and finiſhed, let us haſte to our habitations as faſt as Zacheus to his, Luke 19. 6. to the ſame end with Familiam ſuam privata fecit eccleſia, eam pietate, & religione exornans. Theod.him, to entertain our dear Jeſus, and purſue thoſe family duties which are incumbent upon us, which now ſhall be opened and diſcourſed upon. There are ſeveral duties which muſt take up this interval, that it may not be an empty and unbeautiful chaſm.
Let our meal be adorned with temperance, and made luſhious and ſweet with holy and ſavory diſcourſe. Heavenly communication is ſalt at the table, is ſauce in the diſh, Non prius diſcumbunt, quàm Oratio ad deum praeguſtetur; editur, quantum eſurientes capiunt, bibitur quantum pudicis eſt utile, ita ſaturantur ut qui meminerint etiam per noctem ſibi adorandum deum eſſe. Tertul.is a flavour in our drink. Full meales are thoſe which are ſpiritualized, and they have moſt of rarity which have moſt of heaven. Our tables are ſpread with variety, not from our diſhes, but from our diſcourſe. Tertull. ſpeaking of the carriage of private Chriſtians at their meals, tells us, That they do not ſit down before they have prayed, they eat as much as may ſatisfie hunger, they drink ſo much as is ſufficient for temperate men, and are ſo filled, as they that remember that God muſt be worſhipped even in the night ſeaſon. O the golden temper of theſe golden times! Temperance muſt be the Caterer, and holy diſcourſe muſt be the muſick of our tables. Our tongues are inſtruments, but the good ſpirit muſt tune them. Holy diſcourſes are perfumes which are not only pleaſant to our ſelves, but delightful to others, they are the trumpets of our piety, the ſparks which fly from our zeal, the disburdening of a gracious ſoul, they are a celeſtial harmony which makes a meal on a Sabbath pleaſant and ſeraphical. Vivunt impii ut bibant et edant; ſed bibu… èt edunt bène, ut vivant. Socr…t.And therefore let us diſcourſe at our Sabbath meals on ſome things delivered by the Miniſter, or ſome ſpiritual matter which may adminiſter grace to the hearers, and let us avoid the common rock of vain and worldly talk. Xenocrates the Philoſopher being in company with ſome who uſed evil language, he was very mute, and being asked the reaſon, he replyed, It hath often repented me, that I have ſpoken, but never that I have held my peace. Oh that our hearts and lips were heavenly on the Lords day! that there might be more ſprinkling of grace in our diſcourſes: Sermo noſter ſit ad aedificationem neceſſitatis. Theoph.This would turn our food into Manna, and drop diſſolved Pearls into our Cup, and turn our board into a Communion table. Holy diſcourſe, itEt ad aedificationem utilitatis. Eraſm.
Firſt, Warms the heart.
Secondly, It gives vent for grace.
Thirdly, It is the bellows of zeal.Et ad aedificatione… opportunitatis; Sermo aedificet, quoties opus vel opportunitas eſt alios docere. Theoph.
Fourthly, It often awakens conſcience.
Fifthly, It is the Gangrene of ſin, as ſilence and flattery are the promoters of it.
Sixthly, Nay it countermines Satan, and turns him out of the room where our table ſtands.
Seventhly, Holy diſcourſes are the freedom of impriſoned piety, and the Midwife of that holineſs which lies in the womb of the heart, the turning up of that truly golden Ore; they are the Saints Shibboleth, which diſtinguiſhes him from the fooliſh world, which travels with froth and vanity. In a word, holy diſcourſe is the eaſe of Conſcience, the ſacrifice of Religion, the Saints refreſhment, the ſinners chain and aſtoniſhment, heavens eccho, the delight of Chriſtian Society, It is a twofold Charity:
Firſt, To our ſelves; it enfranchiſes our affections to Chriſt; our heart is full of love to him, and holy diſcourſe gives vent to our full hearts; it is the diſcharge of our duty, Cant. 5. 10, 11,and ſo frees us from the guilt of diſobedience; and Col. 4. 6.moreover it gives fire to our dedolent hearts. Our hearts Luke 24. 31.muſt be awakened and raiſed, ſometimes by ordinances, Mal. 3. 16.ſometimes by prayer, ſometimes by holy diſcourſes,Sequi debet in una…ua que familiâ mutua communicatio, et mutua familiae inſtitutio. Rivet. in Decal.
Secondly, Which likewiſe are charity to others: They may be their ſatisfaction, an anſwer to their ſcruples, a corroſive to their luſts, a check to their ſin; thou knoweſt not but thy good diſcourſe may be as an Angel in the way, to ſtop ſome ſinfull progreſs, or a flame to anothers zeal, and a ſalve to anothers ſore. Such diſcourſe becomes our table on the Lords day, and becomes the Sabbath, as rich attire the Luke 14. 1, 7.beautiful perſon, the garment ſets off the perſon; and the perſon adorns the garment. It is reported of the hearers of holy Mr. Helderſham, that they would go home from Church diſcourſing of he powerful and precious truths which were delivered, and ſo they did ſtrew the way home with Roſes, and made their miles ſhort by heart-ſweetning diſcourſe. Chriſt when he was with his little family, his twelve Apoſtles, he would always be ſpeaking of the things Deut. 6. 6, 7.of heaven, Mark 4. 10. Gracious words would flow from Job 32. 18, 19, 20.him, as drops from the fountain, or the morning dew from above. It was a charge laid upon the Iſraelites to diſcourſe Deut. 11. 19.of the ſtatutes of God, when they were in their Mat. 12. 34.houſes ſitting with their Children and Servants about them, Deut. 6, 6, 7. The two Diſciples going from Emaus, Chriſtus ſuo exemplo declaravit, quomedo tempus inter matutinos et veſpertinos caetus Sabbati inſumendum eſt; Ipſe enim ſuos diſcipulos diſſipatâ turbâ de rebus regni examinavit. Chemn.were talking of the ſufferings and the affairs of Chriſt, and then their dear Mediatour joyns in with them, Luke 24. 15. Dr. Bound obſerveth, That when we have heard the word upon a Sabbath, we muſt diſcourſe of it, unleſs we will loſe a great part of the fruit of it. A talking of worldly affairs, will chaſe away that truth we have been made partakers of. And indeed none but a corrupt heart would chain up holy diſcourſe upon the Lords day; that heavenly ſeaſon when gracious words ſhould be our dialect. If the word of God dwell richly in us, Col. 3. 16. Inhabitants will not always keep within doors, we ſhall bring forth our treaſure for the enriching and edifying of others. And let us not excuſe our ſelves with a pretence of ſhamefaſtneſs. The ſhame of the world will not keep us from vain, why then from godly diſcourſe? Sweet and ſpiritual communication Chriſtiani in primaevâ eccleſiae aetaie, non tam caenàm caenabant, quàm diciplinam. Tertul. Apol. c. 39.is none of thoſe fruits whereof we may be aſhamed, Rom. 6. 21. Nor let ignorance be alledged for an excuſe; ignorance it ſelf might induce thee to propound things profitable, which will feed good diſcourſe; the Queſtion will beget an anſwer, and the Anſwer will bring forth a progeny of heavenly communion. But in a word, what do our tables (eſpecially on the Lords day) without ſavory and Chriſtian diſcourſe differ from a manger.
After our meal our dinner is over, then follows not onelyonly the digeſtion of our food, but of the word that better food John 6. 27. Verùm non publicè modo, ſed & privatim hunc ipſum diem ſanct… pietatis officii… qualia ſunt ſacrae Scripturae lectio, et meditatio domeſtica, & colloquium de rebus ſacris, at que charitatis officiis tranſigendum cenſemus. Leid. Prof.which nouriſheth unto eternal life; and this will be the beſt wine at the end of our meal, John 2. 10. We muſt repeat over, diſcourſe over, pray over that word we hear in the Morning. in the publick Congregation. Indeed Truth is moſt pleaſing when moſt taſted. David calls the word Honey, Pſalm 19. 10. and honey pleaſes not the eye; but the palate; it is better food then proſpect: Then the word doth its work, not when it is onelyonly heard, but when it is ruminated on, and is not onelyonly diſcovered but digeſted; it then doth moſt good to us when it is riveted in us: faſtned nails help forward the building, not thoſe which lye looſe up and down; when we work Gods word upon our hearts, this is like inlaid Gold which makes the richeſt embroydery. Hearing may bring a truth to the head, but meditation and a careful pondering works it into the heart. It is the ſeething of Milk makes the Cream. The Bee ſucks the flowr, and then works it in his Hive, and makes honey of it. Satan himſelf is called an Angel of light, 2 Cor. 11. 14. He knows very much: It is not truth in the head, but riveted, faſtned and ſetled in the heart, which ſpeaks us to be tranſlated from darkneſs to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, Acts 26. 18. Chryſoſtome in one of his excellent Homilies upon Matthew, layes it as a charge upon Chriſtians, That when we depart from the Eccleſiaſtical Aſſembly, we ſhould not in any caſe entangle our ſelves in buſineſſes of a contrary nature, but as ſoon as we come home, turn over the holy Scriptures, and call our wives and children to confer about thoſe things which were delivered in publick; and after they have been deeply rooted in our minds, then to proceed to provide for thoſe things which are neceſſary for this life. And the ſame worthy Father makes the Similitude: foreign Chryſoſt. Sciendum eſt quòd non ſufficit, ut concionibus dei ſabbati attenda…us, et doctrinam bonam recipiamus, et ut nomen dei invocemus; ſed ut haec omnia digeramus, et ad hanc rem ipſi quoque tranſformemur. Calv. Acts 17. 11. Si detis operam verbo, ut inde pietatem, et omnem ſalutiſeram ſapientiam diſcatis; Haec eſt meta ſtudii noſtri, et ſic inſtruamur expen… ſcripturarum. Daven. Pſal. 119. 15, 23, 48, 78, 148, 97, 99.When, ſaith he, we retire from Fields in their beauty and flouriſh, we bring ſome Roſe or Violet home with us; And when we come from a goodly Supper, we bring ſome remaines of thoſe dainties and give them to our friends: And when we have been in publick Ordinances, ſhall we not bring ſome doctrine and heavenly admonition to our wives, friends ad children, when this doctrine is more profitable then the flowers of the field, or the dainties of the Table. Heavenly Truths are Roſes which will not ſhed, fruits which will not periſh, and delicacies which will not corrupt, &c. So then, the word which we hear in the publick Aſſemblies, that heavenly food muſt be concocted, it muſt be walked down by holy Meditation, ſtaked down by good and ſeaſonable Communication, faſtned upon the ſoul by holy muſing and ardent Prayer. The ſeed in the ground brings forth grain, not the ſeed upon the top of the clods: The digeſted word will bring forth twins, delight and obedience. Women when they dreſs themſelves, they do not walk by the Looking-glaſs: but ſet themſelves before it and ſpend ſome time in faſtning every pin: onelyonly to hear the Word is but to walk by the Glaſſe; but repetition, diſcourſe, prayer, and contemplation muſt faſten every truth upon the ſoul, and ſo it will look amiable and beautiful. The clean beaſts chew the cud, Levit. 11. 3. The careful Chriſtian will whet the word upon his own, and as much as may …e upon anothers heart. The Bereans obtained the title of Noble, not from hearing, but examination of the VVord, not for any thing they did in the publick Aſſembly, but from what they did at home. The winnowed Corn is fit for uſe when it hath paſſed the Flail and the Fan. The Word digeſted is fit for practice when it hath paſſed the meditation of the head, the diſcuſſion and diſcourſe of the tongue, the pondering and the laying up of the heart. The hearing of the Word onelyonly is but a beautiful Proſpect, which is delectable, but not durable; but the weighing of the VVord in the ſcales of judgment, the beating of it out by the labours of the minde, makes it a rich treaſure and a ſtock of divine counſel for the life to ſpend upon. The Pſalmiſt no leſſe then ſeven times in one Pſalm profeſſes, that the Law was his meditation: he did not run over the beauty of it with a glance of his eye, or paſs over the muſique of it as the playing of a tune, and ſo lay aſide the Inſtrument; but his thoughts did dwell upon it as the Scholar upon his books: Let us, as our Saviour ſaith, go and do ſo likewiſe; and let us remember, that on Gods bleſſed Day, and on Gods bleſſed VVord, our Luke 10. 37.work is much at home, in our Families, and with our hearts.
Let us ſpend the interval between the Morning and Evening worſhip in publique, in holy prayer. Prayer is ſuitable to every diviſion of a Sabbath: It doth not onelyonly prepare Homines ſunt inſtar terrae, curſemen verbi dei committitur, quae que culturá miniſterii praeparata, pluvia coeleſtis gratiae ad fructificandumirrigatur. Par.us for publick duties, but ſucceeds thoſe publick ordinances to us; It is like a good wind which doth not onelyonly carry us off from the ſhore, but goes along with us the whole Voyage; it is a ſweet duty, which muſt be interwoven in every part of a Sabbath. Prayer plows the heart for the ſeed of the VVord, it commands rain to proſper that ſeed, it ſecundates and ripens the Corn when it appears above-ground, and it keeps the weeds from choaking the Corn; It doth the whole work. When we have been in publick with Pſalm 109. 4.God, Private prayer in Chriſt is the Altar which ſanctifies the gift: and Prayer in this interval of holy worſhip looks with a double aſpect, backward to what we have heard, and forward to what we may hear; indeed in this being like Heb. 4. 12.the Word, a two-edged Sword, it hath a double edge for our ſpiritual advantage. Now our Prayer is like the ſword at the eaſt of the Garden of Eden, which turned every way. Acts 2. 27.Prayer in the Cloſet often ſaves us the labours of the Pulpit, Jer. 23. 29.and directs the ſpeech of the Miniſter to prick the Jer. 20. 9. 1 Cor. 3. 2.heart of the hearer. Ananias came to Paul when he was praying, Acts 9. 11. If the Word be an hammer, it is prayer cauſes the ſtroke; if the Word be fire, it is prayer layes this fire on our hearths: if the VVord be a ſword, it is prayer weilds this Sword to wound our luſts and corruptions. In a word, private prayer is the beſt meanes to proſper publick preaching, and to guide the arrow of truth to hit the mark of Conſcience.
Another Duty which muſt take up the ſpace between the publick Ordinances is, reading thē Scriptures. VVhen we come home from the publick, we muſt not be confined to the Scripturae ſunt ſpiritualis aniae menſa, in quá vivae repreſentantur deliciae et maxima bona. Anſelm.incloſure of the Miniſters Sermon, but we muſt open to the wide though pleaſant Common of the whole book of God, we muſt read ſome Chapters for ſpiritual edification. Anſelme uſed to call the Scriptures the ſpiritual Table of the ſoul furniſhed with all heavenly delicacies, and with the choiceſt good things. And on Gods holy day, when our own table is taken away; Let this ſpread-table be ſet before us for ſoul-feeding and repoſe. Every Chapter which may be read, is an Epitome of divine Truth, which may Si quando procacior ſuit inimicus, Pſaltorium decantabat. In tentationibus Deutero …ii verba voluebat: In tribulationibus, Iſaiae replicabat eloquia, et ſcripturae teſtimonium in conſolationem ſuam ediſſerebat. Hierom.train up our children and influence our ſervants, and which may build up our own ſouls, and water every branch of the Family for ſpiritual growth in the excellency of the knowledge of Chriſt Jeſus our Lord, Phil. 3. 8. Hierome reports of Paula, that he uſed the Scriptures as a Medicine againſt every diſeaſe; If her enemies were violent, ſhe would turn over the Pſalmes; If her temptations were ſtrong, ſhe would fix upon ſome part of Deuteronomy; If her afflictions were forcible, then ſhe conſulted ſome part of the Propheſie of Iſaiah; and ſo ſhe drew the Scriptures into an univerſal comfort to her. The VVord of God is our light to guide us, Pſalm 119. 105. And that family where the Scriptures are much read, is a Goſhen of light and pleaſantneſs, where Iſrael reſides and inhabits, when other habitations are covered with Aegyptian darkneſs, with the darkneſs of ſin and ignorance. Governours of Families are the beſt ſtewards, not onelyonly when they lay in proviſions from the Market, Luke 12. 42.but when they bring forth ſpiritual food from the Scriptures, by reading conſcionably and conſtantly thoſe Oracles of Rom. 3. 2.God to thoſe under their roof: for holy Job confidently aſſerts, that the word is more neceſſary than the appointed food, Acts 20 27.Job. 23. 12. Let therefore the interval between the publick worſhip be filled up with holy travel in the counſels of God Scripturas non obiter inſpicia nus et legamus, ut externum corticem tantùm accipiamus, ſed adhibenda eſt diligens perſcrutatio. Chemnit.recorded in Scripture. Our Saviour imputed all the ſottiſh miſtakes of the Jews to their ignorance of the Scripture, Mat. 22. 29. and lays it as a charge upon them, to ſearch the Scriptures, Joh. 5. 39. But it muſt not be, as Chemnitius obſerves, a tranſient glance, but a ſerious ſearch, as Miners for Gold, with pains and delight. So then it is a great part of wiſdom in Families to converſe much with Gods word, but eſpecially on Gods day, and moſt peculiarly when the moſt ſolemn and publick worſhip doth not call them off.