The Christians Daily Monitor, Part 9 – Part 10
§. 9. The Spiritual Touch-ſtone.
Twelve Graces that diſtinguiſh a true Saint from a counterfeit one:
1. Brokenneſs of heart for, and from all ſin.
2. Mourning for other mens ſins, as Lot, David, Jeremy, Ezra, Nehemiah, Paul, did; This is an argument of great ſincerity, for we never read any in Scripture did this but Godly men.
3. The grace of ſelf-denyal in the extent of it, to be able to deny natural, worldly, religious ſelf: this is a grace none but a true Chriſtian can attain to.
4. To love God for himſelf, not onelyonly becauſe he is our good, but becauſe he is the chief good; not onelyonly to make our Heaven our God, bu… …o know and believe, God himſelf is our heaven and happineſs.
5. To love a child of God, becauſe he is a child of God; and the more eminent he is in grace, the more to love him; to love all the Godly as well as ſome, to love their company, and to take their reproofs kindly, is the diſtinguiſhing character of a true Saint.
6. To advance the Glory of God in thought, word, and deed, and to rejoyce that Chriſt is magnified, whatever becomes of us.
7. To prize Jeſus Chriſt for himſelf, as well as his rewards; to prize his Kingly and Propheticall, as well as his Prieſtly Office, to prize him above all things, and at all times, is a ſure note of a child of God.
8. Every branch in Chriſt bringeth forth fruit; every true Saint is a growing, and a fruitfull Saint. A picture of a Child doth not grow, but a living Child doth.
9. A true Saint is heavenly-minded; his thoughts, his affections, his hope, joy, deſire, his ſpeech, his converſation, are all heavenly.
10. A true Saint is careful to redeem his time. Natural men make no conſcience of idle thoughts, idle words, and idle time.
11. He is known by the Uniformity and univerſality of his obedience to the will of God, he hath reſpect to all Gods Commandments; he is holy and honeſt. A true Chriſtian makes conſcience to abſtain from the ſins of both Tables, and to do the duties of both Tables, that he may keep a conſcience void of offence towards God and Man.
12. Every true Saint hath a thankfull heart, a thankfull tongue, and a thankfull life.
§. 10. The ſeven laſt words of Chriſt.
The firſt was a word of mercy for his perſecutors.
Luke 23.34.
Father forgive them they know not what they do.
The ſecond was a word of free-grace to the penitent thief.
Luke 23.43.
This day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe.
The third a word of care and affection for his dear Mother.
Joh. 19.26, 27.
Behold thy Son! behold thy Mother.
The fourth a word of ſad complaint.
Mat. 27.46.
My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me?
The fifth, a word of want and diſtreſs.
Iohn 19.28.
I thirſt.
The ſixth, a word of triumph and gratulation.
Iohn 19.30.
It is finiſhed.
The ſeventh, a word of perſeverance.
Luke 23.46.
Father into thy hands I commend my ſpirit.
Twenty Directions how to live well and dye well from theſe ſeven laſt words of Chriſt, being the heads of ſeveral Sermons, preached by Mr. E. C. B. M.
1. He that would live well and dye well, muſt be much in prayer. The firſt, fourth, ſeventh words are prayers.
2. He muſt be well verſed in the Book of Pſalms: the fourth and ſeventh words are out of it.
3. He muſt forgive his Enemies, and pray for them.
4. He muſt have a care of relations, and diſpoſe of his worldly eſtate.
5. He muſt do what he can to convert others.
6. He muſt not abuſe the example of the penitent thief, to delay his repentance.
7. He muſt believe the ſouls of the Godly go immediately upon their death to a Heavenly Paradiſe.
8. He muſt thirſt after communion with God, and the enjoyment of God in Heaven. Jeſus Chriſt thirſted after our ſalvation.
9. He muſt meditate of the ſoul and body ſufferings of Jeſus Chriſt: what he ſuffered in his ſoul, when he uttered the fourth word; what he ſuffered in his body when he uttered the fifth word.
10. He muſt ſo live, as that he may upon good grounds call God Father: The firſt word was, Father forgive them: The laſt word was, Father into thy hands, &c.
11. He muſt take more care for hi… precious ſoul, then his mortal body.
12. He muſt believe that Chriſt hath finiſhed all things neceſſary for hi… ſalvation, in point of merit and ſatisfaction, and that nothing is required of him, but to teſtifie his thankfulneſs in a holy life.
…3. He muſt believe on good grounds that Chriſt hath finiſhed His Salvation: O happy man, that when he is breathing out his laſt, can ſay, my ſalvation is finiſhed.
…4. He muſt finiſh whatſoever is behind, and to be done by him to fit him for heaven; ſomething we are to do, and we muſt finiſh it; not only begin well, but end well.
…5. He muſt fly in the time of tentation to Chriſts ſufferings; there is a great deal of comfort in that word it is finiſhed.
…6. He muſt ſtay himſelf on God in a time of darkneſs when there is no light; Chriſt ſaid, My God: we muſt not let go the faith of adherance, though we want the faith of evidence.
…7. He muſt remember Chriſt wore a Crown of Thorns, that we migh… wear a Crown of Glory; he was forſaken for a time, that we might no… be forſaken for ever.
18. He muſt believe, that through many tribulations, we may enter int… the Kingdom of Heaven. A man ma… from the Croſs go to Heaven. Chri… was Crucified between two thieve… and yet died gloriouſly.
19. He muſt ſtudy the love of Chriſt i… ſuffering ſuch a curſed death on th… Croſs for his ſins, that he may b… able to ſay, He loved me, and gav… himſelf for me; and rejoyce in nothing ſave in the Croſs of Chriſt.
20. He muſt after the example of Chri… commend his ſoul to Gods hands and remember Chriſt hath commended thy ſoul and my ſoul already int… the hands of God, and when we dy… God will remember the depoſitu… left with him.