Precepts for Christian Practice, Part 1 – Part 10
PRECEPTS FOR Chriſtian Practice: Or the Rule of the new CREATVRE, Containing Duties to bee daily obſerved by every Beleever.
The ſecond Edition, Corrected, Inlarged, and now Publiſhed according to Order.
Gal. 6.16.
As many as walk according to this rule, Peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Iſrael of God.
LONDON, Printed by Rich. Cotes for John Bellamie, and are to the ſold at his Shop at the three Golden Lyons in Cornehill, neere the Royall Exchange, 1645. Jan. 31 1644
Precepts for Chriſtian practice, or the Rule of the new CREATƲRE.
Dutie 1.
1. BE alwayes ſenſible of thy originall corruption, and conſider how it inclineth thee continually to all evill, and indiſpoſeth thee to any good; groane under it, and bewaile it, as Paul did, Rom. 7.24.
Alſo take ſpeciall notice of your actuall ſins, or daily infirmities, in thought, word, deed. Indeavour to make your peace with God for them before you go to bed: which muſt bee done theſe foure waies.
1. By repenting and confeſſing your ſinnes to God, working your heart to griefe and ſorrow for them, by ſome ſuch melting conſiderations as theſe.
Firſt, of Gods goodneſſe to you.
2. Of the unreaſonableneſſe and every way unprofitableneſſe of ſin.
3. Of the great prejudice and damage that commeth to the ſoule by ſinne. John, 1.1, 9.
2. By beleeving, and caſting your ſelf wholly on Chriſts righteouſneſſe for remiſſion of ſinne, and for reconciliation with God, Rom. 3.22, 24, 25.
3. By cleaving to Gods promiſes of pardon, and peace, Iſaiah, 43.25. Rom. 5.1.
4. By waiting till the Lord ſhall ſpeake to you, Pſal. 85.8.
Dutie 2.
Get your union with Chriſt, and intereſt in Chriſt cleered and confirmed to you daily more and more, that you are a branch in his vine, and a member in his body, 2 Cor. 13.5. This may be done three wayes.
1. By daily renewall of your faith in Chriſt, eſpecially of that act of faith, whereby the ſoule knits, or tyes it ſelfe unto Chriſt, caſts, or roules it ſelfe on Chriſt for ſalvation. Cauſe your heart in a ſolemne manner every day to act this part, or to put forth this primitive act of faith in the view of the whole ſoule. The daily exerciſe hereof will increaſe, & ſtrengthen the divine habit of faith in the ſoule, and make the ſoule ſenſible of the very act of it. By frequent beleeving you ſhall feele at your very heart, that you do beleeve; ſo ſhall you have a witneſſe in your ſelfe, that you are in Chriſt, 1 Joh. 5.10.
2. By examining your heart upon what grounds you take Chriſt to be yours. The grounds are theſe five;
1. A ſight and ſenſe of of your ſins, as of the guilt, power, and puniſhment of them, and of your miſery by them, Mat. 9.13.
2. Your want of Chriſt ſeene, and felt at your very heart, to juſtifie, ſanctifie, redeeme, and ſave you, elſe you are utterly loſt, and undone everlaſtingly, Luke 19.10.
3. Gods free and generall offer of Chriſt to any that will take him by faith, John 3.16. there are manifold promiſes to this purpoſe: And the grounds of all Gods offers and donations of Chriſt to the poore ſoule are free grace, rich mercy, undeſerved love, Epheſ. 2.4, 5, 7. Tit. 3.4, 5, 6.
4 Chriſts ſweet and gracious invitation of ſuch to come to him as are weary of ſin, Matth. 11.28. to buy, as have no money, Iſaiah 55.1. no worth, or deſert in themſelves.
5. As ſinfull vile wretches as you are, have been ſought of Chriſt, and found in Chriſt, as 1 Cor. 6.9, 10, 11. 1 Tim. 1.13. Paul was a blaſphemer, perſecuter, and yet obtained mercy, and therfore why may not you? Thus the more cleerely you diſcerne upon what grounds you take Chriſt, the more cleare is your title to Chriſt, evinced to your owne ſoule.
3. By ſurveying and obſerving in what manner you take Chriſt daily. Which is, whether,
Firſt, you do wholly renounce all opinion and conceit of your owne righteouſneſſe and deſert, Mark 8.34. Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. ſo that you come to Chriſt empty of your ſelfe, very vile, yea, nothing in your owne eyes, unworthy to receive him.
2. Whether you lay hold on Chriſt alone with an empty hand of faith, joyning nothing at all with Chriſt in the matter of ſalvation; as the holy Martyr at the ſtake cried out, None but Chriſt, None but Chriſt.
3. Whether you find the Father drawing your heart after Chriſt, Joh. 6.44. which is in hungring and panting deſires, that will never be ſatisfied without him; ſo that the ſtreame, both of your Judgement, Phil. 3.7, 8. and affections run towards him, 1 Cor. 2.2. Gal. 6.14.
4. Whether you take Chriſt as a Lord to rule you, as well as a Jeſus to ſave you, Col. 2.6. As one that is all in all to you, your wiſdome, your righteouſneſſe, your ſanctification and redemption, 1 Cor. 1.30. your ſpirituall food, John 6.48. your Rayment, Rom. 13.14. your Strength, Phil. 4.13. your life, Gal. 2.20. Col. 3.3.
5. Whether you ſeeke and waite for Chriſt, (out of the ſenſe of your ſpirituall want and penury) in every ordinance publike and private, Word, Sacraments, Prayer, Meditation, Conference; not as they are your owne works of ſanctification, but as they are Gods Ordinances appointed of purpoſe for the manifeſtation & communication of Chriſt to the ſoule.
Frequent peruſall hereof will cleare to you your manner of taking Chriſt, and that will evidence to you your right and title which you have in Chriſt Jeſus.
Dutie 3.
Labour to draw and derive from Chriſt (by the powerfull attractive force of faith) ſpirituall ability ſufficient for the day.
1. To performe all your duties, Phil. 4.13.
2. To exerciſe all your graces, 2 Cor. 3.5.
3. To reſiſt and overcome all your tentations and corruptions, Rom. 8.37.
4. To undergoe all your trials, and afflictions thereof, John 1.16.
Make your proviſion of grace and ſtrength from Chriſt every morning, fetch from him ſo much as you ſhall have occaſion to uſe all day long; yea, and upon all occaſions that fall out in the day, goe to Chriſt ſtill for the wiſdome that muſt direct you, for the holineſſe that muſt character you, for the ſhoulder which muſt beare your croſſes, for that ſtrength that muſt reſiſt your tentations, and for abilitie to perform all duties as duties.
To this end act your faith daily in the promiſes of grace, and ſtrength, as John 1.16. Ezek. 36.26, 27. Iſaiah 44.3. Zech. 10.12. theſe and the like promiſes are ſecurity given you by God, that you ſhall receive grace in the uſe of the ordinances, which are as the conduit-pipes or inſtruments of conveying the ſame from Chriſt unto you.
This is the way and meanes to doe all in the ſtrength of Chriſt, and to take forth a great deale of Chriſt into your ſoule, that not you, but Chriſt may live in you, Gal. 2.20.
Dutie 4.
Perform daily duties both in family, & cloſet (eſpecially theſe three, of Prayer, Meditation, Reading) and doe them with ſerious intention, heate of affection, diligence and delight, Jerem. 48.10. Mal. 1.14. 1 Chron. 21.24. To this end,
1. Watch to theſe duties, keepe the heart in a good frame for them, undefiled with ſin, untainted by the world, Epheſ. 6.18.
2. Take the fitteſt time for the performance of them all; when you are leaſt dull and ſluggiſh. Begin the day conſtantly with thoughts of God, Pſal. 57.7, 8, 9.
3. Bee very reall, ſerious, and ſubſtantiall with God in them, indeavour to feele all duties at your heart, inliving, inlarging, inflaming your affections.
Theſe be the duties of moſt importance and conſequent, commoditie and comfort to the ſoule, becauſe they properly aim at, and reach to ſoules good, and celeſtiall happineſſe, to train up a ſoule for heaven, Deut. 4.29.
Dutie 5.
Fortifie your ſelves every morning againſt your ſpeciall luſts to which you are by nature moſt prone, or ſhall bee moſt tempted, bee it pride, paſſion, convetouſneſſe, &c.
This is done,
1. by Arguments and holy reaſonings within your ſelves, drawn from the ſad effects thereof, as diſprofit, diſcomfort, diſgrace, or the like, to diſcover the unreaſonableneſſe of your ſins, and make your ſoule aſhamed of them. For example, ſhall I bee proud? then I am ſure to fall, for pride goeth before deſtruction, and a haughty ſpirit before a fall, Prov. 16.18. and God will count me for his enemy, for God reſiſteth the proud, Jam. 4.6. Shall I be angry? if I let paſſion in, I cannot keepe Satan out, Epheſ. 4, 26, 27. Againe, I ſhall grieve the holy Spirit of God, Epheſ. 4.30, 31. Shall I bee covetous? I cannot but bee very ſinfull, ſith the love of money is the root of all evill, 1 Tim. 6.10.
2. By pondering in your mind upon the precepts in Gods booke againſt your ſins, Prov. 6.23, 24. And on the judgments threatned or inflicted for them; as on proud Herod, Acts 12.23. voluptuous Dives, Luk. 16.23. churliſh Nabal, 1 Sam. 25.38.
3. By applying promiſes of mortification cloſe to your hearts, as a plaiſter to the ſore, for ſubduing your iniquities, Mic. 7.19. Rom. 6.14.
4. By drawing vertue from Chriſts death into the ſoule, which hath in it a killing force of ſin, Rom. 6.4.5.6. Phil. 3.10.
Dutie 6.
Get your hearts ſtrongly fixed on God, by truſting on him, Pſal. 112.7. and ſubmitting to him, 2. Sam. 15.26. 1. Sam. 3.18. againſt all the feares, cares, doubts, trialls, afflictions of every day, for ſufficient to the day is the evill thereof, Mat. 6.34. To this end,
1. Be prudent to fore-ſee your perſonall trialls, and troubles, whatſoever they are like to bee, Pro. 22.3.
2. Goe hide, and lay up your ſelfe in God, run unto his name, for God is a rocke of habitation to which a poore ſoule may continually reſort, God will give commandment to ſave him, Pſal. 71.3. 1 Peter. 4.19.
3. Eſpecially commit that very thing to God, put into his hands, whatſoever you deſire to keepe, or feare to loſe, 2. Tim. 1.12. be it life, libertie, name, friends, maintenance, &c. What you would have reſolved, if it be a doubt, Pſal. 37.5. Or ſupplied, if it bee a want, Prov. 16.7. Or removed, if it bee a croſſe, Pſal. 50.5 And together with the thing, caſt all your care, feare, ſorrow, and trouble of minde about it wholly on the Lord, Mat. 6.31. 1 Pet. 5.7. Pſal. 55.22.
4. Renew your faith in thoſe promiſes every day which moſt concern your preſent eſtate; as in promiſes, 1 Of ſupplies, if you bee in want, Pſal. 34.8. & 37.3. & 84.11. Mat. 6.30. 2 Of protection, if you be in danger, Pſal. 34.7. 3 Of direction, if in doubt, Jam. 1.5. 4 Of deliverance, if in trouble, Job. 5.19. 5 Of a good end, and ſanctified uſe of all. Deut. 8.1. Jam. 5.11. Rom. 8.28. Heb. 12.10.
5. Labour to ſee Gods hand, Pſal. 39.9. beleeve his love, Heb. 12.6. Rev. 3.19. and with all meekeneſſe, and patience to reſigne up your ſelfe wholly to his will in every affliction, Mat. 26.39.
Dutie 7.
Get, and keepe a ſavory reliſh continually of your chriſtian priviledges, wherewith you are inveſted as you are new creatures in Chriſt: to wit,
1. Of your dignity, that you are Gods ſons, 1 Joh. 3.1, 2. Chriſt brethren, Heb. 2.11. heavens heires, James. 2.5. partakers of a high, and heavenly calling, Heb. 3.1.
2. Of your liberty, that your are the Lords freemen, Cor. 7.22. delivered out of the hands of all your enemies, 1 Sam. 12.11. 2 Kings. 17.39.
3. Of your victory, that you are through Chriſt more then Conquerors over all the world of Creatures, 1 John. 5.4. of evils, of temptations, of perſecutions, Rom. 8.35.37.
4. Of your ſafety, that you have almighty God for your place of refuge, Pſal. 48.2. a hedge of providence, Job. 1.10. a Guard of angels, Pſal. 91.11. an incloſure of mercy, Pſal. 32.10. and Gods promiſe as a writ of protection for your defence. Heb. 13.5.6.
5. Of your riches as durable ſubſtance in heaven, Heb. 10.34. and incorruptible inheritance, 1 Pet. 1.4. a kingdome of glory, and a crowne of life, for you are heires of God, and co-heires with Chriſt.
6. Of your joy and pleaſure, precious for kind, and plentifull for meaſure, Pſal. 16.11. peace un-conceiveable, Phil. 4.7. joy unſpeakeable, 1. Pet. 1.8. the maſters joy.
Get your hearts affected with all theſe as being yours. Chew, and ſucke them by ſerious Meditation, worke, and warme them on your hearts by cloſe application, rubbing them into your affections. Oppoſe theſe your ſpirituall priviledges to all your temporall preſſures, ſetting the one againſt the other; as your heavenly friends to your earthly foes, your high dignity in Chriſt to your meaneſs in outward condition, your wealth above to your want below your future joys and reſt to your preſent troubles, and ſorrows. This will make you not onelyonly patient under the afflictions of this life, Rom. 12.12. but alſo joyful in them, Rom. 5.3. & triumphant over them, 1. Cor. 15.55. Thus did the Apoſtle, Rom 8.18. 2 Cor 4.17. & 6.8.9.10.
Theſe will provoke to duty, 1 Peter. 2.9.11.12. and preſerve from faining, 2 Cor. 4.16.17. and from trouble of heart, John. 14.1, 2.
Dutie 8.
Sanctifie God in your heart daily, 1 Pet. 1.15. make him your feare, Iſaiah. 8.14. your love, & delights, Pſal. 37.4. To this end,
1. Have often high, and honorable thoughts of God, ſerious meditations of his glorious Atributes, as his wiſdome, power, truth, mercy, Juſtice, &c. and work them upon your hearts, that they may Eccho to them with pure, and melting affections. This will increaſe, and nouriſh up the divine nature in you, 2 Pet. 1.4.
2. Labour to bee affected with all the workes of God, as firſt to behold, and admire the wiſdome of God in the creatures, Pſal. 136.5. 2 To ſee, and taſt Gods goodnes in every mercy Pſal. 34.8. 3 To take notice of, and tremble at the anger, and diſpleaſure of God in all his Judgements, Pſal. 119.120. Habb. 3.16. 4 That you may anſwer the diſpenſations of Gods providence with ſutable diſpoſitions; your hearts carrying a counterpane in affection to all Gods actions, Iſay. 26.8.
3. Wreſtle with God by praying, and beleeving for an heart of fleſh, Ezek. 36.26. which will receive impreſſions from the very thoughts of God in the mind.
4 Apply promiſes of particular affections: as firſt of love, Deut. 30.6. 2 of feare, Ier. 32.40. 3 of delight, Iſa. 58.14. There is heart, and life in the ſe promiſes, ſufficient to quicken and warm thy dead, and frozen affctions.
Dutie 9.
Get a publike ſpirit to mind the things of Jeſus Chriſt, as naturally as if they were your own things, Phil. 2.20, 21. to looke on the things of others, and preferre, firſt, Jeruſalems welfare before your chiefeſt joy, Pſal. 137.5, 6. and 2. the Goſpels liberty before your own, as Paul did, and to mourn for the ſins of the times, as the Godly in Jeruſalem did, Ezek. 9.4. Eſpecially lay to heart,
1. The Churches miſery, when Gods Ordinances goe downe, and ſuperſtition goeth up, when Gods cauſe and ſide are put to the worſt; when any thing falls out, which gives a blow to Religion, or proves an impediment to the Goſpel. If the Arke bee taken, call your comforts Ichabods, 1 Sam. 4.2.
2. The afflictions of Joſeph, Amos 6.6. The ſufferings of Gods ſervants, whether Miniſters or people. O ſympathize with them, Heb. 13.3. Neb. 1.4. labour to feel their troubles & ſorrows at your very hearts; and pray earneſtly for them as the Church did for Peter, Act. 12.5.
3. The ſignes of the times, Mat. 16.3. which hypocrites cannot diſcerne, though they bee well verſed in the face of the Skie, to wit, the ſad ſymptomes, and preſages of approaching Judgements, as,
Firſt, the commonneſſe of ſin; for all ſorts tranſgreſſe in all kind of open ſinfulnes with a high hand againſt the light of nature, and the meanes of grace, Ezek. 12.3.
2 Contempt of Gods Ordinances, miſuſing of his Miniſters, 2 Chron. 36.16.
3 Departure of Gods glory from his houſe, Ezek. 9.3.
4 Incorrigibeneſſe after former, and under preſent judgements, Lev. 26.14. to the end of the chapter.
5. The death of many righteous men, Iſaiah 57.1. the carrying away of others to hiding places.
6 The vials of Gods wrath powred on the Churches beyond the Seas, Ier. 17.12.14.
7 An inundation of ſpirituall judgements, as a ſpirit of errour, ſuperſtition, apoſtaſie, &c. which do commonly end in temporall plagues, Iſa. 6.10, 11.
Now the Holy ghoſt is a publike ſpirit breathing and acting in all the members of the myſticall body of Chriſt: Pray for it, Luke 11.13. beleeve for it, Gal. 3.14. Ezek. 36.37.
Dutie 10.
Get your hearts weaned daily from the world, and from thoſe creatures and comforts in it, which are deareſt and ſweeteſt to you. As wife, children, friends, goods, liberty houſe, life. This Chriſt requires of thoſe that follow him, Luke 14.26, 27. Mark 10.29, 30. this will prepare you either to ſuffer or to die when God cals you to it. To this end conſider ſeriouſly;
1. That theſe things cannot ſatisfie your heart, when you have enjoyed them to the full, Eccleſ. 4.8. & 5.10. you ſoone grow weary of them, or glutted with them, ſo that you deſire ſome new delights, or more of the old, or ſome over againe.
2. Nor can they ſanctifie you, but expoſe you oft to many luſts, 1 Tim. 6.9, 10. tentations, diſtractions, to a ſpirit of the world, and they hinder from following Chriſt, Mat. 19.22.
3. Nor can they ſave you from Gods wrath, from death or judgement, Prov. 11.4.
4. The wicked whoſe portion is onelyonly here, have often the greateſt ſhare of them, Pſal. 17.14. Job. 21.7. to 14.
5. They ſerve onelyonly for this life, whilſt wee are on this ſide of the grave; they ſhall not be the leaſt Ingredients into our celeſtiall happines. When we do come to be happy in heaven, wee ſhall ſtand in no need of food, rayment, phyſick, marriage, &c. Mat. 22.30. for we ſhall be like the Angels of God in heaven, we ſhall hunger no more, neither thirſt any more, Rev. 7.16. we ſhall live by the al-ſufficient Spirit of God, which never needs refreſhing; we ſhall be clothed with long white robes of immortality Rev. 7.9. In a word, when wee come to heaven the place of Gods Habitation, wee ſhall enjoy the face, and beatificall preſence of the moſt glorious Jehovah, bleſſed for ever, as an object, wherein all the powers of our ſoules will be ſatisfied with ineffable delight, and everlaſtingneſſe. God will be unto us all in all, 1 Cor. 15.28.
FINIS.
End of the text · Edward Reyner, Precepts for Christian Practice (1645)